Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) looks to get around West Islip's Kevin Cinotti (14) in the fourth quarter during the Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Down two with less than five minutes remaining The Kingsmen had just allowed three unanswered goals to undefeated West Islip to open the fourth quarter and found themselves trailing by one But no game is ever over when senior captain Jack Salva is on the field Salva responded with a missile into the top left corner and scored another goal less than a minute later for Kings Park which scored five fourth-quarter goals in an 11-9 comeback win at West Islip Tuesday the fourth quarter has been our quarter,” Salva said “Obviously we’re working on playing complete games but in the fourth quarter we always find a way to come back and finish the game.” represented a back-and-forth game that saw five different lead changes as neither team led by more than two goals Salva finished with a game-high seven points Senior Chris Davis scored the go-ahead goal with 3:15 remaining before senior Billy Berhalter threaded a perfect feed to junior Matt Corrado to give Kings Park a 10-8 lead West Islip senior Derek Busking came alive in the fourth quarter logging all four of his points which included a bruising goal through numerous defenders to cut Kings Park’s lead to one That’s when Kings Park FOGO Andrew Laviano showed how and why he’s so important to this team The junior won his 19th faceoff — finishing 19-for-23 — to give Kings Park (10-1) possession and eventually an insurance goal from senior Luke Griffin off a great pass from junior Aidan Barbosa against an open net with 22 seconds left “I had to adapt to the faceoff guy and the refs,” Laviano said “I’m able to do that with the help of my wings and by doing what I know I can do on the X.” Junior goalie Nick Vicinanza controlled the cage to the tune of 18 saves Four of the first five goals by West Islip (10-1) — with three coming from junior Chase Busking — came courtesy of follow-up shots after a save from Vicinanza it was wrapped from there,” Vicinanza said Laviano pointed to Kings Park’s desire to send a message that its only loss — an 8-7 result to Mount Sinai on April 17 — was simply a blip Kings Park has won all three of its games since Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023 The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months A teen was shot after being tackled by a Virginia State Police trooper during a pursuit in the Kings Park West neighborhood early this morning (Tuesday) The trooper encountered the 16-year-old boy while investigating a vehicle that had reportedly fled from a Fairfax City police traffic stop near Burke Station Road and Main Street at around 12:43 a.m. according to VSP spokesperson Matthew Demlein The vehicle was registered to an address in the 9600 block of Maury Road the trooper was joined by two Fairfax County K-9 units,” the VSP said in a press release they saw a 16-year-old juvenile male near the suspect vehicle and gave commands to stop The juvenile instead took off on foot.” the trooper “tackled” the teen and a gun shot was fired during the ensuing struggle While the VSP didn’t specify the source of the shot, assisting Fairfax County police officers told a dispatcher that the shot was fired by state police in a wooded area behind a house, according to scanner traffic The teen was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital with injuries described by state police as non-life-threatening No injuries were reported to the trooper or FCPD officers The VSP says the teen “is a known gang associate” with outstanding warrants for auto larceny and a probation violation “Additional charges are pending,” state police said “The 16-year-old is being investigated for unauthorized use of a vehicle.” The VSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Fairfax Field Office is investigating the shooting and the world’s largest trees exemplify the diversity of landscapes Explore these pages to plan your visit or to learn about the plants and animals here and the threats they face Ancient giant sequoias may seem invincible Start here for general trip planning information there are day hikes for all levels of ability in the parks Learn how to spend the holidays at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Check in on current conditions in the parks Check for current road conditions throughout the parks Learn about camping options throughout the parks Campgrounds are reservation only and availability is extremely limited in summer months Reservations are highly recommended for lodging and regional maps to help you locate and plan a route to these parks Whether you trek into wilderness or stay close to your car review tips on staying safe in these parks Wondering if you should bring your four-legged friend on vacation We offer recreational opportunities suited for a wide range of abilities From foothills to the tallest peak in the lower 48 states this remarkable landscape provides diverse and dynamic habitat Explore over a century of history in these parks and learn about the people who lived here before the parks were established Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go West Islip faced Kings Park in a Suffolk boys lacrosse matchup on Tuesday Kings Park's Luke Griffin (19) looks to get around West Islip's Mickey Faulkner (44) in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Travis Vine (13) looks to clear in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Mickey Faulkner (44) gets around Kings Park's Aidan Barbosa (9) in the second quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) looks to get around West Islip's Kevin Cinotti (14) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) gets around West Islip's Kevin Cinotti (14) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Derek Busking (27) looks to get around Kings Park's Jake Tetrault (23) in the second quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) looks to get around West Islip's Angelo Lanteri (5) in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Will Schwarz (1) looks to get around Kings Park's JJ Joyce (21) in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Andrew Laviano (5) gains control of a face-off in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Chris Davis (34) looks to pass in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Luke Griffin (19) moves the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Nick Vicinanza (42) plays the ball in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Michael Hazelton (26) looks to get around Kings Park's Jake Tetrault (23) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Chase