Suffolk County Police arrested two people for selling flavored vapes and one person for possessing marijuana during a compliance check of businesses in Patchogue on Dec. 13.
In response to community complaints, Fifth Precinct Crime Section officers conducted compliance
checks at two businesses in Patchogue and found both to be selling flavored vapes.
The following people were arrested and charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree after
selling flavored vapes:
• Samantha Venetar, 27 of Central Islip, an employee of Wildboyz Smoke Shop, located at 295
Medford Ave.
• Muhammad Saad, 26, of Selden, an employee of J Mart Smoke Shop, located at 580 Route 112.
Additionally, an employee of Wildboyz Smoke Shop, Sefa Genckurt, 28, of Port Jefferson Station, was
charged with Unlawful Possession of Marijuana.
Approximately 1,000 vape cartridges from Wildboyz Smoke Shop and 400 vape cartridges from J Mart
Smoke Shop were seized.
The Suffolk County Health Department, Town of Brookhaven Code Enforcement and Town of
Brookhaven Fire Marshal assisted in the investigation.
All three were issued Field Appearance Tickets and are scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.
Brookhaven National Laboratory Director JoAnne Hewett. Photo by Jessica Rotkiewicz/BNL
By Daniel Dunaief
Instead of flying a plane through clouds and gathering data during a three to five second window of time, researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory are one of three teams proposing constructing a cloud chamber.
This new research facility would allow them to control the environment and tweak it with different aerosols, enabling them to see how changes affect drizzle formation.
“This is fascinating,” said JoAnne Hewett, Director of BNL and a self-professed “science geek.”
Hewett, whose background is in theoretical physics and who came to BNL from SLAC National Accelerator Lab in Menlo Park, California, has been the director of the Upton-based lab since April of 2023.
In a celebrity podcast interview, which will be posted on TBR News Media’s website (tbrnewsmedia.com) and Spotify, Hewett addressed a wide range of issues, from updates on developing new technologies such as the Electron Ion Collider and the construction of buildings, to the return of students to the long-awaited reopening of the cafeteria.
The U.S. Department of Energy is currently considering the proposals for the cloud chamber and has taken the first steps towards initiating the project.
Hewett, who is the first woman to lead the national lab in its 77-year history, is hoping the winner will be announced this year.
More x-ray tools
In a discussion about the National Synchrotron Lightsource II, which is a circular electron accelerator ring that sends x-rays into the specialized beamlines, Hewett described a study at the recently opened High Energy X-ray Scattering beamline, or HEX.
The state-funded HEX, which is designed for battery research, recently hosted an experiment to examine the vertebrae from Triceratops.
The NSLS-II, which opened a decade ago and has produced important results in a range of fields, will continue to add beamlines. BNL recently received approval to build another eight to 12 beamlines, depending on available funding. The lab will add one beamline in 2025 and another two in 2026.
Electron-Ion Collider
BNL, meanwhile, is continuing to take important steps in planning for an Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), an ambitious $2.8 billion project the lab won the rights to construct.
The collider, which will reveal secrets of the quarks and gluons that make up atoms, will start construction in 2026 and is expected to generate data sometime in the early 2030’s.
As groups of scientists develop plans for the EIC, they apply to the government to reach various milestones.
In March of this year, the lab met a hurdle called CD3A, which provided $100 million in funding for long lead procurements for some of the parts for the 2.4 mile circumference particle collider.
The next review, called CD3B, will be in early January and will involve $50 million in funding.
The funding for these steps involves ordering parts that the lab knows will be necessary.
The EIC will address five key questions, including how does a proton acquire its spin, what is the nature of dense gluon matter, how do quarks and gluons interact within a nucleus, what is the role of gluons in generating nuclear binding energy, and how do the properties of a proton emerge from its quark and gluon constituents.
Researchers expect the results to have application in a wide range of fields, from materials science, to medicine, to creating tools for complex simulations in areas including climate change.
Return of students
After the Covid pandemic shut down visits from area primary schools, students are now returning in increasingly large numbers.
In 2023, around 22,000 students had a chance to find scientific inspiration at BNL, which is starting to approach the pre-pandemic levels of around 30,000.
School buses come to the science learning center on the campus almost every day.
In addition, BNL hosted a record number of student internships, which are typically for college-age students.
