Bronx Stars of Tomorrow: Q&A With Beauty Queen Claudine Williams

Claudine Williams fell just short of her goal of becoming Miss New York 2012. But before the January pageant, the certified math teacher and Norwood resident sat down with the Norwood News to talk about her upbringing in Jamaica, her views on the education system in this country, and the stigma attached to beauty pageant contestants.

Bronx Crime Watch: NYPD ‘One Step Closer’ to Hit-and-run Driver

After releasing a building’s surveillance video that they say shows the driver of a stolen car who struck and killed a Norwood man on the morning after Christmas, police say they are one step closer to catching the suspect.

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.

Bicycles and Basketballs Could be in the Armory’s Future

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.

Valentine Tips From a Bronx Jeweler: It’s the Thought (and a Nice Piece of Jewelry) That Counts

With Valentine’s Day just days away, we went straight to the most tenured and trusted jeweler in the area, Allan Freilich, of Freilich Jewelers, which opened in Norwood in 1939, to get some advice on buying the perfect gift for your special someone. Here are the highlights from our conversation.

Bronxites Blast State Redistricting Proposal

A plan devised by a group of state lawmakers to redraw the boundaries of New York’s legislative districts is drawing fire from a number of Bronx residents and groups that are worried the new maps could divide the political power of certain neighborhoods.

Be Healthy! Wednesdays: National Heart Month off to a Healthy Local Start

Montefiore Medical Center nurses and doctors kicked off “Heart Month,” with its annual mile-long walk to bring greater awareness to heart health.

Ex-Bronx Tourism Director Hired as Naomi Rivera’s Chief of Staff

Doris Quinones remembers meeting her new boss, Bronx Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, more than a decade ago. Quinones was just starting out as the director of the Bronx Tourism Council and Rivera worked for then-Borough President Fernando Ferrer as his director of special events.