Fair 61°
Tag:

Change.org

News
Charity-Linked Poughkeepsie Community Figure Accused Of Strangling Victim In Front Of Baby: DA Charity-Linked Poughkeepsie Community Figure Accused Of Strangling Victim In Front Of Baby: DA
Poughkeepsie's Frank Flowers Charged With Strangulation: DA A well-known Dutchess County community figure and the brother of a local mayor has been indicted by a grand jury on a violent felony charge stemming from an alleged domestic assault that prosecutors say occurred in front of an infant.  Poughkeepsie resident Frank "Frankie" Flowers, 52, was arraigned in County Court after being indicted on second-degree strangulation, along with misdemeanor counts of criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, third-degree assault, and endangering the welfare of a child, the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday, Jan.…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Business
Cracker Barrel Responds To 'Woke' Rebrand Criticism: 'We Could've Done A Better Job' Cracker Barrel Responds To 'Woke' Rebrand Criticism: 'We Could've Done A Better Job'
Cracker Barrel Responds To 'Woke' Rebrand Criticism: 'We Could've Done A Better Job' Cracker Barrel is pushing back after a wave of rabid criticism from conservatives over its new logo and modernization plans. The Tennessee-based restaurant chain posted a message titled "Our Promise To You" on its website on Monday, Aug. 25. The note comes after prominent right-wing figures, including Donald Trump Jr. and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, blasted Cracker Barrel's new branding as "woke." Cracker Barrel thanked fans for their passion, pledging that the company's values haven't changed since its first store opened in 1969. "If the last few days have shown us anything, it's how deep…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Business
Cracker Barrel Makeover Blasted As 'Woke' By Conservatives, Petitions Call For Boycott Cracker Barrel Makeover Blasted As 'Woke' By Conservatives, Petitions Call For Boycott
Cracker Barrel Makeover Blasted As 'Woke' By Conservatives, Petitions Call For Boycott Cracker Barrel's push to modernize has sparked fierce criticism, as the restaurant chain is the latest brand to be labeled "woke" by conservatives The Tennessee-based company, known for its rustic country stores and Southern meals, unveiled its first new logo in nearly 50 years on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The logo drops the familiar man-and-barrel image for a simpler design as part of a broader remodel and menu refresh. Right-wing figures like Donald Trump Jr. have criticized the changes. "WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!" the President's son tweeted on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Florida R…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
News
TikTok Uproar, $20K Fundraiser Follow Felony Wiretap Conviction In Fort Gap Rape Case: DA TikTok Uproar, $20K Fundraiser Follow Felony Wiretap Conviction In Fort Gap Rape Case: DA
TikTok Uproar, $20K Fundraiser Follow Felony Wiretap Conviction In Fort Gap Rape Case: DA A Dauphin County woman at the center of a viral controversy has been sentenced to jail after being convicted of felony wiretap violations and lying to police about being raped, the Lebanon County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Veronika Rodriguez, 24, of Middletown, was convicted by a jury in May of two felony violations of Pennsylvania’s Wiretap Act and one count of false reports to law enforcement. On Wednesday, Judge Charles T. Jones Jr. sentenced her to 30 days to two years less one day in the Lebanon County Correctional Facility. The Allegation Rodrigu…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Sports
‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches ‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches
‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches Chase Childers, a former Baltimore Orioles minor league prospect, died a hero in South Carolina after rushing into floodwaters to save a group of swimmers — sacrificing his life to protect theirs. According to Pawleys Island Police, officers received a 911 call at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, reporting “multiple swimmers in distress near Shell Road Ocean.”  One man — later identified as Childers — was missing, and a search was immediately launched by police, Midway Fire Rescue, and the US Coast Guard. At approximately 6:15 p.m., rescue teams recovered Childers' body fro…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Politics
Bagel Shop Manager’s ICE Detention Sparks Outcry, Fundraiser In NY Bagel Shop Manager’s ICE Detention Sparks Outcry, Fundraiser In NY
Bagel Shop Manager’s ICE Detention Sparks Outcry, Fundraiser In NY A Long Island community is rallying behind a beloved bagel shop manager who was detained by federal immigration agents outside his workplace. Fernando Mejia, the longtime manager of Schmear Bagel & Café in Port Washington, was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday, June 12, as he arrived to work, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched in his support. Mejia overstayed a visa 20 years ago, CBS News reports. Described as a “pillar” of the Port Washington community, Mejia is known for greeting customers with a smile, high-fiving local school kids…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
Husband Claims 'Wrongful Incarceration,' NJ Mom Sentenced In Infant's Death Husband Claims 'Wrongful Incarceration,' NJ Mom Sentenced In Infant's Death
Husband Claims 'Wrongful Incarceration,' NJ Mom Sentenced In Infant's Death A Bergen County mother has been sentenced in the 2022 death of her infant son. Sun Min “Grace” Yoo Chan, an educational counselor from River Edge, was sentenced this week to five years in prison after pleading guilty to reckless manslaughter in the 2022 death of her 3-month-old son, NorthJersey.com reports. She must serve 85% of her sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Chan was initially arrested on May 3, 2022, and charged with murder, aggravated assault, and child endangerment, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. Police responded to her home on March 29, 2022, aro…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
News
NY Brothers, 19 & 20, Deported Without Warning Despite Pending Legal Status, Attorney Claims NY Brothers, 19 & 20, Deported Without Warning Despite Pending Legal Status, Attorney Claims
NY Brothers, 19 & 20, Deported Without Warning Despite Pending Legal Status, Attorney Claims Two Long Island brothers who spent nearly half their lives in the US were abruptly deported, despite having no criminal record and a pending path to legal residency, their attorney claims. Jose Trejo Lopez, 20, and Josue Trejo Lopez, 19, were deported to El Salvador on Wednesday, May 7, just weeks after a New York Family Court granted them legal guardianship—an important step in their effort to remain in the US legally, their attorney, East Islip immigration lawyer Ala Amoachi, said. The brothers, originally from El Salvador, came to the US in 2016 at ages 10 and 11 with their mother, fleei…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
Outrage Over Squirrel Sensation's Euthanasia Prompts State Changes: 'We Can Do Better' Outrage Over Squirrel Sensation's Euthanasia Prompts State Changes: 'We Can Do Better'
Outrage Over Squirrel Sensation's Euthanasia Prompts State Changes: 'We Can Do Better' New York State environmental officials are revamping their wildlife enforcement procedures in the wake of public outcry over the state-ordered euthanasia of a popular social media squirrel. Following an internal investigation, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is implementing new protocols to avoid similar incidents in the future, the agency announced Friday, March 28. The changes follow national backlash surrounding “Peanut,” a Chemung County squirrel with nearly one million followers on Instagram who was seized and later euthanized by the agency last fall, as Daily Voice …

