July 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City is on track to begin Phase IV of the state’s reopening plan Monday — but indoor businesses that were slated to reopen as part of the phase will remain shuttered. Indoor malls, museums, aquariums and other cultural centers will not reopen Monday, despite their initial inclusion… Read more »
July 17, 2020 By Michael Dorgan The Queens Borough President’s office is accepting applications for residents to serve on some of the borough’s Community Education Councils. Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee is looking to fill six positions in four districts before the new school year starts. CECs are part of the city’s school governance… Read more »
July 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio has extended the city’s outdoor dining program through the end of October to help restaurants bounce back from the months-long coronavirus shutdown. The mayor made the announcement while also noting that he has added a number of streets in Queens — and elsewhere — to… Read more »
July 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York bars and restaurants can no longer serve customers alcohol if they don’t purchase food, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday. The new rule was one of multiple Cuomo introduced yesterday that aim to crack down on bars and restaurants where social distancing violations have been common. Another new… Read more »
July 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin Throngs of candidates are already coming forward for next year’s primaries, as nearly all the city council seats in Queens will be “open” at the end of next year. Most city council members will be forced to vacate their seats at the end of 2021 due to term limits… Read more »
July 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City will offer free childcare services to the parents of more than 100,000 kids when school reopens in September, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The city will provide daycare for the children on days that they attend class remotely — which will be two to three… Read more »
July 16, 2020 By Michael Dorgan The mayor signed a package of police reform bills into law Wednesday that aim to combat police brutality and encourage greater police accountability. The legislation takes aim at police misconduct by banning cops from using chokeholds in all situations as well as making police records more accessible to the… Read more »
July 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin New Yorkers who are struggling to pay their rent as a result of coronavirus-related layoffs or pay cuts can apply for a rental relief grant starting tomorrow. The state has launched a “COVID Rent Relief Program” that provides a one-time payment of rental assistance directly to people’s landlord. The… Read more »
July 15, 2020 by Allie Griffin The city planning process that determines whether a piece of land can be rezoned will restart in August, after months of inaction due to the coronavirus. The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) is a months-long city review process that determines whether a building is allowed to be constructed… Read more »
July 15, 2020 By Michael Dorgan Police are searching for two men who lured a 19-year-old man into an apartment building in Maspeth Tuesday and stole his cellphone at gunpoint. Police said the man was called to 60-58 55th Street on July 14 at around 12:45 p.m and when inside, the two suspects approached him…. Read more »