Busking (9) looks to get away from Kings Park's JJ Joyce (21) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) scores in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) loses his footing while trying to get around West Islip's Michael Hazelton (26) in the second quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Andrew Laviano (5) wins a face-off over West Islip's Kevin Cinotti (14) in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Nick Henry (7) takes a shot in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 2025 at 12:03 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Cola is rescued by Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals detectives His owner is facing animal cruelty and abandonment charges (Courtesy of Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)KINGS PARK NY — A Kings Park woman is facing animal cruelty and abandonment charges after she was accused of abandoning her 1-year-old dog the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced was arrested after detectives said she left Cola New York State Park Rangers told Suffolk SPCA detectives that they found the dog abandoned without food water or shelter in a semi-wooded area of the park Cola was transported to the Smithtown Animal Shelter Zhang was arrested after a "thorough investigation" by Suffolk SPCA detectives with the cooperation of New York State Park Police Zhang surrendered Tuesday at the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Precinct Zhang was charged with abandonment and animal cruelty She is due in Suffolk County First District Court at 9 a.m "The Suffolk County SPCA remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all animals in the county," the agency wrote "If you witness any incident of animal cruelty or neglect in Suffolk County please contact the Suffolk County SPCA at 631-382-7722." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. East Islip WR Danika Tidridge takes the ball downfield against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday at Kings Park Pressure doesn't faze East Islip junior running back Danika Tidridge Tidridge had the game-deciding touchdown in a 7-6 victory against Kings Park Monday night in a Suffolk II flag football matchup She finished the game with 163 yards rushing and a touchdown on 15 carries She added 67 punt return yards in the victory but they're blocking on the outside,' but I saw a corner made a cut and got into the end zone," Tidridge said "It always comes down to the last minutes of the game and I just have to keep calm and make those big plays." "She's one of the best athletes I've ever seen; she's hard-working and tough," said East Islip coach Robert Sconone I just knew I had to get her the ball." Kings Park's Megan Kearney made an interception at the goal line looking to preserve a 6-0 lead and put East Islip's hopes away midway through the second half She found a gap in Kings Park's defense to make a 35-yard play and senior quarterback Lauren Glynn found Bianca Maitre for the extra point conversion to put East Islip (7-1) ahead "We were under pressure," Timbridge said "I got the ball and was looking to get into the end zone to get my team in the lead." I'm just looking to get in the end zone and I'm going to go get as far down the field as possible." Tidridge and Glynn led the team in flag pulls with nine Gianna Zawol found Kearney for a 20-yard touchdown at the two-minute mark of the first half to open up scoring for Kings Park (7-3) East Islip clinched a playoff berth in its first year of the program establishing itself as one of the better teams in the league "I couldn't be more proud of them and they learned all the formations and coverages," said Sconone It's their first one ever; I told them before the season they will have their picture on the wall because they are the first group." And a strong one at that CarlsonCorp owner Toby Carlson defends the project proposal at a public heaing on possible zoning changes in January The developer behind a controversial Kings Park project that called for construction of a 5,000-foot rail line has informed the Town of Smithtown that he has withdrawn the plan told Newsday the project is no longer moving forward Since 2022, Townline Rail Terminal LLC, a subsidiary of CarlsonCorp, had been seeking approval to build the rail line on 82 acres near Town Line and Pulaski roads It would have been used to haul away incinerator ash and construction debris The proposal was met with fierce opposition from residents and civic groups who expressed concerns about the impact the project could have on their communities and the environment Carlson provided a letter to Newsday on Thursday night that he said he sent to Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim and other county and town officials earlier in the week he wrote that the project “is parked” and he would “not push this rail initiative forward without consensus.” is not in alignment with all stakeholders,” Carlson wrote the Town Board took a bullet it should not have had to take the Town of Smithtown’s public information officer confirmed Friday the town had received the letter said while the proposal “may no longer be moving forward,” Suffolk County and all of Long Island face “an unavoidable waste crisis” that needs long-term solutions and sustainable solutions for solid waste and recyclables is urgent,” Wehrheim said “If we want to protect our environment and preserve our quality of life regional strategy that balances community concerns with the reality of how we handle solid waste.” Newsday previously reported that Smithtown was considering zoning changes that would allow rail freight terminals A January public hearing on the proposed changes drew more than 200 people Carlson was on hand at that hearing and spoke in defense of the rail project When asked if those zoning changes would be canceled or still go forward Garguilo said Friday the town would pause the process officials would not take the zoning changes proposal completely off the table since the community input gathered “will play a big role if something does change so we don’t have to start the process all over again.” When asked if he planned on bringing the project back in the future “If there is a genuine need across the state and we can come to an alignment that there’s a problem that needs solving This marks the second waste transfer project on Long Island that has been dropped in the past year. Winters Bros. of West Babylon last September canceled plans for a Yaphank waste transfer station that environmentalists the state and Brookhaven NAACP had opposed Carlson said he felt the county had not given enough support