🌱 No More Carriages In NYC? + Queens Paraprofessional Punches Student

Hey, everybody. It's Friday in Queens and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening in town. Here we go.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 85 Low: 70.

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Here are the top three stories in Queens today:

1. A Queens Councilmember introduced legislation on Thursday to end the use of horse carriages in New York City. Councilmember Robert Holden joined animal rights activists like PETA and NYCLASS to announce the introduction of the legislation. Members of the horse carriage industry held a protest in opposition to the legislation, touting the high-quality living conditions of their horses. What do you think? (AMNY)
2. A white woman was apparently struck in the head during a dispute with three Black riders. Reportedly, one of the Black riders said they "hate white people" during the dispute. The incident happened around 6:50 p.m. when the 57-year-old woman got into an argument with the three other passengers on a southbound Q53 bus in Woodhaven. The woman was treated at Jamaica Hospital for the gash in her head, while the three other riders fled on foot and have not been arrested as of Thursday evening. (1010 WINS)
3. A Queens public school paraprofessional has been arrested for punching a special needs student. Reportedly, the victim wanted to leave the classroom, which started an altercation that resulted in the paraprofessional punching the student in the face. The 17-year-old student is autistic, bipolar, and schizophrenic and scratched the paraprofessional in the face after the paraprofessional refused to allow her to leave the room. The paraprofessional responded by punching her in the face, according to police. (New York Daily News)

Today in Queens:

• Adult Painting Classes, At Poppenhusen Institute (1:00 PM)
• Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company To Perform With Les Ballet Afrik And Ayodele Casel, At Flushing Meadows Corona Park (6:00 PM)
• Brighton Beat, At Culture Lab LIC (7:00 PM)
• AfroCentrik: Afrocaribbean Fest, At 91-12 144th Place (10:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• I think I could feel the air on that one! Chris Bassitt threw 13 strikeouts in their victory over the Braves on Wednesday. (New York Mets via Twitter)
• You're invited to the Queens Theatre for a show. 'Fela! The Concert' is on Jul. 16 at 8:00 p.m. Click the link to buy tickets and learn more. (Queens, New York via Facebook)
• New York is expanding its list of monkeypox vaccination sites. Click the link to see where you can get the jab. (Gay City News)

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• FOR SALE 1 Bedroom 1 Bath $290K Forest Hills, NY 11375 (Details)
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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, 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.