Bronx News Roundup, July 19

Weather: keep the sunblock handy and the AC cranked on--another hot and sunny one today, with temperatures in the low-90s. The heat will continue through the rest of the week, hitting a peak on Friday.

Story of the Day: Former Council Speaker Turns Bronx Builder
Today's Wall Street Journal takes a closer look at Gifford Miller, a former City Council speaker and one-time mayoral hopeful who, according to the story, "has no interest in ever returning to politics." His new career path--real estate--has brought him to the Bronx, where his firm is attempting to rezone a swath of land  in West Farms/Crotona Park to build a massive affordable housing complex.

We wrote about the $400 million project, which will consist of 10 high-rise buildings around the Cross Bronx and Sheridan Expressways, in the June issue of the Tremont Tribune, and some readers seemed wary of the plan. Read more here. 

Quick Hits:
The family of a 13-year-old Bronx girl say they will sue the Department of Education, claiming the girl was repeatedly raped by a computer repairman employed at her Harlem school.

Bronx News Roundup, June 21

Happy summer solstice! The season will kick off with some rain showers later this afternoon, and temperatures around 80 degrees. Scattered thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow.

Story of the Day: Armory Report Released
The Kingsbridge Armory Task force released a 267-page report today detailing plans for how the long-vacant building should be filled (ideas: a hockey arena, a culinary center and a mega-church). For more on the report, see our previous post here. Feel free to go there and share your thoughts/suggestions in the comments section. For example: what do you think of TV evangelist Creflo Dollar's proposal to take over the building?

Bronx News Weekend Roundup, May 31

Weather: The holiday weekend has ushered in a wave of summer-like weather. Today will remain sunny with a high of 81 degrees. Scattered storms are in the forecast for tomorrow.

Story of the Day: Bronx Woman Murdered While Holding 2-Year-Old Son
A woman was shot and killed Sunday night in East Tremont while walking home with her youngest child, who was found crying next to his mother's body on a Park Avenue sidewalk near 178th Street. Claudia Millan, 29, was shot in the head just a block from her home, where her brother and three other children were waiting for her. Her two-year-old son Jah-mere was found unharmed other than a cut on his calf. Police have no suspects as of yesterday.

The tragic act of violence came at the end of a bloody Memorial Day weekend: eight people were shot to death in seven different shootings across the city, according to the Daily News, including 16-year-old Johnny Moore, who was killed in Mott Haven on Sunday night, supposedly during an argument over a basketball game. On Friday, three other people--including a five-year-old girl--were injured in a shootout in Soundview.

Quick Hits:
A 14-month-old girl is in critical condition at Jacobi Hospital after falling five stories out of her apartment window on Monday morning.

Hip-hop pioneer and spoken word poet Gil Scott-Heron, who grew up in the Bronx for most of his teeange years and attended the Fieldston School in Riverdale, died on Friday at the age of 62.

A Bronx man was arrested Friday for calling in a bomb threat to television station W-PIX11--because he no longer wanted to see reruns of the Charlie Sheen sitcom "Two And A Half Men." Freddy Caldwell threatened to detonate the building if they didn't stop running the show, according to police.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native, has received a whopping $1.2  million to pen a memoir for Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

A section of a South Bronx street, on Cortlandt Avenue and 156th Street, was renamed this weekend to honor Sgt. Jose Velez, who was killed in Iraq five years ago at the age of 35.

City beaches--including the Bronx's own Orchard Beach--officially opened to visitors this weekend.

An intersection at the corner of Olinville and Waring Avenues will finally be getting a traffic light installed, to the relief of parents and administrators at nearby PS 96 who say several accidents have taken place there.

This fall, a group of entrepreneurs are set to unveil the first beer named after the borough this fall--the Bronx Pale Ale. 

Ricard Azzopardi, who works as a spokesman and aide to Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein, chased off a would-be rapist who was attacking a woman on the street outside of his home in Albany.

Editor's Note: BxNN will keep posting this clock in our daily news roundups -- tallying the days until the NYPD releases neighborhood sector crime stats, which we requested from them via a Freedom of Information Law request last year. For some background, see our Norwood News' editorial here.

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 26

Yup, more snow. A winter storm warning is in effect today until 6 p.m., so bundle up; the weather folks are saying four to eight inches.

President Obama gave his second State of the Union Address last night, one that called for a bipartisan effort to fix the nation's economy and a proposed 5-year spending freeze.