In addition to inspiring an understanding and potentially building careers in science, BNL is now opening a new facility. The science users and support center, which is just outside the gate for the lab, is a three-story building with meeting room space.
“It’s going to be a one-stop-shop” for visiting scientists who come to the lab, Hewett said. Visiting scientists can take care of details like badging and lodges, which they previously did in separate buildings.
Additionally, for staff and visitors, BNL reopened a cafeteria that had been closed for five years. The cafeteria will serve breakfast and lunch with hot food.
“That’s another milestone for the laboratory,” Hewett said. With the extended time when the cafeteria was closed, just about everything will be new on the menu. The reopening of the facility took years because of “all the legalese” in the contract, she added.
A new vision
Hewett spent the first nine months of her tenure getting to know the people and learning the culture of the lab.
She suggested she has a new vision that includes four strategic initiatives. These are: the building blocks of the universe, which includes the Electron-Ion Collider; leading in discovery with light-enabled science, which includes the National Synchrotron Lightsource II; development of the next generation information sciences, including quantum information sciences, microelectronics and artificial intelligence; and addressing environmental and societal challenges.
As for the political landscape and funding for science, Hewett suggested that new administrations always have a change in priorities.
“We’re in the business of doing science,” she said. “Science does not observe politics. It’s not red or blue: it’s just facts.”
She suggested that generally, traditional basic research tends to do fairly well.
The BNL lab director, however, is “always making a concerted effort to justify why this investment [of taxpayer dollars] is necessary,” she said. “That’s not going to change one bit.”
After a recent visit to Capitol Hill, Hewett described her relationship with the New York delegation as “great.” She appreciates how the division that affects people’s perspectives in different parts of the world and that has led to conflicts doesn’t often infect scientists or their goals.
In the field of particle physics, “you have Israelis and Palestinians literally working together side by side,” she said. “It all comes to down to the people doing the science and not the government they happen to live under.”
Hewett also continues to believe in the value of diverse experience in the workplace. “We need the best and the brightest,” she said. “I don’t care if they’re pink with purple polka dots: we want them here at the laboratory doing science for us. We want to develop the workforce of the future.”
Adding key hires
As Hewett has settled into her role, she would like to fill some important staff functions. “This is really two or three jobs that I have to get done in the time it takes to do one job,” she said. “A chief of staff is very much needed to help move some of these projects along.”
Additionally, she is looking for someone to lead research partnerships and technology transfer. “As you do the great science, you want to be able to work hand in hand with industry in order to do the development of that science,” she said.
She said this disconnect between research and industry was known as the “Valley of Death.” Institutions like BNL “do fundamental science and industry has a product, and you don’t do enough of the work to match the two with each other.”
Comsewogue’s Keira Andresen (l) battles Quinlin Heilbron for possession. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore Quinlin Heilbron battles down low for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville’s Jenna Greek drives the baseline for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Jenna Greek drains a triple for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue forward Vienna Guzman shoots. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue forward Jaylynn Kirschenheuter shoots. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue point guard Jayla Callender drives the lane. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue point guard Jayla Callender drives the lane. Photo by Bill Landon
Vienna Guzman banks two for the Warriors. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville head coach Kate Gordon confers with Julia Dank. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Julia Dank hits for three for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Julia Dank drives the lane for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Julia Dank fights to get a shot off with Comsewogue’s Vienna Guzman defending. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville freshman Addison Scott scores for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue point guard Jayla Callender nails a three-pointer. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
The Patriots of Ward Melville came calling on Comsewogue on Dec. 7, and the Warriors were able to stay toe-to-toe with their League I visitors, briefly taking the lead at one point in the non-league contest. The Patriots stretched their legs in the final eight minutes of play to edge the Warriors 51-41.
Julia Dank, the senior, led the way for the Patriots with three triples, a field goal and four from the free throw line for 15 points.
Jenna Greek inked a pair of three-pointers and three field goals for 12 points, and Addison Dellaporta banked 11.
Junior point guard Jayla Callender notched 14 points for the Warriors, and teammate Jalynn Kirschenheuter added 12.
The interim president of Stony Brook University, whose tenure started in August and is set to end in June, wants more students, more buildings, more funding for science, more interdisciplinary collaborations and, to help make much of that possible, more money from the state.
An aerial view of Stony Brook University
In a recent celebrity spotlight podcast interview, McCormick shared a vision that addressed everything from identifying scientific priorities for the next decade, to adding sufficient wastewater treatment for proposed new buildings, to ensuring sufficient funding for student education and research.
