🌱 $143M To Improve Water Infrastructure + Queens Woman Found Dead

Good morning, Queens. I'm here in your inbox this chilly winter morning to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, today's weather:

Breezy and colder. High: 38 Low: 30.

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Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. Queens residents will see improvements to drinking water as part of the state's $143 million investment into water infrastructure improvement projects. $100 million of the funding is allocated to excavate and construct City Tunnel No. 3 in Queens to allow better flow control and management of New York City's water system. In her Friday announcement, Governor Kathy Hochul said, "My administration will continue to tackle clean water issues head-on with strategic investments that will benefit New Yorkers for generations to come." (ny.gov)
2. Police performed a wellness check after a father hadn't heard from his daughter in days and found the woman dead with a gunshot to the back of the head inside her apartment. The father of 23-year-old Alexa Ruiz couldn't get inside his daughter's apartment in Maspeth, Queens, and called the police for assistance. As of Friday afternoon, no arrests had been made, but there were signs of forced entry into the 56th Drive apartment. (WABC-TV)
3. A seven-story mixed-use building could be coming to Northern Boulevard in Flushing. Permits were filed for a 75-foot development with 35,185 square feet at the intersection of 150th Street and Northern Boulevard. The building has space for both residential and commercial areas. The demolition permits for the site were filed in October 2022. (New York YIMBY)

Today in Queens:

• Bottomless Brunch At Bar Marseille (12:00 PM)
• Nice One! Comedy: Free Comedy At Culture Lab LIC (8:00 PM)
• La Suspendida: A Jazz Metal Opera At Culture Lab LIC At The Plaxall Gallery (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Open rehearsals for the Oratorio Society of Queens will be held on Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Flushing. Learn more about the choir here. (Queens, New York via Facebook)
• T-Bone Diner will reopen by the summer after being shut down by the Health Department in February 2022. Read more about the history of the Forest Hills diner at the link. (Patch)
• Mark your calendars for Comedy Night in Glendale on Jan. 20 at The Avenue Restaurant & Bar. Tickets to the 8:00 p.m. event are $10 if you reserve them now! (Patch)

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Events:

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• 3K & 4K Pre-k For All Registration Opening Soon!!! (January 20)
• Astronomy on Tap – Drink in the Universe (because science is better with beer!) (January 27)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.