Week in Review: Alleged Drunk Bus Driver, Fire District Architect Top Headlines

Cops: Three Village Driver Drove School Bus Drunk

The bus driver charged with DWI on the Long Island Expressway on Wednesday was a bus driver within the Three Village Central School District, a school spokesperson confirmed Thursday. According to police, Robert Stundis, 48, of Bohemia, was driving a Ford mini-bus with one tire missing on the westbound lanes of the LIE at around 4:45 p.m. when police stopped him just east of Exit 60 in Ronkonkoma. When officers stopped him, they administered a series of sobriety tests and determined that he was intoxicated. A breathalyzer revealed a blood-alcohol content of .23.

Setauket Fire District Hires Architect to Draw Up Building Plans

The Setauket Fire District has hired Melville-based architectural firm H2M to develop two sets of plans for the Main Street fire house, which district officials have long said is in need of major redevelopment. The process "is in its infancy right now," according to district manager Dave Sterne, who said H2M will construct both a plan for renovation of the existing fire house and a separate plan for demolition and rebuilding of a new fire house.

Drug Enforcement Rises at Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University saw drug arrests and referrals on campus rise in 2011, according to data recently released by the Stony Brook University administration. Drug arrests nearly doubled from 2010 to 2011 and drug referrals – meaning a violation of campus policy that dictates a more educationally focused outcome rather than a punitive solution – have increased more than 50 percent in the same time frame. "Basically that’s [due to] more of a proactive stance on marijuana use in the dorm rooms and other areas. We’ve been much more aggressive," Robert Lenahan, chief of university police, said in an interview with Patch.

PHOTOS: Stony Brook Marches in Columbus Day Parade

From Long Island to Omaha, and many places in between, Stony Brook sure has had its share of attention this year. Monday was no different, as Stony Brook was represented at New York City's annual Columbus day parade. The Spirit of Stony Brook marching band along with the Homecoming king and queen, the baseball team that "shocked the world," and of course Wolfie paraded through the city.

Romaine Leads Fundraising Push in Town Supervisor Race

Campaign finance records filed with the state up to Oct. 4 show Republican town supervisor candidate Ed Romaine has amassed a fund of almost $100,000 more than his Democratic opponent Brian Beedenbender. Records show Romaine, R-Center Moriches, has $142,648.60 cash on hand while Beedenbender, D-Centereach, has $43,711.11, though both candidates say those amounts have grown since the filing date.

LIPA announced Thursday that it has undertaken a project to upgrade its Stony Brook substation, which feeds power to 1,937 customers in Stony Brook and Old Field. The utility company said the project will focus on replacing the primary conductors with new high capacity lines from Old Field Road to Mount Grey Road and Blueberry Ridge Road. It is scheduled to be completed this month.