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LI Man Who Embezzled $8.4M From Private School To Buy Cars, Beach Houses Gets Prison Time LI Man Who Embezzled $8.4M From Private School To Buy Cars, Beach Houses Gets Prison Time
LI Man Who Embezzled $8.4M From Private School To Buy Cars, Beach Houses Gets Prison Time A former employee at a Long Island private school who lived the high life after embezzling millions of dollars will spend years in prison. David Ostrove, age 52, of West Islip, was sentenced to between 8 ⅓ and 25 years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday, April 17, following his conviction for grand larceny and money laundering. Prosecutors said Ostrove transferred over $8.4 million from Williston Park’s Schechter School of Long Island into his own personal accounts between March 2014 and April 2022. Earlier Report: West Islip Man Embezzled $8.4M From Private School, Boug…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Employee Embezzled $8.4M From Williston Park Private School, Bought Cars, Beach Houses: Jury Employee Embezzled $8.4M From Williston Park Private School, Bought Cars, Beach Houses: Jury
Employee Embezzled $8.4M From Williston Park Private School, Bought Cars, Beach Houses: Jury An employee of a Long Island private school lived the high life after embezzling millions of dollars from his employer, a jury found. David Ostrove, age 52, of West Islip, was found guilty of grand larceny and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, March 12. Prosecutors said Ostrove transferred over $8.4 million from Williston Park’s Schechter School of Long Island into his own personal accounts between March 2014 and April 2022. During that time, he served as the school’s chief financial and technology office. An investigation found that he later used the stolen money to fu…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Emergency Federal Action Approved To Fix Coastal Damage On Fire Island Emergency Federal Action Approved To Fix Coastal Damage On Fire Island
Emergency Federal Action Approved To Fix Coastal Damage On Fire Island Elected officials have announced the approval of emergency federal action that will allow engineers to assess and repair damaged coastal areas of Long Island's Fire Island.  According to an announcement by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday, Jan. 26, the many extreme storms that have slammed into Suffolk County's Fire Island over the last few years make the island eligible for a process that will assess, fund, and repair damaged coastal areas.  This means that the US Army Corps of Engineers will be allowed to begin an expedited evaluation of needed repairs on the …

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by Ben Crnic
News
'Bright Fireball' Seen Off Long Island Coast Confirmed To Be Meteor: NASA 'Bright Fireball' Seen Off Long Island Coast Confirmed To Be Meteor: NASA
'Bright Fireball' Seen Off Long Island Coast Confirmed To Be Meteor: NASA A fireball that appeared in the skies off the coast of Long Island has been confirmed to have been a meteor that was seen in several states, including New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.  The meteor was seen in several East Coast states on Thursday, Nov. 2 just after 7 p.m., according to an announcement by NASA.  According to the agency, the meteor first appeared 65 miles above a point in the Atlantic Ocean 81 miles off the coast of Smith Point County Park on Fire Island in Suffolk County, New York. Fire Island is part of the towns of Babylon, Islip, and Brookhaven.  The "bright fir…

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by Ben Crnic
News
'Nightmarish' Shark Attack At Rockaway Beach: Support Swells For Victim 'Nightmarish' Shark Attack At Rockaway Beach: Support Swells For Victim
'Nightmarish' Shark Attack At Rockaway Beach: Support Swells For Victim The victim of a shark attack along the New York coast has undergone five surgeries in just over a week, with no end in sight, according to her family. “She…was eagerly anticipating her retirement, when she could — for the first time in her life — take a break.” Tatyana Koltunyuk was bitten by a shark on the left leg on Monday, Aug. 7 while swimming at Rockaway Beach in Queens, setting her forth on a life path her family could not anticipate. The 65-year-old woman was close to retirement, meant to be a promise of rest after a “grueling” life, as her daughter describes in a GoFundMe set up…

