Suffolk County Police Fifth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously
injured a pedestrian in Patchogue on Sept. 27.
Joseph Wyjama was crossing Medford Avenue, just south of East Roe Boulevard, when he was struck
by a southbound 2012 Nissan Altima at approximately 12 a.m.
Wyjama, 23, of Medford, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious,
but non-life-threatening, injuries. The driver of the Nissan, Ersoy Mizrak, 50, of Patchogue, was not
injured.
The Nissan was impounded for a safety check. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the
crash to contact the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552.
Just released! Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are
seeking the public’s help to identify and locate two women who allegedly used stolen credit cards
at a Commack store in September.
A woman reported her credit cards were stolen from her purse, which was in a shopping
cart at Costco, located at 10 Garet Place, at approximately 4 p.m. on September 7. The
credit card was later used at Walmart, located at 85 Crooked Hill Road, by two women
who allegedly attempted to charge more than $2,300 worth of merchandise to the card.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an
arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime
Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app
which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or
online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
Suffolk County Police arrested a man on Sept. 28 for a Smithtown shooting that occurred in July of last year.
Joseph Llapa shot a 23-year-old man in the arm as the man was getting into a vehicle as a passenger outside of a social club, located at 253 West Main St., on July 3, 2022, at approximately 3:45 a.m. The victim was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Suffolk County Police Third Precinct Patrol arrested Llapa on Fifth Ave. in Bay Shore and brought him to the Fourth Precinct, located at 727 Veterans Memorial Highway in Smithtown, for arrest processing by Fourth Squad Detectives, at approximately 9:30 p.m.
Llapa, 22, of BayShore, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Reckless Endangerment 1st Degree. He is being held overnight at the Sixth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned this morning at First District Court in Central Islip.
Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker, center, outside the Noah Hallock Homestead in Rocky Point, with historical society Members. From left, treasurer Ken Krapf, recording secretary Susan Bevington, president Suzanne Johnson, vice president Charles Bevington, corresponding secretary Rory Rubino, trustee Edith Mahler, trustee Janice Bambara and Masey the dog. Photo courtesy Anker’s office
Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) recently presented the Rocky Point Historical Society with a $7,583 grant, which is awarded to organizations that benefit tourism and/or cultural programming in Suffolk County.
The Rocky Point Historical Society strives to gather, preserve, display and make available for study artifacts, relics, books, manuscripts, papers, photographs and other records and materials relating to the history of the State of New York and particularly of Rocky Point.
“I want to thank the Rocky Point Historical Society for their hard work that enables our community to celebrate and learn about our local history,” Anker said. “It is thanks to the organization’s passion to preserve Long Island’s history that the Noah Hallock Homestead is maintained and accessible.”
For more information, please visit their website at rockypointhistoricalsociety.org.
Suffolk County police officers helped an expectant mother deliver a baby girl on Veterans Memorial Highway on Oct. 1.
Dusty Haynes was standing in front of Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct, located at 727 Veterans Memorial Highway, when he flagged down a patrol vehicle at 3:28 a.m. Haynes informed Officer William Corwin that his wife, Nicole Davino, was in labor in their vehicle, a Subaru Forester, stopped on the side of the road.
Officer Corwin called for backup, and multiple Fourth Precinct units responded to the scene. Officer Scott Fowler, assisted by Officer Robyn Cronin, Officer Francis Trezza and Officer Corwin delivered a baby girl at 3:41 a.m.
Davino, 35, of Huntington, and her baby were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital by Smithtown Rescue ambulance. Both are doing well.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan group, will host a Meet the Candidates forum on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m. for four seats for Smithtown Public Library trustee.
The community will be able to watch via a link on the Smithtown Library website: www.smithlib.org. It will continue to be available for viewing until Oct. 10, the date of the Library Trustee and Budget Vote elections from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
For details on the budget and candidates, as well as how to vote via absentee ballot or where to vote on Election Day, please visit www.smithlib.org/about/budget-vote.
Forum questions to be considered may be submitted online via a secure form — the link will be on the www.smithlib.org website — no later than Saturday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m.
Comsewogue High School senior Matt Nowlan is named among Newsday’s top 100 high school football players of 2023. Photo courtesy CSD
Comsewogue High School senior Matt Nowlan has been recognized as one of Long Island’s fiercest contenders on the football field by Newsday, which recently named him among its top 100 high school football players of 2023.
“Matt Nowlan is a top leader of the gridiron, and being named a top 100 Newsday football player is a well-deserved accolade,” said Matteo DeVincenzo, Comsewogue School District director of health, physical education and athletics.
