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$5.2 Million Wakefield Playground Renovation Sees Two Basketball Courts, Soccer Field & Spray Showers

By SÍLE MOLONEY
On Friday, July 25, NYC Parks held a celebration to mark the $5.2 million reconstruction of Wakefield Playground in The Bronx. NYC Parks first deputy commissioner, Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, joined Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), District 11 City Council Member Eric Dinowitz, representatives from Bronx Community Board 12, Friends of Wakefield Playground, teachers and students from P.S. 16, children and teachers from Demores Childcare, and members of the community for the occasion.   “Wakefield Playground is a true neighborhood playground, and I’m thrilled that we have been able to completely rebuild it for the community,” said


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Bronx Man Gets 16 Years for Stabbing Six Men in Unprovoked Attacks

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Wednesday, July 27, that a Bronx man was sentenced to 16 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for slashing and assaulting six men over two days in August 2020.   In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “The defendant brutally attacked six men within two days in unprovoked, senseless acts.  Two of the victims were 65 and 75 years old. Bronx residents have the right to walk freely in their communities without fearing for their safety. This sentencing brings justice for the victims.”   According to the investigation,


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World’s First HIV-Positive to HIV-Positive Heart Transplant Performed at Montefiore Health System

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The world’s first HIV-positive to HIV-positive heart transplant has been successfully performed at Montefiore Health System in The Bronx. The patient, in her sixties, suffered from advanced heart failure and received the life-saving donation, along with a simultaneous kidney transplant, in early spring. After the 4-hour surgery, the patient spent five weeks recovering in the hospital and now sees her transplant physicians at Montefiore for monitoring.   According to Montefiore officials, the health center is one of only 25 such centers in the United States eligible to offer this complex surgery, having met prior surgical benchmarks and outcomes set by


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Jacobi Doctor Appointed to National Advisory Council for Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

By SÍLE MOLONEY
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi chief executive officer, Christopher Mastromano, announced on Monday, July 25, that Dr. Komal Bajaj, Jacobi’s chief quality officer, has been appointed to national advisory council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).   The AHRQ is a 21-member panel of healthcare experts which contributes a varied perspective on the health care system and the most important questions that AHRQ’s research should address in order to promote improvements in the quality, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of clinical practice. The panel provides advice to the secretary and director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


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UPDATE Kingsbridge Heights: Unconscious Male Found on Bronx Street Has Been Identified Police Say

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The unidentified man, seen in the accompanying photo, who was discovered unconscious and unresponsive on a Kingsbridge Heights street has since been identified, police say Wednesday. The NYPD had asked for the public’s help identifying the man on Tuesday, July 26.   On Friday, July 22, at 6.33 a.m., in the vicinity of University Avenue and Reservoir Avenue, the person was discovered unconscious and unresponsive in the middle of the street with no apparent injuries.   A police spokesperson said, “He was transported to Montefiore Hospital where he remains unresponsive in critical condition. The male was not in possession of


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Bronx Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in State Prison for Murdering Ex-Girlfriend in Yonkers

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced that 47-year-old Bronx resident, Luis Alturet-Rivera, was sentenced on July 22, to 25 years to life in State prison following his June conviction for the 2017 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Diana Casado. “We hope the family of Diana Casado has some sense of closure today,” DA Rocah said. “This sentence reflects the years of extraordinary investigative work by those dedicated to seeking justice for the tragic and violent end to Diana’s life.”   In a statement made to the court, the victim’s mother said: “A person like Luis should not be allowed


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Norwood: 18-Year-Old Assaulted & Robbed at Knifepoint

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  It was reported to police that on Monday, July 18, 2022 at 9.50 p.m. in front of 3200 Perry Avenue in Norwood, six unidentified individuals assaulted and robbed an 18-year-old male victim. Video courtesy of the NYPD.   The NYPD is asking for the public’s assistance identifying the people seen in the attached surveillance photos and video who are sought for questioning in connection to a robbery at knifepoint that occurred in Norwood.   It was reported to police that on Monday, July 18, at 9.50 p.m. in front of 3200 Perry Avenue, six individuals, unknown to the victim,


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Mount Hope: Construction Breaks Ground at 1761 Walton Avenue Affordable Senior Housing Project

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Construction has broken ground at 1761 Walton Avenue, the site of a new, mixed-use affordable housing building in the Mount Hope section of The Bronx, as reported by YIMBY. The project will debut as Mount Hope Walton Apartments and will eventually comprise 103 income-restricted apartments and a 9,500-square-foot community gymnasium.   New York City chief housing officer, Jessica Katz, said of the project, “Mixed-use, community-focused housing developments are vital to tackling our housing shortage, while also preserving neighborhoods for long-term residents, which is at the heart of ‘Housing Our Neighbors,’ a citywide blueprint for housing and homelessness.”   She added,


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UPDATE NWS Issues Thunderstorm Warning & Flood Advisory for Monday, July 25, until 8 p.m.

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for July 25 until 1.15 p.m. for The Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens in New York, and for Essex, Southern Bergen, Northern Union, Eastern Passaic, and Hudson Counties in New Jersey. It has also issued a flood advisory which is in effect until 8 p.m.   NWS officials said at 12.25 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was located over East Hanover, or near Caldwell, moving east at 35 mph. There is an expected hazard of 60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail of 0.75 inches, according to the NWS radar.


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