Nov. 10, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mental health experts will be sent out next year instead of police officers in response to 911 calls involving non-violent people experiencing mental illness problems, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The new plan, which will be piloted in a number of neighborhoods next year, involves dispatching FDNY Emergency Medical… Read more »
Nov. 10, 2020 By Allie Griffin State Sen. Michael Gianaris introduced a bill Monday that would speed up the counting of absentee ballots in New York State to ensure elections are called quickly. The bill would require local boards of elections across the state to begin tallying absentee ballots on Election Day as opposed to… Read more »
Nov. 9, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City has “one last chance” to stop a second wave of the coronavirus as new cases continue to surge, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The number of new cases on a seven-day average — as of Saturday — increased to 779 citywide, up from 593 a… Read more »
Nov. 9, 2020 By Christian Murray An annual competition that aims to help startup business owners in Queens flourish—with grants of up to $10,000—kicked off earlier this month. The competition, called StartUp! and spearheaded by the Queens Economic Development Corporation, provides business owners with free instruction, one-on-one consultation with advisers, and thousands in grants. The… Read more »
Nov. 9, 2020 By Christina Santucci Minutes after several TV networks projected former Vice President Joseph Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential race, the cheering began in Astoria. Residents along 24th Avenue near the Bohemian Beer Garden banged pots in their windows and on their stoops — a sound reminiscent of the nightly… Read more »
Nov. 6, 2020 By Allie Griffin A higher percentage of Queens voters cast their ballots in support of President Donald Trump on Nov. 3 than in the 2016 election, preliminary results show. About 30 percent of Queens ballots went for Trump versus roughly 22 percent in 2016, according to preliminary results from the New York… Read more »
Nov. 6, 2020 By Michael Dorgan A large digital clock on the Long Island City waterfront makes it clear that President Donald Trump’s days are numbered. The clock located by Anable Basin has been counting down the days until Trump’s term in office comes to an end–and for many residents that day can’t come soon… Read more »
Nov. 5, 2020 By Allie Griffin City officials are concerned over a steady increase in COVID-19 cases citywide. The number of new coronavirus cases has risen above the city’s cautionary threshold for nearly a week and it hit a new high on Tuesday — the date of the latest data available, Mayor Bill de Blasio… Read more »
Nov. 5, 2020 By Michael Dorgan The state is currently undertaking a $2 million project to repair a section of shoreline at Gantry Plaza State Park that was damaged eight years ago by Superstorm Sandy. The project, according to state officials, aims to restore an area behind the southern most gantry at Gantry Plaza State… Read more »
Nov. 4, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens Democrats are projected to sweep the general election in nearly every race in the borough — although official winners will not be called for days or even weeks. On the local level, Council Member Donovan Richards cruised to victory in the Queens Borough President race, easily defeating his… Read more »