Nov. 13, 2020 By Christian Murray Mayor Bill De Blasio warned today that New York City schools could close for in-person learning as soon as Monday amid a spike in COVID-19 infections. The mayor told parents to brace themselves for closures during an appearance on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show this morning. He said parents with… Read more »
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. 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 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. 10, 2020 By Michael Dorgan A Queens-based NYPD officer has been busted for being part of an international drug trafficking organization that smuggled large quantities of cocaine into the United States from the Dominican Republic. Amaury Abreu, 34, who is assigned to the NYPD113th precinct that covers much of south east Queens, allegedly provided… Read more »
Nov. 11, 2020 By Michael Dorgan A Flushing-based doctor who set up COVID-19 testing centers throughout the city has received an award from an international bank for providing residents with free screenings. Dr. Cong He, an anesthesiologist who practices out of Flushing Anesthesia Pain Management on 41st Road, was named a recipient of HSBC’s “Small… Read more »
Nov. 9, 2020 By Allie Griffin The New York City Board of Elections (BOE) will start counting the hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots Tuesday that were cast in the Nov. 3 general election. More than 175,000 Queens voters cast their votes via an absentee ballot amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to BOE figures The… 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 »