March 23, 2021 By Christina Santucci A Queensbridge man has been indicted for fraudulently obtaining a $1.7 million loan under the pandemic Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), federal officials said. Gelpys Joel Peralta-Gutierrez – also known as Joel Peralta – had arranged for the PPP loan for his company – J Films HD Inc., claiming he… Read more »
March 23, 2021 By Allie Griffin Council Member Eric Ulrich is calling on Department of Education to change its protocols on school closures–to prevent school buildings from shutting down and reopening so frequently. Ulrich penned a letter to Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter urging her to reconsider the current DOE policy that requires school buildings… Read more »
March 23, 2021 By Christina Santucci Representatives for the developers looking to build a 1,400-unit residential complex in Halletts Point previewed the plan for the public during a virtual scoping meeting Tuesday. The developers are seeking to build a 1-million-square-foot project – called Halletts North – on a 3.8-acre industrial site, located on 26th Avenue… Read more »
March 23, 2021 Op-Ed By Brent O’Leary In our second year of pandemic life, having lost over half a million Americans lives, we face a cycle of surge and mutation alongside a significant burden of illness and deaths for years to come. There has never been a more compelling time for health reform. We need… Read more »
March 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin Council Member Costa Constantinides is backing Tiffany Cabán to replace him in the City Council when he leaves office at the end of the year. Constantinides announced his endorsement of the progressive public defender at a press briefing outside the entrance to the Rikers Island bridge in Astoria Monday…. Read more »
March 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin A car was stolen from a Long Island City auto body shop earlier this month and police are searching for the suspect. A 44-year-old man who was looking to get his vehicle repaired had parked his 2017 Toyota Camry outside A&P Auto Body and Repair Inc., located at 22-01… Read more »
March 21, 2021 By Christian Murray The race to be the next mayor of New York City is heating up and last week we talked to one of the candidates–Maya Wiley. Wiley will be competing in the Democratic primary on June 22 against Eric Adams, Scott Stringer, Andrew Yang, Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Ray McGuire… Read more »
March 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci The LaGuardia AirTrain is one step closer to becoming a reality – with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publishing its final environmental impact statement last week detailing the $2-billion project. The AirTrain – first proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2015 – aims to link the airport with the… Read more »
March 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin New Yorkers as young as 50 years old will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning tomorrow morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. Cuomo lowered the current vaccine-eligibility age — which is 60 in New York State — by ten years. He first lowered it from 65 years old… Read more »
March 22, 2021 By Michael Dorgan Police are looking for a suspect who swiped an expensive e-bike in Astoria earlier this month – just minutes after the owner parked it outside a mosque. The bike’s owner had left his e-bike outside Masjid Dar Al-Dawah Mosque, located at 35-13 23rd Ave., on March 11 at around… Read more »