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Support Swells For ‘Captain America,' Long Island Personal Trainer Battling Rare Cancer
Mike Emmel isn’t facing his cancer battle alone.
Hundreds of friends, former clients, and community members have answered the call since the Long Island personal trainer and Blue Point resident, fondly known as “Captain America,” announced he was diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease.
The rare cancer of the cerebrospinal fluid and tissue covering the brain affects the brain and spinal cord, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There is no cure.
In Emmel’s case, the aggressive form of cancer has manifested as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, spreading throughout his brain, spine, and…
LI 17-Year-Old Dies After Battling Butterfly Disease 'With Bravery, Sense Of Humor'
Tributes are pouring in for a beloved Long Island teenager who died after a lifelong battle with a rare skin disease that left his body covered in open wounds.
Brian Ilg, of Patchogue, died Sunday, Jan. 8, at age 17, according to his obituary.
It marked the end of what relatives described as a “long and painful” journey that the teen “handled with strength, bravery, and a sense of humor.”
Ilg was born May 20, 2005 and was diagnosed with a severe form of epidermolysis bullosa, more commonly known as butterfly disease. The rare disorder leaves skin fragile - like butterfly wings - and susce…
Family Of Gabby Petito Files Notice Of $50M Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Police
The family of Gabby Petito has filed a notice of a $50 million lawsuit against a police department in Utah, accusing it of negligence in the 22-year-old Long Island native's death.
Petito, age 22, of Blue Point in Suffolk County, was strangled and beaten to death last year in Wyoming by her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, also from Blue Point, but who relocated to North Port, Florida.
Laundrie, labeled a person of interest in the case by the FBI, later took his own life.
When his remains were found in a remote Florida nature reserve, a notebook was also discovered in which he confessed to t…
Four Suffolk County Store Clerks Accused Of Selling E-Liquid Nicotine To Minors
Four Long Island store clerks have been accused of selling e-liquid nicotine to minors.
In response to community complaints, Suffolk County Police Fifth Precinct Crime Section officers conducted an investigation Monday, June 6 between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. into the sale of e-liquid nicotine to minors during which numerous businesses were checked for compliance.
Those charged with endangering the welfare of a child are:
Kenny Rubio, age 26, of Brentwood, employed at Island Hookah, located at 291West Main St., Sayville.
Silvia Landaverve, age 37, of Uniondale, employed at Pop Smoke S…
ID Released For Man Struck, Killed By Flatbed Truck Near Long Island Intersection
Police have identified the man killed in a crash near a Long Island intersection overnight.
The crash happened just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23 in Blue Point.
The man, now identified as Joseph Coleman, age 60, of Bayport, was walking with a bicycle on Montauk Highway, near Atlantic Avenue, when he was struck by a westbound flatbed truck, Suffolk County Police said.
Coleman was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue where he was pronounced dead, said police.
The driver of the flatbed truck, a 43-year-old Mastic man, was not injured, accordi…
Lirr Worker Sentenced For Overtime Scheme
One of five Long Island Rail Road employees charged with a conspiracy to defraud the MTA through an overtime scheme has been sentenced to three months in prison.
Joseph Balestra, age 52, of Blue Point, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, Jan. 4, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Balestra, who must also repay $109,641 in restitution, said during sentencing, he took full responsibility for his role in the scheme.
Following his three months in prison, he will have to serve three years of supervised release, three months of which will be s…
'Light A Candle For Gabby': Vigil To Be Held In 22-Year-Old's Memory
As teal color ribbons begin to adorn street lamps, mailboxes, and trees throughout a small Long Island hamlet to honor the late Long Islander Gabby Petito, a candlelight vigil is also being planned.
The color teal is being used because her mother, Nicole Schmidt, said it matched the color of Gabby's sparkling eyes.
Petito's body was found on Sunday, Sept. 19, in the Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming, just days after her mother, Nichole Schmidt, reported her missing on Saturday, Sept. 11 to police.
Days later, the medical examiner's office confirmed the body was that of Petito, and the…
FBI, Police Probe Possible Out-Of-State Brian Laundrie Sightings After Florida Disappearance
As the FBI and police in Florida returned to a nature preserve to search for the missing boyfriend of a New York woman whose body was found in Wyoming, tips of possible sightings have poured in from across the country, including neighboring southern states.
Police in the City of North Port, in Sarasota County, Florida, resumed their search Tuesday, Sept. 22, for Brian Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve.
An autopsy is expected to be conducted Tuesday to confirm the body found in a Wyoming park on Sunday, Sept. 19, is that of 22-year-old Long Island native Gabby Petito of the hamlet of Blue Poin…
