Montefiore Children’s Hospital Co-Authored Study Highlights Danger of Magnetic “Desk Toys”

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  A new study co-authored by two pediatric gastroenterologists at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) has highlighted the danger of small, high-powered magnets commonly sold as “desk toys” for adults, and which are sometimes ingested by children.   The study, published in Pediatrics, combines data from 25 children’s hospitals in the U.S, assessing 596 children over three years when high-powered magnets were reintroduced to the market, after having been removed previously by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2012. The research shows that: 95 percent of children exposed to the magnets were under 14 years of age; nearly one in


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NYS DOL Announces Bricklayer and Craftworker Apprenticeship Recruitment Drive

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) announced Thursday, Feb. 3 that the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local Union #1, will be conducting a recruitment drive from Feb. 25, 2022 through Jan. 27, 2023 (excluding July 2022 and August 2022) for 25 bricklayer-mason apprentices; 25 pointer, caulker & cleaner apprentices; five stone mason apprentices; and five plasterer apprentices.   NYS DOL advised that applications and affidavits will be available online at www.bricklayersandalliedcraftworkerslocal1ny.org 24 hours per day on the following dates: 2/25/22, 3/25/22, 4/29/22, 5/27/22, 6/24/22, 9/30/22, 10/28/22, 11/18/22, and 12/16/22 and 1/27/23.


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EMS Issues Travel Advisory Amid Expected Freezing Rain & Sleet Through Saturday

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New York City Emergency Management Department (EMS) has issued a travel advisory for Friday, Feb. 4 into Saturday, Feb. 5, as the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a winter weather advisory for New York City, which is in effect from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday. According to the latest forecast, a low-pressure system and its associated cold front, will bring freezing rain and sleet to the area beginning early Friday morning, before tapering off in the evening.   In addition, weather experts say periods of moderate rain are likely Thursday afternoon and overnight, producing 1.5 to 2 inches


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Biden, Adams, Sewell, Hochul, James Discuss Future Resources to Tackle City’s Gun Violence Crisis

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was joined by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday, Feb. 3, to announce a series of new initiatives and a major commitment of federal resources dedicated to tackling the gun violence crisis plaguing New York City and other communities across the country. During the meeting, Biden committed that the federal government would focus law enforcement resources on cutting off gun trafficking and the “Iron Pipeline,” while scaling up innovative models pioneered in New York City to get guns off the street to stop violent crime.   The president’s visit comes just days after police


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No Visit to Rikers by Biden as WITNESS launches Hats & Gloves Campaign

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Chair of the New York City Council criminal justice committee, Manhattan City Council Member Carlina Rivera, tweeted on Wednesday that she had written a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden, inviting him to take a tour of Rikers Island during his upcoming visit to New York on Thursday, Feb. 3. However, a visit by the president to the controversial City jail was not on the cards in the end, as confirmed by the White House. The president’s visit was instead taken up with various discussions with Mayor Eric Adams and other gun violence prevention expert groups on immediate strategies to


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New York State Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Offers Help with Water Bills

By SÍLE MOLONEY
During Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7)’s Sanitation committee meeting on Thursday, Feb. 3, Eleftheria “Effie” Ardizzone from NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) shared that New York State is offering a low-income household water assistance program (LIHWAP), through which eligible homeowners could receive up to $5,000, to resolve overdue water bills.   The New York State Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is offering eligible homeowners a one-time payment of up to $5,000 to resolve overdue water bills. The State is now accepting applications. To learn more, or to apply, visit: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/water-assistance/.   Ardizzone said that unlike the City’s


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Fordham Manor: Building Applications Filed for 229 West Kingsbridge Road

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Building applications have been filed with NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) for a new, 7-story, mixed-use building at 229 West Kingsbridge Road in Fordham Manor, as reported by YIMBY.   Located between Heath Avenue and Kingsbridge Terrace Street, the lot is closest to the Marble Hill-225th Street subway station, serviced by the 1 train. Durgaj Properties Corporation is listed as the owner behind the applications.   The proposed 70-foot-tall development will yield 25,841 square feet, with 24,666 square feet designated for residential space and 1,175 square feet for community facility space. The building will have 37 residences, most likely rentals


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Van Cortlandt Park: 27-Year-Old Man Found Dead, Investigation Opens

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Police confirm a man has been found dead  in Van Cortlandt Park.   On Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 3.56 p.m., police said they responded to a 911 call regarding an unconscious man in Van Cortlandt Park, on the John Muir Trail, in the vicinity of the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Mosholu Parkway Extension.   Upon arrival, police discovered an unconscious and unresponsive 27-year-old man, lying face up near a stream.   The man was clothed and had no obvious signs of trauma. EMS responded and pronounced the man deceased at the scene.   The medical examiner will determine the


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Adams Holds Gun Violence Roundtable with DAs, Receives Written Support from 200 Business Leaders

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The offices of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, and Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon released the following joint statement after a meeting on Tuesday at City Hall, to discuss gun violence.   “Today, Mayor Eric Adams and District Attorneys Alvin Bragg, Darcel Clark, Eric Gonzalez, Melinda Katz, and Michael McMahon met in City Hall,” the statement read. “The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the mutually shared goals of keeping New Yorkers safe, particularly from the rising


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