Update: Wakefield: 80-Year-Old Missing Woman Found Safe

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Betty Ward-McIntire, 80, of 946 East 231 Street in the Wakefield section of The Bronx was reported missing in the 47th precinct but has since been found safe. It was reported to police that she was last seen on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 at approximately 1.30 p.m. inside her home, and the NYPD had sought the public’s assistance in locating her. She was described as female, Black, with black hair, approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighs approximately 140 pounds and was last seen wearing a winter jacket with a fur-trimmed hood. The police said she walked with a

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

The challenge of representing multiple diverse communities across District 11 was evident during the televised debate between the five candidates running in the March 23rd District 11 special election, which aired on BronxNet on Feb. 2. Each is seeking to replace former Councilman Andrew Cohen, who was elected as a judge to the Bronx Supreme Court in November 2020 and resigned as a council member on Dec. 31, cutting short his final year in office. The 90-minute debate was co-moderated by Michael Hinman, editor of The Riverdale Press, and Sonyi Lopez, BronxNet producer, host and reporter, with a few,

By RACHEL DALLOO & SÍLE MOLONEY

Editor’s Pick Black History Month Lecture Series Presented by the Lehman College Art Gallery, the program covers two of the most important authors to contribute to the North American slave narrative genre: Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass. Collective Black Fugitive Practices in Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl will take place onThursday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. Eve Eure, an assistant English professor at Lehman College, will discuss Harriet Jacobs’s slave narrative—the first book-length fugitive slave narrative published by a Black woman in the United States. Focusing on the means by which Jacobs navigates the legal and social enclosures of slavery,

By DAVID GREENE

Norwood dad, Tarek Ahmad, called it a “privilege” to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but having the shot administered to him by his daughter was a complete surprise. On Monday, Jan. 25, Ahmad told the Norwood News about the sweet moment that unfolded on Friday, Jan. 22 at the Fort Washington Avenue Armory vaccination site, located at 168th Street in Manhattan through a chance encounter with his daughter. “Initially, I was scheduled [for a COVID-19 vaccination] in one of the city hospitals in the Bronx, but they called and cancelled my appointment.” He added, “Thankfully, I was able

By DAWN CLANCY

On Jan. 31, as reported by Norwood News, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City’s taskforce on racial inclusion and equity announced a plan to prioritize vaccine availability to an expanded list of 33 neighborhoods hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial list of priority neighborhoods already included parts of the Northwest Bronx like Fordham Heights, Fordham Manor, University Heights, Kingsbridge, and Kingsbridge Heights. The expanded list now includes the Bronx neighborhoods of Williamsbridge, Baychester and Edenwald. Also previously included were Mott Haven and Melrose, Belmont and East Tremont, Parkchester and Soundview, Highbridge and Concourse,

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers for their thoughts on “de-platforming” conspiracy theorists who have spread misinformation on conventional social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. We asked readers if such people then congregate on alternative social media platforms like Parler, will this just ultimately create silos of people with opposing views operating in their own echo chambers. “The Bible talks about a time when right will be called wrong and wrong will be called right. We are in that time. Twitter allows child porn, but anything from conservatives, Donald Trump or others is banned. Of course, Trump and

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 4 that the Yankee Stadium COVID-19 vaccination site will open Feb. 5. Appointment slots are available now at the link below for Bronx residents only. CB 7 said it is expected the vaccination doses will go quickly. The use of the stadium is a joint effort between New York State, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, The Yankees, Somos Community Care, and the New York National Guard, and it is hoped the site will help expedite vaccine distribution and alleviate the borough’s sustained battle against the spread of

By DAVID GREENE

At least one resident of a Dekalb Avenue building in Norwood had a close call after he said his kitchen exploded for no apparent reason, prompting a substantial response from police, firefighters and paramedics. According to the FDNY, the incident was reported at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23. In an initial call from an NYPD dispatcher that was rebroadcast over the Citizens App, the dispatcher reported, “52 precinct, unconfirmed 59-explosion, 3521 Dekalb Avenue.” The dispatcher added, “Explosion in the kitchen; cabinets have been blown out.” Video from the Citizens App showed several fire trucks and an NYPD

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY

When members of the Bedford Mosholu Community Association (BMCA) held their usual, virtual, monthly meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 6, concerns were raised over the impact of New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) plans for two new housing developments at East Bedford Park Boulevard and Webster Avenue, which form part of a 2011 re-zoning plan to revitalize 88 blocks of Webster Avenue. According to Barbara Stronczer, president of BMCA, and as reported by the Norwood News, the $93 million housing and retail project was due to incorporate 188 reduced-income apartments for seniors at 2856 Webster Avenue in 2020. This was to