Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 14

The man charged with burglarizing three Bronx churches in November and December has been indicted. Nathaniel Linden is also a suspect in several other break-ins.

Riverdale-area politicians Eliot Engel and Oliver Koppell were left stunned by Sunday's massacre in Tuscon, Arizona, in which their freind, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was critically injured.

Several Bronx pols, including Koppell and the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., spoke at a pro-living wage event in Harlem last night. Koppell is the primary sponsor of a living-wage bill currently before the Council.  Here's the latest on what may or may not happen.

The city is planning on replacing the closing John F. Kennedy High School with two charter schools, according to an internal Department of Education document obtained by The New York Times.

In an analysis piece, the Riverdale Press looks at whether the DOE "set up" JFK for failure.

St. Augustine in Morrisania is one of six Bronx Catholic scheduled to be closed at the end of the school year. Here's some reaction from students and teachers.  See here for more about these closing schools.

Cops are asking for the public's help in catching those responsible for two violent robberies in the Bronx this week.

A jury has aquitted Thomas Cordero -- the so-called "nude housekeeper" -- of murdering Eastchester resident John Conley. This despite DNA evidence and a confession. Conley was stabbed to death in October 2001.

A Bronx woman has been charged with giving other women illegal breast and butt implants.  Yes, you read that correctly.  The Mount Eden resident allegedly imported the silicon from the Domincan Republic and charged $1,000 per op.

A Bronx boxer and former Golden Gloves champ is trying to turn his life around after a stint in jail.

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 12

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Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 8

The "ice pick" mugger, now identified by police as 39-year-old ex-con John Martinez, is being charged with a number of offenses in connection with a string of robberies in the Bronx, and one in Manhattan.

Former heavyweight boxer Iran Barkley's championship belt was stolen from a Bronx public housing complex in October, according to police. Barkey, who retired from the sport in 1999, has come upon some hard times since.

A man was found stabbed to death inside his apartment in Tracey Towers, on Mosholu Parkway, early this morning.

State Senators Pedro Espada, Jr., and Ruben Diaz, Sr. were among several politicians that missed yesterday's Albany session, as the legislature voted down a rescue plan for the city's OTB. Espada has "effectively retired," the Times Union says, while the Rev. Diaz "hates gambling."

Bronx drivers are fuming over Mayor Bloomberg's plan to hike meter rates in the outer boroughs by a quarter, to $1 an hour.

Parents, teachers and students at the six Bronx catholic schools slated to close this year after funding cuts are fighting the archdiocese's decision.  The schools, along with 26 others across the state, were chosen for their low student enrollment numbers. 

Grammy-nominated Hip-Hop producer Swiss Beatz, from the Bronx, is inspiring NYU students as an advisor at the school's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music.

Girls volleyball teams from high schools throughout the Bronx had a stellar season this year, according to the NY Post. 

This week, the DOE announced another round of schools it plans to close based on poor performance. With ten on the list, the Bronx has more schools on the chopping block than any other borough.

Students at John F. Kennedy High School, which is of those to be shuttered, told NY1 that while the school has its problems, things were getting better this year. 

City Council members and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio are looking to increase penalties for landlords who receive repeated complaints for not providing heat and hot water.  According to city data, residents in Community Board 7--which includes Norwood and Bedford Park--filed the most heat complaints in the city last year.

Ed. note: Start a discussion about any of these stories, or anything else you want to talk about in our forum. Highlight problems in your neighborhood with our SeeClickFix feature. And find out what's happening in our constantly-updated events calendar.

Bronx Catholic Schools Struggle with Enrollment, Fight Closures

Last month, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York announced that it would stop providing subsidies for 32 Catholic schools in the state--six in the Bronx--in an effort to ease ongoing budget problems, cuts that would essentially mean closure for most of the schools named.

The schools, chosen for their low enrollment numbers, have until the end of the month to appeal the decision by coming up with a plan to prove their financial viability before a final decision is made in January.

"The initial reaction was very sad, everyone was very upset and teary eyed. But the mood is kind of transitioning," said Michael Brady, a board member at St. Augustine's School in Morrisania, which currently has 170 students, and will present its proposal to the archdiocese today.

"We're hopeful and prayerful, and willing to put up the good fight. We know we serve a good purpose here," Brady said.

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 10

The Archdiocese of New York is threatening to strip six Bronx Catholic schools of the financial subsidies they've long relied on. In all, 32 schools across the state could be impacted. Without the subsidy, it's expected that most schools would be forced to close. In the Bronx, the following are at risk: Saint Augustine, Saint John Vianney, Saint Martin of Tours, Saint Dominic, Saint Anthony-Saint Frances and Saint Pius V Girls High School.

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is stepping down. Cathleen P. Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines, will replace him, Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday. Klein oversaw a massive reorganization of the public school system, and won many friends, but fierce enemies, too. In an editorial, the Daily News praised Klein's work and said: "The city's children are far, far better off today than when he started eight years ago." But columnist Juan Gonzalez says he lost the respect of both parents and teachers. 

Students at IS 190, a school near Crotona Park, been have writing letters and sending artwork to a school in Nicaragua, part of a cross-cultural exchange designed to promote tolerance and understanding. Yesterday, the students visited the New York State Division of Human Rights, located at One Fordham Plaza, where some of their artwork hangs, to learn more about discrimination.

Parents with the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice rallied in Bronx on Monday, to demand that the Department of Education step up its game and address poor test scores.

When the Republicans take over the House in January, New York's congressional delegation will lose the chairmanships of several committees and subcommittees. Among those affected: Congressman Jose Serrano and Eliot Engel.

Two gunmen robbed a pharmacy in Mott Haven on Monday evening.