YVote: Youth Civic Engagement That Starts with Voting

By AURÉOLE RIBES

Mia Payne, a 16-year-old Bronx student from Talent Unlimited HS, became interested in criminal justice after watching the Ava DuVernay’s documentary “13th,” which outlines the history of the carceral system in the United States, and its correlation with slavery. Being a young Black woman, criminal and racial justice launched her interest in social justice issues, which is how she ended up joining a six-week criminal justice course at YVote. “It was really just crazy to me how you’re being affected, and you don’t even really know,” Payne said. Founded in 2017, YVote is a NY-based, non-profit organization that

By NORA THOMAS

Norwood News, in partnership with WFUV radio and BronxNet Television, presents a five-part series on national issues affecting voters in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, seen through the local lens of Bronx neighborhood communities. This segment looks at immigration. In the final presidential debate on Oct. 22, President Donald Trump touted his administration’s efforts to increase border security and said undocumented children in federal custody had been brought over by “coyotes and cartels.” Since he announced his run for president five years ago, Trump has always taken a hard stance on immigration, making it a

Debate for Norwood Assembly Seat Tonight

By DAVID GREENE, MIRIAM QUINOÑES & SÍLE MOLONEY

In this special feature, Norwood News provides an overview of the Democratic and Republican candidates in the 80th Assembly race. Following an August announcement by Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández that she was running for the Bronx borough presidency in 2021, political wheels started to turn very quickly in the Northwest Bronx. A win by Fernández in the borough presidency race would mean her 80th district assembly seat would need to be filled prior to the end of her second term. Some members of local political organization, the Northwest Bronx Democrats (NWBx Dems), founded in 2003, were so concerned at

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