RiverheadLOCAL

Riverhead's first Oktoberfest, organized by the East End Tourism Alliance and the Business Improvement District, will feature local beer and wine tastings, some traditional Oktoberfest foods, live music and contests. At dusk, the Reflextions: Art in the Park exhibit in Grangebel Park will be lit up, and will feature live music from the band Who Are Those Guys, until 10 p.m.

Chemical contaminants known to have a wide range of health risks have been detected at the Riverhead landfill site on Youngs Avenue at levels up to more than 10 times the state drinking water standard, prompting an investigation by environmental and health officials into potential contamination of nearby private wells.

Tweed's Restaurant owner Ed Tuccio told RiverheadLOCAL last week he had a friend take the banners down because they were blocking the view of his restaurant. Someone turned them in to town officials last Wednesday. Police are investigating the incident.

Updated: A Riverhead school district bus with children aboard was rear-ended on Flanders Road in Riverside this afternoon. The driver of the truck was airlifted to Stony Brook with serious injuries. The school bus driver an six children were taken to area hospitals with minot injuries, police said.

State lawmakers on the East End say they fear an impending staffing crisis in local hospitals and nursing homes due to vaccine resistance among workers.

Riverhead Raceway co-owner Eddie Partridge, who died on Sept. 10 at age 68, took his final laps around his track during a memorial ceremony Saturday.

Rep. Lee Zeldin said in a statement yesterday he was diagnosed with early chronic myeloid leukemia in November and has since achieved complete remission through targeted drug therapy for the disease.

The victim, a 51-year-old male, told police two men pushed him to the ground and demanded money. One displayed a knife while the other removed cash from his pants pocket, according to the report.

Lt. David Lessard and Sgt. Thomas Lessard descended the front steps of Riverhead Police headquarters today for the last time in their 33-year careers as Riverhead cops.

Suffolk County has sued the Town of Riverhead over sewer rates established earlier this year for out-of-town users — which the county says is targeted at its facilities in Riverside.