🌱 Riverhead Daily: Brothers In Blue Retire + Drive-Thru Testing

Good day, neighbors! Diane Witek here with your Wednesday copy of the Riverhead Daily. Here are the top 4 stories in Riverhead today.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy. High: 45, low: 41.

Here are the top stories in Riverhead today:

1. Councilman Tim Hubbard praised the Lessard brothers, who are identical twins and veteran police officers, for their attitude and the empathy with which they always did their job. After accepting hugs and well wishes from dozens of officers — current and retired — lined up outside department headquarters, the Lessards walked back up the steps, took a radio in hand, and signed off for the last time. (Riverhead Local)
2. Peconic Bay Medical Center opened a new drive-thru coronavirus PCR testing site in Riverhead. Testing is free; the site will open Tuesday and be available daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Riverhead Patch)
3. Children ranging in age from infant to 15-year-old were given gifts from the Brookhaven Holiday Toy Drive. In 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19, the Holiday Toy Drive provided toys for 1,181 families in need, including 6,337 children. (LongIsland.com)
4. Police are now saying the Christmas home invasion and murder in North Sea was a targeted burglary. Steven Byrnes, 53, of Roses Grove Road, was found dead from a gunshot wound. (Patch)

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Today in Riverhead:

• Super Smash Bros Tournament (Riverhead). (2 p.m.)
• Virtual Meditation with Sue Semerade (Riverhead). (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Suffolk County Sheriff's Office: "At the beginning of a new term of office, elected officials take their oath before the Suffolk County Clerk. Yesterday, Sheriff Toulon went to the Clerk’s Office in Riverhead where the Honorable Judith Pascale performed the customary swearing in." (Facebook)
• RiverheadLOCAL: "Democratic county legislators tried again today to adopt their own redistricting plan before losing majority control of the legislature on Jan. 1. But their effort was again thwarted by a judge who called the move "unlawful." (Instagram)
• Spirit's Promise Equine Rescue Program: "That Christmas Crash is hitting hard for Indy!" (Facebook)
• RiverheadLOCAL: "The CDC yesterday shortened its recommended isolation time for asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID-19 from 10 days to 5 days." (Instagram)
• The Suffolk Theater: "Come ring in the New Year with us this Friday! 🥂🍾 #newyearseve, #happynewyear, #newyears, #2022." (Instagram)
• The Long Island Pine Barrens Society: "RESOLUTIONS TO START IN 2022: It’s that time of year again when we all reflect on the past year and start planning for the year ahead. The new year is always a great time to start out fresh and think about adopting some new habits." (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• New Year's Eve Gala in the Grand Ballroom. Located at East Wind Long Island, 5720 NY-25A, Wading River. (Dec. 31)
• Ring In the New Year With 15 Percent Off Beautiful Blooms From FTD! FTD Flowers. (Dec. 31)
• Endlessly Blessed - a class for women by women. Located at Chabad of North Fork, 725 Bennetts Pond Ln, Mattituck. (Jan. 2)
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Announcements:

• Behind The Scoreboard – Horses Can Guide The Blind. (Details)
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Gigs & services:

• Dog Boarding In My Home. (Details)
• Reiki Sessions now available (Home or Office). (Details)
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You're all caught up for today. I'll see you around!

— Diane Witek

About me: Impassioned Writer, Website Designer, Social Media Marketer and newly proclaimed Baker. Lover of nature and animals of all kinds.