MTA Metro-North Railroad Launches WhatsApp Chat Feature for Customer Service

By SÍLE MOLONEY

MTA Metro-North Railroad president, Catherine Rinaldi, announced on Monday, March 1, that Metro-North customers can now communicate with the railroad in real time using the popular messaging platform WhatsApp. “It is important that our customers are able to communicate in real time and it’s what we’ve become accustomed to as a tech savvy society,” said Rinaldi. “We will continue to work on new ways to deliver excellent customer service as part of our Way Ahead Plan.” Metro-North’s customer service representatives will receive messages from Metro-North customers via WhatsApp between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily and be able

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Updated renderings from S. Wieder Architect, offer the first look at a seven-story, residential building in the Port Morris section of The Bronx, according to YIMBY, the architecture, construction, and real estate website. Designed in collaboration with Input Creative Studio, the 46,237-square-foot property is located at 101 Bruckner Boulevard, and will yield 55 rental units averaging about 670 square feet apiece. The illustrations depict a rectangular structure with a red brick façade, industrial-style windows with black mullions, and a pair of outdoor terraces on the seventh floor. It is unclear whether these terraces will be reserved for the top-floor

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Lawyer and City Council candidate in the District 11 race, Dan Padernacht, has received the endorsement of Bill Samuels, a business leader, lawyer, and founder of the Council on Economic Priorities, EffectiveNY, the New Roosevelt Initiative, and New Yorkers for a More Effective Constitution. Samuels wrote in a press release on Monday, March 1, that Padernacht’s history of leadership in the Northwest Bronx has amply prepared him to represent his district in the city council. “He has a facile understanding of the economic and social issues within the district and innovative approaches to post-pandemic recovery,” Samuels said. “Dan will

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, who represents the 34th senatorial district and who is a survivor of sexual abuse, called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on Saturday, Feb. 27, to resign in the wake of more assertions of sexual harassment by the governor, alleged by a second former aide. Other elected officials have called for an independent investigation into the allegations. “The assertions against Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo by Charlotte Bennett detail behavior that is unacceptable,” Biaggi said. “I am especially horrified by the comments the governor made to Charlotte about her experience with sexual assault –– comments he did

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A woman has been arrested after a small child was seen in a video being abandoned on the street, in the South Bronx. On Sunday, Feb. 28, The New York City Police Department had asked for the public’s assistance in identifying two individuals seen in the attached video which was recorded on Saturday, Feb. 27, at around 00.03 a.m. The unidentified and unaccompanied child had been found by police at the corner of Prospect Avenue and East 156th Street, in the South Bronx close to the William McKinley Houses, in the 41st precinct. The unidentified child, who said

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Chagisael Vargas-Colon, 37, of 364 East 170th Street in the Bronx, who was reported missing on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 in the 44th precinct. It was reported to police that Vargas-Colon was last seen on Friday, Feb. 26, at approximately 00.30 a.m., inside his home. He is described as male, around 5 feet, 5 inches tall, Hispanic, weighs 210 pounds, has a medium complexion, brown eyes, black hair and a beard. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black jeans and black “Jordan” sneakers. Anyone with information with

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Jamaal Jackson, 21, of 200 West 167 Street, in the Highbridge section of The Bronx, who was reported missing in the 44th precinct. Jackson was last seen Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 at approximately 7.30 p.m. at his home. He is described as male, approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall, Black, weighs approximately 155 pounds, and has brown eyes. He was last seeing wearing a gray sweat shirt, gray sweat pants, a black and gray jacket, and white and blue sneakers. A resident contacted the Norwood News and wrote, “Jamaal

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Saturday, Feb. 27, it was announced that the owner of an eight-story residential building at 2074 Walton Avenue in the Fordham Heights section of The Bronx, filed an application with the New York City Department of Buildings, for the construction of a new 67-unit residential building at the same address. According to YIMBY, the architecture, construction, and real estate website, which reported on the application, the building is located between East Burnside Avenue and East 181st Street, and the lot is one block from the Burnside Avenue subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Michael Hunt, under

By SÍLE MOLONEY

An affordable housing lottery for units at 2317 Cambreleng Avenue, an eight-story mixed-use development in the Belmont section of The Bronx, closes on March 2, as reported by YIMBY, the architecture, construction, and real estate website, on Friday, Feb. 26. Designed by Stagg Group, the building has six remaining units available on NYC Housing Connect, the portal of New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), through which New Yorkers can find and apply for affordable housing opportunities across the five boroughs. The units are available at 120