Support provided by Northwell’s Mather Hospital, which delivers the five-star difference in exceptional care and is ranked by Medicare in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance and patient experience As King Kullen prepares to shutter its Middle Island supermarket at least three grocery chains — including Giunta’s Meat Farms — are in discussions to take over the space A management employee at the 45,000-square-foot store located at 1235 Middle Country Road in the Strathmore Commons Shopping Center said workers were told that the store will close though a timeline has not been shared with staff A King Kullen spokesperson declined to comment on the store’s future Brookhaven Town Councilman Michael Loguercio told Greater Long Island that the property owner and management team are “working diligently” to line up a replacement grocer “I have spoken with the owner of the shopping center and they have shared with me that they’re in talks with three very good prospects,” Loguercio said “They’re all being vetted to make sure the right fit comes in — one that serves both the space and the needs of the community.” While Loguercio wouldn’t name the grocers multiple sources told Greater Long Island that Meat Farms which now counts eight locations in Suffolk County is among the candidates to replace the Middle Island King Kullen property manager for Island Associates Real Estate Inc. This would be the seventh King Kullen supermarket Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Hauppauge King Kullen remains the largest family-owned grocery chain on Long Island It operates 30 stores — 26 under the King Kullen name and four Wild by Nature markets — but has faced mounting competition in recent years from discount and specialty grocers together with Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico and other agencies is working on broader revitalization efforts in Middle Island and neighboring Coram “There are real prospects who want to invest here The goal is to make sure this corridor thrives.” Top photo: King Kullen in Middle Island is expected to close sometime in the coming months The grocer is the anchor store of the Strathmore Commons Shopping Center (Credit: Brian Harmon) Tap here to see what’s happening 2025 1:00 PMA diver samples a bacterial mat within the Middle Island Sinkhole (Image Courtesy of Nick Zachar/NOAA) NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsSign Up In 2002 divers in Lake Huron were swimming among the shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary The sanctuary protects the remains of almost 100 ships that met their demise when trying to navigate through “shipwreck alley.” There appeared to be a massive sinkhole near Middle Island Scientists sent down a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to get closer to the crater They soon realized they were looking at an ancient sinkhole they would learn there were many others in the Great Lakes As technology has enabled researchers to get deeper into the sinkholes scientists have discovered they are time capsules that offer a glimpse into what life was like billions of years ago Read More: As an Underwater Graveyard, the Great Lakes Have Claimed Close to 10,000 Ships Underneath Lake Huron is an ancient basin that formed 400 million years ago with dolomite the cave ceilings collapsed and left behind sinkholes Light cannot penetrate some sinkholes further away from shore a research physical scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor If a person looked at the camera footage from a ROV Ruberg says they would first notice the water becoming a little cloudy as the vehicle descended deeper into the lake This is because the water in the sinkhole is heavier than the freshwater and the interaction between the two makes it appear like a hazy cloud the camera might see craters or raised ridges the rover would see purple clumps along the lakebed formed by cyanobacteria a microorganism that thrives in habitats like sinkholes that are high in sulfate and low in oxygen The cyanobacteria live alongside chemosynthetic bacteria The two microorganisms have developed a day-shift Whereas the cyanobacteria photosynthesize and seek light during the day the chemosynthetic bacteria are into sulfur and mobilize after dark the purple cyanos will rise up to get the light the white chemosynthetic ones will rise up,” Ruberg says These microorganisms have fascinated scientists because of what Ruberg calls the “symbiotic relationship.” But they have also intrigued researchers by serving as a living time capsule and offering a glimpse into what life was like billions of years ago Sinkholes like the Middle Island one don’t have oxygen Neither did Earth 2.5 billion years ago at the start of the Proterozoic period “The early Earth would have had sulfur and salt but zero oxygen in the water because the atmosphere didn’t have oxygen in it,” Ruberg says Scholars studying sinkholes suggest that oxygenation may have occurred as Earth’s rotation slowed. In a 2021 study in Nature Geoscience researchers considered the purple cyanobacteria in the Middle Island sinkhole and suggested that as Earth began spinning more slowly photosynthesizing cyanobacteria released more oxygen a typical day may have been only six hours long That was less time for the purple cyanobacteria to commute to the surface for photosynthesis and the cyanobacteria gave off more oxygen The increased oxygen changed the atmosphere and set the stage for Earth to evolve into life as we know it Sinkholes are changing how scientists understand Earth, but there is a lot more they would like to know about the sinkholes themselves. In order