Top Stories in New Rochelle from 2012

Jan. 1: New Year Brings New Council Members to New Rochelle—Separate ceremonies on New Year's Day saw a newly re-elected Mayor Noam Bramson sworn in, along with six members of the City Council, two of whom were beginning their first terms.

Jan. 10: Main Street Core Project Outlined to New Rochelle City Council—A proposed transit-oriented development was presented to the City Council that could bring 550 housing units to the city and replace the dilapidated Church Street parking lot.

Feb. 23: North Avenue Bridge Construction to Begin Thursday in New Rochelle—The state Department of Transportation began a months-long project to move utility lines from the North Avenue bridge to a nearby companion bridge. This phase of the project, which will eventually see the North Avenue bridge replaced, is scheduled to be completed by March 2013.

March 13: TV Pilot Scenes Shot in New Rochelle Tuesday [VIDEO]—The grounds of Isaac E. Young Middle School set the scene for a fictional rugby match for a television pilot for ABC by director Roland Emmerich.

March 21: [VIDEO] Key Food Opens Superstore in New Rochelle—Uncle Giuseppe's, a Long Island-based chain, opened a Key Food Superstore in the former A&P on Pelham Road. Several months later, the store was renamed Torino Market: A Taste of Italy.

April 17: New Rochelle OKs Review of City Yard/Echo Bay Development—The City Council unanimously approved an agreement with developer Forest City Residential that sets in motion an environmental review of a proposed development on the 11-acre Echo Bay site located on Long Island Sound at the current City Yard.

May 24: New Rochelle Schools Employee Arrested for Soliciting a 'Minor'—Patrick Clark, a New Rochelle School District employee, has been charged with soliciting a 15-year-old girl. He was arraigned on one count of first-degree attempted disseminating indecent material to minors, a class "E" felony.

July 13: Winning New Rochelle 325th Logo Unveiled—A logo designed by Deborah Haley was selected as the official logo for the City of New Rochelle’s  325th anniversary celebration. The new logo was unveiled at the annual Bastille Day celebration at City Hall. The official flag for the anniversary celebration will be raised at City Hall at 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 31.

Aug. 23: Man Sentenced for Machete Slaying in New Rochelle—Akeem Lindsay, 32, was sentenced to 30 years to life for the Feb. 2011 machete attack on his girlfriend that resulted in her death.

Aug. 31: Priest in New Rochelle Arrested on MA Rape Charges—Fr. Richard McCormick, a priest living in New Rochelle, was arrested and charged with five counts of raping a child at an Ipswich, MA, camp in 1981 and 1982.

Sept. 11: New Rochelle Police Officer Arrested in Sex Sting—New Rochelle police officer Matthew Melillo was arrested for allegedly trying to send a sexually explicit video to an undercover investigator posing as a 15-year-old girl.

Sept. 12: Citizens' Panel Releases Budget Recommendations—The New Rochelle Citizens' Panel on Sustainable Budgets completed its work and made its recommendations to the City Council to help stem a three-year $29 million budget deficit.

Sept. 12: 6 Fire Fighters to Be Added in New Rochelle—The New Rochelle Fire Department hired six new fire fighters thanks to a $1 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

Sept. 17: —The New York Lottery today announced Vincent Tardibono, a New Rochelle Pick 10 player, who won $500,000 in the drawing held on July 1. The winning ticket was purchased at  Shoretown Stationery, 434 Pelham Rd.

Oct. 10: College of New Rochelle Receives Ansel Adams Photos [VIDEO]—The College of New Rochelle announced a gift of 75 signed photographs, worth $2.5 million, by American photographer Ansel Adams. The collection was donated by former faculty member Caryl Horwitz in memory of Sister Dorothy Ann Kelly, former president of the college who died in 2009.

Oct. 16: No Cabaret for New Rochelle Restaurant—The New Rochelle City Council voted unanimously to not grant a special permit that would allow the Puerto Rican-food restaurant Siete Ocho Siete, located on Pelham Road, to operate as a cabaret in the heavily residential neighborhood.

Oct. 30: —New Rochelle residents woke up to find the destruction Superstorm Sandy caused throughout the city. Downed trees and power lines plunged about half the population into darkness. Scores of residents were housed at a Red Cross shelter set up at Albert Leonard Middle School, and some residents did not have electricity restored for almost two weeks.

Nov. 14: New Rochelle OKs Armory Agreement—The New Rochelle City Council approved a six-month letter of agreement between the city and Good Profit, the developer chosen for the adaptive reuse of the New Rochelle Armory.

Dec. 14: New Rochelle's Mayor to Run for County Exec—New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for county executive in 2013.

Dec. 18: — Westchester Medical Center and Sound Shore Health System, parent to Sound Shore Medical Center in New Rochelle, announced a memorandum of understanding to engage in exclusive talks exploring a merger.