when it came to finding a regional solution for waste management in the wake of the planned closure of the Brookhaven landfill which Long Island officials and waste industry experts have predicted will eventually cause higher costs of waste disposal and worsened environmental pollution “I’ve been trying to get the county to get on board because what I would need is for this to be part of a much larger solution to this big [waste] crisis,” he said “But there’s no support on the county level in any way whatsoever to help the process along Unless everyone is pulling for the project director of communications for Suffolk County Executive Edward P said in a statement: “This issue is under the jurisdiction of the Town of Smithtown and not Suffolk County.” a civic group that opposed the rail project said the group was happy to hear the plan had been withdrawn Henninger said the most recent development was “a long time coming” after years of community outreach the group had done to rally opposition The association previously argued the proposal was bad for the community because of potentially harmful effects on groundwater noise generation and the overall environment in the area “It was a lot of community consensus and … it was clear very quickly that the community did not want this,” Henninger said She said the group is in favor of a regional solution to the waste issue but members felt that Carlson's project "was not a regional solution." president of the Commack Community Association said in an interview Friday he is not convinced the community has seen the last of it Semprini said he worried the rail project may still be built in the future with the town's approval so his group and others that opposed it will continue to gather more information and “continue to make their voices heard.” “We are not going to let go of the efforts we’ve already put into this thing so they think Jean-Paul Salamanca covers the Town of Smithtown for Newsday Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories East Islip WR Payten Tidridge carries the ball through midfield for a big gain against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday Kings Park WR Ava Kalberer's flag is pulled by East Islip DB Danica Tidridge in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday East Islip WR Danika Tidridge returns the kickoff through midfield for a big gain against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday East Islip WR Danika Tidridge weaves her way into the end zone for the touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday reacts after catching the game-winning extra point against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday Kings Park QB Gianna Zawol gets the pass off against East Islip in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday East Islip QB Lauren Glynn completes the pass against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday Kings Park QB Gianna Zawol tries to avoid getting her flag pulled by East Islip DB Danika Tidridge in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday Kings Park QB Gianna Zawol gets the pass off under pressure from East Islip DB Sophia Aurrecoechea in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday East Islip WR Danika Tidridge carries the ball through midfield for a big gain against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday East Islip WR Sophia Aurrecoechea goes up to grab the pass against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday Kings Park WR Sopha Reyes takes the pass upfield against East Islip in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday East Islip WR Danika Tidridge carries the ball up the sideline for a big gain against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday Kings Park WR Megan Kearney takes the pass in for the touchdown against East Islip in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday East Islip WR Danika Tidridge takes the ball downfield against Kings Park in a Suffolk League II flag football game on Monday The proposed location of Cornerstone Kings Park near the intersection of Meadow Road and Indian Head Road in Kings Park The Smithtown zoning board approved plans for a $22-million 46-unit apartment complex in downtown Kings Park near a Long Island Rail Road station The town's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3-0 to approve the Cornerstone Kings Park project to be built on the grounds of a 2.26-acre lot on the corner of Meadow and Indian Head roads Kings Park-based Tanzi Properties LLC and Farmingdale-based Terwilliger & Bartone Properties are developing the three-story, 46-unit apartment complex with underground parking. Backers of the project say it's crucial to diversify the mix of housing in Kings Park where there are mostly single-family homes with three bedrooms or more As Smithtown officials weigh the future of Kings Park residents have expressed concern over the pace and scope of efforts to boost housing in the hamlet serves as a member of the zoning board and abstained from the vote Tanzi said in an email that developers will send their application to the town’s Board of Site Plan Review which includes Smithtown's five town board members “I am optimistic that the project will get approved I am optimistic that it will be the beginning of a revitalized vibrant downtown Kings Park,” Tanzi said in an email Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) told Newsday in a text message the town is moving too quickly to ease the path for new development “It sets an unsustainable precedent,” Trotta wrote common sense downtown revitalization and development for people not the abandoning of long-standing zoning requirements to accommodate overblown projects to benefit developers and politicians." "The entire Town of Smithtown will end up looking like Queens if it’s not stopped.” Supporters say apartment complexes are key to attracting young professionals and keeping senior citizens on Long Island Opponents say the town should be cautious about overdevelopment in Kings Park Changes could result in too many housing complexes that contribute to congestion in the community managing partner at Terwilliger & Bartone Properties said the project is consistent with Smithtown's comprehensive master plan and goals to boost transit-oriented development near downtown Kathy Hochul awarded Kings Park and Smithtown $10 million from the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative to fund improvements In Smithtown's application for the funding officials cited the Tanzi property as having “long term potential” for transit-oriented development “Downtown Kings Park could be doing so much better," Bartone said in an interview