Crime · New York, NY
Rashaun Donovan, 48, was arraigned Oct. 27 in Queens Criminal Court on charges including attempted murder in the second degree after allegedly stabbing his 23-year-old nephew and a 39-year-old man with a kitchen knife inside his home at 133-35 149th St. during a confrontation on the night of Friday, Oct. 23. Police from the 113th Precinct responded to a 911 call just after 9:30 p.m.; an officer discharged his firearm at Donovan's sister, who allegedly approached officers with a knife in hand, striking her before EMS transported her to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in stable condition. The police-involved shooting is under investigation by the NYPD's Force Investigation Division. Judge Thomas Wright-Fernandez remanded Donovan into custody without bail.
Public Safety · New York, NY
A disciplinary trial for off-duty NYPD officer Wayne Isaacs, who killed unarmed 37-year-old Delrawn Small in a July 4th weekend road confrontation in East New York, Brooklyn in 2016, is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2027. Isaacs was acquitted of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter charges in 2017, but the Civilian Complaint Review Board substantiated misconduct charges against him in 2020. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosmarie Maldonado recommended dropping the disciplinary charges late last year, but Commissioner Jessica Tisch overrode that recommendation to proceed with the trial. The proceedings will determine whether Isaacs violated department guidelines and could result in termination.
Crime · New York, NY
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Anna Mochalova, 32, with two hate crimes over attacks on two Jewish men in the Diamond District on Oct. 21, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced Wednesday. The first stabbing occurred around 5:50 p.m. on West 47th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues; the second took place near Sixth Avenue and West 45th Street shortly after. Prosecutors describe the weapon as a sharp object consistent with a needle, noting its contents remain unknown pending investigation. Mochalova was arraigned Sunday in state court and is due back Oct. 29 after partially securing a $150,000 bond; each federal charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Crime · New York, NY
Koran Irvine, a Con Edison worker, was shot and killed on the George Washington Bridge at approximately 6:47 p.m. on Oct. 20 in what authorities believe was road rage. Victor Romero was indicted Tuesday by the Manhattan District Attorney's office on murder charges after prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury. Prosecutors allege Romero nearly collided with Irvine while switching lanes, then followed him and opened fire, striking Irvine in the right shoulder through his Volkswagen windshield. Hundreds of utility workers and residents gathered at Foley Square Tuesday afternoon to demand justice for Irvine. Romero remains free on $1 million bail.
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Education · New York, NY
Former NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks and former Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright hosted a community forum on Oct. 27 at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem to discuss racial disparities in specialized high school admissions. Participants, including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, NAACP NY State Conference President L. Joy Williams, and several borough presidents and councilmembers, discussed proposals such as repealing the Hecht-Calandra Act of 1971, expanding Discovery Programs, and addressing test-prep inequities. Banks said he approached former Mayor Eric Adams to end SHSAT use at five specialized schools but was refused; he urged applying political pressure on Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. Councilmembers Nantasha Williams and Alicia Hyndman are sponsoring city and state bills to repeal the Hecht-Calandra Act.
Public Safety
On Oct. 20, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso announced $1.6 million in funding for each of three gun violence prevention organizations operating under the city's Crisis Management System. The funded groups include Living Redemption in Harlem's 28th Precinct, Wick Against Violence in Bushwick, and United Way's Grow Up Grow Out Jr. in Washington Heights and Inwood. The CMS deploys civilian outreach workers and "credible messengers" to mediate conflicts before retaliatory shootings occur. Deputy Mayor Renita Francois, overseeing the Office of Community Safety, said the three neighborhoods were selected based on local data, service gaps, and community partner input.
Public Safety · New York, NY
At its Oct. 28 board meeting, MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said an investigation into two violent altercations between EAGLE fare-enforcement agents and riders will conclude mid-to-late the following week. The probe examines a Brooklyn incident in October involving allegations that agents injured public school aide Kyle Taylor, and an August Bronx confrontation in which agents threw a man to the ground and restrained him. The MTA has suspended EAGLE Team operations pending both the investigation and a broader review of the unarmed civilian security squads. The City Council's Progressive Caucus has called for permanently halting EAGLE Teams' use on buses, while MTA Chair Janno Lieber defended them as vital to combating fare evasion. Board members also raised questions about background-check practices for former law-enforcement hires and whether body-worn cameras should be added.
