Senator Webb launches summer reading program
Webb launched her Summer Reading Program last week. School aged children from across New York Senate District 52 are invited to participate.
This year's program is themed Color our World: Colorea Nuestro Mundo.
The program is designed to keep children's reading skills sharp during the summer months by making reading a steady habit.
Senator Webb says she supports educational development and hopes to provide an enjoyable and productive activity for students while they are out of school.
'I'm thrilled to launch this year's Summer Reading Program, Color our World: Colorea Nuestro Mundo,' said Webb. 'Reading has the power to open doors, ignite imagination, and connect us across cultures and communities. Through this program, I want to inspire young minds from every corner of Senate District 52 to explore new worlds through books, build their confidence, and celebrate their creativity.'
Children who read three books and submit information about their readings will receive a Certificate of Achievement from Webb. Parents and guardians from across New York State are encouraged to enroll their children in the activity by filling out a short form detailing the books read by their child this summer.
The submission form is available online at nyread.com. The deadline for submission is August 22.
BPD investigating non-fatal shooting of a Binghamton woman
Senator Webb launches summer reading program
VOTE: Best Pizza in Greater Binghamton
Medina High School Wins 5 Major Awards in 76th Annual Pageant of Bands
Road Closure in Johnson City This Week
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
Man threatens to bomb insurance company to get Instagram followers, Iowa cops say
While standing outside an insurance company with cans of gasoline, a man recorded an 'Instagram Reel' where he threatened to bomb the building, Iowa police said. 'Real or Reel,' he said during an Instagram video. 'You decide.' Christopher Webb is accused of making the threat in front of the insurance building as he expressed frustrations about the agency's service, West Des Moines police said in an affidavit filed June 21. 'Why am I here? Am I going to blow up the insurance agency or did I just need gas?' Webb, a 57-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, said in the video, according to police. A person viewed the video and reported it to police, the affidavit said. Webb told police the bomb threat in the video was designed to 'poke the bear,' the affidavit said. He said insurance companies and 'corporate America' were the 'true bad guy.' He said he posted the video to get more Instagram followers, according to the affidavit. Webb was charged with one count of threat of terrorism. His attorney information was not listed. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 27, according to court records.
CBS News
23-06-2025
- CBS News
Baltimore police to release body camera footage after fatal shooting of West Baltimore arabber
The Baltimore City Police Department is set to release body-worn camera footage of an incident in which a well-known West Baltimore arabber was shot and killed by police. Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr., 36, was killed by Baltimore police on Tuesday, June 17 in the Upton neighborhood. Abdullah was a popular arabber, who sold produce on a horse-drawn cart in the city, according to community members. According to a preliminary report from the Maryland Attorney General's Office, Abdullah allegedly shot a veteran police officer in the foot as three officers opened fire on him. Abdullah, who was shot in the exchange of gunfire, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Attorney general's preliminary report A preliminary investigation report from the Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General (AG) revealed that Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) officers in an unmarked cruiser were in the area when they encountered an adult man standing at the corner, carrying a crossbody bag on his back. The man began walking away, and the officer followed, according to the AG's report. The man was wearing a crossbody bag on his back when police attempted to stop him near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street. He reportedly led officers on a chase, and during a struggle, shot an officer in the foot, according to police. Police said that as an officer grabbed the man, a gunshot was fired, which prompted the officers to take cover. That's when the man allegedly pointed a gun at the three officers, who shot the man. The officer is recovering after he was released from the hospital following surgery, police said. The Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) officers involved were identified as Detective Devin Yancy, an 8-year veteran of the department; Detective Omar Rodriguez, a 6-year veteran of the department, both assigned to the Group Violence Unit; and Officer Ashely Negron, a 7-year veteran of the department, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Office. 2 men receive "Justice for BJ" rally in Upton Community members rallied in Upton last Friday, calling for more accountability from the city's police department. "Baltimore City police, we look to them to support and protect us, and they took my brother away," told WJZ. "We want justice. Those officers knew what they wanted to do. They knew, and we just want justice." Friday night the Baltimore City Police Accountability Board held an emergency meeting in response to the community outrage. The board, which said it investigated 17 complaints in the Upton neighborhood last year, is calling for more independent investigative power. "We would like the ability to question more folks, to be able to subpoena folks, to be able to gather more information," Jamal Turner, president of the Police Accountability Board, said.
