UPDATE Fordham Heights: 21-Year-Man Shot in Head, Arrest Made

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A 17-year-old male has been arrested on murder chargers following the shooting of a 21-year-man in the head in Fordham Heights in late October. As reported at the time, police responded to a 911 call regarding a man who had been shot at 2253 Ryer Avenue, located in the 46th precinct, on Sunday, Oct. 24, at approximately 8.49 p.m. Upon arrival, they observed the man, lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS also responded and transported the victim to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The incident

By MICHAEL BENJAMIN

Former Bronx assemblyman, Michael Benjamin, announced that his mother, Kathleen A. Benjamin, née Conton, passed away at Calvary Hospital (Morris Park) on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, at the age of 86. A native of Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Kathleen came to the Bronx in 1956 and later married husband, Ray Benjamin, in October 1957. She resided at Tracey Towers in the Jerome Park section of the borough, on the border with Norwood. After three children and ten years as a “stay-at-home,” mother, Kathleen became a para-professional at the school her boys attended, P.S. 130X, on Prospect Avenue

By JASON GONZALEZ & SÍLE MOLONEY

For Pierina Sanchez, the Democratic nominee for the District 14 City Council seat in the upcoming general election, it’s all about the love. Sanchez is all in for the “Boogie Down,” saying passion for the community is a major driving force behind her campaign. With early voting already underway and only one day remaining before the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, Sanchez is transparent and says a vote for her on Nov. 2 will benefit the borough. “It’s about the love,” Sanchez said during a campaign rally held outside the Kingsbridge Armory in the Kingsbridge Heights section

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York Lottery announced on Sunday, Oct. 31, that one, top-prize winning ticket was sold for the Oct. 30th TAKE 5 EVENING drawing. The ticket, worth $44,943.50, was purchased at Webster Deli Inc, located at 363 E 180th Street in Fordham Heights. Lottery officials said Take 5 players with midday and evening draws on the same ticket should check their numbers at nylottery.ny.gov to determine if they have the winning numbers for the corresponding midday or evening drawing. Officials say TAKE 5 numbers are drawn from a field of one through 39. The drawing is televised twice daily at

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Montefiore Health System (MHS) and UnitedHealthcare have reached an agreement on a long-term contract that restores in-network access to all Montefiore Health System hospitals and healthcare providers effective Dec. 1, 2021 for UnitedHealthcare and Oxford employer-sponsored plans, as well as UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Dual Special Needs Plan. According to hospital officials, the agreement restores in-network access to Montefiore’s 10 hospitals and to more than 200 outpatient facilities throughout the Bronx, Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties. Colleen Blye, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Montefiore Health System said the long-term health of patients has always been the central

By SARAH HUFFMAN

New York City’s Racial Justice Commission (RJC) hosted a virtual panel entitled, “Overcoming Racial Disparities in Health and Mental Health” earlier this summer to discuss health and persistent racial disparities in health and mental health. The event, held on July 20, was hosted by commission chair, Jennifer Jones Austin, and was divided into two, hour-long panels, each made up of three expert panelists. The first panel comprised LaRay Brown, CEO of the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center and president and CEO of One Brooklyn Public Health System, Guillermo Chacon, president of the Latino Commission on AIDS, and Claire Green-Forde Ph.D.,

By SARAH HUFFMAN & MIRIAM QUIÑONES

The Albanian American Open Hand Association (AAOHA) and The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association (PPNA) collaborated with Miriam Quiñones of Miriam Quin Photography on Sunday Aug. 29 at 2134 Barnes Ave in the Bronx, for a back-to-school giveaway. Around 650 school backpacks filled with school supplies including pencils, notebooks, erasers, folders and more, were handed out to students. Families with children of all ages lined up around the block on Barnes Avenue to wait their turn for a backpack. Volunteers from AAOHA, PPNA, and community partners had worked throughout the afternoon to fill the backpacks and distribute them to

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Video courtesy of Citizen Users of the Citizen’s app have posted a video of a vehicle on fire in the Norwood section of the Bronx. The incident was reported by Citizen users on Saturday, Oct. 30, at around 10.48 p.m. at E 207th Street and Bainbridge Avenue. In the footage, a section of the sign for Kolb Radiology can be seen. In the video, the car which is on fire appears to be parked by the sidewalk, other traffic continues to pass by, and a fire truck is seen at the scene, along with a firefighter who uses a

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance identifying a person of interest, seen in the attached video, who is wanted for questioning in connection with a robbery pattern traced to the 47th and 50th precincts. On Saturday, Oct. 9, at approximately 4 a.m., the person entered the Sunoco Gas Station, located at 4201 Webster Avenue in Woodlawn Heights, displayed a knife at the clerk, and stole $400 in cash from the register, before fleeing the location. On Wednesday, Oct. 13, at approximately 00.41 a.m., at another Sunoco Gas Station, located at 5914 Riverdale Avenue in North Riverdale,