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Fidelis Coalition Helps Local Restaurants to Feed Bronxites & Get Tested for COVID-19

By DAVID GREENE
  One trend seen throughout the pandemic has been the collaboration between community volunteers, philanthropic organizations and private and government sectors in filling the vacuum created by an unprecedented and urgent need for food and other essential services.   One such example is where healthcare plan provider, Fidelis Care, teamed up with Rethink Food in partnership with Essen Health Care each Monday throughout December to provide free gourmet meals, and free rapid COVID testing to both the general public and to local healthcare professionals.   Having kicked off the initiative on Monday, Dec. 4, the coalition aimed to distribute 2,400


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Update: Man Arrested in Fatal Shooting of 16-Year-Old in Morrisania

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  On Wednesday Dec. 23, 2020, at around 12.02 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding an assault in progress in front of 1097 Boston Road in Morrisania, in the 42nd precinct. Upon arrival, officers encountered a 16-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the neck.   EMS also responded to the scene and transported the teen to NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln where he was pronounced deceased. There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. The deceased was identified as James Solano of 1020 Trinity Avenue in the Bronx. On Monday, Dec. 28, Marquis Beckford, 22, of East


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DOB: Property Owners, Contractors, & Crane Operators To Take Precaution During High Winds

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  The New York City area may experience severe weather, including potential wind gusts up to 65 mph, starting Thursday evening, Dec. 24, and continuing into Friday, Dec. 25. Accordingly, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) is reminding all builders, contractors, crane operators, and property owners to secure their construction sites, buildings, and equipment.                                                                                                                                      Department officials said the agency will be performing random spot-check inspections of construction sites around the city, and if sites are not secured, it will issue violations and Stop Work Orders, where necessary.   Winds may reach higher speeds and last longer than


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Handel’s Messiah & Other Holiday Performances on BronxNet

By SÍLE MOLONEY
­The Bronx is celebrating with cheerful holiday performances, and viewers can share in that holiday spirit by tuning in to BronxNet. The seasonal line-up includes Handel’s Messiah performed by The Orchestra of The Bronx and Bronx Opera Company, Manhattan College’s Lessons and Carols, a virtual Nutcracker by the Paige Fraser Foundation, a Parranda celebration by Casita Maria, and Pregones PRTT’s Fiesta Navideña.   Handel’s Messiah features readers from the Bronx community including Dr. Ruth Westheimer, NYS Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, NYC Councilman Andrew Cohen, Congressman José E. Serrano, Bronx Community College President Thomas Isekenegbe, Riverdale Press Editor Michael Hinman, and BronxNet


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Anthony Taveras Morales Sought in Connection with Fatal Shooting of Jaguar Housey

By SÍLE MOLONEY
On Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 at around 8.17 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding a man who had been shot in front of 915 Prospect Place in the William McKinley Houses section of the Bronx, located in the 42nd precinct. Upon arrival, officers observed a 29-year-old man with gunshot wounds to the left arm and head.   EMS responded to the location, and transported the victim to NYC Health & Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced deceased on Thursday, Sept. 17. There were no arrests and the investigation remained ongoing. The deceased was identified as Jaguar Housey, 29, of


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Bloods Gang Members Indicted for Sex Trafficking Ring in Multiple Bronx Motels

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea announced on Dec. 23 that nine alleged Bloods gang members have been indicted on various charges of sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking and promoting prostitution, as well as additional charges for running a sex trafficking ring out of multiple Bronx motels and other hotels around the city.   The defendants are Angel Cano, 22, Bronx, Luis Cano aka Lou, 23, Bronx, Brandon Diaz aka Billz, 27, Bronx, Elvis Dominguez aka LV, 24, Bronx, Ashley Garcia, 19, Bronx, Andrew Garcia aka Drew, 23, Bronx, Shaquille


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NYPD Hosts Various Holiday Events as DOI Releases Report on NYPD Handling of BLM Protests

By SÍLE MOLONEY & JOSÉ A. GIRALT
As the holidays reach peak season, the NYPD has also been stepping up its ongoing outreach efforts with local communities, organizing a number of kid-friendly, holiday events across the borough. Meanwhile, the report by the City’s Department of Investigation into the NYPD’s handling of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations this year was released on Friday, Dec. 18, amid some scathing criticism from legal groups.   On Friday, Dec. 11, the Police Athletic League (PAL) hosted a bunch of children at PAL’s new South Bronx Center to kick off the holiday season with an outdoor tree lighting ceremony. Organized by PAL


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Sharp Rise in Grand Theft Auto Rates in 52nd Precinct

By SÍLE MOLONEY
According to the latest NYPD crime statistics for the 52nd precinct covering Bedford Park, Fordham, Kingsbridge, Norwood, Bronx Park, and University Heights, grand theft auto (motor vehicle theft) crimes were up by 128.6 percent in the 28 days prior to Dec.13, compared to the same period last year. Norwood News reached out to the 52nd precinct to see if police could provide any insight or identify any patterns as to why this was the case.   Officer José Fernandez said, “As of now, a lot has to do with people double-parking their vehicles to go into the store, or to


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NY Research into New COVID-19 Strain Underway as Three Airlines Test Passengers Pre-Departure from UK

Bronx Teen First Vaping-Related Death in New York State
By SÍLE MOLONEY
Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed on Tuesday, Dec. 22, that New York’s Wadsworth Laboratory has begun aggressive research of the new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 first detected in the U.K. in September. Wadsworth has looked at more than 3,700 virus sequences identified in New York already, and has yet to find the U.K. variant present in any of the random samples.   Wadsworth and the State health department have made agreements with six hospitals from across the State to obtain additional samples for further research and are making arrangements with other hospitals to do the same. “If the variant is


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