Students in grades 3-8 in New York performed markedly better in 2025 in English on state assessment tests than in the previous two years — with more than half being scored as proficient, according to a preliminary report the State Education Department released yesterday.

Math proficiency rates for this group also went up, by 3 percentage points to 55%. But the increase was more significant in English where 53% of students who took the tests in April and May scored proficient, the latest state data showed. That was up from 46% in 2024, representing a 7 percentage point jump.

The improvement was the greatest in science taken by fifth- and eighth-graders. The latest state figures showed 44% of the test takers achieved proficiency. In 2024, only 35% did.

Dandan Zou reports in NEWSDAY that the State of New York’s scoring system sets four levels of achievement with the top two indicating a student as proficient or above in a subject.

Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, said the state results reflected the years of effort schools invested in additional programs in literacy and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields post-COVID.

“I think you're starting to see those years of intense focus on those areas to catch up are starting to pay off,” Vecchio said. “We are encouraged by the improvement, but obviously, still work to be done.”

Critics, however, raised questions over the test results and whether they are commensurate with the high level of per-pupil spending New Yorkers invested in the state’s public schools.

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Coopers Beach in Southampton Village and three beaches operated by the Southampton Town Parks and Recreation Department were ranked in a recent list of the top 20 beaches in New York State published by American Oceans, with Coopers coming in at No. 1.

Coopers Beach, which consistently ranks as one of the best beaches on Long Island and in New York, was recognized for “its soft, white Atlantic sand and rolling dunes [that] create the perfect backdrop for a relaxing day” and was called “a classic Hamptons beach experience.”

Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack was ranked No. 10, Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays was ranked No. 13, and Flying Point Beach in Southampton came in at No. 18.

Sagg Main Beach and Flying Point Beach earned their spots on the list for being some of the best quiet beach options on the East End. The ranking said that Sagg Main has a “casual, no-frills vibe that’s perfect for a laid-back beach day away from the crowds” and Flying Point is “a great choice if you want a peaceful beach day with the sound of rolling waves.”

“The unique thing about some of our beaches, Flying Point and Sagg Main in particular, is that they’re very quiet and laid back,” said Parks and Recreation Director Kristen Doulos. “It’s not a place people really go to see or be seen.”

Meanwhile, Ponquogue Beach, the flagship location of the town’s beaches west of the Shinnecock Canal, was called “a favorite for families, thanks to lifeguards on duty, restrooms and a pavilion with shaded seating.” Southampton Town Parks and Recreation Director Kristen Doulos noted the beach’s close proximity to restaurants in Hampton Bays as another one of the beach’s benefits.

Doulos also said that all three Southampton Town beaches are located relatively away from houses and other buildings, giving beachgoers more privacy.

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Riverhead will hold a public forum tomorrow at Riverhead Town Hall on a Suffolk County Water Authority pipeline that would run through the town. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Wednesday’s 6 p.m. forum will “communicate and share information” about the North Fork pipeline and “how it may impact” Riverhead and its residents, according to a notice from the supervisor’s office. Tomorrow's event will be accessible through Zoom and livestreamed on Channel 22. Suffolk County Water Authority plans to install a 8.5 mile long, 24-inch transmission line through the Town of Riverhead to deliver drinking water from Flanders to customers in Southold Town. SCWA officials say the project is a long-term solution to water supply issues in Southold, where infrastructure is under increasing strain during periods of peak demand.

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Orsted, the large Danish renewable energy developer, said yesterday that it would issue new shares worth 60 billion Danish kroner, or about $9.4 billion, to shore up its finances amid an industry downturn that has been exacerbated by President Trump’s resistance to wind farms.

Stanley Reed reports in THE NY TIMES that the move caught markets by surprise, sending Orsted’s share price tumbling about 31 percent in trading in Copenhagen.

The company said it was issuing the new shares because it was unable to carry out plans to sell a portion of Sunrise Wind, a large offshore wind project it is building 30 miles off Montauk Point. Orsted expects Sunrise to begin operations in 2027.

The Sunrise Wind offshore transmission cable makes landfall on the south shore of Long Island near Smith Point in Mastic-Shirley in Suffolk County with an onshore interconnection cable to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Holbrook Substation in Brookhaven Town.

Existing shareholders will have the right to buy shares proportional to their ownership. Orsted said that the Danish government, which owns 50.1 percent of the company, had agreed to subscribe to its “pro rata” share.

The planned share sale amounts to about 45 percent of Orsted’s market value on Aug. 8.

