🌱 Escaped Queens Cow Finds NJ Sanctuary + NYC Flights Canceled

Happy Monday, Queens! Here's everything you need to know to start today off on an informed note. Here are the most important things happening in Queens today.

First, today's weather:

An afternoon shower in spots. High: 36 Low: 36.

Here are the top stories in Queens today:

1. A young cow that escaped from a New York City slaughterhouse last week has been taken to an animal sanctuary in New Jersey. The 400-pound Hereford heifer, estimated to be about nine months old, ran away from a Queens business Friday and was corralled by rangers later that day in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The next day, Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue Center in Sussex County posted that "Stacy" was in temporary quarantine at the 230-acre facility in Wantage. (NBC New York)
2. Flight cancellations and delays Saturday and Sunday continued to ruin travel plans for thousands during one of the busiest times of the year as a COVID surge impacts airline crews. Over 1,600 flights were canceled over the weekend, with hundreds out of Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark airports being affected. The majority of cancellations in the New York City area are with JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. (CBS New York)
3. Sixty FDNY and EMS members responded to a fire that happened on the second floor of a two-story home on Christmas Day. First responders got the call at about 9:03 p.m. and headed to the residence on 64th Lane in Queens. According to FDNY officials, no injuries were reported. (WPIX 11 New York)

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Today in Queens:

• An Afternoon of Festive Melodies With QueensSound Ensemble - Glen Oaks Branch Library (4:00 PM)
• Kwanzaa Celebration: Kujichagulia | Self-Determination - Glen Oaks Branch Library (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• On Sunday, Jan. 9, the Queens Museum will be hosting a public reception to celebrate the Year of Uncertainty exhibitions and projects by Artists-In-Residence and Community Partners. (Facebook)
• Want to keep the kids busy over winter break? Alley Pond Environmental Center will be offering enrichment programs for children on Dec. 28 and 29. (Facebook)
• Here's where to find COVID testing in Queens this week. (Twitter)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update.

— 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.