WNYmedia.net: “Reports of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated”

Yes...This was actually my horoscope today. Scary right?

By now you’ve all heard the news that our longest and most beloved contributor Alan Bedenko has decided to take a paid blogging gig with our friends at Artvoice:

Via Facebook:

If you missed the news, our longtime contributor and friend Alan Bedenko has taken a paid blogging position @Artvoice. We wish Alan nothing but the best of luck in his new venture and look forward to working closely with him again in the future. While we are sad to see Alan go, we are even more excited about the new direction WNYmedia.net will be heading in 2012. We’ll have more information on the future of our website and the future of covering important news and information in WNY over the upcoming days.

With the news that Alan has moved onto a different pasture (not so much greener), questions about the future of WNYmedia.net and what this means for us need to be addressed.

The short answer. We aren’t going anywhere. (you can read the long answer below)

OLD MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. ONTO A NEW ONE.

When I started this website venture with a lifelong friend in 2003, we had a few simple goals in mind:

  1. Share information though a community website that would give people a place to collectively voice opinions and advocate for things they believe in.
  2. Become an important player in the local media and political landscape.
  3. Play a role, as large as possible, to rid ourselves of Republican control locally and nationally (Remember 2003 we had GWB, Joel Giambra and others still at the realm)
  4.  Eventually make a living and have fun doing it.

I am proud to say that, at least for now and with the help of a host of amazing people along the way, those goals (for the most part) have not only been met but actually shattered.

So as we come to the close of another election cycle and brand spankin’ new year, I have been left with a tough decision on where to go from here. It’s one I’ve lost much sleep over the past 6 months and continue to put all my efforts, even as Im writing this post.

BLOGGING IS NOT DEAD.  IT’S JUST DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT NOW

In seven years, we have seen dramatic shifts in technology, political climate, news gathering tools and what blogging has evolved into. Twitter and Facebook specifically all but eliminated the vast “minor leagues” of local blogs and bloggers we could chose to promote onto WNYmedia.net.

When this site first started, we were on the cutting edge of technology.  Hell, we were streaming live video and live blogging events before Margaret Sullivan even knew what blogging was.

Over the last two years, the mainstream media hacks caught up to the times and stole all our cool toys. It was only to be expected.

In seven years a lot has changed for me personally and professionally. I know its hard to believe but I’m not perfect.  As the publisher of this website, I have made my share of mistakes and blunders along the way.  Some of our experiments have worked great and other blew up in our face. But unlike other outlets who have come and gone over the last seven years, WNYmedia.net is still here and actually stronger than ever heading into 2012.

The biggest mistake I’ve made over the last few years was that with all these new technologies and news gathering tools popping up around us,  I sat back and let what is the tool (blogging) become our platform. Instead of embracing something different, everyone else had the chance to catch up.

The past six months have left this website a bit stale. Our partnerships dried up and some important people have moved on. Though we had another great election cycle, it became more difficult for those who remained to create content on a daily basis. Keeping the same look and format for 3 years has been a problem as well, leaving our database painfully slow and bulky.

While I do not want to dissolve WNYmedia.net, I also do not want to keep going in the same direction we’ve been heading for the past two years. Not just technologically speaking, but politically as well.

Though it took longer than I had anticipated, I have come to some answers about where we go from here.

A NEW DAY

As the publisher of this website,  I’ve never been afraid to blow things up and start again.  Doing so has scared people away as much as it has brought new people in over the last seven years. I could seriously write a book about  the inner workings of this site, decisions that were made, fights that were had, ideas that were left on the table and the people who have come and gone. Hmm…

2012 will see us heading in an entirely new direction as we take blogging to the next level through some innovative tools to cover news and influence people. Our main beats will still include politics, government,  sports, media, and community activism. But now, we will enter a groundbreaking new era in our history of providing you information about the most important topics on a daily and up to the minute basis.

Most importantly, we hope this will no longer strictly be considered a “liberal political blog”.  Sure we will continue to have left leaning analysis and opinions, but those subjects will be better separated than they have in the past.

As hard as it might be to shake that reputation, we plan on putting serious efforts into turning this into more of a daily news gathering operation and informational mega site for WNY than trading in people’s political opinions. Well… sort of 🙂 We hope that with the current shakeup and departure of some long time contributors, some of that vitriol you have come to love or hate will eventually fade from recent memory.

I have put significant time, effort, money and resources into what will be the brand new WNYmedia.net coming online in the next few weeks.  The redesigned WNYmedia.net will be simple, but intensely focused on live news coverage, using the latest social media tools to more directly inform, generate discussion and establish new take on blogging that will more effectively present a wider variety of WNY opinion-makers. It will be part aggregator, part original content and act as a repository for what people are doing online all day in Buffalo and the surrounding areas.

The new site will also include more resources and tools for people to participate in citizen journalism including the opportunity to get paid to cover live events and even a kick ass mobile app to tie everything together that will hopefully be available by summer 2012.

As this post is getting excruciatingly long, I’ll save the intimate details about the new format and tools for another post later in the week.

To conclude, I’m extremely proud of what we have built over the last seven years and even more excited about what I see as the future of web publishing and what it will bring to Western New York.

As a few more regular contributors will be leaving us over the next few weeks, I want to publiclly thank everyone (past present and future) who put so much time and effort into making this website what it has become.

With the help of some awesome new people (and a few crazy ones) we will continue to be Buffalo’s social media outlet of record for years to come.

