🌱 North Fork Daily: Bus Incident + Home Depot Fire + New Variant

Good morning, North Fork neighbors and friends! Today in the news, many residents who were shopping in Riverhead witnessed a fire erupt outside Home Depot. The fire reportedly started in a pile of chairs outside but shot up quickly, badly damaging the facade of the building.

Also in the news, a man was arrested Friday after he punched and broke the window of an S92 bus in Mattituck.

And Gov. Kathy Hochul discussed a slight uptick in COVID-19 cases due to a new omicron sub-variant.

Until tomorrow. . . .

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First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 52 Low: 35.

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Here are the top stories on the North Fork today:

1. Man Charged With Punching, Breaking Window On County S92 Bus: PD: A Medford man was arrested Friday morning after he punched and broke the door window of a Suffolk County S92 bus in Mattituck, police said.(North Fork Patch)
2. Slight Uptick In COVID Cases Due To New Variant: Hochul: This sub-variant is going to be something we're watching closely." — Gov. Kathy Hochul (Patch)
3. Fire Breaks Out At Home Depot In Riverhead: Firefighters raced to Home Depot in Riverhead Monday after a fire sent smoke and flames billowing outside the building, leaving the front of the facade visibly damaged. According to the Riverhead Volunteer Fire Department, the call came in about 12:30 p.m. about the blaze at the Home Depot on Old Country Road, which reportedly began with some chairs on fire outside. (Patch)
4. Reiki, massages and more: Wellness retreats on Long Island, in New York State: See where to relax and unwind. (Newsday)
5. Island Profile: Stephen Kiely | Public service runs in the family: A profile about Stephen Kiely, a lawyer and former assistant town attorney in Southold, from our friends at the Shelter Island Reporter. (Shelter Island Reporter)

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Today on the North Fork:

• Tai Chi Class Every Tues and Thurs (10:00 AM)
• Guided Qigong Meditation (3:00 PM)
• Board Meeting - Regular Meeting - Greenport UFSD (7:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• northforker: "Few things hit the spot the way homemade pasta does. Luckily for us northforkers there are some excellent options right here on our fork. Check out this month's edition of The Map in northforker magazine for the best spots." (Instagram)
• The North Fork Animal Welfare League: "Lost Dog: This little pup was found at Fairfield Apartments on Roanoke Ave. Not microchipped. Resident had it in her home for two days while asking around and nobody recognized the face." (Facebook)
• New Suffolk Common School District: "Using their persuasive writing to convince the principal of their end of the year field trip ideas." (Facebook)
• Mattituck-Laurel Library: "Teens are invited to join in on some bunny fun! Pet, hold, and learn all about bunnies. See details below." (Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— Lisa Finn

About me: I'm a journalist whose passion is telling the stories of people's lives. This is your site — this is a place for your voice to be heard. I can't wait to hear from you all.