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by Sophie Grieser
News
Possible Shark Sighting Means No Swimming At Jones Beach Possible Shark Sighting Means No Swimming At Jones Beach
Possible Shark Sighting Means No Swimming At Jones Beach Swimming has been prohibited near Long Island's Jones Beach State Park after a possible shark sighting. The sighting was reported at around 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, a New York State Parks spokesperson said. As a result, beachgoers are being kept out of the water near the Central Mall, as well as near the East Bathhouse and West Bathhouse. “We continue to prohibit swimming as a safety measure,” the spokesperson said. Tuesday’s sighting came one day after a 65-year-old woman was bitten in the leg by a shark at Rockaway Beach in Queens. She was taken to Jamaica Hospital in critical c…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
'Something Is Biting Me': Shark Attack Survivor Recounts Harrowing Injury At Long Island Beach 'Something Is Biting Me': Shark Attack Survivor Recounts Harrowing Injury At Long Island Beach
'Something Is Biting Me': Shark Attack Survivor Recounts Harrowing Injury At Long Island Beach It's a tale not many people can tell: surviving a real-life shark attack, but that’s exactly what happened to New Yorker Lyudmila Emag. The 47-year-old  Brooklyn resident was swimming with friends on Long Island coast about 20 yards off Fire Island on Tuesday, July 4, when she felt something bite into her upper left thigh. “I screamed to my friends, ‘something is biting me.’ I felt like I was in a trap, it was holding onto me,” Emag said at a press conference at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore on Thursday, July 20. Fortunately, she managed to get her hands inside the shark’s …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Shark Attack: July 4th Beachgoer Hospitalized After New Incident On Long Island Shark Attack: July 4th Beachgoer Hospitalized After New Incident On Long Island
Shark Attack: July 4th Beachgoer Hospitalized After New Incident On Long Island A second shark attack has been reported in as many days on Long Island, with the latest incident coming on Tuesday afternoon, July 4. It happened around 1:50 p.m. on Independence Day in Suffolk County in the Village of Quogue (marked in red in the image above). According to Lt. Daniel Hartman of the Quogue Police Department, a beachgoer, identified as a 47-year-old man, was swimming in chest deep water at the Quogue Village Beach on Dune Road when he suffered lacerations to his right knee. The shark was not observed, Hartman said, but it was determined the bite was from a "larger…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Shark Attack: Crews Responding To Reports Of 16-Year-Old Bitten On Long Island - Developing Shark Attack: Crews Responding To Reports Of 16-Year-Old Bitten On Long Island - Developing
Shark Attack: Crews Responding To Reports Of 16-Year-Old Bitten On Long Island - Developing New report - Shark Attack: July 4th Beachgoer Hospitalized After New Incident On Long Island Emergency crews are responding to reports that a teenager was bitten by a shark on Long Island. Crews were called at around 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 3, after the 16-year-old boy was reportedly bitten in the leg by a shark off Fire Island, near Kismet Beach. Lifeguards applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, according to police radio traffic. The teen’s condition was not immediately available. In late July of last year, a teen, also age 16, was bitten by a shark off Fire Island while surfing…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Tragic Ending: Man Found Dead In Waters Off Long Island More Than Week After Going Missing Tragic Ending: Man Found Dead In Waters Off Long Island More Than Week After Going Missing
Tragic Ending: Man Found Dead In Waters Off Long Island More Than Week After Going Missing The search for a Long Island man who disappeared more than a week ago has ended in tragedy. Search crews recovered the body of 45-year-old Pierre Morris, of Far Rockaway, Wednesday morning, Nov. 30, in the waters off the east end of Fire Island, according to Suffolk County Police. Marine Bureau officers found him at around 11:40 a.m. off Smith Point County Park near Shirley, police said. Morris, an employee of H&L Contracting of Hauppauge, was reported missing Friday, Nov. 18. Investigators said he was working on a boat at Smith Point Marina when he is believed to have fallen overboar…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Search Launched For Missing Person Off Coast Of Long Island Search Launched For Missing Person Off Coast Of Long Island
Search Launched For Missing Person Off Coast Of Long Island Authorities are searching for a person who went missing off the coast of Fire Island. The United States Coast Guard Northeast reported that shortly after midnight on Thursday, Oct. 13, it received an emergency alert about 25 miles southeast of Fire Island. "An HC-144 airplane and MH-60 helicopter were immediately launched from Air Station Cape Cod," the Coast Guard reported. "Aircrew reported a white cooler, oil sheen and other debris." A motor lifeboat also began to search the area. During the search, a survivor who was suffering from "significant injuries" was recovered, officials said…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Former Employee Accused Of Stealing $8.4 Million From Schechter School In Nassau County Former Employee Accused Of Stealing $8.4 Million From Schechter School In Nassau County