In the past, Orsted has reaped profits by initiating projects and then selling off large stakes in them to investors who want exposure to green energy.

In announcing its intention to issue new shares, the company appeared to blame the Trump administration, which has adopted a skeptical approach to renewable energy and offshore wind in particular.

It is widely accepted in the energy industry that new projects are highly unlikely as long as Mr. Trump is in office, but Orsted’s announcement shows that there is a cloud over those already under construction as well.

Orsted, which has led the development of offshore wind farms in Europe, has stumbled badly in the United States, where it had bet heavily.

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Many people know of the annual Oyster Fest that occurs in the historic hamlet of Oyster Bay in Nassau County every fall. Now Suffolk County is starting its own oyster tradition with the first Long Island Oyster Jamboree to be held at Smith Point County Beach in Shirley this coming Saturday.

“This is an incredible opportunity to showcase the oyster industry that is so important to Long Island,” Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine says. “Suffolk County is active in providing opportunities for those who continue to make a living on our waters. I am truly looking forward to a day that many will remember.”

David J. Criblez reports in NEWSDAY that Saturday’s event will focus on locally farmed oysters plus other fanfare.

Members of the Long Island Oyster Growers Association (LIOGA) will each have their own booths selling their locally farmed oysters ready to eat.

Located in Hog Neck off the shore of Southold, the North Fork Big Oyster Farm, which harvests just north of 10 million oysters, will be selling raw and smoked oysters.

Meanwhile Davy Jones Shellfish Co., which farms in the Great Peconic Bay, will serve up raw oysters on the half shell with a homemade mignonette and charbroiled oysters with butter, garlic, Parmesan and spinach.

In addition to oyster consumption, there will be oyster contests for those 21 and over. The first is the inaugural Smith Point Oyster Chase, which begins around 2 p.m.

That’s the Long Island Oyster Jamboree this coming Saturday from 1-6 p.m. at Smith Point County Beach, 1 William Floyd Pkwy., Shirley., N.Y.

Entry is free.

FOR MORE INFO suffolkcountyny.gov

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Gov. Kathy Hochul leads Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik by 14 points in a hypothetical matchup for New York governor, according to a Siena University poll released yesterday.

Vaughn Golden reports in THE NY POST that while still a hefty lead, it’s the smallest gap between Hochul and a potential GOP challenger since then-Rep. Lee Zeldin trailed Hochul by only 11 points just three weeks before the 2022 general election. Hochul would go on to win by 7 points.

The poll results come as Stefanik, who represents upstate New York's 21st congressional district, has seemingly consolidated the GOP field should she pull the trigger on a gubernatorial run following Hudson Valley Congressman Mike Lawler’s official exit from the race last month.

A fifth of those polled weren’t familiar with Hochul or Stefanik.

Asked if New York is on the right track or heading in the wrong direction, 41% said “right track” as opposed to 45% who said it was heading in the “wrong direction.”

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Long Island charms the tourists no matter the season, with sparkling holiday lights in winter, pumpkin picking and hayrides in fall and botanical gardens that bloom in spring.

But summer is really when Long Island shines.

Stacey Altherr reports in NEWSDAY that pristine beaches, raving nightlife on the water, plenty of bay to boat and the seasonal opening of top-notch restaurants reel in the out-of-towners.

But for those who live full-time in Nassau and Suffolk's summer hot spots, the season can bring intense traffic, rude drivers, lines at the supermarket and long waits at restaurants.

Despite this, there is a sense of energy residents admit they miss when the weather cools — even for those who take a deep breath before they leave their homes between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

As the east end swells with summer homeowners and weekend tourists who look forward all year to the parties and beaches…an influx of visitors often means an uptick in headaches for locals.

For example: Robert Michaelson, 75, of Sag Harbor, is a retired attorney who has owned a home here for about 40 years and has been living in the Village of Sag Harbor full time for the past five years. Over time, he noticed the crowds in his village have not only changed in numbers but in attitude. For instance, crowd size also means more impatient drivers.

"The traffic has gotten to be unbelievable," he said. "Coming in and out of the Hamptons on a weekday, because of people coming in for work, or trying to find a parking spot in the summer, is impossible."

And while others embrace the hot summer sun, Michaelson opts to stay in.

"We end up staying in the house or walking into town," he said. "The summers are clearly more crowded and more intense."

NEWSDAY shows that Southampton Police Department noted the number of calls to police usually double from a winter month versus a summer month.