Forty-Eight Additional Mosquito Samples Test Positive for

Positive Samples Found in Blydenburgh and Heckscher Parks

Hauppauge, NY – Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS) Commissioner James L. Tomarken, MD, MSW, MPH, MBA, FRCPC, FACP, has been notified by the New York State Department of Health that forty-eight additional mosquito samples sent to their laboratory have tested positive for West Nile virus. 

These samples were collected August 18^th, 19^th , and 20^th, in Babylon (6): West Babylon (2) and Deer Park (4); in Islip (6): West Islip, Heckscher State Park, Bay Shore, Brentwood, Holbrook and Ronkonkoma; Brookhaven (16): East Setauket (5), Farmingville (6), Patchogue, Selden, Rocky Point, Port Jefferson Station and Fire Island; Huntington (18): Northport (8), Huntington Station (3), South Huntington (2), Huntington (2), Dix Hills, Greenlawn and Melville; Smithtown (1): Blydenburgh County Park; and Riverhead (1): Jamesport.  This year, a total of 196 mosquito samples, collected from various places in the county, have tested positive for West Nile virus. A total of 101 birds have tested positive in 2010.  Four confirmed cases of West Nile virus in humans have been reported in Suffolk County this year.

Mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile virus have been collected at county and state parks this season.  Evening activities and overnight camping continue to be suspended in some parks.  Therefore, it would be advisable to check with a park’s administration before planning any evening events.  The county will continue to collect samples at parks and will recommend resumption of dusk-to-dawn activities at these facilities when the parks are considered to be safe.

West Nile virus, first detected in Suffolk in 1999 and again each year thereafter through 2010, is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito.

 To reduce the mosquito population around homes, residents should try to eliminate stagnant water:

• ·        Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-

      holding containers.

• ·        Remove all discarded tires on the property. 
• ·        Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters.
• ·        Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
• ·        Change the water in birdbaths.
• ·        Clean vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds and keep shrubs and

      grass trimmed.

• ·        Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs.
• ·        Drain water from pool covers.

While most people infected with West Nile virus will experience mild or no symptoms, some can develop severe symptoms including: high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. Symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent. Individuals, especially those 50 years of age or older or those with compromised immune systems, who are most at risk, are urged to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. 

To avoid mosquito bites, residents are advised to:

• ·        Minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
• ·       Wear shoes and socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active.
• ·        Use mosquito repellent when outdoors, following label directions carefully.
• ·        Make sure all windows and doors have screens, and all screens are in good repair.

Dead birds found on area properties may indicate the presence of West Nile virus in the area. To report dead birds, or to report mosquito problems or stagnant pools of water, call the West Nile virus hotline in Suffolk County at 631-787-2200 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

For medical questions related to West Nile virus, call 631-853-3055.

For further information on West Nile virus, visit the Department of Health Services’ website at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/health.

Sentencing Wednesday for Queens man guilty of 2008 contract murder of Nesconset attorney

 Darnell Festus  The sentencing of a Queens man convicted of the 2008 contact killing of a Long Island real estate attorney is scheduled for tomorrow in Suffolk County court in Riverhead.   Darnell Festus was to be sentenced August 19.  State Supreme Court Justice C. Randall Hinrichs adjourned the matter because the court received an anonymous letter alleging another person shot James DiMartino to death in the parking lot of a Commack restaurant.   The court granted the adjournment to allow defense counsel to investigate the claims made in the letter.   Festus, 25, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.  He was convicted of first degree murder, second degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.   Codefendant, Ronald Thornton, 39, of Nesconset, was convicted of concocting the murder plot to prevent DiMartino from implicating him in a series of fraudulent mortgage deals.   Thornton is serving a sentence of life without parole.   Justice Hinrichs (fourth floor) will call the court calendar at 9:30 am.

Update on Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 10:36AM by .

Darnell Festus was sentenced to life without parole for the first degree murder conviction and twenty five years to life for the second degree murder conviction.

Hurricane Earl and Suffolk County Preparations

Suffolk Executive Steve Levy Discusses County Preparations for ‘Hurricane Earl’ and Hurricane Season

Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services and Public Works Departments Step Up Coordination

County’s Natural Disasters Website Offers Tips for Pre- and Post-Hurricane Activities

 New ‘Code RED’ System Provides High-Speed Emergency Notifications to Residents

Hauppauge, NY –Suffolk Executive Steve Levy today discussed numerous steps being taken by the county to prepare for hurricane season and advised residents to prepare for the potential impact of “Hurricane Earl” later this week. 

“Cooperative planning among local, state and federal officials, along with proper public education, are crucial to mitigating the potential impact of ‘Hurricane Earl’,” said Levy. The county executive also announced that a new, high-speed notification ‘Code RED’ system is available to residents seeking phone, e-mail and/or text messages about actual or impending emergencies, such as the hurricane. Residents can sign up for the Code RED messages and get tips for pre-and post-hurricane planning via the Suffolk County Mitigation Education for Natural Disasters (MEND) website.

Levy was joined at a news conference by Suffolk’s Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES) Commissioner Joseph F. Williams and Suffolk Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Gil Anderson while briefing the media on steps taken by the county in preparation for the hurricane season.