Local Politics · New York, NY
Registered New York City voters can cast ballots in the November 3 general election or vote early through November 1. The guide lists candidates for state races including Governor and Attorney General, as well as City Council and Congressional district seats. Five city ballot proposals cover simplifying public-space use, reducing contractor paperwork, speeding street-safety projects, streamlining building permits, and setting contribution targets for the rainy day fund. Full candidate and proposal details are available at nycvotes.org.
Community News · Bronx County
The city Department of Transportation will begin soliciting public input on four multi-mile greenway projects in the outer boroughs next week, starting with two workshops in the Bronx. The first event is scheduled for Wednesday, November 4, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the BankNote Building in Hunts Point, followed by a virtual workshop on Thursday, November 5. These events are part of a broader initiative to add over 40 miles to the city's greenway network, funded by a federal grant.
Education · New York, NY
Scores of adjunct professors at the City University of New York continue to experience delayed paychecks, with some owed more than $10,000, CUNY officials acknowledged. The Professional Staff Congress received 110 late-pay complaints this semester, down from over 1,000 in Spring 2025. CUNY attributes the delays to late payroll submissions at individual colleges and notes that senior college payments route through the state comptroller's system due to split funding. Union representatives say the root cause is CUNY's reliance on semester-to-semester rehiring of its 11,000 part-time faculty, who make up 52% of instructional staff. Over 50 adjuncts have joined a union grievance seeking outstanding pay for teaching courses with more than 90 students.
Local Politics · New York, NY
Council Member Wong sent a letter Monday to DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn calling for enforcement against Amazon's alleged use of large trucks as mobile distribution hubs in Council District 30, where residents report blocked fire hydrants, illegal parking, and traffic congestion at over a dozen locations. Operations reportedly run from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with couriers delivering packages on foot while using trucks as anchors. Wong asked the DOT to clarify parking regulations, determine whether designated loading areas are required, and coordinate with the NYPD on enforcement. Amazon said it is taking immediate steps to address the concerns and noted its on-foot delivery program has removed hundreds of vehicles from NYC streets daily.
Housing & Development · New York, NY
At an Oct. 20 Zoom meeting, Village View board president Christine Hadlow announced that two developers' bids for Parking Lot 7 on Second Street between Avenue A and First Avenue were accepted, moving the sale into due diligence. The lot is part of the 1,236-unit Mitchell-Lama cooperative in Manhattan's East Village. Some shareholders question the process and a reported $15.7 million decline in the co-op's reserve fund, with a Manhattan Supreme Court proceeding seeking access to financial records still unresolved. A board election for five seats is scheduled for Nov. 11, following a candidates' night held Monday, Oct. 26. Management distributed an Oct. 23 notice titled "Protect Your Shareholder Voting Rights," though no specific incidents or irregularities were identified.
Community brief · New York, NY
The Paul Taylor Dance Company returns to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for its annual New York Season running November 3-22, 2026. The season features ten works from Paul Taylor's repertory alongside world premieres by Resident Choreographers Lauren Lovette and Robert Battle, a New York premiere by Pam Tanowitz, and company premieres of Robert Battle's 'No Longer Silent' and Alwin Nikolais' 'Tensile Involvement.' The Orchestra of…
Community brief · New York, NY
The MTA announced Wednesday that starting Thursday through Saturday, costume-clad riders on the New York City Subway, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad can collect novelty station-sign stickers and Halloween-themed collectors' maps at select stations. Two subway locations per borough will feature temporary spooky renamings such as "Slime Sq-42 Street" for Times Square-42 St and "Ghoul Central Terminal" for Grand Central Terminal,…
Community brief · New York, NY
Chef-owner Aarthi Sampath opened Drāvida at 211 First Ave. between 12th and 13th Streets in late May, serving dishes inspired by Indian and South Asian diaspora communities worldwide. The restaurant occupies the former Luzzo's space and features wood-fired ovens. Sampath, a Food Network contestant on "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay," partnered with meal-delivery platform CookUnity to fund the venture after years of pitching the concept. A…
