First Stop & Shop Pick-up Location Opens in The Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Stop & Shop, the neighborhood grocery store chain, announced the opening, on Dec. 31, of its first pick-up location in the Bronx, located at 1720 Eastchester Road, in Morris Park. The store said shoppers can now place their orders online at www.stopandshop.com, or via the Stop & Shop mobile app, select “pick-up” at their preferred store, head to the store at the pick-up time, park at the designated pick-up spot, and let the store’s team know once they have arrived. A Stop & Shop associate will load the purchased groceries into the customer’s car, minimizing both delays and physical contact

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Citing a 7-day average COVID-19 positivity rate that surpasses 9 percent in New York City, the solidarity caucus of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) is calling for the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to follow through on the Governor’s guidance and transition to fully remote learning for all NYC public schools. The UFT wrote in a press release dated Jan. 3 that both Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio recently suggested ditching the 9 percent threshold, a move the union finds alarming. “Governor Andrew Cuomo remarked that data shows schools are ‘almost without exception’

By SÍLE MOLONEY

District 11 City Council candidate, Dan Padernacht, and a number of other City Council candidates held a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 29, where they discussed different proposals to mitigate against the health risks associated with campaigning in the Northwest Bronx in the era of COVID-19, as reported by Norwood News. The candidates called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio to waive the minimum 450-signature requirement to qualify to place their names on the ballots in the District 11 and District 15 special elections, which are expected to be announced on or about Jan. 1, 2021

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Dec. 31, 2020, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi’s bill S6266D into law. The bill will allow thousands of essential airport workers at John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia International Airport access to a supplemental wage benefit to acquire healthcare. The senator who represents parts of the Bronx and Westchester, issued a statement following the signing of the bill. “This is a victory for all New Yorkers as we take an integral step to protect some of our most vulnerable workers in the wake of the global pandemic. Long before COVID, mostly Black,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

As many around the borough were welcoming in a, hopefully, happier, healthier and more hopeful new year, with quiet family get-togethers, perhaps tuning in to watch the low-key celebrations unfold at Times Square, where foot traffic was very much reduced to a select few frontline workers for a special New Year’s Eve show featuring The Bronx’s own, Jennifer Lopez, proud parents Gissel Vargas and Jehovell Garcia had a very different reason to celebrate the arrival of 2021. A Happy New Year was certainly in order for the pair as their newborn son, Nathan Garcia, the first baby to be born

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The Robin Hood foundation is still accepting applications from nonprofits for its COVID-19 Relief Fund for immediate response grants in key priority areas, as confirmed on Dec. 31. Speaking to Norwood News by phone, Kevin Frederick Thompson, managing director of communications at the foundation, said that the usual source of funding for many nonprofits across the city has dried up or is temporarily unavailable. The foundation’s COVID-19 relief fund aims to bridge the gap in helping to support nonprofits which typically serve vulnerable populations, including low-income children and families, low-wage workers, individuals and families who are homeless and immigrant

By DAVID GREENE

The NYPD is currently examining security camera footage to assist with their investigation into a homicide after a man was discovered shot to death inside a Van Cortlandt Village apartment. According to an official police update received Tuesday night, Dec. 29, officers from the 50th precinct were called to ‘The Van Cortlandt Gardens,” located at 3951 Gouverneur Avenue, between Sedgwick Avenue and Van Cortlandt Park South earlier that morning at 10.50 a.m. According to the statement, officers responded to a 911 call of an aided male inside apartment 1-J. The statement read, “Upon arrival, officers observed a

By SÍLE MOLONEY

As reported by Norwood News, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Emergency Executive Order 157, which created the Open Storefronts program on October 28, 2020. Open Storefronts is a free program that allows existing ground-floor storefront businesses to use a portion of the sidewalk and roadways to display merchandise, sell goods and complete transactions, and provide areas for customers to line up from October 30 to December 31, 2020. On Tuesday, Dec. 29, the City announced that the Open Storefronts program would be extended through Sept. 30, 2021. Businesses may also use the curbside lane to conduct

Bronx Teen First Vaping-Related Death in New York State

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed on Tuesday, Dec. 29, that New York has updated its quarantine guidelines to align with the CDC’s recommendations. Individuals exposed to COVID-19 can now end their quarantine after ten days without a testing requirement, as long as they report no symptoms during the quarantine period. After day 10, individuals must continue monitoring for symptoms through day 14 and if any develop, those individuals should immediately self-isolate, and contact their local health department or their health care provider to report the changes and determine if they should get tested. “Unemployed New Yorkers will begin receiving

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Health

First Stop & Shop Pick-up Location Opens in The Bronx

UFT Calls for Fully Remote Learning at all NYC Public Schools Amid Rising COVID Cases

Calls Grow Louder for Special Election Rule Changes Amid Rising COVID Cases

Biaggi’s Healthy Terminals Act Honors Baggage Handler who Died of COVID-19

First Baby of 2021 at Montefiore Delights Mom & Dad, Brings Hope for a Brighter New Year

Robin Hood COVID-19 Relief Fund Still Open for Applications, including Emergency Cash Assistance

Update: Murder Investigation Opens after Man Found Shot Dead in Van Cortlandt Village Apartment

Open Storefronts Program Extended through September 2021

Cuomo: Updated Quarantine Guidelines, Extended Unemployment Benefit & Activation of Paid Sick Leave