March 20, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City will release 40 inmates on Rikers Island who are vulnerable of complications associated with the novel coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. The individuals have been chosen based on specific health vulnerabilities and their low-risk status, as non-threatening and unlikely to reoffend. The NYPD and… Read more »
March 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin Six cases of coronavirus are tied to a Catholic church in East Elmhurst, the Diocese of Brooklyn announced. Six congregants at St. Gabriel’s Church, located at 26-26 98th St., have tested positive for COVID-19 and participated at three recent church community group meetings. The cases emanate from meetings on… Read more »
March 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Eucharistic minister who distributed the Holy Communion at a Catholic church in Woodside has tested positive for Coronavirus. The minister last handed out the Eucharist to congregants of Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, located at 31-30 61st St., on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26. He last attended mass on… Read more »
March 13, 2020 By Allie Griffin An Italian American restaurant that has fed Astoria diners for eight years will close its doors. Gastroteca Astoria, at 33-02 34th Ave., is closing after a lengthy dispute with the City’s Department of Consumer Affairs over sidewalk seating, according to a statement released by the restaurant on Instagram. “We… Read more »
March 13, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens Catholic schools will close next week, amid rising numbers of coronavirus cases in the city. All Catholic academies and parish schools within the Diocese of Brooklyn — which covers both Queens and Brooklyn — will close during the week of March 16 to March 20, the Diocese announced… Read more »
March 11, 2020 By Allie Griffin The City’s Department of Education (DOE) has canceled in-person parent teacher conferences this week at public schools and instead will hold the conferences by phone or virtually. Face-to-face parent teacher conferences that were scheduled for Thursday evening and Friday afternoon are now being swapped for over-the-phone conferences due to… Read more »
March 10, 2020 By Allie Griffin Astoria Council Member Costa Constantinides unveiled a plan today to improve Queens transportation, as part of his campaign for borough president. The candidate proposed adding protected bike lanes and busways, as well as giving borough presidents an appointee on the MTA board — an early campaign selling point —… Read more »
March 10, 2020 By Allie Griffin A man who was pretending to shop for a diamond engagement ring in Astoria earlier this year tricked a jewelry store employee by switching an $11,000 ring that was on display with a fake, according to police. The suspect switched the expensive ring after an employee at Zales Jewelry… Read more »
March 4, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Manhattan-based comic book store is opening an outlet in Astoria this weekend. Midtown Comics, which first opened its doors in 1997, will open its first outer borough location at 32-11 41st St. on Saturday, March 7. The outlet store will only be open on Saturdays and Sundays. The shop… Read more »
March 3, 2020 By Allie Griffin An Astoria street is the noisiest block in the five boroughs, according to a new study that analyzed 311 data. Nearby the Astoria Houses, 8th Street, had the most noise complaints in all of New York City last year, according to a new PropertyClub study. Neighbors called the City’s… Read more »