HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Police say a girl with autism who went missing on Long Island has been found. Authorities said 12-year-old Samiah Baksh, who has autism and is non-verbal, was reported missing Wednesday evening after she hadn’t been seen for several hours. Police said just after 10 p.m. that she had been found. Further details were not made available ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — A teacher is accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl at a school in Jersey City. The Hudson County prosecutor’s office said 67-year-old Apparao Sunkara was arrested Tuesday at his home in Hicksville. The alleged assaults took place in 2019 at the Infinity Institute of Jersey City. Sunkara faces charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 201-915-1234 ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Small businesses have just over a week left to apply for another round of loans from the Paycheck Protection Program to keep their employees paid during the pandemic. The smallest businesses get priority this time around. But CBS2’s Carolyn Gusoff reported many small business owners are unaware. A sprawling space in Hempstead would have been filled with children learning about science, technology and math. Instead, it’s been empty for a year. “When COVID-19 hit, everything stopped. I’m the only one who comes in the building most of the times… to see it empty… br ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — The holiday shopping season is nearly upon us, but the Centers for Disease Control lists shopping in crowded stores as a higher-risk activity. So how can you safely navigate holiday shopping this year? Curbside pickup has gone from the exception to the norm for many shoppers. “How easy is this? I don’t even have to get out of the car,” Long Island resident Nancy Nufer told CBS2’s Carolyn Gusoff on Tuesday. MORE: Small Businesses Not Holding Back To Draw In Holiday Shoppers It’s a new normal that will make holiday shopping look very different this year. “I’m ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Parents and students on Long Island rallied together Thursday in hopes of saving school sports this fall. Nassau County‘s Council of Superintendents recently voted to postpone all high school sports until January. On Thursday, parents, student and elected officials in Hicksville vowed to follow COVID-19 safety procedures in hopes it saves sports. “This is the right thing. We’ve embraced the New York State guidelines and said this is the right thing,” Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said. “As a three-sport athlete, I don’t want to have to choose betwee ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Several public buildings on Long Island will serve as cooling centers this week. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is encouraging seniors and parents of young children to use them to help beat the heat. Cooling centers can be found at the following locations: Cantiague Park Administration Office – 480 W John St, Hicksville, NY Conference Room Open 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. Wantagh Administration Building – 1 King Rd, Wantagh, NY Community Room Open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mitchel Field Administration Building – 1 Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Uniondale, NY First Floor Open 8 a.m ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — A Long Island toddler seriously injured by a dog celebrated her second birthday with a small gathering in Hicksville on Sunday. As CBS2’s Dave Carlin reported, it reunited her with a plastic surgeon who will forever be the family’s hero. The party took place under a tent. With a mask was the guest of honor, a pint-sized survivor. “She really is a miracle. She’s my world,” Diane Sansotta-Ingrasselino said. Alessia Sansotta-Ingrasselino (Photo: CBS2) Sansotta-Ingrasselino got the terrifying call on March 6 that her daughter, Alessia, was mauled by a family pet i ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A Mobile Recovery Unit is offering treatment to people with drug addictions in a whole new way by rolling into Long Island neighborhoods. “I ended up in prison for three years,” said Veronica Finneran, who said her spiral down began with opioids and heroin. Now she’s on the other side, reports CBS2’s Jennifer McLogan. “By me meeting them and saying I’ve been there and here’s what I’m doing with my life now, it gives them a sense of hope,” said Finneran. Finneran is part of the Mobile Recovery Team for the non-profit Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Service ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Another community on Long Island has launched what it hopes will be a major downtown renaissance. Hicksville is undergoing some big changes. The Nassau County community’s big claim to fame is it is the home town of Billy Joel and has the Island’s busiest railroad hub. Aside from that, residents say it looks like its stuck in the 1960s, with old, crumbling storefronts and very little new to draw millennials. But that all changed on Thursday, CBS2’s Carolyn Gusoff reported. MORE: Despite Upbeat Holiday Sales Numbers, Macy’s Closing 29 Stores, Including In Hic ..read more

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Police in Long Island say a man touched a 7-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl in the Broadway Commons mall after parents confronted him and he fled. Nassau County police arrested 52-year-old Hector Castro on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Authorities say the suspect was confronted by the mother the 7-year-old before he walked away. After the second incident, police located him at a nearby location. Detectives are asking if anyone else may have been a victim of the suspect, they are urged to contact police at (516) 573-6352 ..read more