Oct. 15, 2021 By Christian Murray Two Democratic candidates running for city council held a press conference outside an Oakland Gardens elementary school Friday to protest the mayor’s decision to eliminate the Gifted & Talented program. Democratic nominees Linda Lee and Sandra Ung—who are both vying to represent council districts in eastern Queens—gathered in front… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2021 By Allie Griffin A new state law will soon make it illegal to threaten to report someone to ICE as a form of blackmail. The legislation, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law last week, classifies such threats as extortion or coercion under New York law and therefore a crime. “New York… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2021 By Allie Griffin A Far Rockway man was sentenced to prison Thursday after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide charges stemming from a drunk driving crash that killed his passenger. Nicholas Thompson, 36, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half to 17 years in prison for killing 32-year-old Jolenna Favor last year when he crashed his… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2021 By Michael Dorgan The owners of a Mexican fusion restaurant in Astoria are planning on opening a second venue in the neighborhood. Brian Martinez, who co-owns Fresco’s Cantina on 31st Avenue with his husband Adrian Suero, will open a sister restaurant at 28-50 31st Street next month. The business will occupy a… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2021 By Allie Griffin A new Chiptole restaurant — the first Queens location with a walk-up window — opened in Flushing Thursday. The casual Mexican eatery opened at 136-31 Roosevelt Ave. and offers the usual menu items including burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, salads, guacamole, chips and queso. The restaurant is open daily… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin Residential sales prices across Queens grew at the highest rate among the five boroughs over the past year, according to a new report. The median sales price in Queens was $580,000 in the third quarter of 2021, a 17 percent increase from the third quarter of 2020 — representing… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2021 By Michael Dorgan A city clean-up initiative that launched in April has removed 600,000 bags of trash from New York streets, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. The City Cleanup Corps, which consists of nearly 10,000 workers, has also hand-swept more than 50,000 city blocks, repainted 900 defaced properties and cleaned 25,000… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2021 By Max Parrott Several Queens legislators have called on a city panel tasked with overseeing public art and architecture to vote to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson in the City Council chambers as a form of reckoning with his legacy as a slaveholder. The 11-member city Public Design Commission will hold… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2021 By Michael Dorgan A virtual walk celebrating religious freedom and the founding of Flushing will take place Sunday. The event, called the Queens Interfaith Unity Walk, will see residents from different religious backgrounds come together and virtually visit houses of worship in Queens. The walk, now in its 12th year, is being… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin Six million New York City residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. “This is unbelievable,” de Blasio said during his morning press briefing. “Six million people who have gone and done the right thing for themselves and their families,… Read more »