Making headlines this week in the towns around Stony Brook and the Setaukets are multiple controversial issues: homelessness in Port Jefferson, a new mixed-use development in Patchogue, and a blighted property in Commack.

1. Hope House Ministries addressed the public about the homeless population in Suffolk County, and specifically dispelled some of the myths about its operations in Port Jefferson.

2. A Rocky Point man was arrested after a patrolling police officer noticed the robbery in progress on Jan 11 at a 7-11 store in Coram at about 4:45 a.m.

3. In Patchogue, the race for village mayor is heating up surrounding the New Village project, with incumbent mayor Paul Pontieri supporting it and challenger Elisabeth McGuire saying it will bring blight to the village.

4. In Commack, a proposed Hess station at the corner of a five-way intersection has sparked controversy. It's the second time a Hess station has been proposed for the blighted property.

5. In case you missed its screening at the Stony Brook Film Festival, the documentary Kings Park: Stories From an American Mental Institution will be screened at Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington.