July 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin City officials announced a multi-million dollar plan today to reboot New York City public schools after the majority of students spent a year learning online. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter outlined a $635 million “academic recovery plan” Thursday that focuses on improving early literacy… Read more »
July 7, 2021 By Allie Griffin The leading candidates in Queens council races have secured victories after absentee ballots were counted Tuesday. The NYC Board of Elections (BOE) released the most complete results Tuesday, with the majority of absentee ballots tallied and ranked choice voting tabulations applied. Several races that were nail-biters on election night… Read more »
June 30, 2021 By Allie Griffin Several candidates running for City Council seats in Queens filed preemptive lawsuits last week against the NYC Board of Elections (BOE) and their opponents ahead of the Board’s blunder yesterday. At least six Queens Council candidates and two Queens borough president candidates have filed the lawsuits over the past… Read more »
June 28, 2021 By Allie Griffin Nearly every Queens Public Library (QPL) branch across the borough will reopen in-person services beginning next month in a move to return to pre-pandemic service. All library branches were temporarily closed last year to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. QPL has gradually phased in in-person services since last summer… Read more »
June 24, 2021 By Allie Griffin The popular retail chain Target is planning to open its first store in Long Island City. The company will open a 31,000-square-foot store at 1 Court Square West, a four-story retail building connected to the former Citigroup Building known as One Court Square, a Target spokesperson confirmed. The opening… Read more »
June 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin Candidates on the ballot for City Council seats are competing for a two-year term—not the four-year term members normally serve. Council members elected this year will complete a two-year term for the first time in two decades due to a provision in the city charter related to the census…. Read more »
June 10, 2021 By Allie Griffin Queens residents will once again be offered prime viewing for the Macy’s July 4th annual fireworks. The fireworks will return to the East River for Macy’s “biggest show yet” after it was reduced in size last year due to COVID-19, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. Macy’s will anchor… Read more »
June 1, 2021 By Allie Griffin Senior centers in New York City can reopen later this month after more than a year of being shut down, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. Indoor congregate activities can reopen on Monday, June 14, de Blasio said, and the centers can offer outdoor activities immediately. “I’ve heard from… Read more »
May 17, 2021 By Allie Griffin The NYPD will be adding 250 extra cops to patrol the subway system—which will result in the network having the largest police presence in more than 25 years, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. The additional cops will bring the total number of officers securing the subways to 3,250,… Read more »
May 12, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang got a cool reception in Astoria Tuesday after he sent out an apparent pro-Israel tweet Monday night. Yang visited the neighborhood for an endorsement announcement and was then scheduled to join a local nonprofit to distribute groceries to families ahead of Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim… Read more »