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‘A Hole That Can Never Be Filled’: Fund Launched After Fisherman's Death Off Montauk
Following the sudden death of a New Jersey fisherman off the coast of Long Island, the community has rallied behind his wife and two children.
Sean Smida, 38, of Toms River, died Tuesday, July 21 about 10 miles off the coast of Montauk as part of a fishing expedition, according to authorities.
“Sean was so much more than an incredible fisherman — he was a devoted husband to Krystal and a loving father to Connor and Scarlett,” Smida’s friend, Ray Kerico, wrote in a GoFundMe. “His family was his world, and every moment he spent was dedicated to their happiness and well-being.”
Investigators …
Foodborne Illness Outbreak Expands To More States As Hospitalizations Climb
A sprawling foodborne illness investigation has taken another troubling turn as the case count continues to climb.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday, July 24, that a Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce had expanded from five states to nine.
At least 1,947 illnesses and 98 hospitalizations have been reported. No deaths have been recorded.
Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania were added to Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
The CDC said the outbreak may not be limited to those states. The true number of illnesses is likely hig…
Beach Boys Summer Tour Paused — Long Island Show In Limbo
A “Beach Boys” tour fronted by Mike Love has called off several shows across the northeast this summer.
Love, 85, has been leading the Beach Boys tour since March, though he is the only original member of the band involved in the performances, according to Rolling Stone.
But on Wednesday, July 22, Love announced that all concerts until Sept. 24 had been temporarily postponed. The affected shows include:
Friday, July 24 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, NY
Saturday, July 25 at American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA
Sunday, July 26 at Univest Performance Center in Quakertown, …
Woman Punched, Choked, Robbed In Long Island Domestic Assault: Police
A New York man punched and choked a woman on Long Island on Wednesday night, July 22, police said.
Wikash Sant, 38, of Queens, was in an argument with a 43-year-old woman at a home in north Lawrence, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Sant punched the woman in the face, then wrapped his arm around her neck, choked her, and threatened her life, investigators said. He also snatched the woman’s phone to stop her from calling 911, according to police.
But the woman escaped and fled the scene on foot, and police arrived around 11:45 p.m., authorities said. Sant was charged with second-de…
Chilling Demand Revealed From First Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note
A message at the center of one of the nation’s most closely watched missing-person cases is now being heard in its chilling entirety.
Crime journalist Briana Whitney revealed the contents of the first ransom note in the Nancy Guthrie case during a special “Crime Junkie” podcast episode released Wednesday, July 22.
Guthrie, 84, is the mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. She vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home on Sunday, Feb. 1.
The note began:
“Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, s…
New Rankings Reveal America's Most Loved Cities
A new travel ranking is giving vacation dreamers a fresh reason to argue over the map.
Travel + Leisure released its 2026 World's Best Awards list of the best cities in the US on Monday, July 7, after readers weighed in on their favorite travel experiences.
The magazine’s readers put Santa Fe, New Mexico, at No. 1 with a score of 88.85, ahead of Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, according to Travel + Leisure.
Santa Fe also ranked No. 19 among the best cities in the world. Travel + Leisure highlighted its sunshine, food, skiing, and cultural stops, including the Georgia O'K…
Third NY Prisoner Killed In Five Days Across State Prisons: Authorities
Another man held in New York state prison has died in a violent incident, the third such death in five days, police said.
Jose R. Aponte, 34, was killed Tuesday, July 21 in a fight at Collins Correctional Facility south of Buffalo, New York State Police said.
Another prisoner attacked Aponte in a residential rehabilitation unit, prison sections used for “therapy, treatment, and rehabilitative programming” for people requiring “more than 15 days of disciplinary confinement,” according to state authorities.
Aponte, of the Bronx, was rushed to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, where he was pronounce…
Drunk, High Driver Who Hospitalized Teens In Wrong-Way LI Wreck Pleads Guilty: Authorities
A drunk Long Island driver admitted to causing a wrong-way three-car crash that hospitalized two teenagers, authorities said.
Kelyse Land, 26, of Valley Stream, pleaded guilty Monday, July 20 to three charges as part of a plea deal, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said. She’s set for two to six years in prison, according to prosecutors.
Land spent the night of July 25, 2025, getting drunk and high at a bar before getting behind the wheel of her 2003 Nissan Altima and driving on Hempstead Avenue, authorities said.
As Land approached an intersection around 11:45 p.m., she crosse…
$19.7M Medicaid Fraud Got Suffolk Taxi Boss Ferrari, BMW — And Now Jail Time, Feds Say
A Long Island man who led a $19.7 million Medicaid fraud scheme has been sentenced to several years in prison, authorities said.
Adnan Arshad, 47, of Mount Sinai, got eight years and one month in prison, the Justice Department announced Tuesday, July 21.
The plot “siphoned millions from Medicaid, depriving vulnerable patients of resources and fueling a lavish lifestyle built on fraud,” IRS agent Harry Chavis Jr. said.
Arshad owned two companies — MTK Taxi in Montauk and All-Star Taxi in Ronkonkoma — that claimed to provide transportation service for patients to hospitals, then billed Medic…
NJ Fisherman, 38, Dies Suddenly 130 Nautical Miles Off Montauk Coast: Police
A 38-year-old New Jersey fisherman died suddenly while on board a vessel off the coast of Long Island on Tuesday, July 21, police said.
Sean Smida, 38, of Toms River, fell unconscious just before 10 a.m. Tuesday when the ship was about 130 nautical miles east of Montauk Point, the East Hampton Police Department said.
The ship, a private fishing vessel, immediately headed for the U.S. Coast Guard station in Montauk and arrived around 1:30 p.m., authorities said. People on board attempted to revive Smida during the journey, cops said.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears Mr. S…
LI Woman In Deadly DWI Case Tried To Bribe Immigration Judge With Tequila, $3K: Feds
A Long Island woman already charged in a deadly DWI crash is now also accused of attempting to bribe an immigration judge to free someone in ICE detention.
Diana Kutateladze, 37, of Oceanside, had her bail revoked in her Long Island case on Tuesday, July 21 after the feds unsealed the bribery charges, Newsday reported.
The change in status followed a Wednesday, July 15 indictment in Louisiana federal court, in which Kutateladze was accused of trying to bribe a judge with Patron tequila and $3,000 back in January 2024, according to the Justice Department.
Kutateladze was trying to free some…