Salon.com has named Bronx Rep. Eliot Engel number three on a list of Congress' "top five biggest aisle hogs"--politicians who stake out an aisle seat before a big speech in hopes of getting a handshake and a few words from the President. Check out this video of the worst offenders through the years:


The family of a 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy, one of four victims believed to have been murdered by a serial killer on Long Island, say they received taunting phone calls on the woman's cell phone in the days after she disappeared.

Police are searching for a group of ten men who shot up a Melrose street last night, killing a 21-year-old man.

A Bronx woman pleaded not guilty yesterday to manslaughter charges for hitting and killing a woman with her car in Manhattan in November.

A Lehman College student stuck in Chile during protests there this month became the unofficial spokesman for about 1500 other stranded tourists, and earned himself a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. State Department.

Plans to lay seven miles of pipe from Van Cortlandt Park to Hunts Point have been scrapped by the city due to soaring costs. The plan was part of the ongoing Croton Water Filtration Plant project.

A Bronx couple is facing jail time for animal cruelty charges after nearly 100 emaciated cats were found in their artist's loft in Brooklyn. A neighbor told the Brooklyn paper the two were simply trying to care for the neighborhood's strays.

The widow of a murdered Throgs Neck man gave chilling testimony in court yesterday against her husband's accused killer, an alleged mob man.

A mugger tried to steal the cell phone of former Gov. George Pataki's eldest daughter at the Freeman Street subway stop.

The State Senate's Republican majority gave committee chairmanship roles to Jeff Klein and the other members of his Independent Caucus. Klein will chair the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

A 17-year-old student at Celia Cruz High School for Music was found dead in the snow on a Harlem street over the weekend. Loved ones of Gregory Willis Jr. say they are baffled by the quiet teenager's mysterious death; autopsy results are pending.

[Editor's Note:] Just a reminder to our readers that the Bronx News Network is in the middle of our annual fundraising appeal. If you value quality local journalism, please consider donating so we can continue to bring you news and features, like our daily roundup or our borough events calendar. More details on how to contribute can be found here. 

Bronx News Roundup, Jan 25

As I'm sure you can see, this never-ending winter has blessed us with more snow this morning. The weather means delays on the 2 line in the Bronx, according to the MTA's website, so give yourself a little extra travel time today if you're taking the train.

Speaking of snow: the City Council held its fifth public blizzard response hearing at Hostos Community College last night, where Residents and Borough President Diaz blasted the city and the Sanitation Department for the slow snow cleanup.

A fire broke out early this morning at three multi-family homes on Arthur Avenue in Tremont, with one tenant taken to St. Barnabas Hospital after going into cardiac arrest.

An NYPD car mix-up resulted in one Norwood resident's arrest--for stealing his own vehicle, the Daily News reports.  Jamieson Prince, 43, is now suing the police department for $1 million.

The driver of a van that flipped over in a fatal accident in September is facing felony charges for driving with a revoked license. The accident killed six people, including the pastor at Joy Fellowship Christian Assemblies in the Bronx, and his wife.

Sen. Jeff Klein and his newly formed Independent Democratic Conference are criticizing the Office of Children and Family Services, which oversees the State's youth prisons, for racking up overtime and compensation claims.

A few Bronx women told the Huffington Post that they think Mayor Bloomberg is out of touch, in response to recent remarks he made about the city's streets being safe for women at night.

Police have identified one of the bodies found near a Long Island beach to be Bronx resident Melissa Barthelemy, 27. Investigators believe a serial killer may be responsible for her death and the deaths of three other woman, who all advertised themselves as sex workers on Craigslist.

As John F. Kennedy High School in Marble Hill prepares for closure next year by the DOE, charter school group New Visions for Public Schools is testing the neighborhood waters. The organization plans to open two new schools on Kennedy's site.

The Wall Street Journal posted this video footage of the explosive excavation of a tunnel at the Croton Water Filtration Plant. The $3 billion project at Van Cortlandt Park has been rife with scandal and delays since it began (here are some archived stories from the Norwood News)



[Editor's Note:] Just a reminder to our readers that the Bronx News Network is in the middle of our annual fundraising appeal. If you value quality local journalism, please consider donating so we can continue to bring you news and features, like our daily roundup or our borough events calendar. More details on how to contribute can be found here.

Bronx News Roundup, March 18

We'll start with the stories about the death of health advocate Megan Charlop.