Former Employee Accused Of Stealing $8.4 Million From Schechter School In Nassau County A 51-year-old man was indicted for allegedly stealing $8.4 million from a New York private school during the 11-year period when he worked there. Long Island resident David Ostrove, of West Islip, was indicted on charges of first-degree grand larceny and first-degree money laundering for allegedly stealing from the Schechter School of Long Island, located in Nassau County, in Williston Park, while he worked as chief financial and technology officer and director of operations, according to an announcement from Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney on Monday, July 25. “As alleged i…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Monkeypox Vaccine Clinics On Long Island Fill Up Within Hours Of Opening Monkeypox Vaccine Clinics On Long Island Fill Up Within Hours Of Opening
Monkeypox Vaccine Clinics On Long Island Fill Up Within Hours Of Opening As news broke that Northwell Health and Suffolk County would begin offering monkeypox vaccines on Long Island, all slots for appointments filled up within hours. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced on Monday, July 11, that the county would open six pop-up clinics on Fire Island on Thursday, July 14.  Following the announcement, all slots were full, but officials say there will be more vaccines on the way. Those who made an appointment will receive their shots at one of six pop-up clinics on Fire Island.  See Earlier Report: CDC Releases State-By-State Rundown …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Boater Suffers Medical Emergency, Crashes Near Fire Island Marina, Police Say Boater Suffers Medical Emergency, Crashes Near Fire Island Marina, Police Say
Boater Suffers Medical Emergency, Crashes Near Fire Island Marina, Police Say A boater had to be rescued after crashing near a marina on Fire Island. A 34-year-old Islip resident was operating a 25-foot boat Wednesday evening, June 8, when he apparently suffered a medical emergency, according to Suffolk County Police. He crashed into the Fire Island Pines bulkhead just before 6 p.m. and was ejected from the vessel, police said. A good Samaritan was able to jump in the water and keep the man afloat until Marine Bureau officers arrived, according to police. The officers provided first aid to the man and got his boat under control, which was traveling in circles, poli…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Massive Shark Spotted Off Long Island Shore Massive Shark Spotted Off Long Island Shore
Massive Shark Spotted Off Long Island Shore A massive, near 900-pound shark, was spotted making the rounds off the coast of Long Island recently. OCEARCH has been tracking Freya, an 11-foot sub-adult female white shark that has made its way north from North Carolina where it was first tagged until it was spotted near the Long Island Sound and Jersey Shore over the weekend. As recently as Sunday, June 20, the shark was spotted by Fire Island and outside the Hamptons before she continued her journey north. According to OCEARCH, Freya is likely following “huge schools” of fish that are working their way up the coast. Chris Fischer, t…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Uncle Louie's G's Opens New Nassau County Eatery Uncle Louie's G's Opens New Nassau County Eatery
Uncle Louie's G's Opens New Nassau County Eatery Hey, ice cream is calling Long Islanders with the opening of a new sweet shop just in time for the summer heat. Local residents Alex and Danielle Petito and Steven and Joann Feinberg opened Uncle Louie G’s of Oceanside, a sweet shop where you can “feel like a kid again” in the heart of town on Saturday, May 22.  This is the third location of the Uncle Louie G’s franchise on Long Island (the others have different owners and are located in Fire Island and Lindenhurst) making it the first to open in Nassau County. Located in a shopping center, Uncle Louie G’s offers a…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
Popular Long Island Restaurant Announces Closure Popular Long Island Restaurant Announces Closure
Popular Long Island Restaurant Announces Closure A popular Long Island restaurant that has been a destination spot for summers for the past 12 years is closing its doors. Surf’s Out, a go-to Fire Island restaurant for cocktails and a meal on a lazy summer day, announced on Facebook on Friday, March 12, it won't reopen for summer visitors leaving a hole in a spot that has few eateries serving the beach community. The owners, Dean Cirella, Matthew Barbara, and Paul Barbara, said they had decided it is time to pass the torch to a new team and a different restaurant under new ownership would open in its place. The area of the resta…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Rare Coyote Sighting Reported In Nassau County Rare Coyote Sighting Reported In Nassau County
Rare Coyote Sighting Reported In Nassau County State park officials believe they have observed a rare Long Island coyote sighting. Video surveillance cameras captured a shot of what officials believe is a coyote at 875-acre Robert Moses State Park, located in southern Suffolk County on Fire Island. While the photo is grainy, the state parks department is hoping to capture a clearer video on future surveillance. Dan Keefe, a spokesman for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, confirmed the sighting and provided the video camera shot. This new sighting comes on the heels of other reports of a coyote spotted i…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Message In A Bottle Science Experiment By Long Island School Found Nearly 50 Years Later Message In A Bottle Science Experiment By Long Island School Found Nearly 50 Years Later
Message In A Bottle Science Experiment By Long Island School Found Nearly 50 Years Later A message in a bottle science experiment by a Long Island School was found nearly 50 years later, ABC 7 is reporting. An East Patchogue resident found a glass bottle on the beach at Bellport Bay which contained a note, according to the article. The note reportedly had a Dec. 1, 1972 message that it was a science experiment of students of William Floyd High School learning about Fire Island currents, said ABC 7. Click here for the ABC 7 report.

