It was a memorable year for QNS in 2022.
QNS stories accumulated nearly 5 million views in 2022. Here are some of the photos that accompanied those stories, sorted by month.
January: Bayside Times gets shoutout on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’
On the Jan. 14 episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show,” the Bayside Times got a shoutout for its cover story in a December issue about a Forest Hills nurse who got a home makeover courtesy of its famous host.
“We’re on the cover of the Bayside Times today and as you can see, we love magazines, newspapers, periodicals. Here I am in the New York state Bayside Times on the cover. You have no idea what an honor this is for me. Thank you,” Barrymore said at the end of the Drew’s News segment of the show.
Back in November 2021, Victoria Osei, a nurse at LIJ Forest Hills, was surprised with a renovation of her Uniondale home, which included a new kitchen and upgrades to the living room and dining room. The reveal was broadcast on an episode of Barrymore’s morning talk show.
The mournful skirl of bagpipes filled the air in Far Rockaway on Feb. 18 as family and friends of firefighter Jesse Gerhard joined members of the FDNY and NYPD for a solemn bunting ceremony to honor the fallen.
The 33-year-old collapsed Feb. 16 while on duty inside his Ladder 134 firehouse on Central Avenue, during a “medical episode” that was likely heart failure, according to authorities. His fellow firefighters rushed to perform emergency medical care and he was brought to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, where he died.
Gerhard is survived by his parents, his brother and his sister-in-law.
March: FDNY battles two-alarm fire in South Jamaica home
The FDNY fought a two-alarm fire that broke out near the Van Wyck Expressway in South Jamaica Tuesday, March 29.
Firefighters responded to multiple phone calls for a house fire at 137-11 131st Ave. and units arrived to find heavy fire and smoke in a garage just after 6:40 p.m. on March 29.
The blaze quickly spread into the first and second floor of a private, two-story house as the FDNY went to a second alarm at 7:12 p.m., bringing 25 units and 106 firefighters and EMS to the scene, according to the FDNY.
The fire was brought under control at 7:40 p.m. and searches showed no civilians were inside and there were no injuries to FDNY personnel at the location.
April: Horrific murder of Forest Hills’ Orsolya Gaal has neighbors on edge, and seeking greater security
Following the discovery of a Forest Hills woman’s body inside a duffel bag near the Jackie Robinson Parkway and Forest Park on Saturday, April 16, members of the Forest Hills and Kew Gardens communities had different ideas on how to prevent anything like this from happening again in their area.
The deceased was identified by police as 51-year-old Queens resident Orsolya Gaal, who leaves behind a husband and two sons, according to authorities. Based on a blood trail from the crime scene, police believe Gaal was killed in her home at 72-24 Juno St.
May: Hollis man charged in fatal beating of Jamaica pawn shop owner
The NYPD on Wednesday, May 18, arrested and charged a Hollis man in connection with the fatal beating of a Jamaica pawn shop owner.
Detectives with the NYPD’s Fugitive Task Force tracked down 48-year-old Rondolfo Lopez-Portillo in Maryland and brought him back to the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica where he was charged with murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the March beating, according to authorities.
Arasb Shoughi, 60, of Jamaica Estates, succumbed to his injuries the morning of April 17 at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he was taken after the March 28 attack inside his Global Pawn Shop on Jamaica Avenue near 179th Street.
June: Forest Hills resident competes on ‘Jeopardy!’
A college writing professor from Forest Hills was a competitor on a June episode of “Jeopardy!”
Tom Philipose faced off against two other contestants on the June 2 episode of the show. Philipose went into Final Jeopardy just $4,000 behind the leader and, after wagering all of his earnings, he fell short of winning.
Hosted by Mayim Bialik, “Jeopardy!” is in its 38th season in syndication.
July: Parents and community leaders protest alleged bullying incident at Fresh Meadows school
Parents of students at J.H.S. 216 in Fresh Meadows rallied outside of the school, demanding a thorough investigation for 11-year-old Jialin Emma Chen, a sixth-grader who was allegedly assaulted and harassed by four boys in a bullying incident that occurred on the school playground in June.