Here's the Daily News article on Charlop's death. You can read more here and here. Here's our post on Charlop's death.

A man was shot and killed yesterday while driving on Eastchester and E. Gun Hill roads. The shooter is said to have been following the man who was driving an impala and sped off after the shooting. Investigations are underway.

The mastermind behind last May's plot to blow up two synagogues in Riverdale may have actually been a government agency informant. New court papers reveal interesting information in regards to the case.

Governor Patterson loses fifth top state official from his administration. Press secretary and acting chief spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein resigned her position in the middle of the domestic violence case scandal.

College students partying might be trouble for the 238th Street neighborhood in Riverdale.

Senator Jeff Klein introduces bill that may require non-profit organizations, including private colleges to pay property taxes. Senate officials estimate that the proposal could be quite expensive costing about $1.2 billion dollars.

Bronx News Roundup, March 11

Congressman Jose E. Serrano is calling for an end to the war in Afghanistan. He spoke on the House Floor yesterday as Congress began debates on war legislation. You can watch the video of his statements here.

The Perez Notes has an interview with Patrick Jenkins, a political consultant and Carl Heastie staffer.  

A city-run apartment for homeless families in Morris Heights is under fire after its ceiling collapsed on a family of five--just days after another apartment in the same building gave a two-year-old lead poisoning.

Sen. Jeff Klein has been named chairman of a Government Efficiency Task Force that's looking to cut wasteful spending in state agencies.

A Bronx woman was arrested for the February hit-and-run accident in Brooklyn that left mayoral aide Erinn Phelan brain dead. 

The Riverdale Press has coverage of last week's state of the borough address from Ruben Diaz, Jr.

Police arrested 27 people on drug charges at the Pelham Parkway Houses yesterday. The investigation of the complex had been going on for nearly a year, according to the Daily News.

More on the demolition of the old Yankee Stadium. The borough president was on the scene as well, and posted some photos of the deconstruction.

Made your St. Patrick's Day plans yet? AmNY features some of the best Bronx spots to celebrate.

A nonprofit arts group named 1520 Sedgwick Ave. the birthplace of hip-hop.

Bronx News Roundup, May 8

Habitat for Humanity will be holding its annual "Women Build" event this Saturday, during which an all-women team of volunteers will help build affordable housing in Longwood.

State Senate Jeff Klein has sponsored a bill that, if passed, would force landlords to inform tenants if their building is in forclosure. At present, tenants only get wind of the bad news when a city marshal shows up and tries to evict them, Klein says.

Still on housing, Klein's Seante colleague Pedro Espada was ambushed (or nearly ambushed) by a group of angry tenants and housing advocates yesterday, outside Manhattan's ritzy Water Club. We'll have more on this later.

Mount Hope Housing Company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new apartment building on Walton Avenue yesterday. We'll have more on this later, too.

More on Sonia Sotomayor, the Bronx-born federal judge who's considered by many to be the leading candidate to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. The Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has her at 13-8 to be offered the postion. Chicago-based judege Diane Wood is second favorite at 9-4. Longer shots, if you want to waste some money, are Hillary Clinton (100-1) and, er, Michelle Obama (500-1).

A protest was held yesterday outside the Bronx Supreme Court, to bring attention to the near fatel beating of SUNY Oswego student Angelo Moreno last fall. Moreno, who's from the Bronx, suffered a tramatic brain injury, after arguing with a soldier about Obama.

The Yankees have reached a deal with the city that will allow them to flog parts of the old Yankee Stadium (seats, lockers, etc.) to fans.

Bronx News Roundup, April 6

Neighbors spoke to the NY Times about the Bronx police officer convicted of second-degree manslaughter last week, while Rev. Al Sharpton called for the maximum sentence possible in the case. The officer, who shot a drunk driver to death, claimed he acted to save his own life.

The NYPD is asking for help finding two Bronx teens, both missing since last week.

The annual Anarchist Fair came to the Bronx on Saturday, though it didn't draw much of a crowd.

Bronx state Sen. Jeff Klein is taking on illegal online cigarette vendors, which evade the city's high tobacco taxes.

The Bronx Council on the Arts is providing its own stimulus package to 19 art organizations in the Bronx.

There are growing security concerns about the Bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park in Throggs Neck.

Joel Osteen, minister and author of the New York Times Best Seller, Your Best Life Now, will bless the new Yankees Stadium on April 25.