🌱 Two Men Shot Saturday + Two-Alarm Fire In Maspeth Warehouse

Hello, Queens! I'm here in your inbox today to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

First, today's weather:

A severe afternoon t-storm. High: 88 Low: 74.

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Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. Two men were taken to the hospital after a shooting on Saturday. According to police, the shooting occurred at 41st Avenue and 104th Street in Corona around 3:00 p.m. One man was shot four times in the chest and taken to Elmhurst in critical condition, and another was grazed in the right arm. As of Sunday evening, there is no word on the first man's current state. Police are searching for a man in his 40s wearing a green shirt and blue jeans who fled the scene. (WABC-TV)
2. Workers, labor activists, and community members rallied for a fired worker on Friday. Austin Locke, a worker who was fired by an Astoria Starbucks in relation to union activity, spoke to a large crowd about the conditions of his dismissal. Allied groups, as well as local elected officials such as Tiffany Cabán were in attendance. Starbucks Workers United is demanding Locke's reinstatement with back pay for the wrongful termination. (Liberation)
3. Several propane tanks exploded during a two-alarm fire at a warehouse on Friday. The fire began around 3:00 p.m. at 57-75 Maspeth Avenue. More than 100 firefighters worked together to bring the fire under control. The blaze was knocked down by about 4:15 p.m. No serious injuries were reported. (AMNY)

Today in Queens:

• Live It Up: Get Healthy, Live Well at Sacred Heart Church (12:00 PM)
• Yoga at the Castle at Bayside Historical Society (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The community celebrated Colombian Independence Day on 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights on Saturday. Food, music, and much more came together at Festival Colombiano. (Spectrum News NY1)
• Angela Yee and Mona Scott are squaring off in a 30-minute cooking challenge. The showdown will happen next Sunday, Jul. 31 at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival in Roy Wilkins Park. (South Florida Caribbean News)
• Queens Botanical Garden wants to share a beautiful botanical highlight. Hydrangea quercifolia, or snowflake, is a beautiful cone-shaped burst of flowers. Click the link to see a video. (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! 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.