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
Schools
School Board Member In Hudson Valley Under Fire For Comments On Israel-Hamas War School Board Member In Hudson Valley Under Fire For Comments On Israel-Hamas War
School Board Member In Hudson Valley Under Fire For Comments On Israel-Hamas War Elected officials and community members are calling for a Hudson Valley school board member to step down following alleged antisemitic remarks made at a board meeting.  The outrage was prompted following a school board meeting in Putnam County on Tuesday, July 9, when Carmel Central School District Trustee Jim Wise allegedly controversy within the town over a comment on the Israel-Hamas war. The statement in question, "From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free," was defended by Wise in a post on social media on Wednesday, Aug. 7.  "I also reject absolutely the idea that …

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Obituaries
Funeral Services Held For Boy, Mother Fatally Struck By Bus In Westchester Funeral Services Held For Boy, Mother Fatally Struck By Bus In Westchester
Funeral Services Held For Boy, Mother Fatally Struck By Bus In Westchester Community members came together to honor the memory of a 6-year-old boy and his mother who were killed while walking to a Westchester school.  A funeral Mass was held on Friday morning, June 28 at the St. Augustine Church in Larchmont for Mamaroneck residents Michael Donovan Volpe, age 6, and his mother, 43-year-old Molly Murphey Donovan, who were both killed on Thursday, June 20 after being struck by a school bus while walking to the Mamaroneck Avenue School.  Earlier Report - New Update: IDs Released Of Mother, Child Struck, Killed By School Bus In…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Hunter From Hudson Valley Accused Of Killing, Skinning Pet Dogs He Mistook For Coyotes Hunter From Hudson Valley Accused Of Killing, Skinning Pet Dogs He Mistook For Coyotes
Hunter From Hudson Valley Accused Of Killing, Skinning Pet Dogs He Mistook For Coyotes A New York man faces criminal charges after allegedly killing and skinning two pet dogs in Connecticut that he thought were coyotes.  Putnam County resident Michael Konschak, age 61, of Carmel, faces tampering with evidence, forgery, and hunting-related violation charges after allegedly killing the two dogs in northern Fairfield County on Friday, Nov. 18 after they escaped their owner's home.  Konschak was arrested by environmental conservation police associated with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental protection on Wednesday, Feb. 8, according to court documents.  The …

