RiverheadLOCAL

A Riverhead man has been charged with multiple felonies after Southampton Town police said he was involved in a 2025 crash in Flanders that left two people seriously injured. Santiago Barreto-Gomez, 20, was arrested Thursday, July 30, following an investigation into a two-car crash that occurred March 7, 2025, at about 11 p.m. on Oak Avenue near Albany Street, Southampton Town police said.

A Wading River attorney has been indicted on grand larceny and related charges for allegedly stealing more than $855,000 from clients and others involved in legal transactions, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Wednesday. Peter Giattino, 43, principal attorney at PVG Legal Solutions, was arraigned July 29 before Justice Steven A.

Giunta’s Meat Farms has agreed to acquire King Kullen Grocery Co., a deal that includes the King Kullen supermarket in Wading River and four Wild by Nature natural foods markets, the two Long Island-based companies announced Thursday in a joint statement. The acquisition encompasses all 24 King Kullen supermarkets and the four Wild by Nature stores owned by the company. It is expected to close in September. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Riverhead Police gave a retiring brother a truly intergenerational sendoff Wednesday afternoon outside department headquarters. From former Chief Joseph Grattan, who started as a patrolman in 1963 to the fresh-faced young recruits who recently graduated from the police academy, the crowd assembled to honor Officer Michael Mowdy spanned three generations.

To the Editor: I have lived in Southampton Town my entire life, learning to swim and surf in our waves. But over the years, I’ve watched something besides tourists accumulate on our beaches: a tide of plastic waste arriving faster every season. Every day, thousands of takeout orders go out stuffed with plastic forks, napkins, condiment packets, and stirrers — “stuff” nobody asked for and most of us toss straight in the trash.

Riverhead Town Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit will host National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Riverhead Town Hall campus, 4 West Second Street, Riverhead. The free community event will give residents a chance to meet Riverhead police officers and see K-9 and drone demonstrations, police motorcycles, bikes and an ATV, the department’s command post, SWAT and dive equipment, a police boat and a police car.

The North Fork Environmental Council hosts its third annual clothing swap on Monday, Aug. 3 at Borghese Vineyard from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is “a fun night of swapping clothes with fellow fashion enthusiasts,” NFEC says. Participants should bring three to five gently used clothing and accessory items to exchange. “for something new-to-you. “It’s a sustainable way to freshen up your wardrobe,” the organization said. Tickets are $25 and include one glass of wine.

Suffolk County health officials said 11 mosquito samples collected earlier this month have tested positive for West Nile virus. The positive samples were collected July 15 and 16 in Bay Shore, Port Jefferson Station, Setauket, Lindenhurst, Copiague, West Babylon and Sayville, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.

A flood watch is in effect for northeast and southeast Suffolk from 8 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday evening, as a slow-moving low-pressure system is expected to bring multiple rounds of heavy showers and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service in Upton. Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible, with excessive runoff potentially leading to flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, the weather service said.

Pulaski Street School students in Riverhead have formed a drone technology group called the Riverhead Air Force, building on the Riverhead Central School District’s Rocket Drones program. The group was founded by members of Pulaski’s makerspace club and library media specialist Crystal Valentin-Espinosa. Students use the club to develop drone flying and coding skills and take part in advanced challenges, the district said in a press release Monday.