McCormick, who has had more than four decades of experience in higher education, and said he is “enjoying this position more than any other I’ve had in my whole life,” is thinking well beyond June.
This winter, McCormick is asking New York State for $1.2 billion, split evenly over the course of the next four years, to add new buildings. He will also request additional funds to upgrade buildings with deferred maintenance.
“We’re seeking significant resources from the state of New York for deferred maintenance,” McCormick said. Stony Brook has an estimated $2 billion in deferred maintenance, including buildings that house the College of Business in Harriman Hall, the School of Social Welfare and the School of Dental Medicine.
“We also need new facilities, particularly interdisciplinary research facilities,” he added.
McCormick has shared a proposal, which SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr. supports, that seeks resources for these new interdisciplinary buildings on the West and East Campuses.
“It’s going to be my main focus of effort during the winter, to obtain support for that capital facilities plan,”said McCormick.
In addition to a request for buildings, the interim president will seek funds for an operating budget and staff that can support a larger student body.
This year’s freshman class of 4,040 students is the largest to date. That makes Stony Brook stand out amid the average decline of five percent in first year enrollment at universities and colleges across the country.
“We’re a hot school right now,” McCormick said, particularly after Stony Brook climbed the 2024 ranks of colleges in US News and World Report to 58th among national universities and 26th among public universities.
The operating budget for Stony Brook, which declined in the decade that ended in 2020, has been rising. “Another pitch I’ll be making in Albany during the legislative session will be to maintain that increase,” McCormick added. The higher budget will support limiting factors such as housing, wastewater, dining and faculty.
More faculty
Stony Brook has been adding faculty recently, and would like to ensure that any increase in student enrollment doesn’t affect class sizes. “The aim will be to keep the pace of faculty appointments in line with the growth of students,” McCormick said.
The interim president plans to continue to invest in research, as well. He is making more investments in shared facilities and equipment, is providing faculty with more support in applying for federal grants, and administering those grants, and is bolstering the high powered computing capacity such research demands. Those efforts are underway under the direction of Vice President for research Kevin Gardner, who also joined Stony Brook at the beginning of August.
New initiatives
At the same time, the interim president has added several new efforts.
He has appointed a task force that is charged with exploring opportunities for greater collaboration across Nichols Road. In addition, McCormick has convened a science futures committee that will come up with the developments the university should contribute to over the next decade.
He does not want to dictate this focus from the president’s office and is relying on this panel to “paint a bold picture of where science is going and what are the cutting edge fields Stony Brook should be investing in,” McCormick said. The group will share its vision in a public document.
McCormick is also bringing an effort he created when he was president at Rutgers University from 2002 to 2012. Called a Future Scholars Program, Stony Brook will identify about 100 students in five Southampton School Districts, who will be entering eighth grade next fall.
“We are going to put our arms around them, promise to support them with peer tutoring and mentoring, and with academic visits during the summer or the year,” he said.
In addition to ensuring that these students take college prep courses, Stony Brook will promise these students that “if you get a C in your math course, you’re going to get a call from us and you’re not going to get another C in math.” For students in this program who gain admission to Stony Brook on their merits, the university promises free tuition.
The Southampton schools are working on the process to identify these students. In the following year, the future scholars will come from five schools in the Stony Brook area. The primary criteria to find these students is promise and not grades.
A college town
McCormick would also like to develop a college town with businesses like pizza restaurants and bars.
This could be on the campus side of the railroad station and would be conceived of and created in collaboration with the private sector. The idea, he suggested, is to create a commercial district that’s within easy walking distance and which is particularly receptive to college students. McCormick would want those places to be “student friendly in every sense of the word, including their hours of operation,” he added. This, like some of his other ideas, is a longer term project that wouldn’t be completed within a year.
Concerns
McCormick shared several concerns in connection with Stony Brook and higher education.
He mentioned his worry about any future cuts in financial aid either for students in need or for scientific research. “It would be very, very hurtful not just to Stony Brook but to every university of our kind if there were significant reductions in student support or support for ongoing research, so we’re keeping an eye on that,” he said. When he speaks to members of Congress, he plans to discuss the importance of basic research, which can lead to advancements in health care and economic growth.
