May 17, 2023 By Bill Parry A couple from Astoria will take the stage at Carnegie Hall Friday, May 19, as the Syrian Music Preservation Initiative (SMPI) marks its fifth anniversary at Weill Recital Hall. The celebration begins at 8 p.m. and features SMPI’s Tak ht al-Nagham, an Arab chamber music ensemble led by artistic… Read more »
May 16, 2023 By Bill Parry NYPD detectives with the Regional Fugitive Task Force tracked down an Astoria Houses man in Boston who is suspected to be behind a fatal stabbing that occurred nearly three years ago. Nathaniel Johnson, 57, was brought back to the 114th Precinct in Astoria on May 15, where he was… Read more »
May 15, 2023 By Bill Parry A Brooklyn man was criminally charged with rape and assault in an attack on a woman in Woodside late last month, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Tony Kempsey, 58, of Butler Street in Boerum Hill, was arraigned May 12 before Queens Criminal Court Judge Jeffrey Gershuny on… Read more »
May 11, 2023 By Bill Parry It has been nearly a year since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court and states around the country began implementing laws to criminalize people for their reproductive health care choices. Since then, New York has taken steps to protect reproductive freedoms, but vulnerabilities persist in… Read more »
May 9, 2023 By Bill Parry A Maspeth woman was arrested and charged Tuesday morning for fatally striking a 7-year-old girl in Astoria in February. Claudia Mendez-Vazquez, 46, of Maurice Avenue was booked at the 114th Precinct in Astoria and was charged with criminally negligent homicide for allegedly driving through a stop sign at the… Read more »
May 8, 2023 By Bill Parry The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating an assault that occurred last month in Astoria. Police from the 114th Precinct say the attack went down on the evening of Friday, April 14, when a 35-year-old man was approached by three young Black men behind one of the new… Read more »
May 8, 2023 By Bill Parry The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria celebrated Queens business leaders and innovators at the inaugural “Claire Shulman Awards” fundraiser on May 4. The event was dedicated to Shulman, who was remembered as a larger-than-life trailblazer who served as Queens Borough President from 1986 to 2002, and during… Read more »
May 3, 2023, By Bill Parry In response to the sharp rise of antisemitic violence and harassment, as well as hate violence targeted at LGBTQIA+ and other New Yorkers in recent years, Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán rolled out her “Resisting Antisemitism and Hate Violence” initiative Tuesday at the Astoria Center of Israel (ACI). Just a day… Read more »
April 25, 2023 By Bill Parry Attentive Energy and LaGuardia Community College announced a $16 million proposal for a Queens Offshore Wind Training Hub at the Long Island City campus and funding for community-based organizations, with a strong presence in the four NYCHA developments in western Queens – Queensbridge, Ravenswood, Astoria and Woodside – to… Read more »
April 13, 2023, By Bill Parry With the New York state budget nearly two weeks late and negotiations between Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature struggling to move forward, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led a rally in Astoria to hopefully influence the final budget. The elected officials on Wednesday, April 13, urged state… Read more »