Suffolk FRES unit has contracted with Emergency Communications Network to license the latter’s Code RED high-speed notification system. The Code RED emergency notification method is an utilizes a high-speed telephone communication service to deliver customized, pre-recorded emergency messages directly to Suffolk County homes and business at the proven capacity of millions of calls per day. Code Red also has high speed email and text messaging capability

To sign up, access the following link: Code RED Sign-Up.

Individuals who do not have Internet access may call the Office of Emergency Management’s Customer Service Center  at 631-852-4900, from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to receive Code RED information over the phone.

Through funding from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant that is administered by the NY State Emergency Management Office, the Suffolk County M.E.N.D. website offers numerous tips to residents for pre- and post-storm actions. Prior to this hurricane season, nearly 100,000 M.E.N.D. brochures had already been mailed to Suffolk County addresses located within a hurricane flood surge zone.

Depending upon the severity of a storm, the county may open shelters for use by residents. The media will be notified in such an event about which shelters are being opened and at what times. Shelters are opened based on the nature, severity of an emergency and the number of residents impacted. County Executive Levy noted that shelter locations are also available to residents who visit www.SuffolkCountyNY.gov.

FRES Commissioner Williams noted that a series of steps have already been taken in preparation for “Hurricane Earl,” including participation in conference calls with New York State Office of Emergency Management officials; storm tracking through the National Hurricane Center, and testing of all equipment, computers, phone lines, internet and audio/visual equipment in the FRES Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

DPW Commissioner Gilbert Anderson said DPW staff will be on standby in the event that severe weather conditions, such as flooding, pose a threat to safe roadway safety.

Anderson advised residents to stay inside and under shelter during stormy weather, and never touch any downed wires or utility poles. Residents who live in low-lying flood prone areas should, as directed, seek shelter at higher elevations, according to Anderson, and residents who have sump pumps in their homes are reminded not to connect them into sanitary house connections that in turn connect to public sanitary sewers.

George Demos Welcomes Tim Bishop's Support Of St. Nicholas Church

Brookhaven, NY- George Demos, the Conservative Republican candidate in the First Congressional District of New York, released the following statement on the news that his opponent, Congressman Tim Bishop, has joined his efforts to fight for rebuilding St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero.

George Demos said:

“I am very pleased that today Representatives Tim Bishop and Carolyn Maloney have answered our call and joined our efforts in calling on the Port Authority to honor its agreement to allow St. Nicholas Church, the only house of worship destroyed on September 11, 2001, to be rebuilt.  

Last Monday, I was joined at the hallowed Ground Zero by former New York Governor George Pataki to renew our call on the Port Authority to rebuild St. Nicholas at the agreed upon 130 Liberty Street.  Since our first in the nation call to rebuild the Church over five weeks ago, support for this neglected, yet most worthy effort, has grown tremendously, and we will continue to lead the fight to rebuild the Church. 

This is not a partisan issue.  This is not a political issue.  It is an issue of leadership.  In Congress, I will lead members from both sides of the aisle to defend our Judeo-Christian values.”

Randy Altschuler Calls on Chris Cox To Stop the ...............

Signed Pledge in March Saying He Would Run on CP Line Alone

The campaign of Randy Altschuler, the conservative Republican candidate for Congress (NY-1), today again called on Chris Cox to stop the “lies, disinformation and dirty tricks that have become the hallmark of his campaign”. The Altschuler campaign was referring to an August 27th news release from the Cox campaign where Chris Cox is caught red-handed lying to the media and the Republican voters of the 1st Congressional District.

THE LIE: In the release Chris Cox is quoted saying “I will support the Republican candidate. I always have and I always will.” Cox is referring to what he would do if another candidate were to win the September 14th GOP Primary. The release goes on to chastise Randy Altschuler for saying he would stick by his pledge to remain in the race as the Conservative Party nominee.

THE TRUTH: On March 21st, 2010 Chris Cox signed the identical Conservative Party pledge, committing to remain an active candidate on the Conservative Party line through the November 2nd, 2010 elections. The pledge reads; “I hereby commit to the voters in the political subdivision that encompasses the office I am seeking, to run a full, committed campaign on the Conservative Party line throughout the complete campaign cycle of June 2010 to November 2, 2010.” (Click here to view the pledge)

Christopher Maloney, campaign manager for Randy Altschuler said, “Chris Cox has now been caught red handed lying to Republican Primary voters and this time he can’t wriggle out of it. It’s amazing that a candidate for public office would think he could get away with such a bold face lie. Chris Cox and his campaign need to apologize to the GOP voters and admit that he signed the exact same pledge as Randy Altschuler; committing to run on the Conservative Party line whether or not he won the GOP nomination.

“Lies, disinformation and dirty tricks have become the hallmark of the Cox campaign. Chris Cox is desperate and will say or do anything to keep his floundering campaign alive. He claims to have created jobs but, cannot point to one. He claims to be a successful businessman but, refuses to speak about his business achievements. He claims fraud in other candidates’ petitions only to have his own thrown out by the courts. Republican voters are catching on to Chris Cox’s sad and pathetic routine and that’s why Randy Altschuler will defeat him in the GOP Primary.”