Friday, November 13, 2020

Louella Hatch Democratic Club - Join Senator Jamaal Bailey for Our November General Board Meeting

 



CLICK TO RSVP 

Yes join Senator Jamaal Bailey the Bronx Democratic County Leader, and ask him if he supports District Leader Marcos Sierra after what Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has called a racially charged statement by District Leader Marcos Sierra against a veteran member of the media who District Leader Marcos Sierra expected to join his campaign for city council but did not.

Senator Jamaal Bailey and Bronx Borough President Candidate Nathalia Fernandez Food Giveaway

 


Please come and ask Bronx Democratic County Leader Jamaal Bailey and Bronx Borough President candidate Nathalia Fernandez if they support District Leader Marcos Sierra after what Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has called a racially charged statement by District Leader Marcos Sierra against a veteran member of the media who District Leader Marcos Sierra expected to join his campaign for city council but did not.

Thursday, November 12, 2020

Second Bronx Gang Member Charged With 2015 Murder

 

 Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Raymond Donovan, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced the return of a superseding indictment charging KYLE MULLINGS, a/k/a “Kase,” with murder in aid of racketeering and murder through the use of a firearm in connection with the murder of Daquan Cooper on June 25, 2015, in the Bronx.  MULLINGS was already in federal custody on other charges.  On November 5, 2019, an indictment was unsealed charging co-defendant Jose Rodriguez, a/k/a “Hov,” a/k/a “Hov Goon,” in connection with the murder of Daquan Cooper.

MULLINGS will be presented at a later date.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As alleged in the indictment, Kyle Mullings and others were responsible for the murder of Daquan Cooper in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx in 2015.  We commend the extraordinary efforts of our law enforcement partners to bring Mullings to justice.”           

HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said:  “HSI and our partners have demonstrated a tireless commitment to dismantling this gang’s complex criminal enterprise through multi-agency cooperation, resulting in these indictments.  This case highlights that, as alleged, Mullings and other violent perpetrators in our communities are well organized in their criminal pursuits.  However, law enforcement in New York continues to be successful in apprehending these pugnacious offenders allegedly responsible for numerous senseless deaths.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond Donovan said:  “Great police work and multi-agency cooperation has brought an alleged murderer to justice.  I applaud all of our partners for their steadfast diligence throughout this investigation.”            

According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

MULLINGS was a member or associate of a racketeering enterprise known as the Beach Avenue Crew, a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, murder, attempted murder, and narcotics trafficking. 

On June 25, 2015, MULLINGS orchestrated the murder of Daquan Cooper and provided the firearms that others used to shoot and kill Cooper in the vicinity of 1595 Unionport Road in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx.                

MULLINGS, 26, from the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; and one count of murder through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.  The statutory maximum and mandatory minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of a defendant would be determined by the Court.

Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the NYPD, HSI, and DEA.

The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - NOVEMBER 12, 2020

 

Positive Testing Rate in All Focus Zone Areas is 4.86 Percent; New York State Positivity Outside All Focus Zone Areas is 2.53 Percent     

Statewide Positivity Rate is 2.95 Percent

29 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"COVID is raging nationally, setting record numbers of cases and hospitalizations with each passing day," Governor Cuomo said. "While New York is doing better than just about any state in the United States, we are not immune from the national trend. Now it's up to what we do. There is no pre-destined future here. It's a pure consequence of our actions. If we stay New York Tough and don't fall subject to COVID fatigue and we stay smart through the holidays, through Thanksgiving, through Christmas, through Hanukkah, we'll keep it under control. New Yorkers just have to continue to take it seriously. I know it has been a long time, but these next weeks are going to be key and we really need people to buckle down to fend off the tide."

