UPDATE Neighborhood Notes: BA.2 Variant Spread Prep, 2nd Boosters, Bus Closures, Tax Prep & More!

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Local People Reported Missing in Recent Weeks A 12-year-old girl was reported missing in the Allerton section of The Bronx. Click here for more details. A 21-year-old woman was reported missing in the Norwood section of The Bronx. Click here for more details. A 17-year-old boy was reported missing in the Jerome Park section of The Bronx. Click here for more details. A 48-year-old man was reported missing in the Williamsbridge section of The Bronx. Click here for more details. A 52-year-old woman was reported missing in the Van Cortlandt Village section of The Bronx. Click here for more details.

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

A group of almost 200 students at St. Brendan School in Norwood helped unveil a mural in support of the people in, and fleeing, Ukraine, a country which has been under attack from Russian troops since Feb. 24, causing the greatest displacement of refugees since World War II. So far, it has resulted in “five weeks of bombardment, thousands of deaths in ruined cities, and the displacement of more than 10 million people inside Ukraine and beyond” according to a report by BBC News. There have also been several reports of war crimes carried out against civilians, including the

By JULIAN NAZAR

Editor’s Note: The following is an updated version of the story that appears in our latest print edition. On a frigid Monday morning, on March 28, Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), held a rally in front of Bronx Housing Court, the purpose of which was to sound the alarm on reports that some tenants are allegedly being denied their Right to Counsel (RTC), and to ask the Office of Court Administration (OCA) to stop cases moving forward where tenants are, reportedly, being denied such legal representation. According to its website, CASA’s mission is “to protect and

By EDWIN SANTANA

The Vernon C. Bain Center, also known as “The Boat,” is perhaps the only floating jail in the country. Advocates have equated it to a slave ship. It’s an extension of Rikers Island. I know both The Boat and Rikers Island well, since I’ve been detained at both places, and I know they both deserve to be a chapter in the history books and not part of anyone’s present. The Boat opened in 1992 to make room for the ballooning population held pre-trial at the height of mass incarceration. Thirty years later, it’s still in use, even with the

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers what message it sends to kids about sportsmanship and fair play when professional, “elite,” athletes and performers are given an exemption from COVID-19 vaccination rules, while employees like ticket sellers etc. at such venues are required to be vaccinated. “The mandate should be equal across the board for the players as well as the community. That’s how I feel about it right now. Other than that, it’s crazy! You don’t know what’s going on from one day to the next. Things are changing too rapidly, and we’re not getting clear answers as to what’s

By SARAH HUFFMAN

Editor’s Note: The following is an updated version of the story that appears in our latest print edition. Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson held the annual “Herstory” celebration on Thursday, March 10, at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), an event which honored five women for achievements in their respective fields to mark Women’s History Month. Gibson welcomed the guests saying, “March is Women’s ‘Herstory’ Month, and it is a time of the year when we celebrate our women and all of the great contributions that our sisters have made to history, to culture, society,” before

By SÍLE MOLONEY

District 11 City Council Member Eric Dinowitz announced on March 28 that he received a perfect score of 100 on the recently released NYC Council environmental scorecard tracked by The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV). The scorecard evaluates council members based on their support of environmental issues, and is the NYLCV’s main tool to hold elected officials accountable for progress on such issues. Each council member’s score is determined based on their voting and sponsorship records on 13 key environmental bills selected by the NYLCV, and Dinowitz was one of just eight returning members to receive a

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Jessica Altagracia Woolford, Democratic candidate for New York State Assembly District 81 in the Northwest Bronx, announced on Thursday, March 31, that she has received the endorsement of Community Voices Heard Power (CVHPower) in her bid to win the June primary. According to the group’s website, CVHPower is a member-led, multi-racial organization principally comprised of women of color and low-income families in New York State. Members say they tackle tough issues and build power to secure racial, social and economic justice for all New Yorkers. They do this through grassroots organizing, leadership development, policy changes, and creating new models of