April 29, 2021 By Ryan Songalia Two men have been indicted on a long list of charges involving the sex trafficking of teenagers at two Queens hotels. Lawrence Winslow and Alan Velvett, both 27, face up to life in prison on two indictments for allegedly raping and trafficking their young victims in February. Winslow and… Read more »
April 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio released the city’s executive budget for Fiscal Year 2022 Monday and included millions of dollars in funding for speed cameras, open streets and bike lanes among other items. The $98.6 billion “Recovery Budget” has been padded with federal stimulus money to help New York City… Read more »
April 29, 2021 By Michael Dorgan Food and fun! That’s the concept behind a new outdoor barbeque restaurant that opened in Astoria earlier this month that features a large games area. Backyard Smokehouse, located at 25-22 Astoria Blvd., opened on April 15 and is serving barbequed meats that are cooked with Korean ingredients. It also… Read more »
April 28, 2021 By Ryan Songalia A bill that redefines the definition of rape passed the State Assembly on Tuesday. The legislation, typically referred to as the “Rape is Rape” bill, aims to expand the definition beyond vaginal penetration. Currently, oral and anal sexual assaults are charged as “criminal sexual acts,” not rape. While criminal… Read more »
April 28, 2021 By Allie Griffin A slew of state-imposed COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants will be lifted next month. Previous executive orders that Governor Andrew Cuomo imposed on the businesses at the height of the pandemic — such as curfews, the required food with alcohol purchase rule, and the suspension of bar service… Read more »
April 28, 2021 By Ryan Songalia A woman who allegedly scammed her Maspeth employer out of millions of dollars has been charged with grand larceny and faces up to 25 years in prison. Vedeyah Badal, 56, who worked as an in-house accountant at Titan Industrial Services Inc., allegedly swindled the firm by putting fake employees… Read more »
April 28, 2021 By Christian Murray A large piece of property that fronts both Roosevelt Avenue and Queens Boulevard has hit the market with an asking price of $14,650,000. The site, located at 50-01 Queens Blvd., is currently occupied by Boston Market, which has four years left on its lease with no right of renewal…. Read more »
April 28, 2021 By Allie Griffin Students attending St. John’s University in the fall will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before class begins. The university announced last Wednesday that all students who plan to attend in-person classes next semester will be required to be fully vaccinated. COVID-19 shots are now available to all… Read more »
April 28, 2021 By Ryan Songalia Police released video footage Tuesday of a shooting that took place on Northern Boulevard in Long Island City earlier this month that left a man hospitalized. The police said that two unidentified suspects approached a 44-year-old man at approximately 8:40 p.m. on April 9 in front of 30-25 Northern… Read more »
April 28, 2021 By Allie Griffin A 41-year-old man was stabbed to death inside his Springfield Gardens home early Tuesday. Henry Garland was allegedly stabbed in his neck and torso by a 31-year-old man inside the house on North Conduit Avenue just before 1 a.m., police said. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center… Read more »