By I Love Babylon · Week of July 5–11, 2026
A severe storm, a string of local heroes and heartbreaks, new businesses opening their doors, and the closing chapter of Long Island’s most notorious criminal case made for a heavy news week across the Town of Babylon. Here’s everything worth knowing — the big stories up top, quick hits below.
Storm & Power Outage •
A Boy’s 911 Call •
Beach Advisory •
New Businesses •
Gilgo Case Closes •
Record Fraud Fine •
Students & Scholarships •
Sports Corner •
Quick Hits •
In Memoriam •
What to Watch
Severe Storm Knocks Out Power to Thousands — and Snarls the LIRR for Days
A severe thunderstorm with damaging winds tore across Long Island the evening of July 5, cutting power to thousands of residents, including here in the Babylon area. The fallout stretched through the week: heavy rain briefly stranded vehicles and shut both directions of Route 110 in East Farmingdale near Conklin Street, and a PSEG outage rippled into the LIRR’s Babylon Branch, forcing delays, a service suspension, and at least one canceled westbound train.
Sources: News 12 · News 12 (Route 110) · News 12 (LIRR)
Community · Local Hero
A West Babylon Fifth-Grader’s 911 Call Helped Save a Neighbor From a Fire
When his sister spotted a neighbor’s house on fire, West Babylon fifth-grader Richard Duncan picked up the phone and called 911 — a quick decision that helped save the neighbor. It’s the kind of story that reminds a community what its kids are made of.
Source: Newsday
Safety · July 5
Police Rescue 2-Year-Old From Locked Car in North Babylon Heat
A 2-year-old boy was rescued from a locked car in North Babylon during a stretch of hot weather, police said. It’s a sharp seasonal reminder of how quickly a parked vehicle turns dangerous for children and pets.
Source: News 12
Health · Water Advisory
Bathing Advisory Issued for 3 Babylon Beaches After Heavy Rain
Suffolk County issued a bathing advisory for three Town of Babylon beaches following the week’s heavy rain: Amityville Village Beach, Tanner Park in Copiague, and Venetian Shores Beach in West Babylon. Advisories like these typically lift once bacteria levels return to normal, but swimmers should check before heading out.
Source: Patch
Business · Now Open
Waterfront Café Opens, Ross Moves In, and a LEGO Shop Builds Community
Low Tide Bean has opened at the Bergen Point docks in West Babylon, adding a new waterfront café just in time for the summer rush. Newsday →
Ross Dress for Less opens its fifth Long Island store in West Babylon on July 18, taking the former Big Lots space next to Lidl on Montauk Highway. Greater Long Island →
Bricks and Minifigs in West Babylon has become a beloved destination for LEGO fans — and its tied social group is creating opportunities for neurodivergent children across Long Island. News 12 → · LI Times →
Crime · Case Closed
Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Rex Heuermann Sentenced to Life Without Parole
The long-running Gilgo Beach case reached its conclusion this week. Rex Heuermann, 62 — the Long Island architect who lived a double life — was sentenced to consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, after victims’ families delivered impact statements in court. The case stemmed from the remains of women found along Gilgo Beach in Suffolk County.
Source: MSN
Crime · Record Penalty
Ex-Amityville Nurse Hit With Record $544K Fine in Fake Vaccine-Card Case
Former Amityville nurse Julie DeVuono was ordered to pay $544,000 — the largest civil penalty for vaccination fraud in the New York Department of Health’s 125-year history — over falsified immunization records for more than 160 people. Reports say she made $1.5 million selling fake COVID vaccine cards.
Sources: New York Post · Hoodline
Business · Leadership
Amityville’s NAPCO Security Names New CEO as Founder Steps Down
Amityville-based NAPCO Security Technologies is under new leadership: founder Richard Soloway stepped down as CEO, with President Kevin Buchel taking the reins. NAPCO is one of the area’s most prominent publicly traded employers.
Source: Security Systems News
Schools · Scholarships
Local Students Earn Scholarships and Recognition
Two Copiague High School students — Jocelyne Carranza Orellana and Anne DeOleo Mayorga — received engineering scholarships from West Babylon-based Power Resources International. Patch →
A Lindenhurst sign company, Visual Citi, awarded scholarships to Lindenhurst High School’s Victoria Ogilvie and a West Babylon High School graduate. LI Times →
West Babylon’s own Darlene Graham, 51, is bringing free music to LI park kids through her Rockin Tots program, featured in Newsday’s roundup of free summer concerts. Newsday →
Schools · Administration
West Babylon School District Names New Assistant Superintendent
The West Babylon School District named Karen Horoszewski assistant superintendent for finance and operations. She began June 15, arriving from the Locust Valley Central School District.
Source: Patch
Outdoors · Summer
Belmont Lake State Park Earns National Praise — Twice
West Babylon’s own Belmont Lake State Park had a banner week in the national spotlight: National Geographic featured it in a roundup of great hikes reachable by train from NYC, and a separate travel feature called it one of the state’s best hidden treasures. The park also released its summer 2026 schedule of interpretive environmental programs.
