Bronx Links, Monday

Happy Monday, everyone! Lots of Bronx news to catch up on today and from this weekend. If you missed it, Alex Kratz took a look at Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s State of the Borough speech in Friday’s Bronx Breakdown. We’ll have more on that–with some photos from the event–later today. In the meantime, here are some local stories we’re following this morning: An elderly Parkchester man and his 46-year-old mentally handicapped son were discovered dead in their apartment on Saturday. Though the cause of their deaths is unclear, neighbors speculated that Joseph Valerio Sr., 85, may have died

Welcome to another thrilling edition of the Bronx Breakdown. This week we talk about the real state of the Bronx, hypocrisy in the FreshDirect deal, an ongoing racism problem at Fordham University and one ridiculously sad crime story and what you should do this weekend. Let’s break it on down.

Locked Out of Schools, Bronx Religious Groups Seek Alternatives

An ongoing tug of war over a city policy banning worship in public school buildings during non-school hours caused confusion this past weekend, sending many churches that rent space from local schools scrambling to find sites to hold their Sunday services.

Bronx Business: Fordham’s One-Stop Santeria Shopping Destination

Stepping into Original Products Botanica on the corner of East 189th Street and Webster Avenue, visitors are welcomed with the aroma of fresh herbs, smiling employees and Spanish-Caribbean music playing from overhead speakers. It’s an expansive 15,000-square-foot store housing a vast collection of items — from altar tools and supplies, to ritual and saint candles, tarot cards and everything else in between.

Bronx Sports Report: Having Fun With New Manhattan College Coach Steve Masiello

The Bronx Sports Report recently had a chance to talk with Manhattan College’s first-year head coach Steve Masiello who has led the Jaspers to this season’s biggest turnaround in all of NCAA men’s basketball. Last year, Manhattan won a total of six games. Tonight, at home against Canisius, they go for win number 20.

Today! Live Coverage From The Bronx BP’s State of Borough Speech

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. is scheduled to deliver his third State of the Borough speech at Harry S. Truman High School tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. and we will be there to cover all the action live. You can follow along via our Twitter feed (@norwoodnews) or return to this site where we will provide a running feed of updates.

Wednesday’s Bronx News Links

Here’s a rundown of the stories Breaking Bronx is following this Wednesday, Feb. 22. Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the latest edition of the Norwood News, which is being distributed as we type.

Local Initiative Puts Focus on Teens’ Reproductive Health

Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, Breaking Bronx features a health-related story, event or tidbit as part of an online expansion of our Be Healthy! column. As federal lawmakers in Congress continue to debate over whether health insurers should be required to cover the costs of birth control, a recent city initiative is looking to curb teen pregnancy rates in the Bronx, where it is higher than in any other borough. The program, called Bronx Teens Connection, will offer affordable reproductive health services to the borough’s teenagers, as many here lack health insurance coverage and live below the poverty line. In New

Recently, a group of cycling enthusiasts who have been campaigning to turn the Armory into a giant bicycling center have teamed up with New York Gauchos, a Bronx-based youth basketball program, as well as several other sports-oriented groups, with the intent of converting the structure into an enormous sports, recreation and wellness center.