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Aggressive driving on the rise on Long Island
Speeding, weaving, cutting off other drivers and other angry behavior from behind the wheel are on the rise on Long Island roads and nationwide, according to a AAA study that shows a major uptick in aggressive driving and local law enforcement.
In what may come as little surprise to Long Island drivers, 96% of those surveyed admitted to aggressive driving behavior in a nationwide study that surveyed about 3,000 drivers and focus groups.
Mike Armstrong, 73, of Lindenhurst, who served 32 years as a Suffolk police officer, said yesterday that aggressive driving has increased with rising tempers and distracted drivers.
“It’s pretty wild. Aggressive drivers are a reflection of more aggression in society,” Armstrong said.
“People, just think about where you're going and why you have to be there.”
John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that according to AAA’s study, 82% of drivers admitted to speeding up through a yellow light to beat a red light and about 68% of drivers admitted to using the slow right lane to pass another vehicle. About 65% of respondents admitted using their horn rather than other measures to avoid a crash. The same number of drivers admitted to glaring at another driver when passing on the road.
More than half of drivers admitted to going 15 mph over the normal flow of traffic, which can often go well above the speed limit.
The national increase in aggressive driving is certainly showing itself on Long Island, said Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA’s Northeast Division.
"I think Long Island typifies all of the bad behaviors in this study. They all manifest while driving on the Long Island Expressway," Sinclair said. "Aggressive driving is going to lead to crashes, injuries and may lead to fatalities. These things come about as a result of bad behavior and can lead to road rage, the physical manifestation of aggressive driving,"
***
Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann will face a single trial for all seven alleged killings, a Suffolk judge ruled yesterday in Riverhead.
NYS Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei informed attorneys for both sides during a brief conference Tuesday morning that he ruled against a defense request to split the cases into multiple trials.
Mazzei also determined for the second time that nuclear DNA evidence in the case will be admissible at trial, denying a final push by Heuermann’s defense to exclude the DNA because an outside laboratory lacked New York State Department of Health permits.
Grant Parpan reports in NEWSDAY that Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney described the judge’s decisions as victories for his office, which he said properly joined each of the killings in a single superseding indictment because they are "inextricably interwoven." D.A. Tierney noted that an alleged planning document for the killing that investigators found Heuermann once maintained was a considerable factor in Mazzei’s decision to keep the cases joined together.
Justice Mazzei, who previously indicated a trial date could be set this week, instead set a Jan. 13 deadline for defense motions to be filed.
***
Brookhaven National Laboratory’s first female director has stepped down two years after coming from the West Coast to take the post, the Upton, Long Island lab announced yesterday.
JoAnne Hewett decided earlier this month to resign to focus on her other role as a faculty member with the C.N. Yang Institute of Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University, lab officials said in a news release.
Carl MacGowan reports in NEWSDAY that John Hill, the lab's deputy director for science and technology, will serve as interim director until a permanent director is named. The lab plans a nationwide search to find Hewett's permanent successor.
BNL is part of the U.S. Department of Energy and is operated by Brookhaven Science Associates, which includes Stony Brook University and Columbus, Ohio, tech company Battelle.
***
“New Neighbors Coming Soon.”
That’s what the sign at the entrance to the building that was formerly home to Schmidt’s Market, on North Sea Road in Southampton Village, declares in bold red letters, with the Red Horse Market sign and emblem emblazoned above the store entrance making it clear, for the last several weeks, exactly who that new neighbor will be.
Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the Pineda family has been working on making the space their own over the last few months and is hoping to open for business in the next few weeks, although a grand opening date has not yet been set.
The Pineda family has run their primary Red Horse Market location in East Hampton for years now.
Husband-and-wife team Fran and Martha Pineda have always put a strong emphasis on creating strong community relationships, according to their son, Chris Pineda, who will manage the new Southampton location, along with his brother, Anthony Pineda. Their sister, Katherine Pineda, also will work at the Southampton location and help run the new venture alongside her brothers, particularly during the summer months.
Chris Pineda said both of his parents worked for Schmidt’s in Southampton for a period of time many years ago, before they began working at Red Horse in East Hampton.
They eventually acquired a stake in the Red Horse Market in East Hampton, and over time they became sole owners as other stake-owners sold their shares of the business to them.
Schmidt’s moved out of the Southampton space in October 2022 and eventually moved to Quogue, where it has operated on Quogue Street since the spring of 2023
The Pinedas bought the building in Southampton across the street from the U.S. post Office for $6.5 million last October.
