Jul. 23, 2025 By Athena Dawson A sunny and sandy Rockaway tradition is resuming this August. The office of Council Member Joann Ariola, in partnership with NYC Parks and the Rockaway Times, is celebrating National Sandcastle Day with the Rockaway Sandcastle Contest on Saturday, Aug. 2. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., participants of…
Jul. 23, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Ben Guttmann, the new executive director of the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC), plans to promote the borough as the “best place to do business, the best place to grow a business and the best place to spend your money as a tourist.” Guttmann, who took the reins…
Jul. 23, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Council Member Robert Holden described the acquittal of New York City carriage driver Ian McKeever as a “travesty of justice” after McKeever was cleared of animal cruelty charges related to the collapse of a horse in August 2022. Prosecutors had argued that McKeever relentlessly drove the horse —…
Jul. 22, 2025 By Athena Dawson A Malverne native with family ties to Queens has been drafted by Major League Baseball (MLB). The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Joe Ariola, 21, in the seventh round and 213th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Ariola has since signed a contract with the team on July 21.…
Jul. 22, 2025 By Bill Parry A Queens grand jury indicted a Jackson Heights man on murder charges for allegedly beating his wife to death in their apartment in 2024. Jose Lequerica, 50, of 34th Avenue, was arrested by the NYPD in the same apartment on Tuesday, July 22, and booked at the 115th…
Jul. 22, 2025 By Barbara Russo-Lennon An additional 12 NYC subway stations will get elevators and other accessibility features as part of the MTA’s 2025-2029 capital plan, the agency announced on Tuesday. The dozen stations are in addition to at least 60 others set to become ADA-accessible under the $68.4 billion five-year budget plan.…
Jul. 22, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas picked up a number of high-profile endorsements after officially launching her state Senate campaign in Jackson Heights Monday night as she looks to unseat incumbent State Sen. Jessica Ramos in the Democratic primary for Senate District 13 next year. González-Rojas, who currently represents Assembly…
Jul. 22, 2025 By Barbara Russo-Lennon City and state officials announced on Tuesday that the MTA will extend enhanced Rockaway express bus service on three lines as part of a pilot program on the Rockaway Peninsula following the return of the A train in the area. The program will include the continued expansion of the…
Jul. 22, 2025 By Dean Moses and Adam Daly Federal agents continued to arrest immigrants attending mandatory court hearings in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, as alleged leaked footage from ICE detention appears to show immigrants being kept at the facility in squalid conditions. The leaked video — taken from the 10th floor of 26…
Jul. 22, 2025 By Shane O’Brien U.S. Rep. Grace Meng has introduced legislation that would require United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents to visibly display their badge, badge number and law enforcement affiliation when carrying out arrests or questioning individuals. Meng’s legislation, introduced on July 9, seeks to amend the Immigration and…