Rivera: Landlords Have Sued Over 50 Families Per 1,000 Units in Fordham, Kingsbridge & University Heights

State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) is visiting tenant associations across District 33 in the Northwest Bronx in efforts to ensure eligible tenants apply to the New York State Emergency Rent Assistance Program (ERAP). ERAP was enacted as part of the 2021-2022 State budget which allocated $2.35 billion in federal funds to provide New Yorkers with relief to avoid evictions due to COVID-19.   As previously reported, through ERAP, households affected by COVID-19 can qualify for up to 12 months of past due rent, three months of future rent and up to 12 months of overdue utility bills. Individuals do


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Composting is Coming Back: Sign Up to Let the City Know You Want Free Curbside Composting

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has announced that curbside composting, put on hold during the height of the pandemic, as reported, is on the way back to many city residents! By composting, New Yorkers keep their neighborhoods clean, reduce waste being sent to landfills, create compost for City Parks, and produce clean, renewable energy to heat homes.   While service was “automatic” in pre-pandemic times, residents interested in participating will now need to sign-up or express interest at nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting. The registration process will allow the DSNY to best understand who is most interested in participating in the program, and


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UPDATE Fordham Heights: 32-Year-Old Man Shot Dead, Arrest Made

Police confirmed on Wednesday, Nov. 3, that a man was arrested for the murder of Ronnell Garmie, 32, of Fordham Heights in the Bronx, who was shot on Aug. 3. Police responded to a 911 call regarding a person who had been shot in front of 2335 Tiebout Avenue, in the 46th precinct, on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at around 8.13 p.m.   Upon arrival, officers observed a 32-year-old man, Garmie, unconscious and unresponsive, with a gunshot wound to his chest. EMS responded to the location and transported the victim to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.   Pursuant


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Congress Approves AOC’s Funding Request for Jacobi Hospital’s Cure Violence Program, Among Others

  Congress has approved nine out of ten funding requests for community projects put forward by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), the congresswoman’s office confirmed on July 30. The various requests for the 2022 fiscal year included additional funding for Jacobi Hospital’s anti gun-violence initiative which Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had highlighted as a priority in early July, as reported at the time by Norwood News.    Late Thursday, July 29, the nine approved funding requests for various community projects in New York’s 14th congressional district, which encompasses parts of the Bronx and Queens, passed


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UPDATE: Biaggi Calls for Cuomo to Resign (Again) following AG’s Report Findings

State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (S.D. 34) issued a statement on Tuesday following the publication of the findings of the independent investigation carried out by Attorney General Laetitia James into allegations of sexual harassment by New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, allegations which the governor has denied.   On Tuesday, Aug. 3, Biaggi said the independent investigation concluded that the governor sexually harassed former and current staff, violating federal and state law. “The report confirms what we already knew – the Governor has sexually harassed and intimidated employees while actively silencing the victims of his abuse and fostering a toxic and


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The Legal Aid Society Calls on State Lawmakers to Extend New York’s Eviction Moratorium

The Legal Aid Society called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrew Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and other Albany lawmakers, on Monday, to extend New York’s eviction moratorium which is set to expire in just a few weeks on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, and protect New Yorkers against the highly contagious Delta variant.   This past December, Albany lawmakers enacted legislation that froze all eviction proceedings until March 1, 2021, and through April 30, 2021 for those tenants who submitted a hardship form with the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA), as reported. Additional legislation was


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MTA Plans Intermittent Closures at RFK Bridge to/from Manhattan on Tuesday, Aug. 3

The MTA has announced that intermittent, full closures at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to and from Manhattan are scheduled for Tuesday, August 3, from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. to test mechanical functionality and allow completion of any routine preventative maintenance. Intermittent closures are planned for both directions. Each closure will last approximately 20 minutes. Motorists may experience delays and should consider an alternate route.   Motorists can sign up for MTA e-mail or text alerts at www.mymtaalerts.com for the latest information on this planned work.

DOH Three-Day Mosquito Treatment on Bronx Marshes and Wetlands Starts Monday Aug. 2

To reduce mosquito activity and the risk of the West Nile virus, the City’s health department will conduct a third aerial “larviciding treatment” of the season on certain marshes and wetland areas in the Bronx from Monday, Aug. 2 to Wednesday, Aug. 4, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., weather permitting.   A helicopter will be used to treat non-residential areas only. While three days have been allotted for the aerial larviciding, the process may be completed in less time. In case of bad weather, the process will be delayed until Thursday, Aug. 5, to Friday, Aug.


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UPDATE: Three Further Residential Fires Reported in the Bronx over the Weekend

Video of a reported Parkchester fire on July 31, 2021, courtesy of Citizen Three additional residential fires were reported over the weekend in the University Heights, Fordham Heights and Parkchester neighborhoods of the Bronx, though only two were referenced by the FDNY in their Twitter alerts. We are currently waiting on the FDNY to confirm the third, as well as providing further details on all three incidents.   Norwood News recently reported on three separate reported fires which occurred in the borough on Friday, July 30.   According to the Citizen’s App, one fire occurred at 5 Metropolitan Oval in


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