🌱 Shirley-Mastic Daily: Injured Officer Gets Gift + Landfill

Good day, neighbors! I'm here with a fresh copy of the Shirley-Mastic Daily.

First, today's weather:

Clouds and breaks of sun. High: 43 Low: 32.

Here are the top stories in Shirley-Mastic today:

1. Injured police officer Timothy Thrane, who almost died after a crash caused by an alleged drunken driver in Yaphank in November, was presented with a $128,000 check from his colleagues. His three children also received a surprise visit from Santa. (Patch)
2. A man injured his hand while working on a bakery assembly line in Shirley on Wednesday, at Give & Go Prepared Foods Corps Inc. on Natcon Drive in Shirley. His injuries were non-life threatening. (Patch)
3. January's high school regents exams have been canceled because of the COVID-19 spike, the New York State Department of Education announced on Tuesday. (RiverheadLOCAL)
4. Part of the Town of Brookhaven landfill site has been rezoned for development as an office park or warehouse complex. The town says there is no immediate plan to sell off the property. (Subscription: Newsday)

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Today in Shirley-Mastic:

• The Santa tracker from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) that happens every Christmas Eve is run by the New York Air National Guard.

From my notebook:

• Suffolk officials on Thursday warned residents to be more careful and lock their cars after eight vehicle thefts of cars left unlocked or with the keys inside. (Patch)
• Suffolk lawmakers approved a plan to make detection strips for fentanyl available in Narcan kits to prevent overdoses. (Patch)
• Leah Olivo, a Moriches Elementary School special education teacher, earned an “Excellence in Teaching” award from St. Joseph’s College last month. (Greater Long Island)

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Jackie