Queens News - Local News

Police say chain snatchers used this Honda Civic as a getaway car. By Dan Gesslein Queens Voice November 30, 2022  QUEENS - Police released new photos of a car used in a series of high-end chain snatching in Jamaica, Queens.  The NYPD released new photos of a gray Honda Civic used in at least two robberies. One of the victims gave a partial plate of 5426. The first incident took place at around 7:10 pm on October 25 in South Jamaica. At the corner of 123 Avenue and 144th Street, two men ran up behind a 16-year-old male. The robbers tried to remove the teen’s necklace. When he turned to stop them, one of the pair pulled out a handgun. The robbers then removed the necklace and fled in the Honda Civic.  Police said the necklace is valued at $2,000.  The robbers struck again five days later. At around 4:25 am on October 30, a 53-year-old man was exiting his vehicle at 195-41 Jamaica Avenue. The robbers ran up behind him and tried to rip the chain from his neck.

Mayor Eric Adams unveils his administration’s vision for the next phase of the transformation of the Willets Point community in Queens. Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens. -Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. By Mayor Eric Adams   NEW YORK - It’s time to create a New York City where working New Yorkers can have safe, affordable homes, find well-paying jobs, send their children to good schools, and live close to public transportation so that they don’t have to spend hours commuting. Willets Point in Queens, previously known as the “Iron Triangle” or the “Valley of Ashes,” was filled with auto repair shops, prone to flooding and lacked infrastructure.  Today, it offers our city a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a vibrant, thriving neighborhood from scratch.   The cornerstone of Willets Point will be 2,500 new homes that are 100% affordable. That’s the largest 100% affordable housing project in New York City since the 1970s. Man

Experts Weigh in on Growing Threat Posed by Falls for the Vulnerable and Homebound By Allison Simms, Associate Director of Rehabilitation Services at VNS Health HEALTH - While often underreported, falls are a growing issue that cannot be ignored when it comes to senior health and safety. This September provides an opportunity to shine a light on this serious issue during National Fall Prevention Awareness Month.  With more than 3 million people each year being treated in emergency facilities for falls, fall prevention should be top of mind year-round. The statistics on home falls among seniors provided by the CDC are alarming, with roughly 25% of individuals 65 or older experiencing a fall each year. However, the numbers are actually much higher because less than half of falls are reported out of fear and embarrassment. For example, a mother may not tell her daughter that she fell out of fear of being put into a nursing home. In my role as Associate Director of Rehabilitati

Simple tips for beating the heat and keeping our  loved ones, neighbors safe By Chandra Wilson  Bronx Voice  July 27, 2022 HEALTH - Across the country, Americans are experiencing record heat waves. In fact, what was once seen as extraordinary weather is becoming the new normal. Whatever the reason, as prolonged heat waves become more common, it’s important to have plans and tools in place for beating the heat.  Adults 65 years and older and people with chronic health conditions are especially vulnerable to hot weather, even over short periods of time. As people age, their ability to retain water and adapt quickly to temperature changes decreases, which means higher temperatures are more likely to put seniors at risk. With that in mind, here are a few tried-and-true tips recommended by experts like the New York City Department of Emergency Management and others, to help you and your loved ones stay safe during the summer. • Water, water everywhere! Staying hydrated is o

180 Weapons Seized from Gun Runners QUEENS DA MELINDA KATZ reviews illegal firearms seized during an 11-month-long investigation, with NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell and First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban.  NEW YORK - Prosecutors announced the crackdown of a gun running ring in which 180 weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized in a 1,600 count indictment operating out of Queens and the Bronx.  Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by New York City Police Commissioner Keechant L.Sewell, announced a 1,611-count indictment and the arrests of five individuals allegedly involved in a gun trafficking ring using the notorious Iron Pipeline to smuggle guns purchased in Knoxville, Tennessee, which were then sold illegally in Queens County. Law enforcement officials removed more than 180 illegal weapons from our neighborhoods, along with 136 high-capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition during the course of an 11-month-long investig

19 Years for Beating Girlfriend with Nail Studded Piece of Wood James Fitzgerald pled guilty to assaulting then-girlfriend Victoria Chuminski with a plank of wood covered in nails. -Photo from social media NEW YORK - A Bronx man who made headlines for beating his girlfriend with a nail-studded piece of wood, has been sentenced to 19 years after pleading guilty, prosecutors said.  Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that James Fitzgerald, 55, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder for the May 16, 2020, vicious beating of his estranged girlfriend. The victim was attacked by the defendant on the sidewalk in front of a fish market in Jamaica, Queens. The defendant kicked and punched the victim multiple times in the head before picking up a wooden beam embedded with nails to continue the assault. Katz said, “This defendant brutally attacked his former girlfriend nearly to death. It is a miracle that the victim survived, th

Shannon Whittington, VNS Health Clinical Director of the Gender Affirmation Program (GAP) and Asia Lyons, VNS Health GAP Social Worker VNS health’s gender affirmation program shows the power of compassionate health care By Shannon Whittington, DNP, MSN, RN, CCM, Clinical Director of the Gender Affirmation Program (GAP) at VNS Health HEALTH - For some of us, we likely put little thought into whether a healthcare professional respects our gender identity. But as many nonbinary and trans patients have found, just filling out a form or introducing themselves can be a fraught experience. Will the provider respect and honor their identity? Will they be empathetic to their experience? Whatever your gender identity is, the truth is that everyone deserves compassionate, informed health care. Unfortunately, there is a dearth in care for nonbinary and transgender patients who receive gender affirmation surgery across the U.S., and many are recuperating alone at home, often with little or