The Governor noted that the positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state's Micro-Cluster strategy is 4.86 percent, and outside the focus zone areas is 2.53 percent. Within the focus areas, 28,906 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 1,406 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 133,721 test results were reported, yielding 3,391 positives.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

  • Patient Hospitalization - 1,677 (+49)
  • Patients Newly Admitted - 261
  • Hospital Counties - 52
  • Number ICU - 308 (+4)
  • Number ICU with Intubation - 136 (+1)
  • Total Discharges - 81,198 (+178)
  • Deaths - 29
  • Total Deaths - 26,055

An Update from State Comptroller DiNapoli: NY's Economy & Finances in the COVID-19 Era


After Five Months, Jobs Recovery
Varies Across New York


Total employment in New York State fell in March, and again—much more sharply—in April, with a combined loss of more than 1.9 million jobs. After five months of partial employment recovery since then, figures for September show significant if not severe lingering damage to job counts in every one of the State’s fifteen metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

New York City, an early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to feel the sharpest loss, with a net decline of 648,000 jobs, nearly 14 percent of its February total. Figures for the Orange-Rockland-Westchester MSA also show a large decline of 10.7 percent. But the bad news is not confined to downstate regions, with net losses of more than 10 percent also occurring in the Rochester, Syracuse and Glens Falls MSAs.

The Elmira area, where employment lagged most of the State’s other regions during the expansion that ended in February, has suffered proportionally smaller losses in recent months.



 

DEC ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION POLICE OFFICER HIGHLIGHTS

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Recent ECO Actions

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) enforce the 71 Chapters of NY Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 2019, the 288 ECOs across the state responded to 25,704 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 16,855 tickets or arrests for crimes ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations. 

Two-thousand-and-twenty marks 50 years for DEC and 140 Years for New York’s Conservation Police Officers. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State. 

"From Montauk Point and Brooklyn to Buffalo, the ECOs patrolling our state are the first line of defense in protecting New York's environment and our natural resources, ensuring that they exist for future generations of New Yorkers," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "Our ECOs have worked arduous hours, both deep in our remote wildernesses and in the tight confines of our urban landscapes, for far longer than the 50 years since DEC was created. These officers are critical to achieving DEC's mission to protect and enhance our environment and I am confident they will continue this important mission for the next 50 years and beyond." 

If you witness an environmental crime or believe a violation of environmental law occurred, please call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-844-DEC-ECOS(1-844-332-3267).  

Tiger (Tooth) King - Queens County

On Sept. 11, a Queens County man was fined for his role in the illegal sale of a tiger tooth. Wildlife parts of endangered species like tigers are prohibited from sale in New York. The tooth was offered for sale on Craigslist for $500. On Aug. 17, ECOs Lovgren and Traynor went undercover to arrange “buying” the tooth pendant and met with the seller in Queens. Igor Mukhin was issued a Notice of Violation for selling endangered wildlife parts and the case was closed with a fine of $500, with $250 suspended. The tiger tooth was forfeited to the State of New York and will be used for educational purposes.

K-9 Deming Assists in Poacher Bust – Sullivan County

On Oct. 27, two Sullivan County men appeared in the Town of Bethel Court to answer charges related to a poaching incident earlier this year. On Mar. 24, ECOs Wood, Parker, and Doroski received reports from a concerned citizen who advised officers he saw fresh blood in the snow and on the back of a white van just up the road in Bethel. ECO Wood deployed K-9 Deming and located a spent shell casing while ECOs Parker and Doroski investigated the van and noticed what appeared to be deer hair on the back of the van and blood inside of it. Officers interviewed residents at that location, Oscar Casas and Julio Dubon. When questioned, the men admitted to shooting a deer from a vehicle. Casas stated he shot the deer the previous night from his vehicle after the sun had set with the aid of a spotlight and Dubon, a passenger in the car, admitted to assisting with the take of the deer. Dubon showed ECOs where the deer was located inside a shed behind the residence. Officers seized the deer and the rifle and charged Casas with taking deer except as permitted, possession of a loaded long gun in a motor vehicle, and taking deer with the aid of an artificial light. Dubon was charged with being an accessory to the illegal take of a deer, taking deer except as permitted, and taking big game out of season. Both Casas and Dubon agreed to a civil compromise in court and were fined $2,200 plus applicable court fees.