that foot traffic … putting people right in the downtown the successes that come in tow with that are proven over and over again.” Bartone said he and Tanzi have scaled the project back in response to community concerns Earlier plans called for the development of a four-story president of the the Kings Park Community Association Rosato said his civic group wants the town to “impose a cap on the number of residential units permitted per acre" and limit the building to 2.5 stories “would align with most residents’ desire for Kings Park to remain a quaint bedroom community that also includes a vibrant downtown without high density housing.” The plans will also be distributed to other town departments and agencies for review land experts in each town department will file their findings and recommendations with the town board That process could span three to five months Executive Circle Awards Groundbreaking for $92M mixed-use project in Kings Park  Sign up for your daily digest of Long Island Business News Listen to this article Long Island Business News has announced that it has chosen this year’s winn[...] The financial landscape of Long Island continues to evolve through the leadership of the remarkable [...] Long Island’s business landscape contains a remarkable tapestry of organizations that have stood t[...] Celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month by showcasing the extraordinary wo[...] Listen to this article Lorraine Gregory Communications will be holding a blood drive at its Edgewood[...] Rite Aid did not pay its April rents for several Long Island [...] Long Island lost 3,100 construction jobs year-over-year in March ending a 12-month streak of gains,[...] Kids Empire and My Gym are opening at Mayfair Shopping Center in Commack Chick-fil-A opens its 12th Long Island location in East Meadow creating 80 jobs and supporting loca[...] Realty Three plans $120M South Village at Station Crossings with 273 rentals Our mission at Long Island Business News is to be the vital business news and advertising source to Long Island’s most influential readers Get our free LIBN e-alerts & breaking news notifications Subscribe for access to the latest digital and special editions A fire late Tuesday caused significant damage to Main Street Pub and an adjoining barbershop in Kings Park Owners of two downtown businesses in Kings Park that suffered fire and water damage after a blaze erupted late Tuesday hope to reopen but don't know yet when that will be possible Main Street Pub owner Scott McKinnon said Wednesday the business is "pretty much destroyed."  The fire happened just days before what McKinnon said is the pub's "biggest day of the year" — when the annual Kings Park St "I'm devastated," McKinnon said From breaking news to special features and documentaries the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy with business co-owner Latife Tulu calling the shop "literally a 100% loss" on Wednesday the ceiling is down … Part of the roof is burned — you can literally see through to outside," said Tulu members of the Kings Park Fire Department noticed smoke coming from Main Street Pub The department’s first engine arrived on the scene within three minutes and began an "interior attack" to battle the flames a group of firefighters was atop the pub’s roof one of whom cut square-shaped holes in the roof using a chain saw stood by and observed the firefighting efforts Lysa Scheer said she was bartending at Main Street Pub when she smelled smoke around 10:50 p.m She peered into the kitchen and turned on the exhaust fan but the smell remained After she saw smoke coming through a small hole that allows cable wires to connect to a television she suddenly spotted flames in the rear of the business "We got everybody out," she said looking up at the orange flames visible through a hole in the pub’s roof you wouldn’t know there was a fire going on." First responders contained the blaze to the pub and the barbershop The fire was fully extinguished around 12:10 a.m Fire and smoke caused extensive damage to the pub and limited damage to the barbershop Both buildings also sustained water damage More than 50 firefighters battled the fire "It’s due to their actions that this fire didn’t spread down Main Street," Carroll said thanking both his members and those who arrived from other departments "These are all attached structures here They were able to contain it to the building of origin." One firefighter was transported to a hospital for minor injuries The cause of the fire remained under investigation Thursday by Town of Smithtown fire marshals and Suffolk County police "I'm going to just try to fight back and build back better," McKinnon said Wednesday of the pub "That's my goal … Everything will work itself out." Although the four barber stations at Euro are ruined the couple has five other stations about a block away at Main Street Barber Shop — their first business or "Frank" as his clients know him will be able to cut hair at Main Street Barber Shop while he and his wife aim to rebuild their fire-damaged business as soon as possible "We've been there too long," Latife Tulu said Wednesday Long Island Tennis Magazine hosted its second pickleball tournament of its 2025 Event Series Players from all over the Island converged at SPORTIME Kings Park to participate in the Easter Pickleball Classic presented by Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group Teams competed against one another in round-robin play across four different divisions with the results of those matches determining who advanced to the knockout rounds In the Men’s Doubles 3.5 – 4.0 division James Kavanaugh & Dan Stolzenburg used their experience playing together in the past to reign supreme The pairing defeated Tony Romano & Alberto Carrero 11-5 to win the Gold Medal “We play a lot together so we have good chemistry,” said Kavanaugh “As we went through the matches we were able to see what our opponents didn’t do well Stolzenburg was complimentary about the event overall: drinks and people combined to make it a festive atmosphere off the court as well.” Lori McBride & Joenna Greenberg employed a simple yet effective strategy to help them win the Gold Medal in the Women’s Doubles 3.5 – 4.0 division “The strategy was to make less mistakes than the other team That indeed worked as the duo won 11-3 over Rose Gardner & Kathie Glynn to win the title “Just hanging out with our friends and having fun,” McBride said about how enjoyable the night was In the Men’s Doubles 4.0 – 4.5 division Miguel Cobbs & Luis Ludena defeated Andrew Lacorte & Carlos Quinonez 13-11 in a thrilling final to clinch the Gold Medal “It was a tight match with a lot of long