Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Just as the sun rises over the Throgs Neck Bridge in the Bronx law enforcement officers from eight different city and state agencies move into action “Make it clear and concise, quick, alert the officers of what’s coming, and we will make the stop,” Deputy Chief Thomas Alps advised officers prior to deploying them to their operation posts. He helped assemble the joint task force and leads the charge for its 35th operation “It is a vehicle that we can’t identify for whatever reason,” Alps said “It can be intentional; it can be for the purpose of evading tolls; it can be for the purpose of criminality; it can be both the task force has made more than 430 arrests seized more than 1,900 vehicles and written roughly 17,000 summonses Police use a combination of license plate reader cameras and the trained eyes of officers who know what to look for such as excessive window tint or a missing registration officers were told to be on alert for orange Florida transport plates — a fake plate often with the same number and letter combination — that authorities are seeing more of recently You know you can drive across one of the bridges now and have a pretty good chance of seeing one,” Inspector Anthony Trumantana of the MTA’s Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority can also determine if a plate is stolen or was used in a crime with the MTA’s Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority said that since the task force began these operations they have seen a 10% decrease in the number of drivers using different tactics to evade detection “Our taxpayers are out there paying the tolls and some people are not paying their fair share because that’s the fair thing to do as New Yorkers,” Chavez said more than 500 summonses were written and nearly 50 vehicles were seized The amount of toll and tax warrants from the vehicles stopped totaled more than $38,000 a foreman on the Lincoln Center campus facilities team who joined Fordham in 2016 and quickly made himself an indispensable member of the department director of facilities operations at Lincoln Center said Higgins was a natural-born leader who possessed a broad expansive knowledge of the construction trades that he eagerly shared with others.  “He always took control of a situation—emergencies and he’d get it taken care of,” he said.  “The guy knew everything from carpentry and plumbing to electrical and welding to Tom and Gail Higgins and grew up in the shadow of the Throgs Neck Bridge in the Bronx neighborhood of Silver Beach He graduated from Monsignor Scanlan High School in Throgs Neck in 1988.  He trained as a plumber and worked in maintenance and facilities positions for Maritime College and Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf He came to Fordham in 2016 after two years working as a plumber mechanic for the Hicksville School District in Long Island Just three years later, he was honored with a Sursum Corda award at the University’s annual convocation He was lauded as one of the most valued members of the Facilities Department “because of his energetic approach to sharing his skills and knowledge with his colleagues.” Jimmy has been at the forefront of several significant and unforeseen plumbing incidents and it was his problem-solving abilities that were instrumental in helping the department in resolving those events,” his citation read.  while supervising the construction of a new building there She said she was attracted to him because of his troubleshooting skills “He was a quiet genius when it came to fixing and building anything imaginable,” she said Christine said he enjoyed fishing and relaxing with friends and family on boats Colleagues might not know that he was also an avid reader She said she’d always treasure their time trekking up to a cabin in knee-deep snow in Hancock, New York, listening to Irish music on Sundays on WFUV’s Ceol na nGael, and listening to John Denver “He was a mentor to so many people without realizing it,” she said who attended high school with Higgins’s older brother Tom considered him a friend for the past 30 years He said he will miss the daily morning meetings where they’d discuss how to tackle the pressing project of the day on campus “Jimmy was a person who I could walk through campus and bounce technical ideas off of him,” he said it’s a very precious thing to be able to trust somebody and have these conversations That is something I’ll miss more than anything I looked forward to those sessions every day.” A wake will be held on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 3 to 7 p.m. at  Schuyler Hill Funeral Home Patrick Verel is a news producer for Fordham Now. He can be reached at [email protected] or (212) 636-7790 Sign up to receive the latest news from Fordham University “It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the closure of Preston High School a cherished institution in our Throgs Neck community that has been a beacon of education and opportunity since its opening in 1947 Preston High School has shaped generations of young women providing them with the tools they need to succeed and thrive This closure marks a significant loss not only for the students and alumni of Preston but also for the Bronx as a whole as yet another important Catholic school in our borough shuts its doors As we face the closure of several of our Catholic schools we are reminded of the vital role these institutions have played in educating and uplifting our families particularly in neighborhoods that have historically relied on their support These schools have been more than just places of learning—they have been community pillars and I remain committed to working with them to ensure that we continue to provide strong educational opportunities for all children in our borough and while we mourn the loss of these schools we will continue to honor their legacy by ensuring that our community remains united in the pursuit of educational excellence I urge that the decision to close Preston High School be reconsidered This closure represents not just the loss of an educational institution but a blow to the heart of our community.” by Jana DeCamilla NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. (WRGB) — Douglas