Oct. 20, 2021 By Allie Griffin All city workers must get vaccinated for COVID-19 or face unpaid leave under a new mandate Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday. The mandate requires city employees — including police officers, firefighters and sanitation workers — to get at least one dose by 5 p.m. on Oct. 29. It… Read more »
Author: Allie Griffin
Street Vendor Scavenger Hunt to Kick Off in Corona Plaza Next Month
Oct. 19, 2021 By Allie Griffin An inaugural street vendor scavenger hunt will kick off in Corona Plaza next month in an effort to support the city’s local vendors. The five-borough scavenger hunt, organized by the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center, will challenge participants to visit vendors and complete a number of… Read more »
LaGuardia Community College Launches Campaign to Raise $15 Million for Student Grants and Scholarships
Oct. 18, 2021 By Allie Griffin LaGuardia Community College has launched a fundraising campaign with a $15 million goal to help pay for student grants and scholarships. The “Tomorrow Campaign” aims to help current and future students at the two-year college in Long Island City get the education and training they need to advance their… Read more »
Variety Boys and Girls Club Gets $2.7 Million from City to Build a New Community Center in Jackson Heights
Oct. 18, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city has awarded $2.7 million to the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens for a new community center in Jackson Heights, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. “We’re providing $2.7 million for a new community center because it’s so important for our young people to have a… Read more »
Threatening to Report a Person to ICE Will Soon be Illegal Under New State Law
Oct. 15, 2021 By Allie Griffin A new state law will soon make it illegal to threaten to report someone to ICE as a form of blackmail. The legislation, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law last week, classifies such threats as extortion or coercion under New York law and therefore a crime. “New York… Read more »
New Chipotle Location Opens in Flushing With Borough’s First Chipotle Walk-Up Window
Oct. 15, 2021 By Allie Griffin A new Chiptole restaurant — the first Queens location with a walk-up window — opened in Flushing Thursday. The casual Mexican eatery opened at 136-31 Roosevelt Ave. and offers the usual menu items including burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, salads, guacamole, chips and queso. The restaurant is open daily… Read more »
House Prices in Queens Grew at Highest Rate Among Five Boroughs in Third Quarter: Report
Oct. 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin Residential sales prices across Queens grew at the highest rate among the five boroughs over the past year, according to a new report. The median sales price in Queens was $580,000 in the third quarter of 2021, a 17 percent increase from the third quarter of 2020 — representing… Read more »
6 Million NYC Residents Have Gotten at Least One Shot of the COVID-19 Vaccine
Oct. 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin Six million New York City residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. “This is unbelievable,” de Blasio said during his morning press briefing. “Six million people who have gone and done the right thing for themselves and their families,… Read more »
More Than 200 Incarcerated Women and Trans Individuals to be Transferred from Rikers to State Jails
Oct. 13, 2021 By Allie Griffin More than 200 women and trans individuals incarcerated at Rikers Island will be moved to state-run jails starting next week, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday. About 230 individuals will be moved to two facilities in Westchester both to protect them and help alleviate ongoing… Read more »
Port Authority Puts LaGuardia AirTrain Project on Hold
Oct. 13, 2021 By Allie Griffin The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is putting the the controversial LaGuardia AirTrain project on hold. The agency announced Tuesday that it will pause its $2 billion plan to build a 1.5-mile rail line from Willets Point to LaGuardia Airport at the direction of Gov. Kathy… Read more »