A judge struck down Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s ban on transgender women athletes competing on women’s sports teams at county facilities on Friday. Blakeman signed an executive order in February.
The New York Civil Liberties Union sued Blakeman in March, saying the order violated the state's Human Rights and Civil Rights laws. State Supreme Court Justice Francis Ricigliano claimed the order went “beyond the scope of his authority.” Blakeman will appeal the ruling.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
Two horses were freed after hours of being stuck in deep mud. Nearly 40 people came to aid the horses in a wooded area of Lebanon, Connecticut. Firefighters who first responded to the call found the horses on their sides with their legs buried. It took five hours to finish the job. The horses were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Funds secured for stormwater infrastructure in Suffolk County. The $2.4 million will be used for flood mitigation and stormwater infrastructure in Smithtown. Over $380,000 will be used for the Kings Park LIRR Business District Stormwater Infrastructure Project. Congressman Nick LaLota said this will help improve defenses against future environmental challenges.
Westport’s Compo Shopping Center sold for over $45 million. One of Connecticut’s oldest family-owned shopping plazas, the center was sold to Florida-based real estate investment firm Regency Centers. It joins nearly 40 other Regency shopping plazas across the state.
Acres of Suffolk farmland to be protected from development. Nearly 24 acres of land in Wading River will be preserved by the Peconic Land Trust and the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. It will only be used for agricultural purposes, with no possibility of residential or commercial developments.
Connecticut trees are removing more carbon dioxide than residents are producing. According to the state Greenhouse Gas Reduction Progress Report, emissions increased, but trees removed more CO2 from the air than their residents produced from 1990 to 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency listed Connecticut as the fifteenth highest percentage drop of greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
Aid requested to upgrade Suffolk’s bus system. County Executive Edward Romaine wants more money from the state to expand public transit after the county eliminated 14 bus routes last year. The goal was to increase frequency on the busiest lines. However, many residents lost their jobs after the routes were cut.
Bridgeport's Sound on Sound music festival renamed “Soundside.” The name change comes after the festival’s organizer, Founders Entertainment, merged with event production company C3 Presents. Bridgeport earned over $725,000 from the festival in 2022, and over $770,000 in 2023. The Soundside Music Festival will run Sept. 28 and 29.
Long Island villages receive funds for tree planting. Patchogue and Valley Stream will receive $75,000 each. This is on top of $150,000 in state grants already allocated for the project. Gov. Kathy Hochul hopes to plant 25 million trees by 2033 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Forty trees were recently removed from Patchogue after they were found to carry diseases and blocked pedestrians on sidewalks.
Connecticut officially bans dog racing, becoming the 47th state to do so. Gov. Ned Lamont called the sport a “cruel activity” that has no place in the state. Connecticut first legalized dog racing in 1976, but no live races have been held in the state since 2005.