The interim president also believes in creating opportunities for talented students who come from a wide range of experiences and backgrounds. He recognizes that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have become a political hot button. Still, he is not going to give up on opportunities for men and women to get college educations.
He also recognizes that some students are undocumented immigrants. “We want to do everything we can to protect our students,” he said. While he believes none of these threats are imminent, he plans to remain vigilant.
As a history professor who, at one point, taught a class jointly with his father at Rutgers, McCormick hopes and prays the country can become reunited amid heated rancor. He sees the lead up to the Civil War as the closest historical parallel to the current climate.However, McCormick does not anticipate that history will repeat itself.
Despite the tension, he remains optimistic about the future of the United States based on his faith in the country.
Next president
When Stony Brook tapped McCormick as its interim president, he indicated that he would not be a candidate for the permanent role. Indeed, the announcement of his role indicated he would have this position only through June 2025.
“I agreed to that,” McCormick said. “I signed that letter,” indicating that he wouldn’t be a candidate.
Still, he would be willing to stay on as president, if that opportunity arose.
Based on his experience at Stony Brook, where he has found the culture warm, receptive and supportive, he would like to see the next president, no matter who it is, “be a nice person.”
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
Huntington Men’s Chorus 2024 Holiday Concert. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli
By Jennifer Donatelli
The Huntington Men’s Chorus invited audiences to experience the magic of the holidays through song. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the chorus filled the air at St. Francis of Assisi R.C. Church in Greenlawn on Sunday, Dec. 8, with festive cheer, bringing together timeless carols, beautiful harmonies and the warmth of community in its annual holiday concert.
The program featured an array of holiday favorites such as Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “Ave Maria.” The group also paid tribute to Harry Chapin by performing a medley of his most famous works.
The Huntington Men’s Chorus was founded in 1949 by several local LIRR riders who were members of the University Glee Club in New York City and often entertained fellow commuters with songs.
The chorus has grown from a modest group of 34 men into a vibrant ensemble that attracts singers with a wide range of musical experience. A beloved fixture in Huntington’s arts scene, the group offers both its members and the community a chance to experience the transformative power of music. Members travel from across Long Island and Brooklyn to meet every Wednesday evening from 7:45 to 10 p.m. for rehearsals.
Describing themselves as “a brotherhood of men who love to perform the music of the world’s greatest composers,” the group includes members ranging in age from 35 to 85. Each brings their own musical background — some are professionals, others sing in church choirs and the rest are, as Carl Grasso, president and CEO of the chorus, puts it, “guys who sing in the shower but love to perform.”
Known for their exceptional voice-blending abilities and varied repertoire, the chorus brings together the best of classical, Broadway and contemporary choral music, creating memorable performances that resonate deeply with audiences.
Jim DiGiovanna, a first tenor from Medford, has been a member since 2008. When he first heard the chorus sing, he said he “loved every minute of it” and has been performing with the group “ever since.”
The ability to read music isn’t necessary; the group provides singers with music files of their parts which helps them prepare for each performance. Grasso says their main interest is in attracting men who desire to sing as part of the unique sound an all-men’s chorus creates.
Debbie Youngs-Brauner and her daughter Bella have been loyal supporters of the chorus, never missing a concert since her brother Christopher joined in 2003. Youngs-Brauner describes the performances as a wonderful way to unite the community during the holiday season.
Friends Joyce Moore from Huntington and Carol DeVoti from Greenlawn are also regular attendees. “It puts me in the holiday spirit,” says Moore, while DeVoti appreciates the unique touch of inviting the audience to sing along with the Christmas carols.
Members perform three concerts per year under the direction of conductor Henry McDonagh III, a three-time Grammy-nominated musician with more than 20 years of experience. McDonagh, a music teacher at Walter H. Crowley Intermediate School in Elmhurst, said music has always been a part of his life. “I love making music and I love hanging out with these awesome guys because they have such great personalities and musicianship,” he said.
Grasso said he hopes the choir will continue to entertain the people of Huntington and surrounding communities “for many years to come.”
For more information, go to www.huntingtonmenschorus.org. Upcoming shows include a free performance on Dec. 14 at Huntington Library and caroling up and down Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor on Dec. 21.