to do so, scientists need to have a better sense of where they are located in the Great Lakes. A seafloor mapping initiative began in 2019 and scientists are using multibeam sonars to map the U.S only 15 percent of the lake beds have been mapped which means there could be sinkholes in Lake Michigan or Lake Superior that are unknown to scientists Further studying the sinkholes could help scientists better understand Earth’s evolution and Ruberg says they can also help researchers better predict the lakes Predicting the lakes involves understanding circulation which is helpful for search and rescue crews trying to locate missing vessels or people In the event of an oil spill or other man-made disaster understanding circulation can help determine how the pollutants might spread Predicting the lakes can also involve seasonal changes in water levels which tell scientists how much water is coming into the system and what to expect “Getting a handle on that is helpful in understanding the ecology and the biology It helps you better understand the food web and make better decisions about the ecosystem,” Ruberg says Read More: How Mapping the Seafloor Benefits Science and Safety Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards Review the sources used below for this article: The Nature Education Knowledge Project. Rock, Water, Microbes: Underwater Sinkholes in Lake Huron are Habitats for Ancient Microbial Life Nature Geoscience. Possible link between Earth’s rotation rate and oxygenation Emilie Lucchesi has written for some of the country's largest newspapers She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and an MA from DePaul University in communication from the University of Illinois-Chicago with an emphasis on media framing message construction and stigma communication Emilie has authored three nonfiction books A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy from Chicago Review Press and is co-authored with survivor Kathy Kleiner Rubin Register or Log In Want more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99 Subscribe Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine The King Kullen store in Middle Island is closing after decades in business Long Island's largest family-owned grocery chain this time a 34-year-old store in Middle Island The store is located at 1235 Middle Country Rd The supermarket occupies about 45,000 square feet the Smithtown-based company that manages the center Monahan confirmed that the store will be closing but said he did not know when or the reason for the impending shutdown The King Kullen in Middle Island opened in January 1991 according to a grand-opening advertisement in Newsday's archives retail and all things business across Long Island By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy did not respond to Newsday's inquiries Wednesday about the reason for the store's closing the timeline for the closing and the number of affected employees Most of the grocery company's store employees are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union UFCW Local 1500 in Westbury represents 41 part-time and nine full-time employees working in the front-end bakery and receiving areas of King Kullen's Middle Island store "Local 1500 is working to maintain as many jobs as possible [There is] no indication of any layoffs yet," she said Wednesday The impending closing of the Middle Island store is disappointing since the shutdown will leave the hamlet in Brookhaven Town with one small grocery store president of the Middle Island Civic Association The 26,000-square-foot Sunny Farms opened in May on Middle Country Road about a mile from the Middle Island King Kullen Citing last year's closing of Coram's only supermarket a Stop & Shop that was 4.3 miles from the King Kullen in Middle Island "Now we have two major food chains that have left us and that's disturbing," she said The other four are Wild by Nature natural food stores King Kullen markets itself as "America’s first supermarket," a claim confirmed by the Smithsonian Institution King Kullen is still the largest family-owned grocery chain on Long Island but the grocer and other traditional supermarket chains have closed a number of stores over the past several years as more discount and specialty grocery competitors have expanded in or entered the Long Island market Last year, Quincy, Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop, a traditional supermarket chain that is the largest grocer on Long Island, where it has 46 supermarkets, closed 32 Northeast stores, including four on Long Island Since 2019, King Kullen Grocery Co. has closed seven stores, including a King Kullen supermarket in Levittown in October that the company said was underperforming The company closed three other stores — in Mount Sinai Lake Ronkonkoma and North Babylon — which it said were underperforming several months after Stop & Shop said it would buy all King Kullen Grocery Co.'s stores The Stop & Shop deal was called off in June 2020 King Kullen Grocery Co. closed two King Kullen stores in Franklin Square and Glen Cove in July 2022 and a Wild by Nature in May 2023 Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months Three Long Islanders have officially launched a one-of-a-kind venue in Middle Island They call it The Backyard the 13,000-square-foot space offers a mix of bar vibes and game-night fun who owns an excavation company, his wife Diandra and their longtime friend Amanda Howe were just “BS-ing one day” when inspiration struck “We were in a cornhole league and bought some boards,” Mike Massian said “Then I started the Northeast Cornhole Association (NCA) now a regional director for