A BILL BEING CONSIDERED IN THE U.S. SENATE WOULD HELP INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS WORKERS caught up in a backlog of visa applications.

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Earlier this month, the Bay Ridge community came together as local leaders, educators and residents celebrated the renaming of P.S. 413 — now proudly known as the Joanne Seminara School of Law and Medicine.

The state-of-the-art elementary school, located on Senator Street, opened in fall 2024 and is designed to prepare students for future careers in law and medicine. The June 2 ceremony included a ribbon-cutting, with students and administrators in attendance.

Seminara, who died in 2022, was a beloved attorney, educator and public service advocate. She served on Community Board 10 — which represents Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton — for 26 years, chairing the board from 2010 to 2013. Throughout her career, she also served as New York State Democratic Committee chairwoman and as an executive committee member of the New York State Democratic Party.

Before her time in local government, Seminara worked as a biology and chemistry teacher. Her husband, Pierre A. Lehu, spoke about her passion for young people during the ceremony.

“She understood that educating young people isn’t easy,” he said. “She would be so proud to know that a brand new elementary school with every possible facility to encourage education, including classes in both Arabic and English and a dental program, right here in Bay Ridge, where she so loved. It’s such an honor.”

“This keeps her memory alive, not just in our hearts, but in the minds of these young students,” Lehu continued. 

City Council Member Justin Brannan, who represents the 47th district and considered Seminara a close friend and mentor, spoke about her enduring influence on the Bay Ridge community. 

“For Joanne, community always came first,” Brannan said. “She believed your job as a human being was to leave the world a little better than how you found it. Her little living room on 78th Street felt like the old parlors of old, where ideas were discussed, policies were debated and plans were hatched.”

“Joanne’s compass was always pointed toward equity, fairness and integrity. When it came to speaking truth to power, Joanne had no fear,” he continued. “She was truly an inspiration to us all.”

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes echoed that sentiment and spoke of the legacy she left behind. 

“To sit in that living room of hers, to hash out problems and come up with ideas to make the community and world better, that was special,” he said. “I just can’t help but think about generations of students that will sit in this living room right here and draw that same inspiration from her name and her example and her integrity and their values.”

The school began with 25 kindergarten students and “plans to expand every year,” according to News 12 Brooklyn. The curriculum, based on law and medicine, will “help young students develop critical thinking, leadership and care for others.”

The NYPD says the reward for the apprehension of the alleged pro-Palestine protester wanted for torching a lot of police vehicles in Brooklyn earlier this month has now reached $30,000.

Law enforcement agencies are pooling their resources and offering a combined reward of $30,000 for the apprehension of 21-year-old Jakhi Lodgson-McCray. Police say $3,500 is being offered by Crime Stoppers upon arrest and indictment. An additional $6,500 is payable by Crime Stoppers upon conviction, while $10,000 is being offered by the ATF for arrest and conviction, and $10,000 is payable by the US Marshals upon arrest.

Police say Lodgson-McCray set some 11 police vehicles ablaze on June 12 as they sat parked in a lot along Dekalb and Central Avenues, causing over half a million dollars in damages to the cars and the surrounding homes. Cops say they found firestarters windshields, hoods, and tires of multiple NYPD vehicles.

“It’s not just an attack on the NYPD. It was an attack on the neighborhood of Bushwick itself, because if you look at this lot, there are several residences right next to it that sustained damage due to this fire,” Kenny said. “So, this was a reckless act. It was an attack on the NYPD, but it was also an attack on the safety of the community,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.

Police report that Lodgson-McCray is known to the department from his role in the 2024 Palestine protests at Columbia University, during which he posed as a student and allegedly caused damage at the school.

“He’s also wanted for a criminal mischief incident in Columbia University back in September, where he disguised himself as a student and caused over $1,000 of damage to a statue on the campus,” Chief Kenny said.

After the arson, Police say they captured video of Lodgson-McCray that depicted him changing his clothing several times while making his way to Manhattan. Cops believe he acted alone.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

HOSPITALS MUST CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY ABORTION CARE, says a coalition of 21 attorneys general led by NY Attorney General Letitia James

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