Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 1

Happy September, all.

Weather: Sunny again today, with temperatures in the high 70s.

Story of the Day: Fatal Bus Crash Driver Indicted
The driver of the tour bus that crashed on Interstate 95 in March has been indicted on manslaughter charges, the AP reports. Driver Ophadell Williams maintains that he was awake and alert at the time of the crash, which took place during an early morning drive through the Bronx as the bus returned from a trip to Connecticut casino Mohegan Sun.Witnesses, however, claim Williams was dozing at the wheel, and a police report found he was speeding. The accident killed 15 people, and spurred a statewide crackdown on the discount tour bus industry and how it vets its drivers.

Quick Hits:
Bronx artist Shawn Martinbrough has found success in the comic book world.

Did the Bronx get less love from the city than the other boroughs during Hurricane Irene? Mayor Bloomberg failed to visit; his office said it was because they expected little damage here from the storm.

But we did get our share of damage (as these photos show). Residents at a co-op complex in Riverdale are still waiting to return home after a mudslide forced them to evacuate. 

Bronx News Roundup, Wednesday, Aug. 3

Weather:  Not too hot today, sunny with a high of 81. Tonight, thunderstorms in the forecast with temperatures in the high 60s.

Story of the Day:
15 people were injured yesterday afternoon when an MTA bus collided with a livery cab and a sports car. The accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. when a Bx55 bus, moving southbound on Third Avenue, made an unscheduled stop. The bus hit both the cab and sports car at the intersection at East 170th Street. EMS Deputy Chief Howard Sickles said that none of the injuries are life threatening.

Quick Hits:
The principal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel elementary school has been fired for his writings on white supremacy. Frank Borzellieri, who has ties to a group called American Renaissance, wrote a book titled "The Unspoken Truth: Race, Culture and Other Taboos," which talks about the "the myth of integration" and "multicultural madness."

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 Roundup, May 10

Weather: Another clear and sunny day, with temperatures hovering around the mid-60s. Enjoy.

Story of the Day: 46 Arrested in Tour Bus Crackdown
Yesterday, 46 people were arrested on felony charges after two months of investigation into the state's tour bus industry, following a March 12 bus crash in the Bronx that killed 15 passengers. Those arrested are drivers of tour buses, MTA city buses and taxis busted for holding commercial licenses while they had other suspended driving licenses under different names, found by running their photos with facial recognition technology.

Quick Hits:

The growing count of bodies found along a stretch of beaches on the south shore of Long Island may be the work of multiple killers, authorities said yesterday. Among the identified remains was Bronx resident Melissa Barthelmy, 24.

Relive your childhood by taking this tree-climbing class at the Botanical Garden. I totally want to sign up for this; video below.


A Bronx man pleaded guilty yesterday of pimping out underage girls who were staying at a homeless shelter. He faces up to 12 years in jail.

Ever wonder why the Bronx's Manhattan College is named after a different borough? A little history lesson for you.

A teacher at Bronx Prep Charter School chronicles the ups and downs of putting on a school play for Gotham Schools.

Metallica has promised to play their 90s metal tune "Enter Sandman," a fan-favorite, during their much anticipated Sept. 14 concert at Yankee Stadium. Is this good news? Sorry, but I hate that song.

Speaking of Yankee Stadium: three servers at the venue are suing the concession stand where they worked, saying they never got a portion of their tip money.

Jose the Beaver was on hand to congratulate 35 children, from 14 different countries, who took their citizenship oaths at the Bronx Zoo yesterday. 

Bronx News Roundup, May 3

Weather: Party cloudy today with temperatures in the mid 60's. Thunderstorms in the forecast for this evening.

Quick Hits:

A gallery in Paris opened an exhibit this week featuring the work of Bronx graffiti artist Richard Mirando, better known as Seen, or the “Godfather of Graffiti.” Click here to read an interview with Mirando.

Musical groups Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax announced that they will be performing a concert on Sept. 14th at Yankee Stadium. Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday at 10a.m. through Ticketmaster.

A funeral was held yesterday for Wang Jianhua, the last service for the 15 passengers of the tour bus that crashed in the Bronx seven weeks ago. The funeral was delayed while his widow tried to obtain a visa in China.

A baby zebra named "Terri" made her public debut today at the Bronx Zoo. Terri has brown stripes, which is typical for baby zebras. Zebras stripes turn darker as they grow older. See video below of Terri with her parents Tara and Jimbo.

Bronx News Roundup, March 30

Weather: Another sunny day today, finally warming up a bit to hit around 50 degrees this afternoon. Temps will drop again tomorrow, with rain expected and a possibility of light snow on Friday.

Story of the Day: Snake Fever
The nation is captivated by the Bronx Zoo's missing cobra, which disappeared from the park's reptile house this weekend and then, mysteriously, started posting updates of its whereabouts on Twitter yesterday. @BronxZoosCobra has racked up 136,458 followers and has reached celebrity status, getting shout-outs from Mayor Bloomberg, Steve Martin and the Daily Show's John Stewart. According to Gothamist: "Some entrepreneurs have already started an 'I Egyptian Cobra New York' line of clothing and accessories." Collectors items, for sure.

Quick Hits:
Charles Kavanagh, the former pastor of St Raymond's Church who was defrocked after accusations that he molested a 17-year-old seminary student in 2002, is suing his accuser for defamation.

The 14 pitbulls that were rescued from an apartment fire on the Grand Concourse earlier this month are struggling with health and behavioral issues, according to the Times. Three of the dogs had to be put down shortly after the blaze because their injuries were so severe.

Bronx State Sen. Jose M. Serrano makes a case to reform the member item distribution process in yesterday's Times Union. Serrano argues the money should be doled out equally, instead of the most powerful legislators getting the biggest cuts, as is currently the case. Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget has cut pork project spending entirely for this fiscal year.

A Bronx man pleaded guilty yesterday to bringing an underage girl across state lines and forcing her to perform sex acts on NFL star Lawrence Taylor. Rasheed Davis faces up to 30 years in prison; Taylor was sentenced last week to six years probation and will have to register on the New York State Sex Offender Registry.

Ex-cop Eddie Coello was indicted by a Grand Jury yesterday and charged with the murder of his wife, Throgs Neck resident and mother of four Tina Adovasio, whose body was found in a wooded area in Westchester last month.

This Daily News slideshow takes a look at the wives and girlfriends of the New York Yankees.

Congress will renew discussions today of a bipartisan bill to strengthen safety regulations for buses, sparked by a series of recent deadly bus accidents, including the Bronx crash earlier this month that killed 15 people on the New England Thruway.

Activists are fighting the Department of Environmental Protection for access to the Jerome Park Reservoir, which has been fenced off from residents since World War II.

A string of recent Bronx bodega robberies have store owners and police on alert.