Obviously a slow day on the blog today as we begin production on this week’s print edition of the Norwood News. In the meantime, here’s a rundown of the latest Bronx stories making the news.

Espaillat Announces Bid for Bronx/Manhattan Seat
At a fundraiser on Sunday, State Senator Adriano Espaillat made his showdown with Congressman Charles Rangel semi-official, telling a crowd at Democratic fundraiser in upper Manhattan that he was running against Rangel, whose district now includes a hunk of the Bronx.

Pol Uses Gala To Fund Re-Election Campaign
Friends and supporters of Democratic Bronx Assemblyman Eric Stevenson are putting together a fundraiser to help the politician’s reelection campaign, while recognizing the contributions of outstanding individuals from the Caribbean Nation — past and present.

High Rise Fall Not Suicide
An arrest has been made in what initially was an apparent suicide, that has now been officially classified as a homicide, according to the city medical examiner. Police believe 20-year-old Sienna Edwards fell while trying to escape a group of women who mistook her for someone else.

Bronx Teachers Arrested With Coke and Dagger
Diana Mancusco, 29, and Karen Aguilar, 26, both teachers at Entrada Academy in Longwood, were awarded matching bracelets after cops spotted them pulling over and switching places on East Fordham Road in Belmont on Friday night. After determining both were intoxicated, a search of the vehicle by officers produced a small amount of cocaine and a dagger.

Teen Survives Elevator Mis-hap
17-year-old Kenneth Lacen survived a horrifying elevator ride after visiting a friend in his Highbridge neighborhood. An inspection by the Department of Buildings at 951 Woodycrest Avenue determined two of the elevators support ropes had snapped. DOB records show there are currently three open violations at the building, including failure to maintain building in code for worn car shoes, improper lighting and insecure electrical wires on the top of the elevator.

Appeals Judge Under Investigation
An explosive report by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct found that presiding justice of the appellate division’s First Department, Judge Luis Gonzalez, has turned the court system into a patronage trough for family and friends. While declining to penalize Gonzalez, the Commissions report called for reforms and noted that “accountability becomes more personal and direct as the (hiring) process gets closer to” the judges.

Teacher Gets Desk Duty
First-year instructor Marcy Rubenstein, out of Intermediate School 339, has been put on desk duty after allegedly duct taping 12 year-old Irel Jones to his chair. According to Jones, Rubenstein just grinned and left him taped to the chair for twenty minutes while other kids pushed him to the front of the class.