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by Donna Christopher
Lifestyle
Here Are Places LIers Love To Go On Vacation Here Are Places LIers Love To Go On Vacation
Here Are Places LIers Love To Go On Vacation When Daily Voice asked Facebook followers on Hey Long Island Do U Remember...? where they love to go on vacation they mentioned some interesting places. Here's a sampling. "Anywhere in the Caribbean during winter," said Michele Petchonka D'Onofrio. "Panama City Beach, Florida," said Lisa Nevin Anderson.  "Lake George," said Marie Neunzig Podolsky. Gerry Fitzgerald Laudani "Poconos-Woodloch Pines. The best," said Gerry Fitzgerald Laudani. "What vacation? LOL," said Andrea Lembo. "I’m comfortable just hanging around anywhere; drinking, not doing anything, i…

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by Donna Christopher
News
Shark Sighted In Shallows Waters On Long Island Shark Sighted In Shallows Waters On Long Island
Shark Sighted In Shallows Waters On Long Island There's been a brand-new shark sighting on Long Island, and this one is a bit unusual. The shark was sighted in shallow waters in the Hamptons, prompting a response by police. The shark, of an unknown species, was 10 to 12 feet in length, said Christopher Isola, the Village of Quogue's Chief of Police. It was spotted in Quogue just after 9 a.m. Saturday, July 20 near Penniman Creek, which feeds Shinnecock Bay and Quogue Canal, Isola said. (See image above.) Shark sightings are not rare for Long Island, but it is unusual to see one near a creek. Isola said the Quogue Police Department…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Man Found Dead In Swimming Pool At Fire Island Restaurant Man Found Dead In Swimming Pool At Fire Island Restaurant
Man Found Dead In Swimming Pool At Fire Island Restaurant Police are investigating the death of a man found unresponsive in a restaurant swimming pool on Fire Island. A 911 call to police Thursday evening, July 4 reported that the man was found unconscious in the pool at around 7:05 p.m.  Marine Bureau officers responded to Canteen at Fire Island Pines where they reportedly found Carlos F. Medina unconscious and unresponsive, said Suffolk County Police.  Medina was brought by boat to Marine Bureau headquarters at Timber Point, where he was transferred to an ambulance and taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore. Medina, 32, o…

