THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS HAD BETTER SLEEP TONIGHT —-11 PM CURFEW IMPOSED ON NYC TONIGHT

Posted on June 1, 2020 by John Bailey

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. June 1. 2020:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio today announced a citywide curfew in New York City will take effect beginning at 11 PM tonight and will be lifted at 5 AM tomorrow morning.

The Governor and the Mayor also announced that the New York City Police Department will double its police presence to help prevent violence and property damage. The additional officers will be deployed to areas where violence and property damage occurred during last night’s protests – specifically in lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.

The Governor and the Mayor also reminded New Yorkers participating in protests to take proper health precautions and wear face coverings while we continue to fight the COVID-19 virus.

“I stand behind the protestors and their message, but unfortunately there are people who are looking to distract and discredit this moment,” Governor Cuomo said.

“The violence and the looting has been bad for the city, the state and this entire national movement, undermining and distracting from this righteous cause. While we encourage people to protest peacefully and make their voices heard, the safety of the general public is paramount and cannot be compromised.

Tonight the Mayor and I are implementing a citywide curfew starting at 11 PM and doubling the NYPD presence across the city.”

“I support and protect peaceful protest in this city. The demonstrations we’ve seen have been generally peaceful. We can’t let violence undermine the message of this moment. It is too important and the message must be heard. Tonight, to protect against violence and property damage, the Governor and I have decided to implement a citywide curfew,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“The Police Commissioner and I have spoken at length about the incidents we’ve all seen in recent days where officers didn’t uphold the values of this city or the NYPD. We agree on the need for swift action. He will speak later today on how officers will be held accountable.”

The Governor in a letter tonight said: ” Mayor de Blasio and I spoke today and agreed to implement the curfew. In addition, the NYPD will double its presence to help prevent violence and property damage. While we encourage people to protest peacefully, unfortunately, there are those who have exploited the protests as a cover for criminal activities. The safety of the general public is paramount and cannot be compromised.

2. Be aware of the risk of COVID-19 at protests. The Health Commissioner and I are concerned that the large protests may increase the spread of COVID-19. While the right to protest peacefully is sacrosanct, I nevertheless urge all protesters to take precautions like wearing a mask or face covering if participating in a protest. It would be terrible for the progress we have made on this virus to be undone.

3. Two regions are expected to enter Phase 2 of reopening this week. Tomorrow Western New York is expected to enter Phase 2, followed by the Capital Region on Wednesday, June 3, pending a review of regional data by global public health experts.

4. We have the lowest rate of positive test results since the pandemic began. Yesterday the state performed 50,000 tests and only 941 people, or 2%, were positive. That is the lowest number yet of positive cases.

5. The total number of COVID hospitalizations is steadily declining. Total hospitalizations fell to 3,331, from 3,436 the day before. Yesterday, we had 183 new COVID hospitalizations. Sadly, 54 New Yorkers died of the virus — the lowest number since March.

WINBROOK MURDER SUSPECT Arraigned

Posted on June 1, 2020 by John Bailey

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From Westchester County District Attorney June 1. 2020:

District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced Brandon Williams of White Plains was arraigned Saturday, May 30, 2020, and charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Deron Strange.

Specifically, Williams appeared in Westchester County Court Emergency Part via video conference before Judge Jo Ann Friia. The charge is Murder in the Second Degree, a class B violent felony. He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to return to court June 4, 2020.

Background:

On Wednesday night, 34-year-old Deron Strange, a man from White Plains, was shot shortly before midnight at a housing complex on Martin Luther King Boulevard, Jr. Blvd. in White Plains. He later died at White Plains Hospital. Following an intensive investigation to track down the defendant, with the aid of the FBI Violent Felony Task Force, White Plains Police arrested Brandon Williams Friday night at a hotel in Harrison. He was arraigned Saturday. The investigation continues.

Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lopez of the Superior Court Trial Division is prosecuting the homicide.

CATHERINE PARKER BOWS OUT OF CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY

Posted on May 31, 2020 by John Bailey

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2020. From Catherine Parker Campaign. May 31, 2020:

Back in March, I put my campaign to represent New York’s 17^th Congressional District on hold as the full breadth of the Covid-19 pandemic became apparent. The race is expensive, and I could just not justify asking donors for more money in the midst of a health and economic disaster.

In the last 10 weeks I have been immersed in a crash course on how our world is changing. As a County Legislator in Westchester’s 7^th District my days are consumed with a procession of new and unique problems, some dealing with county finances and services, others revolving around the day-to-day troubles of constituents whose lives and businesses have been upended.

As we approach the final month of the New York Primary campaign I have decided to make the March “pause” permanent: I am officially suspending my campaign operation. I understand that my name is still on the ballot but I cannot justify the time and expense of this political fight at this moment in history. There is a lot of money already in this race and I simply will not run about hat-in-hand when I’ve discovered I have something to give instead.

I am honored that County Executive George Latimer has offered me the opportunity to co-chair Westchester’s new Pandemic Reopening Task Force. This crisis has been an education for me and I am grateful for the opportunity to put the lessons to work immediately.

FOCUS ON THE CHANGE YOU WANT GOVERNOR CUOMO URGES PROTESTORS AFTER “LONG AND UGLY NIGHT”. HOPES PROTESTORS EXERT POLITICAL WILL AHEAD TO BRING 3 CHANGES.

Posted on May 31, 2020 by John Bailey

GOVERNOR CUOMO ON “THE LONG AND UGLY NIGHT.” COMPLETE WITH NEWS CONFERENCE AFTERWARD

WPCNR SUNDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey May 31, 2020:

Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed what he called “a long and ugly night” of protests, demonstrations in New York and across the nation.

After reporting that Covid-19 deaths yesterday in New York State had dropped to 49 overnight and that 6 weeks ago the number of Covid new hospitalizations stood at 3,400 that day and now as of today there were just 191, he said,

“It was we the people we did it in just weeks. Use this moment. We controlled it.”

He urged New Yorkers and protesters to focus “on the change we want.”

He said going forward protesters, to honor the memory of George Floyd the first change must be that allegations against police cannot be investigated by local prosecutors, instead the charges must be investigated by an independent prosecutor.

Second priority, is to make it a law that past records of police officers must be made public in any investigation of officer conduct.

Third priority, the governor laid out was “there is no excuse for anyone to live in poverty.” He also argued every public school should provide the same level of funding for each child so there are not two education systems – one for the rich and one for the poor.

He encouraged protestors to keep working for these goals without violence to anyone or destruction of property.

He said the way they do that is by putting pressure on their representatives, “or vote them out.”

“That’s how this moment becomes a historic moment.”

He said, the follow through after the murder of Mr. Floyd, whom he described as not violent in any way in the Minneapolis arrest sequence resulting in his death which ignited the protests the last three days, he hoped would be recognized “as a time when we were different. It was a historic moment and we united in better things.”

“It takes political will, ” the Governor said. “Be specific in things you want.”

In the Question and Answer media interlude, the Governor said he was deploying national guard to Rochester and have state troopers on standby in other parts of the state. He said he expects more protest activity this evening.

The Governor deployed additional State Police officers to Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany in advance of planned protests in those cities. State Police are at the ready to help any other municipalities in need and the National Guard is on standby.

He said he advised Mayor William DeBlasio of New York City and the police Commissioner that if the state Attorney General investigation of police conduct in the demonstrations in Brooklyn the last three nights found the need for charges, the inviduals would be “held accountable.” The governor said he found some of the incidents he viewed of the demonstrations he found “inexplicable.”