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Drought Watch Expanded To Include These NY Counties Drought Watch Expanded To Include These NY Counties
Drought Watch Expanded To Include These NY Counties A Drought Watch has been expanded to now include most counties in New York State. "Due to abnormally dry conditions, I’ve directed NYSDEC to issue an expanded drought watch for parts of the state," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday, Aug. 16. "New Yorkers in those areas should take steps to conserve water wherever possible." The Drought Watch covers counties shown in yellow in the image above. It includes all of Long Island, but not New York City and Westchester (shown in green), where conditions are normal. The only other New York counties where normal conditio…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Suffolk County SPCA Offers $5K Reward For Info After Lynx Captured In Central Islip Suffolk County SPCA Offers $5K Reward For Info After Lynx Captured In Central Islip
Suffolk County SPCA Offers $5K Reward For Info After Lynx Captured In Central Islip A reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who owned a lynx that was captured on Long Island last month. The Suffolk County SPCA announced the $5,000 reward on Thursday, Aug. 11, following the capture of the Eurasian lynx by the Suffolk County Police Department on Friday, July 29. The lynx was reportedly roaming the streets in Central Islip for three days. The animal was transferred to the Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown. The SPCA said possessing these animals is prohibited without a special license in New York State…

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by Nicole Valinote
Lifestyle
This Eatery Is Best Pizza Place In New York State, New Report Says This Eatery Is Best Pizza Place In New York State, New Report Says
This Eatery Is Best Pizza Place In New York State, New Report Says A popular eatery that has been serving thin-crust pizzas for more than 90 years is the best pizzeria in New York State, according to a new ranking from 24/7 Wall St. John's of Bleecker Street, located in lower Manhattan, was ranked the best pizzeria in New York in the website's list of the best pizza places in every state, which was reportedly created based on a variety of ratings, reviews, and lists. The ranking was published on Sunday, June 19. The Greenwich Village eatery is located at 278 Bleecker St. According to 24/7 Wall St., John's sets itself apart from other eateries due to the …

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by Nicole Valinote
News
NY Declares Monkeypox 'Imminent Threat To Public Health' Amid New Rise In Cases NY Declares Monkeypox 'Imminent Threat To Public Health' Amid New Rise In Cases
NY Declares Monkeypox 'Imminent Threat To Public Health' Amid New Rise In Cases Amid a new increase in cases in New York, the state's health commissioner has declared the monkeypox virus "an imminent threat to public health." "Based on the ongoing spread of this virus, which has increased rapidly and affected primarily communities that identify as men who have sex with men, and the need for local jurisdictions to administer vaccines, I've declared monkeypox an Imminent Threat to Public Health throughout New York State," State Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary T. Bassett said.  The dedication means local health departments will be able to access additional state reim…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
SUNY To Officially Recognize Students' Chosen Names, Pronouns SUNY To Officially Recognize Students' Chosen Names, Pronouns
SUNY To Officially Recognize Students' Chosen Names, Pronouns The State University of New York (SUNY) will begin officially recognizing students’ chosen names and pronouns. It comes after the university’s Board of Trustees directed all 64 SUNY campuses to update their policies “to ensure that transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary students’ identities are fully reflected and represented in campus systems.” By the time classes begin in the Fall 2023 semester, campuses will have to ensure that all operational systems reflect a student’s chosen name and pronouns as long as it’s consistent with federal law, according to a SUNY statement. Tha…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
'Whole New LaGuardia': Opening Of $4 Billion Terminal Marks Near Completion Of Revamped Airport 'Whole New LaGuardia': Opening Of $4 Billion Terminal Marks Near Completion Of Revamped Airport
'Whole New LaGuardia': Opening Of $4 Billion Terminal Marks Near Completion Of Revamped Airport A brand-new terminal at LaGuardia Airport will officially open in the coming days, marking the completion of the $4 billion construction project.  Terminal C will open on Saturday, June 4, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday, June 1. State officials said the opening of the new terminal also marks the near completion of the $8 billion "Whole New LaGuardia Airport" project, which also includes the New Terminal B that opened earlier this year. The Terminal C project included a $500 million investment for new roadways and supporting infrastructure in its $4 billion funding, …

