Indian American officials Jeremy Cooney and Kevin Thomas, who recently won seats in the New York state Senate in November, were named Jan. 5 to state committee posts along with several Senate Democrats for the 2021-2022 legislative term.
Cooney will serve as the committee chair of the newly-created Cities Committee, which overseas cities outside of New York City as the Democratic Party holds multiple seats in upstate cities like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse for the first time in decades.
Cooney is an attorney with professional experience ranging from public affairs to philanthropy to corporate litigation, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Born in an Indian orphanage, Cooney was adopted by a courageous single mother and grew up in the South Wedge neighborhood of the city of Rochester. Raised in an Irish family, he inherited a strong sense of family, faith, and the famous upstate accent, his campaign website says.
The Lodge Grounds in North Berwick. Image copyright Richard Webb and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour continues to be an issue in North Berwick, with an increasing number of calls made to police during the coronavirus pandemic. During November, 13 calls relating to anti-social behaviour were made, with gatherings of youths – particularly in the Lodge Grounds – continuing to be an issue. Some of the incidents were: On November 6, police received a call concerning a man walking on Lochbridge Road with a laceration to his face. Police traced the man to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where he was spoken to and it was established that he was assaulted. Enquiries are ongoing.
More than 750 kids across the region will receive presents this year thanks to donations from locals. Thousands of toys, books, sweets and gift vouchers were handed in to libraries over the course of four weeks as part of the North Ayrshire Christmas Gift Appeal. The donations were divided into age categories by the Connected Communities team, before being packaged up to be delivered to the children. Provost Ian Clarkson hailed the efforts of locals and said the donations would make a great difference to the families receiving them. He said: “To say I am blown away by the generosity of North Ayrshire’s communities would be a complete understatement. Nothing could have prepared me for the enormous quantity of donations I witnessed.
Santa came early this year for seniors residing at Blessing Court, an independent living facility in Bedford. Residents have been gifted smartphones, allowing them to connect with friends and family during the pandemic.
Resident Donna Turner has largely been isolated because of COVID-19, but earlier this week, she was able to see her daughter for the first time since last Christmas thanks to her new phone’s video chat function.
“It’s just a blessing!” Turner says with a laugh. “I just love the phone because I’ve never had anything like this before.”
Consumer Cellular, a postpaid virtual network operator, has provided 1,000 cellphones to senior living residents who live in affordable housing throughout Texas and Ohio, according to a news release. These National Church Residences properties are part of the AARP Foundation’s Connect2Affect Connected Communities program, which works with affordable senior housing providers to supply residents with tools, devices and
Atlanta Magazine
How to donate toys in metro Atlanta this holiday season
There s still time to make a child s day
Photograph by Getty Images
In the Before Times, donating to a toy drive was usually as simple as dropping a gift in a large cardboard bin on your way into the office. Or, maybe you took one to the corporate holiday party. With nearly everyone working from home, though, donating toys can be more of a challenge this year.
“Normally we receive hundreds of toys and gifts for the children in our community programs during the holidays season,” says Chaundra Luckett, chief marketing officer of CHRIS 180, an Atlanta-based social services organization. “Most corporate holiday celebrations and fundraisers have been cancelled because of the pandemic. Without that support, many nonprofits may be forced to come out of pocket to fund Christmas gifts for their clients, and if they can’t take on the expense they may not be able to help, which is heartbreaking,” she says.