Michael P. McKinney
Michael P. McKinney reports on how people in the Lower Hudson Valley eat, shop and find housing, with a focus on the everyday costs and choices behind those routines. He covers growth and development and real estate for The Journal News and the wider USA Today Network, and he brings the same service-driven approach to food and grocery coverage. His work combines detailed, practical information with clear explanations of how local markets are changing.
Food, grocery and consumer coverage
McKinney’s food and consumer pieces focus on products and trends that readers encounter in grocery aisles and online orders, anchored by clear descriptions of what is new, how much it costs and who is affected. His story on dot cakes examines a viral dessert trend through the lens of where the items are sold, how they are made and why they have gained traction, treating a social-media phenomenon as a concrete consumer choice rather than a novelty. He covers grocery recalls such as packaged potato chips and prepared soups, walking through brand names, lot codes, distribution details and refund processes so shoppers can quickly decide what to do with items in their pantry or refrigerator. He also reports on niche retail promotions, including branded tote bags tied to specialty seafood products at Whole Foods, breaking down sizes, prices and availability to show how a marketing tie-in translates into something a shopper might pick up in store.
Across these pieces he keeps to straightforward, safety- and value-oriented information, making food and grocery coverage read like a practical guide rather than lifestyle commentary.
Grocery shopping and delivery in the Hudson Valley
Beyond individual products, McKinney writes about how people get their groceries and which services work best for them. In a comparison of grocery delivery options serving the Hudson Valley, he outlines competing platforms, fees and delivery windows, assessing them against factors like reliability, geographic reach and overall convenience.
That work stays close to the realities of local households, treating delivery as part of the broader cost and effort of feeding a family rather than a tech novelty.
The same attention to price points and trade-offs shows up in his coverage of retail experiences, where he tracks what a specific budget or monthly spend buys in terms of actual goods, not just abstract inflation measures. Taken together, his grocery reporting helps readers navigate both new and familiar services, spelling out the numbers and conditions that shape everyday shopping.
Real estate costs and growth reporting
McKinney’s primary beat at The Journal News is growth, development and real estate in Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley. He writes recurring Week in Real Estate packages that synthesize notable sales, new listings and policy developments, highlighting both high-profile transactions and the pressures felt by renters and buyers at more modest price points.
His reporting on rents includes a series that shows exactly what a given monthly payment, such as about $4,275, secures in different parts of Westchester and Rockland, with curated apartment examples that make the numbers tangible. He has covered residents in Mamaroneck who are rent and cost burdened, and he explains the local “mortgage gap,” bidding wars and financing hurdles that define the current market. On the ownership side he follows major deals like the record-breaking sale of Sunnyfield Farm and the sale of General Electric’s former Crotonville training center, framing each as part of a wider pattern in land use and investment rather than as isolated events. Across these stories he uses specific figures, property details and timelines to show how development decisions ripple through neighborhoods, while keeping the emphasis on what it means for people looking for a place to live or invest.
Community information and local events
Alongside beat coverage, McKinney contributes community information pieces that help readers track key dates and public events. He compiles and updates listings of Sept. 11 ceremonies and observances across Westchester, Putnam and Rockland, presenting them as a straightforward schedule with locations and times so people can decide how to participate. He has helped document breaking news and weather events, contributing to coverage of issues such as local plane crashes and snowstorms in the region, where his role is to assemble verified facts on conditions, impacts and what is known at each stage.
This community-driven work fits with his service-oriented approach on other topics, turning news into usable information without commentary or speculation.
Across beats, McKinney’s reporting is defined by specificity and utility.
Whether he is explaining a viral dessert, comparing delivery services or unpacking a complex real estate deal, he keeps his focus on concrete details and clear implications for the people living and shopping in the Lower Hudson Valley. That consistency makes his stories useful reference points on food, housing and local change.
4 more food journalists.
Aaron Guerrero
Aaron Guerrero is head of the digital department at Miami’s Community Newspapers, where he pairs restaurant coverage with community-facing content. He focuses on how Miami-area restaurants evolve, celebrate, and experiment through new concepts, menus, and neighborhood-focused dining experiences. He reports on restaurant openings, such as an Italian food hall at Plaza Coral Gables, new executive lunch menus, and wood-fired Latin steakhouse brunches, explaining what sets each venue apart. He also covers awards, like a Wine Spectator honor for an Italian chophouse, and events that turn dining rooms into social hubs. His bylines extend to features on sports-themed gatherings, civic renamings, local visits to restaurant programs, sponsored community pieces, and official notices. His work is straightforward and descriptive, helping readers and local businesses connect around specific openings, promotions, and dining experiences.
Aarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming reports on how courts, jails and public safety systems work over time. He is a reporter at The Daily Memphian covering public safety, the local court system, suburban news and business developments in North Mississippi. His work follows trials, sentencing, appeals, plea deals and judicial decisions, including major cases tied to Tyre Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also covers jail conditions, inmate deaths, crime data, prosecution units, trafficking, shootings and public-order incidents. His suburban reporting examines cannabis businesses, restaurant openings and how commercial growth affects communities such as Olive Branch. Fleming previously covered education in the same newsroom. He uses clear, unadorned prose to explain legal steps, deadlines, institutional problems and the political, commercial and community effects of public-safety decisions.
Alana Al-Hatlani
Alana Al-Hatlani is a food writer and editor who treats recipes, restaurants, and food features as ways to explore culture, community, and the business of eating. She works on the food team at Southern Living, overseeing and contributing to print recipes and reported features. Her pastry-focused, restaurant-tested perspective comes from time in restaurant and bakery kitchens. She helps plan and write monthly food packages, including “The South’s Most Treasured Desserts,” and wrote “8 Summer Recipes Our Editors Make Every Year.” She also writes recipe tips, ingredient explainers, restaurant guides, and reported stories about workers, owners, and communities. Her subjects include regional specialties, dining scenes, kitchen basics, and food industries. Her work has appeared with OpenTable and Yahoo. She reports on the ground, explains techniques clearly, and connects specific dishes and places to larger stories about food and livelihood.
Alana Edgin
Alana Edgin is a business reporter whose strongest focus is food, restaurants and consumer-facing businesses. She works at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and has also had work syndicated across AOL and Yahoo News. She covers new openings, closings, expansions and franchise growth, along with retail, health, services, corporate news, data incidents, business support programs and sponsorships. Her reporting includes detailed roundups of new restaurants and businesses, coverage of El Pollo Loco’s opening, and stories on burger trucks, dessert shops, Vietnamese sandwich restaurants and gourmet markets. She also contributes to food and drink reviews, including fall coffee and jerky comparisons. Edgin reports with practical “what, when, where” details, structured comparisons and clear explanations of how offers, partnerships and business changes affect consumers and the local economy.