Weird News: Cicadapocalypse? Not Now

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to inspiring tales of community brotherhood. But some stories are just plain weird. Here are some of the stranger headlines from the past seven days.

Expert: Cicadas To Skip Long Island

Here's one seasonal invasion Long Islanders might be happy to miss.

While the East Coast is bracing for billions of Brood II cicadas to emerge in the next few weeks and swarm from Georgia to Connecticut, experts told Newsday that Long Island will not be all abuzz.

"I am not expecting to see very many – if any – on Long Island this time," Daniel Gilrein, entomologist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, told Newsday, pointing to the brood's minimal showing on Long Island when they last emerged in 2006.

The only creatures that might be bummed to hear that? Well, the wildlife for one.

"The cicadas? They're good," Sweetbriar Nature Center Director Janine Bendicksen told Patch this week. "They are going to feed a whole range of animals; birds, rabbits, foxes."

Apparently not.

New Illegal Sign Pops Up on Christian Avenue

As water main and natural gas line upgrades continue on Christian Avenue, according to local municipal officials, yet another set of illegal signs has mysteriously appeared on Christian Avenue. Residents reported seeing this sign pop up over the weekend: "Your Tax Dollars At Work." This sign is the third such instance within the past month; it follows signs that said "Enter At Your Own Risk," and "Winner, Worst Road in America Contest."