points.” I really like the players and the vibe at the Long Island Tennis Magazine pickleball tournaments Emilie Katz & Kelly Cobbs paired up for the first time in a tournament setting and were able to rapidly find their footing together The duo defeated Samantha Cuomo & Jackie Kramer 11-3 in the championship match to win the Gold Medal in the Women’s Doubles 4.0 – 4.5 division It was our first time playing together and I thought we had some great matches,” Katz said “I’m glad Emilie asked me to play; we had a lot of fun playing together,” said Cobbs “The main thing was we wanted to communicate well and I thought we did a better job of that as the night went on it moved along nicely and you are able to get a lot of matches in.” The next pickleball tournament in our Event Series is the June Pickleball Challenge presented by Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group which is set for Saturday, June 14 at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake. To register or to find more information, visit LITennisMag.com/Events/JunePickleball “I would like to thank our title sponsor Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group for their amazing support in helping us put on a professionally-run and successful event We made sure all participants played a lot that the tournament ran on time and that we had food available to players during the tournament,” said Tournament Director David Sickmen “I also want to thank SPORTIME Kings Park for hosting and my co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback for all of her hard work in tournament coordination We’re excited to continue our partnership with Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group and grow our presence in the pickleball community.” CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 4TH ANNUAL EASTER PICKLEBALL CLASSIC 2025 Easter Pickleball Classic Full Results: Sign up here for a Free Daily E-Mail with the latest New York Tennis News © Copyright 2025 United Sports Publications We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again 2025 at 4:21 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Kings Park St Patrick's Day Parade is scheduled for Saturday Patrick's Day Parade is scheduled for noon Saturday The parade is set to kick off at Pulaski Road and end at Church Street in front of St Joseph's Church "Come down and have a great day for the Irish!" the parade organizers wrote The Suffolk County Police Department advised motorists of road closures for the parade Motorists are advised to use alternate routes Patrick's Day Parade is held on the first Saturday of March every year The parade was founded in 2011 by a group of Kings Park citizens to celebrate the Irish cultural roots of Kings Parkers The parade features numerous bagpipe bands hundreds of marching community organizations and a tribute to a grand marshal who has made great contributions to the Kings Park Community Sue Benjes will lead the 2025 Kings Park Parade as grand marshal "Thousands of Kings Parkers and people from surrounding communities turn out on Main Street to see Irish eyes smiling with Kings Park Pride," the organizers wrote Sinai's Alex Cergol (15) looks to put one up while covered by Kings Park's Gianna Zawol (3) in the third quarter during Suffolk Class A semifinal between Mt Sinai and Kings Park on Monday Mount Sinai sophomore Alexa Cergol watched from the bleachers as her sister won the county title in 2019 2-seeded Mount Sinai girls basketball team defeated No in the Suffolk Class A semifinals on Monday night at Centereach High School “Lexi is one of the best clutch players I’ve ever coached,” coach Jeff Koutsantanou said Cergol’s sister Brooke scored 26 points in Mount Sinai’s last county championship win “It feels awesome being in the same position my sister once was,” Cergol said This was a familiar matchup for the Mustangs (18-3) They already had faced Kings Park (16-6) twice this season But junior captain Mia Betancourt said it didn’t matter who the opponent was because they were just focused on winning I had it in the back of my mind all game,” Betancourt said I wasn’t going to feel that feeling again.” The Mustangs trailed 13-9 after the first quarter and 19-15 at the half Cergol opened the third quarter with a three-pointer that sparked a 14-8 run and put Mount Sinai up 29-27 going into the final quarter Seven points from Kings Park’s Gianna Zawol (14 points) helped keep it close until Betancourt and Cergol went back-to-back on three-pointers Betancourt and Cergol totaled all 18 points in the fourth quarter “Those two really led today,” Koutsantanou said they hustle back and play defense and they steal.” “I can trust her with anything: to make shots She always can bring us up when we’re down.” “We’ve been saying we wanted to get here since the season first started It feels insane to now actually be here,” Betancourt said “We worked so hard and put in a lot of practice 2025 at 9:45 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Christoper Conley was riding a bicycle when he was critically injured in a collision with a vehicle on Friday NY — A bicyclist was critically injured in a collision with a motor vehicle in Kings Park on Friday A 34-year-old Kings Park woman was driving a 2024 Lexus SUV southbound on Indian Head Road when she struck a bicyclist riding on the shoulder of the roadway at 11:58 a.m. was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition The woman and her passenger were not injured The Lexus was impounded for a safety check Anyone with information was asked to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452 Developers of the Country Pointe Estates at Kings Park are planning to build a 288 unit community on 71+ acres of land Developers of a $220 million luxury condominium project in Kings Park said they plan to address community concerns by scaling back the number of homes building a large wastewater sewage treatment plant and adding traffic-calming measures during construction The plan for Country Pointe Estates at Kings Park features a 288-unit condominium development on 71.1 acres of land. The property on the corner of Old Northport and Lawrence roads is the former home of a concrete manufacturing and sand mining operation, according to a draft environmental impact statement filed with the Town of Smithtown. An earlier proposal called for 391 units of housing according to the environmental impact statement While town officials and developers say the plan is key to diversifying the area's housing stock some residents fear the proposal is too big for the region and would strain Kings Park's resources The developer plans to set aside 29 of the villas — or "residential