🌱 Smithtown Daily: Masks Off! + JBBQ & Shabu Shabu + $1M Fine

Welcome back, Smithtown! It's Wednesday, so let me, Diane Witek, get you started with everything you need to know going on around Smithtown today.

First, today's weather:

Sun mixing with clouds. High: 48, low: 39.

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Here are the top stories today in Smithtown:

1. Gov. Kathy Hochul has lifted the state’s mask mandate, dropping the requirement that businesses ask customers for proof of vaccination or require mask wearing while indoors. Long Island is now a "green zone," where mandatory masking is no longer needed in schools or indoor public places. What does that mean for you? (Patch)
2. JBBQ & Shabu Shabu provides a communal dining experience for families and groups of friends. "Unlike hibachi, where a chef cooks for the table on their own large griddle, the diners are the chefs at JBBQ & Shabu Shabu," wrote Greater Smithtown. “Shabu shabu” literally means “swish swish,” describing the chopstick technique employed by diners cooking their raw meats and veggies at the table in a hot pot of flavored broth. (Greater Long Island)
3. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services' Division of Environmental Quality will hold its regular monthly Board of Review Hearing on Thursday March 10. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, the hearings will be held via Zoom. (Press Release Desk)
4. A man was struck and killed by a vehicle in Islandia Monday night, Suffolk police said. Carlo M. Guercia, 46, of Massapequa, was on foot in the HOV lane of westbound Long Island Expressway, near exit 58, when he was hit by a 2019 Honda Odyssey at 7:17 p.m., police said. (Daily Voice)
5. DME Construction Associates Inc., a Setauket roofing contractor, faces more than $1 million in penalties after a federal investigation into a worker death last year found that the company failed to provide necessary safeguards against falls. (Subscription: Newsday)

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Today in Smithtown:

• LEGO® League (Smithtown Library-Smithtown Building). (4:30 p.m.)
• Computer Build-A-Thon Volunteers (Smithtown Library-Smithtown Building). (6:30 p.m.)
• Computer Build-A-Thon Jr. (Smithtown Library-Smithtown Building). (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Sweetbriar Nature Center: "Most likely this flicker got hit by a car and is suffering from a concussion. When this happens, we always give anti-inflammatory medication and pain meds to help with the swelling. Hopefully this bird will make a full recovery." (Facebook) (Website)
• Smithtown Department of Public Safety: "Attention Smithtown residents. All existing town parking permits expire on March 31. Please follow the steps on the attached flyer to obtain a new permit." (Facebook) (Website)
• St James/Smithtown Little League: "Parents: You're invited to the spring 2022 Parents Information Virtual Meeting on Wednesday, March 9. Whether your family is new to SJSLL or you are seasoned veterans, we know you may have questions about the upcoming season." (Facebook)
• Public Information Representative Donna Harris, United States Postal Inspection Service - New York: "How to report fraud: Good afternoon, I was asked to provide information to everyone on how to report frauds and scams. If you have been a victim of fraud and it has a nexus or relationship to the U.S. Mail, you should report it to Postal." (Nextdoor)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update!

— Diane Witek

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