Home Articles About Contact
Photo by Mark G on Pexels

Rosie Newmark

I’m a Northwestern University Medill graduate with a background in journalism and history. My experience includes both daily news and long-form reporting, with a focus on social issues and politics.

I’m currently a part-time beat reporter at The Rye Record and a research assistant for Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jonathan Eig. I also freelance for American Libraries Magazine and the Hyde Park Herald. Previously, I interned with The Daily Herald and The Record North Shore, covering daily and breaking news in Chicago’s suburbs. At Northwestern, I contributed to The Daily Northwestern and edited for North by Northwestern and Wavelength Magazine.

Originally from Chicago, I’m now based in New York and always open to full-time journalism-related roles and freelance work.

The Rye Record •

Alleged Rye, NYC Drug Boss Hit with 6 New Charges, Including State’s Stiffest Penalty For Narcotics

Jose Garcia, the Rye resident charged in March with running a New York City-based fentanyl and heroin trafficking ring, is now facing new charges that he operated as a major trafficker — the most serious drug charge under state law. 


Garcia, 51, pleaded not guilty to all charges in Manhattan Supreme Court on April 29 and currently is being held on Rikers Island. He could face up to a life sentence, with a minimum sentence of 15 years, according Kati Cornell, the New York City special narcotic...
The Rye Record •

Playland to Open Memorial Day Weekend, Availability of Rides Remains Unclear

-David Hessekiel contributed to this report


Playland will open its doors to patrons on Memorial Day Weekend, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins announced on Wednesday.


But whether its rides will be operational then is another story.   


Jenkins, a Democrat, admitted on Wednesday that he didn’t know. The county, he said, is working with the state Department of Labor to determine the status of each ride, while addressing the “damage left behind” by former park operator Standard Amuse...
The Rye Record •

Council Begins Shortlisting Up to 30 Applicants for City Manager Role

The Rye City Council has received interest from up to 30 applicants for its open city manager position.  


The permanent managerial role overseeing the day-to-day operations of city government was posted on various job boards and websites for about a month, with between 26 and 30 candidates applying for the position, Democratic Councilman Josh Nathan told The Record.  


There is no timeline for the selection process, according to Nathan, who could not confirm whether Interim City Manager Bri...
American Libraries Magazine •

Brewing Connections

While creating one of their in-house brews, employees at Johnson City (Tenn.) Brewing Company brought in some unexpected assistants to pour barley into the batch: library staffers.
The pre-Prohibition-style lager they crafted together was called 1895, a nod to the founding year of Johnson City Public Library (JCPL), located just a few blocks from the brewery’s downtown taproom. Inspired by beers of the late 19th century, it features three flavors: coffee (for its connection to books), black curr...
The Rye Record •

City Seeks Consulting Firm to Lead Long Overdue Comprehensive Plan Update

The city of Rye has issued a Request for Proposal seeking a consulting firm to help update its comprehensive plan –a guiding document that hasn’t been redrafted in 40 years.


The RFP, which was sent out earlier this month, asks for a consulting firm with a plan that “should concisely identify community current conditions and anticipate future needs and demands based on local and regional trends.” The city is looking to create a comprehensive plan with actionable goals for housing, transportati...
The Rye Record •

City Opts Into Westchester Power Energy Plan over Con Edison

The Rye City Council voted on Wednesday to renew Rye’s agreement with Westchester Power, a county-wide renewable energy program, rather than switch to Con Edison.  


Westchester Power aims to address climate change in a region that is 93 percent dependent on fossil fuels like gas and oil. The ambitious plan aims to reduce statewide carbon production and transition to renewable energy sources by providing residents and small businesses a locally chosen alternative to the state-mandated utility,...
The Rye Record •

Crime Trends: Leaf Blower Summons Spike 300% in March, Rye Police Data Shows

While most police activity remained consistent, tickets for leaf blower complaints saw a significant jump in March, year-over-year police department data shows.


The amount of complaints that Rye police received for leaf blowers around town nearly doubled from the 15 calls police logged in March 2024 to 29 in March, an increase of 93 percent.