More in the coming days. Promise.

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The case stems from an emergency order in March by Judge James Boasberg, who instructed the Trump administration to halt flights deporting more than 100 Venezuelans to El Salvador. Alleged to have ties to the Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua, the migrants were mid-flight when Boasberg ordered the planes turned around.

According to a DOJ whistleblower's account, the deportations went forward despite the order. Boasberg pressed the DOJ for weeks in an effort to determine whether the administration had deliberately ignored his ruling and, on April 16, warned that the government would either need to provide the deported individuals with due process or face a contempt investigation that could result in criminal charges.

Two days later, however, an appeals court issued an administrative stay pausing Boasberg’s proceedings, with the court having taken no action since.

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By Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, Clinical Assistant Professor of Education, Health and Behavior Studies, University of North Dakota.

The devastating losses from the historic flooding in Texas Hill Country on July 4, 2025, are still coming into grim focus, with more than 130 deaths confirmed and more than 160 still missing as of July 14.

As emergency responders focus on clearing debris and searching for victims, a less visible and slower disaster has been unfolding: the need for ongoing mental health support long after headlines fade.

This phase is no less critical than restoring power or rebuilding bridges. Disasters destabilize emotional well-being, leaving distress, prolonged recovery and long-term impacts in their wake long after the event is over.

Without sustained emotional support, people and communities face heightened risks of prolonged trauma and stalled recovery.

As an educator and practitioner focused on disability and rehabilitation, I explore the intersection of disaster recovery and the impact of disasters on mental health. Both my research and that of others underscore the vital importance of support systems that not only help people cope in the immediate aftermath of a disaster but also facilitate long-term healing over the months and years that follow — especially for vulnerable populations like children, older adults and people with disabilities.

Emotional toll of disasters

Natural disasters disrupt routines, displace families and challenge people’s sense of control and security. In the immediate aftermath, survivors often experience shock, grief, anxiety and sleep disturbances. Often these symptoms may evolve into chronic stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or a combination of these conditions.

A 2022 study found that Texans who experienced two or more disasters within a five-year span had significantly poorer mental health, as reflected by lower scores on standardized psychological assessments, which highlights the cumulative toll repeated disasters can have on mental well-being.

After Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans in 2005, nearly a third of survivors continued to experience poor mental health years later.

And reports following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017 revealed surging rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, especially in areas where services remained unavailable for extended periods of time.

Strained recovery systems

Disaster response understandably focuses on immediate needs like rescue operations, providing post-disaster housing and repairing damaged infrastructure. In addition, short-term mental health supports such as mobile health clinics are often provided in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

However, although emergency services are deployed quickly after a disaster, long-term mental health support is often delayed or under-resourced, leaving many people without continued care during the recovery period, especially in remote or rural communities, exposing deep structural gaps in how recovery systems are designed.

One year after Hurricane Harvey devastated parts of Texas in 2017, more than 90% of Gulf Coast residents reported ongoing stress related to housing instability, financial hardship or displacement. Yet less than 10% of people stated that they or someone in their household had used mental health services following the disaster.

Hurricane Helene in 2024 similarly tested the resilience of rural mental health networks in western North Carolina. The storm damaged roads and bridges, schools and even local clinics.

This prompted a news organization, North Carolina Health News, to warn of rising “trauma, stress and isolation” among residents as providers scrambled to offer free counseling despite legal barriers stemming from licensing requirements to provide counseling across state borders.

State health officials activated community crisis centers and helplines, while mobile mental health teams were dispatched from Tennessee to help those impacted by the disaster. However, state representatives stressed that without long-term investment, these critical supports risk being one-off responses.

These events serve as a powerful reminder that while roads and buildings can often be restored quickly, emotional recovery is a slower, more complex process. Truly rebuilding requires treating mental health with the same urgency as physical infrastructure. This requires investing in strong mental health recovery systems, supporting local clinics, sustaining provider networks and integrating emotional care into recovery plans from the start.

Finding mental health support

Lessons learned from previous disasters and an abundance of research show how sustained mental health supports can help people recover and build resilience.

These six lessons are particularly helpful for finding needed mental health support following a disaster:

  • If you’re feeling overwhelmed after a disaster, you’re not alone, and help is available. Free and confidential support is offered through resources like the Disaster Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746), which connects you to trained counselors 24/7.
  • Many communities offer local mental health crisis lines or walk-in centers that remain active well after the disaster passes. Check your county or state health department’s website for updated listings and information.
  • Even if physical offices are closed, many clinics now offer virtual counseling or can connect you with therapists and medication refills remotely. If you’ve seen someone before, ask if they’re still available by phone or video.
  • After major disasters, states often deploy mobile health clinics that include mental health services to shelters, churches or schools. These temporary services are free and open to the public.
  • If someone you care about is struggling, help them connect with resources in the community. Share hotline numbers, offer to help make an appointment or just let them know it’s OK to ask for support. Many people don’t realize that help is available, or they think it’s only for more “serious” problems. It’s not.
  • Mental health support doesn’t always arrive right away. Keep an eye on local news, school updates or health department alerts for new services that may become available in the weeks or months after a disaster.

Disasters don’t just damage buildings; they disrupt lives in lasting ways.

While emotional recovery takes time, support is available. Staying informed and sharing resources with others can help ensure that the road to recovery isn’t traveled alone.

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