This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

💌 Riding For Love + Eight Injured In U-Haul Attack + Special Learning

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Brooklyn.

Carlie Houser's profile picture
Carlie Houser, NeighborVerified User Badge
|
(Patch Media)

Happy Valentine's Day, Brooklyn! Keep reading to find out all the most important things happening in town, including updates on...

  • Cyclists participate in Valentine's Day-themed charity ride through Brooklyn for woman, mothers, and refugees 💞
  • U-Haul driver mows down several pedestrians in similar fashion to 2017 incident
  • Two new specialized programs from students with dyslexia are coming to Brooklyn

But first, today's weather:☀️ Breezy with sunshine. High: 54 Low: 41.

Business owners and marketers in Brooklyn: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top stories in Brooklyn today:

1. Over the weekend, a Valentine's Day-themed charity bike ride through Brooklyn helped raise money for domestic violence survivors and Ukrainians. Brooklyn cyclists gathered for 'Cranksgiving' on Sunday, for a charity ride featuring a scavenger hunt with landmark checkpoints. Riders completed a serious of love-related challenges as they moved from Aura Cafe in Prospect Park to Cobble Hill to Gowanus — dressed in pinks and reds, bikers adorned their two-wheelers with Valentine's Day decorations. Those who participated were collecting money for the Jewish Community House in Bensonhurst who are currently serving women and families who are victims of domestic violence, mothers who suffering postpartum, and refugees of all sorts. Right now, Jewish Community House in Bensonhurst is working to support nearly 300 Ukranian refugees.

NY News 12

2. A man has been arrested for bulldozing through several pedestrians in a U-Haul road rampage. At least eight people were injured on Monday morning when a 62-year-old man driving a U-Haul truck barreled through the Bay Ridge and Sunset Park neighborhoods, driving off the road into bike lands and onto sidewalks. Two of the eight injured were reported to be in critical condition. By 11:30 a.m., police were able to surround and stop the truck on a corner between Red Hook and Carroll Gardens where they arrested the driver without incident. NYPD were able to identify the driver as Weng Sor, though what his motives or connection to Brooklyn might have been are still being determined. The attack recalls a 2017 incident where Sayfullo Saipov, also driving a U-Haul truck, mowed down several pedestrians along the West Side highway in Manhattan. A jury met yesterday to discuss whether Saipov should get a death sentence. At this time, however, the two incidents are not believed to be linked.

NBC New York

3. Students with dyslexia who are struggling to read will now have access to two new specialized programs in Brooklyn. On Thursday, Chancellor David Banks announced that new program sites at P.S. 107 in Park Slope and P.S. 295 in Sunset Park follows similar programs established in Manhattan and the Bronx. These new study locations are part of a greater move on behalf of Mayor Eric Adams, himself diagnosed with dyslexia during childhood, to bring at least one specialized learning site to each of the five boroughs. One in five students has a language-based learning disability, and school can be a daunting place; for parents, finding the necessary instruction for their kids can be cost prohibitive. As part of the plan, P.S. 107 and P.S. 295 will receive $100,000 in state funding to go toward "teacher development and interventionists who can work with kids who have print-based learning disabilities in separate classrooms if required." Officials hope that these new programs, part of larger literacy goals among NYC Public Schools, will buttress those established during the Bloomberg era — many of which were considered ineffective.

Subscription / New York Daily News

Today in Brooklyn:

  • The Chocolate Makery, Jewish Children's Museum, Today @ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Details
  • Heart n' Beat Jazz Art Festival, Garden House, Today @ 3:30 - 10 p.m. | Details
  • 'Love and Basketball' Screening, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown Brooklyn, Today @ 6:20 p.m. | Details
  • Valentine's Day Is Murder: An Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner, Caroll Hall, Today @ 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. | Details
  • Speed Dating Event (21+), Radegast Hall & Biergarten, Today @ 7:30 - 10 p.m. | Details

🐝 Brooklyn Buzz:

  • ❣️ Need some last-minute Valentine's inspo? At the link, check out Brooklyn Reader's curated list of the "Things to do with your boo" in BK today, from ice skating to eloping at L'Industrie Pizza! (Brooklyn Reader)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

Featured events:

Featured housing:

Other featured classifieds:

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update!

— Carlie Houser

About me: I'm a recent grad based in Brooklyn, NY. I love to write, run, read, and find new restaurants and venues around the city.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Brooklyn Patch newsletter? Contact me at brooklyn@patch.com

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Brooklyn