the American Cornhole League was searching for a tournament venue when he came across a vacant property at 1241 Middle Country Road in Middle Island — a space that had been temporarily used by the Longwood Public Library “I passed this place a couple of years ago and thought it could work,” said Mike Massian a Ridge local who graduated from Longwood High School in 2002 the landlord gave us a great opportunity.” The space needed a complete overhaul — “Ceilings were falling down,” he said — but after months of hard work A grand opening is set for March 14 The Backyard offers much more than cornhole darts, and shuffleboard — both mini and full-size The full bar offers a rotating menu of creative cocktails including co-owner Diandra Massian’s specialty — the Backyard Tea both spent years in the hospitality industry as bartenders Their passion for crafting cocktails shines through “We’ll be changing up the drinks weekly or biweekly,” Diandra Massian said The trio aims to make The Backyard a year-round community hangout showcasing all sporting events on their TVs throughout the facility.  with both casual and competitive tournament nights planned The team also hopes to host corporate team-building events “We’re just excited to open the doors and bring something different to the area,” Mike Massian said “This is about giving people a fun place to hang out whether they’re hardcore cornhole players or just looking for a good time.” The grand opening weekend kicks off March 14 regular hours will be Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m A sign outside the Quantum rehabilitation facility in Middle Island on Tuesday Two adjacent Middle Island nursing homes seeking to expand are in a standoff with neighbors and Brookhaven Town that both sides blame on a chronic lack of parking Staff and visitors to the Surge and Quantum rehabilitation and nursing centers park their cars at the end of driveways of nearby homes block package deliveries and take up parking spaces at a nearby park according to Brookhaven officials and nearby residents who say they are fed up with the situation The nursing centers — which sit on adjoining Oakcrest Avenue properties and share the same ownership — are seeking town permission to build a small visitors center The centers' owners also are seeking to subdivide the property But Brookhaven officials say they will block both zoning requests until the parking problem is resolved said informal efforts to solve the problem have been unsuccessful They don’t have ample parking for visitors and the staff," Lynch-Bailey said in a telephone interview according to a statement released Tuesday by the facilities through a public relations spokesman Quantum specializes in treating people recovering from traumatic brain injury and Surge provides treatment for chronic breathing and heart conditions The statement acknowledged demand for parking has grown in recent years due to increases in visitors and staffing The facilities did not provide figures for employment or visitation "The administrators and staff of Surge and Quantum are committed to being good and responsive neighbors," the statement said "Facility managers understand the community’s concerns and are working diligently and have partnered with the Town of Brookhaven and civic association to find both short- and long-term solutions that will offer relief." Neighbors say Surge and Quantum posed no problems for the neighborhood until the past two to four years staff and visitors began flooding the street with parked vehicles thrown litter on lawns and prevented deliveries of packages including pharmaceuticals she can’t get in to deliver mail and she can’t get in and out of her car,” resident Karen Allen said She added that parking issues also make it difficult for nursing home visitors who must park a long distance from the facilities “I had a woman crying in front of my house because she couldn’t get down the street to see her husband.”  Brookhaven Councilman Michael Loguercio said the town erected signs restricting parking in front of the houses about a year ago There were no apparent parking violations Tuesday morning when a Newsday photographer visited the neighborhood Loguercio said some nursing home visitors and staff have parked down the road at Pine Lake town park He said Surge and Quantum must create new parking before the town grants their owner's request to approve construction of a new building on the property and to subdivide the parcel “I will not support any expansion of that building until they arrange for ample parking for all of their employees and visitors,” he said in a phone interview Lynch-Bailey said some residents also complain about odors such as sewage and motor oils that they believe are coming from the nursing homes most people aren't opposed to the homes — as long as the parking issues are solved “People say a lot of bad things about these places .. but they are healing people and they aren’t going away," Lynch-Bailey said "We have to come up with a plan to deal with them.” 2025 at 6:57 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Three people were arrested Tuesday in massage parlor raids along the Middle Country Road corridor in Middle Island NY — Three people were arrested Tuesday in massage parlor raids along the Middle Country Road corridor in Middle Island Charged with unauthorized practice of a profession are a Flushing 37-year-old and an East Flushing who are both employees of Vivio Foot Spa The trio were issued Desk Appearance Tickets and are scheduled to appear at FirstDistrict Court in Central Islip on a later date Officers from the 6th Precinct Crime Section in Selden in