Bronx News Roundup, May 17

Sorry, a little late with our roundup today, as we're going to press with the latest edition of the Norwood News, which will be out tomorrow.

Weather: Rain, rain, and more rain. Temperatures in the low 60s.

Story of the Day: Bronx Pastor Sworn In as Obama Ambassador
Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, who grew up in Wakefield and founded Bronx Christian Fellowship Church on E. Gunhill Road and Paulding Avenue, was appointed President Obama's ambassador for religious freedom yesterday--the  first woman and the first African-American to ever hold the post. According to the State Department's website, Johnson Cook's new role includes "promoting religious freedom as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy."

"This is a chance to build connections that can increase understanding and can help bring peace," she told the Daily News.

Quick Hits:
An adorable cat that fell seven stories from the window of a Bronx building is on the mend. The four-month-old broke both of his front legs and fractured the roof of his mouth.

According to a tally of baby names compiled by the Social Security Administration, 105 baby boys were named Bronx in 2010--a very distant second to the 8,357 little ones named after some variant of Brooklyn (i.e. Brooklynn or Brooklynne). Our borough got a little extra love, however, from the 47 sets of parents that went with the name Jeter.

In a move sure to make Michael Pollan groan, the State Legislature has voted corn the official vegetable of New York (it beat out the onion). A group of researchers at Lehman College, meanwhile, have been studying the genetic properties of the plant, with the city's only "research corn field" growing on the Bedford Park Blvd. campus.

A subway train that went off the rails in Brooklyn has led to delays and some track changes on the B and D lines today. Check mta.info for service updates before you head out.

The NYPD's 49th Precinct in Baychester recently got a makeover from muralist Bob Rose, who has painted wall murals over 100 stationhouses across the city.  

Bronx Crime Watch: Armed Robbery Suspect Wanted by Police

Police say they have identified a suspect wanted in connection with three recent gunpoint robberies in the Bronx. They sent out video (see above) of the suspect, David Piparo, 48, of City Island, this afternoon.

Piparo is wanted for his alleged involvement in the failed robbery of the We Buy Gold pawn shop on Bruckner Boulevard on Nov. 10 and two robberies of Game Stop -- one of the video game chain store at 43 Westchester Square, the other of the Game Stop at  2163 White Plains Rd.

In each case, the suspect brandished a black handgun and fled on foot, police say. Piparo is described as being 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a scar under one eye and multiple tattoos.

Note: Anyone with information in regard to this suspect is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

Additional note: For all the latest crime news, as well as additional resources and information, check our Crime Resources page.

Bronx News Roundup, Feb. 8

A lot happened in the Bronx this weekend while the New Orleans Saints were busy scoring the Super Bowl title. Here's a rundown on some of the biggest news stories:

A fire erupted early Sunday morning in the second floor kitchen of a Morris Heights building. Firefighters rescued five people, including three children, from the building at 45 West Tremont Ave.

A 15-year-old girl was shot outside of an apartment building in Mount Hope Monday night, according to Eyewitness News, and is now in serious but stable condition at St. Barnabas hospital. The gunman fled the scene, and the investigation is ongoing.

Ex-state Sen. Efrain Gonzalez Jr. says it was bad legal advice that made him plead guilty to 2006 corruption charges, and now wants to withdraw his plea.

Dozens of wild chickens have made themselves at home on a street in Highbridge.

Bargain hunters can hit up Middletown for some good shopping deals this week, according to The Daily News. They’ve also rounded up the best places in the borough for a romantic Valentine’s Day.

 

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, the News also reports a boom in the number of weddings at the Bronx Supreme Court’s chapel. 

A Bronx family is suing St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan after a fairly routine teeth extraction left a 33-year-old woman dead.

A decades long family feud over a father’s Bronx estate may finally be coming to an end.  Two sisters were granted three family properties in a Bronx court last week after 27 years of legal battle.

6 train straphangers who board at the Morrison Avenue-Soundview and Whitlock Avenue stations should brace themselves for an inconvenient commute. Both stations will be closed over the next few months for renovations by the MTA. In the meantime, riders can get free transfers on the BX4 bus.

A nonprofit group filed a lawsuit last week against two Bronx communities and a Bronx realtor on the grounds of racial discrimination, the New York Times reported Friday. The group accused Bronx communities Edgewater Park and Silver Beach Gardens of preventing black residents from buying homes there, according to the article.

Morris Heights Health Center secured funding to finish the construction of its new health center, dubbed Harrison Circle. MHHC hopes to have the project finished in April.

Residents who live in the 49^th Precinct have reported a spike in the number of car break-ins, according to the Post.