UPDATE Bedford Park: Missing 14-Year-Old Girl Located and Safe

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Police Department said a 14-year-old girl reported missing from Bedford Park on Thursday, March 9, has been located and is safe. Prior to this latest update on March 11, police said it had been reported to them that Qualaya Daniels of 2681 Marion Avenue had last been seen on Monday, March 6, at around 3 a.m., leaving her home. She was described at the time as being 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds, having a thin build, a dark complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. As reported, another 14-year-old girl from Norwood was

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on March 9 that a Manhattan man has been charged with kidnapping, murder and other charges for shooting two people in a car, setting it on fire, and incinerating them on Shore Road in Pelham Split Rock Course in Pelham Bay Park in the East Bronx in May 2022, as reported. Clark said, “The deaths of these two young people allegedly culminated a chain of violent events in Manhattan and Queens. A defendant has been brought to justice, and we will hold accountable any others involved in this horrific crime. I hope

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A free 3v3 basketball tournament: Buckets for the Bronx: 3v3 Community Classic for Bronx teens was held at the Apex Center at Lehman College on Saturday, Feb. 25. The event was organized by local community members, Jessica Altagracia Woolford, founder of Kingsbridge Unidos, and Haramritjot Singh, founder of Cash Cow NYC. The tournament was open to local high school students aged 14-18 of all genders. It was free to enter and winners earned prizes, including three tickets to a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, various cash prizes, two dozen brand-new Spalding basketballs, and exclusive Cash Cow NYC merchandise.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Following the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old man in Belmont last month, as reported, the NYPD is asking for the public’s help identifying the person seen in the attached surveillance photos regarding the incident. Police said that on Sunday, Feb. 26, at approximately 1.24 a.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding shots fired at 526 East 183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue, where they said a 25-year-old male victim got into a dispute with an unidentified person who took out a gun and shot the victim, striking him multiple times. The individual fled the location by foot on Bathgate

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Black History Month was celebrated across The Bronx in February with several events held in honor of the country’s ancestors, while elsewhere, the ongoing debate over the teaching of Black history to children in schools continues to make headlines. Democratic State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), who broadly represents the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Jerome Park, Riverdale, Fieldston, North Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, parts of Fordham, Belmont, Tremont, Van Nest, Little Yemen and Allerton, held a Black History Month celebration at Tracey Towers housing complex, located at 40 West Mosholu Parkway South in Jerome Park on Saturday, Feb. 25,

By ARIEL PACHECO

State Sen. Robert Jackson carefully chose In-Tech Academy middle and high school campus in The Bronx’s Marble Hill neighborhood as the site for his latest inauguration as a veteran senator on Feb. 4, following his November 2022 reelection in redrawn District 31. In addition to a large swath of Manhattan, the district also includes the Bronx neighborhoods of Marble Hill, where the school is located at 2975 Tibbett Avenue, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights, Van Cortlandt Village, and parts of Fordham Manor, Jerome Park, University Heights, and Morris Heights. Education has always been one of Jackson’s central policy issues.

By MARY LOU POMPEII

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign designed to help people make informed food choices and develop healthful eating and physical activity habits. It was created 50 years ago by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), a trusted source of food and nutrition information. This year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future,” which aims to highlight how we can eat with sustainability in mind. The topic of food waste is not commonly discussed, yet it needs our attention to help protect our oceans and landfills from unnecessary debris. According to AND, Americans throw away billions of pounds of

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced on March 8 that 24 bathrooms at 12 subway stations across the City will reopen to the public May 2. The 12 stations with reopened bathrooms are the second group in NYC Transit’s phased reopening of subway bathrooms since they were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bathrooms, one male and one female at 12 stations, will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a one-hour closure for cleaning from noon to 1 p.m. “Following a successful launch, we felt comfortable moving forward with the next group of stations,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Fordham Heights resident, Jose Gonzalez, was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday, March 8, of the murder of FDNY Emergency Medical Technician, Yadira Arroyo, who he ran over with her ambulance nearly six years ago, according to the Office of the Bronx District Attorney. Darcel Clark, Bronx district attorney, announced the news the same day. As reported, after years of waiting, the family of the victim received news that Gonzalez was finally fit to stand trial on Sept. 21, 2022. In the context of the conviction announcement, Clark said, “Jose Gonzalez was convicted today of first-degree murder in