Nowlan, whose positions include offensive and defensive tackle, was highlighted by Newsday as being a top lineman in Suffolk County. He was also lauded for his strength and quickness.
Nowlan and his teammates led Comsewogue to a 43-35 victory in their season opener against Smithtown West on Sept. 1. In the latest game against Hauppauge Sept. 22, Comsewogue won 49-15 and is 2-1 on the season.
Nowlan is also a contender on the baseball field and has committed to play Division II baseball for the Molloy University Lions next year.
For more information about the Comsewogue School District, please visit the district’s website at www.comsewogue.k12.ny.us. Happenings in the district can also be followed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/comsewoguesd.
Obesity is an ongoing struggle for many in the United States. If you, like many, are struggling to shed those extra “COVID-era pounds,” I’m sure you can relate.
Obesity is defined as a BMI (body mass index) of >30 kg/m2. More importantly, obesity can also be defined by excess body fat, which is more important than BMI.
While the medical community has known for some time that excess body fat contributes to poor health outcomes, it became especially visible during the first few rounds of COVID-19.
In the U.S., poor COVID-19 outcomes have been associated with obesity. In a study involving 5700 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the New York City area, 41.7 percent were obese. The most common comorbidities contributing to hospitalization were obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes (1). In other words, obesity contributed to more severe symptoms.
In a study in China, results showed that those who were overweight were 86 percent more likely to have severe COVID-19 pneumonia, and that percentage increases to 142 percent when patients qualify as obese (2).
And though age is a risk factor for COVID-19, among those younger than 60 and obese, there is a two-times increased risk of being admitted to the hospital, according to a 3,615-patient study at NYU Langone Health (3).
While these studies were on early variants of COVID, the attention and wide-ranging research provide us with an interesting series of studies in how excess weight might impact progression of other acute respiratory diseases.
Why is the risk for severe COVID-19 higher with obesity?
According to the prevailing theory, obesity may interfere with mechanical aspects of breathing, thus increasing airway resistance and making gas in exchange more difficult in the lung. It may also impede lung volume by exerting pressure on the lungs and may involve weaker muscles necessary for respiration (4).
Why does excess fat affecthealth outcomes?
First, some who have elevated BMI may not have a significant amount of fat; they may have more innate muscle, instead. These people are not necessarily athletes. It’s just how they were genetically put together.
More than 25 percent of my patient population is “solidly built,” which means they have greater muscle mass, but also too much excess fat. Visceral fat, which is wrapped around the organs, including the lungs, is the most important.
Fat cells have adipokines, specific cell communicators that “talk” with other fat cells but also other systems such as the brain, immune system, muscles, and liver. Adipokines can be mediators of both inflammation and insulin resistance (5). It’s the inflammation among obese patients that could be the exacerbating factor for hospitalizations and severe illness, according to the author of a 4000-patient COVID-19 study (6).
How can you reduce inflammationand lose excess fat?
In a randomized controlled trial with 75 participants comparing a plant-based diet to a control diet, there was a greater than 14 lbs. weight reduction and roughly 10 lbs. fat reduction over a 14-week period (7). Of the weight lost, about 70 percent was excess fat. Remember, excess body fat, through adipokines, may be inflammatory and increase the risk of severe disease.
Weight reduction with a plant-based approach may be results of dietary fiber increases and dietary fat reductions with plant-based diets, according to Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) (8). You also want a diet that has been shown to reduce inflammation.
We published a study involving 16 patients from my clinical practice in 2020. It shows that those who ate a whole food plant-based LIFE (low inflammatory foods everyday) diet over a seven-day period had a significant decrease in inflammation measured by hsCRP (high sensitivity c-reactive protein). This occurred in those who completely changed their diets to the LIFE diet, but also occurred in those who simply added a daily greens-and-fruit-based smoothie to their existing diet (9).
In my practice, I have seen many patients lose substantial amounts of weight over a short period. More importantly, they also lost body fat. For instance, a 70-year-old male lost 19 lbs. of weight and 12 lbs. of body fat over a six-week period. His inflammation, which was very high to start, dropped substantially to the border of optimal levels. This patient and many others have seen tandem reductions in both weight and inflammation. To boot, this was a cardiac patient whose cardiologist had considered a stent, but later said he did not need it after reducing his inflammation.
