Good morning, Queens! ?
- ? A U.S. District Court Judge ruled Thursday that Rikers Island will continue to operate under the city’s management, rejecting several city officials’ motion to hand over control of the jail to the federal government.
- ? New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks announced Thursday the launch of the Via platform — a new public school bus tracking system to be used within Queens Community School District 26.
- ? According to a newly released safety report, ten NYC hospitals — including Flushing Hospital in Queens — were given “D” grades for poor patient safety. Several city-run hospitals, however, earned “A” grades, including NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica.
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Here are the top stories today in Queens:
1. U.S. District Court Judge Laura Swain ruled Thursday that Rikers Island will continue to operate under the city’s management, rejecting several city officials’ motion to hand over the facility to the federal government amid mismanagement by the Department of Corrections (DOC). “A receiver will not be able to magically fix what has been broken at Rikers for decades, and I will continue to work aggressively for its closure by the 2027 deadline,” Comptroller Brad Lander said in a letter to Swain on Thursday. The nearly 6,000-person jail has been under the oversight of a federal court-appointed monitor since 2011 after the city’s Legal Aid Society filed a class-action lawsuit. The Legal Aid Society is also in support of the federal government taking over all operations of Rikers Island instead of the DOC.
2. New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks announced Thursday the launch of the Via platform — a new public school bus tracking system to be used within Queens Community School District 26. The tracking platform, which marks the next phase of the NYC Student Transportation Modernization Plan, will allow families and schools to receive real-time updates and location information of students as they travel on school buses. Additionally, Via will expand lines of communication between schools, bus companies, and families, as well as give schools and families increased transparency and visibility. “I am so excited to see this program launching in my district, so that our families never have to wonder where their student’s school bus is again,” Community School District 26 Superintendent Danielle Giunta said. “This platform will allow parents to track where their child’s bus is when they are on their way to and from school – letting them know when to head out in the morning when it is cold and rainy and when their child’s bus may be running late due to traffic. I’m thankful to all District 26 community members for coming together to make this a reality.”
3. According to a newly released, nationally recognized safety report card from a medical watchdog group, ten NYC hospitals — including Flushing Hospital in Queens — were given “D” grades for poor patient safety. The grading rubric included infections, problems with surgery, safety issues, practices to prevent errors and leadership communications with hospital staff. On the other hand, several city-run hospitals earned “A” grades for patient safety, including NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica. “Everyone at Queens plays an important role in the quality of care we provide our patients, and it is gratifying when the results of this hard work are recognized by others,” said Neil Moore, the CEO of Queens Hospital Center. “This news is especially positive for our patients, who entrust us with their care. They can enter our doors knowing that we are one of the safest hospitals in our city and state.” No hospitals in New York State received an “F.”
4. Following an avian influenza outbreak at a live poultry market in Queens, a New…
Read More: ?Rikers Remains Under City Control For Now+ School Bus Tracking System