April 2, 2021 By Allie Griffin A 63-year-old Ozone Park man was arrested this week for the brutal murder of a pregnant teenage girl that took place 44 years ago. Luis Sierra was arrested in Queens Wednesday for allegedly killing 15-year-old Evelyn Colon of Jersey City and her near full-term fetus in 1976. Sierra, who… Read more »
April 1, 2021 By Allie Griffin The New York City Sanitation Department (DSNY) is bringing back Sunday basket collection using federal COVID-19 relief money to restore the service. The city will deploy more than 100 additional Sanitation trucks per week dedicated to litter basket collection– in addition to Sunday service. The city made significant cuts… Read more »
March 31, 2021 By Ryan Songalia New York has become state number 15 to legalize recreational pot with Gov. Andrew Cuomo signing the “Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act” into law this morning. The bill cleared both the New York State Senate and Assembly yesterday, and Cuomo pledged last night that he would make it law…. Read more »
March 30, 2021 By Christina Santucci A Queens prosecutor – who a judge said had “deliberately” withheld key evidence in a 1996 double murder case that ended with the wrongful conviction of three men – has stepped down from the Queens District Attorney’s office. Brad Leventhal, who was the DA’s long-time Homicide Bureau Chief, has… Read more »
March 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) is now accepting applications for the second year of its Open Streets program that transforms roadways into pedestrian spaces and outdoor dining areas. Local businesses and community groups can apply online to designate a street near them as an Open Street…. Read more »
March 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin New Yorkers as young as age 30 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today. All adults in the state — from age 16 and up — will be eligible for the vaccine a week later on April 6. Residents as young as… Read more »
March 24, 2021 By Christina Santucci A fundraiser set up to help three men who were wrongfully convicted of a 1996 double homicide and spent 24 years behind bars has raised more than $40,000. The funds are being distributed among George Bell, Rohan Bolt and Gary Johnson who had been wrongfully convicted of killing Ira… Read more »
March 24, 2021 By Allie Griffin Public school parents have another opportunity to send their kids back to in-person classes for the remainder of the school year, starting today. The city has opened a second opt-in period to students who enrolled in full remote learning to switch to the hybrid learning model in which students… 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 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 »