Sources: National Geographic · LongIsland.com
Sports Corner
Local Athletes on the National Stage & the World Cup Comes to a Boil
Babylon-area athletes in the national spotlight. A handful of local names surfaced in national coverage this week: Billy Koch (West Babylon, 1996) appeared on MaxPreps’ list of high schools producing top-10 MLB Draft picks since 1965; Ava Obloj of West Islip was named to the roster for the 2026 New Balance Senior All-America lacrosse games; and Gavin Pollack, an oboist from West Islip High School bound for the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, was among ten LI seniors awarded scholarships. No local varsity games were completed during the July 5–11 window — the Lindenhurst Bulldogs’ fall soccer and field hockey matchups now listed are upcoming, not yet played.
World Cup 2026 — a home-soil tournament reaches the semis. With the World Cup being co-hosted right here in the U.S., the quarterfinals wrapped this week and the field narrowed to four. Completed results over July 5–11:
| Sun, Jul 5 · R16 | Norway def. Brazil | 2–1 |
| Sun, Jul 5 · R16 | England def. Mexico | 3–2 |
| Mon, Jul 6 · R16 | Spain def. Portugal | 1–0 |
| Mon, Jul 6 · R16 | Belgium def. USMNT | 4–1 |
| Tue, Jul 7 · R16 | Argentina def. Egypt | 3–2 |
| Tue, Jul 7 · R16 | Switzerland def. Colombia | 0–0 (4–3 PKs) |
| Thu, Jul 9 · QF | France def. Morocco | 2–0 |
| Fri, Jul 10 · QF | Spain def. Belgium | 2–1 |
All three host nations are now out — the USMNT fell to Belgium, Mexico to England, and Canada earlier to Morocco. The remaining quarterfinals (Norway vs. England, Argentina vs. Switzerland) were set for Saturday, July 11, with the semifinals to follow July 14–15 and the final July 19 at New York/New Jersey’s stadium.
Source: ESPN
Around Town
Quick Hits
- Wheatley Heights ranks among Suffolk’s best. Niche’s 2026 ranking of Suffolk’s best towns for families gave Wheatley Heights an overall grade of A, with A+ schools. Greater Long Island →
- New rescue boat honors a fallen bay constable. The Town of Babylon unveiled a patrol/rescue boat named for fallen bay constable Richard Brooks, boosting water-rescue capability on the Great South Bay. Newsday →
- DWI enforcement stays active. Suffolk police arrested seven people, including a West Babylon resident, at a July 4 sobriety checkpoint — and a drunk driver nearly struck officers during a Wyandanch traffic stop. SCPD → · AOL →
- Woman seriously injured in North Babylon pit bull attack. Police said a woman was seriously hurt during a domestic dispute. PIX11 →
- Cloned debit card used at Amityville ATM. Suffolk police asked for the public’s help identifying a grand-larceny suspect. Patch →
- Usdan Summer Camp still open. The Wheatley Heights arts camp made Newsday’s list of LI camps still accepting sign-ups. Newsday →
- Preserving Victoria Castle’s legacy. A Babylon yoga instructor created a website and scholarship in her memory. Greater Long Island →
- Lottery luck in Lindenhurst. One New York Lottery evening drawing produced two top-prize winners — one ticket sold in Lindenhurst. Shore News →
- Uncle G’s marks 25 years. The local favorite celebrated its 25th anniversary and National Ice Cream Day. LI Times →
Mark Your Calendar
Coming Up in and Around Babylon
- Culture of Care Block Party — July 25 at Wyandanch Plaza, 40 Station Drive. Details →
- Adventureland Drone Show — Friday, Aug. 14 at 9:00 PM in East Farmingdale. Details →
- Vanna 20th-anniversary tour — Aug. 8 at Amityville Music Hall. Details →
- Town of Babylon concert series — 7 p.m. at 500 Mount Ave, West Babylon. Details →
In Memoriam
Remembering Our Neighbors
We take a moment to remember members of the Town of Babylon community who passed away this week. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.
- Robert M. Vollmer, 76, of Copiague — passed away July 5, 2026.
- Harold Heitmuller, 75, of West Babylon — passed away July 4, 2026.
- Kevin Paul Hay of Lindenhurst — passed away July 6, 2026.
- Charles W. Schaffner of Lindenhurst — passed away July 6, 2026.
- Stephen W. Kretz of Amityville — passed away July 5, 2026.
- Carlos Savedra of Deer Park — services at Saints Cyril & Methodius R.C. Church, 125 Half Hollow Rd.
- John F. Sullivan (1932–2026) of West Islip/Babylon — Memorial Mass July 11 at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church.
Looking Ahead
What Residents Should Watch Next
The through-lines this week are clear: summer storms are testing the grid and the rails, local kids and neighbors keep stepping up, and two long-running crime stories reached their reckoning. Keep an eye on lingering LIRR and PSEG service updates, beach-advisory lifts, and the wave of new businesses opening across West Babylon this month.
Looking for something to do this weekend? Don’t miss our latest events roundup — Department of Good Times Notice: Participation May Cause Excellent Memories (July 10–12, 2026) — your official guide to festivals, live music, markets, and family fun across the Town of Babylon this weekend.
For more local updates, events, and community stories, visit ILoveBabylon.com.
