🌱 First Anniversary Of COVID Vaccine + Hit-And-Run On Cooper Ave

Happy Wednesday, neighbors! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

First, today's weather:

Some sun, then clouds. High: 52 Low: 51.

Here are the top stories in Queens today:

1. Tuesday, Dec. 14 marked one year since the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the U.S. Dr. Sandra Lindsay received the first dose at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, where she’s a nurse and director of critical care. She served as grand marshal in the city’s Hometown Heroes parade this past summer, which honored frontline and essential workers. (CBS New York)
2. A former NYPD officer who once served as a bodyguard for El Chapo’s wife was indicted Friday for allegedly transporting cocaine throughout Queens in 2019. Ishmael Bailey, of Staten Island, was caught in a sting operation by fellow NYPD officers who posed as drug dealers and paid him cash to move the drugs between Aug. and Sept. 2019. He was arraigned Friday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Gary Miret on a 13-count indictment charging him with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, official misconduct, bribe receiving in the second and third degree, and conspiracy in the second and fourth degree. (Flushing Post)
3. The affordable housing lottery has launched for 200 units at 10-47 Beach 21st Street in Far Rockaway. The units are available on NYC Housing Connect for residents at 40 to 100 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $20,400 to $148,000. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than Feb. 10, 2022. (New York YIMBY)
4. According to FDNY, the fire that ripped through several Sunnyside businesses in Aug. stemmed from faulty wiring in a restaurant. The four-alarm fire took place at around 7:15 a.m. on Aug. 12 and engulfed five businesses located on the corner of Queens Boulevard and 44th Street, including restaurants Mad for Chicken, Bajeko Sekuwa, and Mad Cafe, as well as a Japanese market called Taiyo Foods and skincare salon Yeserith Esthetics. The official incident report states that the blaze was caused by faulty electrical wiring inside Bajeko Sekuwa Himalayan Grill, located at 43-16 Queens Blvd. (Sunnyside Post)
5. A hit-and-run driver killed an elderly woman across the street from a Queens cemetery on Monday night. The 79-year-old victim, whose name has not been released, had just parked her car on Cooper Ave. near 84th St. in Middle Village, by St. John Cemetery, and was trying to cross midblock when she was struck by the driver just after 5:50 p.m. (Yahoo)

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Today in Queens:

• The Natural Healing Of Tai Chi, Hosted By Glen Oaks Branch Library (Virtual) (11:00 AM)
• 'The Poet In You' Poetry Program, Hosted By Glen Oaks Branch Library (Virtual) (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Admission is now free at the Queens Botanical Garden now through March, and December and January are full of free events and exhibits at the Garden. (Facebook)
• The NYC DOT will host virtual citywide listening sessions following the launch of the NYC Streets Plan. (Facebook)
• The Queens Chamber of Commerce's holiday toy drive for the Child Center of New York is ending on Wednesday. Don't miss your chance to bring a smile to a child's face. (Facebook)
• Early-bird registration is open for Hip Hop Theater at JCAL, where teens can learn poetry, storytelling, public speaking, and more. (Facebook)

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Events:

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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.