🌱 Three Federal COVID Testing Sites Opening + Man Hit By MTA Bus

Morning, Queens! It's Thursday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on today in town.

First, today's weather:

Sun mixing with clouds. High: 37 Low: 32.

Here are the top three stories in Queens today:

1. Queens will be getting three new federal COVID testing sites, as residents report long lines for swabs amid the city’s Omicron-fueled outbreak. The trio of test sites are among the first to be deployed across the nation following President Biden’s speech on Tuesday, during which he promised testing assistance to New York and other states hit hard by the recent surge in cases and testing demand. The first site opened its doors on Wednesday in Jackson Heights’ Travers Park, and the other two are set to open Thursday in Flushing’s Queens Valley Playground and at East Elmhurst’s Helen Marshall Playground. (New York Post)
2. A man died on Tuesday night after being hit by an MTA bus in Queens. At around 7:30 p.m., 63-year-old Nazmul Ahsan was crossing the intersection of Broadway and Roosevelt Avenue in Elmhurst when he was struck by the bus, which did have a green light. The driver of the bus stayed on the scene and Ahsan was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. (NY1)
3. A 29-year-old man was stabbed to death on a Queens street on Tuesday night. The unnamed victim was found on 197th St. and Carpenter Ave. in Hollis with multiple stab wounds to his upper body and was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, however he could not be saved. There were no immediate arrests. (Yahoo)

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Today in Queens:

• How to Format a Cover Letter, At Queens Public Library (Virtual) (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA is offering free Moderna boosters now through Thursday at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave. station. No appointment needed. (Facebook)
• Attention aspiring composters: the Queens Botanical Garden Compost Team is here for you! For anyone with questions about composting and wanting to meet others who are composting, zoom in on Wednesday, 1/12 to the Compost Mix--a free, hour-long virtual space to receive technical assistance. (Facebook)
• Decade of Soul takes a journey through soul music with help from James Brown and Aretha Franklin Resorts World NYC on Dec. 25 at 8 pm. (Facebook)

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• Operation Holiday® Calling All Donors to “Adopt A Family” (December 23)
• Save 15 Percent On FTD’s Christmas Collection (December 25)
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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.