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by Donna Christopher
Police & Fire
ID Released For Woman Who Drowned Off Fire Island During Storm ID Released For Woman Who Drowned Off Fire Island During Storm
ID Released For Woman Who Drowned Off Fire Island During Storm The identity has been released of the woman whose body was pulled from the water off of Fire Island during the severe storms on Sunday, June 30. Marine Bureau officers responded to Seaview Marina at approximately 3:40 p.m. after a 911 caller reported finding a body floating in the water near shore, Suffolk County Police said. The caller went into the water on a paddleboard and kept the woman floating until officers arrived on the scene, according to police. Barbara Langbecker, 67, of Manhattan, has been identified as the woman. Marine Bureau officers were able to pull Langbecker into…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Two Kayakers Rescued During Storm Off Fire Island Two Kayakers Rescued During Storm Off Fire Island
Two Kayakers Rescued During Storm Off Fire Island Two kayakers were rescued by the Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers when their kayak overturned in the Great South Bay off of Fire Island during a storm. Officers Keith Magliola and Chris DeFeo were on patrol in the Great South Bay aboard Marine Kilo when they observed a male and a female in the water next to their swamped kayak approximately a quarter-mile mile north of Ocean Bay Park on Fire Island at approximately 6:55 p.m. on Sunday, June 2, said the Suffolk County Police. Ralph Tabaras and Jillyan Guadagno had rented a kayak from The Palms Hotel, located at 168 Cottage Walk, …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Two Rescued After Kayak Overturns On Great South Bay Two Rescued After Kayak Overturns On Great South Bay
Two Rescued After Kayak Overturns On Great South Bay Two Fire Island kayakers were rescued by Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers Sunday evening. Their kayak had overturned on Great South Bay off of Fire Island, according to Suffolk County Police. Police say officers Keith Magliola and Chris DeFeo were on patrol in the Great South Bay aboard Marine Kilo when they reportedly saw a man and woman in the water next to their swamped kayak approximately one-quarter mile north of Ocean Bay Park on Fire Island at approximately 6:55 p.m. on June 2. The persons rescued were Ralph Tabaras and Jillyan Guadagno who had rented a kayak from The Pa…

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by Donna Christopher
Police & Fire
Accused Serial Burglar Charged In Lindenhurst Accused Serial Burglar Charged In Lindenhurst
Accused Serial Burglar Charged In Lindenhurst A serial burglar from Lindenhurst has been arrested and accused of breaking into nine local homes, police said. Keith Makowsky, 29, allegedly committed seven burglaries in Lindenhurst, one in Amityville and one on Fire Island between April 22 last year and April 15 this year, police said. Makowsky was arrested on West Sunrise Highway at approximately 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23 in Lindenhurst. According to police, burglaries were committed at residences on Wellwood Avenue, South Place, Lane Street, Surf Street, Pacific Street, Putnam Avenue and Brown Place in Lindenhurst. Makowsky also alle…

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by Zak Failla
News
Clam Dredge Captain Rescued After Experiencing Medical Issue Near Fire Island Clam Dredge Captain Rescued After Experiencing Medical Issue Near Fire Island
Clam Dredge Captain Rescued After Experiencing Medical Issue Near Fire Island After experiencing a medical issue near Fire Island, a clam dredge captain was rescued, police say. Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers say 44-year-old Ronald Garay, captain of the 77-foot commercial clam dredge Mary T, was fishing in the Atlantic Ocean south of Point O’Woods, Fire Island when he started to experience shortness of breath the night of Wednesday, April 17, police say. Police say Garay called for assistance over Marine VHF radio. The Marine Bureau heard the call and dispatched a rescue boat, Marine Kilo, crewed by Officers and New York State Certified Emergency Medica…

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by Valerie Musson