Jan. 27: LIRR Reduced/Delayed Service, Schools Closed, Long Beach Waitress Claims $21.5 million

It's a snowy Thursday in Long Beach, and here's what you need to know:

1. The Long Island Rail Road has reduced and delayed train services on the Long Beach Branch. Please continue to monitor www.mta.info, news and traffic reports for service updates, or call the LIRR's Travel Information Center at 718-217-5477.

2. The Long Beach School District announced that schools are closed and all afternoon and evening activities for Thursday are cancelled. Residents can keep an eye on the district website for updates, and can check its plans for administering Regents/mid-year exams.

3. A waitress from Long Beach purchased a New York State lottery ticket and won $21.5 million on Jan. 5. Who is she? Her identity will be known this afternoon when she claims her prize at a press conference at the Garden City Hotel. Return later for Patch’s story.

4. Several readers have chimed in on the comments section of our most-read story this week, "Four Arrested After Fracas in West End." Find out what they're saying and sound off on Patch!

5. Did you read about the back-to-back working fires that Long Beach and neighboring fire departments had to battle? Read about these and two other fires this month alone in “It’s Been a Busy New Year for the LBFD.”