News

With blood shortage at emergency levels, Southold FD hosts blood drive today

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, right, and Comptroller Joseph Kennedy donated blood Jan 28 at a blood donation center in Bohemia.
Feb
4
2015

The New York Blood Center has issued an emergency blood appeal after the region lost approximately 3,000 pints of blood because of the blizzard last week.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has called on “every capable donor to come out and donate blood” to alleviate “the largest single shortage of blood donations since Superstorm Sandy because of donation center closings and blood drive cancellations.”

Bellone and Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy donated blood Jan. 28 at the N.Y. Blood Center donation center in Bohemia.

“Our blood supply relies exclusively on the generosity of volunteer blood donors,” according to New York Blood Center. “There is no substitute for human blood.”

Southold Fire Department is hosting a blood drive today from 2:15...| read more ››

Six Suffolk legislators oppose Medford casino

Feb
3
2015

Suffolk legislative Majority Leader Rob Calarco and five other Democratic county lawmakers are calling on a state gaming panel to reject a plan by Suffolk Off-Tracking Betting Corp. for a $65 million casino with 1,000 video lottery slot machines in Medford.

Calarco, who represents Medford, Tuesday released a draft letter to the New York State Gaming Commission attacking the site, located just east of Long Island Expressway Exit 64. Calarco cited concerns about traffic, sewers and public safety.

Calarco also criticized state and local OTB officials for failing to communicate with the surrounding community to "get them on board," or to detail how they will deal with potentially negative impacts.

"Medford has long been known as a quiet suburban community...| read more ››

Suffolk Democrats give Timothy Sini center stage

Former Federal Prosecutor Tim Sini
Jan
31
2015

In the hours before the first snowflakes began falling, it wasn't Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone on the morning TV news, warning of last week's impending blizzard -- it was new and little known Assistant Deputy County Executive Timothy D. Sini.

Bellone took over once the storm hit Monday. But Sini's appearance represented a high-profile opportunity to help ready the former federal prosecutor, 34, as a prime-time contender for county legislator this fall.

Democrats are looking to rebound from an embarrassing 2013 loss in the 14th Legislative District, where 23-year Lindenhurst Deputy Mayor Kevin McCaffrey won a huge upset in a nasty race. It was more painful because it's Bellone home district.

"It seems like they hired him just to...| read more ››

Persons Of The Year 2014 - William R. 'Doc' Spencer, MD

Dr. William "Doc" Spencer
Jan
28
2015

Every year, Long Islander News honors a person who has made a significant contribution to the Town of Huntington. We look for a dynamic force who has made history, gone above and beyond a call of duty, and made Huntington a better place.

For 2014, that person is Legislator William Spencer.

Now in his third year as a lawmaker, Spencer has waged major battles to pass legislation important to him – and he usually wins the fight. Whether tackling energy drinks, barring dangerous fracking byproducts from being used in the county, securing millions in aid for Northport Village to complete mandated sewage treatment plant upgrades and winning his biggest political and legislative battle to raise the tobacco-buying age in Suffolk...| read more ››

Limited Equity Co-op in Huntington Secures Financing

Jan
28
2015

The developer of Highland Green, a 117-unit townhouse project planned for a site in Melville, has secured the financing needed to move forward, officials said.

Calling it Long Island’s first limited equity cooperative, Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone said he expects construction for the Ruland Road project to begin this spring.

“This is a major step toward building the first example of what could become an important affordable housing option for Long Island,” Petrone said.

D&F Development Group, the project’s developer, obtained financing from a variety of sources, including the New York State Housing Finance Agency, the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation, the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning and the Long Island Housing Partnership, which will...| read more ››

Bellone Launches Public Registration For Inaugural Suffolk Marathon And Half Marathon In Support Of Vets

County Executive Bellone Opens Registration to the Public at the Sayville Running Company along side veterans and members of the running community. Photo Credit: Suffolk County.
Jan
21
2015

Suffolk Marathon Designated as Boston Marathon Qualifier

(Long Island, NY) County Executive Steve Bellone joined Suffolk County Legislators Steve Stern, Kara Hahn, Bill Lindsay III, and Rob Calarco as well as local veterans, business owners, members of the running community and the Greater Long Island Running Club to announce that registration for the inaugural Suffolk County Marathon and Half Marathon is officially open to the public. Residents and visitors can register at SuffolkMarathon.com. The race will be held on Sunday, September 13.

“We want to do something specifically for local veterans, and we know that every dollar that we are able to donate and raise from the marathon will be going right back to the veterans in our community right...| read more ››

Suffolk County Seeks To Crack Down On Sale Of Stolen Items To Pawn Shops

Jan
15
2015

Officials in Suffolk County said Wednesday that they are looking to crack down on thieves stealing valuables and selling them to pawn shops.

As WCBS 880’s Sophia Hall reported, authorities said drug addicts are stealing items and pawning them for cash.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said changes must be made, and he is pushing for a new law to help get stolen property back to its rightful owners.

Deputy County Executive Timothy Sini said a proposed law “requires pawn shops, as well as precious metal and gem dealers, to take a digital photograph of the seller, the seller’s identification, and the item being sold, and upload that data into an existing computerized tracking system.”

The proposal would also track...| read more ››

Bellone has $1.4 million in campaign account

Jan
15
2015

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, who has no opponent yet for his fall re-election bid, has $1.4 million in campaign cash on hand, according to new state filings.

In Nassau, acting District Attorney Madeline Singas, a Democrat, has raised more than $400,000 for her expected campaign for a full four-year term, reports submitted late Thursday to the state Board of Elections show.

The reports cover periods from July 2014 through Jan. 15, or from late November, depending on whether the candidate ran for election last year.

Bellone, a Democrat seeking his second term, raised $555,960 and spent $69,224 between Nov. 29 and Jan. 11.

Suffolk Republican chairman John Jay LaValle said he is talking to potential candidates, and that he's...| read more ››

Spencer: $6M Coming to Local Police Districts Information for Northport area residents.

Jan
14
2015

The following was submitted by William R. Spencer, who represents the 18th Legislative District.

Fighting to get our fair share of resources in the 18th legislative district (LD) is a high priority of mine. With four Incorporated Villages within the 18th LD, all charged with maintaining their own police forces outside the Suffolk County Police Department, I have been pushing to secure an appropriation of our sales tax for our local village police departments. It’s an issue of fairness, plain and simple. If we are all contributing toward the revenues generated from our sales tax, then all police departments within Suffolk County are entitled to a portion of those funds.

With my colleagues, Presiding Office DuWayne Gregory and Legislator Schneiderman,...| read more ››

County fights back against heroin addiction with new FDA-approved drug in arsenal

Jan
13
2015

Suffolk County has announced new ammunition in the war against heroin addiction.
On Monday, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced today a new, countywide model to provide residents with an alternative to combat heroin and other opiate abuse with the introduction of the FDA-approved drug, extended-release naltrexone, along with enhanced substance abuse treatment.
In 2012 and 2013, there were more than 400 opioid related deaths countywide, Bellone said — a scourge that has brought devastation to lives of young and old alike in the area.
“Our police department has appropriately noted that we cannot arrest our way out of the heroin and opiate epidemic that has affected our nation and our county,” Bellone said. “We need to...| read more ››