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
'Nay's Place': Capital District City Dedicates Bball Courts To Teen Athlete Killed In Crash 'Nay's Place': Capital District City Dedicates Bball Courts To Teen Athlete Killed In Crash
'Nay's Place': Capital District City Dedicates Bball Courts To Teen Athlete Killed In Crash A Capital District city is honoring a young athlete who died just months after graduating high school. Schenectady High School alum Naylon “Nay” Carrington was killed in a car crash in October 2020 at the age of 18, according to relatives. Not long after, loved ones started a petition on Change.org asking Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy and the city council to rename the Central Park Basketball Court in his honor. Carrington spent hours playing on the court, “bettering his game and gaining mental and physical clarity,” said Jerome Steele, the petition’s organizer. “He would frequent with…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
'Gone Forever': Westchester Mom Recounts Teen's Overdose On Streaming Show 'Gone Forever': Westchester Mom Recounts Teen's Overdose On Streaming Show
'Gone Forever': Westchester Mom Recounts Teen's Overdose On Streaming Show A mother from Westchester County is opening up about losing her teenage daughter to an accidental fentanyl overdose. Despina Prodromidis, of Yonkers, recently sat down with actress Jada Pinkett Smith on her streaming show, Red Table Talk, for an episode centered around the national fentanyl epidemic. (View a clip of the segment below) Through tears, Prodromidis recounted the unimaginable moment on Easter 2021 when doctors informed her that her 15-year-old daughter, Olivia Green, had died after taking a counterfeit Percocet. "I was like, 'Is Olivia okay?' and they just put their heads dow…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
Petition Calls For Stoplight Following Fatal Crash With School Bus In Hudson Valley Petition Calls For Stoplight Following Fatal Crash With School Bus In Hudson Valley
Petition Calls For Stoplight Following Fatal Crash With School Bus In Hudson Valley An area woman who was engaged to be married to a dump truck driver who was recently killed in a vehicle crash with a school bus has started a petition to have a stoplight installed at the intersection where the crash occurred. Krista Smith said the intersection located at Route 9W and Malden Turnpike in Saugerties in Ulster County, is one of the most dangerous in the county and is asking the state Department of Transportation to install a traffic light. "Jeff was taken in the prime of his life because of the oversight by state and local DOT," Smith said. "His death was 100-percent prev…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
News
Calls Grow For Investigation Of Police Handling Of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie Case Calls Grow For Investigation Of Police Handling Of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie Case
Calls Grow For Investigation Of Police Handling Of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie Case A petition calling for an investigation into a Florida police agency's handling of the case of the late Brian Laundrie, who was named a person of interest in the homicide of fellow Long Island native Gabby Petito, has received more than 3,600 signatures. The Change.org petition calls for a "formal internal investigation" into how the North Port Police Department in Sarasota County handled Laundrie's case. Laundrie, age 23, was the only person of interest authorities named in the death of his fiancée, 22-year-old Gabby Petito, both of whom grew up in Blue Point in Suffolk County. Petit…

SHARE

by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Petition Started To Rename New TZB To Honor Hudson Valley Firefighter Who Died Rescuing Others Petition Started To Rename New TZB To Honor Hudson Valley Firefighter Who Died Rescuing Others
Petition Started To Rename New TZB To Honor Hudson Valley Firefighter Who Died Rescuing Others Following the scandal and resignation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Change.Org petition has been started and gained more than 9,000 signatures to change the official name of the new Tappan Zee Bridge to honor a Rockland County firefighter who died rescuing others. The new bridge's official, though seldom used name, is the Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge. The old Tappan Zee Bridge's official name was the Gov. Malcolm Wilson Bridge. Andrew Cuomo changed the official name of the bridge in June 2017 to honor his late father. Since then, there has been much controversy over the move, especially since polls s…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
News
Parole Of Man In Rape/Murder Case Of Two Northern Westchester Women Sparks Outrage Parole Of Man In Rape/Murder Case Of Two Northern Westchester Women Sparks Outrage
Parole Of Man In Rape/Murder Case Of Two Northern Westchester Women Sparks Outrage Found guilty of the rape and murder of Sheila Watson and Bonnie Minter while their children were within earshot at their Northern Westchester home in Lewisboro in 1978, the now-68-year-old Sam Ayala was granted parole in mid-March and could be released as early as Thursday, Sept. 3.  Ayala lived in Fairfield County at the time, in Norwalk. More than 5,000 have signed a Change.org petition urging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to keep Ayala behind bars.  Jason Minter, both a son to one of the victims and a witness to the crime, speculated that the convict's release was influenced…