The most recent health crisis shone a spotlight on the importance of losing excess fat. It’s not just about COVID-19 or other respiratory disease severity, although those are concerning. It’s also about excess fat’s significant known contributions to many other chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
References:
(1) JAMA. online April 22, 2020. (2) Clin Med (Lond). 2020 Jul; 20(4): e109–e113. (3) Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Jul 28;71(15):896-897. (4) Chron. Respir. Dis. 5, 233–242 (2008). (5) Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2013; 4:71. (6) MedRxiv.com. (7) Nutr Diabetes. 2018; 8: 58. (8) Inter Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention 2019;1:1. (9) Amer J Lifestyle Med. 2022;16(6):753-764.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Members of the community have been inquiring about how the courts have dealt with their calendars for personal injury cases caused mainly by motor vehicle accidents during more recent variants of COVID-19. Clients are naturally concerned about their health and the progress of their personal injury cases.
Moreover, people who have gotten into various types of accidents while last year’s Omicron variant was raging wonder if they, or we, should be doing anything different. Finally, with the recent uptick in COVID-19 reported by the media, we are receiving additional inquiries of this nature over the summer.
Just ‘how open’ were the courts before the Omicron variant became widespread?
Before the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus became prevalent, the courts in Suffolk County and throughout the state were beginning to “open up” and conduct “in person” appearances for conferences and other matters.
Trials started when these appearances became more commonplace and seemingly conducted without danger to the court personnel, litigants, and lawyers. First, the court scheduled criminal trials in cases with incarcerated defendants, and then serious felony trials began in the fall of 2021.
Next, the court started trying civil cases as a backlog of personal injury accident trials had developed. The judges throughout the state were encouraged to reduce the backlog, as it is well known that personal injury cases arising out of car accidents, slip and fall incidents, and medical malpractice usually settle only when a trial is about to begin. Therefore, the need to schedule trials became essential.
What happened to trials that were scheduled before the Omicron variant became widespread?
Just as civil trials for personal injury cases were beginning to be held with little or no noticeable spread of the virus, by the end of 2021, the Omicron variant hit New York State and most of the country.
Several personal injury trials had been completed by jury verdict or settlement in Suffolk County; however, as 2022 began, the Omicron variant caused a pause in starting most civil personal injury trials. While a few such cases proceeded to trial while Omicron was spreading, the cases that involved several parties, such as multi-car accident matters, were postponed until the variant subsided.
What is the status of personal injury cases as of the Summer of 2023?
Despite the emergence of the apparent new strain of COVID-19, the entire country clearly is enduring its spread. Whether it is a result of the vaccines, people developing immunity, or the availability of medications, most cases seem to be relatively mild. As a result, the courts are operating as they were in 2019, and trials are proceeding in virtually all personal injury cases.
Needless to say, if you have a case pending or were involved in an accident that caused personal injury, be sure to keep in touch with your lawyer or consult with an attorney if you haven’t done so already, as no one can predict how new variants of the virus will evolve.
According to epidemiologist Nathan Grubaugh of Yale University, “Delta was never going to be the last variant—and Omicron is not going to be the last one, as long as there is a COVID-19 outbreak somewhere in the world, there is going to be something new that emerges.”
Shannon L. Malone, Esq. is an Associate Attorney at Glynn Mercep Purcell and Morrison LLP in Setauket. She graduated from Touro Law, where she wrote and served as an editor of the Touro Law Review. Ms. Malone is a proud Stony Brook University alumna.
Many shops in the Village of Port Jefferson will participate in this year's event. Photo from Mather Hospital
Many shops in the Village of Port Jefferson will participate in this year's event. Photo from Mather Hospital
Many shops in the Village of Port Jefferson will participate in this year's event. Photo from Mather Hospital
Many shops in the Village of Port Jefferson will participate in this year's event. Photo from Mather Hospital
Many shops in the Village of Port Jefferson will participate in this year's event. Photo from Mather Hospital
Many shops in the Village of Port Jefferson will participate in this year's event. Photo from Mather Hospital
Paint Port Pink, Mather Hospital’s annual month-long breast cancer community awareness outreach, kicks off Sunday, October 1 with the lighting of pink lights by community partners in Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson Station, and surrounding communities. Paint Port Pink’s goal is to raise awareness about breast cancer, encourage annual mammograms, and bring the community together to fight this disease.
Lamp posts along Main Street in Port Jefferson will glow with pink lights, along with the Theatre Three marquee and many store windows. Many related events will be held throughout the month.
“Pints for Pink,” hosted by Po’Boy Brewery, 200 Wilson Street in Port Jefferson, returns on Thursday, Oct. 5 to celebrate the survivors and educate the community. Attendees can sample craft beers and ciders while receiving health information. The $25 fee includes registration for the 2024 Northwell Health Walk at Port Jefferson. Proceeds support the 2024 Walk for the benefit of the Fortunato Breast Health Center at Mather Hospital. Register at matherhospital.org/pints-for-pink.
