Schools

UPDATE Bronx Teen from Ecuador Held by U.S. Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Reunited with Family after Detention

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Five leading child advocacy organizations had filed an amicus brief in federal court supporting 16-year-old Bronx teen, Joel, from Ecuador who had been held by the United States Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). His case was heard at a White Plains federal court on Monday, Nov. 17. Norwood News reached out to the advocates for an update on the latest court proceedings, as well as asking which part of The Bronx Joel lives in. While we’re still waiting on the latter, we’ve since been informed that a judge has since ordered Joel released into the custody of a legal guardian and has been reunited with his extended family in the area, while his legal case continues. 

Different Generations Discuss Democracy at 2nd Manhattan “No Kings” Rally

By SÍLE MOLONEY & DAVID GREENE
While many lament the polarized and seemingly internecine nature of politics in America and around the world in recent years, it was at least a breath of fresh air to witness one sweet, intergenerational exchange of thoughts on democracy aboard a busy downtown 1 train on Saturday, Oct. 18. It unfolded organically between a group of adults from Northwest Bronx Indivisible (NBI) who were on their way downtown to join the second, nationwide “No Kings Day” rally in Manhattan and a group of teens and kids on their way to a basketball game the same day.

Family & Friends Remember Bronx Teen Murdered in Brooklyn

By DAVID GREENE
Family and friends of Tyson Harps, 16, gathered at the Owens Funeral Home on Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem on Saturday, Nov. 15, to say goodbye to the Bronx teen who was gunned down as he visited friends on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn on Saturday, Nov. 1. One attendee said that after the service, mourners released 16 white doves and balloons into the cloudless, blue sky.

Northwest Bronx Indivisible Join Elected Officials at Rally for Bronx Student “Dylan” Facing Deportation

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Local grassroots political group, Northwest Bronx Indivisible, held a rally in the Riverdale section of The Bronx on Saturday, Sept. 27, in support of 20-year-old Dylan Josue Lopez-Contreras, the Bronx high school student who, as reported in May 2025, had been attending English Language Learners International Support Academy (ELLIS) in Marble Hill, before he was detained by ICE in May during a scheduled court appearance. He has since become subject to a deportation order.

Op-Ed: Creative Arts Therapy, A Lifeline for New Yorkers in Crisis

By MARIA PATUHAS
As a social worker working on an acute psychiatric unit in The Bronx, I see every day how creative arts therapists make a profound difference in the lives of some of our city’s most vulnerable residents. It’s time for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to make creative arts therapy accessible outside of the hospital, too, by signing S1001/A3391 into law [https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1001].

Mayor Announces First in Nation 911 Rapid Response Technology for Active Shooters in Public Schools

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matthew Fraser announced Monday, Oct. 27, the nation’s first pilot program directly integrating public schools with 911 services for life-saving rapid response in case of an active shooter situation. City officials said more than 1,900 K-12 school shooting incidents occurred in the United States between 2015 and September 2025, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, and K-12 school shootings peaked at 351 in 2023. They said another 336 occurred in 2024.  

Former NY Gov. & Mayoral Candidate Andrew Cuomo Visits Wakefield Mosque on Campaign Tour

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Former New York governor and independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, 67, paid a visit to the Masjid Ansarudeen Islamic Center in the Wakefield section of The Bronx on Saturday, Sept. 20, to meet with members of the mosque and “discuss issues important to the community.” The former governor has received heat for allegedly not having visited a mosque during his tenure as governor though he disputes this.