Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 25

Weather: First an earthquake, now Irene. The category 3 hurricane that's currently dumping rain on the Bahamas is headed towards the northeastern U.S., though exactly where and when it will hit is still up in the air (though most are predicting it'll be in New York sometime Sunday). For those interested: WNYC has this city map of flood zones, the New York Times has a live hurricane tracker feature, and the city has released a brochure on storm-preparedness.

As for the current weather, expect rain and thunderstorms most of the afternoon.

Story of the Day: Fordham Prof Turns Hip-Hop
A history professor at Fordham University raps--yes, raps--to get his students' attention on lessons about gentrification and affordable rents. Mark Naison, aka "Notorious PhD" (cute!) says he is worried the Bronx will eventually turn into an expensive hipster-haven like Brooklyn and parts of Harlem.

Watch the video below. Naison's rap starts around the 2:20 mark, complete with a beatboxer accompaniment. Awesome.


Quick Hits:
Now that the criminal case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been dropped, accuser Nafissatou Diallo's lawyers are focusing their efforts on the case they've filed against the former IMF chief in Bronx Civil Court.

The Bronx's Dominican population has jumped 81 percent over the last decade.

A judge has given the Soundview Healthcare Network, the clinic owned and run by indicted former Sen. Pedro Espada Jr., an extended deadline--Soundview was ordered banned from the State's Medicaid program starting Sept. 12, but were just granted a stay until at least the next court date on the 19th.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz is demanding the DOE release all environmental testing reports and other data related to PS 51, or the Bronx New School in Bedford Park, which was found to be contaminated with high levels of a hazardous chemical. 

What a great reward for being studious: Bronx Little Leaguers with good attendance records and at least a B school grade average will get to compete in the Borough President's Cup at Yankee Stadium.

Bronx cops are still waiting--anxiously--for indictments to drop from the District Attorney's office in the much talked about ticket-fixing probe.

Low-income neighborhoods are home to more soda drinkers than affluent ones, a new report finds. In the South Bronx, almost have of residents report drinking at least one soda a day (earlier this year, Bloomberg proposed banning the use of food stamps to buy soda and other sugary beverages, a plan that was met with much debate).

Congrats to Riverdale Press reporter and former Norwood News intern Graham Kates, who tied the knot last weekend.

Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 10

Weather: A lovely one in the Bronx today, filled with sunshine and warm-but-not-stifling temperatures (low 80s). Enjoy.

On to your Bronx News!

A dramatic scene from Parkchester yesterday, as an irate man held a knife to his crying baby boy during a brief standoff with police in the pouring rain. Russel Rivera Jr., 30, was arrested and the boy was later returned, unharmed, to his mother.

According to City Hall News, Bronx Sen. Gustavo Rivera is the first State legislator to join the social media site Foursquare--where users "check in" to locations to let followers know where they are and what they're doing in real life. Rivera is using the site to promote community events, his spokeswoman said.

Bronx News Roundup, Tuesday, Aug. 9

Weather: Sunny, with a high in the mid-80s until later this afternoon, when rain and thunderstorms became increasingly likely. There's an even higher chance for rain tonight. Should be hotter, less chance of rain, tomorrow.

Story of the Day: Report: City Knew of Bronx New School Contamination 6 Months Ago
According to a Daily News story out today, a contractor performing tests at the Bronx New School's cafeteria found high levels of trichlorethylene (otherwise known as TCE) contamination as early as January. In March, underneath the school's basement floorboard, the contractor discovered TCE contamination levels that were 10,000 times higher than what the state deems safe. Exposure to TCE has been linked to cancer and it can cause severed kidney and liver problems. The Department of Education says they didn't have the contractor's full report until the end of June. But even Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott acknowledged that the city should have informed parents sooner. "I'm totally shocked by the whole thing," one parent told the Daily News. Also, it's still unclear where the school will move now with just a month left before school starts.

Quick Hits:

Bronx Assemblyman Stevenson Rallies for Strauss-Kahn Accuser

Bronx Assemblyman Eric Stevenson is joining a chorus of local leaders coming to the defense of the woman who says she was sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the French politician and former head of the International Monetary Fund.

Stevenson, just coming off his first term in office, held an event last Friday at the Futa Islamic Center in Morrisania, a popular meeting place for the neighborhood's Guinean community--the West African country from which the woman involved in the incident hails.

“Rumors about her past that have nothing to do with the case even if they were true should not prevent the case from being heard," Stevenson said in a statement. "A dismissal would discourage victims from coming forward for fear that they themselves would be put on trial.”