News That Topped In December

As we welcome January 2013, here is a quick look back at the top headlines posted by Westhampton-Hampton Bays Patch in December.

1. 2 Pulled from Shinnecock Bay off Meadow Lane

Rescuers retrieved two hunters in distress from Shinnecock Bay off Southampton Village's Meadow Lane on Dec. 8, according to a fire department spokesman. One victim was retrieved from the bay bySouthampton Fire Department Water Rescue and the second was picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard, Capt. Chris Brenner said, adding that the first patient lost consciousness after being brought onto the fire department boat, but firefighters revived him.

2. Manhattan Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Hitting Bicyclist While Drunk

A Manhattan lawyer pleaded guilty in Mid-December to driving drunk and fleeing the scene of a crime after he hit a man riding his bicycle in Quogue last summer, and sent him to the hospital with serious injuries.

According to online court records, 35-year-old Tabber Benedict, the founder of Benedict Advisors, pleaded guilty to felony charges of first-degree vehicular assault, two counts of second-degree vehicular assault, and leaving the scene of an accident with a serious injury.

3. Developer: Kosher Deli Has Sights on Westhampton Beach

A new kosher luncheonette may be on the horizon in Westhampton Beach after the Beach Bakery and the The Hampton Synagogue broke ties in October, leaving virtually no kosher options.

4. 

A Hampton Bays woman was arrested on Dec. 1 on DWI charges after police said she hit a dog while she was driving drunk on Neptune Avenue and proceeded to leave the scene of the accident.

5. 

Three Hampton Bays men were arrested in early December in a drug bust orchestrated by the East End Drug Task Force, according to Southampton Police.

6. 

In response to Friday's tragedy in which at , according to Newtown Patch, school officials from Westhampton Beach, East Quogue and Hampton Bays expressed condolences and outlined the steps their districts have taken to ensure the safety of all students.

7. Hampton Bays Mom Collects Holiday Toys In Memory of Her Son

Matthew McKinnon, who would have been 15 years-old this year, had a wish to fill an 18-wheeler with toys and deliver it to kids who are ill or in need. His mom, AnneMarie, of Hampton Bays, is making that wish come true for her son, who passed away on Jan. 16, 2011 after an illness that led to cardiac arrest.

8. 

Hurricane Sandy-damaged cars continue to spark contention on the East End.

On Dec, 7, Southampton Town attorneys went to Suffolk County Supreme Court after commencing litigation against the same car auction firm currently in hot water with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation over cars ordered to be removed from environmentally sensitive property at Enterprise Park at Calverton.

9. Hampton Bays Middle School Students Evacuated Friday

While information about the tragedy in Newtown, Conn. – where 20 first graders and 6 adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School – started to trickle out on Friday afternoon, middle school students in Hampton Bays were being evacuated due to an unrelated incident.

10. 

A 35-car pileup on the Long Island Expressway killed a Blue Point woman and injured 33 on Dec. 19, closing the highway and backing up traffic for miles, Suffolk County Police said.

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