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Rochester, NH To Name Community Center For Journalist James Foley

ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — The city of Rochester, New Hampshire, is naming its community center for freelance journalist James Wright Foley, who was kidnapped and beheaded by Islamic State militants in 2014 while reporting on the conflict in Syria.

The celebration will be livestreamed on May 4 at 5:30 p.m.

James Foley
James Foley in Syria in 2012. (Photo courtesy: Manu Brabo)

The City Council voted April 6 to rename the building to the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center to honor James, who grew up in the area.

"Our entire family is so deeply honored by the City of Rochester to have Jim remembered in such a meaningful way", his mother, Diane Foley, said in a statement.

Diane Foley is founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which advocates for the freedom of all Americans held hostage abroad and promotes the safety of journalists worldwide.

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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