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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
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What Happened in New York This Week: 9 Stories You Need to Read

By Julie Shapiro | September 19, 2014 2:53pm | Updated on September 19, 2014 5:32pm
 Top stories this week include affordable housing in East Harlem, elementary school rankings and a vendor who was kicked by an NYPD officer.
Week in Review
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NEW YORK — From pot smokers doing martial arts to the city's search for a new blacksmith, a lot happened this week.

In case you weren't paying attention, here's what you need to know about affordable apartments, kosher barbecue and more:

MAP: Elementary School Rankings

The state's English test is tough — but at some of the city's top schools, students aced it. DNAinfo mapped out how fourth-graders performed across the city on the important exam, which is a key factor in middle school admissions. Click here to see how your local school scored.

Get a Studio for $500 a Month

A new affordable housing building is rising in East Harlem, and now is your chance to apply for an apartment there. Studios in the 88-unit building start at about $500 per month, while three-bedrooms start at about $750. For information on how to apply, click here.

Abused and Neglected Kids Go Missing

The city filed nearly 1,600 missing reports for kids who disappeared from an Administration for Children's Services-run foster facility over about a year, DNAinfo New York reported this week. Many of the abused and neglected kids were handcuffed by police when they were found, a practice advocates have criticized as unnecessarily traumatizing to the children. Mayor Bill de Blasio said DNAinfo's report "raises concerns."

VIDEO: NYPD Officer Kicks Vendor, Gets Suspended

An NYPD officer who was caught on video kicking a vendor at a street festival in Sunset Park has been suspended. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said the officer was "totally unprovoked" when he kicked 22-year-old fruit vendor Jonathan Daza.

Looking for an Experienced Blacksmith

The city's longtime blacksmith recently retired, and now officials are looking to hire a new one. The job, which pays more than $100,000, will entail forging tools and repairing playgrounds for the Parks Department.

NYPD Studies Link Between Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence

The NYPD's new animal cruelty unit, which formed earlier this year, is looking at the connection between domestic violence and the abuse of animals, in the hope of rooting out both problems in the city. Many domestic violence victims say that they stay in abusive relationships because they worry about what will happen to their pets if they leave, police said.

Letitia James Supported Hotel Development After Builder Donated to Her Campaign

Letitia James wrote a glowing letter of support for a developer that was vying for a city project, just a couple days after the developer wrote several thousand dollars worth of checks to her campaign for public advocate. James' spokeswoman said she does not make decisions based on campaign donations.

Stoners Learn Martial Arts Through Occupy Weed Street

A marijuana advocacy group called Occupy Weed Street recently launched a "420 Fight Club" to combine pot smoking with free martial arts lessons. The goal, organizers said, is to combat the stereotype that stoners are lazy.

Kosher BBQ Coming to Crown Heights

Barbecued brisket, beef ribs, smoked chicken and more are on the way to Crown Heights next month — and all the woodsmoked meat will be kosher. The creator of Izzy's BBQ Addiction, an on-demand kosher barbecue delivery service, is expanding into a full brick-and-mortar location at 397 Troy Ave.