Injured Owls Rescued – Columbia and Rensselaer Counties

On Nov. 8, ECOs Curinga and Davey responded to reports of two injured barred owls struck by motor vehicles in two separate locations. One of the owls was struck in the town of Copake, Columbia County, while the other was struck in the town of Brunswick, Rensselaer County. The ECOs successfully captured the owls and transported them to Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center in Greene County. Both owls appeared to respond well to treatment and will hopefully be released back into the wild soon.

Third Avenue Business Improvement District - COVID-19 // 2nd Wave Planning, Business Impact and Resources

 

Third Avenue Business Improvement District remains committed and steadfast in our resolve to support South Bronx small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As New York State experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, yesterday Governor Cuomo announced new restrictions that will go into effect tomorrow, Friday, November 13th, at 10PM.

The new restrictions include:

  • Bars, restaurants, and any establishment with a state liquor license will be required to close in-person service from 10PM to 5AM daily. Restaurants can continue to provide food-only pick-up or delivery after 10PM, but will not be permitted to serve alcohol to go.
  • Gyms and fitness centers must close daily from 10PM to 5AM. 
  • Indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences must be limited to no more than 10 people.

According to the Governor’s office, local governments will be responsible for enforcing these new restrictions.  Third Avenue BID has been on calls with the Governor's office, Mayor's office, and business leaders throughout the night and this morning to better understand and ask for clarity on these restrictions.  We have also requested a briefing on the timeline for future restrictions which will impact our district and small businesses.

While I urge you to remain calm, it is important to remember that the pandemic is not over yet – our communities must stay vigilant and continue to take the necessary precautions to keep flattening the curve. This includes wearing a mask outside of your home, maintaining six feet apart from others, frequently washing your hands, staying home if you are sick, and following New York State travel and quarantine guidelines.

Learning from the previous wave, Third Avenue Business Improvement District created pandemic plans based on transmission rates and restrictions mandated by NYS and NYC. According to the latest information from NYC DOH, our neighborhood rolling 7-day transmission rate is from 3.86 and 4.08% and increasing depending on zip code.

Initial preparedness plans include the following:

  • Effective, Friday, November 20th - all in-person public programs will be suspended.
  • All programs will transition back to digital offerings through Zoom and WebEx, with an emphasis on holiday programming, business development, financial programs, legal programs, and navigating COVID-19 restrictions
  • Third Avenue BID will again serve as a PPE distribution center for the South Bronx
  • Third Avenue BID's website, social media, and contact lists will be updated and utilized accordingly to maximize impact and reach.
  • Fundraising capacity will increase to support cash infusion grants to district small businesses
  • Effective immediately, all outdoor furniture (plazas and open streets inclusive of tables, chairs, umbrellas, etc.) will no longer be deployed. These items will be put in storage until Spring 2021.
  • Effective next week Roberto Clemente Plaza and Willis Avenue Open Streets will become COVID19 rapid testing sites.  
  • Pending weather, guidance from NYCDOT and guidance from NYC DOH, outdoor dining installations may be closed and moved to storage until Spring 2021.
  • Professional services staff will fully transition to remote work effective, Friday, November 20th.  Teams have been fit out with laptops and cell phones to assist with this transition
  • Pending notice from NYC Department of Health, public health outreach programs will be suspended.
  • Continuous Access and Overdose Prevention programs will continue through the pandemic
  • Pending notice from NYS, an evaluation of MTA ridership, and DOT pedestrian count numbers, Clean Street Team / Sanitation service hours may be reduced. 
  • Security team services will be reduced and adjusted based on district data.
  • In-person holiday programs (Thanksgiving Drive, Toy Drive, and WinterFest) will transition to vouchers and online offerings. Holiday lights have already been installed, trees will be installed on November 18th, and digital promotions have begun in the Daily News, El Diario, 1010 WINS, and digital platforms 
As was the case during the 1st Wave, the information that we receive is fluid and can change with out notice.  As updates are made available we will share this information with staff, the Board, and stakeholders.

Again, I thank you for your patience and partnership as we begin what looks to be a very long Winter.  We will approach it with positivity and resolve to ensure our small businesses, district, and South Bronx weather the storm. 

Sincerely,
Michael Brady
Chief Executive Officer