Chanting “Where’s the principal!” and “Justice for Emma,” parents stood in front of the school entrance at 64-20 176th St. calling on the principal to address the issue and reports of students who have been physically bullied by other students at the school.
Parents and community leaders say that authorities have failed to take quick and appropriate steps to address the alleged incidents. They say that Chen’s case was neglected and not fairly treated by the school until recently.
August: South Richmond Hill Hindu temple’s Gandhi statue vandalized for second time in two weeks
Pandit Maharaj, founder of the Shri Tulsi Mandir in South Richmond Hill, says community members are heartbroken after the Mahatma Gandhi statue was again vandalized late in the night on Aug. 16.
The attack came less than two weeks after the same Gandhi statue was damaged on Aug. 3 outside of the mandir, located at 103-24 111th St.
“The first time it happened the person was speaking Spanish. This time, they were speaking in Hindi,” Maharaj told QNS. “To know that Gandhi represents peace and somebody would come and just target the statue and vandalize it, it’s very sad.”
September: EMS lieutenant stabbed and killed in senseless Astoria attack
A 61-year-old EMS lieutenant was fatally stabbed in Astoria on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 29, authorities reported.
The lieutenant, Alison Russo-Elling, who had served for 25 years, died as a result of the unprovoked attack, according to police. Her alleged attacker is now in custody.
According to Chief James Essig, at approximately 2:10 p.m., at the corner of 20th Avenue and 41st Street, Russo-Elling was getting food nearby an EMS station she was assigned to about half a block away. At 2:15 p.m., a 34-year-old man brandished a knife and viciously attacked Russo-Elling, stabbing her numerous times.
She was transported to Mount Sinai Queens where she succumbed to her injuries.
October 2022: Man holds MTA bus driver hostage, sets in motion hundreds losing power in St. Albans
An assault on a hostage MTA bus driver in eastern Queens set off a chain reaction of events that ultimately led to hundreds of households losing power Thursday, Oct. 27.
Police say that at around 7:23 a.m., a 44-year-old man ran in front of a Q4 bus at Linden Boulevard and 197th Street in St. Albans and demanded he be allowed to board. The bus was carrying around 20 to 25 passengers at the time, whom the driver allowed to disembark at that point.
Law enforcement sources said the man, who claimed he was being chased, brandished what appeared to be a firearm at the driver and ordered him to drive. Police later said the weapon was actually just a BB gun.
The gunman attempted to take control of the vehicle, but it didn’t last long: the bus crashed into a utility pole by a pre-school, the Cambria Center for the Gifted Child, a block away at 233rd Street.
The gunman left the bus and was quickly apprehended by authorities.
Unfortunately, the driver’s escape from captivity dovetailed into a hellish morning for Cambria Heights residents. The crash caused the collapse of a transformer on the pole, taking it out of service and resulting in the loss of power for 850 Con Edison customers, the utility said.
November: Mayor presents vision for Willets Point transformation with 100% affordable housing, privately financed soccer stadium
A proposal was unveiled Wednesday, Nov. 16, at the Queens Museum, where Mayor Eric Adams presented the city’s plan for the long-stalled transformation of Willets Point that will be anchored by 2,500 affordable homes, the city’s largest 100% affordable new housing project since the 1970s. The development will include a 25,000-seat privately financed soccer stadium, the new home of the New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and a 250-room hotel, all constructed by 100% union labor where the Iron Triangle once stood across the street from Citi Field.
December: Beached whale dies at Rockaway Beach after attempted rescue
A 30-foot beached sperm whale died on the shoreline around Beach 73rd Street at Rockaway Beach early Tuesday morning, Dec. 13, despite nearby surfers and construction workers attempting to save it, according to the city’s Parks Department.
The local construction company alerted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) around 7:30 a.m. of the sperm whale in the surf. USACE coordinated with NYC Parks to alert the proper authorities to provide services for the animal. After contacting the Parks Department, the NYPD and the Department of Environmental Conservation, the surfers and workers attempted to push the animal toward the sea.
The Parks Department confirmed with QNS that despite the rescue attempts, the whale died on the shoreline around 9 a.m.
