The highest turnout for any contest in Suffolk County in last week’s election was for the proposition to create a state constitutional convention, which drew 31.9 percent of registered voters, 50 percent more than the off-year turnout four years ago.

The vote on the convention drew 304,855 voters in unofficial returns — more than the turnout for the countywide district attorney and sheriff contests, even though the referendum was on the back of the ballot. The convention proposition was defeated by 86.6 percent.

The district attorney’s race drew 293,175 voters, or 30.7 percent of registered voters; the sheriff’s contest attracted 284,366 voters, or 29.8 percent.

The final turnout will rise when 15,060 absentee ballots are counted later.

By contrast, Suffolk’s...| read more ››

Huntington High School found itself in the crosshairs of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) latest initiative that takes aims at cracking down on Long Island gang activity, much to the surprise of school officials.

Cuomo announced Sept. 13 his plan for deployment of a new Gang Violence Prevention Unit, which will deploy state troopers to monitor gang activity and recruitment in the alleged top 10 “high-risk” Suffolk County schools. Huntington High School made the list.

The prevention unit will immediately assign 10 state troopers, one to each of the 10 schools in the six targeted districts which includes Brentwood, Central Islip, Huntington, Longwood, South Country Central and Wyandanch. Cuomo said these districts were chosen as they were identified by...| read more ››

Mount Sinai, NY - September 25, 2017 - On Wednesday, October 4th at 6:30 PM, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker and the North Shore Neighbors Breast Cancer Coalition will be hosting a tree lighting ceremony for the Pink Tree for Hope at the North Shore Heritage Park at 633 Mount Sinai-Coram Road in Mount Sinai. In recognition of National Breast Cancer Month and in support of breast cancer awareness, the tree at Heritage Park will be decorated with pink lights and illuminated throughout the month of October.

“Having lost my grandmother from breast cancer, I am honored to partner with the North Shore Neighbors Breast Cancer Coalition to raise awareness about the prevalence of breast cancer, honor our loved ones...| read more ››

ALBANY — State agencies including the State Police won’t be allowed to ask a person about his or her immigration status in most cases, under an executive order issued by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Friday.

Police won’t be able to ask whether a person is in the United States illegally when a person contacts police as a victim of a crime, is a witness or is seeking assistance, according to the order.

State agencies also won’t be able to ask about immigration status unless the law requires it or the information is needed to provide benefits or services.

The executive order is the latest effort by the Democratic governor to combat a crackdown on illegal immigration by the administration of...| read more ››

Amityville, NY - September 27, 2017 - Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory joined fellow elected officials to congratulate the Economic Opportunity Council (EOC) of Suffolk, Inc. at the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration on Friday, Sept. 22 in Babylon.

“On behalf of Suffolk County, I would like to thank Adrian Fassett and all of his staff at EOC of Suffolk who work tirelessly to make Suffolk County a better place for all residents, and congratulate them on 50 great years of serving our community,” said Presiding Officer Gregory. “The efforts that EOC of Suffolk puts forward year after year to assist families in need are truly inspiring.”

The Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) minority community-based...| read more ››

Strong condemnation of the white nationalist march in Charlottesville, Virginia has come from Suffolk County.

It is a county that itself has known hate. The KKK was active in Suffolk in the 1920s, Nazis had a New York area center in Yaphank in the 1930s and racial discrimination has persisted.
A Suffolk sidelight in the Charlottesville situation: Christopher Cantwell, raised in Suffolk, was a leader of the “Unite the Right” rally that drew members of the KKK, white nationalists and neo-Nazis. Originally from Stony Brook, he was prominent in a widely aired Vice News documentary on the march saying “I carry a pistol,” “I’m trying to make myself more capable of violence,” “We’ll f… kill these people if we...| read more ››

Three known gang members and one associate were arrested in Shirley during a traffic stop, the Suffolk County Police Department announced last week. The incident occurred on Tuesday, Sept. 12 in the late evening hours.

According to SCPD commissioner Timothy Sini, members of the department’s elite Firearms Suppression Team were conducting surveillance in the Bellport area when they spotted a 2015 Dodge Durango driving erratically. The officers followed the vehicle to Victory Avenue in Shirley, where they then attempted to make a traffic stop. As the officers approached the car, the driver took off, prompting a brief chase. The perpetrators ultimately turned onto Candido Avenue, a dead-end street, turned around and headed right for the officers. “The driver of...| read more ››

The risky decision by Huntington Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D) to run for town supervisor rather than seek re-election to the town board has paid off so far following her primary night victory Sept. 12.

Edwards beat challenger and Centerport resident Darryl St. George (D), 3,482 votes to 1,664 votes, in the primary to become the Huntington Democratic Party candidate for town supervisor, based on the unofficial election results posted Sept. 13 by the Suffolk County Board of Elections.

Winning more than 60 percent of the overall vote, Edwards is already looking forward to the general election.

“I am ecstatic,” Edwards said. “You are always a little nervous, of course. But I was ecstatic to receive the confidence of the Democratic...| read more ››

The Republican push to repeal ObamaCare is officially on ice.

Now the question is when — if ever — the GOP will try again.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) insisted Tuesday that Republicans “haven’t given up on changing the American health care system.” Yet he made clear that, for now, they are moving on to other priorities.

“Where we go from here is tax reform,” McConnell said.

It’s a sobering moment for the GOP.

After seven years of campaign promises, the Senate on Tuesday gave up on a last-gasp ObamaCare repeal bill from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

The decision effectively ended any chance Republicans had of repealing ObamaCare this year, and potentially before the 2018...| read more ››

Democrats on Tuesday flipped two seats in special state elections in Florida and New Hampshire.

In Florida, Annette Taddeo won a Miami-area state Senate seat, The Daily Beast reported.

The Miami Herald noted that the race was heavily contested due to its importance to both parties, adding that the Republican who resigned from the seat faced controversy after reportedly making racist comments.

She won in a district that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton took in the 2016 presidential race, 58 to 40 percent.
In New Hampshire, Kari Lerner won a special state House election in a district President Trump won by a significant margin.

Lerner beat her opponent, former state Rep. James Headd (R), by 39 votes, according to WMUR....| read more ››