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By Mike White · March 13, 2025

☕ Good morning, Long Island!

🌦️ Today will be partly sunny with a high near 48, and still breezy.

🔥 Long Island's burn ban is still in effect, so no fire pits, says the state DEC.

🍻 It's also Thursday, so that means Wing Night at every Tap Room location on the Island. That's 20 wings for $20 and $5 Stellas.

🍀 We've got four St. Patrick's Day parades scheduled for this weekend, from Massapequa to Westhampton Beach. There's also a big bash at Station Yards.

🦶🏽 Lastly, it's National Dermatologist Day. Have you gotten that thing checked?

✍🏼 Feel free to respond to this email with feedback!

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First, Avelo Airlines is headed to MacArthur and flying to N.C., Florida

✈️ Avelo, which is based in Houston, is joining Southwest, Breeze, Frontier and JetBlue in providing flights to and from Long Island's MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, airport officials announced this week.

Second, you know we got food coverage

⚓ After 155 years in Greenport, Claudio's is ready to open a second location, this time on Paradise Island, Bahamas, at The Atlantis resort & casino. The Greenport mainstay made the announcement Tuesday.

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🥩 A new high-end steakhouse paying homage to the Island’s rich Revolutionary War history is set to open in East Setauket, as early as May.

🥙 A beloved Greek diner that was forced to close last summer in Astoria, Queens, has found new life in a freshly renovated space, this time in Syosset. Welcome to the new Neptune Diner, now open.

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How a West Coast drifter from Long Island built a brunch empire

🍳 Meet the founder and visionary behind the growing Toast Coffee + Kitchen restaurants on Long Island., who sat with GLI to tell his story. The company's newest concept is also getting ready to open in E. Setauket, with a fifth Toast opening in Ronkonkoma later this spring.

Third, more headlines to highlight

🎓 Long Island has reaffirmed its stellar academic reputation as 17 local high schools achieved the prestigious Platinum level on the College Board’s AP School Honor Roll.

🏥 A young child from Suffolk County has come down with measles, health officials confirmed Tuesday. It’s Long Island’s first case of the highly contagious disease in 2025 and the third case statewide.

👮🏽 Riverhead Town Police have arrested five people on a total of 11 petit larceny charges following a series of undercover operations aimed at curbing retail theft.

We searched for the best lunch deals in Nassau County

GLI has combed through hundreds of menus from across Nassau County looking for the best prix fixes for lunch. Click here to try them all.