🌱 Innocent Bystander Shot In Queens + Mother Reunited With Lost Son

Hello and happy Tuesday! I'm back in your inbox this morning with the most important things happening locally. Let's do this.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and less humid. High: 85 Low: 72.

Here are the top three stories in Queens today:

1. An innocent bystander in Queens was shot early on Monday morning. According to police, the shooter was firing at someone else but hit the man instead. The shooting happened around 2:15 a.m. on 41st Street near Astoria Boulevard South. The bystander, a 25-year-old man, was struck in the stomach and is listed in stable condition at NYU Brooklyn Hospital. (New York Post )
2. A mother from Georgia was reunited with her son at Jamaica Hospital on Monday. Her oldest son, 25, had been missing since May when he told his parents that he had lost his wallet and phone. MTA police found him at the Long Island Railroad station in Jamaica, and he was taken to the hospital. (NEWS10 ABC)
3. COVID-19 cases are surging, so public health officials are ramping up testing sites. A pop-up site began offering PCR and rapid antigen testing at MacDonald Park yesterday. That site will continue offering testing from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. every day through Sunday, Jul. 31. As of Monday evening, New York City's COVID-19 positivity rate is just over 14 percent, with over 4,000 people testing positive per day. (Patch)

Today in Queens:

• Farm Community Volunteer Days At Queens Botanical Garden (9:30 AM)
• Garden Creativi-Tea At the VO Museum (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Who's ready for a movie night? Queens Botanical Garden is hosting a showing of Encanto on Jul. 30. Click the link to see the details. (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)
• The MLB trade deadline is coming up, and the Mets are making a play for the postseason. According to SNY's Andy Martino, the Mets organization is looking to acquire Baltimore's Trey Mancini. (AMNY)
• The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is coming to Queens. The festival will feature competitive races and a celebration of the Year of the Tiger. (QNS)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• “SIX Totally Rules!” Get Tickets to Broadway’s Tony Award®-Winning “Euphoric Celebration!” (July 29)
• HSS Free Workshop: Decrease Stress and Enjoy Music! (August 4)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you soon.

— 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.