March 23, 2021 By Allie Griffin Council Member Eric Ulrich is calling on Department of Education to change its protocols on school closures–to prevent school buildings from shutting down and reopening so frequently. Ulrich penned a letter to Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter urging her to reconsider the current DOE policy that requires school buildings… Read more »
March 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin A car was stolen from a Long Island City auto body shop earlier this month and police are searching for the suspect. A 44-year-old man who was looking to get his vehicle repaired had parked his 2017 Toyota Camry outside A&P Auto Body and Repair Inc., located at 22-01… Read more »
March 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin New Yorkers as young as 50 years old will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning tomorrow morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. Cuomo lowered the current vaccine-eligibility age — which is 60 in New York State — by ten years. He first lowered it from 65 years old… Read more »
March 19, 2021 By Allie Griffin Council Member Costa Constantinides has endorsed Donovan Richards–the incumbent–in the Queens Borough President race. Constantinides, who unsuccessfully competed for the borough president spot last year, said Richards has performed well since he took office last year–following his victory in the special election. “Since taking office in December, he has… Read more »
March 19, 2021 By Allie Griffin U.S. Senator Charles Schumer urged the CEO of JetBlue to keep more than a thousand Long Island City-based corporate jobs in New York City after it was reported Tuesday that the airline was considering a move to Florida. Schumer put in a phone call to CEO Robin Hayes after reading… Read more »
March 18, 2021 By Allie Griffin More than $2 million in public campaign funds was distributed Monday among 33 candidates in Queens who are running to represent various districts in the borough. The candidates, who each received varying amounts, were awarded the money by the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) through the city’s matching funds… Read more »
March 18, 2021 By Allie Griffin Two Council District 26 candidates are holding a vigil Thursday in remembrance of Asian Americans killed in bias attacks over the past year — including the victims of the Atlanta area shooting Tuesday night. Julie Won and Steve Raga, two Asian American candidates, are hosting the vigil at Bliss… Read more »
March 17, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city is deploying members of the NYPD counter-terrorism unit to Asian neighborhoods across the city after a gunman shot and killed eight people–including six Asian Americans–at three Georgia spas Tuesday night. Mayor Bill de Blasio — who called the mass shooting “nothing less than domestic terrorism” — said… Read more »
March 17, 2021 By Allie Griffin JetBlue is considering pulling its headquarters from Long Island City, where it’s been for roughly a decade, according to a new report. The airline, which brands itself as “New York’s Hometown Airline,” has been headquartered in Queens since its founding in 1999. JetBlue, however, may move jobs out of… Read more »
March 15, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city is launching a new community-based pilot program to prevent gun violence in five precincts across the city–including the Queens precinct where a 37-year-old woman was killed Friday by a stray bullet. The program, called the Advance Peace Model, will start in July and pair at-risk youth with… Read more »