Bronx News Roundup, Jan 25

As I'm sure you can see, this never-ending winter has blessed us with more snow this morning. The weather means delays on the 2 line in the Bronx, according to the MTA's website, so give yourself a little extra travel time today if you're taking the train.

Speaking of snow: the City Council held its fifth public blizzard response hearing at Hostos Community College last night, where Residents and Borough President Diaz blasted the city and the Sanitation Department for the slow snow cleanup.

A fire broke out early this morning at three multi-family homes on Arthur Avenue in Tremont, with one tenant taken to St. Barnabas Hospital after going into cardiac arrest.

An NYPD car mix-up resulted in one Norwood resident's arrest--for stealing his own vehicle, the Daily News reports.  Jamieson Prince, 43, is now suing the police department for $1 million.

The driver of a van that flipped over in a fatal accident in September is facing felony charges for driving with a revoked license. The accident killed six people, including the pastor at Joy Fellowship Christian Assemblies in the Bronx, and his wife.

Sen. Jeff Klein and his newly formed Independent Democratic Conference are criticizing the Office of Children and Family Services, which oversees the State's youth prisons, for racking up overtime and compensation claims.

A few Bronx women told the Huffington Post that they think Mayor Bloomberg is out of touch, in response to recent remarks he made about the city's streets being safe for women at night.

Police have identified one of the bodies found near a Long Island beach to be Bronx resident Melissa Barthelemy, 27. Investigators believe a serial killer may be responsible for her death and the deaths of three other woman, who all advertised themselves as sex workers on Craigslist.

As John F. Kennedy High School in Marble Hill prepares for closure next year by the DOE, charter school group New Visions for Public Schools is testing the neighborhood waters. The organization plans to open two new schools on Kennedy's site.

The Wall Street Journal posted this video footage of the explosive excavation of a tunnel at the Croton Water Filtration Plant. The $3 billion project at Van Cortlandt Park has been rife with scandal and delays since it began (here are some archived stories from the Norwood News)



[Editor's Note:] Just a reminder to our readers that the Bronx News Network is in the middle of our annual fundraising appeal. If you value quality local journalism, please consider donating so we can continue to bring you news and features, like our daily roundup or our borough events calendar. More details on how to contribute can be found here.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 21

A prayer vigil was held in Baychester last night to mourn the six people who died in a crash on the New York State Thruway on Saturday. The pastor of Joy Fellowship Christian Assembly, a church on East Gun Hill Road, and his wife, were among the victims.  Speakers at the vigil included a Brooklyn pastor whose own church suffered a similar tragedy two years ago.

A Bronx man who drove drunk and killed a man in Westchester last December, pleaded guilty to several charges yesterday.

A fire broke out under the 138th Street Bridge yesterday afternoon, interrupting Metro-North train service for several hours.

The Daily News' Bob Kappstatter says a piece of him is going to miss State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. who was defeated in last week's primary.

Espada staffer Haile Rivera thinks State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. should replace Espada as majority leader.

The Hunts Point produce co-op is set to resume on-again, off-again talks with the city's Economic Development Corp. over plans for a $320 million renovation. 

A man was shot several times when armed robbers burst into his Morrisania apartment yesterday. He's in a stable condition at St. Barnabas Hospital.

A Soundview man got the fright of his life last night when he found a three-foot long corn snake coiled around his toilet seat.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 20

A tragic car crash on Saturday killed six members of the Joy Fellowship Church, on East Gunhill Road, when their van overturned on the New York Thruway. The group was on their way to a church event in upstate Schenectady when a tire blew out on their van. The church's bishop, Simon White, and his wife, Zelda, were among those killed. A vigil will be held to honor the victims tonight.

Former Yankees managers Joe Torre and Don Mattingly will return to the Bronx tonight for a tribute to the late George Steinbrenner.

A Bronx woman was arrested after a fatal hit-and-run accident that killed a motorcyclist in Manhattan on Sunday night.

A section of Valentine Avenue in Bedford Park is being called "Heroin Avenue," for its rampant drug and gang problems. The area has long been a hotspot of violent activity for the 52nd Precinct. 

Former beat cop Anthony Mango, who patrolled the St. Mary's Park Houses in Melrose in the 1970s, inspired a young Kevin Taylor to join the force himself. Taylor is now an NYPD lieutenant in Manhattan.

A second beaver was spotted in the Bronx River this summer. It will join Jose, the first beaver to call the river home in over a century, who was first spotted back in 2007 and named after Sen. Jose Serrano.

An 11-year-old Throgs Neck girl who went missing last week has returned home safely, according to police.