Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 6

Happy Three Kings day, to those of you who celebrate it! The holiday, which marks the arrival of the three kings to Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus, is popular in Latin American and Caribbean cultures. There are a few community celebrations taking place in the Bronx this weekend; see our events calendar for details.

Two teenagers are facing assault and attempted murder charges for Wednesday's stabbing of a 16-year-old boy outside his public school in Westchester Square. The victim, Negro Rivera, remains in critical condition.

A 70-year-old woman was found stabbed to death yesterday inside her 15th-floor apartment on Crotona Avenue. There have been no arrests so far.

The health department and local community leaders are looking to curb the effects of second-hand smoke in the South Bronx,which has the highest smoking rate in the city--and the highest rates of children with asthma.

Loeser’s Kosher Deli, at 214 W. 231st St. in Kingsbridge, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. On Saturday, the deli will be having food specials to mark the big day.

And for another big Bronx anniversary: the public library on City Island is celebrating its centennial.

More on the opening of a men's homeless shelter in Highbridge, which has upset a number of residents in the area.

David Johnson, an ex-top aide to former Gov. David Paterson, appeared in a Bronx court yesterday for a hearing on his alleged assault of ex-girlfriend Sherr-una Booker.

A Bronx man accused of holding an Albany family hostage during a Dec. 23 standoff with police appears to have shot himself during the altercation. Police say that at least two of the five bullets that injured 38-year-old suspect Isaac Peterson came from his own gun.

The city's plan to rezone Webster Avenue could help revitalize the thoroughfare. Here's the Norwood News' coverage of the rezoning from July's issue.

An 8-month-old tiger cub from Pennsylvania is moving to the Bronx Zoo.

Renowned Jazz pianist and longtime Riverdale resident Billy Taylor died of heart failure on Dec. 28, at the age of 89.

Bronx News Roundup, July 30

Mayor Bloomberg agreed yesterday with the Bronx judge who ruled saggy pants legal, though not fashionable. "I am certainly not the style police," Bloomberg told the Post.

The Times reported this morning that, five months into the investigation of Governor Paterson's top aide abuse case, officials are still unclear about how much the governor knew about the abuse and when he knew it. A later article by the Times states that Paterson unlawfully leaked evidence in the case to witnesses. Read the full story here.

Waitresses at Bronx strip club Sin City filed a law suit charging that their managers routinely groped them, stole their tips and demanded sexual favors.

The National Weather Service is urging locals to be prepared for tornadoes such as the one that hit Riverdale earlier this week. The Service's top suggestions are to get inside, stay away from windows, and have an emergency kit.

Police have found suicide notes throughout the home of Micaela Jackson, who killed her son and herself in their Bronx home on Wednesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the Bronx six awards worth about $350,000 to help pay for HIV/AIDS prevention programs geared toward young people and women. Get the details here.

Bronxites can now show their home pride on their feet with limited-edition Nikes specialized for each borough.

The Times highlighted some Bronx attractions in its own What's Going On? roundup this morning, see city-wide events here or check out our calendar.

Bronx native Jennifer Lopez is slated to replace Ellen DeGeneres on the next season of American Idol, according to billboard.com.

Bronx News Roundup, July 22

Sherr-una Booker says she'll refile charges against David Johnson, the former top aide to Gov. Paterson. Booker filed a police report last fall saying Johnson assaulted her in their Bronx apartment, but the case was dismissed when she missed a court appearance the day after getting a phone call from the governor.

Sam Suzuki, the slumlord who got prison time for ignoring court orders to repair his crumbling apartment building on E. 172nd Street, was released from jail this week but could be sent back by the courts as early as next week.

Funeral services were held yesterday for the two teens who drowned in the Bronx River last weekend. (See here for more on the incident, and its aftermath in the community).

A kitten named Motz was rescued from a sewer by city workers yesterday in Morris Park.

A new documentary called "The Lottery," tracks students from the Bronx and Harlem as they compete for a seat at the very competitive Success Academy charter school in the Harlem (Success Academy will open two schools in the Bronx this fall).

Roses at the Bronx Botanical Garden are being bred to resist insects, meaning some of the plants will be pesticides-free. 

AM New York says rats are making nests in MTA metro card machines. That's not the only foul thing that maintenance workers have to deal with--they say riders use the machines as personal urinals (the article calls out several Bronx stops along the D among the worst offenders).

Construction could be finally in the works for a towering, long-unfinished apartment complex on Oxford Avenue.