The owners of Montauk Inlet Seafood said they've seen fewer boats fueling up at the dock they own that juts into the Block Island Sound on the east end of Long Island.

The cause: Higher fuel costs spurred by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

With New York’s layered fuel taxes — although commercial fishermen can apply for refunds — it’s often cheaper and easier to fuel up in Rhode Island, said Amanda Jones, director of operations at Inlet Seafood, a fisher co-op that ships from 12 to 18 million pounds of fish per year. “Fuel is our largest operating costs, so we’re already seeing smaller margins,” Jones told NEWSDAY. “What I predict that we’ll soon see is that New York is going to see a steady decline in fish being packed [in the state].” Brianne Ledda and Victor Ocasio report in NEWSDAY that a barrel of crude oil sold for roughly $70 a barrel before the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran at the end of February — but has soared since then.

Oil prices again swung sharply this week as markets continued reacting to the war, highlighting how quickly instability in global energy markets can ripple through Long Island’s economy. On Monday, crude oil spiked to nearly $120 per barrel — the highest mark since at least 2022 — before falling back to around $90 a barrel, where it remained yesterday.

But the relatively high price and ongoing volatility is still creating uncertainty for fuel-dependent industries here, including fishing, farming, trucking and food distribution, according to Newsday interviews with business owners and industry leaders. Rising oil prices have a direct impact on the production and price of gas, from the regular gas that fills most cars to the diesel fuel that heavy-duty commercial vehicles, boats and farm equipment typically run on.

The average price of diesel on Long Island reached $4.83 a gallon yesterday, up 90 cents compared to when the war broke out Feb. 28, according to data from AAA’s online fuel price tracker compiled by Newsday's library. The average price for regular gas on Long Island hit $3.39 yesterday, up 54 cents from $2.86 on Feb. 28. Locally, between Southampton and Bridgehampton prices ranged from $3.09 to $3.49 per gallon for unleaded regular on Tuesday.

***

With global conflicts, flight disruptions and travel advisories making headlines in recent weeks, some Long Islanders planning trips are taking a closer look at travel insurance.

But experts say many travelers misunderstand what policies actually cover, particularly when it comes to major events like geopolitical conflict.

Carissa Kellman reports in NEWSDAY that most standard travel insurance policies do not cover cancellations related to acts of war or fear of travel, and flexible upgrades like "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage are generally not available to New York residents.

Travel insurance is designed to protect travelers from unexpected costs that can arise before or during a trip. The exact coverage depends on the policy, but most comprehensive plans include several common protections.

These can include trip cancellation coverage, which reimburses prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if a traveler cancels for a covered reason such as illness or severe weather. Trip interruption coverage may help pay for the unused portion of a trip and the cost of returning home early if plans change unexpectedly.

Policies often include trip delay coverage, which can reimburse travelers for meals, lodging or other expenses if flights are significantly delayed.

Many plans also include medical coverage while traveling, payment for doctor visits, hospital stays or other treatment if a traveler becomes sick or injured. Some plans also offer emergency evacuation coverage, which can pay for transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility if needed.

Travel insurance may also reimburse travelers for lost, stolen or delayed luggage, including the cost of essential items while waiting for bags to arrive.

Because of New York State insurance regulations, Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage is generally not available to New York residents, meaning Long Islanders typically rely on standard travel insurance plans.

Those policies can still provide protection for covered situations such as illness, injury, severe weather or certain travel disruptions, but they do not offer the same flexibility as CFAR.

***

It’s one of the most beloved and time-honored traditions in Westhampton Beach. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Westhampton Beach this coming Saturday, March 14, 2026, will be celebrating its 58th year, stepping off at 12 noon at the corner of Mill Road and Oneck Lane, by the Westhampton Beach Middle School, and proceeding down Mill Road, through the traffic circle near Hampton Coffee Company and the Sunset Theater, and down to the smaller traffic circle near the Westhampton Beach Post Office and Flora, then heading onto Main Street, and down Main Street to the parade finish just past Mitchell Lane.

The Westhampton Beach St. Patrick’s Day parade, which began in 1968, regularly features many bagpipe bands, as well as several school marching bands, plus many other marchers including fire departments from across Suffolk County.

The Westhampton Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee has chosen Allyson Barone Scerri as their 2026 Grand Marshal.

And the weather forecast for this coming Saturday of mostly sunny skies, high near 47 and breezy, is suitable for enjoying a St. Paddy’s Day parade.

***

A revised version of a proposed local law aimed at public safety during federal immigration enforcement activity is now circulating among local municipalities. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the Organización Latino Americana of Eastern Long Island, or OLA, says the latest draft reflects input from East End municipal officials and attorneys gathered since the proposal was first presented publicly in Riverhead last month. But while OLA says it has met with every other East End town and village leadership team and their lawyers, Riverhead did not attend a Feb. 26th ZOOM meeting on the proposal and has yet to engage in any substantive public discussion about it.

OLA Executive Director Minerva Perez again urged the Riverhead Town Board to open a dialogue when she addressed members at their meeting last week, following what she said was additional ICE activity in Riverhead on Feb. 28, including near public schools.

On Monday, Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin told Riverheadlocal he has not met individually with OLA and that no meeting has been scheduled, but said he was not ruling one out.

Halpin also said Riverhead Police Chief Ed Frost “went to great lengths” to investigate reports tied to a video posted online after the Feb. 28 incident near a Riverhead public school. Police interviewed the parents and one of the children involved, reviewed the video and identified the man seen speaking with children outside the school, Halpin said. According to Halpin, the man was a member of the general public and not a federal agent or affiliated with law enforcement.

Riverhead Town Council Member Denise Merrifield said recently she has always supported the federal government’s immigration enforcement actions.

Council Member Ken Rothwell said yesterday that he would have “no trouble meeting with” OLA. But he also said the group appears to be “creating a narrative that, quite frankly, does not exist in Riverhead.”

“From what I’ve seen or read, they [ICE agents] have picked up wanted felons,” Rothwell said. “I support that work.”

Rothwell acknowledged that he has not read the revised draft of OLA’s proposal, but said “most of those things” in the first draft “are already being handled by our police department.”

“I think our officers right now are doing a great job,” he added.

***

Suffolk County lawmakers advanced a bill to set a boundary for demonstrators around places of religious worship "to protect public safety and the right to religious freedom." Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that the bill restricts protesters from standing within 35 feet of the entrance or driveway of the place of religious worship or within 10 feet of people as they enter or leave for services.

Legis. Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport), the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation mirrors what was recently approved in Nassau County. Similar legislation is being proposed in New York City and New York State.

The Suffolk County Legislature held a public hearing on the legislation at yesterday’s general meeting and no one spoke for or against the bill. The legislature can adopt the bill at its April 21 general meeting.

Bontempi said she views the bill as a protection of free speech and freedom of expression.

"It's just to keep that safe distance so that nobody feels threatened or concerned about sharing their opinion or practicing their religion," she said.

If passed, violators would face a $250 fine, up to 1 year in jail or both, according to the legislation which sets the penalty as a misdemeanor.

Within that 35-foot boundary, the bill bars anyone "to demonstrate, picket, protest, distribute literature, display signs, engage in oral advocacy or other forms of expression or symbolic conduct."

Suffolk County police or another local law enforcement agency would first issue a "verbal, written or other communicative or expressive instruction" to the demonstrator, according to the bill.

County Executive Edward P. Romaine, a Republican, said he supports the bill, according to spokesman Mike Martino.

"Houses of worship are a sacred respite for anyone practicing their faith a...

Westhampton Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade this Saturday