Dec. 20, 2024 By Emily Davenport and QNS News Team After decades of helping New Yorkers celebrate life’s biggest moments, Party City is throwing its final party—announcing the closure of all its stores, including its last two locations in Queens. On Friday, Dec. 20, CEO Barry Litwin informed corporate employees during a meeting that…
Dec. 20, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Governor Kathy Hochul visited Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst on Thursday, engaging with local residents amid their holiday shopping to discuss the rising cost of living in New York and to promote her proposal to deliver Inflation Reduction checks aimed at easing financial burdens for New Yorkers. Hochul,…
Dec. 20, 2024 By Bill Parry The FDNY battled a two-alarm blaze at a restaurant in Rockaway Beach that stirred up some ghosts for residents of the neighborhood. The fire broke out just after 7 p.m. at the Smoke and Barrel BBQ at 97-20 Rockway Beach Blvd., in the same location as the old…
Dec. 20, 2024 By Athena Dawson After decades of advocacy, the 116th Precinct in Queens is finally open. Mayor Eric Adams, local elected officials, NYPD officials, and community leaders gathered at the precinct, located at 244-04 North Conduit Ave. in Rosedale, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The new precinct covers the…
Dec. 20, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Council Member Robert Holden sharply criticized the MTA on Wednesday after the transit authority’s board approved a 2025 budget plan that includes fare hikes for public transportation and toll increases beginning next summer. The MTA Board unanimously approved the budget at its monthly meeting on Dec. 18. The…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Bill Parry A Queens grand jury indicted an East Elmhurst man in connection to a July 4th fatal collision at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Yersson Diaz, 27, of Ericsson Street just south of LaGuardia Airport, appeared at Queens Criminal Court for a summons on Tuesday and was taken into custody,…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Pilar Deleon The auditorium of the Queens Central Library in Jamaica is set to undergo a comprehensive transformation thanks to $11 million in secured funding from the New York City Council and Mayor Eric Adams. Council Member Nantasha Williams, Speaker Adrienne Adams, members of the Queens Delegation, and Queens Public…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Barbara Russo Lennon and QNS News Team Queens commuters frustrated with inadequate bus service can look forward to improvements as the MTA plans to enhance service on several key routes next year. Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday that the upgrades, which will impact 24 bus lines across New York City,…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Eviction rates at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties have surged under the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, raising concerns about tenant protections, according to a new audit by NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. The PACT program, designed to address decades of underfunding and disrepair in public…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Athena Dawson Tap-to-pay is here to stay, and the iconic yellow MetroCards will soon be a New York City relic. The MTA announced on Friday, Dec. 13, that tap-and-go fare technology is now available for nearly all of the MTA’s millions of transit riders. OMNY, the MTA’s contactless fare payment…