Child Killed in High-Rise Fire at Melrose Houses

By DAVID GREENE

Fire officials are continuing their investigation into the cause of a fire that killed one child, and injured another civilian and two firefighters. The fire broke out in a fifth-floor apartment at Melrose Houses, located at 305 East 153 Street in the Melrose section of the Bronx, just before 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 26. Officials reported that the child suffered smoke inhalation, and was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he died. The child was later identified as Billay Jagana, aged 5. A 38-year-old woman, believed to be the child’s aunt, remains hospitalized in serious condition.

By David Greene

Residents of Pelham Parkway say a man visiting “the old neighborhood” was shot and killed as he exited a Halloween party on Barnes Avenue in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx on Sunday morning. According to police, the as-yet-unidentified, 36-year-old man was shot in the neck and chest outside of 2143 Barnes Avenue at 1:43 a.m. in the 49th precinct on Sunday, Nov. 1. He was found unconscious and unresponsive when police arrived at the scene. EMS also responded to the incident and the victim was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. Police said

By David Greene

Police say a man was beaten and stabbed on the Grand Concourse in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx, with one source claiming the attack took place because the victim visited the block. According to NYPD spokeswoman Jessica McRorie, the incident was reported at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in front of 2790 Grand Concourse, between Miriam Street and East 197th Street in the 52nd precinct. McRorie said, “A 40-year-old man reported to police that he was talking on the phone when an unknown suspect got into a verbal dispute with him. When the victim walked

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Oct. 14, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) launched an online Service Levels Tracker, a new tool which allows New Yorkers to see average wait times for DOB services while also, according to DOB, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to both expediency and efficiency. While this information has been available to the public in different forms over the years, the new tracker puts it all in one location, with a clear explanation of the different DOB metrics. Too often, homeowners and the public do not have the tools necessary to understand where DOB fits into the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York Urban League and its partners invite community-based organizations (CBOs) to apply for a NYC Council Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF) grant by the new extended deadline of Nov. 6, 2020 at 5 p.m. The New York City Council established the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF) in recent years and has allocated $2.5 million to award grants to support Black, Latino, and Asian-led community-based organizations throughout New York City’s five boroughs. The first New York City Council fund of its kind, CCNSF aims to build the capacity of New York City nonprofits

By David Greene

An elderly man is reported to be fighting for his life after being struck by an MTA express bus in the Morris Park section of the Bronx on a dark, rainy evening amid poor visibility. Police and fire officials confirmed that a 78-year-old male victim was crossing Morris Park Avenue at the Radcliff Avenue junction at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29 when he was struck by a moving bus. The elderly man was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where he is listed as being in critical condition. Officers from the 49th precinct shut down Morris Park Avenue

By David Greene

Given that youngsters on both sides of Pelham Parkway often celebrate Halloween with an annual parade, the usual holiday excitement was a little less evident this year due to the parade being cancelled amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In an effort to try to make up for some of that lost fun, this year, officers from the NYPD’s 49th precinct on Eastchester Road in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, held the first, socially distant Pumpkin Carving event at their station-house. Two separate carving sessions were held on Thursday, Oct. 22, and were so well received, the officers

By Síle Moloney

Eric Dinowitz, Democratic District Leader and City Council candidate in the 11th District race, is calling for future changes to early voting as New Yorkers turn out to vote early in record numbers this week. “New Yorkers are proving what we’ve known all along – early voting is good for our democracy – and when given the opportunity, people will excitedly vote early,” Dinowitz said. “I am proud of the energy, enthusiasm, and, most of all, patience of my fellow New Yorkers as they wait in line for hours, sometimes even in rain. Poll workers have been friendly and

By David Greene

A young skateboarder crossing an intersection in the Wakefield section of the Bronx, as the lights were green, was struck by a moving vehicle just outside a local church where the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD were wrapping up a daylong gun buyback event. According to the FDNY, the incident was reported at 3:07 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the corner of East 222nd Street and Barnes Avenue outside St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. When contacted by Norwood News for further information, FDNY officials could only say that one victim was removed from the location