June 16: 5 non-coronavirus stories from across the tri-state region

Looking for stories that are not about the coronavirus?  Here's a selection from across our regions. 
Cornwall kindergartner recovering from traumatic brain injury gets special moving up ceremony: A 6-year-old kindergartner was given a special moving up ceremony while recovering at Blythdale Children's Hospital in Valhalla. Joey Federico, of Cornwall, graduated kindergarten Friday with a virtual ceremony. Federico suffered a traumatic brain injury following an aneurysm and has been a patient at Blythdale for the past two years. "These accomplishments are things we didn't know we would ever see again and the fact that we have them is unfathomable," says Ann Federico, Joey's mom.
Diocese of Rockville Centre threatens bankruptcy if judge doesn't pause child sex abuse suits Just as houses of worship have reopened from coronavirus closings, comes a troubling new development for Long Island Catholics. The Diocese of Rockville Centre is threatening bankruptcy if a judge doesn't pause the nearly 100 child sex-abuse lawsuits it faces. In a court filing, it says lack of donations from parishioners because of the pandemic has been devastating.
Team 12 Investigates: CT police departments acquire millions worth of military hardware Gov. Ned Lamont ordered state police to stop acquiring surplus U.S. military gear Monday. Connecticut police departments have received $23 million worth of tactical gear directly from the Pentagon. A Team 12 Investigation discovered some of the state’s safest towns have acquired the most military hardware. One of those communities is Watertown, which averaged 21 violent crimes a year since 2015, according to the FBI.
Group demands removal of Christopher Columbus statue, renaming of park Around 350 people have signed a petition on change.org calling for the removal of the Christopher Columbus monument.The petition, first reported by the Brooklyn Paper, has been signed by a group that simply calls itself "The People.” The group says, "Columbus established the beachhead for ruthless conquest and settler colonialism and inaugurated the genocidal devastation of whole continents." The group is also demanding that the city renames Columbus Park in Downtown Brooklyn.
Message of hope: Ringwood man tries to bring unity to divided townThere is a decades-old tradition in Ringwood of people painting messages on a large stone embankment on Greenwood Lake Turnpike. For years people have painted anything from birthday wishes for a friend to signs of support for local school sports teams. But over the past few weeks, the messages have gotten contentious when Black Lives Matter supporters and opposing groups have been repainting the stone with competing messages on a nightly basis. One Ringwood resident said that he finally had enough of the fighting and came up with a message both sides can get behind.