Krystal Cole

5 days ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Krystal Cole

New Yorkers took to the streets five years ago to push for criminal justice reforms in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. A couple of months later, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new guidance for police departments to reform their policies.

1 month ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Krystal Cole

Taking care of loved ones can be costly. According to a 2023 study by AARP, the average caregiver spends more than $7,000 out of pocket every year. Support groups, transportation and home modifications are expenses that can add up. Relief for unpaid caregivers could come in the form of a tax credit after bills were introduced at both a national and state level. Five years ago, Mark Charboneau was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and his wife Pat Charboneau became his caregiver.

2 months ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Krystal Cole

This winter, a strike by correction officers across New York state brought prisons to the forefront of conversation. Auburn Correctional Facility was one of many facilities with people participating in strikes. Auburn's prison has a more than 200-year history and over the years, it included the use of solitary confinement, walking in lockstep and wearing striped uniforms. Those methods, among others, eventually became part of what’s known as the Auburn System.

2 months ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Krystal Cole

Spring comes with the expectation of more sunshine, flowers and butterflies. However, there’s recently published research suggesting there are fewer butterflies in the U.S. If you feel like you’ve been seeing fewer butterflies over the last couple of decades, there’s now data to back that up. Researchers have been counting on observations made by people around the country to help track butterfly populations.

2 months ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Krystal Cole

According to a New York mental health needs assessment, two-thirds of first responders have experienced stress, and more than 50% have felt burnout and anxiety. First responders witness traumatic incidents on a regular basis, and while they're trained to help the community, now there's a team that's trained to help them in return. Every day across New York, 911 dispatchers pick up the phone not knowing who or what emergency will be on the other end.