The first Long Island Rail Road union strike in more than three decades could happen as soon as Sept. 18, absent intervention by the White House. It's a possibility that has caught many people off guard, including MTA officials left scrambling to figure out how to avoid disrupting the nation's busiest commuter rail system. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that union leaders had been signaling for weeks that such a development could be imminent. One union held a vote earlier this month in which 90% of voting members approved a strike, labor officials said. Still, officials with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the LIRR’s parent company, acknowledged being surprised by a decision earlier this month by the National Mediation Board that the two sides were at an impasse, which many observers predicted could be months, if not years, away.

Now a federally regulated process that typically moves at a snail’s pace is put on the fast track.

The LIRR's various unions have historically negotiated contracts together, but in 2023, five unions representing nearly half the 7,000 union workers broke ranks with the railroad’s largest union, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), believing they could secure better contract terms than the three-year deal accepted by the other unions.

When the five unions negotiating together - a week ago - rejected an invitation by mediators to enter into binding arbitration, both sides were released from federal mediation, beginning a 30-day "cooling off period," as it’s referred to in the federal Railway Labor Act. Either side, or Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, can ask the White House to intervene, which would set up more negotiations. But barring intervention from President Donald Trump's administration, at the end of that period, at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 18 the unions could strike or MTA management could lock them out.

If a shutdown of the LIRR did occur it would have significant impacts on the lives of riders and employers, as well as on the regional economy.

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Ocean beaches run by the state and some Long Island municipalities reopened for swimming yesterday, while others remained closed and the National Weather Service recommended against swimming. Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that Robert Moses State Park and all other state beaches on Long Island had earlier either closed for swimming or limited access because of dangerous surf conditions from Hurricane Erin.

"As Long Island State Park beaches reopen for swimming, the safety of every New Yorker and visitor remains our top priority. We urge everyone to exercise caution, follow all posted advisories and respect the guidance of lifeguards and park personnel," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement announcing the reopening.

Jones Beach had reopened for swimming Saturday, while Robert Moses permitted only wading.

The reopenings came as the National Weather Service forecast a high risk for "life-threatening" rip currents on Long Island's ocean-facing beaches until last night, and a day after a man drowned in a strong rip current at Fire Island National Seashore.

Forecasters monitor water conditions by looking at wave patterns, live camera feeds and updates from various parks' staff, said Bill Goodman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Upton office here in Suffolk County.

George Gorman, regional director of state parks on Long Island, said the state's decision to reopen was informed by ongoing monitoring by lifeguards for each section of beach.

"They visually inspect the water, they go in the water, they make an analysis of how strong the current is. They look for the sweep — whether it's going east or west — and analyze how strong that current is," he said, adding that this tailored approach can lead to different restrictions at different beaches.

Officials with Fire Island National Seashore said yesterday that it remained unclear whether the swimmer who drowned Saturday, identified as Ishmoile Mohammed, 59, of South Carolina, had been swimming in an area monitored by lifeguards.

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The Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association hosts a presentation on “What You Need to Know About Irrigation & Conservation” during its monthly meeting at Veterans Beach this evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski will discuss the town’s new irrigation law, Chris Williams from Signature Irrigation will discuss new technology that can help conserve water and be compliant with town and Suffolk County Water Authority regulations and Alexandra Getches from Living Lands Garden Design will discuss using native plants in your gardens and lawn alternatives, which help conserve water.

This evening’s event is free…it begins at 6:30 p.m.

That’s the Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association Forum:

What You Need to Know About Irrigation & Conservation at Veterans Beach, on Peconic Bay Boulevard in Mattituck, NY.

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Immigrant advocates on Friday described the Trump administration’s announcement to expand its review of all current U.S. visa holders as the latest crackdown intended to snuff out free speech and criticism of the administration.

The U.S. State Department, in an emailed statement to Newsday on Friday, said its "continuous vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid U.S. visas" and that it could revoke visas if there are "indications of a potential ineligibility." Joe Werkmeister and Bart Jones report in NEWSDAY that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that processes immigration and naturalization applications, issued a policy alert last week saying it would vet immigrants "who promote anti-American ideologies or activities" as well as "antisemitic ideologies."

Andrea Rodriguez, an immigration attorney based in Bohemia, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement already has the power to deport or suspend a person’s visa or green card if they commit a crime. What appears new is the addition of restrictions on speech and how that can affect immigrants or visitors.

"Fear is the goal," said Minerva Perez, executive director of the nonprofit Latino advocacy group OLA of Eastern Long Island, adding the message from the administration is for people "to keep quiet, keep your mouth shut."

She said the latest initiative demonstrates how the immigration crackdown has expanded beyond the stated goal of removing violent criminals.

"If you are searching to find ways to make everyone a criminal, then that’s what you’re doing," she said. "If you’re doing this, it kind of demonstrates to me as an immigrant advocate that you’ve run out of the real bad guys. Now you’re looking for anyone to fulfill the quota."

