Sept. 28, 2020 By Christian Murray A Woodside wedding venue and a Flushing karaoke bar were both shut down by authorities over the weekend for having large indoor crowds in breach of COVID-19 restrictions. The New York City Sheriff’s Dept. brought an abrupt end to a wedding celebration being held at the Royal Elite Palace… Read more »
By Suhail Bhat, THE CITY This story was originally published on 9/27/20 by THE CITY While some essential workers are getting a respite from intense demands posed by COVID-19, city Department of Sanitation employees are hauling record-busting volumes of garbage as more New Yorkers work and go to school from home. Residents, meanwhile, are complaining… Read more »
Sept. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin Two Queens police precincts welcomed new commanding officers earlier this week. Both the 104th Precinct and the 114th Precinct got new leaders on Monday. The 104th Precinct, which covers Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth and Glendale, welcomed Captain Louron Hall on Monday. Hall most recently served as the commanding officer… Read more »
Sept. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City’s popular outdoor dining initiative will now be year-round and permanent, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The “Open Restaurants” program, where restaurants can set up outdoor dining on sidewalks and streets, will continue into the fall and winter months, de Blasio said. The “Open Streets: Restaurants”… Read more »
Sept. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens State Sen. Jessica Ramos and City Comptroller Scott Stringer are calling on the city to make its Open Streets program a year-round initiative. The officials penned a letter to the mayor Thursday asking him to extend the program that turns specific streets over to pedestrians and restaurants beyond… Read more »
Sept. 24, 2020 By Christian Murray The Queens Public Library announced today that seven additional branches are slated to reopen for “to-go” service Monday. The library system currently has 15 branches open for to-got service and after Monday it will have 22 up and running. The latest branches to be added include the Arverne Library,… Read more »
Sept. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Queens Memory Project, an ongoing community archiving program supported by the Queens Public Library and Queens College Library, will celebrate its 10-year anniversary next week with a Facebook Live event. The project, in which volunteers record interviews with Queens residents, has collected more than 600 oral histories of… Read more »
Sept. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin More than 9,000 city employees will be furloughed as the city faces a major budget deficit spurred by the coronavirus shutdown, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. Thousands of managerial and non-union city employees must take five days of furlough between October and March, which will save the city… Read more »
Sept. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin A motorcyclist is dead after blowing a red light and hitting a pedestrian in the crosswalk at a Middle Village intersection on Saturday. Daniel Fernandez Torres, 27, of Maspeth, ran through a red light on his motorcycle and struck a 43-year-old woman who was crossing the street at the… Read more »
Sept. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin Parents with children in western Queens public schools are less likely to keep their kids at home to learn remotely than the rest of the city. The percentage of students in western Queens school districts learning remotely is significantly lower than the rest of the city, according to… Read more »