Yankees return home from Canada after a 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays. They open a series in the Bronx tonight with the Cincinnati Reds who wont have to travel too far after their games in Queens. Bronson Arroyo and Andy Pettite is the matchup on the mound tonight. First pitch is at 7:05 on YES.

Indiana Pacers make it two in a row against the Miami Heat with a 94-75 victory in Game 3. The fourth game of the series is Sunday afternoon at 3:30 on ABC.

We got a busy Saturday ahead of us.

NHL Playoffs continue tomorrow afternoon with Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Rangers and Devils. After a 3-2 win at the Garden on Wednesday, the Devils will look to continue their momentum with the series shifting to Newark. Faceoff is at 1pm on NBC.

NBA Playoffs continue as well with a double header in Los Angeles. Clippers continue their series with the San Antonio Spurs at 3:30 on ABC and the Lakers play the Oklahoma City Thunder for a second consecutive day at 10:30 on TNT.

Tomorrow is also the European Super Bowl. Chelsea will look to win it’s first Champions League in club history against German-powerhouse Bayern Munich who will be playing in their home stadium. Bayern has been crowned as Europe’s best four times and Chelsea is back in the finals for the first time in four years. The champion will be decided on the pitch at 2:45 on FOX.

Second leg of the Triple Crown is this weekend. After a Kentucky Derby victory two weeks ago, I’ll Have Another looks to race closer to history in the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland. Post time is at 6:05pm on NBC.

May 18, 2012
Morning News Update

Good morning. I’m James Brierton.

New faces – many of them military veterans – are swelling the ranks of New York’s homeless.

Intro: In Nassau and Suffolk counties – as in most of New York – the chronically homeless strain the resources of social service providers. They are joined by new faces lately, and many are veterans of the two overseas wars. A spike in the number of first-time homeless is being attributed to the slow economic recovery. Social workers see families who, because of job loss or reduced incomes, have exhausted their savings. And homeless advocate Greta Guarton says those families find themselves competing for housing with veterans.

Cut 63245 :06  “Veterans that are coming back are fighting with people who are already here, and they’re already under-employed and unemployed.”

Tag:  By one count, there are an estimated 700 homeless veterans on Long Island. Today (Wednesday) the Department of Veterans Affairs is sponsoring a nationwide 2-K “Walk and Roll” event at more than 130 V-A facilities, including the Northport V-A Medical Center. It coincides with National Employee Health and Fitness Day, and also encourages local businesses and communities to support homeless veterans.

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In your forecast: The sun back again today with a high of 72. Clear tonight down to 49.

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From Baltimore. I’m James Brierton.

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SmithtownRadio.com has your latest news around the clock.

May 17, 2012
Evening News Update

Good evening. I’m James Brierton.

A Lake Ronkonkoma man has been arrested for driving while intoxicated. Kurt Knoernschild (ca-know-kners-child) had 23 suspends on his license when police pulled him over yesterday in Mt. Sinai for driving erratically.

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A Nesconset man is in court again today on charges he broke into an apartment last month with the intentions of sexually abusing a female resident. Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota’s office says Neil Parikh (pear-e-ka) told police he intended to knock out the woman once inside. He fled the apartment after the woman awoke. She was not injured.

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County health officials say yet another cause of whooping cough has been reported at Commack High School. The individual is home recovering from the highly contagious respiratory disease. The district has seen at least 10 cases in the past year.

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In your forecast: The sun is finally out today with a high of 71. Down to 50 tonight with clear skies. That’s the setup as we head into the weekend.

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From Washington, D.C. I’m James Brierton.

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SmithtownRadio.com has your latest news around the clock.

Mount Sinai, NY (SmithtownRadio.com) - A Lake Ronkonkoma with nearly two dozen suspensions on his driver license has been arrested for driving while intoxicated early Thursday morning.

Kurt A. Knoernschild had 23 suspends on his license when police pulled him over in Mt. Sinai for driving erratically. An officer first noticed the 1994 Chevrolet pick-up truck after Knoernschild made a left turn through a red light.

