Headlines That Topped in April

As we welcome May 2013, here is a quick look back at the top headlines posted by Westhampton-Hampton Bays Patch in April.

1. 30-Foot Whale Washes Up in East Quogue

A 30-foot whale washed up in East Quogue, near Triton Lane on April 17. The whale, whose cause of death is still under investigation was named Istar and had been known by scientists to have had at least 11 calves during her 40-year live. 

2. Westhampton Beach High School Ranks 4th in Suffolk County

Westhampton Beach High School made the cut — it was recently ranked 407th out of 1,900 high schools nationally in a report put out by the Washington Post. 

3. New Non-Stop Cannonball Trains Serve Hamptons Summer Visitors

For the first time in the Long Island Rail Road history, the well-known Cannonball train will feature non-stop express service to the Hamptons from Penn Station. The first stop is in 94 minutes at Westhampton.

4. 600 Westhampton-Hampton Bays Residents File For FEMA Assistance

FEMA's deadline for Hurricane Sandy assistance has passed with nearly 600 homeowners from the Westhampton and Hampton Bays area filing for funds — many of them assisted through the process by a small army of workers from the Family Service League of Long Island. 

5. School Board Races Set for Area School Districts

The nominating petitions are officially in. And Patch provided a list of all the candidates from area school districts. 

6. Find Out Which Westhampton-Hampton Bays Grocer is the Grossest

While mold, insects, rats and dust may sound like we're listing plagues, these are actually common violations found in supermarkets and grocery stores across Long Island, including the Westhampton-Hampton Bays area, state data show.

7. Troubled Starlet Lindsay Lohan Heads to Westhampton Beach Rehab

Elite rehab facility Seafield Center in Westhampton Beach will soon be home to troubled actress Lindsay Lohan, who will head there for a 90-day stint.

8. Gym Teacher Pleads Not Guilty to 8-Count Indictment

Thomas Sheppard, a four-year Westhampton Beach gym teacher who was charged with a felony in March for allegedly recording students in a gym locker room was arraigned before Judge Barbara Kahn in Riverhead on Monday morning on an 8-count indictment handed down by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. 

9. Volunteers Needed For Horseshoe Crab Tagging Blitz

Cornell Cooperative Extension's Marine Program is seeking volunteers to help with its spring horseshoe crab tagging program at Pike's Beach in West Hampton Dunes and at Meschutt Beach in Hampton Bays, starting May 7. 

10. Reports Show Rough First Quarter for Hamptons Real Estate

First quarter activity in the Hamptons home sales market fell in 2013, according to three recently released reports citing rising capital gains taxes and lingering effects from Hurricane Sandy as reasons for the slump.