Author: Allie Griffin

Sept. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin A community-based organization is leading a peace march from the Astoria Houses to the Queensbridge Houses tomorrow to show the unity of neighbors against violence. Fathers Alive In The Hood (FAITH) is organizing the march after a tumultuous summer that saw a surge in gun violence across the city,… Read more »

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 »

Sept. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin An alleged robber put a 62-year-old in a chokehold and punched him for a mere $4 in Long Island City last month. The unidentified man grabbed the 62-year-old man at a Shell gas station, located at 38-02 21st St., at 2:35 p.m. on Aug. 31 and placed him in… Read more »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

Sept. 11, 2020 By Allie Griffin Teachers at a Jackson Heights public school refused to work inside the school building Friday after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The teachers at I.S. 230, located at 73-10 34th Ave., said they will not work inside the school building until they know it is safe. The… Read more »

Sept. 10, 2020 By Allie Griffin The progressive public defender Tiffany Cabán officially launched her campaign for the District 22 City Council seat representing Astoria Thursday. Cabán — who narrowly lost to Melinda Katz in the 2019 primary for Queens District Attorney — was joined by several elected officials at Katch Astoria to kick off… Read more »