🌱 Queens Man Drowns At State Park + MTA Receives Electric Bus Funds

Hello, neighbors. It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Queens Daily — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening in our community today. Let's do it.

First, today's weather:

More clouds than sun. High: 82 Low: 68.

Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. NYC will be getting 200 new electric buses by 2025. The United States Department of Transportation will give $116 million to the MTA to purchase 230 new battery electric buses by 2025. Senator Chuck Schumer touted the funds as a major success in a recent tweet. As of spring 2022, the MTA owned only 15 electric buses. (Time Out)
2. Commissioner Mike Dockett joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and others to officially break ground on the renovation of Beach 59th Street Playground. The project will reconstruct the children's play area and build a new accessible ramp at the Beach 60th Street entrance. The total investment for the renovation is $5 million. Click the link to see photos from the groundbreaking as well as a full listing of improvements. (City Life Org)
3. Juan P. Chauca Remachi, 24, of Flushing, drowned at Lake Taghkanic State Park over the weekend. Authorities say that there were no signs of criminal activity or foul play. According to witnesses, the man jumped from a boat and did not surface. His body was recovered after a four-hour search by the state police Underwater Recovery Team. (Patch)

Today in Queens:

• Classic Car Show At The Shops At Atlas Park (4:00 PM)
• Sunset Meditation At Songs Of Love Foundation (7:00 PM)
• Live At The Gantries: SOFIA REI At Kupferberg Center For The Arts (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Queens Borough President Donovan Richards invites you to an MTA event to gather feedback on the Queens Bus Network Redesign. There's one today from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Forest Park. (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)
• Join the Queens Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 23 at Vista Sky Lounge for an opportunity to mix and mingle with fellow business owners and members of the Queens Chamber. (Queens Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)
• Two Queens postal workers were arrested on Friday. The pair were charged in connection with a conspiracy to receive bribes and steal hundreds of pieces of mail linked to a COVID-19 benefits scheme, federal prosecutors said. (Twitter)

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Events:

• HSS Free Workshop: Decrease Stress and Enjoy Music! (August 17)
• Corn & Tomatoes at the Cunningham Park Farmers Market (August 21)
• A 50s and 60s Garden Concert! (August 28)
• A 50s & 60s Garden Concert at the College Point Cultural Center & Museum at Poppenhusen Institute (August 28)
• Add your event

Job listings:

• Associate Attorney (Details)
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That's it 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.