Employment

Belmont: Two Killed, Multiple Injuries after Residential Fire in 1920s Building on East 187th Street

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Two people have died and 11 people were injured in a seemingly terrifying, 5-alarm residential fire in the Little Italy/Belmont section of The Bronx on Tuesday afternoon, April 21, according to the FDNY. Department officials said they believe the fire started on the first floor, though this is still under investigation. The deadly blaze follows another fatal fire in Belmont at 505 East 184th Street on March 26, as reported, in which there was one fatality and nine injuries.

UPDATE Norwood & School District 10 Among First for Free Childcare This Fall  

By SÍLE MOLONEY
In what was described as a major step toward universal childcare for children aged six weeks to five years of age, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced March 3 the first four communities to receive free 2-K seats this fall, and included among them is The Bronx’s School District 10, which covers   Fordham, Belmont, Norwood, Marble Hill, Morris Heights, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Van Cortlandt Village and Kingsbridge as well as parts of Kingsbridge Heights, Bedford Park, Mount Hope, Claremont- Bathgate & East Tremont

UPDATE Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition Go Bronx-wide Relaunching as “Our Bronx”

By SÍLE MOLONEY
At its 52nd annual meeting, held at Lehman College on Saturday, Feb. 28, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) announced its new organizational name and identity, Our Bronx, marking the organization’s borough-wide expansion and what was described as its deepened commitment to building power for racial justice and economic democracy across The Bronx. NWBCCC first hinted at its future boroughwide expansion during its 50th anniversary celebration.

UPDATE Lawyers Announce Release of Marble Hill Student Dylan Contreras from ICE Detention 

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Lawyers for detained Marble Hill high school student Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras said Wednesday, March 18, that the student has been released from Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the Pennsylvania facility run by the U.S. Department of Immigration, Customs & Enforcement (ICE), where they said he had been “unjustly imprisoned for nearly 10 months.” The announcement of his release follows Dylan’s highly publicized courthouse arrest outside a scheduled immigration hearing at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan last May, as reported.

Bronx Little Italy Celebrates National Pi Day

By SÍLE MOLONEY
To celebrate National Pi Day on March 14, pizzerias in Bronx Little Italy have some specialty offerings with various discounts, giving patrons the opportunity to eat locally and support small businesses in The Bronx.

NYC Health Dept Now Accepting New Mobile Food Vending Applications for U.S. Veterans & People with Disabilities

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The NYC Health Department announced Friday, March 12, the acceptance of applications to join the mobile food vending waiting list for supervisory licenses for U.S. military veterans and people with disabilities. As the first reopening of a supervisory license waiting list since the program launched in 2023, health department officials said the opportunity expands access to mobile food vending permits while maintaining strong public health standards.