News Nearby: Setauket Fire House Temporarily Closes Due to Wind Damage

Port Jefferson

Charges Upped on Alleged Scammer After '20 or More Calls' Come In

Ellen Burkheimer now faces felony scheme to defraud charges, and is due in court next Monday.

Commack

Brain Injury Patient Con-Artist Sentenced to Prison

A man who pleaded guilty last month to nearly 50 felony charges, related to filing false tax returns on behalf of disabled brain injury patients at a Commack nonprofit, was sentenced to prison on Monday.

Hauppauge

Pennsylvania Crash Takes Life of Hauppauge Couple

A couple from Hauppauge was killed in a car accident in Pennsylvania on Monday night, according to a report on Newsday. Alexander Protosow, 89, and Louise Protosow, 83, were passengers in the backseat of a car that slid off an embankment  on Route 6 and crashed near the town of Shohola.

Smithtown

Superintendent: Smithtown Schools Didn't Expect State Aid Cut

While many factors have the Smithtown Central School District facing 2013-14 budgeting difficulties, Superintendent Anthony Annunziato said the unexpected reduction in state aid is the biggest blow to date.

The district is budgeted to receive $37.7 million in state aid in 2013-14, compared to the actual amount Annunziato said Smithtown schools received for the 2012-13 school year of $38.3 million, resulting in a reduction of roughly $630,000.

Three Village

Main Street Fire House Closed as Wind Causes Cupola to Lean

The cupola atop the Setauket Fire Department's Main Street fire house is leaning sideways amid the heavy winds, forcing the temporary closure of the fire house, a fire district official said Thursday.

"We're in the process of trying to fix this," said district manager David Sterne, who said fire department response times will not be affected as the vehicles have been relocated to other stations and firefighters are on standby there as well. The fire siren contained within the cupola has been temporarily disabled, but crews will still receive calls via their radio pagers.