There are 550,000 immigrants living on Long Island, according to an analysis of the most recent census data by Immigration Research Initiative (IRI) posted in June 2023. This includes all people born in another country and living on Long Island: people who are undocumented, have green cards, or are naturalized citizens; adults, and children; refugees, asylum seekers, agricultural workers, people with high-skill visas, and more. Immigrants make up 19 percent of the Nassau / Suffolk population as of about 2021.

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Stony Brook University has begun what it says will be a “comprehensive, multi-year restoration” of the more than 300-year-old windmill that adorns the Stony Brook University-Southampton campus in Shinnecock Hills. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the announcement is a rebuke to an effort by Southampton Village residents who had voiced concerns the college was not going to be able to maintain the windmill and proposed paying to have it moved into the village’s downtown. S.B.U. officials said that the restoration of one of the South Fork’s oldest surviving windmills actually began two years ago with repairs and weatherproofing of the structure and have now entered the key phase of structural rehabilitation.

The windmill is known variously as the Windmill Lane Mill, the Southampton Windmill or the Shinnecock Windmill. It was constructed in the late 1600s or very early 1700s and originally stood on the hill at the intersection of what is now Windmill Lane and Hill Street in Southampton Village. It is the oldest surviving windmill in Southampton Town. When it was taken out of operational service by its owners in the late 1880s, it was purchased by a wealthy patron of the Shinnecock Hills Summer School of Art, Janet Hoyt, and moved to the school campus. Hoyt sold the property in 1896 to the Claflin family who built Heathermere, the Gilded Age mansion that later became the college campus administration building.

Dr. Wendy Pearson, executive director of the Stony Brook Southampton campus, said that the college is dedicated to restoring the windmill. “The sails of the historic windmill on the Stony Brook Southampton campus are being carefully removed and safely stored as part of the first phase of a multi-stage restoration project. This important work will help preserve the structure for future generations. “We appreciate the Southampton community’s support as we take steps to protect this cherished landmark.”

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At the beginning this month, Organización Latino Americana launched the Creating Legacies Initiative. An expansion of its existing scholarship program for Latino youth on the East End, this new addition unites several local businesses in a shared commitment to support and invest in the futures of Latino students. Hope Hamilton reports on 27east.com that the original scholarship initiative, which to date has aided 25 students with multiyear scholarships for a variety of higher-education programs, started in 2019, and until recently was funded almost completely by OLA board member Michael Donovan and his wife, Linda Donovan. Now, seven East End businesses are helping to fund the scholarships to bring in more resources and augment the already successful program. Scholarship recipients are chosen for their academic prowess, leadership abilities, commitment to volunteer work, artistic expression, and athletic accomplishments. One of the scholarship program’s new sponsors, Johanna Sanchez, who founded Bilingual Law Practice in East Hampton, said, “When we invest in someone’s future, we’re not just changing one life — we’re helping to shape families, communities, and generations to follow. That is legacy.”

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The view of a quiet tree nursery from Bob Hering’s 6-acre farm tucked off a winding road in Calverton is now obstructed by towering piles of compost.Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that Hering and his neighbors on Youngs Avenue say the piles are not only unsightly but are fouling the air and forcing them indoors with windows shut, thwarting backyard plans and triggering health issues among residents and livestock.

“The stench of this stuff has not just affected me, it has affected the whole neighborhood,” Hering said recently from his property in Calverton, where he raises horses, goats and chickens. “My animals, I can’t shelter them from the smell. Their eyes are running, their noses are discharging.”

Since May, residents have complained to Riverhead Town and state officials about the smells, dust, heavy truck traffic and surge in pests stemming from the 45-acre tree farm where the owner's attorney said they are taking in "organic material." Riverhead's code allows active farms to import up to 3,000 cubic yards of organic material, such as compost, per year, but Erik Howard, the town attorney, said there is "no ongoing agricultural production" there. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is probing the materials at the site, the agency recently confirmed to Newsday.

The property, once a Warner Nursery tree farm, was purchased by Youngs Ave. LLC last year for $1.7 million, according to Suffolk County property records. The corporation is registered with New York State to Joseph DeFigueroa, who owns Patriot Recycling in Oceanside. The Nassau facility accepts construction and demolition debris, and yard waste, and sells fill dirt, topsoil, mulch and compost, according to its website.

DeFigueroa secured a town permit to reestablish a tree farm at the property in February, but town officials and neighbors said no planting has occurred yet. Instead, Hering and his neighbors say, the site is being used as a dumping ground masquerading as a farm.

A flurry of complaints led Riverhead code enforcement officers to post a stop-work order at the property, and the owner was issued 11 violations ranging from littering to violating the stop order on July 30, according to records obtained by Newsday through a Freedom of Information Law request.

The Town of Riverhead is considering cracking down on the dumping further and ordering the piles removed.

DeFigueroa is due in town Justice Court on Sept. 9, according to the violations.