Rubin, a 20-year-old student at the State University of New York at Albany his sister Maddy's hope is renewed thanks to genetic genealogy leaving late one night reportedly in a state of distress He never returned and has not been heard from since Rubin's vehicle was discovered in the middle of the night abandoned on the Throgs Neck Bridge with his wallet and eyeglasses left inside a driver reported seeing a person get out of the car and move towards the bridge no trace of Rubin was found in the waters below The case of Douglas Rubin remains unsolved leaving his family and authorities without answers for over four decades If you have any information about Douglas' disappearance reach out to Detective Kerri-Ann Hoovert at the Nassau County Police Department at (516) 573-8800 residents at Throggs Neck Addition and nearby Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue will be asked to choose if they want to stay in Section 9 join the new Preservation Trust or convert to private management under the PACT program which consists of four buildings along Balcom Avenue between Randall and Dewey avenues adjacent to the Throggs Neck Houses is home to 631 residents in 287 apartments The properties need an estimated $134 million in capital repairs over the next two decades The Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue development is across the street with three buildings for seniors that are home to 247 tenants and with a 20-year capital repair need of $121 million NYCHA has launched a “100-day engagement period” at the two sites where residents will receive information about the voting process The vote itself is expected to run from March 18 to April 16 To reach the editor, contact [email protected] Take a short anonymous survey to help us deliver content to empower our community previously serving as youth program manager she covered Astoria and Long Island City for DNAinfo.com and reported for Bronx community papers and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By: 7:00 am on September 22 Sneaker and streetwear retailer Snipes has signed a 6,854-square-foot lease at Throggs Neck Shopping Center at 815 Hutchinson River Parkway in Throggs Neck The shopping center was built by Simone Development Companies in 2010 Throggs Neck Shopping Center yields 300,000 square feet of leasable space Other tenants beyond Snipes include Target is a welcome addition to this thriving retail development,” said Josh Gopan vice president of leasing for Simone Development Companies “The Throggs Neck Shopping Center offers an easy one-stop shopping experience and continues to be a sought-after location for top national Throggs Neck Shopping Center is located at the intersection of Lafayette Avenue and the Hutchinson River Parkway Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC Watch the video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmaUJhwvz0A Last Night’s “Operation Padlock to Protect” Uncovered Two OperatorsIllegally Selling and Packaging Cannabis for Distribution Adams Administration Has Already Sealed 630+ Illegal Locations and Seized an Estimated $20 Million of Illegal Products and a smoke shop that was hiding cannabis products in their air vents “We have been clear: illegal smoke shops will no longer be able to operate with impunity,” said Mayor Adams “‘Operation Padlock to Protect’ has already shut down and padlocked over 630 illegal smoke shops allowed us to seize over $20 million in illegal products and impose more than $51 million in fines and penalties on those who continue to break the law Our administration has achieved remarkable results over the last three months and last night’s raid on two major distributors and operators shows we will not stop until every illegal shop is held accountable these shops have contributed to a feeling that anything goes in our city but we are going to continue to shut down illegal shops and will ensure that the future of legal cannabis burns bright in New York City I want to thank Sheriff Miranda and his team as well as Commissioner Caban and the NYPD “Unlicensed cannabis shops aren’t just breaking the law –– they're threatening our neighborhoods,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III “These shops undermine the legal market threaten public safety by distributing products that haven't been tested or regulated Our job is to protect the people of New York City and we’re doing that every day by shutting these illegal operators down.” “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe from these unregulated and dangerous products,” said Sheriff Miranda “The information we obtain from the community via 3-1-1 complaints and from elected officials are critical to the success of ‘Operation Padlock to Protect.’” “The safe sale and distribution of legal cannabis in New York City requires a licensed and standardized industry,” said NYPD Commissioner Caban “Illegal cannabis operators running afoul of the law are posing a public safety and health risk to our communities and are destabilizing the emerging legal industry The NYPD and our task force partners will continue to use every resource available to enforce existing cannabis regulations and Mayor Adams at the scene of one of the locations raided last night in the Bronx as part of “Operation Padlock to Protect’s” enforcement efforts Illegal cannabis being hidden in ceiling tiles at one of the locations raided last night in the Bronx as part of “Operation Padlock to Protect.” Outside one of the locations raided last night in the Bronx as part of “Operation Padlock to Protect’s” enforcement efforts in the Bronx Product seized at one of the locations raided last night in the Bronx as part of “Operation Padlock to Protect’s” enforcement efforts while the Sheriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force was conducting inspections at 51 locations throughout New York City Tremont Avenue in the Bronx resulted in the seizure of 176 pounds of cannabis flower The cannabis flower was found in hidden compartments under a couch The inspection also uncovered a back door at a bodega at 4011 E Tremont Avenue in the Bronx that led to a warehouse where deputies found pallets worth of cannabis flower psilocybin edibles and psilocybin concentrate The task force also found empty