DEC Recommends Lifting Hydrofracking Ban
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has recommended that the state lift its moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, despite local officials’ concerns that the process is…
News
Rep. Meeks Faces Ethics Investigation
A House Ethics Committee investigation of Congressman Gregory Meeks is officially pending. On Friday, the Committee announced an extension of the deadline for action on…
Law Clears a Graffiti Canvas by Rolling Up Solid Gates
In an effort to prevent graffiti, Councilman Peter Vallone proposed a bill several years ago requiring roll down security gates—the iconic shutters covering New York’s…
Cuomo Calls Special Election for September 13
On Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo set September 13—New York’s scheduled primary day—for special elections to fill seven vacant political positions. Locally, the elections include the…
Library Budget Saved; Book Purchases Resume
The new city budget doesn’t include a disastrous reduction of funds to Queens Library. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s executive budget called for a $25 million cut…
Ribbon Cutting Held for Passage of Zadroga Act
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other city officials celebrated the passage and implementation of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act on Friday with a…
New Recruit Class for NYPD
The New York City Police department swore in its biggest recruiting class since 2006, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced Wednesday morning….
DA Arrests Two in Connection with Untaxed Cigarettes
The crackdown on untaxed cigarettes continues, and Queens District Attorney Richard Brown has another room filled with illegal smokes to show for it. Last Friday,…
Woodhaven Murder Charge Upgraded to Hate Crime
On March 12, six teens brutally attacked and killed 18-year-old Anthony Collao while yelling anti-gay slurs. The recoil throughout Queens was fierce; neighbors clamored for…
Democrats Remain Cautious as Special Election Looms
The scrum of potential Democratic candidates for the seat of former Representative Anthony Weiner seems to be growing every day. Yet even as Governor Cuomo…
State Legislature Ends Session With Flurry of New Bills
Albany legislators ended their session last Friday after completing several key, and sometimes controversial, pieces of legislation. In the session’s final days Governor Andrew Cuomo…
On Hold: Residents Meet With City Agencies, 311 Reps
Richard Gundlach has been reporting a truck that sometimes hauls a refrigerated container for years; it parks outside his home near 51st Avenue and 72nd…
Noise Bill Hearing Garners Wide Community Support
Community residents testified in Manhattan on Monday to support Councilman Eric Ulrich’s proposed “noise” bill, which increases fines and eases NYPD procedures for issuing tickets…
City Passes $66 Billion Budget
The doomsday scenario of teaching positions, firehouses and other vital services being cut was averted last Friday when Mayor Michael Bloomberg reached a preliminary agreement…
City Council Releases Pork Spending
The City Council released its Schedule C budget—more commonly known as pork spending—on Tuesday. Council Members divided $50 million to distribute to local non-profits and…