March 24, 2021 By Christina Santucci A fundraiser set up to help three men who were wrongfully convicted of a 1996 double homicide and spent 24 years behind bars has raised more than $40,000. The funds are being distributed among George Bell, Rohan Bolt and Gary Johnson who had been wrongfully convicted of killing Ira… Read more »
March 24, 2021 By Allie Griffin Public school parents have another opportunity to send their kids back to in-person classes for the remainder of the school year, starting today. The city has opened a second opt-in period to students who enrolled in full remote learning to switch to the hybrid learning model in which students… Read more »
March 24, 2021 By Allie Griffin A permanent COVID-19 vaccination site is about to open in Northeast Queens. The long-awaited site will be located at the Korean Community Services Center, at 203-05 32nd Ave. in Bayside, and will be in operation seven days a week. Eligible New Yorkers will be able to make an appointment… Read more »
March 23, 2021 By Allie Griffin The NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) will present updated plans for the future Kew Gardens jail parking garage and community space — part of the borough-based jails plan — at a local community board meeting Thursday evening. The department will present the renderings and collect feedback from… Read more »
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 23, 2021 By Allie Griffin Flushing Assembly Member Ron Kim has contracted COVID-19, he announced Tuesday. Kim said he has a mild case of the virus and will be quarantining for the next 10 days. “Dear friends and colleagues, unfortunately I have tested positive for COVID,” he wrote on Twitter. “I am well and… Read more »
March 21, 2021 By Christian Murray The race to be the next mayor of New York City is heating up and last week we talked to one of the candidates–Maya Wiley. Wiley will be competing in the Democratic primary on June 22 against Eric Adams, Scott Stringer, Andrew Yang, Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Ray McGuire… 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 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 »