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Edgemere man gets nearly two decades in prison for shooting off-duty cop in Far Rockaway: DA
Edgemere man gets nearly two decades in prison for shooting off-duty cop in Far Rockaway: DA

An Edgemere man was sentenced to 19 years in prison Tuesday for attempted murder in the shooting of an off-duty NYPD officer who he tried to carjack in Far Rockaway last year.

Chad Collie, 20, of Rockaway Beach Boulevard, pleaded guilty last month before Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino to attempted murder in the second degree.

According to the charges, at approximately 10 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2022, Collie and his accomplice Jayare Robinson approached off-duty NYPD Officer Manuel Soto as he sat in his vehicle, which was stopped at a traffic light near the intersection of Beach Channel Drive and Beach 62nd Street. Collie tapped on the driver’s side window and, at gunpoint, demanded the 22-year-old off-duty cop get out of the car.

Video surveillance shows Soto exiting the vehicle and backing away from Collie, who proceeded to fire three shots at the officer, striking him once in the shoulder, according to the charges. The off-duty officer returned fire but missed Collie, who then fled the scene on foot.

Advocates pen letter blasting Mayor Adams’ legal motion to suspend right-to-shelter

Homeless advocates penned a letter to a Manhattan Supreme Court judge opposing Mayor Eric Adams’ recent legal motion calling for the suspension of the city’s decades-old right-to-shelter law amid the ongoing migrant influx.

The letter, sent last Thursday and released Tuesday, comes in response to Adams last week filing a court motion to exempt the city from its legal mandate — established by the 1984 Callahan v. Carey consent decree — to provide shelter to single adults and adult couples when it “lacks the resources and capacity” to do so. The mayor and top administration officials say they’re not seeking to abolish the right-to-shelter, but rather “clarity” from the court that would give them more “flexibility” in finding suitable housing for tens of thousands of migrants.

Rockaway’s piping plovers among endangered species commemorated on U.S. Postal Service stamps

A day before the city reopened nearly 70 blocks of public beaches along the Rockaway peninsula for the Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Postal Service and National Park Service hosted a special event at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Broad Channel to honor the piping plover, an endangered shorebird featured on new stamps.

In attendance were members of the NYC Plover Project, a nonprofit with more than 250 volunteers, who have been on the beaches since March preparing for the summer swim season, who celebrated the newly released stamp sheet commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.

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Bayside High School hosts annual Social Entrepreneur Trade Fair

Bayside High School hosted its annual Social Entrepreneur Trade Fair Friday. Students from the Career and Technical Education Humanities and Nonprofit Management program each pitched their socially responsible products to students, staff and others in attendance.

Each of the 11th grade students in the program have been taking a college credit course from Farmingdale State College called Social Entrepreneur. The students were divided into 17 groups of five and tasked with coming up with innovative ideas to create businesses while also being socially responsible. The Social Entrepreneur Trade Fair grants them with the opportunity to work on pitching their products to potential customers.

Annual Memorial Day ceremony held at Korean War memorial in Kissena Park

On Friday, May 26, the second annual Memorial Day Ceremony in Kissena Park brought live music, local dignitaries, veterans groups, a presentation of the Colors by members of the Francis Lewis High School JROTC, a flower-laying ceremony and more to the Flushing community.

Those in attendance included Councilwoman Sandra Ung, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, state Senator John Liu, veterans groups, local students, Boy Scout Troop 253 and others.

Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade honors fallen heroes

Rain or shine, the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade, touted as the largest Memorial Day parade in the United States, has been a staple of the quaint Queens neighborhoods since 1927. Thousands lined the parade route under clear blue sky along Northern Boulevard from Jayson Avenue in Great Neck to 245th Street in Douglaston on May 29 to honor the brave men and women who answered their call to service and made the ultimate sacrifice while defending their country.

Many onlookers sporting patriotic attire waved Old Glory and cheered on the parade of military vehicles, veteran and military groups and marching bands led by Grand Marshal Vice Admiral Joanna M Nunan, the first female commander of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. This year’s parade marshals were retired Master Sergeant Lawrence Badia and Vietnam veteran Richard Weinberg.

Flushing native John Favreau to receive honorary doctorate at Queens College commencement ceremony

Actor-director and Flushing native John Favreau will be awarded an honorary doctorate at Queens College’s 99th commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 1. 

