Fired School Custodian Wins Support

Here is some of the news from around Long Island this week.

Many in the Wantagh community are rallying on behalf of a beloved school custodian recently fired from the job he loved.

Hundreds packed Thursday night’s Wantagh Board of Education meeting voicing support for part-time custodian Melvin Turner, a 45-year old man with autism who was let go by the district because of alleged threatening remarks he made about harming school property during an outburst to students in July while walking home.

Software company Work Market will have its grand opening Wednesday in Huntington. The company, located at 14 Wall St., is a beneficiary of the Suffolk County Industrial Agency's Boost program. That progam is designed "to assist entrepreneurs in creating good paying jobs in growth sectors of the economy," the IDA says.

Glen Cove Hospital has a new person in charge, the North Shore LIJ Health System has announced. Susan Kwiatek, who was the hospital's associate executive director of patient care services, will succeed Dennis Connors as executive director. Connors leaves after eight years at the helm to take the position of deputy executive director at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, North Shore LIJ's flagship facility.

A petition is circulating around the village to prevent the closure of the . The petitions are addressed to Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, and to U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-Huntington. Copies are available at local businesses and will also be circulated at Northport Village Park. They will be submitted by the Village of Northport.

Residents of Farmingdale stood before the Board of Education once again on this week to complain about some students. Multiple citizens came before the board to address an event on Sept. 7 in which they claim that an estimated 100 adolescents gathered near the school and their homes.