Andy Cohen Sworn in as Councilman for 11th District

by David Cruz With his wife and energetic child by his side, Andy Cohen took the oath of office as the next Councilman for the 11th Council District, succeeding term-limited Oliver Koppell. Well-wishers, community leaders and nearly the entire Bronx Democratic Caucus were on hand to witness Cohen sworn to office by friend and former colleague Bronx Supreme Court Justice Justice Edgar Walker. “The campaigning is over, the rhetoric is over, no more campaign promises—it’s time for the real work to begin,” said Cohen, delivering remarks from a prepared speech in a nervously quick yet emotional tone.

Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing On Major Deegan

Traffic on the Major Deegan Expressway came to a major halt after a small plane made a successful impromptu landing at the highway on Saturday shortly after 3p.m. Twitter went abuzz on photos over the single-engine plane landing, with the FDNY and NYPD showing off some photos. The small plane, classified as a 1966 Piper A PA-28-180, made the emergency landing near the East 233rd Street exit on the northbound side of the highway after experiencing some engine failure, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio in a news conference. . Published reports indicate three passengers, all from Danbury, CT, were

by David Cruz The biggest snowstorm of the seasoned trounced parts of the Bronx, but residents, known to be toughies, ventured out to the white oasis to take advantage of the icy stuff. Some loyal Norwood News readers were out there capturing it all. Thanks so much for photographers Annette Melendez and Yolanda for submitting these photos, awesome job to the pair. It was a fun ride, with hints of normalcy coming back into play. But don’t fret, it is the beginning of the winter, so there’ll likely be even more time for another storm.

Snow Update: Closures, Clean-up and Outreach

by David Cruz The snow has stopped, so let the great big dig out begin! The borough, now blanketed with icy snow, is now digging itself out following Winter Storm Hercules. The National Weather Service’s Winter Storm Warning remains in effect in the Bronx until 1pm Friday, January 3rd. The mountains of snow, however, will still be around for days and Mayor Bill de Blasio, in what many are dubbing his first test as the leader of this city, is still urging everyone to take caution when heading outside. “This has been and remains a dangerous storm. It is going

NYC Dept. of Ed Cancels After-School Programs Following Snow

Fearing the worst from Winter Storm Hercules, the New York City Department of Education has officially canceled after school programs, school field trips and PSAL games for all all one million students for Friday, January 3. As for whether classes will be canceled, a statement by the DOE said “families should, for now, plan on schools being open tomorrow (Friday) morning. The snow is coming down, so check back tomorrow morning to see whether classes are cancelled indefinitely.

Snow Update: Send Us Your Snow Photos!

With a monster storm approaching, what would it be without some awesome pictures! Email your awesome snowstorm pics to dcruz@norwoodnews.org and we will publish them on the site, immortalizing the fury of this storm forever! You can also tweet us @norwoodnews. So far, agencies are batting down the hatches as the storm lumbers along from the west, later joining with another storm system that will produce sub-zero temps that haven’t been seen in years. The Sanitation Department already has it’s army of workers patrolling the neighborhoods with the MTA stopping express service at 5:45pm today, January 2. For drivers: ALTERNATE SIDE IS

By MICHAEL BROWN JR. “Expected Occupancy Summer 2014,” reads the sign at a Bedford Park building.

Impending Snowstorm Upon The Bronx

Attention Norwood and the surrounding areas: better get those snow shovels and plows on standby–we’re on the eve of the season’s first potent snowstorm with the Bronx expected to get an onslaught of snow beginning Thursday evening and lasting through Friday morning. In all, roughly 6-8 inches of snowfall is predicted, mixed with gusty winds and frigid temps, making it a recipe to hunker down and ride out the storm. The New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has dispersed tips for all Bronxites to prevent themselves from getting trapped in snow:

Another Year, Another Setback for the Croton Water Filtration Plant

by Hayley Camacho Although start-up and testing recently began in one part of the Croton Water Filtration Plant, it will not be until next April when the rest of the plant begins testing as well, with a solid operational date nowhere in sight. The news has outraged Bronxites who looked forward to the re-opening of the fenced-off jogging path hugging Jerome Park Reservoir, where part of the plant exists. This also comes amid concerns the plant buried underneath the Mosholu Golf Course is marred with shoddy work relating to the plant’s fire alarm system, according to information received by the Croton