Alek Lewis
Breaking News
Riverside county court complex evacuated on report of suspicious package
The Suffolk County Criminal Court complex in Riverside has been evacuated pending an investigation into a report of a suspicious package left in the building.
Government
Town board looks to expand solar moratorium to all renewable energy facilities
Riverhead Town Board members signaled they will move to expand the town’s moratorium on commercial solar applications to include all renewable energy systems, in anticipation of applications for new types of facilities, like anaerobic digesters, that are not addressed by the current zoning code.
Board of Education
School board hires new assistant superintendent for finance and operations
The Riverhead school board in a 5-1 vote, with one member absent, appointed a new assistant superintendent for business Tuesday night, Rodney Asse. He will start in his new job July 1.
Board of Education
School board recap: new STEM director hired; parents ask district to omit Regents test scores from class averages
The Riverhead school district's new STEM director, Jeannine Campbell, will integrate a MakerSpace program in the district.
Business
Splish Splash to open for the season Saturday, with ‘Hyperlight’ tube ride and cashless service
Splish Splash in Calverton will open for the 2022 summer season on Saturday, with a new tube ride called 'Hyperlight' and cashless service throughout the park.
Board of Education
School district to hire former budget director at upstate school district cited for fiscal mismanagement during his tenure
Riverhead Superintendent Augustine Tornatore said the new assistant superintendent, whom Tornatore hired last year while at Liberty K-12 School District in Newburgh, “was not the top financial person“ in the Rochester City School District when it overspent its revenues by $42 million in 2018-19, leading to a state comptroller’s audit and the appointment of a state monitor. Rodney Asse did “a fantastic job” at Liberty as its business official, Tornatore said, and has “a good reputation.”
Health
PBMC’s emergency department expansion gets $5 million boost
The new expansion is set to increase critical care capacity by more than 75% and implement a dual-bay trauma unit, additional cardiac response services, and a dedicated pediatric treatment area, incorporate advanced radiology capabilities and enhance patient privacy, according to PBMC. The hospital hopes to open its doors in the first quarter of 2024.
Government
Riverhead considers litter fine bump to crack down on commercial property owners
The Riverhead Town Board is considering increasing the fines for littering violations in an effort to crack down on neglect from commercial property owners.
Community News
Riverhead commemorates Bell Town Heritage Area in Aquebogue, founded by the grandsons of slaves during the Great Migration of 1930s
The Rev. Mary Cooper at a ceremony Saturday marking the dedication of Riverhead's first heritage area, Bell Town, a community founded by Cooper's father Mansfield Bell and his three brothers, grandsons of slaves who migrated from Powhatan County, Virginia during the Great Migration in the 1930s, a historical period marking the movement of approximately 6 million Black Americans away from the Jim Crow South to escape racial discrimination, violence, segregation and poor economic conditions.
Community News
Downtown residents see new civic being active in advocacy at Town Hall and neighborhood cleanup
Prospective members of Riverhead’s new downtown civic association on Saturday laid out their vision for the civic’s role in the town, including maintaining their neighborhoods’ beauty and collectively advocating for residents in town government.