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Newspaper's Display Box Vandalized Following Alleged Swap Incident

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. – Following an alleged incident between rival newspapers in Northern Westchester that led to one distributor's arrest, hijinks have continued.

The vandalized display box outside of Friendly's in Mount Kisco.

The vandalized display box outside of Friendly's in Mount Kisco.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Copies of the Hudson Valley Reporter in an Examiner display box in Carmel.

Copies of the Hudson Valley Reporter in an Examiner display box in Carmel.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Michael Espinoza, a distributor for the Hudson Valley Reporter, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 11 on charges of criminal tampering after a private investigator captured him on videotape allegedly removing copies of The Examiner from its green display box outside the Mount Kisco Coach Diner and replacing them with copies of the Hudson Valley Reporter.

On Tuesday, Mount Kisco police responded to a separate incident involving a different green display box outside Friendly’s after it was vandalized by an unknown suspect. Police confirmed that a report was filed at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 after the box was found with its window kicked in.

Further north, in Carmel, copies of the Hudson Valley Reporter were found in an Examiner distribution box.

Faith Butcher, the publisher of the Hudson Valley Reporter, implied today that the dispute has been the cause of a miscommunication.

“The entire situation saddens me greatly,” she said. “It is unfortunate that the incident involving a new distribution person last Friday is being used to paint a false picture of reality.”

Adam Stone, the publisher of The Examiner, said that his company is taking certain necessary legal measures, but will otherwise continue reporting on local news.

“We’re trying to focus on the task at hand of publishing community newspapers,” he said. “Let’s just hope others can learn to embrace that same attitude and pay better attention to producing quality journalism as opposed to skulking around in the darkness of night to tamper with our newspapers.”

Butcher expressed a similar sentiment, noting that the two publications are vastly different products. She also explicitly denied having any knowledge or involvement with Tuesday’s incident, adding that it was the first she had heard of the charges.

“I have always said that there was enough room in the sandbox for all of the local media outlets,” she said. “I am a firm believer in ‘coop-etition’ and not competition. I look at the Examiner newspapers and the Hudson Valley Reporter as two very different products.”

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