flats"  — for affordable housing a consultant hired by The Beechwood Organization recently issued the 3,000-plus page report detailing the mitigation measures founder and CEO of the Beechwood Organization said in a statement the proposal is smaller than the original and adequately addresses residents' worries He said Beechwood "voluntarily revised its plan" to include more detached The new plan reflects less density on the property a drop from six units of housing per acre to four The update adds “a diversity of home types including freestanding single-family homes and attached town houses and villas," Dubb said in the statement president of the nonprofit Kings Park Community Association said his group is concerned the proposal is still too large developers of an adjacent and nearby 40-plus acre site could also seek to build very large housing developments could spur a "staggering" rise in new housing units to the area and “adversely affect” the area’s environment Rosato said in a statement the proposal “provides no discernible benefits to the community.”  Developers say the project is sorely needed Kings Park's housing supply is mostly homes with three-bedrooms or more that were built in the 1960s and the plan fulfills efforts to repurpose vacant and industrial buildings But a growing number of residents have expressed concern about the project's scope and size The proposal complies with Smithtown's Comprehensive Plan The development would boost tax revenue and help Smithtown retain younger and older residents Kings Park's housing stock of 6,609 would rise 4.4% The project is one of several major development projects in Kings Park. The Town of Smithtown is in the process of finalizing a comprehensive master plan for development in Kings Park's downtown area The plan also calls for a "state of the art" sewage treatment plan that will be able to "accommodate other potential development in the area." Beechwood will build the wastewater sewage treatment plant in accordance with engineering plans to be approved by the Suffolk County Sewer Agency and the Suffolk County Department of Public Works Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said in an interview the town has left the document open for public comment until April 4 town waterways experts will review the draft where they may recommend changes to reflect community concerns Developers have proposed building a stormwater management system for collecting and recharging runoff from rainstorms up to 8 inches The developer would also outline ways to ease traffic on Old Indian Head and Old Northport roads during periods of construction On the south side of the property is a poultry farm is undeveloped and includes a wooded habitat Dubb said Beechwood will install fencing around the new development and adopt erosion control and other protective measures Dubb said he hopes to receive all project approvals by 2027 and complete the development by 2030 Opinions on the future of downtown Kings Park were mixed at a public hearing held in Smithtown last month Monday is the last day that the public can submit written comments on Kings Park's downtown revitalization master plan which has a focus on development and has been met with mixed reviews from local residents including the creation of a downtown zoning district; land-use recommendations that suggest increasing the maximum height of buildings to 3 stories and 40 feet; and mixed-use buildings such as apartments over stores in the downtown area It also identifies four “opportunity sites,” including the municipal lot on East Main Street two areas on Meadow Road West and the Kings Park Plaza that could potentially expand retail and housing choices said at a recent public hearing on the plans that he was in favor of revitalizing Kings Park which he said would help him and others to “be able to start a family of their own in the town that they grew up in.” “It makes for an ideal place for somebody in my shoes to live,” Ehl said Written comments on the master plan can be submitted to the Smithtown Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall until 5 p.m Town officials say that after the public comment period closes they may need one or two months of review before they are ready to vote on the plan along with planning and environmental experts before a recommendation for adoption of the proposed plan can take place,” Town Hall said in a statement Wednesday Opinions on the future of downtown Kings Park were mixed at the Jan which was held at the Smithtown Senior Center the Smithtown Town Board listened to comments from a crowd of more than 100 One project that drew several comments was Cornerstone Kings Park a proposed three-story apartment complex with an underground parking garage that developers Tanzi Properties LLC and Terwilliger & Bartone Properties have planned for the corner of Meadow Road and Indian Head Road The developers filed their plans with the town last July said at the hearing the complex is necessary to open up housing opportunities for people who prefer to rent and not buy homes a member of the Kings Park Chamber of Commerce added that the project — originally four stories — had been reduced in size units and setbacks after hearing residents’ concerns “so that it will comply with every one of the recommendations that the Planning Department has made.” Others spoke in favor of amending zoning to allow for building more apartments stating that more apartments are needed in the area to retain young people “These young professionals should be coming back to our town save some money and then they’ll buy a house,” Flynn said some residents opposed adding more apartments downtown she did not want downtown to become overcrowded “If we set a precedent and change zoning laws it could be the demise of all little small towns on Long Island,” O’Keefe said but we don’t want zoning changes and we don’t want overbuilding.” An “exact board meeting date” has not been set for the plan's adoption Greater Smithtown coverage is funded in part by Keith Dawson of The Dawson Team of Signature Premier Properties. Click here to view current listings Town officials and developers have broken ground on a $92 million sports complex in Kings Park The highly anticipated 44-acre Destination KP Sports Park at 350 Old Northport Road will feature seven outdoor athletic fields two outdoor practice fields and a 64,800-square-foot multi-floor indoor sports facility The indoor facility alone is roughly the size of a Walmart Supercenter Wehrheim said the project is yet another component of recent growth within the Old Northport Road corridor including the addition of an early education academy along with the imminent arrival of