Local officials and community members on Long Island said they will continue to fight a state mandate requiring schools eliminate Native American mascots and team names, a day after their cause received support from President Donald Trump. Darwin Yanes and Gregg Sarra report in NEWSDAY that on Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had asked U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon “to fight for the people of Massapequa” as the school district seeks to keep its sports nickname, the Chiefs. School officials had publicly called on the Trump administration to step in shortly after a federal judge last month ruled against them and three other districts — Connetquot, Wyandanch and Wantagh — that had challenged the mascot ban.

"I love that he's supportive of our schools keeping their nicknames," said Pat Pizzarelli, executive director of the governing body for Nassau athletics and a Massapequa High School graduate. "There is so much history and tradition in those schools and they're proud to be Warriors, Indians and Chiefs. They feel it's an honor to wear those uniforms and use those names."

Jennifer Keane, the director of athletics for the Wantagh school district, said, "Our student-athletes and school community take great pride in being a part of the Wantagh Warriors tradition. We are continuing to explore all options to keep the name as the student-athletes, school and community take great pride in being representative of a Wantagh Warrior. A mascot is more than a symbol or nickname, it's a tribute to the values that drive success in sports and life."

The NYS Board of Regents issued guidance in 2023 banning the use of Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools. Districts that do not comply by the June 30 deadline risk losing state aid.

The ban affected 13 school districts on Long Island, including nine that have complied.

The high cost of rebranding is often cited ranging from $450,000 to more than $1 million for some schools.

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A Riverhead woman was arrested for allegedly dumping household items, including furniture, in the Pine Barrens, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. announced yesterday. Toulon said a trail camera captured images of a U-Haul truck dumping the items “in a secluded section of the Pine Barrens in Manorville.” The illegally dumped items included mattresses, box springs, dressers and a television. The incident took place on March 13, according to Suffolk County court records. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the sheriff’s office arrested Jeanne Rodriguez, 41, on April 2. She was charged with Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, a Class D felony, and with one count of violating a local law, a Class A misdemeanor.

Sheriff Toulon also announced the arrest of Joao Abreu of Port Jefferson. Abreu was charged with felony criminal mischief for allegedly dumping 24 tons of concrete in a remote wooded area off Long Island Avenue in Yaphank. Abreu is the owner of Chase Construction Enterprises, the sheriff said. Abreu, 60 was arrested on April 11 in connection with the Feb. 23 dumping incident and charged with Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, a Class D Misdemeanor according to court records. Abreu’s arrest came after a six-week joint investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau and the District Attorney’s BEAST Unit, which included license plate checks, vehicle tracking, background checks, and witness interviews, the sheriff said. “The Sheriff’s Office has been patrolling the Pine Barrens for over 30 years and we take our role very seriously,” Toulon said. “These arrests are a direct result of enhanced surveillance, interagency teamwork, and the diligence of our environmental enforcement units. Both individuals could have disposed of their waste legally—but they chose not to. Illegal dumping is lazy and harmful to our island’s environment and...