conjunction with the Town of Brookhaven's offices of the Fire Marshal and Building Inspector undertook the raids in response to numerous community complaints Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 2025 at 8:21 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A 71-year-old woman was taken to the hospital after a hit-and-run crash in Middle Island on Sunday morning NY — A 71-year-old woman was taken to the hospital after a hit-and-run crash in Middle Island on Sunday morning The woman's 2021 Ford SUV was struck by a 2020 Nissan sedan at the intersection of Birchwood Drive and Middle Country Road just after 11 a.m. was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries The Ridge man was found a short time later and was charged with leaving the scene of an accident His arraignment information was not available was marked by local community members and Brookhaven officials recently The Middle Country Road location features games such as Cornhole Town Councilman Michael Loguercio congratulated the venue's owner "This is another great addition to our community that offers a place for friends and family to all enjoy together," he said "We wish them many years of continued success." Executive Circle Awards Rendering of the townhomes at The Villas at Oak Run Crest Group secures $24M loan for new townhome project  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 2025 at 7:54 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A suspect made off with a PlayStation 5 from Walmart in Middle Island on Valentine's Day NY — A suspect made off with a PlayStation 5 from Walmart in Middle Island on Valentine's Day was taken by a man at the Middle Country Road store just after 8 p.m. the man can be seen wearing a dark-colored ski cap and hooded sweatshirt Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to an arrest in the case Anyone with information can submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS which can be downloaded through the App Store Tips can also be submitted online at www.P3Tips.com a 227 acre island in Lake Huron is up for sale It's called Middle Island because it sits almost exactly midway between Thunder Bay Island and Presque Isle Harbor, off the coast of Alpena UP NEXT: Michigan's Most Historic Restaurant was Once a Brothel A working, historic lighthouse is included! The Middle Island Light Station was built in 1905 It's maintained by the Coast Guard and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 According to the listing "views from the lighthouse are unobstructed 360 degrees above of Lake Huron." there's a Lighthouse keepers two-story red brick double dwelling with a new roof and 12 rooms at various stages of renovation - so yes the Fog Signal building has been converted into a lodge that sleeps 10 UP NEXT: Unique Bank House For Sale in Traverse City  Other cool features of the property are a 380-foot permanent break wall/dock Two track circles the island and provides access to the lighthouse So how much are we talking for this private island paradise Middle Island is on the market for $3.9 million Gallery Credit: Janna Discover the charm of Middle Island, a 227-acre paradise on the market in Lake Huron. Explore its historic lighthouse and breathtaking views!\nRead More UP NEXT: Michigan's Most Historic Restaurant was Once a Brothel A working, historic lighthouse is included! The Middle Island Light Station was built in 1905 According to the listing UP NEXT: Unique Bank House For Sale in Traverse City  2025 at 6:08 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Arson Squad detectives are investigating a fire that broke out inside a shed on the property of a home in Middle Island Tuesday morning NY — Arson Squad detectives are investigating a fire that broke out inside a shed on the property of a home in Middle Island Tuesday morning The fire started at the Devon Lane home at around 9:40 a.m. The Middle Island Sinkhole is 75 to 80 feet deep, underwater off the north shore of the island. It was discovered more than 20 years ago, right around the time the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was designated Further investigation revealed an ecosystem of rich sulfur and low oxygen creating a perfect environment of cyanobacterial mats to survive “These mats are very similar to the first oxygen producing organisms on the planet.” said Stephanie Gandulla with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary “Scientists come from all over to study these microbial mats and these microbes to get a better understanding of what the planet was like 400 million years ago.” Scientists presume microbial mats like this one could be where life first began on Earth This tapestry of bacteria is a fusion of purple and red hues scientists dive down toward all that color and collect samples “You can see this purple cyanobacterial mass at the bottom of the sinkhole," Gandulla said "It has this rich sulfur smell as you’re bringing up the samples Scientists say these kinds of sinkholes could be all over the Great Lakes in hard to find places, especially the deeper parts of Lake Huron 2024 at 2:57 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Detrich Emanuel pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Kristine Costantino in her home on New Year's Eve in 2023 Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Tuesday (Courtesy of Suffolk County District Attorney's Office)SUFFOLK COUNTY admitted to fatally shooting Kristine Costantino pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter He is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision killing her in her own home," Tierney said in a news release "While this plea cannot undo the immense pain caused to the victim’s family and loved ones we hope it spares them from the additional trauma of a trial and keeps this defendant from hurting anyone else in the community." were at Costantino's apartment when the two of them began a "tense verbal exchange" with each other prosecutors said Emanuel called 911 to report the shooting but fled the apartment before law enforcement arrived Costantino was later pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital Emanuel was arrested in the Bronx on Jan prior to his arrest in the shooting of Costantino Emanuel was convicted in Queens County of second-degree attempted burglary Tuohy did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 2024 at 2:34 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Arson Squad detectives are investigating a fire in which an elderly man was seriously hurt at a Middle Island home on Wednesday NY — Arson Squad detectives are investigating a fire in which an elderly man was seriously hurt at a Middle Island home on Wednesday The fire broke out at the Monet Court home at around 8:12 p.m. He was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment His name is being withheld pending the notification of his family A preliminary investigation determined the cause of the fire to be non-criminal in nature Detectives are asking anyone with information on the fire to call Arson at 631-852-6024 Sign In Subscribe Now Nanaimo-Ladysmith constituents had factors like Trump and strategic voting in mind as they went to the polls earlier this week Tamara Kronis of the Conservatives won the riding with 26,081 votes Michelle Corfield representing the Liberals received 20,693 (27.9 per cent); Lisa Marie Barron of the New Democratic Party saw 13,591 (18.3 per cent); Paul Manly of the Greens 13,486 (18.2 per cent) and Stephen Welton of the People's Party of Canada received 294 votes (0.4 per cent).  Tariff and annexation talk from President Trump and the United States were hot election topics and David Livingstone a Vancouver Island University political studies professor said while Nanaimo-Ladysmith was previously NDP territory allegiances may have changed due to that threat He pointed to comments from Barron at the all-candidates' forum at VIU the week before the election "She said the thing she consistently heard [while] door-knocking was ‘What do we have to do to stop the Conservatives from winning?' So there seemed to be not so much of but ‘Who are we voting against?' So there was definitely that strategic voting idea," said Livingstone The Conservative Party's promises to address affordability and other aspects of the economy "What's interesting is to see a younger generation starting to drift towards the Conservatives "But I think that signals to me that the message is getting through to those individuals who are very worried about what jobs they're going to get in the future and how secure those jobs are That is resonating with young people like it's not resonated before … the Conservatives have done a pretty good job speaking to those issues." a perception that the Conservatives didn't sufficiently distance themselves from U.S Republicans was detrimental federally who said the Tories instead seemed to continue to push the policies that had served them well in the election's lead-up The prof suggested that Liberal leader Mark Carney presented himself well during the campaign and may have benefited from exceeding some people's expectations "I think a lot of people thought a guy that [has] lots of other experience and he came across as competent and unflustered," said Livingstone "His experience on the world stage seemed to help … I think people are also evaluating who is best to confront Trump. They were watching the demeanour of these two individuals and I think it seemed to a lot of people that Carney seemed to appear very prime ministerial very quickly." The prof said he couldn't say whether the Greens and NDP siphoned votes from each other, but did note that partway through the campaign the NDP seemingly pivoted to a strategy with messaging stating "Here on the Island we vote NDP to stop the Conservatives," but it wasn't enough they were campaigning on the goal of vote-splitting,” said Livingstone "What's interesting is that it seemed that the people that may have normally voted for the NDP decided to park their vote with the Liberals … so we ended up with gains for the Liberals and gains for the Conservatives and the NDP losing quite a few seats." Voter turnout in Nanaimo-Ladysmith was 72.3 per cent and Livingstone felt high voter turnout had everything to do with the U.S is Trump and rise of this new nationalism in Canada … There was an emotional uplift about Canada [meaning] something and that drove people to be very interested in this election," he said "They could see it as a as a vital election about who's going to take us through this next very difficult few years." Sign up for a free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page On a chilly March morning a few days before the vernal equinox an ensemble of spring peepers sang their steady high-pitched song from a shallow rain-fed pond in Middle Island Wood frogs added their baritone calls to the chorus "They really are the harbingers of spring," said John Turner the land management specialist for Brookhaven Town Turner was driving on a two-lane road that runs past the pond As he came over a rise he saw the asphalt scattered with the corpses of frogs: dozens "There were so many I could smell the iron from their blood in the air," he said The frogs he saw had been crossing from a vernal pool on one side