Dec. 17, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in New York will now have greater access to hair-preservation treatments, thanks to new legislation requiring insurance providers to cover the cost of scalp cooling systems. The bill, co-sponsored by State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky and Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal, was signed into…
Dec. 10, 2024 By Mary Ann Hellenbrecht, Girl Scout troop leader in Queens for 40 years I first became a Girl Scout troop leader over 4 decades ago because of my daughters. What I didn’t realize back then was how much I would learn and grow alongside not only my daughters but all the…
Dec. 10, 2024 By Ethan Marshall Several Queens community leaders and members gathered at Cunningham Park on Monday, Dec. 9, to mark the opening of the reconstructed 21oth Street playground with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Among those on hand to celebrate the completion of this project were Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York City Council…
Dec. 10, 2024 By Athena Dawson Queens residents can receive the gift of new swim skills this holiday season. From now until Dec. 16 at noon, parents can register children ages 6-17 for a free weeklong Holiday Learn to Swim Program at Roy Wilkins Recreation Center and Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatic Center. The…
Dec. 10, 2024 By Bill Parry Southeast Queens gang leader Junior Zelaya Canales pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court on Monday for his role in three murders and multiple shootings during a reign of terror that spanned New York, Texas, and El Salvador. Junior Zelaya Canales, 28, of Jamaica, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy…
Dec. 6, 2024 By Czarinna Andres Several lucky New Yorkers are celebrating big wins this week, as the New York Lottery announced multiple winners, including third-prize Powerball tickets and Take 5 top-prize tickets. The Wednesday, Dec. 4 Powerball drawing yielded three third-prize tickets, while the Dec. 5 Take 5 midday drawing produced two top-prize…
Dec. 3, 2024 By Bill Parry Plaza College in Forest Hills hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of its new $1 million Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) medical stimulation operating room on Nov. 15. This cutting-edge learning center is the first of its kind in Queens and will provide students with an immersive experience that…
Devin Spraggins stood emotionless inside a Queens courtroom Monday as state Supreme Court Justice Judge Kenneth Holder ordered him to serve 39 years to life behind bars after being found guilty of attempting to murder a police officer last year. While police union leaders hailed the sentence as a triumph for justice, Spraggins’ lawyer…
A firefighter in Queens suffered minor injuries while battling a fire at a vacant building early on Sunday morning. Fire Department sources said the blaze broke out just before 5:05 a.m. on Dec. 1 inside a vacant home at 117-36 Smith St. in South Jamaica. The first responding FDNY units encountered heavy fire engulfing…
Two Queens residents allegedly responsible for dealing $2 million in stolen retail goods were busted in a crackdown that Gov. Kathy Hochul and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday. The bust occurred just days before the biggest shopping day of the holiday season, Black Friday — something that officials drove home during the…