containers to pack products and a room that appeared to be set up to grow cannabis plants leading law enforcement to suspect it is a likely distributor of products seized at the two sites during last night’s raid is at least $1 million Following Mayor Adams’ successful advocacy in Albany for municipalities to be given the regulatory authority by the state to finally shut down illegal smoke and cannabis shops plaguing city streets, New York City moved quickly to execute its legal authority the Adams administration has executed a five-borough strategy to finally end this public health and safety issue pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov(212) 788-2958 Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations The fines for drivers who evade tolls on some of the MTA’s bridges and tunnels will be cut in half in September The legislation also empowers state officials to revoke the vehicle registration of drivers who regularly evade the MTA’s tolls The $50 fines would also apply to drivers who skirt the agency’s congestion pricing tolls — if and when Gov. Kathy Hochul revokes her pause of the program MTA spokesperson Joana Flores said part of the change will help the MTA align its fine amounts with those of the Port Authority a former executive vice president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels said the reduction of the fines is likely intended to encourage more scofflaws to actually pay their fines “The purpose of the toll agency is very simple: it’s to pay the toll when you cross the bridge They don’t want to have to collect,” Moretti said The reduction comes as police continue to crack down on chronic toll evaders — including drivers who cover or obscure their license plates to evade automated cameras that enforce tolls at bridges and tunnels Hochul said earlier this month that an MTA crackdown on toll evaders had resulted in 339 arrests Hochul said those drivers owe more than $12.5 million in unpaid tolls and late fees the NYPD said drivers who use fake plates often have stacks of outstanding bills Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected] The Trump administration cut funding for lawyers aiding unaccompanied minors in court. Because Danny & Coop’s is for real, here are your early links: Mahmoud Khalil still detained while his son was born, Republicans in Congress want to prosecute Cuomo over COVID-19 deaths, Wildwood boardwalk is the best in the nation and more. Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. Gothamist is a website about New York City news .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Advance Local Weather AlertsOn Saturday at 5:31 p.m a flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service in effect until 7:30 p.m Manhattan and Queens as well as Westchester County Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area The expected rainfall rate is 1 inch in 1 hour Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are possible in the warned area Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly," describes the weather service "Flash flooding of small creeks and streams streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas." Locations impacted by the warning include Yonkers don't drown when encountering flooded roads Most flood deaths occur in vehicles." A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is either imminent or already occurring it's crucial to move immediately to higher ground A flash flood is a sudden and violent inundation that can develop within minutes to hours and it can even happen in areas not currently experiencing rainfall A flood warning is declared when flooding is on the verge of happening or is already underway A flood advisory is issued when flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning it could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property A flood watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding It doesn't guarantee that flooding will occur but it signifies that the possibility exists In flood-prone regions or while camping in low-lying areas understanding and following the weather service flood safety guidelines can be a lifesaver: If you reside in a flood-prone region or are camping in low-lying terrain the first step to safety is relocating to higher ground When local authorities issue an evacuation order This reduces the risk of electrical hazards during flooding Steer clear of basements or rooms where water has submerged electrical outlets or cords Do not enter water that may carry an electrical charge Even just 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet reach the highest point possible and dial 911 to contact emergency services especially in low-lying and flood-prone regions Always remember never to drive through water on the road as little as 12 inches of rapidly flowing water can carry away most vehicles the risk of flooding and hazardous driving conditions rises Whether it's prolonged rainfall or rapid runoff Here are some valuable safety tips from the weather service to ensure you stay safe in heavy rain: Avoid parking or walking in close proximity to culverts or drainage ditches as the swiftly moving water during heavy rain can potentially carry you away Use the two-second rule to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you and allow an extra two seconds in heavy rain Ease off the gas pedal gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding Stick to the middle lanes on multi-lane roads to minimize the risk of hydroplaning as water tends to accumulate in outer lanes Turn on your headlights and be careful of other vehicles to the rear and in blind spot areas as they are especially difficult to see through rain-spattered windows The initial half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mixture of rain Exercise heightened caution during this period Large trucks and buses can reduce your visibility with tire spray Avoid tailgating and pass them swiftly and safely you can significantly reduce risks and ensure your well-being when heavy rain pours down Stay informed about weather conditions and heed advice from local authorities to make your journey safe and sound Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. 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