Rochester Beacon

The mission of the Rochester Beacon is to strengthen the Rochester community by providing a platform for sharing ideas and viewpoints that promote open dialogue and encourage informed public engagement. We tackle the various challenges facing Rochester by offering thoughtful opinions, thorough analysis, and diverse commentary. Our commitment lies in the careful effort to shed light on the complexities of truth through accurate facts, extensive research, and an inclusive approach, understanding that true journalistic objectivity is a goal we strive for, but may never fully achieve. We bring attention to the community's urgent issues, engage in essential public debates, and foster discussions aimed at finding solutions. We uncover the unseen, amplify underrepresented voices, question the norm, and support initiatives that work towards a brighter future for everyone. We create a space for open-minded conversations about vital social, economic, and political matters, welcoming a variety of perspectives. We aim to establish a sustainable business model for responsible, high-quality journalism in the digital age, focusing on innovation and welcoming new ideas.

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A visual dialogue on incarceration and resistance - Rochester Beacon

1 week ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Jacob Schermerhorn

Culture Visual Studies Workshop continues its “In Dialogue” series this evening with “Speaking in Tongues: In Dialogue with Christopher Harris.”“Rather than a program of just their own films, we create a selection of their films that can then dialogue with selections from (VSW’s) archives,” says Tara Nelson, VSW chief curator and managing editor of VSW Press. “It creates a unique program that they’ll never make again.
Breaking silence over a Pittsford school incident - Rochester Beacon

1 week ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Justin O'Connor

Two Pittsford parents have come forward alleging they faced stonewalling and silencing by the Pittsford Central School District after their daughter’s hair was touched repeatedly by a Barker Road Middle School lunch monitor early last year. Jerome Jean-Gilles and Deepika Singh’s daughter, who is half Black and half Indian, was a seventh grader when the incident occurred in January 2024.
A new measure of public safety - Rochester Beacon

2 weeks ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Jacob Schermerhorn

Measures for Justice’s new data portal for the Rochester Police Department is a step toward transparency and accountability. The data transparency nonprofit intends its Commons tool, launched Tuesday, to be a user-friendly, free dashboard that tracks a wide range of policing measures.
Feds sue Rochester over sanctuary city policies - Rochester Beacon

2 weeks ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Smriti Jacob

Justice & Public Safety The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the city of Rochester, alleging that the city’s sanctuary city policies unlawfully hinder federal immigration enforcement efforts. The complaint seeks to invalidate Rochester’s sanctuary policies and require the city to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
EvolvOptic eyes $5.1 million expansion - Rochester Beacon

2 weeks ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Smriti Jacob

Economy & Business EvolvOptic has plans for a $5.1 million expansion and creating up to 40 new jobs over the next five years. The company, formed through Advanced Glass Industries’ acquisition of Glass Fab Inc., expects to expand its capabilities in the space, semiconductor, and high-energy sectors.
Policy debates again stymie NY’s budget - Rochester Beacon

2 weeks ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Smriti Jacob

New York’s budget is now 24 days overdue—stalled not by fiscal questions, but by policy debate. Discovery law reform, cell phone restrictions in schools, and expanded standards in the mental hygiene law for involuntary commitment are some hot-button issues that have stymied progress.
Hochul touts budget proposals in Rochester - Rochester Beacon

3 weeks ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Smriti Jacob

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans emphatically voiced his support Monday for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Affordability Agenda. Hochul visited Rochester to lay out her demands for the state budget, which is late by three weeks. Hochul says she is seeking a deal “that makes New York safer and more affordable.” The budget deadline was April 1.
'An American in Paris' comes to CenterStage - Rochester Beacon

3 weeks ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Jacob Schermerhorn

Culture With more than 20 performers involved, “An American in Paris” will feature plenty of dancing. For the first time, the production partners, JCC Centerstage with Rochester’s Draper Center for Dance Education, the official training school of the Rochester City Ballet. The Draper Center’s artistic director, Jamey Leverett, will choreograph the musical including talent from the Draper Center Dance Ensemble.
Navigating a stormy market - Rochester Beacon

3 weeks ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Smriti Jacob

Laurie Haelen recalls a recent morning conference call with financial strategists who warned of a high risk for recession. By the afternoon, they called it a low risk. The conference call attended by Haelen, senior vice president and director of wealth solutions at Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, is illustrative of the stock market’s response to certain Trump administration’s policies, especially tariffs on imports.
SNAP token program expands access to healthy food - Rochester Beacon

4 weeks ago | rochesterbeacon.com | Smriti Jacob

As many worry about cuts to federal funds, the use of the Supplemental Nutritious Assistance Program continues to thrive at the Rochester Public Market. The Friends of Rochester Public Market’s token program is on pace to match last year’s $1.5 million in SNAP dollars spent at the market, an increase from $1.1 million the year before. The program aims to make it easy for SNAP recipients to gain access to healthy food.