Woman robbed, sexually assaulted at TN Houses
By David Greene
Police are looking for an individual wanted in connection with an armed robbery and sexual assault of a young woman inside the Throgs Neck Houses.
According to police, officers from the 45th Precinct and Public Service Area 8, were called to 2751 Sampson Avenue at 11:58 p.m. on May 8.
One official told the
Bronx Voice. “Upon arrival, it was reported to officers that an unidentified individual approached a 23-year-old female and displayed a knife. The individual
then sexually assaulted the victim and removed her purse, cellphone and approximately $120.”
The police official added that the young woman was transported to Jacobi Hospital in “stable condition.” The official was unable to provide a description of the suspect. Unconfirmed sources have stated that the suspect was described as a Black male in his 30’s.
One former female resident of the Throgs Neck
Houses said of the area, “I mean it was pretty quiet, but yeah at night it could be a little tricky.”
She added, “But I didn’t have any complaints.”
Asked if police patrolled the area, the former resident said, “I mean the police precinct is right across the street,” as she referred to the NYPD’s Public Service Area 8, a localized police precinct that covers public housing located on Randall Avenue.
According to a social media post, Councilmember Kristy Marmorato (D-13) attended a tenant association meeting at the complex the day before the attack.
On May 12, a call for comment to the New York City Housing Authority’s ‘Throgs Neck Addition’ prompted a vow of a return call by a NYCHA official. That call was not returned before the publication of this article.
2 kids injured in crash
by David Greene
Photo
Ambulance and Tesla Collide in Parkchester
By David Greene
An FDNY EMS ambulance allegedly had its lights and sirens on when it slammed into a Tesla at a busy intersection in Parkchester, witnesses said.
Members of the FDNY responded to the crash at 11:30 a.m. at White Plains Road and Westchester Avenue. No injuries were immediately reported. The Tesla suffered heavy damage to the driver's side door. The ambulance had no visible damage.
Paramedics evaluate several patients after a FDNY ambulance and a Tesla collided at the intersection of White Plains Road and Westchester Avenue on Parkchester. (Right) The unidentified driver of the Tesla speaks with a police officer after he collided with an FDNY ambulance.
Photos by David Greene
VCJC hosts event to honor ’Holocaust Remembrance’ Day
By David Greene
Congregants and guests of the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC), located at 3880 Sedgwick Avenue in Van Cortlandt Village, hosted a Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance.
With the announcement, Jack Spiegel, the publicity chair at VCJC stated, “With Anti-Semitism so prevalent, it is an important time for everyone to remember the Holocaust.”
Spiegel added, “In a time when Antisemitism is once again on the rise, particularly following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, it is more important than ever that we come together to remember the past and stand united against hate.”
During the event, six attendees were invited to light one of six candles, each representing one million of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Nazi death camps.
After lighting her candle, one unidentifi ed woman stated, “For my grandparents and my uncles whom I never met, and my parents who survived and I’m alive because my parents fought back.”
The event featured speak-
er Sonja Geismar, who was 3 ½ when Nazi soldiers came to her family’s home. Geismar and her family were aboard the MS St. Louis, a refugee ship that was turned away by several nations in 1939—including the United States.
Geismar told the audience, “Yom HaShoah, the day of Holocaust Remembrance of the six million. Our collective ancestors who lost their lives in the most brutal and inhumane ways. We honor their lives, their suffering and their memories.”
Geismar continued, “We also honor the heroism of those who bravely resisted,
both individuals and organizations. We honor those who narrowly survived and with inner strength and faith, restored their lives and contributed to society.”
After the event Spiegel recalled, “What began as a simple question-and-answer session evolved into a lively and heartfelt conversation with the audience about the Holocaust. Several attendees shared their own families’ experiences, while others refl ected on the parallels between the world in 1939 and the rise in antisemitism we are witnessing today.”
The VCJC was established as an Orthodox syna-
gogue in 1927 and has been at its current location for the past 60 years. Since 2017, the Early Childhood Education Center operated by the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center rents the top two floors of the building. Spiegel confirmed that the building was sold at the beginning of March to Barone Management for $4 million. Spiegel told the Bronx Voice, “VCJC will remain at the same location for the time being.” He added, “When the new owner builds a new building on the property, we will move in there. This is down the road, a number of years.”
Community Op Ed
The Best Budget Ever: Investing in working-class New Yorkers as we make city safer, more affordable
By Mayor Eric Adams
Last week, I went back to Bayside High School in Queens to deliver the Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget — the Best Budget Ever — in the same place I attended high school. My message was simple: this budget is not some abstract set of numbers; it is a statement about what we value and how we are investing in the people of New York City — keeping them safe, making the five boroughs more affordable, protecting quality of life, and making sure this is the best place to raise a family.