of the road to another on the opposite side Their slow speed and small size were no match for the cars hurtling past Today amphibians have a safer way to travel An 18-inch-wide tunnel has been built under the road and this week new steel fencing was installed to direct the travelers away from the hazardous open road and toward the passageway It is one small segment of a worldwide effort to restore connections between fragmented habitats and to keep animals from becoming roadkill Long Island is stippled with more than 300 vernal pools — small ephemeral wetlands that fill with snowmelt and rainfall in spring but often dry up in summer These time-limited pools serve as critical nurseries for frogs and salamanders and feeding grounds for bats frogs hunker down to hibernate under leaf litter When the weather warms they awaken and follow their ancient instincts to move off in search of mates and an auspicious spot to deposit their gelatinous eggs Hundreds might travel on a single rainy warm evening in spring Herpetologists call these mass migrations "Big Nights." While Arctic terns embark every year on the longest spring migration on Earth the denizens of the Middle Island wetlands may have one of the shortest: a distance of about 50 feet American highways and country roads bisect woodlands wetlands and grasslands and impose a deadly dilemma on the animals that live there: restrict their quest for food and mates or risk a fatal collision according to the federal Department of Transportation There are no good estimates of how many amphibians meet the same fate — most drivers don’t notice and highway departments don’t keep count But biologists estimate the number is in the high tens of millions a year Frogs and salamanders are also threatened by water pollution and prolonged droughts exacerbated by global warming as well as habitat loss All of which make amphibians more at risk than any other class of vertebrates: According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature 41% of amphibians worldwide are threatened with extinction The Middle Island pools don’t harbor any endangered species But high mortality on a single road can lead to a hyperlocal extinction of common species: no more neighborhood peepers and wood frogs awakening and singing in the spring A tunnel can make the difference between a thriving mini-ecosystem and an inert one Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said he was immediately on board with Turner’s suggestion that the town build an amphibian tunnel "We do a lot of open space purchases," he said but "we’ve got to have the ecological connectivity." Turner found a company that fabricates wildlife tunnels made of smooth concrete that won’t hurt delicate feet; he found another that makes wildlife fencing designed to corral frogs salamanders and other small creatures toward the entrance The underpass cost the town about $18,000 and the fencing another $20,000 a senior environmental analyst in Brookhaven’s land management department "you can't put a price on the life of a frog."  The town also bought a 3½-acre parcel of land that overlooks one of the pools to protect the habitat from future development is the first functioning wildlife passageway on Long Island was poorly conceived and is rarely used by the target species there’s documented evidence that it’s working A trail camera set up at one end has captured many raccoons chipmunks and at least one groundhog traipsing through That doesn’t mean the amphibians aren’t using it The cameras are triggered by movement and heat cold-blooded animals often pass through undetected the best measure of success is the lack of dead ones on the road The ecologists involved in the project hope more connectivity projects will follow a pair of tunnels is being planned for Mount Sinai Harbor to help female diamondback terrapins navigate a road that cuts through their nesting habitat to "stitch together" the Island’s fragmented landscapes and help wildlife to travel safely installed so the amphibians could safely travel from one vernal pool to another A wildlife underpass has been installed in Middle Island to allow amphibians and other animals to cross a road separating two vernal pools Scores of frogs were killed on the road before the tunnel was built — which could have led to their gradual disappearance from those ponds John Turner on Tuesday on top of the Middle Island tunnel where he had realized that hundreds of frogs were being hit by cars as they traveled between vernal ponds Almost five years have passed since COVID-19 first disrupted America's schools many students have made up at least some of the academic ground they lost during the pandemic most fourth- and eighth-graders in 2024 still performed below pre-pandemic 2019 levels while these achievement declines were exacerbated by the pandemic they appear to have begun even before COVID-19 raising important questions about why students are still struggling and what educators and policymakers can do about it though this new data shows students still have a long way to go The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which provides data for the Nation's Report Card, is mandated by Congress and is the largest nationally representative test of student learning. NAEP tests were first administered in 1969 the assessments in math and reading are given every two years to a broad sample of students in fourth and eighth grades the average math score ticked up slightly compared with 2022 Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students all showed modest gains a math consultant with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and a member of