Dec. 30, 2024 By Meaghan McGoldrick O'Neil The Brooklyn Bar Association (BBA) held its Annual Dinner at the El Caribe in Mill Basin earlier this month, bringing together the borough’s top lawyers and judges to recognize the accomplishments of Kings County’s legal eagles. Awards were given to outstanding individuals in the legal field, including…
Dec. 30, 2024 By Lauren Rapp The Brighton Beach community came together last week near Coney Island for a joyous menorah lighting, marking the first night of Hanukkah with a celebration of light, unity and freedom. Rabbi David and Rebbetzin Yocheved Okunov of the Warbasse Jewish Heritage Congregation led families in kindling the neighborhood’s menorah…
Dec. 27, 2024 By Ethan Stark-Miller Community advocates gathered at Brooklyn’s Coney Island Stillwell Avenue subway station on Thursday afternoon to mourn a woman who was burned to death in the station on Sunday morning. The prayer vigil, hosted by activist Rev. Kevin McCall, was held to commemorate the yet-to-be-identified woman who died after being set…
Dec. 27, 2024 By Brooklyn Paper We’ve arrived at the tail end of the year, and before we look forward toward 2025, we’re looking back at some of the biggest stories of 2024. This year was busy in Brooklyn! Locals were divided by protests and conflicts — and worked to come back together. Brooklynites…
Dec. 27, 2024 By Lauren Rapp The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office has launched a groundbreaking effort to combat cryptocurrency scams targeting Brooklyn’s Russian-speaking community, alerting over 1,200 victims and disrupting a fraudulent network preying on unsuspecting investors. The DA’s office announced last week that investigators dismantled the operation by seizing the mail servers of…
Dec. 26, 2024 By Robert Pearl The Israel Fair at Kings Bay Y drew hundreds of attendees earlier this month for a vibrant celebration of Israeli culture, community and connection. Organized by the World Zionist Organization’s Department for the Promotion of Aliyah and hosted by Ari Kagan, the Dec. 8 event transformed the Sheepshead…
Dec. 24, 2024 By Gabriele Holtermann While many New Yorkers prepare for holiday gatherings this week, 34 families in Gowanus Houses face a grim reality due to a gas line shutdown that has plagued three NYCHA buildings for weeks. To spread some holiday cheer, Council Member Shahana Hanif (D-Brooklyn), her staff, members of the…
Dec. 23, 2024 By Lauren Rapp Just in time for Christmas, St. Catherine of Genoa church in East Flatbush is open again following a fire in August. Bishop Robert Brennan blessed the church’s renovation at the morning Mass of Thanksgiving on Dec. 15. “This is a strong and resilient parish that is stronger and…
Dec. 23, 2024 By Dean Moses The man accused of setting a woman on fire onboard a Brooklyn subway train was charged Monday with first and second-degree murder. Law enforcement sources identified the suspect as Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, was arrested on Sunday after he allegedly walked up to a woman on an F train…
Dec. 23, 2024 By Kirstyn Brendlen & Lloyd Mitchell Two separate residential fires left 24 people displaced in East Flatbush over the weekend. On Friday, Dec. 20, shortly before 8 p.m., a two-alarm fire broke out at a single-family home on the 800 block of New York Avenue, near Linden Boulevard. When firefighters arrived…