Three years ago, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended New York join most of the rest of the country by closing a gap in state law that advocates say permits drugged drivers to walk free. At a Manhattan symposium yesterday, prosecutors and state lawmakers said 2026 could be the year.
Nicholas Spangler reports in NEWSDAY that New York is one of just four states — the others are Alaska, Florida and Massachusetts — to require law enforcement to name the drug and for it to be on a statutorily established list of controlled substances before they can charge someone with driving under the influence.
While alcohol remains the leading cause of impaired driving, drugged driving is a growing threat, according to the NTSB. State data showed about a quarter of Long Island’s fatal crashes had a “drug-involved driver” in 2023. Authorities in Nassau and Suffolk and across New York have called the state’s current approach unwieldy as law enforcement officers encounter drivers under the influence of synthetic drugs like bromazolam, xylazine and propofol, along with hundreds of more obscure varieties that are created every year.
“We now have synthetic drugs, created in labs, continually being changed and peddled on our streets,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told those gathered for Wednesday’s symposium including families of people killed in crashes with drugged drivers. A bill now in the NYS Legislature, introduced last March but amended this week, would expand the legal basis of intoxication from alcohol to other drugs, including those not on the state list or those not able to be identified.
Hundreds of new drugs are created every year, Tierney said. “There is no list that could hope to keep up.”
The proposed legislation would update state law on field testing for drugged driving to include the use of tests that screen for multiple types of drugs and make refusal to take a test a traffic infraction.
Earlier versions of the bill failed to pass in the 2021-22 and 2023-24 legislative sessions.
Tierney said the current version, sponsored by state Sen. Christopher Ryan, a Democrat, who represents a district outside Syracuse, includes “safeguards” that could ease passage this time. They include an exception to the bill for drivers having a medical emergency or allergic reaction and a provision requiring collection of data on the number of stops, arrests and convictions made under the bill, along with demographic data, which Tierney said would be analyzed to determine whether minority motorists are subject to an inordinate number of traffic stops.
The bill also includes a five-year sunset clause, which Tierney said would give lawmakers an opportunity to review its effectiveness.
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The Pierson High School doors were opened to parents and residents on Tuesday night for a community forum meant to inform them about an upcoming vote on a bond referendum, scheduled for January 22, 2026, that would fund a large-scale $40 million facilities improvement project. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that if approved, the bond will allow the district to greatly enhance multiple learning environments at the school and create new ones for students, while also presenting new opportunities for the community at large.
The projected average monthly cost to Sag Harbor homeowners is $7.37 over the life of the 30-year bond. The project would allow for the building of a new high school gymnasium, to replace the current gym, which has not been upgraded since it was built in 1967; a new and improved space for the school’s Robotics Club, which is currently housed in a windowless basement room that was formerly a closet; a brand new marine science lab, a facility that has been present for years at nearby schools like Southampton and Westhampton Beach; additional classroom space for musical instruction, which is currently lacking; an upgraded technology and woodshop room; upgraded HVAC units in the gymnasium and other areas of need; a new recording and streaming studio; and a new fitness and weight room that would be open for use by the community as well.
Sag Harbor Superintendent of Schools Jeff Nichols said that the proposed bond and price tag of $40 million is a one-shot deal; there won’t be another ask for a second round of funding…adding that the architect chosen for the project was chosen specifically because of a reputation for bringing projects in at or under budget. If approved, the project would begin in summer 2027, with expected completion in the spring of 2029.
For more information about the project, including taxpayer impact, more details on the proposed plans, and voter registration information, visit sagharborschools.org.
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The Cutchogue Fire Department along with the CFD Ladies Auxiliary and the North Fork Chamber of Commerce announce that Santa Claus will be arriving at the Cutchogue Firehouse by helicopter this coming Saturday morning, December 13th as part of the Annual Christmas in Cutchogue celebration. Festivities will begin at 9:30 am at the firehouse with a children’s magic show and refreshments served by the CFD Ladies Auxiliary. At 10:30 am Saturday Santa will arrive at the firehouse as he whirly birds in on a special Christmas helicopter. From the firehouse, he will be escorted by firetruck through the village to the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Library where he will spend the morning visiting with the children. The community is invited. Saturday morning’s event is free.
This annual tradition was put on pause for the past 2 years due to the Cutchogue Fire Department’s new firehouse construction.
Cutchogue Firehouse260 New Suffolk RoadCutchogue, NY 11935 United States
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New York and the other member states of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative continue to recommend hepatitis B vaccines for infants and children, despite the recent votes of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
“The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) votes do not change vaccination practices within our member jurisdictions,” the collaborative said in a press release yesterday.
Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the vaccine advisory committee last week voted to recommend hepatitis B at birth only for infants born to women who test positive for the virus, or whose status is unknown. Women whose hepatitis B status is negative should talk with their doctors about vaccination, the recommendation says.
If the committee’s recommendation is approved by CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neill, it will reverse a universal recommendation to start hepatitis B immunization at birth that’s been in place for more than 30 years. The standard immunization practice is credited with dramatically reducing liver diseases caused by hepatitis B.
