By I Love Babylon · Week of July 4, 2026

Fireworks, a heat wave, a dramatic roadside rescue, and a wave of local wins made for a packed Independence Day news cycle across the Town of Babylon. Here’s everything worth knowing this week — the big stories up top, quick hits below.

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Fireworks & July 4  • 
Toddler Rescue  • 
Toxic Algae  • 
New Rescue Boat  • 
Low Tide Bean  • 
Graduations  • 
Quick Hits  • 
What to Watch

Featured · July 4 Weekend

Fireworks Light Up the Babylon Area for the Fourth

Residents across the Town of Babylon had no shortage of Independence Day options this year — fireworks, parades, street fairs, and beach celebrations from the shoreline to the village.

Patch rounded up the nearby lineup, including the Amityville July 4 parade, Jones Beach fireworks, Captree fireworks cruises, and Long Island Ducks fireworks. And the celebrating isn’t over: the Town’s Beach Blast fireworks hit Overlook Beach on August 15.

Sources: Patch (Babylon Village) · Patch (Deer Park & North Babylon)

Safety · July 3

Police Smash Window to Save Toddler From Locked Car in Holiday Heat

2year-old rescued from a locked car in North Babylon

A 2-year-old boy was pulled from a locked vehicle at a North Babylon gas station during the weekend heat wave. Officers found the child sweating inside, broke a window to reach him, cooled him down in a patrol car, and had him evaluated at a hospital. News 12 reported the boy’s mother was not charged.

It’s a sharp reminder of how fast a parked car turns dangerous in extreme heat.

Source: News 12 Long Island

Health · Water Advisory

Toxic Algae Shuts Down Swimming at Babylon Town Hall Pond

Suffolk County health officials are warning residents to stay out of the water after confirming cyanobacteria — blue-green algae — at the pond in Babylon Town Hall Park in Lindenhurst. Officials urged residents to keep children and pets away from the affected area, and to avoid any water that looks scummy, discolored, or paint-like.

Source: Suffolk County Health Advisory

Public Safety

$777K Rescue Boat Named for Bay Constable Killed in the Line of Duty

$777Kcost of the new Harbor Patrol vessel, largely grant-funded

The Town of Babylon dedicated a new Harbor Patrol rescue vessel — The Richard L. Brooks — in memory of the fallen Bay Constable and retired NYPD lieutenant killed in the line of duty in 2004.

The 31-foot Safeboat was funded largely through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security port security grant. It carries emergency medical transport capability, thermal imaging, radiation detection, offshore response gear, and room for up to 12 people.

Source: Patch

Heat Wave · July 3–5

Town Extends Pool & Beach Hours as Heat Wave Hits Long Island

With temperatures climbing, the Town of Babylon expanded access to pools, beaches, and cooling centers. Town pools stayed open until 8 p.m., beaches ran dawn to dusk with lifeguards on duty until 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and cooling centers opened at the Town Hall Annex in North Babylon plus libraries in Amityville, Babylon, Copiague, Deer Park, Lindenhurst, North Babylon, West Babylon, and Wyandanch.

Source: Long Island Life & Politics

Roads

State Police Ramp Up Holiday Patrols — 10,000+ Tickets Last Year

10,000+tickets issued statewide during last year’s holiday enforcement

New York State Police stepped up enforcement through Sunday, July 5, targeting impaired driving, distracted driving, and unsafe road behavior with extra patrols and sobriety checkpoints. Police noted last year’s holiday period produced more than 10,000 tickets statewide.

Source: News 12 Long Island

Business · Now Open

Babylon Bean Team Opens Dockside Café on the West Babylon Waterfront

A new waterfront café and grill has landed in West Babylon. Low Tide Bean, from the crew behind Babylon Bean, opened at 605 Bergen Avenue in the former South Swell space, serving coffee, breakfast, lunch, smash burgers, wings, and casual bites with a dockside atmosphere — another summer hangout on the water.

Source: Greater Long Island

Infrastructure · State Funding

Babylon Village Pool Lands Up to $400K in State NY SWIMS Funding

$400Kfor improvements tied to the Gilbert C. Hanse Memorial Pool

Babylon Village is set to receive up to $400,000 through New York’s NY SWIMS initiative for improvements connected to the Gilbert C. Hanse Memorial Pool. The funding is part of nearly $21 million Governor Hochul announced for 16 projects statewide, aimed at expanding safe swimming access and upgrading public pool infrastructure.

Source: Office of the Governor


Schools · Class of 2026

Three Local High Schools Send Off the Class of 2026

Deer Park High School held its 63rd commencement on June 25 at Al Centamore Football Field, with graduates urged to remember where their story began. Read more →

Before graduation, Deer Park seniors returned to their elementary schools — John Quincy Adams Primary, May Moore Primary, and John F. Kennedy Intermediate — where younger students cheered them through the halls in a full-circle moment. Read more →

West Islip High School celebrated its 69th commencement, with speakers reflecting on friendship, growth, kindness, and the bond shared by the graduating class. Read more →

Sports · Team USA

Deer Park Teen Wins Gold With Team USA Flag Football

Deer Park’s Christian Myrick, a rising 10th grader and varsity standout, won gold with Team USA at the USA Football Junior International Cup in Los Angeles — putting him among the country’s top young flag football players as the sport’s national profile surges.

Source: New York Post


Around Town

Quick Hits

  • Preschool raises $10,373 for Make-A-Wish. The Learning Experience Preschool in Deer Park pulled in $10,373 for Make-A-Wish through a family-driven fundraising campaign.
  • Office manager sentenced in $230K theft. A Brightwaters woman got three to six years in prison after prosecutors said she stole more than $230,000 from her Deer Park employer — and collected $40,000+ in unemployment while working full time. Patch →
  • Amityville sisters win Sacred Sites grant. The Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville received a $3,000 New York Landmarks Conservancy grant for stained-glass restoration consulting. The Tablet →
  • West Islip faith group produces video novena. A Long Island Frassati young adult group at Our Lady of Lourdes helped complete a video novena that nearly collapsed after a hard-drive failure. OSV News →
  • St. Charles nurses deliver strike notice. Roughly 300 NYSNA nurses at Catholic Health/St. Charles Hospital were prepared to strike July 13 over staffing and wages — a regional healthcare story to watch. NYSNA →
  • West Nile detected in Dix Hills. A mosquito sample tested positive for West Nile virus — a summer reminder to dump standing water and use repellent. Huntington Now →


Looking Ahead

What Residents Should Watch Next

The through-lines this week are clear: summer is in full swing, public safety is front and center, and a new class of graduates is stepping into its next chapter. Keep an eye on upcoming Town events (Beach Blast fireworks on Aug. 15), heat and water-quality advisories, beach and pool updates, and the St. Charles nurses’ July 13 strike deadline.

For more local updates, events, and community stories, visit ILoveBabylon.com.