Queens College President Frank Wu will preside over the college’s commencement exercises, which will recognize over 5,000-degree candidates. In total, the college will award just over 5,100 undergraduate and graduate degrees this year to candidates from summer and fall 2022, and winter and spring 2023.​ 

Laurelton native, BMX star Nigel Sylvester helps to unite underserved communities through biking

For Laurelton native and professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester, Roy Wilkins Park in Jamaica holds a special place in his heart. It’s where he played various sports with his friends and honed his craft in BMX bike riding. Earlier this month, Sylvester returned to the park to give back to the community through his love for cycling.

On May 13, Sylvester partnered with JPMorgan Chase Bank to host his first-ever ‘Pedal Forward’ event that included a bike clinic for bike tune-ups and education, carnival games, local food vendors, and a kickball game with free giveaways and more.

Uncle fatally shoots nephew, wounds niece due to dinner dispute in St. Albans: NYPD

Police are seeking a man who fatally shot his nephew 14 times and also shot his niece in a St. Albans home after being involved in a dispute over cooking dinner Saturday night, according to authorities.

Police from the 113th Precinct responded to a 911 call regarding shots fired inside of a Pineville Lane home at approximately 9:15 p.m. on May 27. Upon their arrival, officers found 25-year-old Chevaughn Millings, who lived in the residence, with 14 gunshot wounds to his body.

Queens police shooting: New York State Trooper fires on suspect after Grand Central Parkway pursuit

A New York State trooper opened fire on a driver who led them on a pursuit along the Grand Central Parkway in Queens and then charged at them with their vehicle on Friday night, law enforcement sources said.

State police said the trouble began at around 10:45 p.m. on May 26 along the Grand Central Parkway, as two troopers assigned to a DWI checkpoint pursued a driver who failed to stop. 

Mayor kicks-off ‘Jamaica Neighborhood Plan’ for new jobs, housing, streetscape improvements

Mayor Eric Adams and multiple city agencies on May 26 launched a new effort for a community-led planning process to create new jobs and housing and deliver streetscape improvements in Jamaica.

Overseen by the Department of City Planning (DCP), the ambitious community-driven “Jamaica Neighborhood Plan” will explore opportunities to promote job growth in the neighborhood; create new housing, especially permanently affordable housing and housing produced in partnership with faith-based institutions; and enhance resiliency, including by addressing flooding.

Elderly St. Albans man convicted of attempted murder in 2021 shooting of Briarwood deli owner: DA

A 73-year-old St. Albans man was found guilty in connection with the shooting of a Briarwood deli owner in 2021 and the subsequent discovery of a large quantity of heroin in his home, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on May 26.

Following a jury trial, James Fraley, of Farmers Boulevard, was convicted on May 25 of attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.

Bayside resident wins ‘Jeopardy!’

Bayside resident Jesse Chin emerged as the winner on the May 25 episode of Jeopardy!. Chin ended up winning $24,801 and will return to the show next week to defend his title.

Chin works as an accounting director. He entered Final Jeopardy with $14,800, which was $2,400 more than the person in second place. While the other two contestants ended up being correct on the Final Jeopardy answer, so was Chin, who had wagered $10,001.

Queens’ 104th Precinct cautions pedestrians during virtual traffic safety meeting

The NYPD’s 104th Precinct noted a 21% decrease in motor vehicle accidents for the Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, and Ridgewood neighborhoods, when compared to the same time last year, at a virtual public traffic safety meeting on Wednesday, May 24.

Captain Juan Moran, executive officer of the 104th Precinct, led the virtual Zoom meeting and shared key statistics on traffic safety in the area, including a spike in pedestrian-related incidents.

Queensborough Community College hosts annual Partners for Progress Gala

Queensborough Community College held its annual Partners for Progress Gala on Wednesday, May 24, at Terrace on the Park, during which seeveral alumni shared the secrets to their success after attending the school.

The event honored NYC Health + Hospitals President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mitchell Katz and Taiwanese American Arts Council Executive Director and Chief Curator Luchia Meihua Lee. NYC Health + Hospitals was named Healthcare Partner of the Year, while the Taiwanese American Arts Council was named Art Gallery Partner of the Year.