Rikers Island Inmate Gets 9 Years for Assault & 2-Hour Stand-Off, Threatened to Chew Off Employee’s Face

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Thursday, May 5, that a Rikers Island inmate had been sentenced to nine years in prison for assaulting a Rikers Island medical clinic doctor, taking an assistant to a doctor hostage, and threatening to take another doctor hostage, in three separate events. According to the investigation, on Dec. 13, 2018, in the main medical clinic in the George R. Vierno Center in Rikers Island, the defendant, Peter Rodriguez, 31, attacked a doctor, who was treating him. The doctor suffered multiple muscle tears after Rodriguez pulled on his arm. The defendant then

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Friday, May 6, that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 27 years to life in prison for the murder and dismemberment of Lisa Marie Velasquez in 2018. According to the investigation, in the early morning of August 22, 2018, Velasquez, 25, had gone to the apartment that the defendant, Daquan Wheeler, 34, last of 1006 Longfellow Avenue in the Foxhurst section of the South Bronx, shared with co-defendant, Ciara Martinez, the mother of Wheeler’s child. Velasquez’s objective was to help Martinez. During the visit, Wheeler hit Velasquez once in the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Fire marshals confirmed the cause of the 4-alarm fire which broke out at 2230 Grand Concourse on Sunday, Jan. 9. As reported, the fire took place in the Fordham Heights section of The Bronx on the same day as the separate Twin Parks fire tragedy, among some other fires which also occurred in the borough on the same day. If using a lithium battery, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging and storage. Always use the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter made specifically for the device. If a battery overheats, discontinue use immediately. See more at https://t.co/NpwdRdlElY #FDNYSmart pic.twitter.com/jPkzewBgLb —

By MIRIAM QUIÑONES & SÍLE MOLONEY

The intersection of Mosholu Parkway and East Bainbridge Avenue was transformed into showgrounds for an open air circus, last month, in celebration of Earth Day, as the parkway was cleared of cars as part of a citywide Department of Transportation (DOT) Car Free Day, marking, once again, the annual event which promotes more sustainable living. This year, on Saturday, April 23, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., the Flatbed Follies Bindlestiff Family Cirkus descended upon Bedford Park with a host of spectacular street performances, delighting the community. About 200 people showed up for the event. Some walked, some biked,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

President Joe Biden announced on Thursday, May 5, that a U.S. presidential delegation will attend the inauguration of his excellency, Rodrigo Alberto de Jesús Chaves Robles, as president of the Republic of Costa Rica on May 8, 2022. The Hon. Miguel Cardona, U.S. secretary of education, will lead the delegation. The delegation also includes the Hon. Cynthia Telles, U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica, the Hon. Uzra Zeya, under secretary for civilian security, democracy, and human rights at the U.S. State department, and the Hon. Cristóbal Alex, special assistant to the president and White House deputy cabinet

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory on Saturday, May 7, at 12:43 p.m. which will remain in effect until 2.45 p.m. Urban and small stream flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected in parts of northeast New Jersey and southeast New York, including the northeast New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union and the southeast New York counties of Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens and Richmond (Staten Island). Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas is expected. The doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated heavy rain, causing urban and small

By SARAH HUFFMAN

The Urban Assembly Bronx Academy of Letters welcomed actor, Malik Yoba, to their school on March 28 to present his documentary film series, “The Real Estate Mix Tape Vol. 1,” which also features Majora Carter, real estate developer and founder of Hunts Point’s Boogie Down Grind Café. Though Yoba is not a former student of the school, we were informed, “he was born in the old Lincoln Hospital down the road.” According to various sources, including IMDb, Yoba is an actor, filmmaker and writer, known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on “New York

By JULIAN NAZAR

Lisa Watkins, a retired Bronx schoolteacher, recalled seeing a story on the news about a Charlie Hewitt, a Maine-based artist, who had a huge “Hopeful” sign displayed on billboards in New Jersey. Considering the collective trauma of COVID-19 endured by so many Bronxites in such a relatively short space of time, she remembered thinking at the time that it would be a great word to have projected across the borough. “We had the two years of the pandemic,” Watkins said. “Just when we thought we were coming out of the pandemic around Christmas time, we had the resurgence

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Building permit applications have been filed with NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) for a new, four-story, residential building at 950 Ogden Avenue in the Highbridge section of The Bronx, as reported by YIMBY. Located at the intersection of West 162nd Street and Ogden Avenue, the lot is close to the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium subway station, serviced by the B, D, and 4 trains. The proposed 54-foot-tall development will yield 9,124 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 13 residential units, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 701 square feet. The steel-based

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Archive

Rikers Island Inmate Gets 9 Years for Assault & 2-Hour Stand-Off, Threatened to Chew Off Employee’s Face

Bronx Man Sentenced to 27 Years to Life for Murder of 25-Year-old Lisa Marie Velasquez

UPDATE Lithium-Ion Battery Cause of 4-Alarm Fire at 2230 Grand Concourse on Jan. 9

Bronxites Encouraged to “Break Up with Cars” During Car-Free Earth Day on Mosholu Parkway

Presidential Delegation Named to Attend Inauguration of De Jesús Chaves Robles in Costa Rica

National Weather Service Issues Flood Advisory for Saturday, May 7

UPDATE Mott Haven: Actor, Malik Yoba, Discusses Real Estate Documentary Series with Students

Charlie Hewitt Brings The Hopeful Project, a Digital Billboard Campaign, to The Bronx

Highbridge: Building Applications Filed for 950 Ogden Avenue