Northport girls basketball vs. Smithtown East. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Hallie Gilmartin goes baseline on Carolyn Brennan. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Northport girls basketball vs. Smithtown East. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Jillian Ryan scores on an uncontested layup for Northport. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Northport girls basketball vs. Smithtown East. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Northport girls basketball vs. Smithtown East. Photo by Steven Zaitz
By Steven Zaitz
Northport Senior forward Claire Fitzpatrick scored 20 points to lead the Lady Tigers to a 59-28 victory over Smithtown East on Tuesday night.
Fitzpatrick, who transferred back to Northport after a year at St. Mary hit on four of her seven three-point attempts and had 10 points in the first quarter to set the pace for the Tigers, who improved to 2-0 on the young season. Smithtown East drops their second consecutive game to even their record at 2-2. Senior Meredith Brennan led the Lady Red Bulls with eight points.
But it was Northport’s Fitzpatrick who set the pace, calmly hitting open jumpers and spinning in the lane to help open up a 23-9 early in the second quarter for the Tigers. The score would stay that way for a stretch of five minutes, as both teams played hot potato with the basketball — turning it over a combined nine times in the quarter. Northport would go into their halftime locker room leading 28-9, completely shutting out Smithtown East in the second quarter.
Tiger Sophomore guard Ava DeMarco nailed a pair of three in the third quarter and the Bulls had no answer for Northport’s physical style. Northport out-rebounded Smithtown East 32-22 for the game and the Tigers led 48-22 after Fitzpatrick hit a triple midway through the quarter — her fourth three-pointer of the game.
DeMarco finished with 11 points and senior guard Hallie Gilmartin had 7, two of which came on a gorgeous reverse layup in the fourth quarter. Her sister, junior Grace Gilmartin had 2 points and 4 rebounds.
Northport 8th grader Lyla Quinn had five points, including a three-pointer. Brennan’s sister Carolyn, also in 8th grade, had 7 points for East. Junior Emily Giordano had six points and senior Isabella Moragiemos had five for the Lady Red Bulls.
Smithtown East will travel to Newfield on Dec. 12th to take on the Wolverines and Northport is home against North Babylon, also on Dec. 12th.
The win was Northport Head Coach Rich Castellano’s 755th of his career — adding to his record of most wins in the history of girls high school basketball on Long Island.
The cast of 'It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.' Photo by Jackie St. Louis
By Julianne Mosher
Just in time for the Christmas season, the Smithtown Performing Arts Center is now playing It’s a Wonderful Life on its main stage. But this version is slightly different compared to Frank Capra’s award winning 1946 film. In true 40s fashion, the show is cleverly set at a New York radio station where five voice actors tell the whole story as if you’d hear it on the air back in time: a live radio broadcast.
Originally written by Joe Landry, the stage turns into WBFR Radio located in the heart of Manhattan. Old microphones litter the stage while a pianist (Vincent Donnadio) plays the music live. Directed by Jordan Hue, we soon meet the broadcast’s cast — dressed in their best 40s attire — who will then be playing a whole other cast, portraying several different characters each (with different voices) straight from the movie.
And just like during a broadcasted show, there are commercials, too.
While It’s a Wonderful Life is based on the 1943 short story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern, the tale is loosely based on the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. What’s common between the two? Christmas ghosts.
The show starts off with George Bailey (Zach Johnson) who is a generous and well-meaning man. When he was young, he had big plans of traveling the world and going to college. He wanted to get out of Bedford Falls. But things fell through, and fate had some other plans for him.
He marries a neighborhood girl named Mary (Elle Lucksted) and the two move into an old, abandoned house in town. Their family grows quickly while George takes over the family business, but Mr. Potter (Chris Dippel) — who is a member of the board, owns the bank and basically the rest of town — looks to dissolve the company.
Through a string of bad luck and some unfortunate circumstances, George starts to spiral. While he falls further and further into a depression, he’s being closely watched by Clarence (Eugene Dailey), his guardian angel. Clarence is told that if he helps George out, he will soon get his wings.
On Christmas Eve, George gets drunk at a bar and then contemplates jumping off a bridge. Before he can fall to his death, Clarence, straight from heaven, dives into the river forcing George to rescue him. Clarence explains he’s an angel here to help George, but George doesn’t believe him and states out loud that he wishes he was never born.
Similar to the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future haunting Scrooge, Clarence shows George a timeline of events that happened in a world where George was never born. He soon learns that even the smallest interaction with someone made a big difference and his life does matter.