The decisions we made in this budget were guided by my own lived experience, and the struggles I saw my mother go through. She worked three jobs just to put food on the table for me and my siblings — and she could have used a helping hand. Put simply, our city once betrayed working people but we have not allowed that to continue under our administration. So this is the budget she needed, and one million of other working-class people across this city
need today. It makes real investments in the areas working-class families care about most, including child care, ‘After-School for All,’ health care, education, public safety, affordability, quality of life, and so much more.
It is not a budget that favors the few, it is a budget for all New Yorkers.
In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that our Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget is the Best Budget Ever — one that adds $1.4 billion next fiscal year to protect
critical programs that were facing spending cliffs and will support all New Yorkers — no matter their means or background. And about $675 million of those programs are baselined — meaning that they are a permanent part of our city’s budget going forward, year after year, forever. This commit-
ment means more security and stability for our city, especially when it comes to areas like public safety, housing, and our children’s education.
From prioritizing access to child care and launching universal after-school programming to investing in permanent funding for
libraries, CUNY, and public-safety and quality-of-life initiatives, this budget will protect and expand critical programs that will improve the lives of New York families. We are hiring more teachers, reducing class sizes, and investing in arts education for our students.
Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
Mayor Eric Adams releases the “Best Budget Ever” — the balanced, $115.1 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Executive Budget that makes new investments safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family.
Our new funding will also support computer science education, tutoring, teacher recruitment, Civics for All, and more. And the best part? These programs are all baselined. They will be there for you and your children in the future, even if those children are still just chasing pigeons on the playground.
Our Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget also looks out for the New Yorkers who need our help the most and protects services that strengthen our communities. By carefully managing our city’s finances, we have been able to add nearly $840 million this coming fi scal year alone to protect services that were facing budget cliffs — these include Medicaid, rental assistance, foster care services, social services for seniors, New York City’s cash assistance contribution, and shelters for victims of domestic violence.
This budget additionally locks in support for the housing programs and affordability initia-
tives that New Yorkers need. We are funding creation of our “Manhattan Plan” to rezone parts of the borough and unlock an additional 100,000 homes for New Yorkers over the next decade. We are also investing in our city’s 15/15 Supportive Housing Initiative that will create and preserve over 5,800 supportive homes and provide vulnerable New Yorkers with a place to call their own, as well as provide them with access to the social services that build on our work tackling homelessness and severe mental illness. All of this builds on the unparalleled record we have achieved on housing, and our landmark “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan, which will create 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years. We are also investing more than ever in improving our infrastructure at $173 billion that will deliver on generational projects that were talked about for decades but never achieved until we
The Best Budget Ever: Investing in working-class New Yorkers as we make city safer, more affordable
came into offi ce. This includes improving our roads, bridges, schools, and water and sewer facilities, as well as supporting more reliable transportation systems across the fi ve boroughs.
But all of these big plans and dreams are only possible if New Yorkers are safe and feel safe. Public safety is the foundation on which our city is built, and we are proud New York remains the safest big city in America. Major crime was down by double digits over the fi rst quarter of this year, and we are tackling quality-of-life issues with a new 1,500-member division within the NYPD created solely for that purpose. This budget helps keep our streets and subways safe and making sure we have enough men and woman to get the job done as we put the NYPD on track to 35,000 uniformed offi cers by next fall.
We know New Yorkers work hard for their money and that’s why we have remained focused on saving taxpay-
er dollars. Our policies also have set the table for a strong local economy. This, along with growth in the national economy, has enabled us to revise our tax revenue forecast upward and balance the budget without cutting programs or services, raising taxes on New Yorkers by a single penny, or laying off hard-working city employees.
This budget is a testa-
ment to our commitment to making New York City safer, more affordable, and the best place to live and raise a family. We are doing all of this while maintaining record-high reserves to help us face anything that comes our way. This is the budget my mom needed, that my family needed, and, with it, we’re saying to working families: your city has your back.
Health Matters
How to breathe easier during Asthma Awareness Month and beyond
Dr. Krystal L. Cleven, Pulmonologist
May means warmer weather and beautiful blooming flowers. And with this beauty comes a lot more pollen circulating in the air.
Pollen is a common trigger of asthma, a chronic condition that causes airway inflammation in the lungs. Dust, pet hair, air pollution, cockroaches, mice, smoke, and weather changes can also trigger asthma episodes. Shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness, and wheezing are wellknown asthma symptoms.
Asthma in the Bronx
In New York City, approximately 14% of adults and children have asthma but the rates in the Bronx are higher at 21%. Emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to asthma are also about twice as high in the Bronx compared to the rest of New York City.