***
The East Hampton Town Board has approved an emergency grant of up to $75,000 to Project Most in support of its Montauk Childcare program, located at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center. As reported on 27east.com, Project Most is a nonprofit organization that has been serving East Hampton families for more than two decades through high-quality after-school, summer, and early learning programs. In July 2024, Project Most expanded its services to include the Montauk Childcare program, offering full-day care for children as young as 6 weeks old, as well as pre-K after school care. The East Hampton Town Board authorized an emergency allocation to ensure that the program continues uninterrupted. The funds will be used for operating expenses under an amended agreement. In addition to this grant, the town also provides Project Most with rent-free use of its space.
***
Suffolk County now has its first Greek Orthodox Cathedral after the worldwide spiritual leader of that religion bestowed the title on a parish in Southampton. Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is touring the United States with stops at the White House and the U.N. General Assembly, bestowed the title of cathedral on the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons on Sunday.
It is only the second Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Long Island — another is in Hempstead at St. Paul’s. A cathedral is considered the principal Greek Orthodox church in a certain geographical area.
Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, who leads the church in Southampton, said the upgraded status was a great honor and would help energize the church’s outreach work throughout the East End.
The Southampton Greek church that is now a cathedral is a visually beautiful $24.5 million structure completed in 2013, Fr. Karloutsos said. It replaced a far humbler church built in the mid-1980s by local faithful who wanted to establish a parish on the East End.
But he said the congregation is more focused on its service work than its building, which is why it was declared a cathedral.
The congregation of about 275 families includes 39 different ethnicities and is involved in a plethora of outreach work, he said. It includes a residence for people with autism, language and culture classes, and support for impoverished people locally and worldwide.
"It's not about the building. It's about building up the body of Christ," Karloutsos said. "It's about bringing people together in the presence of the Lord. And so that is the cathedral challenge."
"Our church will continue to be a light on a hill in the Hamptons," he added.
There are about 2,000 Orthodox Christian churches in the United States, including a subset of 650 that are Greek Orthodox, Karloutsos said. Long Island is home to 15 Greek Orthodox churches with about 40,000 members. There are about 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
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By WLIW-FMSpeeding, weaving, cutting off other drivers and other angry behavior from behind the wheel are on the rise on Long Island roads and nationwide, according to a AAA study that shows a major uptick in aggressive driving and local law enforcement.
In what may come as little surprise to Long Island drivers, 96% of those surveyed admitted to aggressive driving behavior in a nationwide study that surveyed about 3,000 drivers and focus groups.
Mike Armstrong, 73, of Lindenhurst, who served 32 years as a Suffolk police officer, said yesterday that aggressive driving has increased with rising tempers and distracted drivers.
“It’s pretty wild. Aggressive drivers are a reflection of more aggression in society,” Armstrong said.
“People, just think about where you're going and why you have to be there.”
John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that according to AAA’s study, 82% of drivers admitted to speeding up through a yellow light to beat a red light and about 68% of drivers admitted to using the slow right lane to pass another vehicle. About 65% of respondents admitted using their horn rather than other measures to avoid a crash. The same number of drivers admitted to glaring at another driver when passing on the road.
More than half of drivers admitted to going 15 mph over the normal flow of traffic, which can often go well above the speed limit.
The national increase in aggressive driving is certainly showing itself on Long Island, said Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA’s Northeast Division.
"I think Long Island typifies all of the bad behaviors in this study. They all manifest while driving on the Long Island Expressway," Sinclair said. "Aggressive driving is going to lead to crashes, injuries and may lead to fatalities. These things come about as a result of bad behavior and can lead to road rage, the physical manifestation of aggressive driving,"
***
Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann will face a single trial for all seven alleged killings, a Suffolk judge ruled yesterday in Riverhead.
NYS Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei informed attorneys for both sides during a brief conference Tuesday morning that he ruled against a defense request to split the cases into multiple trials.
Mazzei also determined for the second time that nuclear DNA evidence in the case will be admissible at trial, denying a final push by Heuermann’s defense to exclude the DNA because an outside laboratory lacked New York State Department of Health permits.
Grant Parpan reports in NEWSDAY that Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney described the judge’s decisions as victories for his office, which he said properly joined each of the killings in a single superseding indictment because they are "inextricably interwoven." D.A. Tierney noted that an alleged planning document for the killing that investigators found Heuermann once maintained was a considerable factor in Mazzei’s decision to keep the cases joined together.
