Sept. 22, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Bed Bath & Beyond in Flushing will close by the end of the year along with more than 60 other locations across the country as the company restructures after COVID-19 delivered a blow to the business. The Flushing store inside the Shops at Skyview mall, located at 40-24… Read more »
Author: Allie Griffin
Bronx Man Indicted on Murder Charges for Middle Village Hit-And-Run That Killed New Father
Sept 22, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Bronx man was indicted on murder charges in Queens Supreme Court Monday for a hit-and-run box truck crash that killed a new father in Middle Village this summer. Ramon Pena, 37, was indicted by a Queens grand jury on a slew of charges stemming from the July 30… Read more »
Community Compost Sites Back Up and Running in Queens
Sept. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin Community compost and food scraps drop-off sites are back up and running in Queens after the sites were shuttered for months due to pandemic-related budget cuts. The sites were reopened after the city’s executive budget restored $2.8 million to community composting for Fiscal Year 2021 last minute, the Department… Read more »
City Council Passes Bill to Study Use of Drones for Building Facade Inspections
Sept. 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin The City Council passed a bill Wednesday that will require the city to explore the use of drones for building facade inspections. The bill, co-sponsored by Northeast Queens Council Member Paul Vallone, will require the Department of Buildings (DOB) to study the safety and feasibility of using drones to… Read more »
Reopening of In-Person Classes at City Schools Delayed Yet Again for Most Students
Sept. 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin The start of in-person classes at the city’s public schools has been delayed yet again for the majority of students. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the reopening of most school buildings will be pushed back further — on a rolling basis — just four days before they were… Read more »
Forest Hills Street Will Close to Traffic All Week for Expanded Restaurant Seating
Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Forest Hills block will close to traffic daily so restaurants in the area can expand their outdoor seating onto the roadway each day of the week. A stretch of 70th Road, between Austin Street and Queens Boulevard will be turned over to diners seven days a week —… Read more »
These 10 Queens Public Schools Have Had Positive COVID-19 Cases Since Reopening
Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin Staffers at 10 Queens public schools have tested positive for COVID-19 since teachers and administrators returned to schools across the city on Sept. 8. The 10 schools are among 56 citywide, where positive coronavirus cases have been confirmed, according to a list the Department of Education provided from Sept…. Read more »
City to Ramp Up Sanitation Efforts to Keep Streets Trash-Free Amid Budget Cuts
Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin The city will ramp up its sanitation efforts to keep streets trash-free after having cut the Department of Sanitation’s budget by $106 million. Residents have been complaining of overflowing trash bins since the Sanitation budget took a hit and the department’s commissioner Kathryn Garcia even resigned over the cuts…. Read more »
Ridgewood Civic Group Protests 17-Story Luxury Tower Outside Developer’s Home Early Sunday
Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Queens civic group traveled to a developer’s Jamaica Estates home Sunday to protest a 17-story luxury tower he is building in Ridgewood. Members the Ridgewood Tenants Union, a local anti-gentrification and tenants right group, protested outside the upscale home of Meir Babaev, president of AB Capstone, at around… Read more »
City Launches Special Team to Address COVID-19 Cases at Public Schools
Sept. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City launches a special multi-agency team to address COVID-19 cases at city schools, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. De Blasio unveiled the “DOE COVID Response Situation Room” that brings together the Department of Education, the Department of Health and the Test & Trace Corps to create… Read more »