News Nearby: Blighted Movie Theater, Psych Center Smokestack Torn Down

There's plenty of news happening in our community on any given day, and the same can be said of the towns around us. Here's a look at what's making headlines in nearby Patch towns.

From Kings Park Patch: Locals React to Kings Park Smokestack Demo. In the blink of an eye, the smokestack of the hundred-year-old historic Kings Park Psychiatric Center Power Plant was demolished by a dynamite implosion. Even though the implosion occurred on time at 2 p.m., the warning horns couldn't be heard clearly in the viewing area 1,000 feet away, surprising many onlookers when the implosion occurred. Click here to see the photos and video.

From Miller Place-Rocky Point Patch: Nonprofit Foundation in the Works to Honor Family's Lost Son. It was in a moment of clarity, amid the heavy sadness of the circumstances, that the purpose of ReesSpecht Life was born. Rich Specht was asked to say a few words at the memorial service for the 22-month-old son he had just lost in a tragic accident in their Sound Beach backyard on Oct. 27, 2012. "I just looked at everyone and said, 'Do something right by each other, and do something for each other,'" he said. A friend suggested Rich and his wife Samantha start a foundation in their son's memory, an idea they immediately liked. They decided the goal of the foundation would be to "remind people the importance of community, compassion and civility." Click here to read more.

From Commack Patch: Commack Cinemas Demolished. Commack Multiplex Cinemas is now just a memory as slabs of concrete and piles of rubble lay where the theater stood for 30 years. A Lowe’s Home Improvement store will move into the location. Click here to read more.

From Port Jefferson Patch: Port Jefferson, Comsewogue School Districts Recognized for Music Education. Port Jefferson and Comsewogue are among 307 school districts from across the country to be designated as a winner in the "Best Communities for Music Education" program sponsored by the NAMM Foundation. Click here to read more.