Region 1 Superintendent Irma Zardoya announced that she will retire at the end of next month after more than a decade of overseeing local schools. She will be replaced by Yvonne Torres, a district supervisor and former local principal, on Feb. 1.

The city has identified some possible sites for new school construction in the perennially overcrowded region, but a lack of state funds is preventing work from progressing.

When 2674 Valentine Ave. went abandoned in 1978 and only one tenant was left, residents of its neighbor to the south, 2670 Valentine, rallied to help. Having learned from their own school of hard knocks, they paid the fuel bills so the pipes wouldn’t freeze and eventually people moved back in.

At approximately 2 p.m. on Dec. 7, a construction worker fell five stories to his death while working on a Bedford Park apartment building.

Long overdue improvements at Tracey Towers seem to be finally in the works after an elevator catastrophe earlier this year spurred management into action.

We have no idea what was responsible for the death of construction worker Mohammad Nadeem at 2985 Botanical Square last week. What concerns us is that no one seems that concerned with finding out.

Scott Rimm-Hewitt, 29, and his fiancée, Amanda Peterson, 23, have much in common. For starters, they are both talented musicians – Rimm-Hewitt plays the tuba and Peterson the trombone – and both teach music at city public schools. They also share a passion for travel and the great outdoors. And in July went on the trip of a lifetime.

Marta Montilla is just like everyone else – and she takes pride in that. Her goal this holiday season is to have what many people take for granted: a place for her kids to play and unwrap presents. A place called home.

The dangerous ringleader of a group of thugs that robbed and killed local merchant Juan Madera in 2002 is off the streets.