As a result, 20 summons were issued last month, compared to just five over the same period last year, according to police data, marking a 300 percent...
American Libraries Magazine •

Return to Normalcy

On January 7, as local officials issued fire warnings for the area, Altadena (Calif.) Library District (ALD) closed early to let staff evacuate. About an hour later, at 6:18 p.m., the Eaton Fire erupted in the nearby Los Angeles County foothills.
It would be 24 days before the Eaton Fire was fully contained. In that time, the fire destroyed more than 9,000 Altadena homes and businesses and killed 18 people, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
While many of the...
The Rye Record •

Three Bridges in Rye Rated Poor in State Bridge Report. Find Out What That Means.

Three bridges that provide access to Rye’s downtown have been rated poor by New York state, according to the latest bridge data report.


The overpass located at the Boston Post Road and Interstate 287 junction, the Locust Avenue bridge that crosses over the Blind Brook near the Rye firehouse, and the bridge on Central Avenue that traverses the Metro-North Railroad line were all tagged in poor condition by the state Department of Transportation (DOT).


The DOT issued its report on March 31....
The Rye Record •

Greenwich Woman Arrested by State Police for Drunk Driving with Young Kids in the Car

A Greenwich woman was arrested in Rye for allegedly driving drunk while she had three children — all under the age of 12 — in the car with her.


Claudia Ruiz, 40, was pulled over by New York State Police while traveling northbound on I-95 in Rye on Sunday night for multiple traffic violations, the Daily Voice reported.


She showed signs of intoxication and failed field sobriety tests at the scene, authorities said.


Police detected Ruiz’s Blood Alcohol Content at 0.11 percent, above the le...
The Rye Record •

Mysterious Fire — Now Linked to Stolen Car in the Bronx — Brings NYPD Back to Rye

The suspicious car fire along Lavender Lane during the early morning hours this month is now being investigated as as a stolen car by the NYPD, bringing the department back to Rye for the second time in less than a month.


The SUV, a 2014 Dodge Durango, was stolen in the Bronx on April 6, the same night it was left stranded in Rye, according to police. The owner of the vehicle has no ties to Rye, police said. It remains unclear why the Durango was abandoned on Lavender Lane near Midland Avenue...
The Rye Record •

NYC Sisters Arrested At Bus Stop in Rye for Assaulting Woman

Two sisters from New York City were arrested for attacking a woman at the bus stop on Purchase Street on Friday afternoon, authorities said.


Shaniqua Tanner, 36, and her sister, 37-year-old Shavonne, were taken into custody by Rye police around 3:15 p.m. on April 11 after allegedly attacking a woman while she was walking away from the bus stop.


Police were responding to a 911 call.


The victim and Shaniqua Tanner are in an internship program at a rehabilitation and nursing facility in...
The Rye Record •

Westchester Republicans Endorse Rye’s Kurt van Kuller for County’s Sound Shore District Seat

The Westchester County Republican Committee nominated Rye resident Kurt van Kuller as their pick for the Westchester Board of Legislators’ 7th District.


Van Kuller will face off against Anant Nambiar, the Rye City Democratic Committee’s nominee, to replace outgoing lawmaker Catherine Parker.


“I am honored and excited by the opportunity to devote 100% of my time to being an energetic advocate for my home District,” van Kuller said when accepting his nomination. “We have had the same repres...
The Rye Record •

School Board OK’s $113M Budget for Upcoming School Year

The Rye City Board of Education unanimously adopted a $113.2 million tax-cap compliant school budget Tuesday night, ushering in a 2.45 percent increase over the current plan.


The adopted budget for the 2025-26 academic year will maintain all current district programs and services and include four staffing additions and one reduction due to retirement. Additionally, there is a tax levy increase of 3.66 percent over the current year’s $110.5 million budget, meaning $102.3 million will need to b...
The Rye Record •

Rye School Board Appoints Patricia Murray as New Superintendent

After a months-long search, the Rye City Board of Education has settled on a familiar face for its next superintendent.


The board announced Tuesday night that it had unanimously appointed Patricia Murray, the school district’s current assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment, as its new superintendent of schools.


“I believe strongly in the Rye commitment and the way it drives educational influence through t...
The Rye Record •

NYC Man Caught in Rye High-Speed Police Chase Has 13 Prior Arrests in CT

A New York City man with more than a dozen prior arrests was nabbed in Rye after a lengthy high-speed chase into residential neighborhoods on Milton Point and through The American Yacht Club. 


Antonio Trusty, 36, was driving a stolen vehicle with Massachusetts license plates when he allegedly evaded attempted traffic stops by Westchester County police in Yonkers on Sunday, April 6, setting off the wild pursuit. 


