By RICHARD BUCEY Vital Statistics: 33%Percentage of public school students in New York State who are obese.Source: New York State Department of Health Obesity in the Bronx is getting a run for its money.

Serial Groper Still on the Run Police in the 47th Precinct are still on the hunt for a serial groper wanted in nine separate attacks on females between the ages of 12 and 21 in Wakefield, Edenwald, Williamsbridge and Eastchester. His crimes stretch back to the beginning of the year.

Business Beat – Report Outlines Potential Future of Webster Ave

By DAVID CRUZ To build an eclectic commercial corridor involves plenty of intelligence gathering, reviewing aspects that render a series of recommendations solely for the neighborhood. It often takes the work of someone required to immerse himself in the neighborhood, and Larisa Ortiz did just that.

Digital Edition of the Norwood News Is Out!

by David Cruz The latest of the Norwood News is out, found at nearly 200 locations throughout the northwest Bronx. Here we highlight several stories worth reading: First up, the fate of the Shrine of St. Ann’s Church on Bainbridge Avenue is up in the air following a financial review by the Archdiocese. Our own Pamela Segura followed that story. We also take you to Fordham and a lobby newsstand allegedly forced to withdraw from its coffee sales after a Starbucks opens in the same building. Check out what the coffee giant had to say about the move. And finally, we offer

Job Fair Slated For July 10 At DeWitt Clinton HS

By the Norwood News The unemployment rate still stands in the double-digits in the Bronx, earning the distinction as the most jobless or underemployed county in the state. Efforts have been made to curb the numbers, with job fairs happening throughout the borough. The latest is set for tomorrow, Thursday, July 10, as Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, representing the Bedford Park/Norwood communities, will host the 2nd annual Bronx Job Fair at DeWitt Clinton High School at 100 West Mosholu Parkway South. The job fair will feature over four-dozen employers from the healthcare, retail, transportation and administrative sectors. Adding to the push to

By Imani Hall Bronxites living in the northwest Bronx began a rare exchange with the city–fleshing out next year’s budget. The process is part of Participatory Budgeting Program (PBP), and on Monday council member Andy Cohen’s chief of staff, Daniel Johnson, held a public info meeting, informing Bronxites about the project.

Future Uncertain for Norwood Church

By PAMELA SEGURA There is speculation that Shrine Church of St. Ann’s, a neighborhood staple in Norwood, could shut its doors. The church, on Bainbridge Avenue at Gun Hill Road since 1927, serves as the foundation for St. Ann’s School, a middle school located above the church.

Participatory Budget Sessions Coming To Norwood

By Richard Bucey It’s not every day one can have a direct influence on the New York City Budget. But that day’s coming to Norwood. A nine-month process starting in July and ending next April is set to further enhance the role communities play in deciding where it wants its tax dollars to go. Councilman Andy Cohen, representing Norwood, is now adopting the program, formally dubbed Participatory Budgeting. Under the program, residents will provide input into how $1 million of funding set aside for capital projects, which works out to be a fraction of Cohen’s overall capital funding. With the

Bronx 100 Scavenger Hunt Slated For July 12

By the Norwood News So how knowledgeable are you about the Bronx? You can put that knowledge along with your hunting skills to the test with the Bronx 100 Scavenger Hunt, a promotional event by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Bronx Tourism Council. On July 12, a total of 40 teams will be vying for first place as they scour the Bronx to identify key landmarks of the borough through a series of clues revealed that day. The event serves a two-fold purpose–allowing residents to understand the Bronx more while advancing the Borough Office’s Bronx Centennial celebration. “Throughout our