Although outdoor air pollution may be a factor for people living near busy roads and highways, most areas of the Bronx have lower outdoor pollution than areas such as Midtown Manhattan. The Bronx has the most parks of any bor-
ough and all those trees help to filter the air, making it cleaner. Of course, for people with tree or pollen allergies this can increase their risk of asthma episodes.
Living with asthma triggers like cockroaches and mice, water leaks leading to mold, and secondhand smoke exposure are a significant factor – and Bronx residents are more likely to report the presence of these issues in their homes.
Gas stoves, common in the Bronx, can also release pollutants that worsen asthma.
If you are concerned about mold, pests, or secondhand smoke, contact your landlord or call 311 and ask about the Healthy Neighborhoods Program. This service will evaluate your home and help guide you and your landlord on how to fix problems that may be worsening your asthma.
Breathe Easier at Home
One easy step to breathing better air can be to open
your windows and let the fresh air in! Believe it or not, outdoor air is often cleaner than indoor air in homes, especially in those with gas stoves. It sounds simple, but opening a window is a great way to quickly improve ventilation. Additionally, a HEPA fi lter can reduce indoor air pollution. Keep a handle on real-time air
quality and pollen levels using a weather app. Note days with poor outdoor air quality or high pollen and do what you can to stay inside. For those who are sensitive to pet hair, it’s best to keep animals out of the space you sleep in, as well as remove or clean carpets which trap hair and dust.
For more information
and personal advice, you can seek help from experts at our Montefi ore Asthma Centers, where pulmonary and allergy physicians offer evaluations, as well as the most up-to-date tests and treatments for severe and hard-to-treat asthma. Services are available at 3400 Bainbridge Ave and 1250 Waters Pl. Call 718-920-4321 to make an appointment.
The Montefiore School Health Program (MSHP), the largest and most comprehensive school-based health program in the country, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil a brand-new health center inside IS 229, which will serve 525 students there and from PS 274, located next door. Medical, mental, dental, vision, and community health services will be available to students both in-person and virtually, at no cost to families.
Students in grades PreK to 8th grade will have access to a range of services in their school building, from immunizations and physicals to treatment and management of acute and chronic illness, such as asthma and diabetes. Mental health services will also
Montefiore opens 34th in-school health clinic for Bx students
be accessible.
“This clinic is our first to launch with a newly developed nursing-led model which enables us to expand our comprehensive care services to more students in the borough,” said Rosy Chhabra, PsyD, Director, Montefiore School Health Program and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Medical services located in school buildings are
Beloved Montefiore Nurse wins excellence award
Mintie Indar-Maraj, EdD, RN, beloved nurse at Montefiore’s Jack D. Weiler Hospital, was honored with the Joan H. Bilder Nursing Excellence Award during Montefiore Einstein’s annual Nurses Week celebration on May 6. This award recognizes excellence in clinical nursing practice. Dr. Maraj was recognized for her remarkable ability to build trust with her patients and for going above and beyond to prioritize the safety and well-being of both her patients and colleagues. As a doctoral prepared nurse that remains at the bedside to continue to mentor and support new-to-practice nurses, she also started a wellness group to support nurses, fostering a culture of support, connection, and growth. (Left to Right) Maureen Scanlan, MSN, RN, NEABC, Senior Vice President, Chief Nurse Executive, Montefiore Einstein; Una T. Hopkins, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, FACCC, Director, Nursing Research Montefiore Einstein and Assistant Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Mintie Indar-Maraj, EdD, RN, Nurse at Montefiore’s Jack D. Weiler Hospital, Brenda Pinder, MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, AVP Nursing at Montefiore’s Jack D. Weiler Hospital and Mary Del Guidice, MSN, BS, RN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Tipton Health.
Monte opens 34th in-school health clinic for Bx students
-critical to learning. In 2022-2023, more than 1 out of 4 U.S. children were chronically absent, missing 18 or more days of school. School-based health centers help children avoid health-related absences and offer comfort to families, knowing their child is getting the care they need, without caregivers needing to take time off work to bring children to medical appointments. The Montefiore School Health Program has shown a 40% reduction in students who go home sick from school.
“The inauguration of this new health center is a milestone for the Bronx community and will have a resounding impact on students and their families,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “By supplying essential care and support to local students, this center will serve as a beacon of hope for their future success and achievement for many years to come.”
For more than four decades, the Montefiore School Health Program has been bringing essential healthcare services into school buildings to address
physical, social, emotional, and environmental factors that impact a child’s health and empowering students to get the support they need to succeed in the classroom.
“With our new clinic at IS 229, we now offer care to more than 40,000 young learners, around one in four students across the Bronx,” said Dr. Chhabra. “We are delivering on our mission to build a strong foundation for children and set them up for a bright and healthy future.”
