Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Lee Zeldin wrapped up their party’s nominations for governor last week.
News 12’s Rich Barrabi and guests breakdown the race that will determine the direction the state will go in.| read more ››

A New York sheriff is looking to make a nationwide impact with his new initiative for keeping pets in the community safe.

On Tuesday, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. introduced a new database to help local pet parents quickly locate missing animals.

The Lost Pet Network will enroll pets into a database and provide owners with a printed pet identification card. If an enrolled four-legged friend goes missing, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office will send an alert with the pet's information to deputy sheriffs and local municipalities. Information about the lost pet will also be shared on social media accounts to aid in the animal's return.

Suffolk County sheriff creates database for missing pets, hopes it will become a national model

"Centralized and organized because right now there is nothing in Suffolk County to really assist pets that are lost," Toulon said during a briefing in the Town of Islip. "Not only would we alert our staff that may be on patrol in certain areas, but also we would post it on social media, we would notify shelters."| read more ››

Space in the Yaphank Correctional Facility will be used to expand a program that helps find jobs and homes for inmates after their release while doubling as a first-of-its-kind intelligence network where officials can share information with leaders of other jails, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon. Jr. announced Friday as he was sworn into office for his second term.

Toulon, the county's 67th sheriff, also announced plans to form a pair of task forces focusing on mental health and substance abuse among inmates and the community at large. Statistics show that 60% of the state's inmates have been diagnosed with mental health issues.

"There is both a drug and mental health epidemic on Long Island and I want to do all I can to help solve it," Toulon said during his inaugural address in Brentwood. "In the coming months, I will be creating a robust mental health initiative to try to expand access to services, drug and rehabilitation programs inside and outside of the jail to help put an end to this tragic cycle."| read more ››

Among the most crucial local issues for the North Fork is protecting water quality, and Albert J. Krupski Jr. knows that well.

Chronically poor drainage on roads during even moderate storms can lead to flooding and an endangered aquifer, and the solutions are expensive and time-consuming improvements to our drainage systems — the kind of work for which Krupski is well-prepared. The 61-year-old Cutchogue Democrat comes from a multigenerational farming family and has the legislative experience at the town and county level to tackle the tough challenges that bedevil Suffolk districts, from mind-boggling traffic to the promotion of affordable housing.

These and other thorny issues need a steady hand as the district becomes even more threatened by climate change and more densely traveled by visitors and newcomers.

Krupski’s opponent, Republican Remy Bell, 66, of Riverhead, is not actively campaigning, according to the Suffolk GOP.

Newsday endorses Krupski.| read more ››