Feb. 9, 2021 By Michael Dorgan Several buildings in Astoria were evacuated Tuesday after multiple manhole explosions went off sending smoke billowing into the air. Firefighters responded to reports of manhole fires outside Capital One Bank, located at 31-17 Broadway, just before 3 p.m., according to the FDNY. A number of Citizen users captured video… Read more »
Feb. 9, 2021 By Christina Santucci The Citi Field megasite is set to open Wednesday, but only 800 shots are expected to be dispensed at the stadium this week. Mayor Bill de Blasio had announced last month Citi Field would scale up to vaccinating between 5,000 and 7,000 people per day. But currently there are… Read more »
Feb. 9, 2021 By Christina Santucci An Astoria assemblyman is hosting a virtual trivia show tonight – and the daily double will be about a proposal to upgrade a western Queens power plant. NRG, one of the largest energy companies in the country, is planning to update its Astoria power plant, which the company says… Read more »
Feb. 9, 2021 By Christina Santucci A pair of artists turned Sunday’s snow in Astoria Park into a giant sculpture of an ancient Greek physician. Melissa Vadakara teamed up with Marios Tzavellas to craft a 6 1/2-foot snowman of Hippocrates holding a Rod of Asclepius, the symbol for medicine and health. Vadakara said the artists… Read more »
Feb. 8, 2021 By Michael Dorgan Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Chuck Schumer have announced that $260 million will be made available to cover funeral costs for low-income families who lost a loved one to COVID-19 last year. On average, around $7,000 will be made available to the families of deceased New York coronavirus victims… Read more »
Feb. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin New Yorkers who have pre-existing conditions will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine later this month. Residents who have one or more underlying conditions — which put them at greater risk of complications should they contract the coronavirus — have been added to the list of those eligible for… Read more »
Feb. 8, 2021 By Christina Santucci An Astoria woman raised nearly $30,000 for her father’s medical care after a video she posted on TikTok went viral. Kat Downer, 28, launched a GoFundMe last month with a goal of raising $9,000 — but her emotional post about the plight of her sick father helped raise more… Read more »
Feb. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin New York City middle schoolers will be able to return to the classroom later this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. Public schools that serve grades six through eight will reopen for in-person instruction starting Thursday, Feb. 25, de Blasio said. The schools have been closed since November… Read more »
Feb. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin Indoor dining in New York City will resume Friday — two days ahead of schedule, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. Cuomo moved its reopening date two days ahead of what was originally planned. He had previously announced that it would resume on Sunday, Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. Restaurants will… Read more »
Feb. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin A COVID-19 vaccination site will open at Citi Field on Wednesday with half the appointments designated for Queens residents. The long-awaited city-run “megasite” will be open 24/7 and have the capacity to vaccinate 5,000 to 7,000 New Yorkers each day. Half of the appointments for the ballfield site will… Read more »