FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 18, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 21
Two police offi cers help save the life
of an 11-month-old baby in Jamaica
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
Two offi cers from the 113th Precinct
helped save a baby’s life over the weekend
in Jamaica.
On Saturday, Jan. 13, at around 6
p.m., NY1 reported that Police Offi cers
John Simicich and Tim Molinet were on
patrol when they got a call regarding an
unconscious child who wasn’t breathing.
Th e offi cers rushed over to the location,
a residential home on Guy Brewer
Boulevard.
Upon their arrival, it was reported, they
found José and Alexandra Iona, the parents
of 11-month-old Joseph. Joseph was
still unconscious and his lips were turning
blue.
Police said that the offi cers took Joseph
and his parents into the patrol car and
rushed them to Jamaica Hospital. On
the way there, Offi cer Simicich began to
perform chest compressions on Joseph.
Offi cer Molinet, who was driving the
patrol car, called on other offi cers to block
off their route to the hospital.
“It was nerve-wracking,” said Offi cer
Simicich in a press conference. “It hits
home for me. I’m not just a police offi -
cer, I’m a father, and when we see that, it
Photo: Twitter/@KarenDClements
takes priority.”
Joseph has since been released from the
hospital and is doing well.
Noticia LI is the
new addition
to Schneps
BY TIMOTHY BOLGER
Long Island Press
Special to The Queens Courier
Schneps Communications, the parent
company of the Long Island Press
and Th e Queens Courier, has acquired
Noticia, a popular Spanish-language
media company with more than
150,000 readers online and in print.
Th ey have served the Long Island
communities for over 26 years.
Schneps, which owns and operates 22
other publications, events and websites
throughout New York City and
Long Island, is planning to continue
to publish Noticia on Long Island
and will separately publish El Correo
of NY, the company’s other Spanishlanguage
newspaper that serves
Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the
Bronx.
“We’re very proud to have acquired
Noticia and the very special people
who have built it the past 26 years,” says
Victoria Schneps-Yunis, president and
founder of Schneps Communications.
“Th is will off er an unparalleled opportunity
for clients who want to reach
the Hispanic/Latino audience in New
York City and Long Island. We’re
thrilled to bring on board as the publisher
of El Correo of NY and Noticia,
Silvana Diaz.”
Schneps-Yunis adds that the combined
talent of Noticia and El Correo
Karmina L. Fonseca will be editor
in chief of both publications brings
“four decades of quality news to the
Spanish-speaking communities of our
region.” Fonseca will be editor in chief
of both publications.
Silvana Diaz, the publisher of
Noticia, lives in Baldwin and her parents,
William and Vicky Diaz, founded
the paper in 1991. Silvana and her
sister, Cinthia, became co-owners in
2009. Th e newspaper also ran successful
Hispanic networking events
and a scholarship fund, Fundación
Hispanoamericana, for many years.
“Our family is excited to be joining
the Schneps Communications
family, where our mutual goal is to
continue to serve our communities
from NYC to Long Island, through
all our platforms – print, digital and
event marketing,” Diaz says. “It is
with great responsibility and humbleness
that I take this new role of publisher
of Schneps Communications
Hispanic Media Division,” she continues.
“It has been my family’s mission
to give a voice and empower our community
through unbiased and accurate
local news reporting. Th is mission
now expands geographically and
demographically.”
Rosenthal takes oath to fi ll late
Simanowitz’s Queens Assembly seat
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @
smont76
During a formal swearing-in
ceremony in Flushing on Jan.
11, new Assemblyman Daniel
Rosenthal vowed to continue
the legacy of his predecessor, the
late Michael Simanowitz, who
died last year.
Rosenthal was elected last
November as the new representative
for the 27th Assembly
District, which includes College
Point, Flushing, Pomonok, Kew
Gardens Hills, Forest Hills and
Richmond Hill. At 26 years old,
he is now the youngest member
of the New York State Assembly.
Th e Assembly seat was left
vacant after Simanowitz’s
untimely passing in September
at the age of 45. He represented
the district since 2011. A special
election to fi ll the seat was
held on Nov. 7.
“I’ll carry the mantle, hear your voice
and fi ght for every part of the district:
from Whitestone and College Point in the
North, to Richmond Hill in the South,”
Rosenthal said to attendees at P.S. 201.
Before running for the Assembly seat,
Rosenthal served as a district director
for Councilman Rory Lancman. Much
of the 27th Assembly District overlaps
Lancman’s City Council District.
Rosenthal told attendees at the Jan. 11
gathering that he will be “a tireless public
servant” and encouraged constituents
to contact his offi ce with any community
issues or concerns.
“Together, we will be the problem solvers
that these times require,” he said.
Rosenthal received the nomination for
the seat by the Democratic Organization
of Queens County in late September.
Remarks at the event were delivered by
Public Advocate Letitia James, Borough
President Melinda Katz, Councilman
Barry Grodenchik and Congressman
Joseph Crowley. Th e 107th Precinct
Explorers Program commenced the ceremony
with the Presentation of Colors
and P.S. 201’s choir led the audience in
the national anthem.
Rosenthal’s district offi ce is located at
159-06 71st Ave. and can be reached at
718-969-1508.
Police Offi cers Tim Molinet and John Simicich
Photos courtesy of Rosenthal’s offi ce
Councilman Rory Lancman offi ciates the Oath of Offi ce on Jan. 11.