News

UPDATE Gas Repairs Underway at Botanical Square after Residents Without Gas Since 2024

By DAVID GREENE
After residents of four buildings located at Botanical Square in the Bedford Park section of The Bronx were left without gas for over a year, as reported, when a water main break on nearby Webster Avenue flooded the block and basements of the buildings in December 2024, the property manager and Con Edison both say the required repair work has now been completed at the affected buildings, and gas was due to be turned back on for at least some of the residents on Thursday, Feb. 19. The flooding had destroyed the electrical wiring and Con Edison’s gas meters they said.

Gibson, BXEDC, BX Tourism Council & Partners Announce Bronx Week 2026 Walk of Fame Inductees

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, in partnership with the Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC), the Bronx Tourism Council, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, and Storyland Book Haven, hosted a press conference at Storyland Book Haven Lounge on Monday, April 27, to officially kick off Bronx Week, announcing this year’s Bronx Walk of Fame inductees and upcoming Bronx Week events.

Kingsbridge Heights: Basketball Courts Get Upgrade at Fort #4 Playground at Washington’s Walk

By SÍLE MOLONEY
NYC Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte was joined by Councilmember Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14), Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, representatives from the Office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Bronx Community Board 8, and community members to celebrate the reconstruction of the basketball courts at Fort #4 Playground at Washington’s Walk in the Kingsbridge Heights section of The Bronx on Monday, April 13.

UPDATE Former NYPD Chief of Dept. John Chell Announces He is Running for Mayor in 2029

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Former, now retired NYPD Chief of Department John Chell has announced that he is running for mayor in 2029. Chell retired at the end of 2025, announcing his decision in October of that year, after former New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his decision to pull out of the race in September. Chell, who completed over three decades of service with the NYPD, was most recently known for having publicly clashed on social media with some reporters over their crime and policing-related coverage.

UPDATE Mayor Vetoes Dinowitz Bill on Protesting Around Educational Facilities

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani vetoed on Friday, April 24, City Council Intro 175-B-2026 sponsored by local Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), on free speech grounds. The bill, along with Intro 0001-2026, passed in the council in March. The former would require the police commissioner to establish a plan to address and contain the risk of physical obstruction, physical injury, intimidation, and interference at educational facilities while preserving and protecting the rights to free speech, assembly, and protest, according to Dinowitz’s office.