🌱 Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council + Corona Gas Station Stabbing

Morning, people of Queens! Miranda Fraraccio here with a fresh Queens Daily.

First, today's weather:

A shower or two; more humid. High: 67 Low: 60.

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Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. The Queens borough president and a southeast Queens lawmaker announced the formation of the Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council on Thursday. The interagency panel, which is made up of community stakeholders, elected officials, and city agencies, will work to improve conditions in the community. According to City Councilwoman Nantasha Williams, the creation of the new task force is another step toward making downtown Jamaica a thriving hub for people to work, play, and dine. (QNS.com)
2. Just before midnight on Thursday, a dispute at a gas station in Queens turned deadly. According to NYPD, 58-year-old Curtis Rippe was stabbed after he got into some sort of argument with two men in their 20s at the gas station on Horace Harding Expressway in the Corona section. Rippe was transported by EMS to NY Hospital-Queens where he died a short time later. (FOX 5 New York)
3. A building collapsed on Thursday afternoon in Astoria. According to investigators, part of a wall and the roof of a one-story commercial building collapsed during demolition work just before 2:00 p.m. The building on 31st Drive between Vernon Boulevard and 12th Street was vacant and no one was injured; however, several parked cars nearby were damaged. (CBS New York)

Today in Queens:

• Desertfest NYC 2022, At Knockdown Center (May 14 & 15)
• Spring Bird Walks With NYC Audubon, At Queens Botanical Garden (9:30 AM)
• A Palo Seco: Flamenco Workshop, At Flushing Council On Culture And The Arts (1:00 PM)
• Hyuna Park, The Crevulators, At Culture Lab LIC (5:00 PM)
• Rex Orange County, At Forest Hills Stadium (6:45 PM)

From my notebook:

• Don't miss these classic car shows taking place in Bay Terrace this summer. (Astoria Post)
• Two Queens restaurants were ordered to close between May 6 and May 13. (Patch)
• Flushing Bank is planning to open a new location on Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst. (Bluefield Daily Telegraph)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Metropolitan Avenue of Art Spring Event (May 14)
• How to Improve Your Bone & Joint Health Through Ergonomics (May 18)
• How to Manage Your Arthritis (May 19)
• Belmont Uncorked (May 21)
• Local Musicians team up with Clean Rite Center and Subway Restaurants for Clothing Drive (May 21)
• Healthy Eating for Healthy Aging (May 25)
• Accentuate the Positive (May 28)
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Announcements:

• Suffolk Sports Hall Of Fame – Class Of 2022 (Details)
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Housing:

• 2 Bdrm 1 Bath 66-10 Yellowstone Blvd. 4J Forest Hills, NY 11375 (Details)
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You're all caught up for today! See you Monday morning for another update.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.