In the Wake of Storm Ida, FEMA Warns Flood Victims to Beware of Fraud & Scams

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have warned that after a disaster, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals often attempt to take advantage of disaster survivors. Federal and state emergency management officials are urging New York residents to watch for and report any suspicious activity. When a disaster strikes, unscrupulous people may try to take advantage of survivors by posing as official disaster-aid workers or even as relatives trying to help survivors complete their applications, officials warned. They said common post-disaster fraud practices include the following: Fake Offers of State or Federal Aid Federal and

By SÍLE MOLONEY

State officials, as well as those from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who are helping New Yorkers recover from the remnants of Hurricane Ida have shared some tips on how to speed up receipt of disaster aid, as follows: Registering online is the fastest way to access FEMA assistance. Download the FEMA app or visit disasterassistance.gov. Not only can you register here, you can check the status of your claim, upload requested documents, and access FEMA downloadable pamphlets and other aids. You can also register by telephone calling 800-621-3362. Individuals who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 13-year-old girl who has been reported missing from the 49th precinct in the Laconia section of the Bronx. It was reported to police that Shiloh Lalondriz, 13, was last seen on Sept. 9, at approximately 6.30 p.m., in front of her home at 2725 Throop Avenue in Laconia. She is described as female, weighs approximately 123 pounds, is Hispanic, is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt with a “2” printed on the back, blue socks and

New York State Eviction Moratorium Extension Follows Bronx Rally

By SARAH HUFFMAN

A housing rally organized by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) in Hunts Point on Aug. 3 achieved the desired result: an extension of the State eviction moratorium. In addition, the State moratorium offers greater protections than its federal counterpart, which is also fortunate as in the meantime, the federal moratorium extension has been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Torres was joined at the Aug. 3 rally, held at 1231 Lafayette Avenue, by New York City Council Member Vanessa Gibson (C.D. 16) and advocates from Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), the Supportive Housing Network of New York,

Bronxites Pick up the Pieces & Seek Relief in the Wake of Storm Ida

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY

The relative and literal “calm before the storm” on the afternoon and early evening of Wednesday, Sept. 1, perhaps lured many Bronxites into a fall sense of security that then-impending Storm Ida would not be as extreme as forecast. The consequences of such nonchalance proved to be devastating. Between noon and 6 p.m., the day was overcast, humidity was at 82 percent, temperatures ranged from 68 to 72 degrees F, southwesterly winds were traveling at 11.8 mph but there was no rain. At 6.18 p.m., the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted that tornado warnings had been issued for

By DAVID GREENE

Before the return to in-person learning this fall, a group made up of staff and students at some Bronx-based City University of New York (CUNY) colleges, vowed to continue their “caravan” protest tactic of driving lines of vehicles past the homes of two CUNY college presidents, to continue to demonstrate their opposition to lay-offs of almost 2,000 adjunct professors that took place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported. The protestors say CUNY is sitting on $4.8 million in CARES Act funding and funding from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) which could be

By SÍLE MOLONEY

To honor and pay tribute to those who were lost on Sept. 11, 2001, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will launch visual memorials on New York City buses, subways and both commuter railroads on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center. “I remember the day vividly,” said New York City transit interim president, Craig Cipriano. “I was working in the Brooklyn division of buses facilitating a new bus operator orientation. When we heard that the first plane had hit the North Tower, we thought it was some kind of an accident. But when we

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea announced on Friday, Sept. 10, that the NYPD has launched the distribution of a new film commemorating, for the first time, the range of contributions made by the women of the NYPD on Sept. 11, and in the two decades since. The documentary-style film, “NYPD’s Women at Ground Zero,” features the stories of women officers and civilians who selflessly served during and after the large-scale terrorist attack in Lower Manhattan. It recounts the experience of Moira Smith, who was the only city policewoman to die on Sept. 11. It is anchored by interviews with

By DAVID GREENE

Many Bronxites across the borough are patiently waiting for the cold weather to arrive so that those prone to carousing outside, blasting loud music from speakers, while in the parks or in cars, will gradually move indoors, and badly affected neighborhoods will return to the once peaceful communities they used to be. For years, despite hundreds of noise complaints sent to 311 by Bronxites across the borough, meetings with elected officials, and enforcement by NYPD officers, the goal of eliminating unwanted noise, particularly over the summer months, has remained elusive. Now, however, a new law, along with new technology,