NYC NOW - Another Death on Rikers Island, A New Program Aimed at Truck Parking, and Local Basketball Is Having a Moment

Episode Date: March 20, 2025

New York City jail officials say a woman died Thursday on Rikers Island, marking the fourth local detainee death this year. Plus, New York City is launching a new program to keep 18-wheelers from parking in residential neighborhoods. And finally, sports reporter Priya Desai discusses a few of the local college basketball teams set to make a splash in the NCAA tournament.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Thursday, March 20th. Here's the midday news from Veronica Del Valle. New York City jail officials say a woman died this morning on Rikers Island. She's the fourth local detainee death so far this year. The Department of Corrections says the woman was unresponsive when breakfast was being served at the complex's west facility around 445 this morning.

Medical staff and paramedics sought to revive her, but she was pronounced dead shortly before 5.30. Officials have not yet released her identity and say they're investigating the incident. It comes a day after a city commission found the Rikers Island jails will not close by September of 27, as required under city law. New York City is launching a new program to keep 18-wheelerers from parking in residential neighborhoods. The pilot adds 45 designated spaces for trucks in industrial sections of Hunts Point in the Bronx, flatlands in Brooklyn and Mastbeth and Queens.

Truck drivers can park to pay in each spot with the city's Park NYC app. Queensland'sboro President Donovan Richards hopes the initiative will keep trucks from illegally taking away whole swaths of parking spaces. We've tried towing, but there simply aren't enough tow trucks. We try ticketing, but a lot of these big companies can eat the fines with no problem. But I think we can start to make some headway with this new overnight commercial parking program. Big rig drivers will have to pay $10 to occupy a space for eight hours. It's the first day of spring today, but it's not really feeling like it because of the weather, 48 and cloudy right now.

Today and afternoon drizzle and a chance of showers. Expect some fog, clouds with a high of 56. Tonight, showers and temperatures around 41. Tomorrow, showers likely during the morning rush, high in the low 50s. Stay close. There's more after the break. Is your bracket ready? March Madness is getting underway for St. John's Red Storm tonight as the Johnny's play Omaha to begin their run in the NCAA basketball tournament. St. John's is among the local or regional schools with an interesting story to tell.

Sports reporter Priya Dissai joins us to talk. about it now. Pretty good morning. Once again, let's start with the Red Storm. The Johnny's have a storied history, but they have not been part of the sports conversation here for quite some time. What a season St. John's is having. Yeah, Michael, it's been really fun watching this team play under head coach Rick Petino. In just two seasons, he's built a team that's created a buzz that brought back memories of the last really great St. John's team. In 1999, I call him the Y2K team. And back then it was Ron Artest, now known as former NBA player, Meadow World Peace. But back then, it was Queens native, Ron Artest being cheered on by Spike Lee in Madison Square Garden.

And now it's Brooklyn native Kadari Richmond being cheered on by Spike Lee in Madison Square Garden during the Big East Championship. I realized, Michael, when some of these players were asked about that team and do they, you know, see the comparison? they all were like, no, we weren't born yet. So that was a little humbling. What chances are you giving St. John's to make a deep run into this tournament? They get past this first round pretty easily. And then I see them at least into the Sweet 16.

The first round, there are two seed playing Omaha, who's a 15 seed. The odds are really in their favor. And yes, there are always those bracket buster moments. I don't think this is one. And also there's this lore around the team, specifically, under this coach, Petino knows how to take his teams on deep runs. He's taken six different programs to the big dance, unprecedented. Let's talk about the women's bracket. New York is, of course, home to the WMBA champions, New York Liberty, but there are a few schools here in the mix in the college

ranks as well, right? Yeah, Columbia has a playing game today, which means if they win, they'll be the last team to just make it into the tournament. And meanwhile, Fairfield, Frawley Dickinson and Yukon all qualified for the tournament. Yukon, of course, expected to go far with Coach Gino Ariama, leading the way. Michael, I looked it up before I came on. This is his 40th year with Yukon. Wow. Wow.

Wow, wow, wow. And Princeton, of course, the Princeton Women's Team basketball team played against Iowa State. They lost yesterday. Now, I want to talk about NYU. NYU is usually not a school mention when it comes to athletics or college basketball. But maybe it should. Tell us about the year NYU is having. Yeah, it's been a really interesting time for NYU basketball.

They are both headed to the Final Four. And if you're confused, this is because it's a D3 NCAA tournament. And I have so much respect for D3 players. They get no accolades, really, or TV time or scholarships. So this is for the love of the game. Now, the women have been here before. They won last year. They're the reigning champs.

They are also on a 75. five game winning streak, which is an NCAA record in any division, may I add. And both teams made history when they were both ranked number one in the nation at the same time. And if they both win in the finals, they'll be the first school in D3 to have both men's and women's team to win a championship in the same year. So it really gives a new meaning to the phrase teamwork. Now, Yukon has done that.

Both teams winning in 2004 and 2014, winning national championships. Free, I got to put you on the spot here. Your pick for national champions, March Madness, for the men, of course, who ultimately is going to win it all, and for the women. Okay, well, we'll start with the men. Can I maybe say St. John's will at least make it to the final? I want to, as a New Yorker, I do really want that to happen. And as far as the women, I'm going to go to South Carolina. They're my faves. They're a fun team. And they've had a really good season.

They sure have. Sports reporter Priya Dysai. Thank you so much, as always. Thank you. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a date for the latest news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back this evening. Thank you.