Justice Mazzei, who previously indicated a trial date could be set this week, instead set a Jan. 13 deadline for defense motions to be filed.
***
Brookhaven National Laboratory’s first female director has stepped down two years after coming from the West Coast to take the post, the Upton, Long Island lab announced yesterday.
JoAnne Hewett decided earlier this month to resign to focus on her other role as a faculty member with the C.N. Yang Institute of Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University, lab officials said in a news release.
Carl MacGowan reports in NEWSDAY that John Hill, the lab's deputy director for science and technology, will serve as interim director until a permanent director is named. The lab plans a nationwide search to find Hewett's permanent successor.
BNL is part of the U.S. Department of Energy and is operated by Brookhaven Science Associates, which includes Stony Brook University and Columbus, Ohio, tech company Battelle.
***
“New Neighbors Coming Soon.”
That’s what the sign at the entrance to the building that was formerly home to Schmidt’s Market, on North Sea Road in Southampton Village, declares in bold red letters, with the Red Horse Market sign and emblem emblazoned above the store entrance making it clear, for the last several weeks, exactly who that new neighbor will be.
Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the Pineda family has been working on making the space their own over the last few months and is hoping to open for business in the next few weeks, although a grand opening date has not yet been set.
The Pineda family has run their primary Red Horse Market location in East Hampton for years now.
Husband-and-wife team Fran and Martha Pineda have always put a strong emphasis on creating strong community relationships, according to their son, Chris Pineda, who will manage the new Southampton location, along with his brother, Anthony Pineda. Their sister, Katherine Pineda, also will work at the Southampton location and help run the new venture alongside her brothers, particularly during the summer months.
Chris Pineda said both of his parents worked for Schmidt’s in Southampton for a period of time many years ago, before they began working at Red Horse in East Hampton.
They eventually acquired a stake in the Red Horse Market in East Hampton, and over time they became sole owners as other stake-owners sold their shares of the business to them.
Schmidt’s moved out of the Southampton space in October 2022 and eventually moved to Quogue, where it has operated on Quogue Street since the spring of 2023
The Pinedas bought the building in Southampton across the street from the U.S. post Office for $6.5 million last October.
***
The East Hampton Town Board has approved an emergency grant of up to $75,000 to Project Most in support of its Montauk Childcare program, located at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center. As reported on 27east.com, Project Most is a nonprofit organization that has been serving East Hampton families for more than two decades through high-quality after-school, summer, and early learning programs. In July 2024, Project Most expanded its services to include the Montauk Childcare program, offering full-day care for children as young as 6 weeks old, as well as pre-K after school care. The East Hampton Town Board authorized an emergency allocation to ensure that the program continues uninterrupted. The funds will be used for operating expenses under an amended agreement. In addition to this grant, the town also provides Project Most with rent-free use of its space.
***
Suffolk County now has its first Greek Orthodox Cathedral after the worldwide spiritual leader of that religion bestowed the title on a parish in Southampton. Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is touring the United States with stops at the White House and the U.N. General Assembly, bestowed the title of cathedral on the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons on Sunday.
It is only the second Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Long Island — another is in Hempstead at St. Paul’s. A cathedral is considered the principal Greek Orthodox church in a certain geographical area.
Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, who leads the church in Southampton, said the upgraded status was a great honor and would help energize the church’s outreach work throughout the East End.
The Southampton Greek church that is now a cathedral is a visually beautiful $24.5 million structure completed in 2013, Fr. Karloutsos said. It replaced a far humbler church built in the mid-1980s by local faithful who wanted to establish a parish on the East End.
But he said the congregation is more focused on its service work than its building, which is why it was declared a cathedral.
The congregation of about 275 families includes 39 different ethnicities and is involved in a plethora of outreach work, he said. It includes a residence for people with autism, language and culture classes, and support for impoverished people locally and worldwide.
"It's not about the building. It's about building up the body of Christ," Karloutsos said. "It's about bringing people together in the presence of the Lord. And so that is the cathedral challenge."
"Our church will continue to be a light on a hill in the Hamptons," he added.
There are about 2,000 Orthodox Christian churches in the United States, including a subset of 650 that are Greek Orthodox, Karloutsos said. Long Island is home to 15 Greek Orthodox churches with about 40,000 members. There are about 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.