Category Archives: South Ozone Park
A pilot residing in South Ozone Park is facing 20 years to life in prison following a bizarre midair incident aboard a JetBlue airplane that has caught national attention. Clayton Osbon, 49, a 12-year pilot working for airline company JetBlue, has been the subject of intense scrutiny following his apparent mid-flight meltdown which he suffered on March 27 as he piloted a commercial plane carrying 135 passengers and six crew members from New York to Las Vegas. According to the … Continue reading
The New York Landmarks Conservancy has announced the winners of the 22nd Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards. Newtown High School in Elmhurst and the TWA Terminal at JFK International Airport are two of the recipients that will be recognized at an April 25 ceremony at the New York Historical Society. The coveted awards, called the “Preservation Oscars,” are named after dedicated New Yorker Lucy G. Moses. They recognize individual leadership and outstanding preservation work. This work provides jobs, promotes tourism, … Continue reading
A South Ozone Park man pleaded guilty on Friday, March 23 to sex trafficking a female runaway whom he forced to perform sexual acts at several places in Queens. Michael Summerville, who is 33 and lives on 128th Street in South Ozone Park, pleaded guilty to the sex trafficking of an underage girl and faces sentencing on April 17. According to the press release sent out by Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s office, Acting Supreme Court Justice James Griffin, whom … Continue reading
Auto crime is down in Lindenwood despite the fact that it continues to spike in the city. That statistic was one reviewed by attendees at last week’s 106th Precinct Community Council meeting. Concerned residents gathered at the meeting last Wednesday and were updated by Captain Thomas Pascale about crime percentages in the community, noting that the Lindenwood Community had actually seen a decrease in auto crimes. The small neighborhood was recently plagued by repeated acts of vandalism involving tires, rims, … Continue reading
As part of a legislative package pushed through with redistricting early Thursday morning, lawmakers made the first step toward legalizing full table gaming in New York. In the wee hours of March 15, both houses of the state legislature voted to support the constitutional amendment needed to create full-fledged casinos in the state. To be official, the amendment must also be passed by a newly elected legislature and be ratified by voters. The soonest this could happen is in 2013. … Continue reading
It’s official. Congressional and legislative districts both have final lines for the next 10 years despite taking two very different paths to get there. In a decision announced Monday in the Eastern District Court of New York, a judicial panel enacted congressional lines drawn by a magistrate they had appointed to the task. It did so reluctantly, though. The judges said repeatedly in the ruling that the state legislature shirked its responsibility and laid it on the federal government. “In … Continue reading
After the announcement that his congressional district could disappear, Rep. Bob Turner (R-Queens) is doubling down on his political future by announcing a United States Senate run. On Tuesday, March 13, Turner released a statement saying he would challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. “I will travel to the Republican State Convention in Rochester later this week and humbly ask for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate,” Turner said in a release. “I will respectfully ask for the Conservative nomination … Continue reading
This week, members of the State Legislature released a second and final draft of proposed redistricting lines that looked remarkably similar to their last draft. State Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) blasted them for being 98 percent the same as the previous draft, which he has called the most gerrymandered in New York’s history. It’s uncertain if Gov. Andrew Cuomo will let the maps stand if they are passed by the Legislature. He threatened to veto the first set of maps. … Continue reading
The race is already starting for a congressional district that doesn’t officially exist yet. In the past week, Rep. Gary Ackerman (D- Queens) and State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) took their case to the grassroots. Ackerman spoke to possible new constituents at the Forest Hills Civic Association on Tuesday, March 13, and Lancman introduced himself to the Juniper Park Civic Association (JPCA) on Thursday, March 8. They are vying for the proposed 6th Congressional District that stretches from Middle … Continue reading
A Queens grand jury charged a real estate investor and an attorney this week for stealing more than $65,000 in proceeds from a Queens couple after the sale of their house. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s office identified the defendants as real estate investor Jose Toral, 28, of Oakdale, Long Island, and attorney Thomas Zacharia, 38, of Staten Island. Brown says the men took unfair advantage of a couple who were in financial distress and forced to sell their home. … Continue reading
Several local hospitals received low marks in safety ratings, according to a recent survey released by Consumer Reports. A nationwide magazine that rates and reviews consumer products and services, Consumer Reports releases a survey with data on over 4,000 hospitals nationwide each year. The survey—which grades hospitals on safety ratings in four areas: hospital infections, readmissions, discharge and medical instructions—collected data on 98 total hospitals in the New York City area and ranked 81 of them. Of the hospitals ranked, … Continue reading
Queen’s 9th Congressional district has been dismantled and doled out in a redistricting map proposed by a special master appointed to draw nonpartisan lines. The Queens portion of the 9th, which previously covered a swath from Rego Park down to the Rockaways, would be absorbed into three neighboring districts. Stretching west from Middle Village, Maspeth, Ridgewood and Glendale through Flushing and east to Bayside, the new 6th District’s largest voting block would be Asian residents. Woodhaven and Cypress Hills would … Continue reading
Richmond Hill residents got some welcoming news regarding renovations to several local subway stations, which is something they’ve been petitioning for. At the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council (RHEDC) meeting on Wednesday, Feb.29, two officials from the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) announced that six subway stations in the Richmond Hill/ Ozone Park Area with get renovations that are expected to start in December of this year. As part of subway renovation projects in Ozone Park and Richmond Hill, The Ozone … Continue reading
Police are searching for a robbery suspect using notes to rip off banks along Queens Boulevard. Members of the NYPD’s major case squad said a man has robbed or tried to rob three banks in the past month. All three were Chase banks along the boulevard in the 112th or 108th precincts. Police described the suspect as a black male, approximately 30 years old. He is around 170 pounds and 6 feet tall. Police said he has a dark complexion … Continue reading
One of the three main hospitals in the area has been ordered to shut down several major operations after its clinical labs failed to meet state medical standards. Peninsula Hospital Center announced late last week that they were suspending lab-based medical services at their Rockaways-based medical facility as a result of state inspectors finding that the hospital’s clinical laboratory services had major deficiencies. According to documents released by the state’s Department of Health (DOH) last week, DOH officials visited the … Continue reading