4 The Courier sun • SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Cops on high alert in Queens as FBI captures Chelsea bomb suspect By Robert Pozarycki rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz Residents across the New York City area received smartphone messages on the morning of Sept. 19 that the FBI had identified a suspect in connection with the Sept. 17 bombing in Manhattan, and the mass alert seemed to work. Ahmad Khan Rahami, who was sought for questioning in connection with the Sept. 17 blast in Chelsea that left 29 people injured, was taken into custody after being shot by police during an “encounter” in Linden, NJ, according to The New York Times. He was wounded, but apparently not seriously; he was observed being handcuffed at the scene. Federal agents are looking into a possible link between the bombing and two incidents in New Jersey this weekend: a pipe bomb explosion near the course of a charity footrace in Seaside Heights and a number of pipebombs found near a train station in Elizabeth. The city, always a target for terrorism, is on high alert in the wake of these incidents. Extra police details, including bomb-sniffing dogs, were dispatched to transit hubs including the Woodside train station. If you see a suspicious or unattended package or bag on a bus or train, or at a bus stop or train station, call 888-NYCSAFE immediately. Photo: Robert Pozarycki/QNS MTA Police officers stand with bomb-sniffing dogs at the Woodside Long Island Rail Road station on Sept. 19. NEW YORK STATE PRIMARY ROUNDUP By Liam Baker editorial@qns.com/@QNS Aside from one major upset, incumbent Democratic lawmakers in Queens held on to their seats in Tuesday’s statewide primary. State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky defeated community organizer S. J. Jung in the Democratic primary for the second time in her bid for an eighth term in the 16th Senatorial District seat. After votes from all of the district’s voting precincts were counted, Stavisky won 57 percent of the vote while Jung finished with just 42 percent. Stavisky’s triumph was the culmination of what was a heated and divisive race, with Jung at odds with Stavisky on a number of key issues, including same-sex marriage and abortion rights. Jung received a lot of grief from elected officials and women’s groups alike when, earlier in the race, he promised residents that he would remove all images of gay people from school textbooks if elected. He also publicly stated at a debate in Flushing that he doesn’t support a woman’s right to an abortion, barring circumstances where the pregnancy threatens the life of the woman. In the State Senate District 10 Democratic primary, state Senator James Sanders Jr. defeated challenger Adrienne Adams. With more than 97 percent of all voting precincts counted, Sanders came away with nearly 58 percent of the vote to Community Board 12 chairwoman Adams’ 42 percent. The Queens County Democratic Party had backed Adams after Sanders announced last year that he was planning to take on Queens Congressman Gregory Meeks of the 5th Congressional District in the upcoming fall elections. However, Sanders has since withdrew from the race against Meeks and will now be unopposed in the November election. Assemblywoman Hyndman has retained her seat representing District 29 on the State Assembly after a landslide victory over opponents Lorraine Bridges and Linda Guillebeaux. Hyndman won a dominant 73 percent of the vote, while challengers Bridges and Guillebeaux finished with 20 and 6 percent, respectively. In District 32, incumbent Assemblywoman Vivian Cook toppled opponent Rodney Reid in the Democratic primary for State Assembly. Cook won the primary in decisive fashion, finishing with 77 percent to Reid’s 22 percent. Cook has represented the 32nd Assembly District since 1991. The race for the Democratic nomination for the seat on the State Assembly for District 33 that was left vacant following the death of Barbara Clark was a fiercely contested one, with five candidates on the ballot. Ultimately, it was businessman and community advocate Clyde Vanel who came out victorious, winning 32 percent of the vote. Vanel’s closest rival was Nantasha Williams, who ended up with 28 percent of the vote. After Williams, the ticket was rounded out by Bryan Block, Roy Paul and Sabine French, who finished with 24, 11 and 3 percent of the vote, respectively. Street renamed to honor slain teen By Liam Baker editorial@qns.com/@QNS A segment of a Queens street was renamed Friday to honor D’Aja Naquai Robinson, a 14-year-old girl who was tragically killed by a stray bullet three years ago. The street, located on Sutphin Boulevard between 125th Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard, will now be known as D’Aja Naquai Robinson Way, in memory of the girl who was shot in the head in May 2013 as she was returning from a friend’s Sweet Sixteen party. The two gang members who opened fire on the MTA bus she was riding were intending to hit a rival but botched their attempt, resulting in the death of Robinson. The re-naming ceremony was hosted by New York City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-South Jamaica), who was joined by Robinson’s family and friends, as well as local representatives and community leaders. “Three years have passed since D’Aja was called home, and the world will never know her promise,” said Councilman Wills in a press release. “We assembled here today not only to remember this young lady and share our sorrow, but also reaffirm the community’s commitment to preserving its future, which is embodied in the lives of our children.” In the wake of her death, the city started the Gun Violence Photo: Brandon Clarke Crisis Management System (CMS), which aims to reduce shootings in neighborhoods where shooting deaths are most frequent. Since 2014, tens of millions of dollars have been provided to CMS and its Cure Violence partners. Robinson would have been 18 last month.
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