🌱 Urban Vegan Roots + Suspect Charged In Subway Hammer Attack

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

First, today's weather:

Not as cold, turning breezy. High: 40 Low: 26.

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Here are the top three stories in Queens today:

1. A new restaurant offering all-vegan fare will soon be opening in Astoria. At the beginning of May, Urban Vegan Roots will be opening at The World Artisan Market, a repurposed warehouse building located at 34-39 31st St. The new restaurant will be a sister restaurant to the pair’s only other eatery called Urban Vegan Kitchen, which opened seven years ago in the West Village section of Manhattan. Patrons can enjoy signature vegan-style dishes, including chick-un and waffles, Korean BBQ wings, mac and cheese, and a range of burgers. (Astoria Post)
2. A homeless man has been indicted on attempted murder charges after he allegedly attacked a female city worker with a hammer at a Queens subway station last month. According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, 57-year-old William Blount was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned in Queens County Supreme Court on Friday for allegedly bludgeoning the woman as many as 13 times over the head and back at an entrance to the Queens Plaza subway station. Blount, who could face up to 25 years if convicted, has been charged with attempted murder in the first and second degree, assault, robbery, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of stolen property. (Sunnyside Post)
3. A man has been arrested on hate crimes for allegedly smashing the windows of a Queens church. On Sunday, police revealed 32-year-old Tonnie Smith was charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime. Smith, who lives a few blocks from the church, was caught on surveillance cameras and appeared to break two glass windows at the front of the church on 108th Avenue just before 1:30 a.m. on Mar. 8. (New York Post)

Today in Queens:

• Art History Lecture Series With Art Historian Mary Dono, At Glen Oaks Branch Library (3:00 PM)
• The Pre-War Ponies (Live Music), At Culture Lab LIC #42 (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The NYC Compost Project Master Composter Certificate Course is back! (Facebook)
• Beloved teaching artist Steve Palermo will unveil his "Once Upon a Time" exhibit at Flushing Town Hall on Mar. 30, running through Apr. 18. (Facebook)
• See who's hiring in the Queens area this week. (Queens Patch)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— 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.