Sore throat or strep throat?
A pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of New York shares what to know about the signs of strep throat and when to see a provider.
The following article appeared in NewYork-Presbyterian Health Matters
By Julia Morill
With kids in school, cold season lingering, and allergy season upon us, it’s normal in the spring months to feel some itching and inflammation in the throat. If swelling worsens quickly and swallowing is difficult, it might be a sign of something else: strep throat. Strep throat causes about 5.2 million outpatient visits each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While anyone can have strep throat, it is most common for school-aged children ages five to 15 years old because strep spreads in close quarters like schools or daycares. To test for strep throat, a health care provider can do a simple throat swab, and if the result is positive, antibiotics are highly effective.
“I usually tell parents it’s good news once we know it is strep throat because we just treat it, and your child should be feeling better in a day or two,” says Dr. Robert Hagerty, pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of New York at NewYork-Presbyterian. “Strep is pretty straightforward. We see it a lot.”
If left untreated, strep can cause more serious infections and a recent report published in JAMA from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that cases of invasive strep (when the strep bacteria invade other parts of the body) have been rising in the U.S. over the last decade, from 2013 to 2022. “If your child still has a very high fever or is getting worse after taking antibiotics, there may be something else going on,” says Dr. Hagerty. “But invasive strep is very rare.”
To learn more about the signs of strep throat, how it’s different from having a sore throat, and what symptoms watch out for, Health Matters spoke to Dr. Hagerty.
What is strep throat?
Strep throat is a bacterial infection. A bacteria called streptococcus infects the throat and tonsils, and the body reacts by fighting the infection. That fight triggers irritation, inflammation, and soreness in the throat.
Besides throat discomfort, are there other symptoms of strep throat?
The big ones are fever, headache, and belly pain. Kids with strep throat do not want to eat as much. Sometimes it is because their belly hurts. Sometimes it is because they are nauseous or their throat hurts too much.
Other common symptoms to look for are small white dots on the tonsils in the back of the throat and swollen, tender bumps in the neck called lymph nodes. Our lymph nodes are full of white blood cells and the inflammation is a sign the body is fighting an infection.
Some slightly rarer signs of strep throat include a rash
that’s all over the chest and feels like sandpaper. And if your child sticks out their tongue and it is very red, swollen, and bumpy, it is called a “strawberry tongue” and is usually a sign of strep. How can you tell the difference between strep throat and a regular sore throat?
A sore throat can be caused by a virus or bacteria like streptococcus. If a child has been coughing a lot and has a runny nose, or their eyes are red and irritated — that sounds like a virus to me. A lot of people notice they cough more at night, and that is because of all the mucus from the nose that is going into the throat and causing irritation. If you cough enough, the throat will get inflamed— like if you pinch yourself a couple of times, and your skin turns red and it hurts a little bit, same idea.
Also, patients with a viral sore throat usually do not have too much trouble eating. They may have a runny nose and coughing, but they are able to drink and eat without feeling discomfort.
How does strep spread?
Strep can spread easily. The most common way is through coughing and sneezing in a place with less airflow. Once the bacterium
is in the air, all it has to do is get to another mouth, and it can start growing.
How do you test and treat strep throat?
We put a little swab in the back of your throat and get the results back in five minutes.
If it is positive, we can treat it with amoxicillin.
Within 24 hours of taking amoxicillin, your child should be fever free. If you are having fevers and you are past the 24-hour mark, then there may be something else that is causing a fever that the antibiotics are not helping.
Does strep throat go away on its own?
For plenty of people, it does. Our immune system can do a decent job killing bacteria. Homeopathic remedies, like swishing with warm salt water, honey, or lemon tea, make your throat feel better — but it is safer to get the antibiotics because there are other risks if strep is untreated. What are the complications if strep is untreated?
In rare cases, the streptococcus bacteria can spread to other parts of the body and lead to serious illness.
For example, it can invade a little bit deeper in the tonsils and cause a retropharyngeal abscess, where the lymph nodes in the back of the throat become infected and can only be treated with surgery. Other rare complications happen when streptococcus enters the bloodstream, which leads to sepsis or meningitis, or gets into the skin and muscles and causes necrotizing fasciitis (a flesh-eating bacterial infection).
How do you avoid getting strep throat?
Masking and coughing into your elbow are ways to control the spread of strep throat. If you have a family member who has strep throat, you can wear a mask and you can encourage them to wear a mask, which will be more helpful.
If somebody with strep coughs on their hands and touches a doorknob, and then you touch the doorknob and then put your hands in your mouth or touch your face, you can give yourself strep, so wash your hands frequently.
