Nov. 12, 2020 By Michael Dorgan Debra Markell, the current Community Board 2 District Manager, announced Wednesday that she is running to be the next city council member for the 23rd District. Markell, a resident of Glen Oaks, is looking to fill the seat currently occupied by Council Member Barry Grodenchik, who will be stepping… Read more »
Nov. 11, 2020 By Allie Griffin Restaurants, bars and gyms across New York State must close by 10 p.m. beginning Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today. Cuomo said the new mandates were needed since the COVID-19 infection rate continues to rise across the state. He told reporters that bars and restaurants play an outsized role… Read more »
Nov. 11, 2020 By Michael Dorgan A public hearing is scheduled to take place next week to discuss controversial plans filed by a developer looking to rezone a Sunnyside property to make way for a seven-story, 167-unit building. The hearing will address the rezoning application filed by Phipps Houses, a non-profit developer that aims to… Read more »
Nov. 11, 2020 Staff Report Want to know more about New York City’s affordable housing lottery process? Urban Upbound, a Long Island City-based non-profit, will be hosting a webinar Thursday about how the lottery process works. The online event will go from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The webinar, which is being held as the… Read more »
Nov. 10, 2020 By Christian Murray Two men who allegedly sold air sanitizers falsely claiming that their product killed the COVID-19 virus were busted by the feds today, authorities said. The defendants, Po Shan Wong, 55, and Zhen Wu, 35, allegedly sold air sanitizers that they marketed on behalf of JCD Distribution, a College Point… Read more »
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 Michael Dorgan Ten apartments in a newly-constructed building in Astoria are up for grabs through the city’s affordable housing lottery. The units, located at 25-22 30th Dr., include studios that will go for $1,600 per month with one-bedroom units renting for $2,049. Applicants have until Nov. 25 to apply and units… 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 »