Crime · New York, NY
Former Queens City Council Member and Buildings Commissioner Eric Ulrich faced opening arguments Monday, Oct. 19, at his bench trial in Manhattan Supreme Court before Justice Daniel Conviser, where prosecutors alleged he used public office to accept over $150,000 in bribes tied to a gambling addiction. The charges stem from his time as a Queens Council Member and as Buildings Commissioner in the Adams Administration (2021–2022), involving Ozone Park business owners Joseph and Anthony Livreri and towing company owner Michael Mazzio. Ulrich denies all charges, with his defense arguing transactions were between longtime friends and that he was gambling rather than taking bribes. Trial testimony is expected Oct. 19–21 and Oct. 27–29.
Education · New York, NY
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that New York City will add 10,000 free 2-K (two-year-old pre-kindergarten) seats beginning fall 2027, extending the program to all five boroughs including Staten Island and the Bronx for the first time. The expansion brings total planned spots above 12,000 across more than half of the city's 32 school districts, up from five districts at this September's launch. City Hall estimates a free 2-K seat saves families an average of $26,000 annually in child care costs. The rollout is backed by a $1.2 billion state investment over two years, with $425 million committed for fiscal year 2028. The city plans to survey existing providers and issue a request for information to new providers within the next week, and will add more than 200 staff at New York City Public Schools.
Crime · Queens County
A Queens grand jury indicted Dawood Faisal, 22, of Fresh Meadows, on two counts of criminal mischief in the third degree as a hate crime for allegedly vandalizing Bagels & Co. at 188-02 Union Tpke on May 15 and May 23. The indictment alleges Faisal knocked over plant stands and threw dirt at Israeli flags displayed outside the kosher shop, targeting it because it is Jewish-owned. Faisal was arraigned Monday, Oct. 19, in Queens Supreme Court before Justice Michael Hartofilis; the charge is not bail-eligible and he faces up to seven years if convicted. He returns to court Nov. 12. Faisal was separately arraigned in June on manslaughter and assault charges related to a fatal May 25 crash near Cunningham Park that killed 71-year-old Cara Trager.
Public Safety · New York, NY
City Comptroller Mark Levine and 63 elected officials, including the borough presidents of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, sent a letter Monday, Oct. 19, to DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn urging district-wide implementation of Sammy's Law 20 mph speed limits in 17 community districts that passed supportive resolutions. Levine's office analysis found 22,490 crashes, 60 fatalities, and 11,644 serious injuries across those districts last year, with 14 deaths recorded so far this year. The city has had authority under Sammy's Law for over a year but Transportation Alternatives reports only 2% of eligible streets have received lower limits. Mayor Mamdani previously directed DOT to set 15 mph limits near public schools, which the signatories called insufficient alone. The letter also highlights broad community-board support for daylighting intersections, with 23 boards passing resolutions favoring that measure.
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Crime · New York, NY
A 17-year-old boy suffered a slash wound to his right hand during an assault near Myrtle and Forest Avenues in Ridgewood, Queens, on Monday, Oct. 19, at approximately 7:50 a.m. Officers from the 104th Precinct found the victim, who was transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. Police believe the suspect may have been known to the victim but have not determined a motive. The suspect, described as a male aged 17–18 last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a spider logo and carrying a Nike bookbag, fled southbound along Forest Avenue on foot and remains at large.
Public Safety · Queens County
A 55-year-old female pedestrian was struck and killed by a southbound 2004 Ford Econoline Van on Guy R. Brewer Boulevard near 109th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, just before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, while crossing mid-block from west to east. The victim sustained blunt force trauma throughout her body and was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center; her identity remains pending family notification nearly two weeks later. The 64-year-old van driver remained at the scene, no arrests have been made, and the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad continues its investigation.
Community News · New York, NY
The Tallichet Freedman Foundation (TTFF), a Ridgewood-based nonprofit, has opened its 2026 microgrant cycle offering $3,000 unrestricted grants to 10 visual artists who live or work in the 11385 zip code. Applications close Oct. 29 at 10 p.m., with notifications in January 2027. TTFF is also hosting "Stone's Throw," an exhibition of 20 artists from its first two grant cycles, running Nov. 2–15 at Lorimoto Gallery (16-23 Hancock St., Ridgewood), open Tuesday through Sunday, 12 to 6 p.m. The opening reception is Monday, Nov. 2, 6 to 9 p.m., and a panel discussion with writer/curator Sara Nadal-Melsió takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m.
Local Business · Queens County
Punjabi Dhaba, a family-owned Indian restaurant founded in Richmond Hill in 2006, held its grand opening and block party at 259-11 Hillside Ave. on Sunday, Oct. 18, welcoming over 1,000 community members. The event coincided with the restaurant's 20th anniversary and featured a prayer, live music, an ice cream truck, and free buffet meals. Owner Navdeep Singh was joined by U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, Assembly Members Edward Braunstein and David Weprin, and other local officials for the ribbon-cutting. Restaurant leaders said the expansion reflects the growing South Asian population and emerging Indian neighborhood in Northeast Queens.
Social Events · New York, NY
The Center for the Women of New York (CWNY) is hosting "Witches Among Us: The Treacherous Coven," a 25-minute immersive theatrical walkthrough inspired by the Salem Witch Trials, on Oct. 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24 from 7 to 10 p.m. at CWNY Building 207 in Fort Totten Park, Bayside, Queens. Tickets are $10 on Thursdays and $15 on Fridays and Saturdays, with proceeds supporting CWNY's workforce development, education, advocacy, and wellness programs for women and families. The production follows guests through a narrative that begins with fear of accused women and shifts to themes of prejudice, false accusations, and the silencing of women's voices.