SHARE

by Christina Coulter
News
New School District In Hudson Valley Eyes Dropping Indians Nickname New School District In Hudson Valley Eyes Dropping Indians Nickname
New School District In Hudson Valley Eyes Dropping Indians Nickname Another Hudson Valley school is weighing whether or not to change its mascot away from one with Native American representation amid civil unrest across the country. In the wake of the Washington Redskins removing its mascot and John Jay High School, located in Lewisboro in Northern Westchester, transitioning from the Indians to Wolves, Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls could soon also see a nickname change. Related story - High School In Northern Westchester Picks New Nickname To Replace Indians School officials said they are open to changing the mascot and retiring the I…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
Dashcam Video Released Of Hudson Valley Man Killed In Police-Involved Shooting Dashcam Video Released Of Hudson Valley Man Killed In Police-Involved Shooting
Dashcam Video Released Of Hudson Valley Man Killed In Police-Involved Shooting New video and information has been released of the Hudson Valley man who was killed in a police-involved shooting last month. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office released audio and video recordings of the Saturday, May 23 shooting of Poughkeepsie resident Maurice Gordon, who was shot and killed by a New Jersey State trooper on the Garden State Parkway after a struggle with police. State Police Sgt. Randall Wetzel was identified by investigators as the shooter as the investigation into the Hudson Valley-native’s death continues. In total, 12 audio and video recordings were released, co…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
Senate OKs Bill To Add 'TZB' To Official Bridge Name, But Assembly Adjourns Senate OKs Bill To Add 'TZB' To Official Bridge Name, But Assembly Adjourns
Senate OKs Bill To Add 'TZB' To Official Bridge Name, But Assembly Adjourns The debate over naming rights at the new Tappan Zee Bridge continues to rage, as officials remain split on the matter. The New York State Senate voted by a count of 40 to 20 in favor of a compromised bill to add the Tappan Zee Designation to the seldom-used official name of Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, but the Democratic-controlled State Assembly ended its annual legislative session without even putting the bill to a vote, leaving its future status uncertain at best. The bill was first introduced by State Sen. John DeFrancisco (R-District 50/Syracuse area). The Senate’s vote came late on Wed…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
110K-Signature Petition To Restore TZB As Official Name Delivered To Cuomo 110K-Signature Petition To Restore TZB As Official Name Delivered To Cuomo
110K-Signature Petition To Restore TZB As Official Name Delivered To Cuomo What’s in a name? The battle over naming rights of the new Tappan Zee Bridge came to a head on Thursday, as several members of Save Our Tappan Zee, a group dedicated to preserving the bridge’s namesake, printed out a change.org petition that garnered nearly 110,000 signatures from local residents lambasting the name “Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.” On Thursday, the delegation traveled to the State Capitol building in Albany to drop off a printed out list of the signatures, which called open state legislators and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to restore the previous name of the span connecting Rockland…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
TZB Tally: Petition To Remove Cuomo Name From Bridge Tops 100K Signatures TZB Tally: Petition To Remove Cuomo Name From Bridge Tops 100K Signatures
TZB Tally: Petition To Remove Cuomo Name From Bridge Tops 100K Signatures It’s a new year, but the sentiment is the same when it comes to Hudson Valley residents’ opinions regarding the naming rights of the new Tappan Zee Bridge. Ever since New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the designation of Mario M. Cuomo Bridge as the official name for the new Tappan Zee span, the vocal outcry against the name has been heard loudly and often, including the change.org petition started by Port Chester resident Monroe Mann, which has garnered more than 105,000 signatures since it was started in November, including more than 3,000 overnight. The petition, which has made nationa…

SHARE

by Zak Failla