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Friday, December 23, 2022
Vol. 71, No. 51
N E W H Y D E PA R K
GUIDE TO WINTER
GCP COMMISH RACE DEMS PUSH TO REDUCE RED RESULTS CONTESTED LIGHT VIOLATION PENALTIES
PAGES 21-28
PAGE 2
Ex-teach pleads guilty
PAGE 8
HO! HO! HO!
Russo vaxxed teen last year BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y Laura Parker Russo, the former Herricks High School teacher charged with injecting a minor with a COVID-19 vaccine, pleaded guilty Friday and will avoid jail time. Russo, of Sea Cliff, Russo was arrested on New Year’s Eve last year for allegedly injecting her son’s 17-year-old friend with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Nassau County detectives said they were alerted by the teenager’s mother after he returned home from Russo’s Sea Cliff residence. The youth had gone to her home and was administered an injection by Russo, to which his mother had not consented, officials said. The 55-year-old pleaded guilty to attempted unauthorized practice of medicine, a misdemeanor, and a disorderly conduct violation, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. Nassau County Judge Howard Sturim placed Russo on interim probation for one year. She must complete 100 hours of community service, attend therapy sessions twice a week and have no contact with the teen, according to the DA. “Based on the defendant’s longstanding ties to the community and her lack of a criminal record, the NCDA has agreed to this disposition,” said spokesman Brendan Brosh in a Continued on Page 39
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN TAKACS
The Lakeville Estates Civic Association held their holiday parade earlier this month.
Officials question Santos’ resume GOP congressman-elect faces calls to step down in face of newspaper report BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Droves of elected officials throughout New York and the nation have bashed Republican Congressman-elect George Santos for allegedly providing false educational and professional experience for his biography after The New York Times unearthed the discrepancies earlier this week.
Santos, who was elected to the state’s 3rd Congressional District in November, was accused by The Times of lying about earning degrees from NYU and Baruch College as well as working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Neither college could confirm his enrollment to multiple media outlets while neither company could confirm his employment.
Robert Zimmerman, the Democrat Santos defeated in the November election, said in a statement the Republican has violated the public’s trust and called on him to resign from his position. “The reality is Santos flat-out lied to the voters of NY-03. He’s violated the public trust in order to win office and does not deserve to represent
Long Island and Queens,” Zimmerman said. “Santos’ failure to answer any of the questions about these allegations demonstrates why he is unfit for public office and should resign. It demonstrates why there must be a House Ethics Committee, Federal Elections Commission, and U.S. Attorney investigation immediately.” Continued on Page 38
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