July 16, 2021 By Allie Griffin Elizabeth Crowley conceded in the Queens borough president race Friday after finishing behind incumbent Borough President Donovan Richards by less than one percentage point. Crowley announced she was conceding after the Board of Elections (BOE) counted the final absentee and affidavit ballots Thursday. “With the BOE opening and counting… Read more »
July 16, 2021 By Allie Griffin Overdose deaths in Queens surged at an alarming rate during the pandemic, the Queens District Attorney revealed in a report Friday. Nearly 50 percent more Queens residents died of a fatal overdose in 2020 compared to 2019 — in a devastating shift that mirrors a nation-wide trend. “There is… Read more »
July 16, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio called on state officials Thursday to enact congestion pricing by next year. He urged the MTA to put its long-delayed plan to charge drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street in place by July 2022. “It’s time for the state to get in gear, get congestion… Read more »
July 16, 2021 By Allie Griffin Advocates who are calling for a north-south subway line in central Queens say the proposal is more feasible than what the MTA estimates. A new report commissioned by supporters of the proposal, dubbed the QueensLink Corridor, found that the project would be billions of dollars less than what the… Read more »
July 15, 2021 By Allie Griffin A Corona man was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for fatally shoving his elderly landlord down a flight of stairs last year. Alex Garces, 23, pushed 71-year-old Edgar Moncayo down the front steps of his Corona home on Jan. 12, 2020, following an argument over unpaid rent…. Read more »
July 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin More than 40,000 people have signed a petition calling on Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz to reopen a case in which a Black man was convicted for the murder of a woman in Howard Beach. The petition-signers believe that Chanel Lewis who was found guilty of the 2016 murder… Read more »
July 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin The number of council women of color representing Queens will more than quadruple next year as the New York City Council is on a path to be the most diverse class yet. Women of color will likely hold as many as nine out of the 15 Queens council seats… Read more »
July 13, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city is reopening more facilities this month where New Yorkers can get a city-issued ID in an effort to help undocumented residents access financial assistance via a $2.1 billion state fund created for them. The city is reopening five more IDNYC enrollment centers that have been shuttered due to… Read more »
July 12, 2021 By Allie Griffin New York City Restaurant Week returns next Monday with deals from more than two dozen Queens eateries. Restaurants across the five boroughs — including 31 in Queens — will be offering discounts on their menu items from July 19 through August 22 as part of an extended Restaurant Week…. Read more »
July 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin City officials announced a multi-million dollar plan today to reboot New York City public schools after the majority of students spent a year learning online. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter outlined a $635 million “academic recovery plan” Thursday that focuses on improving early literacy… Read more »