Community Corner

Week in Review: Marijuana Farm Busted, Vecchio Wins GOP Primary

Catch up on the top news in Smithtown this week: Sept. 9 - Sept. 14.


Town Busts Commack Marijuana Farm

Smithtown Public Safety officers arrested a Kings Park man on Wednesday night for helping tend a marijuana plant farm inside a Commack water recharge basin. 

Mark Kern, 44, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana in the third degree, a felony charge, after undercover town officers found him tending to more than 100 marijuana plants off Vanderbuilt Motor Parkway and Redleaf Lane in Commack at 10:22 p.m., according to Public Safety's Deputy Chief Kevin McPadden. 

Vecchio Takes GOP Primary for Smithtown Supervisor

Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio will run for re-election as the Republican candidate for town supervisor seat this November. 

Vecchio, R-Fort Salonga, won the Republican nomination to run for Smithtown Town Supervisor over Councilman Robert Creighton by 3,245 votes to 2,566 votes, according to Suffolk County Board of Elections as of 10:27 p.m. Tuesday night. All 92 voting districts are reporting their results. 

Smithtown School Board Appoints Interim Superintendent

Smithtown school officials announced an interim superintendent to take over the leadership of its schools as of next Monday. 

Smithtown Board of Education unanimously voted to appoint Judith Elias as interim superintendent of the Smithtown Central School District as of Sept. 16. 

AMF Smithtown Lanes Reopening Rolling Smoothly

Slick, new bowling lanes are raising excitement from residents who have stopped by the newly re-opened AMF Smithtown Lanes. 

"The first night of leagues last Tuesday we had two 300s. Two perfect games," said Don Stewart, general manager of AMF Smithtown Lanes. "It's unusual."

State Sets Up Travel Time Signs for 347 Amid Greenway Construction

As locals stretching from Commack to Mount Sinai get set to endure years of gridlock on Route 347, the state's Department of Transportation on Monday announced it will install traffic information signs along the North Shore artery telling drivers just how long the waits will be.

The 347 corridor is being rehabbed into a greenway, complete with new lanes, bus stops, tree-lined medians and a bike and pedestrian path that will run the length of the roadway. The state has already completed the section in Hauppauge at the start of highway through to the Route 111 intersection. The project could take more than 10 years to complete.


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