UPDATE: District 14 City Council Race: For Pierina Sanchez, It’s About the Love

By JASON GONZALEZ & SÍLE MOLONEY

For Pierina Sanchez, the Democratic nominee for the District 14 City Council seat in the upcoming general election, it’s all about the love. Sanchez is all in for the “Boogie Down,” saying passion for the community is a major driving force behind her campaign. With early voting already underway and only one day remaining before the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, Sanchez is transparent and says a vote for her on Nov. 2 will benefit the borough. “It’s about the love,” Sanchez said during a campaign rally held outside the Kingsbridge Armory in the Kingsbridge Heights section

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

New York State Attorney General Letitia James is delivering more than $256 million to New York City to stem the tide of opioid addiction and overdose. The announcement was made as part of a statewide campaign called, “Heal NY: Turning the Tide on the Opioid Crises.” James made the announcement inside the auditorium of Lincoln Hospital, located at 234 E 149th St, in Mott Haven, on Oct. 4. The funds are part of a $1.5 billion legal settlement reached with various manufacturers and distributors of opioids, according to the attorney general’s office, and are earmarked for addiction abatement,

By DAVID GREENE

Having been forced to shutter initially when the statewide shutdown took effect in March 2020, prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, the once popular Van Nest Lanes bowling alley has since closed its doors for good, It had served the community for over 50 years. Workers began dismantling the Van Nest Lanes, located at 1756 Bronxdale Avenue in the Morris Park section of the borough, once it became clear the business wouldn’t survive following the shutdown of 2020. On Saturday, Sept. 25, workers were observed carting out tables and lockers, and more recently, were seen tearing up concrete in

By SARAH HUFFMAN

In April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, The New York Times and other media outlets reported that Dr. Lorna M. Breen, medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died by suicide in Charlottesville, Va., where she had been staying with family, as confirmed by her father and police. She had, reportedly, been treating many coronavirus patients prior to her death. According to a pre-pandemic, 2014 Work/Life Profile of Today’s Physician, most doctors work between 40 and 60 hours per week, but nearly one-quarter work between 61 and 80 hours per week. Meanwhile,

By SARAH HUFFMAN

Ridgewood Savings Bank held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 14 to mark the opening of its newest branch in the Norwood section of the Bronx, at 320 East 204th Street. It replaces the former Norwood branch located at 3445 Jerome Avenue. On May 24, a representative from Ridgewood told the Norwood News, “We are moving the Jerome Avenue branch because it is largely outdated and inefficient in terms of its size.” The representative added, “We are moving to a more modern facility [..] to better serve our customers and the needs of our community.” The opening ceremony was

By SÍLE MOLONEY

As eligible, disaster survivors start to receive funds for rental assistance, home repairs, or other categories of assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is assuring Americans that federal disaster assistance funds are tax-free. FEMA officials said that the FEMA notification letter will inform residents of the appropriate use of disaster assistance funds and urges them to use the funds as stated in the award letter, and only for disaster-related expenses. The agency has provided the following tips: FEMA will send you a notification letter informing you of the types of assistance you are eligible to receive and the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Cannabis, Photo courtesy of Elsa Olofsson via Flickr The New York State Cannabis Control Board held its first public meeting On Tuesday, Oct. 5. Board officials said members of the public were welcome to attend virtually via videoconference. On Sept. 22, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the final appointments to the five-member, Cannabis Control Board, which is charged with approving a comprehensive regulatory framework for New York’s cannabis industry. The board will oversee licensing of cannabis businesses and the approval of various actions taken by the Office of Cannabis Management. The members are Tremaine Wright, Cannabis Control Board

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RAB), the multi-employer group association representing the city‘s real estate industry, and SEIU 32BJ, the union representing 85,000 building service workers in the city, issued, on Saturday, Oct. 2, a comprehensive Memorandum of Agreement covering rules for implementing COVID-19 vaccine requirements for staff working in most city buildings. The agreement, which would cover thousands of commercial and residential properties in the city, sets the process and safeguards which must be followed in the event a site or an employer intends to implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Howard Rothschild, president of the realty advisory board

By DAWN CLANCY

Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7)’s Housing, Land Use, and Economic Development Committee have said “yes,” to plans to support the City’s proposal to make outdoor dining permanent, but some residents are wary the move may exacerbate already, unwanted noise levels late at night. The board also gave its support to a new housing development at 3118 Webster Avenue in Norwood, despite some residents’ misgivings over the trajectory of quality-of-life in the area. At the board’s housing committee meeting, held on Sept. 14, the first such committee meeting to take place since breaking for the summer, a quality-of-life discussion