Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Bronx News Roundup, Tuesday, Aug. 9

Weather: Sunny, with a high in the mid-80s until later this afternoon, when rain and thunderstorms became increasingly likely. There's an even higher chance for rain tonight. Should be hotter, less chance of rain, tomorrow.

Story of the Day: Report: City Knew of Bronx New School Contamination 6 Months Ago
According to a Daily News story out today, a contractor performing tests at the Bronx New School's cafeteria found high levels of trichlorethylene (otherwise known as TCE) contamination as early as January. In March, underneath the school's basement floorboard, the contractor discovered TCE contamination levels that were 10,000 times higher than what the state deems safe. Exposure to TCE has been linked to cancer and it can cause severed kidney and liver problems. The Department of Education says they didn't have the contractor's full report until the end of June. But even Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott acknowledged that the city should have informed parents sooner. "I'm totally shocked by the whole thing," one parent told the Daily News. Also, it's still unclear where the school will move now with just a month left before school starts.

Quick Hits:

The hotel maid and Bronx resident who accused Dominique Strauss-Khan, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, of sexual assault filed a civil lawsuit against her alleged attacker in the Bronx yesterday. Some legal experts say this could hurt the criminal case that seems to be falling apart in Manhattan, while some believe there will be sympathy for the accuser from Bronx jurors. Here's an AP video on the lawsuit:


The loss of Medicaid funds could force indicted former State Senator Pedro Espada to shut down his network of Bronx health clinics. Espada is expected to hold a press conference today to discuss the problem.

At the Bronx Charter School for the Arts, 95% of students reported bullying.

A Bronx woman was sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison for a hit-and-run incident in Brooklyn that left a young aide to Mayor Bloomberg in a permanent coma.

An 84-year-old Bronx woman was one of three New Yorkers who died from heat-related complications last week. A total of seven people in the city have died because summer heat this year.

After this past winter's debacle, the city is looking to supplement its outer-borough snow removal forces with outside contractors.

After losing its fire station in 2006, the Bronx's Woodlawn neighborhood now has a brand new emergency services station.

Residents at 1374 Townsend Ave. have not had gas or hot water for 12 days. See video below:


A Bronx teacher who lives upstate was fired after she was caught lying about her residency in order to enroll her child in a nearby Bronx school.

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