July 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Police are looking for a duo who robbed a gas station in Astoria at gunpoint last night. Two men entered a Mobil gas station, located at 32-09 21st St., just before 9 p.m. brandishing a black firearm. The pair demanded money from a 65-year-old employee as they went behind… Read more »
July 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Alternate side parking rules will return for all of next month, beginning Monday, Aug. 3, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The city has repeatedly suspended the street parking rules during the coronavirus pandemic, so that New Yorkers don’t have to move their cars for street cleaning. Alternate side… Read more »
July 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin A former Wake Forest basketball coach avoided jail time at his sentencing Thursday for the ‘one punch’ death of a Florida man in Long Island City two years ago. Jamill Jones, 37, of North Carolina, was sentenced to three years’ probation, 1,500 hours of community service and a $1,000… Read more »
July 23, 2020 By Michael Dorgan An organic food and health store in Astoria has shuttered after a 14-year run. Vitality Health, located at 46-03 Broadway, announced on social media yesterday that it had closed for good. The post did not specify the reason for the closure although it alluded to years of persistent 311… Read more »
July 23, 2020 Staff Report A large art supply store that opened near Queens Boulevard in 2014 has closed for good. Artist & Craftsman Supply, which has locations throughout the county, announced today that it has shut down its 10,000 square foot store at 34-09 Queens Blvd in Long Island City. The company’s other New… Read more »
July 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin BJ’s Wholesale Club will open a Long Island City location early next year, the company announced Wednesday evening. The bulk goods warehouse store will open on 48th Street, taking the spot in the Plaza 48 mall that was once home to National Wholesale Liquidators. The news that BJ’s was… Read more »
July 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin The State Senate passed a bill Wednesday that aims to make sure that people are not detained longer than 24 hours if they have not been charged. State Sen. Mike Gianaris introduced the bill after seeing protesters at Black Lives Matter rallies being held for extended periods without being… Read more »
July 22, 2020 By Allie Griffin A gun trafficking ring in Queens has been dismantled after its ringleaders were arrested Tuesday. Three Queens residents who oversaw the operation were arrested and arraigned Tuesday for smuggling guns from Virginia to New York, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced. A Virginia man was also arrested Tuesday as… Read more »
July 22, 2020 By Christian Murray Ample Hills Creamery, the popular ice cream purveyor, is reopening its Astoria store Thursday after its exit from bankruptcy. The company is reopening two other stores tomorrow—one in Prospect Heights and the other in Chelsea. The openings represent the first steps taken by Schmitt Industries, an Oregon-based company that… Read more »
July 22, 2020 By Allie Griffin Progressive newcomer and housing counselor Zohran Mamdani has beaten incumbent Aravella Simotas in a close Democratic primary to represent Astoria in the State Assembly. Simotas — who was first elected in 2010 — conceded to the first-time candidate and Democratic Socialists of America member today. “I congratulate @ZohranKMamdani for… Read more »