Police said Trusty drove...
The Rye Record •

Rye Manager Greg Usry Bids Farewell in Final Report to City Council After 5 Years

City Manager Greg Usry retired on Friday, issuing his final report to the City Council days earlier and reflecting on his tenure.


Usry publicly thanked City Hall staff and department heads for their support and teamwork during his more than five-year tenure, citing their numerous accomplishments regarding public safety, capital projects, and technology.


“I thank the council members, both this council and the past, for an awful lot of support,” he said during the March 26 City Council meet...
The Rye Record •

NYPD Arrests Rye Drug Boss for Fentanyl and Heroin Ring

An alleged kingpin in a major New York City-based fentanyl and heroin trafficking ring was arrested by the NYPD during an early morning raid of his Rye apartment, following a year-long probe that has now led to more than 20 arrests.


The NYPD busted in on the Central Avenue apartment of Jose Garcia at 6:30 a.m. on March 19 and, along with Westchester County police, apprehended the 51-year-old for his alleged role in a network of three interconnected drug rings. The groups, authorities said, di...
The Rye Record •

Nita Lowey, Former Westchester Congresswoman and Democratic Leader, Dies at 87

Former Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who represented Westchester for decades, and served as the first woman to lead the Appropriations Committee, passed away Saturday at her Harrison home after battling breast cancer. She was 87.


Serving from 1988 until her retirement in 2020, Lowey, a staunch Democrat, advocated causes atop the liberal agenda, including support for women’s reproductive rights, funding for the homeless and low-income housing, and child care and early education programs, according...
The Rye Record •

New Rochelle Sex Offender — Son of Salsa Legend Willie Colon — Arrested for Assaulting Rye Homeowner

A registered sex offender was arrested after attacking a Rye resident inside his home Friday, police said.  


Patrick Antonio Colon-Craig of New Rochelle, 35 — the son of salsa icon Willie Colon — was nabbed by Rye police after allegedly getting into a physical altercation with a man inside the man’s Midland Avenue home on March 14. Authorities determined that the men knew each other and the incident was not random.  


Police said they also found an illegal substance on Colon-Craig, although...
The Rye Record •

Rye Planning Commission Weighs 5-Unit, 3-Story Townhouse Proposal Amid Development Debates

The Rye Planning Commission is considering a proposal for a five-unit townhouse development on Theodore Fremd Avenue, amid backlash against the proposed building moratorium in January.  


This comes just two weeks after the Rye City Council formed a downtown development committee to advise on potential construction in Rye’s Central Business District. The city Planning Commission has reviewed the initial proposal for the three three-story townhouse, which does not comply with the city zoning co...
The Rye Record •

Rye Police Book Two For Fleeing Suspected Stolen Car Scene

Rye police arrested two men on Tuesday for their suspected role in a Greenwich car theft.


Cops booked 19-year-old Muhammad Abdulmalik, of the Bronx, and 20-year-old Yadiel Baez, of Waterbury, Conn., on March 11 after they fled from law enforcement attempting to detain them for vehicle theft, according to the Rye Police Department.


Officers were dispatched to the Rye Colony Apartments at 1 Peck Ave. after reports of several males fleeing from an abandoned vehicle. The units were notified...
The Rye Record •

Contractor Sues City Over Delays in $3.3M Marina Dredging Project

The contractor who was tapped to lead the dredging of the Rye marina is now suing the city, alleging delays in the $3.3 million project due to the city’s failure to secure a disposal contract.


H&L Contracting, a Long Island-based company hired by the city in October 2022 to dredge the marina, was prohibited from starting the project on time until the city had authorized a way to dispose of the dredged material causing cost overruns, according to a lawsuit filed on Jan. 9 in Westchester County...
The Rye Record •

Breaking: Council Appoints Brian Shea as Interim City Manager

The Rye City Council has selected Assistant City Manager Brian Shea as its interim city manager.


Shea will replace Greg Usry, the outgoing city manager who is scheduled to retire on March 28. His appointment was decided by the council at its meeting Wednesday night, with work initially done by the subcommittee formed to help find Usry’s long-term replacement, which includes Mayor Josh Cohn, who is politically unaffiliated, and councilmen Josh Nathan, a Democrat, and Bill Henderson, a Republic...
Load More