Author: Czarinna

Astoria Man Arrested for Fatal Stabbing of EMS Lieutenant in Ditmars Thursday

Sept. 30, 2022 By Michael Dorgan An Astoria man has been arrested and charged with murder for the brutal stabbing of an EMS lieutenant in the Ditmars section of the neighborhood Thursday afternoon. Peter Zisopoulos, 34, was arrested by police shortly after he allegedly stabbed 61-year-old Alison Russo-Elling to death at the 20th Avenue and… Read more »

Voter Turnout Surged in AOC’s Queens and Dropped Where COVID Raged Worst

This article was originally published by The City on June 28 at 11:17 a.m. EST BY ANN CHOI AND JOSEFA VELASQUEZ The mayoral race helped spur the largest turnout for a citywide primary in years. Growing progressive pockets recorded high participation while voters in areas staggered by the pandemic struggled to get to the polls, THE CITY’s… Read more »

Voter Registration Surge Stands to Shape This Year’s NYC Primary Election

This article was originally published on Jan 20 at 6:36pm EST by THE CITY Ann Choi and Josefa Velasquez, THE CITY When Sheila Lewandowski moved to Long Island City in the late 1990s, she appreciated the “sense of space and light” in the western Queens neighborhood, once defined by factories, warehouses, and a mix of… Read more »

Queens Resident Tests Positive for UK Coronavirus Variant

Jan. 13, 2021 By Christina Santucci A Queens resident has tested positive for the highly-transmissible variant of COVID-19, city officials announced Wednesday. Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a news conference that the variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom, had been detected in two New York City residents. One resident is from… Read more »

Mayor Extends Open Storefronts Program Through September 2021

Dec. 30, 2020 By Christian Murray The mayor announced Tuesday that the city is extending a pilot program that allows storefront owners to sell goods on the sidewalk. The initiative, dubbed the Open Storefronts program, was launched at the end of October and will now be in operation until Sept. 30, 2021. The program is… Read more »

New York to Ban Most Evictions, Aims to Protect Tenants Facing Hardship

Dec. 28, 2020 By Christian Murray The New York State legislature is set to pass a bill Monday that would block the eviction of struggling New Yorkers until May 1. Elected officials are convening a special session to pass the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act that aims to help residents remain in their… Read more »

NYC Announces Sweeping Changes to Middle, High School Application Process

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Sign up for their newsletters here: ckbe.at/newsletters Dec 18, 2020, Christina Veiga, Chalkbeat New York The coronavirus pandemic will force major changes in the ways students are admitted to New York City’s competitive middle and high schools this year, the education department announced… Read more »

Queens Nurse First American to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine: Cuomo

Dec. 14, 2020 By Christian Murray An ICU nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center Queens became the first American to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Monday. Sandra Lindsay, a critical case nurse, received the shot just after 9 a.m., one day after Pfizer’s vaccine began being shipped across the country. The shot, the first in… Read more »