Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 21

A firefighter and a homeless man fell through two floors of a burning building on Sedgwick Avenue early this morning. The firefighter sustained only minor injuries, but the homeless man is in critical condition at St. Barnabas with severe burns. Investigators said they believe the blaze was set intentionally. Here's some video.

Grim LeRogue, otherwise known as the Bronx lunatic who stormed the field at Yankee Stadium during the game Monday night in an apparent bid to impress Cameron Diaz, who is dating Alex Rodriguez, apparently had it in for A-Rod even before Diaz hooked up with him.

The Bronx County Courthouse will  star in a a film featuring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller.

Cardinal Hayes High School honored Regis Philbin, one of their most memorable alums.

A Sugar Maple tree fights for survival in Van Cortlandt Park.

Dozens of cab drivers in the Bronx were busted for picking up passengers in unsafe, unlicensed and uninsured cars. Five vehicles were seized and 44 summons were given out.

The family of a man killed in an alleged hit-and-run incident is looking for help in finding the driver who fled the scene.

Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 20

Good morning beautiful people!

First up, highlights (lowlights?) of the Yankees getting thrashed by the upstart Texas Rangers, 10-3, last night in the Bronx. Now down 3-1 in the best of seven American League Champion Series. The Bombers face elimination in a matinee game today. Start time: 4:07 p.m.

Apparently Yankee fans bailed early from this massacre.(Disclaimer: it's written by a Red Sox fan.)

More on the largest pumpkin ever grown, which is on its way to the Bronx from New Richmond, Wisc. After a stop at the Regis and Kelly show, it should arrive at the New York Botanical Garden on Friday. It will be on display there for a week and then turned into the world's largest jack-o-lantern by superstar pumpkin carver Scott Cully.

Bronx State Senator Pedro Espada's former ally in the coup that gridlocked Albany in 2009, Hiram Monserrate (who was booted out of office earlier this year), was indicted yesterday on federal corruption charges for allegedly using a nonprofit in his district to bankroll his first run for state senate. Sound eerily familiar? Bronx City Councilman Larry Seabrook is facing similar charges and Espada's predecessor, Efrain Gonzalez, is now in prison after being convicted on basically the same charges.

A federal court awarded a Bronx man wrongly convicted of rape $18.5 million in damages from the city. Alan Newton spent two decades in prison before being cleared four years ago when DNA evidence that was finally located proved his innocence.

The City Fix, a website dedicated to advocating for environmentally-friendly transportation, says it's a great thing that the MTA is expanding it's bus rapid transit routes. The rapid transit program began with the BX12, which runs east to west on Fordham Road.

The Daily News writes about Sunday's Tour de Bronx, which, as we've mentioned a time or two, is dedicated to superstar health advocate Megan Charlop, who died in a biking accident earlier this year.

More hotels are sprouting up in the outer boroughs, including the Bronx. The story mentions the Days Inn Yankee Stadium on Brooke Avenue and says a Holiday Inn Express is also coming to the borough. BxNN reader Jack points out this relatively new hotel on 3rd Avenue.(Meanwhile, nothing seems to be happening with the half-built skeleton of what was supposed to be a Comfort Inn on Webster Avenue, near Mosholu Parkway.)