a new Starbucks at the corner of Indian Head and Old Northport roads “This growth reflects the town’s dedication to fulfilling the community’s vision as expressed through public input during our master plan process,” he said “Destination KP will be an exciting and valuable addition and a premier venue for tournaments and competitions.” The facility is expected to open in January 2026 Officials said that Destination KP is a key part of Smithtown’s effort to clean up industrial area properties as they change ownership and attracting family friendly businesses and services An official groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held last Thursday The project will be developed by Prospect Sports Partners LLC and the facility will be operated by Agape Community Sports Services the facility will also feature a concession building there will be 100,000 square feet of medical and commercial office space which will be primarily focused on sports medicine Tap here to see what’s happening Chloe Rain McGeehan has been working in Long Island restaurants since she was 15 And now she’s pursuing a lifelong dream of opening her own coffee shop spent about three years looking for the perfect home for her Ghost Town Coffee concept Then she found a 1,500-square-foot space across from the Kings Park LIRR Station “I’ve worked in a couple different coffee shops,” McGeehan told Greater Long Island. “There was one I worked in that really inspired my love for coffee, and I just thought that eventually I wanted to do something like that myself.” Once open, McGeehan will be offering a wide variety of drinks — from teas to seasonal lattes. She’s also been lining up local bakeries to help stock the food shelves. In the meantime, McGeehan is awaiting her permits and permissions so she and her team can get started. The name “Ghost Town” draws on her passion for Western life and culture, but she’s looking to combine that with the North Shore coastal vibe of Kings Park. The storefront is already adorned with a hand-painted sign, complete with a skull sprouting flowers. And that has been attracting many curious onlookers. “I’m actually really surprised by the response,” McGeehan said. “I haven’t done any marketing yet myself. But just from people walking by and taking pictures and posting online, everyone seems really happy and excited.” Kings Park is currently home to a Dunkin’ – and, soon, a Starbucks. But the allure of a local business can be hard to beat. “It’s just a totally different concept, and we’re hoping to bring about more of a community feel, and not corporate,” McGeehan said. Catering to the community is a running theme for McGeehan, who remembers searching for a good sit-down coffee shop when she used to ride her bike around town. She also hopes to host several events once Ghost Town Coffee opens. “That’s one of the things I really want to do,” McGeehan said. “Create a space in town that’s not a bar, where you can hang out with your friends and relax.” Hamza Khan is a freelance journalist based on Long Island He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Binghamton’s WICZ FOX 40 2025 at 10:57 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Cazandra Nucci was charged with animal cruelty after Suffolk SPCA officials said dead animals were found in her home as well as live animals in overcrowded conditions (Courtesy of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)KINGS PARK NY — A Kings Park woman was charged with animal cruelty after dead animals as well as live animals in "overcrowded" conditions the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals stated was charged with multiple misdemeanor animal cruelty charges as well as possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia after her home was searched through a warrant by Suffolk SPCA detectives Nucci was accused of neglecting 11 sugar gliders — nocturnal gliding possums — and nine cats in her care by "failing to provide a safe and clean environment," the Suffolk SPCA stated Detectives also found nine dead sugar gliders and one dead snake in the home Detectives found the home that the animals were confined inside had "noxious air and odor of feces it made personnel cough and gag upon entry and stung their eyes," the Suffolk SPCA wrote The animals found indoors were in an "overcrowded area of hoarded garbage over six feet high" in some spaces Dozens of apparent drug paraphernalia were strewn about the residence "The conditions inside were so extreme that personnel had to crawl over the piles of debris inside," the agency wrote The home was placarded as unfit for human occupancy by the Town of Smithtown Code Enforcement booked at the Suffolk County Police Department Fourth Precinct and released Nucci is scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on Feb The animals will soon be available for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter The search warrant was executed with help from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit Suffolk County District Attorney's Office BEAST Unit The Suffolk County SPCA stated it remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all animals in the county please contact the Suffolk County SPCA at 631-382-7722," the agency wrote 2024 at 11:25 am ETThe Colby House of Kings Park is accepting donations to benefit Christie Garrecht (John Esposito)The Colby House of Kings Park is accepting donations to benefit Christie Garrecht NY — A Kings Park family is using their brilliantly decorated home to help a fellow resident who is battling late stage colon cancer John and Andrea Esposito transformed their 8 Colby Drive home into the Colby Christmas House, a holiday attraction. The family is accepting donations for Christie Garrecht, 33, who is battling late stage colon cancer The display is up and running Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9:30 p.m Santa Claus is set to make an appearance on Dec Donations can be made through a donation bucket at the house or on Venmo @ChristiesFightFund Garrecht is a pediatric occupational therapist who worked in home care with medically fragile children before she went on leave following her diagnosis "As someone who is called Christie Claus by her medically fragile patients this event means the world to me," Garrecht told Patch "Christmas is always a special time of the year for me to bring joy to others I’m so blessed to have the support of John and Andrea of the Colby House and the rest of Kings Park behind me during this fight The Espositos have decorated their home for more than a decade John said he met Garrecht through her father when he stopped by the Colby Christmas House a couple of months ago and explained how his