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Columbia Seeks Volunteers to Research if Memory Loss from Alzheimer’s Disease Can Be Delayed or Prevented

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Researchers at Columbia University say millions of people in America aged 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease, and the number is rising quickly. They said that according to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 410,000 people in New York live with the disease. For people of color, they said the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is even higher. They said Hispanic Americans and Black or African Americans are especially at risk, with incidence rates 1.5 to two times higher than White Americans, respectively.

City Council Votes to Pass More E-Bike Safety Rules to Address Dangers of Fires Caused by Lithium-Ion Batteries  

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New York City Council voted on Wednesday, Feb. 29, to pass new legislation that will increase e-bike regulations in the interest of improved safety. The new laws come after one person died and 22 were injured in a Harlem fire caused by an e-bike on Friday, Feb. 23. Council members said that over the past few years, as e-bikes, e-scooters, and powered mobility devices have become more prevalent, the City has experienced a rapid increase in lithium-ion battery-related fires in both residential and commercial properties that not only destroyed property but resulted in injuries and fatalities.

Espaillat, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Temporary Protected Status for Ecuador Act

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Congressional Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), along with nine other original cosponsors, introduced the Temporary Protected Status for Ecuador Act (H.R. 7371) to the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, Feb. 26. The bill, if passed, would grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to over 300,000 Ecuadorians in the U.S. who have fled the current mass outbreak of gang-related violence in Ecuador to seek safety for their families.

Health Care Expands March 5 to All Vets Exposed to Toxins during Military Service at Home or Abroad

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The U.S. Department of Veterans Services announced on Monday, Feb. 26, that all veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving in the military, at home or abroad, will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care beginning March 5. VA officials said this means all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11 will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits.

Love in The Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Love is in the air and on Feb. 14, across the globe, millions celebrated Valentine’s Day. At one Norwood store, we were told flower sales were up by a whopping 70 percent. So, is it just another opportunity to make a quick buck or is there merit in reminding people of love? To find out, we are grateful to those Bronxites who were brave enough to talk to us about their own love stories.

Op-Ed: Preserving Woodlawn: A Stand Against Overdevelopment 

By WILLIAM MURRAY
On Monday, Feb. 12, the Woodlawn Heights Taxpayers and Community Association gathered at the Rambling House for a critical meeting. The focus of the discussion revolved around the alarming proposal by The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative, developed by NYC Department of City Planning, which lays out potential changes throughout the city that will be significant and could have detrimental effects on the cherished neighborhood of Woodlawn.

The Power (and Joy) of Reading   

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Latinos Urbanos Book Club and the 4Bronx Project unveiled a new community library box, “Kingsbridge Community Library,” outside P.S. 207 on Godwin Terrace in Kingsbridge on Feb. 15. Laura Levine-Pinedo of the 4Bronx Project told News 12 The Bronx on the day of the launch, “Power is knowledge and having kids have access to books right here on the sidewalk – anybody can come up, take a book, leave a book – I think it’s a big win for the borough.”