Alek Lewis

Riverhead Town Police reported 224 criminal incidents and 107 arrests in November, and 246 criminal incidents and 93 arrests in December, according to crime reports released by Police Chief David Hegermiller.

Aiming to conserve water during times of peak demand, Riverhead is considering a local law to restrict water use for watering lawns, washing cars and filling pools based on street address numbers. The proposed law would also ban watering lawns while it's raining.

Riverhead Town Police reported 189 criminal incidents and made 84 arrests in October 2022, according to a crime report released by Police Chief David Hegermiller.

The Riverhead Police Department is transitioning to a new system of reporting arrests, to become compliant with the National Incident-Based Reporting System. It will likely result in a rise in crime stats, because it will count all charges filed against every person arrested instead of just the top charge.

"I don't think this is fair, to weight a three-hour exam the same as 10 weeks of instruction," school district Trustee Christopher Dorr said. Including the Regents exam score in a final course grade could lower the grade and hurt a student's chance for scholarships, he said. The district will form a committee to review the board policy,

Foundation aid, which is determined based on a formula established by the state legislature factoring in wealth, cost of living and the regional economics, was enacted in 2007 in response to a court ruling that the state’s funding of public schools was inadequate and unconstitutional.

Riverhead Town generated $7.89 million in Community Preservation Fund revenue in the first 11 months of 2022, breaking the yearly record it set in 2021, according to a report by Assembly Member Fred Thiele.

The Suffolk County Water Authority will received $5 million of federal funding to bring public water extension to homes in Calverton within the Town of Brookhaven, some of which have drinking water wells contaminated by toxic chemicals.

As we get ready to ring in the new year, here's a look back at 2022's most important local stories.

Riverhead Town has been awarded two state grants of $200,000 each that will go toward improve the riverfront and building an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and shows.