daughter was sick He told John how his daughter loved Christmas and visiting the Espositos' display "He knew that we raised money for various charities each year and asked if we would be willing to possibly put aside a night or so to help raise money for Christie," John said "I spoke to a neighbor who actually was Christie’s teacher when she was in middle school and she told me what a wonderful person she is Right after that I spoke to my wife and we both agreed that we should dedicate this whole season to help her." Garrecht's recent treatment plan has led to severe complications including near liver failure from her previous medications Chemotherapy was deemed necessary following multiple professional opinions People can donate to the GoFundMe for Garrecht here where about a hundred people gathered at Shanahan’s Bar & Grill decked out in cowboy hats Trump sweatshirts and American flag flare denim jeans to watch the inauguration waffles and beers while booing Democrats as they appeared on several large TV screens around the pub One man strapped on a cutout of the newly-inaugurated president’s face "Today is more exciting than the day I got married," said Stacy Brown Cracking down on immigration is at the top of Brown’s list of hopes for Trump’s second stint in the White House "I would rather take care of our veterans … Why are we taking care of people who are here illegally?" Brown said was one of several people interviewed at Shanahan’s who said they believed Trump did not pursue politics for money or fame — both of which he already had "I really do believe that he cares about the average Joe … It’s not about the wealthy people," he said "It’s about the blue collar people," Donny Brown said who grew up in Smithtown and is a former Marine and police officer He says he hopes Trump will help lower gas prices so people have more expendable income "You make these investments [in restaurants] and then consumers don’t have money to spend," Donny Brown said was one of many at Shanahan's who booed New York Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as they appeared on TV during the ceremony they’re never trying to solve people’s problems You can make talking points all you want … It just looks fancy on TV it doesn’t translate into real life," De Franco said said they were excited and "relieved" to see Trump take his oath They hope he will crack down on illegal immigration and lower gas and food prices The crowd shushed one another as Trump took the stage erupting into cheers as the newly-inaugurated president said said she hopes Trump will make New York safer so she and her friends can go out into the city like they used to Holly Brown said she was surprised to be enrolled in mandatory classes on gender studies and diversity ‘How many genders are there?’ and she wouldn’t even tell you a number because to her "But then today [Trump] is making a new policy that there’s two genders." Brown described the dissonance between her college and the White House as "difficult," keeping her views on gender to herself — even in her gender studies class "I’m doing assignments and essays and I know in the back of my head that if I talk about my actual opinion my professor has a different one and she’s gonna have that in her head when she’s grading me," Brown said and I know that whatever I write isn’t going to change her opinion." from local elections and legislation to reaction to national events Patrick’s Day Parade season kicked off on Saturday with Kings Park hosting the first parade of the year Eric Micallef of Greater Long Island was on hand to capture moments from the day Check out the list of upcoming parades here Sinai defeated Kings Park in a Suffolk Class A girls basketball semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai's Mia Bettencourt (4) goes up over Kings Park's Madison Schultz (5) in the first quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai's Alex Cergol (15) puts one up over Kings Park's Emily Clemens (22) in the first quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai's Alex Cergol (15) hits a three point shot in the third quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai's Mia Bettencourt (4) books a shot by Kings Park's Gianna Zawol (3) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai's Bella Franco (13) puts a shot up in the third quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai's Mia Bettencourt (4) moves the ball while covered by Kings Park's Madison Schultz (5) in the third quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai's Mia Bettencourt (4) moves the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai's Addison Chartrand (1) looks to get by Kings Park's Maddie DiRusso (4) in the third quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Mt Sinai celebrates its win in a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday Sinai's Alex Cergol (15) looks to put one up while covered by Kings Park's Gianna Zawol (3) in the third quarter during a Suffolk Class A semifinal on Monday A Kings Park woman faces multiple animal cruelty and drug charges after authorities discovered dead and neglected sugar gliders inside her garbage-filled home was charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty as well as possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia following a raid of her residence by Suffolk County SPCA detectives on Saturday Investigators found eleven sugar gliders and nine cats living in squalid along with nine dead sugar gliders and one dead snake The rescued animals will soon be available for adoption through the Smithtown Animal Shelter Authorities said the home was overwhelmed with the stench of feces forcing personnel to cough and gag upon entry The animals were confined in an overcrowded area amid garbage piled over six feet high MDMA and drug paraphernalia were also allegedly found throughout the home The Town of Smithtown Code Enforcement deemed the residence unfit for human occupancy “The conditions inside were so extreme that personnel had to crawl over the piles of debris inside,” Suffolk SPCA Chief Roy Gross said Sugar gliders, small nocturnal marsupials native to Australia and Indonesia, are legal to own in New York state, but, according to Exotic Nutrition website require a specialized care that includes a balanced diet of fruits Improper care can lead to severe health issues including malnutrition and metabolic disorders processed at the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Precinct and released She is scheduled to appear in Suffolk County First District Court in Central Islip on Feb Officials urge residents to report animal cruelty or neglect to the Suffolk County SPCA at 631.382.7722