While the cast is small and fast-paced, the actors do a phenomenal job of keeping the audience engaged. While Johnson and Lucksted play just two of the main characters, the supporting actors shine with their impressive voice changes and ability to switch personalities quickly on their feet.
Some other characters include Dippel (Freddie Filmore: Joseph, Tommy, Old Man Collins, Bert the Cop, the Bridgekeeper, Binky and Nick); Dailey (Harry Heywood:Peter, Charlie, Harry, Schultz, Mr. Welch, Pete, Horace, Ed); Christine Boehm (Lana Sherwood: Violet, Rose, Zuzu, Ruth, Mrs. Hatch, Mrs. Thompson, Matilda, Sadie and Janie); and Andrew Lenahan (Sam Seymour: Stage Manager, Old Man Gower, Ernie, Sam Wainwright, Uncle Billy, Dr. Campbell and the Sheriff).
So, be prepared to step into the Smithtown Performing Arts Center and be transported to 1946 for this great rendition of a Christmas classic.
————————-
The Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 East Main St., Smithtown presents It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play on weekends through Dec. 29. Tickets are $36.50 for adults, $33.50 seniors and $26.50 students. To order, call 1-800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.
Suffolk County Police arrested two people on Dec. 13 for selling cannabis during a compliance check at businesses in the Seventh Precinct.
In response to numerous community complaints, Seventh Precinct Crime Section officers conducted an investigation into the sale of cannabis during which five businesses were checked for compliance with the law. During the investigation, two businesses were found to be selling cannabis without a license.
The following people were arrested and charged with Unlawful Sale of Cannabis and Unauthorized Sale of Cannabis Products Without a License:
Rehana Kausar, 50, of Valley Stream, an employee of Shirley Smoke & Cigars, located at 429 William Floyd Parkway, Shirley.
Hardik Parmar, 21, of Holtsville, an employee of Main Street Smoke Beer and Convenience, located at 333 Main Street, Center Moriches.
They were issued Field Appearance Tickets and are scheduled to be arraigned on a later date.
Suffolk County Police Fifth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a man in Shirley on Dec. 13.
Darrell Sumpter was driving a 2002 Cadillac westbound in the left lane of Sunrise Highway, 11⁄2 miles east of Horseblock Road, when the vehicle swerved and struck a 2021 Ford utility truck traveling in the right lane. Both vehicles left the roadway and overturned at 1:37 p.m. Sumpter, 51, of Shirley, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Darrell Sumpter was the assistant coach of the William Floyd High School varsity boys basketball team. The school released a statement saying, “Mr. Sumpter was a proud William Floyd graduate, a longtime community member, a family man, and a highly-regarded coach and mentor for our boys’ and girls’ basketball programs. He served as an assistant basketball coach on the boys’ varsity team since 2015, and as a volunteer for the youth of the community for many years before that. Coach Darrell was instrumental in the creation of the WFSD youth basketball program and booster club that has made a difference in the lives of so many boys’ and girls’ student-athletes within our community.”
The passenger in the Cadillac, Susan Sumpter, 48, of Shirley, and the driver of the Ford, Jason Troccoli, 52, of Lake Ronkonkoma, were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The vehicles were impounded for a safety check.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552.
Newfield senior Marcus Petit Frere drives the lane for the Wolverines. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Marcus Petit Frere drives the lane for the Wolverines. Photo by Bill Landon
Ryan Hicks battles his way to the rim for Newfield. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach senior Haniel Merejo with a rebound. Photo by Bill Landon
Battle for possession. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Jay Deliat takes flight for the Wolverines. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield’s Aiden Ifill banks two for the Wolverines. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach forward Michael Edmond Jr. drives the lane. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield senior Jay Deliat banks two for the Wolverines. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
This past Saturday, Dec. 7, when Centereach came calling on Newfield, their crosstown rival in a non-league boys basketball matchup, the Wolverines controlled the tempo of the game from the opening tipoff, as the Cougars found themselves down 19 points at the half. Newfield’s dominant defensive performance the rest of the way inked a 71-37 victory over their visitors.
Newfield senior Ryan Hicks topped the scoring charts for the Wolverines with 17 points, with teammate Aiden Ifill adding 16.
Centereach senior forward Michael Edmond led the way for the Cougars, hitting four three-pointers, a field goal and three from the charity stripe for 17 points.
The win lifts the Wolverines to 2-0, while the loss drops Centereach to 0-2 in this early season.
Prev
