This Morning’s Bulletin — 7.20.15

Good Morning!

• Yesterday’s hot spell continues today — we’re expecting temperatures to climb to 90 degrees, though there will be more cloud cover than yesterday to dampen the effect of the sun. There’s a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms after noon, and the wind will be out of the west between 5 and 10 miles per hour. There’s a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight before 20 a.m. Tomorrow, we’re expecting a high near 87 degrees and a light west wind, with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Wednesday is expected to be sunny, with a high near 85 degrees and Thursday and Friday are expected to be sunny, with a high near 82 degrees.

• Cutchogue was struck by tragedy Saturday afternoon — four bridesmaids-to-be were killed and four other women were injured when a limousine they were driving in was making a u-turn on Route 48 at Depot Lane and was t-boned by a westbound pickup truck driven by Steven Romeo, 55, of Southold. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, Mr. Romeo, who is currently hospitalized at Eastern Long Island Hospital, is being ordered held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail or $1 million bond on one count of driving while intoxicated. The women who were killed include Brittany Schulman, 23 and Lauren Baruch, 24, both of Smithtown; Stephanie Belli, 23, of Kings Park and Amy Grabina, 23, of Commack. The injured women are Joelle Dimonte, 25, of Elwood; Melissa Angela Crai, 23, of Scarsdale; Alicia Arnudel, 24, of Steauket and Olga Lipets, 24, of Brooklyn. Southold Police and the DA’s office plan to update the press on their investigation this afternoon.

• Power was out throughout Greenport Village yesterday, and though it has been mostly restored, one feeder is still out, according to the village. The village, which has its own municipal power authority, is working to restore that feeder and is asking residents to be mindful of their electric usage during the next 24 hours.

• The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has reported that cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) has reached critical levels in  three new water bodies on the East End: Old Town Pond in Southampton, Kellis Pond in Bridgehampton and Wainscott Pond in Wainscott. Blue-green algae also continues to persist at Agawam Lake and Mill Pond in Southampton and Maratooka Lake in Mattituck. The Suffolk County Health Department is asking residents not to use, swim or wade in these waters and to keep pets and children away from the area. They’re asking the public to take extra precautions to avoid direct exposure to waters at Agawam Lake, as levels of cyanobacteria and associated toxins there are very high.

• Single travel lane closures on the Route 25 Bridge over the Long Island Expressway in Riverhead are now underway around-the-clock. The bridge  is near the end of West Main Street by the Tanger Mall. A single travel lane in each direction will remain open to motorists but traffic will also be shifted to accommodate construction tasks. This work is expected to continue until the spring of 2016.  Motorists are urged to use alternate routes to help avoid travel delays. The project includes replacing the bridge deck and deteriorated structural elements, drainage improvements, sidewalk and pedestrian facility enhancements and new guiderail and pavement markings.

• The 3Bs will perform a free concert on the Montauk Green tonight at 6:30 p.m., Swan Live Soul Music will perform a free concert at Greenport’s Mitchell park tonight at 7:30 p.m. and the Village of Westhampton Beach hosts a free outdoor screening of “Grease” on the Great Lawn tonight at 8 p.m.

• The Beacon’s Week in Review was delivered piping hot to inboxes throughout the East End in the wee hours of Sunday morning. To get your own copy each week, sign up here.

And that’s the way things look at dawn’s light here today.