Five Towns Patch doesn’t need a crystal ball to look ahead to 2013. Here are some local issues you can definitely expect to see in the news this year:
3. Criminal cases: There were two high-profile crime incidents in the Five Towns this year. The first was the discovery in March of a large cache of weapons in a Woodmere man’s home and the subsequent arrest of Marc Ringel. A month later, police arrested Daniel Miller, who is accused of drugging one of his employees, having sex with him and then trying to hire a hit man to kill the victim to prevent him from testifying. We may see verdicts on these two cases next year.
2. Costco ruling: Costco has been trying to get approval from the Town of Hempstead to build a gas station at its Lawrence superstore for months now. The plan has been met with disapproval from many residents, and the issue currently isn’t on the town’s agenda. However, the town will most likely consider it in 2013.
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1. Sandy relief: Superstorm Sandy devastated a lot of homes and businesses in the Five Towns, especially in Inwood, Meadowmere Park and North Woodmere, as well as the Lawrence Village-owned country club. While many people have already started rebuilding, it has been a struggle all around. Government money is still being rolled out, as are insurance payments. Then there’s the issue of homes that may need to be knocked down due to the damage.
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