CBS News
21-06-2025
- CBS News
AG identifies officers involved in fatal shooting of well-known Baltimore arabber
The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland State Attorney General's Office (AG) has released the names of the officers and the man involved in Tuesday night's fatal shooting in Baltimore City's Upton neighborhood. Officials confirmed that Bilal "BJ" Yusuf-Muhammad Abdullah Jr., 36, was the man shot and killed by Baltimore City police on Tuesday, June 17, just before 7:30 pm. The State Attorney General's Office said the Baltimore City Department (BPD) officers involved in the shooting have been identified as: Detective Devin Yancy, an 8-year veteran of the department; Detective Omar Rodriguez, a 6-year veteran of the department, both assigned to the Group Violence Unit; and Officer Ashely Negron, a 7-year veteran of the department. Abdullah allegedly shot a veteran police officer in the foot, according to a preliminary report from the AG's Office. Both the officer and Abdullah were taken to the shock trauma. However, Abdullah, who was shot in the exchange of gunfire with police, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The officer shot, underwent surgery, and is now recovering, according to authorities. Attorney General's preliminary report The preliminary investigation from the investigation division of the state Attorney General's office revealed that a BPD officer in an unmarked cruiser was in the area of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street when the officer saw Abdullah allegedly wearing a crossbody bag on his back. The officer believed Abdullah had a firearm and attempted to speak with him. One officer then allegedly exited the unmarked cruiser and approached Abdullah on foot. Abdullah began walking away, and the officer followed, according to the AG's report. As the officer followed, the man allegedly shifted the bag from back to front and ran away. A second officer exited the cruiser to help the first officer, according to the AG's preliminary report. A third officer, who was posted at the intersection in a separate marked cruiser, also got out of her vehicle. Police said that the first officer grabbed Abdullah, and a gunshot was fired, which prompted the officers to take cover. "A man ran from officers, and a brief truffle ensued," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said Tuesday night after the shooting. "At some point, the male broke away, multiple officers returned fire, striking the man." A firearm was recovered and secured by an officer, according to police. Tuesday night, Worley also said that a crowd at the scene interfered with officers as they attempted to provide immediate aid to the man. Fraternal Order of Police response The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #3 (FOP #3) issued a press release on the social media site 'X' on Thursday in response to the officer-involved shooting. The release from the lodge states that after being approached by police, the suspect chose to escalate the situation. "The citizens of Baltimore need to decide whether they want law and order or chaos," wrote FOP #3 president Mark Mancuso. West Baltimore community reaction On Thursday night, the West Baltimore community held a vigil in honor of Abdullah. Many neighbors and family members were tight-lipped but were visibly upset about his death. "They are trying to make it seem like he is just this bad guy—no, he isn't, you see how many people are out here who love him," said a relative who goes by the name of 'Peezzy'. On Friday afternoon, two separate memorials continued to grow in Abdullah's honor— both at the scene of the shooting and in the neighborhood where the vigil was held. A memorial was dedicated to Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr, a well-known arabber shot and killed by Baltimore police, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Janay Reece Abdullah was a popular arabber, who sold produce on a horse-drawn cart in the city, according to community members. "When we all stopped arabbing, BJ kept going. He kept it going," said Marqueatia "Weedy" Watters, a close friend of BJ. "He kept the name going. Like, he kept it going." Tony, known as "the Melon Man" or the "Fruit Man", said he worked as an arabber with Abdullah's family. "All my life, I worked for his father, BJ's father is Bilal Sr., a brother, and an uncle. So, you know he had plenty of horses," Tony said. "I can tell you, he will be missed." What is an arabber? Arabbing has a long history in Baltimore as a source of fresh produce in food deserts across the city. An arabber is a street vendor who sells fruits and vegetables from a horse-drawn cart. They used to be common in cities along the U.S. East Coast. However, arabbers are working to stay active on the streets of Baltimore. Holden Warren is the co-founder of Stable Baltimore alongside Levar Mullen, an organization that Warren and Mullen dedicated to healing and horse culture. Warren explained to WJZ that they were working with Abdullah to bring arabber's back in a new and sustainable way. "We've been training a new round of arabbers and we talked about bringing BJ back this summer. As we began to roll out new parts of our program," Warren said. "We're going to include an app and let them take EBT and things like that to help, sort of create more income streams for the arrabbers." Body-camera footage to be released Baltimore City NAACP responded to the officer-involved shooting on Facebook, confirming the Baltimore Police Department "... has reached out to the Baltimore City NAACP to arrange a private viewing of the body-worn camera footage once it has been prepared. We intend to review this footage with the seriousness and urgency this moment demands." The West Baltimore community also held a peaceful march and rally at 6:00 p.m. Friday near Pennsylvania and W. North Avenues. At the same time, the Baltimore City Police Accountability Board held an emergency meeting from 6:00p-8:00p.
