Feb. 8, 2022 By Michael Dorgan The NYPD 114th precinct in Astoria is about to see a return of the plainclothes police team—but a local council member is opposed to these units saying they are ineffective and unfairly target minorities. The precinct is one of 30 across New York City where plain-clothes units will soon… Read more »
Feb. 7, 2022 By Christian Murray The operators of the Ravenswood Generating Station—home to the infamous red-and-white “Big Allis” smokestack in Long Island City—came under fire yet again last week. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney held a press conference outside the Ravenswood power plant on Vernon Boulevard Jan. 31, as part of her quest to have the… Read more »
Feb. 5, 2022 By Christian Murray A high-profile Astoria resident who announced in December that he was running to represent the 37th Assembly District in Albany is no longer running for office. Huge Ma, who founded the TurboVax website last year that helped connect New Yorkers to COVID-19 vaccine sites, announced Friday that he is… Read more »
Feb. 4, 2022 By Michael Dorgan President Joe Biden visited a Long Island City elementary school Thursday to learn more about how community intervention programs can combat violent crime. Biden visited P.S. 111 Jacob Blackwell, located at 37-15 13th St., to meet with school principal Dionne Jaggon and local violence interrupter teams tasked with de-escalating… Read more »
Feb. 4, 2022 By Michael Dorgan The city’s plan to convert a car lane into a pedestrian pathway on the Queensboro Bridge will be delayed until at least 2024, the DOT announced yesterday. The DOT announced Thursday that it is about to start major repairs to the upper deck of the Queensboro Bridge that will… Read more »
Feb. 3, 2022 By Christian Murray The electoral landscape of Long Island City and Astoria is about to undergo significant change with the adoption of new district maps. The new maps, which were drawn by the Democratically-controlled state Senate and Assembly, were released earlier this week—with Astoria’s State Sen. Michael Gianaris chairing the legislative task… Read more »
Feb. 2, 2022 By Christian Murray Stop & Shop supermarket will be closing its 48th Street location in Long Island City later this year, the company has confirmed. A representative for Stop & Shop said the company decided not to renew its lease at its 34-51 48th Street store and will close in coming months—although… Read more »
Feb. 2, 2022 By Michael Dorgan A man who was 13 when he brutally killed a 4-year-old boy nearly 30 years ago has been released from prison and is expected to live in Queens. Eric Smith was convicted of second-degree murder in 1994 for luring Derrick Robie into a wooded area in Steuben County, New… Read more »
Feb. 2, 2022 By Christian Murray Citi Bike stations will start being installed in Sunnyside and Woodside in early May, according to the DOT. The DOT released a draft plan yesterday and said that 71 stations will be installed in the Sunnyside and Woodside district, with the majority being stations located on the roadway. Each… Read more »
Feb. 2, 2022 By Christian Murray An anti-cop message was scrawled on a Ridgewood subway station Tuesday and Council Member Bob Holden has taken exception to it. The message, which was scribbled in black pen at the entrance to the Forest Avenue station, read: “Boohoohoo Cop FUNeral LOL.” The vandal targeted the station about 10… Read more »