Open Storefronts Program Launches following Success of Open Restaurants

By SÍLE MOLONEY

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday, Oct. 28, the Open Storefronts program, permitting storefront businesses to use a portion of their sidewalk to display merchandise, sell goods, complete transactions, and provide queuing areas. The program will begin on Friday, Oct. 30 and will run until Dec 31. The Open Storefronts program assists existing ground-floor storefront businesses who want to use outdoor areas on a temporary basis. It allows eligible businesses to conduct activity on sidewalks, on roadways in the Open Streets: Restaurants program, or a combination of both. In addition to businesses engaged in retail

By Síle Moloney

The New York City Police Department is asking the public’s assistance in identifying the woman shown in the attached surveillance video and photo who is wanted in connection with a robbery that occurred in the 52nd precinct / Transit District #11. On Friday, Oct. 23, at approximately 3:35 p.m., a 28-year-old woman was at the mezzanine level of the 205th Street “D” line subway station closest to the 205th Street and Perry Avenue entrance, and was purchasing a MetroCard when an unidentified woman approached the victim and offered to open the gate for $2. When the victim

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Monday, Oct. 26, The New York Civil Liberties Union and The Legal Aid Society filed a lawsuit against Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, Chief of Department Terence Monahan, the City of New York, and several individual police officers for their roles in what was described as the indiscriminate brutalizing of peaceful protestors during the Black Lives Matter protests which followed the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020. The suit addresses the first month of protests between May 28 and June 28, where “swarming officers used batons, pepper spray, and other aggressive techniques to

By Síle Moloney

The New York City Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Guillermo Chavez, 64, of 2604 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx. Chavez was reported missing on Monday in the 52nd precinct. He was last seen on Monday, Oct. 26, at around 8:45 a.m. inside his residence. He is described as being approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighs 140 pounds, is of medium build, and has brown eyes and brown hair. Chavez was last seen wearing a baseball hat, brown work boots, and a gray sweatshirt. Anyone with information with regard to this missing person is asked

By DAVID GREENE

With some Bedford Park residents in quarantine amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a few only learned of the horrific, senseless killing of Kevin Smith, 62, in the days that followed his death. Smith was stabbed twice in the chest, apparently after a brief exchange of words with his assailant on Thursday, Oct. 22. The NYPD reported that Smith was attacked at 6:59 p.m. outside of 380 East Bedford Park Boulevard on the evening in question. They said he died a short time later at St. Barnabas Hospital. One friend said he was sure that Smith died on the sidewalk,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx District Attorney, Darcel D. Clark, announced on Monday, Oct. 19, the appointment of 61 new assistant district attorneys (ADAs) to her office. “This diverse group of assistant district attorneys will undergo intensive training to help them serve the Bronx community in keeping with my ‘Safer Bronx Through Fair Justice’ policy, which dovetails with the criminal justice reforms,” Clark said. “These new Assistant DAs, along with our experienced, dedicated staff, will provide fairness to defendants while ensuring public safety.” Out of the 61 new assistant DAs, 31 are people of color. The class is made up of 32

By Síle Moloney

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Monday, Oct. 26, that 136 guns – mostly revolvers and semi-automatic pistols – were turned in at the Bronx Gun Buyback event held on Saturday October 24, 2020 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in the Wakefield section of the Bronx. Seventy-four participants in the buy back received an iPad, courtesy of the Bronx DA’s Office and the New York Yankees, as well as a cash card, in exchange for the arms recovered. Speaking on the success of the event, Clark said, “I am pleased that there are 136 less firearms

By Eliot Schiaparelli & Síle Moloney

Norwood News, in partnership with WFUV radio and BronxNet Television, presents a five-part series on national issues affecting voters in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, seen through the local lens of Bronx neighborhood communities. Part three looks at health. Health and healthcare were always going to be pivotal to the 2020 presidential election, even before the COVID-19 pandemic catapulted them to the top of the political agenda. According to a recent Pew research poll, 68 percent of voters said healthcare was a “very important” issue to them, second only to the economy. People are rightfully

By Síle Moloney

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea released the following statement on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 regarding new recruits within the NYPD. “Next week, the NYPD will send out offers to the 2020 November Academy class. Before the new class starts, the NYPD uniform headcount will be approximately 34,200,” he said. “The new class will be 900 recruits, bringing the uniform head count closer to the level expected in the adopted [city] budget. Due to budget cuts, as well as attrition, this is lower than the approximately 36,900 uniform members of service at this point last year. With the new class, the