Category: News

Queens Public Library launches Banned Books Week celebrating freedom to read

library

Sep. 29, 2023 By Bill Parry Queens Public Library (QPL) will defend the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, Oct. 1-7, through a series of events and activities recognizing the stories, voices and titles threatened by censorship across the nation. QPL will also raise public awareness through large graphics at the entrance of every…
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Heavy rain drenches Queens neighborhoods, causing extreme flash flooding throughout the borough

Medina/Rain

Sep. 29, 2023 By Anthony Medina Amid possibly the heaviest downfall of rain in the city so far this year, residents in Queens neighborhoods were subjected to the unexpected closures of highways, some public transportation services, and substantial flooding in residential areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning for neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan as a result of predicted heavy rainfall on Friday, Sept. 29. The flash flood alert warned early today of heavy rain, accumulating close to 2 to 3 inches of every hour — expected to remain in effect until 2:45 p.m. As…
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After losing primary race, George Grasso back on campaign trail in third-party bid for Queens district attorney

district attorney

Sep. 29, 2023 By Bill Parry The Breezy Point Republican who nearly shocked the Queens Democratic establishment in 2022, threw his support behind a third-party candidate for Queens District Attorney. Thomas Sullivan, a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, who came within 15 votes of upsetting incumbent Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, eschewed the GOP candidate Michael Mossa of Howard Beach and endorsed retired Judge George Grasso in his bid to unseat Queens DA Melinda Katz in the Nov. 7 general election. “Our public safety crisis has now become a public health crisis. Our current politicians are responsible for a man-made…
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Nominations open for FLAG Awards honoring top NYC teachers

Flag

Sep. 28, 2023 By Rachel Butler Nominations are now open for public school teachers in Queens for the FLAG Awards, which recognize teaching excellence in the borough and across New York City. The annual program, which is in its fifth year, is adding the new category of Top Elementary School Teacher in New York City,…
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MTA providing shuttle from 7 train to traveling Vietnam War Memorial replica in Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Vietnam

Sep. 26, 2023 By Bill Parry The MTA is working with the NYC Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide shuttle bus service between the Mets-Willets Point 7 train station and Flushing Meadows Corona Park for all those wishing to visit the “The Wall that Heals,” a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., that honors the more than three million Americans who served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam conflict. “We are excited to partner with the MTA while The Wall That Heals is on display in Flushing Meadows Corona Park,” Department of Veterans’ Services…
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Climate orgs promote initiatives at borough’s inaugural Climate Expo in Kew Gardens

BP Climate Expo

Sep. 22, 2023 By Iryna Shkurhan Queens’ first ever Climate Expo, sponsored by Borough President Donovan Richards, launched on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Queens Borough Hall as one of the many events scheduled for Climate Week NYC.  Over a dozen environmental organizations set up tables across the Helen Marshall Cultural Center’s atrium in Kew Gardens to share resources, spread environmental surveys and promote climate-related job opportunities – all with the goal of taking action to address the effects of climate change.  The expo was centered around an expert-led panel on Local Law 97, a law passed in 2019 with the…
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Crunching the Queens crime stats: Number of burglaries drop, assault cases increase

crime

Sep. 19, 2023 By Ethan Marshall The NYPD’s crime stats for northern and southern Queens precincts spanning Sept. 11 to Sept. 17 reveal that the number of burglaries throughout the borough has dropped, while felony assault cases increased. One thing that remained completely the same compared to last year was the fact that there wasn’t a single murder case across any of the precincts in northern and southern Queens. There wasn’t much of a drastic change in rape cases. Northern Queens saw the cases shrink from seven last year to four this year. After reporting just one case across each…
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Hurricane Lee’s impacts put parts of Queens coast under flooding advisory

coast

Sep. 15, 2023 By Ethan Marshall With Hurricane Lee churning its way to New England and Maritime Canada this weekend, the New York City Emergency Management Department issued an advisory to coastal New York City communities, warning them to be ready for potential coastal flooding and hazardous beach conditions, particularly in Jamaica Bay and The…
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