Jan. 8, 2024 By Bill Parry and by Lloyd Mitchell A two-alarm fire that broke out in a commercial building in South Richmond Hill on Saturday night was caused by an exploding lithium-ion battery that saw nearly two dozen e-bikes erupt in flames, according to the FDNY. Fire marshals based their determination on a digital…
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Jan. 8, 2024 By Iryna Shkurhan Advocates standing up for elderly, disabled and low-income bus riders brought up several issues with the MTA’s proposed plan to redesign the entire Queens bus network during a virtual meeting held by a transit advocacy group on Thursday. About a dozen participants who familiarized themselves with the MTA’s $30 million bus plan, which was unveiled in December, say that its proposed removal of over a thousand bus stops will hurt riders. While the MTA hopes to give riders faster and more consistent service, while also combatting low ridership, advocates argue that it has failed…
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Jan. 6, 2024 By zgewelb Jan. 6, 2024 By Amanda Salazar New year, fresh start. Now is a great time to start trying out new ways to keep yourself on track and focused on your work. Whether you’re a student, have a full-time job or are somewhere in between, these nine productivity apps can help… Read more »
Jan. 5, 2024 By Czarinna Andres Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and other stakeholders, is hosting an open house in Jamaica Monday to provide the community with an opportunity to help shape the plans for a $70 million investment in downtown Jamaica. The open house,…
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Jan. 5, 2024 By Ethan Marshall The Queens Public Library will be holding a discussion related to community composting in New York City at its Jamaica location at 89-11 Merrick Blvd. on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. Attendees will learn about the variety of nonprofits that make up the NYC Compost Project. This includes what each of the nonprofits do and how they work together to benefit local communities. The primary focus of the discussion will center on finding solutions to address funding challenges that have arisen following the discontinuation of city funding for community composting programs. As a…
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Jan. 4, 2024 By Ethan Marshall New events come with the new year. As we enter the first weekend of 2024, there is plenty of things to do across Queens. Whether it is related to art, entertaining performances, or even contributing to the community, there are a lot of activities to keep people occupied in…
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Jan. 4, 2024 By Anthony Medina A new bill sponsored by Queens Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar aims to shut down smoke shops that are illegally selling cannabis in New York City. Rajkumar’s bill, called the SMOKEOUT Act (A8428), was introduced in Albany last week, and would grant local municipalities the power to close smoke shops caught illegally selling cannabis. Currently, the industry is primarily policed on a state level and enforcement has been limited. The bill aims to address the public’s concern about the proliferation of illegal smoke shops, which have emerged since cannabis use was legalized in 2021. “My…
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Jan. 4, 2024 By Ethan Marshall The COVID-19 pandemic led to more of the highest-earning residents of New York State who make at least $815,000 a year to leave for other states. However, they are now much less likely to move away than those in the middle class and working class, according to a study…
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Jan. 4, 2024 By Ethan Marshall Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced his office is now accepting applications for the 14 Queens community boards in 2024. Qualified and civic-minded individuals have until Feb. 16 to apply. The deadline also applies for existing community board members who wish to continue to serve should their two-year term…
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Jan. 3, 2024 By Bill Parry
The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has launched a probe into the shooting of 52-year-old Basche McDaniel of Manhattan who was killed during an encounter with MTA Police officers a block away from the Jamaica LIRR/AirTrain station on the night of Friday, Dec. 29.