the National Assessment Governing Board That said, fourth-grade math scores still remained below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with one exception: Alabama was the only state where fourth-graders' average math scores surpassed 2019 scores. (In 2022, lawmakers there passed a law aimed at improving math proficiency for all K-5 students in the state.) But COVID-19 isn't all to blame. A longer view of fourth-graders' math scores — and student achievement more broadly — shows those scores began stagnating and even declining before the pandemic. Math scores peaked around 2013. Multiple education researchers tell NPR they aren't sure why "That is the multitrillion-dollar question," says Dan Goldhaber an education researcher at the University of Washington who has studied pandemic learning loss That's just one possible explanation for the slowdown that the pandemic worsened Goldhaber suggests learning could also have been set back by the Great Recession by kids' increased access to smartphones and tablets or by the ripple effects of a decline in kids reading for fun fewer and fewer students have reported to NAEP that they enjoy reading.) "It's important to understand what caused that earlier stagnation if we're going to get out of the mire of the pandemic," Goldhaber says math scores held steady in 2024 compared with 2022 they remained below pre-pandemic 2019 levels the Nation's Report Card highlights some worrying divergence happening within those scores The highest-performing eighth-graders improved in math compared with 2022 but the lowest-performing students moved in the opposite direction "That actually caused alarm," Ashe says of the widening achievement gap "We need to meet the needs of these students that are in the lower percentiles because something that we're doing is not working for those students." 39% of fourth-graders and 28% of eighth-graders scored at or above NAEP's standard for proficiency in math The NAEP report warns against comparing these results to state-reported numbers as "the NAEP standard for proficiency represents competency over challenging subject matter a standard that exceeds most states' standards for proficient or grade-level achievement." The results in reading weren't nearly as hopeful as they were in math: Fourth-graders continued to lose ground in 2024 than they were in 2022 and much lower than they were in 2019 35% of fourth-graders scored at or above the test's reading proficiency standard these declines aren't entirely the fault of the pandemic Fourth-grade reading scores began falling years earlier saw its 2024 fourth-grade reading scores surpass 2019 scores It's worth remembering: This current round of fourth-graders were in kindergarten when the pandemic first closed schools and many spent some or all of first grade learning remotely Eighth-graders' 2024 reading scores also dropped compared with 2022 with just 30% of students performing at or above NAEP's proficient standard NAEP classifies students at one of three skill levels: advanced the share of eighth-graders reading below NAEP's basic standard "was the largest in the assessment's history." but the worst-performing readers in 2024 scored "lower than our lower performers did 30 years ago for fourth and eighth grade That's how low these scores historically have dropped," says Peggy Carr commissioner for the National Center for Education Statistics Not one state improved its eighth-grade reading scores compared with 2022 more precise index for determining students' socioeconomic status (SES) what teachers and researchers have long understood: That poverty and performance are deeply connected the overwhelming majority (77%) of fourth-grade students in the highest SES category — the wealthiest kids — performed above the national average in reading Of the fourth-graders in the lowest SES category with just 34% performing above the national average The results in math performance were similarly disparate while many big-city districts made important gains in fourth-grade math with their economically disadvantaged students a handful of districts did exceptionally well including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina Guilford County Schools (also in North Carolina) Baltimore City Public Schools and the San Diego Unified School District When students took the latest NAEP assessments they were asked how many days they had been absent the previous month The results are slightly encouraging: A smaller percentage of fourth- and eighth-graders reported missing five or more days of school in the past month compared with 2022 lower-performing students were more likely to report missing five or more days of school in the previous month When students miss 10% or more of a school year, they're considered "chronically absent," and as NPR has previously reported the rates of chronic absenteeism doubled during the pandemic The link that NAEP shows between missing school and lower academic achievement doesn't surprise Hedy Chang an organization devoted to fighting chronic absenteeism "It's not just affecting academics," she says of absenteeism "It's affecting social development and executive functioning." To continue on the path of improving attendance and in turn student achievement Chang suggests that districts look at the students who are missing the most school and the hurdles they're facing "You might have to tackle it in bits and pieces either by barrier or by grade or by this subset of schools." She says making sure all students are going to school could go a long way in bolstering student achievement Become an NPR sponsor Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates