Oct. 15, 2021 By Allie Griffin A new state law will soon make it illegal to threaten to report someone to ICE as a form of blackmail. The legislation, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law last week, classifies such threats as extortion or coercion under New York law and therefore a crime. “New York… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2021 By Michael Dorgan The owners of a Mexican fusion restaurant in Astoria are planning on opening a second venue in the neighborhood. Brian Martinez, who co-owns Fresco’s Cantina on 31st Avenue with his husband Adrian Suero, will open a sister restaurant at 28-50 31st Street next month. The business will occupy a… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin Residential sales prices across Queens grew at the highest rate among the five boroughs over the past year, according to a new report. The median sales price in Queens was $580,000 in the third quarter of 2021, a 17 percent increase from the third quarter of 2020 — representing… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2021 By Michael Dorgan A city clean-up initiative that launched in April has removed 600,000 bags of trash from New York streets, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. The City Cleanup Corps, which consists of nearly 10,000 workers, has also hand-swept more than 50,000 city blocks, repainted 900 defaced properties and cleaned 25,000… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2021 By Max Parrott Several Queens legislators have called on a city panel tasked with overseeing public art and architecture to vote to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson in the City Council chambers as a form of reckoning with his legacy as a slaveholder. The 11-member city Public Design Commission will hold… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin Six million New York City residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. “This is unbelievable,” de Blasio said during his morning press briefing. “Six million people who have gone and done the right thing for themselves and their families,… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2021 Staff Report The Queens-Astoria Post is holding an online candidate forum next week for the 22nd Council district. The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. and will include all the candidates running for the seat. The district covers Astoria, East Elmhurst and parts of Jackson… Read more »
Oct. 13, 2021 By Allie Griffin More than 200 women and trans individuals incarcerated at Rikers Island will be moved to state-run jails starting next week, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday. About 230 individuals will be moved to two facilities in Westchester both to protect them and help alleviate ongoing… Read more »
Oct. 13, 2021 By Christian Murray Three Congressional lawmakers—including two who represent neighborhoods in Queens—visited Rikers Island Tuesday and called the facility inhumane and urged local and state officials to take corrective action. Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ritchie Torres said the conditions that inmates are living under and prison staff face each day… Read more »
Oct. 13, 2021 By Allie Griffin The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is putting the the controversial LaGuardia AirTrain project on hold. The agency announced Tuesday that it will pause its $2 billion plan to build a 1.5-mile rail line from Willets Point to LaGuardia Airport at the direction of Gov. Kathy… Read more »