Decorate your business window for a chance to win tickets to a 2024 concert at Jones Beach. Send photos of your window by Sunday, October 15 to [email protected].
The EmpowerHER: Navigating Women’s Wellness symposium on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 East Broadway, Port Jefferson features a panel of Mather physicians discussing different aspects of women’s health and well being. Co-sponsored by Decision Women in Commerce and Professions, the $20 admission fee includes the symposium, a buffet dinner, a glass of wine and registration for the 2024 Northwell Health Walk at Port Jefferson. Register at matherhospital.org/EmpowerHer.
Friday, October 20 is Wear Pink Day/National Mammography Day and everyone — including your pets — are encouraged to get their pink on. Post photos on social media with #paintportpink and send them to [email protected] to be posted on the hospital’s Facebook page.
You could win a $100 gift card for best pumpkin. Photo from Mather Hospital
The ever popular “Pink Your Pumpkin” contest returns and encourages everyone to get creative with their pumpkins for a cause. Photos should be emailed to [email protected] by Tuesday,Oct. 24 and posted on social media with #paintportpink. The winner will receive a $100 gift card.
A full calendar of events and a list of Paint Port Pink community partners offering promotions to benefit The Fortunato Breast Health Center is available at www.paintportpink.org. Call 631-476-2723.
Paint Port Pink is sponsored by Decision Women in Commerce and Professions, Riverhead Toyota, Lippencott Financial Group, New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, Precision Lawn Irrigation, Po’ Boy Brewery and Tuscany Gourmet Market.
Five things everyone should know about breast health
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S., except for skin cancers, representing about 30 percent (or one in three) of all new female cancers each year. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women in the U.S. after lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Every two minutes someone is newly diagnosed with invasive breast cancer according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Only one in three women over 40 have an annual mammogram.
“It is important to maintain breast health and the easiest way to do that is to obtain your annual screening mammogram,” said Lan Chan, MD, radiologist at Mather Hospital’s Fortunato Breast Health Center. “You should not ignore your breasts just because there is no family history of breast cancer. In fact, three out of four women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of breast cancer.”
According to Dr. Chan, five things everyone should know about breast health are:
1. Major health organizations including the American Cancer Society, American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging recommend starting screening mammography at age 40.
The ACS reports that the chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer in her life is about one in eight. That is why increased awareness, education and early detection are important parts of breast health care. A mammogram can reveal a tumor as much as two years before you or your healthcare professional can feel it. That’s why it’s important to schedule your mammogram.
2. Obesity has been linked to breast cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight can decrease the risk of breast cancer.
Having more fat tissue can increase your chance of getting breast cancer by raising estrogen levels, according to the ACS. Also, women who are overweight tend to have higher levels of insulin, which have been linked to some cancers, including breast cancer.
3. Breastfeeding has health benefits for mothers. It has been shown that breastfeeding decreases the risk of breast cancer. Many studies suggest that breastfeeding for a year or more slightly reduces a woman’s overall risk of breast cancer, with longer duration associated with greater reduction, according to the ACS.
4. Women at high risk for breast cancer can obtain supplementary screening MRI as another form of imaging to detect breast cancer.
5. Men should not ignore lumps on their chest. Men can also develop breast cancer.
The ACS notes that while breast cancer occurs mainly in women, men can get it, too. Men have breast tissue and can develop breast cancer. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer and can spread to other areas. The American Cancer Society estimates for men in the United States for 2023 about 2,800 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed and about 530 men will die from breast cancer
Schedule a mammogram
The Fortunato Breast Health Center at Mather Hospital, 75 North Country Road, Port Jefferson uses state-of-the-art breast imaging technology in a warm and assuring environment with a commitment to giving you personalized breast healthcare.
Their staff of professionals provides 3D mammograms and offers individualized follow-up care, education for patients, families, and the community, as well as breast cancer support groups.
Their Breast Center radiologists are specialists who only read breast imaging studies and look back as far as possible at your history of breast images for any subtle changes or abnormalities to provide the most accurate reading.
The Breast Health Center has also partnered with the Suffolk Cancer Services Program (CSP) to provide free breast cancer screenings to individuals who qualify. The CSP provides breast cancer screenings to women age 40 and older without health insurance in Suffolk. If any follow-up testing is needed, the CSP will provide those tests too. If cancer is found, CSP will help enroll people who are eligible in the NYS Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program for full Medicaid coverage during treatment.
To find out if you are eligible for free screenings or to schedule your annual mammogram, call 631-476-2771.
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