Knoernschild was arrested and charged with Felony Driving While Intoxicated and Felony Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree. His pick-up truck was seized based on his prior DWI convictions and he was taken to the Sixth Precinct.

Knoernschild, 53, will be arraigned Thursday in First District Court in Central Islip.

Commack, NY (SmithtownRadio.com) – Suffolk County health officials say yet another cause of whooping cough has been reported at Commack High School.

The individual, whose name was not released, is home recovering from the highly contagious respiratory disease.

The district has seen at least 10 cases in the past year.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Health reminds parents the best defense against the illness is vaccination. A combination Tetanus/Pertussis vaccine is available and parents or physicians with questions about pertussis may contact the Suffolk County Department of Health Services’ Division of Public Health at 631-853-3055.

Continuing Coverage: Whooping Cough in School

Cases have popped up in all four area school districts The first area case was reported in Smithtown last June.

Yankees are buried in Ontario 8-1 by the Toronto Blue Jays. Hiroki Kuroda surrendered seven runs in five innings including a combined five runs in the second and third innings. The Yankees only run came off of a Mark Texeira RBI single in the sixth. The second leg of this series takes place tonight with a 7:07 first pitch on YES. Drew Hutchison and Phil Hughes is the pitching matchup.

Mets fail to hold a late lead to the Cincinnati Reds in a 6-3 loss. They led 3-1 two-thirds of the way home, until Cincinnati cut the lead to one run after the seventh and responded with four of them in the eighth to complete the comeback. This series concludes this afternoon with a 1:10 first pitch on SNY. Mat Latos and R.A. Dickey will be the starters.

In for Mamie this morning and of course I’ll see you this afternoon on SmithtownRadio.com. I Washington, D.C. Baltimore tomorrow!

James is on the road in Washington, D.C. but still on the radio. (Photo: C. Andrus / SmithtownRadio.com)

May 17, 2012
Morning News Update

Good morning. I’m James Brierton.

There are no injuries following a house fire in Smithtown last night. Fire crews were called to Everit Place shortly after 10 o’clock as flames ripped through the home, which suffered extensive damage. Suffolk police say the cause of the fire appears accidental in nature.

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A Nesconset man is in court again today on charges he broke into an apartment last month with the intentions of sexually abusing a female resident. Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota’s office says Neil Parikh (pear-e-ka) told police he intended to knock out the woman once inside. He fled the apartment after the woman awoke. She was not injured.

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County health officials say yet another cause of whooping cough has been reported at Commack High School. The individual is home recovering from the highly contagious respiratory disease. The district has seen at least 10 cases in the past year.

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In your forecast: The sun is finally out today with a high of 71. Down to 50 tonight with clear skies. That’s the setup as we head into the weekend.

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From Washington, D.C. I’m James Brierton.

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SmithtownRadio.com has your latest news around the clock.

Smithtown, NY (SmithtownRadio.com) – A Smithtown home was extensively damaged during a Wednesday night blaze.

The blaze broke out at 10 Everit Place around 10:05 p.m., a Suffolk police spokesperson tells SmithtownRadio.com. All of the home’s residents were evacuated to safety.

The home suffered extensive damage in the blaze, which appears accidental in nature. Suffolk police arson detectives did not respond, police say.

The Smithtown Fire Department, Kings Park and Hauppauge fire departments along with the Suffolk County Police Department responded.

SmithtownRadio.com’s James Brierton contributed to this report

Nesconset, NY (SmithtownRadio.com) – A Nesconset man is free on bail after being arrested for breaking into a female tenant’s apartment last month, the district attorney’s office says.

Neil A. Parikh told police he intended to “knock out” the woman and sexually abuse her during the April 27 break-in, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota’s office says in a news release. Parikh fled the residence after the woman woke up. The victim was not injured during the incident.

Parikh was released on $15,000 cash bail. He is scheduled to be in court again Thursday.