“Many health care providers—including doctors, medical societies, city and state health departments, and regional health alliances—are rejecting unscientific vaccine recommendations from an influential federal advisory panel, and instead will continue following guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics,” the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy said in a statement.
The Northeast Public Health Collaborative continues to recommend that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose within 24 hours of delivery. Newborns born to birth parents who test positive for hepatitis B infection or have an unknown status should still be vaccinated within 12 hours of birth, the collaborative said.
Additionally, all children should still complete the full vaccination series within 18 months. The Collaborative does not recommend use of a serology test to determine whether the full vaccine series should be given.
These recommendations align with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule and reflect a previously released scientific consensus statement from the Northeast Public Health Collaborative.
The Northeast Public Health Collaborative is a voluntary coalition of public health agencies working together to share expertise, improve coordination, enhance capacity, strengthen regional readiness, and protect evidence-based public health in various member jurisdictions.
The collaborative includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and New York City.
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The Southampton Town Board is considering creating a new “floating zone” overlay district that could allow new small hotels to be built in highway business zones around the town, at the sole discretion of the board. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that current town code has effectively barred the construction of new hotels and motels by limiting development to a maximum of four units per acre of land. Southampton Town Attorney James Burke called it “completely unfeasible” to even consider building a hotel or motel under existing rules. Accordingly, the number of hotels and motels, and affordable short-term lodging options for visitors, has dwindled in recent decades, as many motels were converted to permanent low-income housing — often with problematic overcrowding, squalor and quality-of-life issues for surrounding neighborhoods. The owners of two Riverhead hotels came to the Town Board earlier this year asking that the town “tweak” the zoning regulations for the highway business zone to allow a hotel to be built on a Hampton Bays property that for decades has been home to the famous summer party spot the Boardy Barn. The proposal was generally well received, both among community members and town officials. But planners said they worried that making the changes to the code that the developers’ attorneys had suggested may risk sparking a flourish of new hotel projects. Southampton Town’s planning administrator, Janice Scherer, said that the zoning overlay would allow the town to accept or reject a proposal at any stage and would give them the power to limit development as seen fit to suit a neighborhood or hamlet. Whereas the town’s Planning Board only has the power to review a proposal and decide whether it fits pre-determined criteria for being acceptable, the Town Board would be able to be more subjective in their consideration and discretion about what should or shouldn’t be allowed.
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Riverhead Town’s 2026 shotgun-hunting lottery will take place this coming Monday, Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in Riverhead Town Hall.
The lottery is open to Town of Riverhead residents and real property owners only. All participants must show proper identification and a current New York State hunting license at the lottery. Hunters must be in attendance in order to secure a hunting date and location.
Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the special firearms deer season on Long Island, authorized by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, begins on Sunday, Jan. 4 and continues through Jan. 31, 2026.
The Riverhead Town Board authorized both the lottery and shotgun hunting for deer on certain town-owned properties at its Dec. 2 meeting.
Town property where shotgun hunting will be allowed, by lottery, comprises certain designated lands within the Calverton Enterprise Park and at 1751 Sound Avenue in Calverton. The lands, dates and time slots for hunters will be determined by the Dec. 15th lottery.
Hunters must have in their possession while hunting a valid state hunting license, a big game tag and the landowner endorsement from the town demonstrating authorization to hunt on town property.
EPCAL, including the recreation path, but excluding that portion of land improved as the Peconic Hockey facility together with a 120-foot buffer from surrounding the hockey facility, will be closed to the public for the month of January. The property at 1751 Sound Avenue will also be closed to the public.
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As recently as last year, New York was considered a trailblazer in tackling climate change. With aggressive laws on the books, the state had planned to nearly eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050.
But New York’s environmental agenda, as embodied in its landmark 2019 climate law, has stalled under the watch of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has said that political and economic conditions have shifted and the state has had to adapt.
Hilary Howard reports in THE NY TIMES that the governor, a Democrat, is now dealing with a president who is hostile to renewable energy and has called climate change a “con job.” She is among the many governors around the country grappling with an affordability crisis, with fast-rising utility bills a main complaint. And she faces soaring energy demands, with electricity experts warning of a possible shortfall in New York City as soon as next summer.
The governor has said that “we need to govern in reality.” Her priority now is “to keep the lights and heat on and rates down for New Yorkers,” said Ken Lovett, Ms. Hochul’s senior communications adviser on energy and environment.
Some critics of the governor, however, say that such reasoning is shortsighted in the face of the existential threat of climate change. Environmental activists and some officials in her own party have accused Ms. Hochul of abandoning the state’s climate law for politically expedient reasons; the governor faces a re-election bid next year.
“We’re in a moment where it’s incredibly important for New York State to lead on energy affordability and climate,” said Liz Moran, a New York policy advocate for Earthjustice, an environmental nonprofit. “Unfortunately over the past year, we’ve seen the governor run toward the opposite direction.”
While some business leaders support the governor’s push to use more natural gas and nuclear energy to supply the state’s grid, critics say that her focus on affordability has shaped several policy decisions that have undermined the state’s climate goals.
In a poll this year, most New Yorkers surveyed said they believed that keeping energy costs low was more important than decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
