Week in Review: Hospital Expansion, DWI Charge, Music Store Changeover

Mather Hospital Expansion on the Horizon

A plan to add private patient rooms, office and conference space, infrastructure improvements and medical equipment at Mather Hospital is expected to create more than 100 new jobs, Brookhaven town officials announced this week. The town secured $24 million in low-interest, tax-exempt financing through the help of the Brookhaven Local Development Corp. to support the expansion, officials said.

Cops: Man Drives Over Lawn, Charged with DWI

Police on Saturday arrested a Mt. Sinai man who they say caused property damage with his car as a result of an alleged DWI accident. According to police, 23-year-old Michael Moschetto hopped a curb on Plymouth Avenue, drove through a wrought-iron fence and into a gated community, drove across the lawn of at least one home, and drove through some trees before coming to a stop. He was arrested at 3:30 a.m. and charged with DWI, a misdemeanor. Police said Moschetto was not injured in the accident.

Slashed Tire, Catalytic Converter Theft Reported in Port Jefferson Station

An employee at McDonald's in Port Jefferson Station reported that someone slashed a tire of his 2007 Honda Fit sometime after he arrived for work at 11:30 p.m. on July 27. A catalytic converter was reported stolen from a 2004 Toyota Sequoia at Nassau Suffolk Lumber & Supply on Hallock Avenue in Port Jefferson Station on July 25. The incident happened between 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on July 17.

Mt. Sinai Music Store Under New Ownership

Maximum Music, a center for instruments, supplies and lessons at the corner of Route 25A and Myrtle Street in Mt. Sinai, is transitioning to new ownership. Though management could not specifically comment on the change, a sign on the building reads "Now part of the Music & Arts family."

Mt. Sinai Dress Shop Owner Returns to Her Roots

Merrily Ottomanelli recalls her Sweet 16 birthday party with a delighted fondness. "It was like a wedding," she said. "It was on Halloween night. It had a Mardi Gras theme, every single person got a mask with the feathers." Fast forward to 2013, and Ottomanelli, who grew up in Mt. Sinai and graduated from Mt. Sinai High School in 1994, has returned to her roots as the owner of a formal wear boutique called Merrily Couture, which opened in October.