Author: schnepsrestagent

Queens Public Library launches Banned Books Week celebrating freedom to read

library

Sep. 29, 2023 By Bill Parry Queens Public Library (QPL) will defend the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, Oct. 1-7, through a series of events and activities recognizing the stories, voices and titles threatened by censorship across the nation. QPL will also raise public awareness through large graphics at the entrance of every location with the message, “All Books Are Welcome Here. Protect the Freedom to Read.” The initiative comes at a time when book bans and challenges have been rising sharply across America, putting libraries on the frontlines of protecting the freedom to read. Although such book…
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Heavy rain drenches Queens neighborhoods, causing extreme flash flooding throughout the borough

Medina/Rain

Sep. 29, 2023 By Anthony Medina Amid possibly the heaviest downfall of rain in the city so far this year, residents in Queens neighborhoods were subjected to the unexpected closures of highways, some public transportation services, and substantial flooding in residential areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning for neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan as a result of predicted heavy rainfall on Friday, Sept. 29. The flash flood alert warned early today of heavy rain, accumulating close to 2 to 3 inches of every hour — expected to remain in effect until 2:45 p.m. As…
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After losing primary race, George Grasso back on campaign trail in third-party bid for Queens district attorney

district attorney

Sep. 29, 2023 By Bill Parry The Breezy Point Republican who nearly shocked the Queens Democratic establishment in 2022, threw his support behind a third-party candidate for Queens District Attorney. Thomas Sullivan, a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, who came within 15 votes of upsetting incumbent Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, eschewed the GOP candidate Michael Mossa of Howard Beach and endorsed retired Judge George Grasso in his bid to unseat Queens DA Melinda Katz in the Nov. 7 general election. “Our public safety crisis has now become a public health crisis. Our current politicians are responsible for a man-made…
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Nominations open for FLAG Awards honoring top NYC teachers

Flag

Sep. 28, 2023 By Rachel Butler Nominations are now open for public school teachers in Queens for the FLAG Awards, which recognize teaching excellence in the borough and across New York City. The annual program, which is in its fifth year, is adding the new category of Top Elementary School Teacher in New York City,…
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Upstate man sentenced for killing girlfriend, stuffing body in car left in Springfield Gardens: DA

kill

Sep. 28, 2023 By Bill Parry An upstate man who admitted to killing the 26-year-old mother of his two children in 2020 before stuffing her body in a car he left abandoned in Springfield Gardens, was sentenced Thursday in Queens Supreme Court to 22 years in prison. Kareem Flake, 31, of Troy, N.Y., pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree in July for killing 26-year-old Destini Smothers in November 2020. Her remains were discovered four months later in the trunk of an abandoned car that belonged to Flake. According to the charges, Destini Smothers, 26, was last seen in…
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NYC Parks reopens Jamaica Playground to the community following $4.6 million reconstruction project

DSC_1596_092723 Jamaica

Sep. 28, 2023 By Bill Parry Speaker Adrienne Adams welcomed young students from P.S. 40 Samuel Huntington Elementary School to the reopening of Jamaica Playground after a $4.6 million reconstruction project and turned a ribbon-cutting ceremony into a teachable moment for the youngsters on Sept. 27. “For far too long, neighborhoods like ours have been…
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National rent report shows median price of one-bedroom units in NYC are now over $4K

rent report

Sep. 27, 2023 By Ethan Marshall According to Zumper’s latest National Rent Report, the median rental price for one-bedroom units across New York City has risen above $4,000. New York City retained its rank as the most expensive city to pay rent among the 100 cities included in the study. One-bedroom units in New York City set a new record with the rent increasing 2.3% from August to September to $4,080. This also represented a 3.3% increase from September 2022. This rent is nearly 29% more than the next-highest on the list, Jersey City, which has a one-bedroom rent of…
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