Oct. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin Less than half of public school students in New York City are enrolled in blended learning, in which they combine in-person and remote learning. More and more students and their parents are opting out of the blended model in favor of fully remote learning, according to data released by… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin A decision on how long the COVID-19 shutdown zones will remain in force could come as soon as Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said today. De Blasio said the COVID-19 positivity rates have improved in the cluster zones from what they were a week ago when nonessential businesses and… Read more »
Oct. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin The City Council passed a bill today to extend New York City’s outdoor dining program through next September — and at that point make a variation of it permanent. The legislation extends the current outdoor dining program called “Open Restaurants” until Sept. 30, 2021. The current program allows eateries… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2020 By Allie Griffin New Yorkers — and all Americans — have just one more day to fill out their Census survey after the Supreme Court approved its early termination in a ruling yesterday. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of President Donald Trump Tuesday and allowed the administration to cut the count… Read more »
Oct. 14, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City tested more than 1,500 public school students and educators for COVID-19 last week and found just one positive case — a student. The Department of Education (DOE) began its random testing program in schools on Friday at 56 schools — including seven in Queens — and… Read more »
Oct. 13, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Queens Public Library (QPL) is launching a free online book club so bookworms can connect safely to discuss their latest reads. Members of the book club will read one book every two to three months — with the first being “Hotel Angeline: A Novel in 36 Voices.” QPL… Read more »
Oct. 9, 2020 By Michael Dorgan If you are looking for something to brighten your mood, look no further than the Queens Farm Museum. The farm museum has teamed up with a local production company to bring a colorful new exhibit to its outdoor winter program. The Floral Escape, a company that specializes in creating… Read more »
Oct. 9, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Diocese of Brooklyn — which also covers Queens — has slapped Governor Andrew Cuomo and the State of New York with a lawsuit for allegedly violating its First Amendment right to practice religion. The Diocese filed the lawsuit Thursday in Brooklyn federal court in response to Cuomo’s order… Read more »
Oct. 8, 2020 By Allie Griffin City Hall has launched a searchable map where New Yorkers can plug in the address of their home, school, job or favorite local business and find out whether they are located within a COVID shutdown zone. The city created the “COVID-19 Zone Finder” after Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a… Read more »
Oct. 8, 2020 By Allie Griffin An additional 33 New York City public schools in parts of Queens and Brooklyn were shut down Thursday for at least two weeks in an eleventh hour move by the city and state. The schools are located within COVID-19 hotpots and were ordered to close by Governor Andrew Cuomo… Read more »