MARCH 31, 2024 Thursday, March 28, 2024 ~ Volume 69 ~ Issue Number 23 ~ $1.00
Suffolk D.A. Office Hosts Fentanyl and Xylazine Seminar By Matt Meduri
One of the biggest, and most silent, killers of today is fentanyl, a highly potent, addictive, synthetic chemical that is being found in street drugs and counterfeit pills in staggering amounts. Only a tiny amount of fentanyl must be consumed in order to prove fatal, which has taken the nation and Suffolk County by storm. Assistant District Attorney Nicole Felice held a free public seminar discussing the dangers of fentanyl and a relatively new drug, xylazine, at the Success Community Care Clinic in Oakdale.
Xylazine, commonly known as “tranq,” is a sedative typically reserved for cattle and other large animals. It can be used to calm animals for surgical procedures, as a local anesthetic, or pain reliever. Some people report mixing xylazine with
fentanyl to prolong and enhance the euphoric high from fentanyl. Xylazine is also known as a “zombie drug,” for its flesh-rotting effects on users. Continued on page 3
Ronkonkoma Holds St. Patrick’s Day Parade By Matt Meduri
St. Patrick (left) and spectators outside Flanagan’s Pub (Credit - Matt Meduri)
FULL STORIES ON:
Thousands lined the sidewalks of Hawkins Avenue and brave the cold and the wind on Sunday afternoon for Ronkonkoma’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Brookhaven-Islip hamlet is no stranger to large, crowd-gathering events that feature collaborative efforts from fire departments, community organizers, businesses, and elected officials from both sides of the Town line. Running from School Street to Thorne Street, the march began around 2:00p.m. as bagpipers, floats, and fire trucks made their way down the Irishflag-adorned street, with the intrinsically-Irish Flanagan’s Pub standing out as a prominent landmark looking over the event. Continued on page 10
A Message from Assemblyman Smith Page 7
Santos to Run as Independent in NY-01 Page 8
Islip Women Recognized Page 15