Good morning. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the installation of the first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind was completed on Monday. This is the first of 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines to be installed 35 miles off Montauk by developers Ørsted and Eversource. The turbines are being staged at State Pier in New London, Conn.
The South Fork Wind project is expected to be complete by the end of the year. Once complete, the turbines are expected to generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 70,000 Long Island homes and eliminate up to 6 million tons of carbon emissions.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
Electricity rates for Connecticut customers will increase slightly this winter.
- Standard rates for Eversource will increase by 6% from 13.8 cents per kilowatt hour to 14.7 cents.
- United Illuminating rates will increase by 16% from 14.33 cents per kilowatt hour to 17.06 cents.
Infection rates of syphilis are flaring up on Long Island. According to the state Department of Health, syphilis diagnoses have increased by 77% since over the last decade. The latest data from 2021 shows more than 500 cases on Long Island. Studies blame the lack of easily accessible treatment for sexually transmitted infections and decreased condom use among young adults.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong will no longer use X, formerly known as Twitter. Tong claimed the platform “glorifies Nazi ideology” and is a source of disinformation. Critics blame owner Elon Musk for allowing for X to become a hotbed of far-right, white supremacist and neo-Nazi influenced hate speech. Apple recently paused advertising on X after Musk endorsed an antisemitic post last Wednesday.
The family of alleged Gilgo Beach murder suspect will receive $1 million for being featured in a NBCUniversal documentary. The film will follow Rex Heuermann’s wife and adult children as they struggle to live normal lives during and after the trial. While Heuermann’s family have agreed to the deal, Rex Heuermann has denied all wrongdoing. His wife has filed for divorce.
A Metro-North employee strike was averted after their union reached a deal with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday. The Transport Workers Union of America, representing 600 Metro-North employees, reached a deal to provide a 9.5% wage hike and $500 annual allowances for workers who have operated since fall 2019.
Long Island Rail Road riders continue to skip paying for their tickets. According to Newsday, over 100,000 invoices were sent to riders who failed to properly pay for their train ticket last year. This cost the railroad $1.4 million in unpaid tickets. MTA officials plan to increase police presence at stations to help prevent this rise of unpaid train tickets.
New Haven will expand its urban forests, thanks to a $360,000 grant from the United States Forest Service. City officials will determine how to best plant more trees in New Haven’s greenspaces, such as parks. The city’s chief arborist Anastasia Mixsell hopes the city can hire 10 tree caretakers and a consultant to improve the health of New Haven’s trees.
