Support local journalism.

Now more than ever, local news matters.

Halpin proposes $121 million tentative 2027 budget; tax levy stays under cap

by Sep 24, 2026
Supervisor Jerry Halpin's tentative 2027 budget proposes $120.96 million in spending across Riverhead Town's operating funds, with a townwide tax levy increase of $1.7 million, or 2.79%.

Riverhead audit flags failures in processing $3.57 million federal water grant

by Sep 24, 2026
Auditors found accounting and oversight failures involving Riverhead’s $3.575 million EPA grant to extend public water to 64 Manorville homes.

Daily Briefing

Government

Audit: Riverhead’s general fund balance grows to $33.3 million as revenue outpaces spending

by | Sep 24, 8:59 am
Fueled largely by property taxes, Riverhead added nearly $4.9 million to its general fund balance in 2025, giving officials a larger financial cushion as they prepare the next budget.

Riverhead council members discuss ‘bail reform’ and cooperation with ICE

by Sep 23, 2026
Two Riverhead Town Board members during last week’s work session called attention to state laws and policies they said negatively affect policing. 

Riverhead police report more criminal incidents, fewer arrests in August

by Sep 23, 2026
Riverhead police reported 197 criminal incidents in August, up from 155 a year earlier, while arrests and motor vehicle accidents declined.

Former Riverhead teacher pleads guilty to soliciting nude images from minors

by Sep 22, 2026
Posing as a teenage boy on Snapchat, a former Riverhead High School teacher solicited nude images from underage girls and sent them explicit images of himself, prosecutors said in announcing his guilty plea Monday.

Romaine’s $4.59 billion budget proposal holds county general fund tax levy steady

by Sep 21, 2026
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine has proposed a $4.59 billion budget for 2027 that would hold the county's general fund property tax levy steady while relying on more than $2.2 billion in sales tax revenue.

Riverhead awards $328K HVAC contract, advances sewer projects

by Sep 21, 2026
Riverhead awarded a $328,000 community center HVAC contract and approved sewer financing, technology grants and records digitization.

Suffolk Community College moves to purchase downtown Riverhead culinary center

by Sep 18, 2026
The college's Board of Trustees on Thursday authorized negotiating a purchase-and-sale agreement for the roughly 30,000-square-foot culinary center it has leased on Main Street in downtown Riverhead.

School board members say town politicized negotiations over SRO program

by Sep 18, 2026
Five Riverhead school board members accused town officials Wednesday of making false statements and politicizing negotiations over funding two school resource officers assigned to the high school and middle school.

Wading River Duck Ponds restoration moves into engineering phase

by Sep 17, 2026
Riverhead and Brookhaven will split the cost of an engineering assessment of the Wading River Duck Ponds, where sediment, stormwater runoff and deteriorated infrastructure have accumulated over decades.

Riverhead board delays SRO deal with school district over unresolved cost questions

by Sep 16, 2026
The Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday tabled a resolution authorizing a renewed school resource officer agreement, prolonging a dispute over who should pay for officers assigned to the district's high school and middle school.

New York moves to end Regents exams as graduation gatekeeper beginning in 2028

by Sep 16, 2026
Beginning in 2028, New York students will no longer have to pass Regents exams to earn a high school diploma, under a change approved Monday by the State Board of Regents.

Opinion | Guest Column

A first responder’s response: Riverhead officials twisted my words for political gain

by | Sep 22, 8:58 am
A retired FDNY firefighter who lost 12 members of his firehouse on 9/11 shares his perspective on a Riverhead Town Hall clash and calls for ethical local leadership.

School board members say town politicized negotiations over SRO program

Five Riverhead school board members accused town officials Wednesday of making false statements and politicizing negotiations over funding two school resource officers assigned to the high school and middle school.

New York moves to end Regents exams as graduation gatekeeper beginning...

Beginning in 2028, New York students will no longer have to pass Regents exams to earn a high school diploma, under a change approved Monday by the State Board of Regents.

Riverhead’s top business official resigns four months after hiring

Colleen Card, hired as Riverhead's assistant superintendent for business in May, has been appointed school business administrator by the Sag Harbor Union Free School District, effective Nov. 1.

With first year behind him, Riverhead superintendent looks ahead as students...

As Riverhead students head back to school this week, Superintendent Bob Hagan says his second year begins with a deeper understanding of the district, its schools and the community.

Public meetings

Newsletter

Get fresh local news straight to your inbox every day.

Police & Courts

Obituaries

Marie Jeanne Downs, 81

Anne Marie Schmitt, 94

Donald Pelis, None

Constance Claire Case, 88