It was the first time the Suffolk County Democrats ever hosted a presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton helped raise $510,000 for the party, said Suffolk County Democratic Chairman Rich Schaffer at press time.

Clinton also attracted 850 supporters to the tightly secured Villa Lombardi’s catering venue in Holbrook.

Clinton swung through back-to-back appearances on Monday, including a roundtable discussion in Port Washington on gun violence as well as a Glen Cove event hosted by the Nassau County Democratic Committee.

Doors opened at 4 p.m. and 75 people were lined up a half-hour earlier with ticket holders witnessing a SWAT Team and bomb-sniffing dogs that had conducted a sweep. Suffolk police conducted traffic.

Anthony Speelman from Medford,...| read more ››

Universal pre-kindergarten is the most direct way to address the growing inequality in New York [“Access to Pre-K: Elusive on LI,” News, March 20]. Pre-K has proved to close opportunity and achievement gaps. Children who receive high-quality early education are more likely to succeed in grade school, high school and throughout their adult lives.

Even though the evidence is clear, the majority of Long Island families are living without quality pre-K education, and the few schools that do provide it have to compete each year for grants and funding. Today, 61 percent of New York State’s four-year olds are still waiting to receive a full day pre-K education. In high-needs districts on Long Island, that number soars to 79 percent....| read more ››

Timothy Sini was sworn in Thursday as Suffolk County police commissioner and pledged to restore the public’s trust in the department after a former chief was convicted of violating a suspect’s civil rights and orchestrating a cover-up.

Sini, a former federal prosecutor who until recently served as deputy county executive, replaces former Police Commissioner Edward Webber at the helm of the police department.

Sini, 35, was County Executive Steve Bellone’s hand-picked choice to replace Webber, who announced his retirement late last year, when the department was undergoing a tumultuous period following the departure of several top commanders.

After he was sworn in Thursday at the Suffolk County Police Academy in Brentwood, Sini alluded to the damage done to the department...| read more ››

At a press conference on February 23rd at the William H. Rogers Legislature Building in Smithtown, New York, several Suffolk County Legislators were joined by environmental advocates and residents to urge Governor Andrew Cuomo to reject the Dredge Material Management Plan (DMMP), proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers. When the public asked for more responsible alternatives for the disposal of dredge materials, the United States Army Corps of Engineers failed to deliver. The new plan, released in January, outlined the continuation of dredge dumping in the Long Island Sound for 30 additional years without addressing possible beneficial reuses.

“The Army Corps of Engineers has taken over 10 years and spent over $7 million to identify alternatives to dredge spoil...| read more ››