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by Nicole Valinote
Business
Here's How Long NYers Will Get Relief At Pump As Gas Tax Holiday Takes Effect Here's How Long NYers Will Get Relief At Pump As Gas Tax Holiday Takes Effect
Here's How Long NYers Will Get Relief At Pump As Gas Tax Holiday Takes Effect With gas prices reaching record heights across the nation, New Yorkers will see some financial relief at the pump as the statewide gas tax holiday goes into effect. As of Wednesday, June 1, New York is suspending certain taxes on fuel for the rest of the year to help limit the strain motorists have been feeling for months amid record inflation. The tax suspension will reduce prices by at least 16 cents per gallon statewide, with some counties offering additional savings to aid consumers who have struggled with rising gas prices. Related story - Gas Sales Tax Cap To Take Effect In Th…

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by Zak Failla
News
Officials Announce Name Of New LIRR Terminal In Manhattan Set To Open This Year Officials Announce Name Of New LIRR Terminal In Manhattan Set To Open This Year
Officials Announce Name Of New Lirr Terminal In Manhattan Set To Open This Year New York State officials have announced the name of the new 700,000-square-foot Long Island Rail Road terminal in Manhattan that is nearing its completion. The new terminal, which will be located below Grand Central Terminal and Madison Avenue from 43rd Street to 48th Street, is named Grand Central Madison, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday, May 31. Grand Central Madison is expected to begin service before the end of the year.  The $11.1 billion infrastructure project connects the LIRR to the East Side.  "This is an exciting, historic moment for New York State, Long Island…

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by Nicole Valinote
Lifestyle
New York Lottery Admits To 'Human Error' In $89M Mega Millions Drawing New York Lottery Admits To 'Human Error' In $89M Mega Millions Drawing
New York Lottery Admits To 'Human Error' In $89M Mega Millions Drawing The New York Lottery admitted that a “human error” led to the organization publishing incorrect winning numbers from its latest Mega Millions drawing. According to lotto officials, the correct winning numbers for the Tuesday, May 10 drawing were 15-19-20-61-70 with a Mega Ball of 9 and a Megaplier of 3X. Initially, NY Lottery incorrectly called the Mega Ball a 6, including on the on-screen graphics and the lottery website before the error was caught. 
“Following the May 10, 2022, Mega Millions drawing, human error resulted in the incorrect input of the winning numbers in New York State, re…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
'Ghost' Handguns, High-Capacity Magazines, Drugs Recovered By Suffolk County Sheriff In Bust 'Ghost' Handguns, High-Capacity Magazines, Drugs Recovered By Suffolk County Sheriff In Bust
'Ghost' Handguns, High-Capacity Magazines, Drugs Recovered By Suffolk County Sheriff In Bust A veritable cache of weapons, ammunition, and drugs were seized by law enforcement agents on Long Island who served an Extreme Risk Protection (ERPO) order, officials announced. Suffolk County Sheriff Sgt. Paul Spinella said that shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 4 in East Setauket, investigators executed the order, which led to a massive seizure of guns and drugs. The bust led to the arrest of East Setauket resident Robert Ludwig, age 26, who was in possession of multiple illegal weapons and drug paraphernalia. The seized weapons.Suffolk County Sheriff According to the Sher…

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by Zak Failla
News
State Mishandled Domestic Violence Case Before Worker's Murder, Investigation Finds State Mishandled Domestic Violence Case Before Worker's Murder, Investigation Finds
State Mishandled Domestic Violence Case Before Worker's Murder, Investigation Finds State agencies failed to follow their own domestic violence policies before a state worker was murdered, according to a new report from the New York State Inspector General’s office. Speaking at the state’s Crime Victims Memorial Thursday, April 28, Inspector General Lucy Lang said when the victim reached out for help, “it fell on deaf ears.” The woman, an employee with the state Office of Information Technology Services in Albany, was killed in September 2020 by her husband, a former worker at the state Office of General Services, before he took his own life, Lang said. According to …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: First Spread In US Due To New Sub-Variants Of 'Stealth Omicron' Reported In NY COVID-19: First Spread In US Due To New Sub-Variants Of 'Stealth Omicron' Reported In NY
Covid-19: First Spread In US Due To New Sub-Variants Of 'Stealth Omicron' Reported In NY Two new sub-variants of BA.2. or the so-called COVID-19 "Stealth Omicron" strain, could be considerably more contagious, say health officials who are reporting a surge in cases in Central New York State,  the first such outbreak in the nation. The New York State Department of Health on Wednesday, April 13 announced the emergence of the two Omicron sub-variants: BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1.  BA.2 now accounts for more than 50 percent of COVID cases nationally and 80.6 percent in New York.  The sub-variants have been estimated to have a 23- to 27-percent growth advantage above …

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by Joe Lombardi