The man who blew off his left arm while setting off illegal fireworks on his Islip Terrace front lawn apparently "knows he messed up." Eric Smith, 36, was using a homemade launcher (a metal pipe) when one hit him in the shoulder on Saturday; his uncle Paul Gilbert said, "He was beating himself up over what he did. He knows he messed up," and also said that Smith's wife "told the kids what happened. But she still hasn't let them see their dad. She thinks it's going to be too much for them to handle." The Post adds, "Gilbert also said Smith has been worried about whether he would be able to work at the LIRR again, but that his cousin, who is a high-ranking railroad official, has assured him he will have a job." more ›

The family of the man whose left arm was blown off when lighting illegal fireworks in front of his Islip Terrace home say that doctors cannot reattach the limb. Eric Smith's grandfather told the Daily News, "His arm is gone. It's not going to be attached." His uncle revealed to the Post that Smith asked about the extend of the damage, "He didn't realize how far it [the limb] was gone... He's going to have a rough road... a couple of tough weeks ahead of him. They could not attach the arm. It's severed from the shoulder down." more ›

If you're a collector of KKK literature, Suffolk County has just been a bounty for you lately. For the third time in a month, the Klan has left some free periodicals--this time six-page pamphlets on terraces and driveways in Islip Terrace. The newsletter, known as The Klansmen's Voice, did not sound particularly controversial, calling on readers to "buy American" and inviting them to subscribe annually by sending a check to a Michigan PO Box. Since the flyering didn't occur on unsolicited automobiles, it is covered under the first amendment and not illegal. Elsewhere on Long Island this week, a murder case against Patchogue teenagers was charged as a hate crime and racist graffiti turned up on car windshields in Mastic. more ›