🌱Cross Island Parkway Woes+Central Queens Y Fraud • Daily Digest

Good morning, Queens! It's Friday, Oct. 22. This weekend will be challenging for motorists. The MTA has announced a series of partial lane closures along stretches of the Cross Island Parkway beginning Saturday night that won't end until Sunday evening. See the details below.

Today's weather: You'll see a mix of sun and clouds. High: 71 Low: 54.

Here are the top stories today in Queens:

1. The MTA is closing lanes on the Cross Island Parkway this weekend, and getting from northeast to southeast Queens is going to be a slog. (Patch.com)
2. Two Forest Hills community center workers face charges of grand larceny and defrauding the government for stealing thousands of dollars meant for youth summer employees. (Patch.com)
3. Astoria is welcoming a Brooklyn-Based BBQ joint to the former Studio Square location. (Long Island City Post)
4. Comedian Ricky Velez wants to share his favorite haunts in Queens. (Time Out New York)
5. Members of a transgender task force are condemning the transfers at Rikers Island. (Queens Daily Eagle)
6. You can hear songs from the new musical "Salome Vs. John" at Queens Theatre this Saturday. (Broadway World)

Today's Queens Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Queens!

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with your next update. If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Kevin Phinney

About me: Kevin Phinney has lived and worked as a writer and editor in Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle and New York City. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in El Paso. Phinney attended college in Austin. He has done television work as a reporter and commentator, and is a former host of a weekday drive-time radio show called "Kevin & Kevin in the Morning" on KGSR-FM (now known as Austin City Limits Radio). He is also the author of "Souled American, " a book tracking race relations in America through music. It was published by BILLBOARD Books, and is often used in college classrooms across the country.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Queens Daily? Email me at kevin.phinney@patch.com.