Synagogue 'Arson'; NYC Smog Alert; Music Teacher Paid For Kid Sex, Feds Say: PM Digest

NEW YORK, NY — The good news: There's now one less (alleged) child predator lurking within the NYC Schools system. Below, the sick allegations against a well-liked music teacher in Queens, plus all the other local news stories worth talking about by sundown on Wednesday, May 17. Stories are pulled from our 28 neighborhood Patch sites across the city.

NYC Music Teacher Had Sex With Teens, Tried To Pay Pimp For 8-Year-Old, Feds Say

The Manhattan U.S. Attorney revealed a slew of shocking sex-trafficking charges this week against Oliver Sohngen, 52, founder of the renowned Long Island City Academy of Music.

See Plans For Queens' Version Of The High Line

Much like the original version in Chelsea, the new QueensWay Park will stretch along an out-of-use railway.

Famed Tribeca Designer Still Missing After Her Plane Vanished In The Bermuda Triangle

Debris from the same type of plane Jennifer Blumin, her two small kids and her boyfriend were flying from Puerto Rico to Florida has surfaced in the water off the Bahamas, the Coast Guard says. Here's the latest.

Teen Slashed Outside Brooklyn High School, Police Say

It's the second student slashing in NYC this week.

Rally To Halt Upper West Side's Tallest Tower Devolves Into Awkward Squabble Between Politicians

City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal couldn't contain her fury when her challenger, Mel Wymore, showed up to a rally she planned in protest of a proposed mega-development on Amsterdam Avenue.

This Gnarly Heat Wave Is Making NYC Super Smoggy

An "air quality alert" has been issued across the city. Here's an hour-by-hour look at rising temps and air pollution.

Amtrak May Move To Grand Central For Summer

Amtrak, which owns and operates Penn Station, may abandon the station this summer during a period of obstructive renovation work.

Live Inside An Old NYPD Gym For $18.5 Million

If the walls in this Nolita four-bedroom could talk...

Manhattan DJ School Is A Total Sham, Teachers And Students Say

Dubspot's owner is facing accusations from more than 50 former students that he scammed them and failed to provide classes they already paid for.

Lower East Side Synagogue Fire Latest: Teen Charged With Arson

A 14-year-old has been charged with setting the historic Beth Hamedrash Hagadol synagogue on fire over the weekend.

Watch: Protesters Demand Cheaper Subway Rides For Low-Income NYers

See footage from the fiery Riders Alliance rally today demanding reduced-price MetroCards for those who can't afford rising ticket prices.

This Brooklyn Creep Groped 2 Little Girls In The Street, Police Say

Recognize the guy in the surveillance footage? Cops want to hear from you.

Woman Hit, Killed By Garbage Truck In Greenwich Village

The victim was crossing West 8th Street at 6th Avenue when she was hit and killed.

Pics: Check Out Chris Rock's $3.85M Carriage House In Clinton Hill

Rock purchased the century-old home in the 1990s when he was newly famous and starring on Saturday Night Live.

Mayor May Lift Gender-Segregated Swim Policy At Williamsburg Public Pool

The policy was originally imposed by local Orthodox Jewish leaders.

Rich White Kid Asks How Not To Gentrify Brooklyn; Redditers Happy To Help

The kid says his mom is paying his rent so he doesn't have to live near drug dealers.

NYPD Cruiser Backs Into Woman On Bed-Stuy Street

The 23-year-old was pictured lying in the street after being rammed by a cop car.

You Could Totally Be Harry Styles' New Neighbor/Best Friend Forever

Two units are currently for sale in the British heartthrob's new "paparazzi-proof" Tribeca building — on his floor, no less.