A 17-year-old boy was hospitalized following a stabbing and carjacking that occurred steps from a Long Island high school The intersection of Tie Street and Sander Court in Middle Island Emergency crews in Middle Island were called to the intersection of Tie Street and Sander Court Suffolk County Police said the victim was walking when several people got out of a passing car and approached him A confrontation ensued and the teen was stabbed with an unknown object One of the suspects grabbed the keys and at least one person fled the scene in the victim’s 2015 Mazda sedan The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital and treated for what police described as non-life-threatening injuries A shelter-in-place order was briefly given at the high school while police responded No suspects had been publicly identified or arrested as of Tuesday evening Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact Suffolk County Police at 631-852-8752 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS A Long Island veteran died after he was seriously injured in a house fire died following a fire at his Middle Island home on Middle Country Road on Wednesday Emergency crews in Middle Island were called shortly after 8 p.m when flames broke out at the Lake Pointe apartment complex on Middle Country Road firefighters located 79-year-old Arthur Ziomek He was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries Suffolk County Police confirmed that Ziomek had died A preliminary investigation determined the cause of the fire was non-criminal in nature Ziomek was born in Brooklyn and served in the Army for three years during the Vietnam War, according to his obituary He worked as an accountant at the Picatinny Arsenal research and manufacturing facility in Jefferson He is survived by his sister Darlene and several cousins Funeral services for Ziomek are scheduled for 3 p.m at Rocky Point Funeral Home in Rocky Point Detectives asked anyone with information on the fire to contact Suffolk County Police at 631-852-6024 Nassau police seized fentanyl and other drugs and drug paraphernalia in 2017 bust A Middle Island man who exchanged gunfire with police during a high-speed chase in April has been charged along with 14 others in a conspiracy indictment alleging sales of fentanyl cocaine and methamphetamines across Suffolk County including two counts of first-degree attempted murder of a police officer for the shooting that occurred as detectives conducted what the acting police commissioner described at the time as a "confidential investigation." Scanlon is to be arraigned before state Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro in Suffolk County criminal court in Riverhead on Wednesday A 142-count grand jury indictment shows the investigation resulted in the arrest of 15 Suffolk residents all of whom will be arraigned on felony conspiracy charges in the coming days Most of the defendants are also facing additional drug charges Acting Suffolk Police Commissioner Robert Waring said detectives were conducting an investigation just before 7 p.m on April 4 in Bohemia when Scanlon sped away in a minivan striking an officer and knocking him to the ground Police followed the minivan and had multiple exchanges of gunfire with Scanlon during a 25-minute pursuit as he fled from Bohemia Both Scanlon and a police officer were shot in the exchange Waring said it was within department policy for officers to exchange gunfire while engaging in the pursuit Follow the latest developments in the Gilgo Beach killings investigation The pursuit began when police arrived at a house in Bohemia to make an arrest It ended when Scanlon crashed into a tree on North Sunrise Highway Service Road east of Robert Moses Causeway Scanlon was remanded to the Suffolk County Jail following his initial arraignment in April He faces up to 25 years to life in state prison on the attempted murder charge Scanlon is also facing weapons charges after police allegedly found an untraceable "ghost gun" in the vehicle he was driving Also charged in the indictment was Nasha Tomlinson Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney declined to comment as the 15 defendants await arraignment Cross and Bernard are all facing charges related to fentanyl a deadly synthetic opioid often mixed into other drugs that experts have attributed to a dramatic rise in overdose deaths on Long Island since 2010 fentanyl contributed to at least 329 overdose deaths in Suffolk alone according to data from the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office who state prison records show previously served 18 years in state prison on a manslaughter and weapons conviction was also charged with misdemeanor fleeing an officer and reckless driving in relation to the April 4 pursuit said his client will plead not guilty when he is arraigned on felony drug charges Aug "He maintains his innocence and we look forward to scrutinizing the evidence that gave rise to these charges," O'Halloran said said his client is a father and respected member of his community despite charges alleging he possessed and sold cocaine Morrow vehemently denies the allegations contained in the indictments and was not involved in the narcotics distribution conspiracy or any other criminal enterprise," Dixon said in a statement he remains ambitious to mount his defense and vindicate himself from the allegations." said his client "is maintaining his innocence 100%." "His position is that he is unfairly joined into this case and believes that he will be exonerated," Tuohy said Attorneys for the remaining defendants either declined to comment or could not be reached Monday