Jan. 1, 2021 By Christian Murray Three men were shot, one fatally, outside a Kew Gardens hotel this morning, in what authorities say was the first homicide in New York City this year. The shooting took place at around 1:10 a.m. outside the Umbrella Hotel, a hotel known for being a hotbed for crime that… Read more »
Dec. 30, 2020 By Christian Murray The mayor announced Tuesday that the city is extending a pilot program that allows storefront owners to sell goods on the sidewalk. The initiative, dubbed the Open Storefronts program, was launched at the end of October and will now be in operation until Sept. 30, 2021. The program is… Read more »
Dec. 29, 2020 By Christian Murray The Department of Transportation constructed 28.6 miles of protected bicycle lanes across the city in 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The mayor said 2020 was a record year in terms of mileage, outdoing 2017 when 24.9 miles of protected bicycle lanes were built. The borough of Queens… Read more »
Dec. 28, 2020 By Christian Murray The New York State legislature is set to pass a bill Monday that would block the eviction of struggling New Yorkers until May 1. Elected officials are convening a special session to pass the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act that aims to help residents remain in their… Read more »
Dec. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin A 19-year-old was arrested Wednesday after he struck a pedestrian in Glendale and drove off. Brian Singh, of South Richmond Hill, was driving a GMC Yukon at 2:40 p.m. when he hopped a center median at Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard and hit a 17-year-old pedestrian, police said. The… Read more »
Dec. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin The number of chain stores in Queens dropped by more than 10 percent over the past year, according to a new report. In all, 198 chain stores shut their doors in the borough — an 11 percent drop over the past year, according to the Center for an Urban… Read more »
Dec. 23, 2020 By Michael Dorgan An 81-year-old man is dead from a suspected carbon monoxide poisoning incident in Maspeth Wednesday. Nicholas Kehagias was discovered inside a warehouse building, located at 54-19 Flushing Ave., just after noon by police and firefighters, according to the FDNY and NYPD. They were responding to a 911 call of… Read more »
Dec. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Queens Public Library released its list of the top books checked out by readers this year. During a year of uncertainty, many Queens readers turned to popular titles, the list shows. “Our list suggests that readers in Queens, the epicenter of the pandemic when it first came to… Read more »
Dec. 23, 2020 By Christian Murray Congresswoman Grace Meng has announced that she has secured $180 million in federal funds to help places of worship and nonprofit entities protect their property against attack. Meng, who represents much of central Queens, said that the federal funds would help improve security at churches, mosques, synagogues and educational… Read more »
Dec. 22, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio wants the nearly 1,000 speed cameras placed throughout the city to be able to ticket drivers going over the limit 24 hours a day, seven days a week. De Blasio called on state lawmakers to allow New York City to run speed cameras around the… Read more »