Header images: Tribute in Light, New York City — Wikimedia Commons, public domain · Babylon Town Hall, North Lindenhurst — Infrastorian / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 · Robert Moses State Park, Field 4 — Anthony22 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
By I Love Babylon · Week of September 6 – 12, 2026
Twenty-five years on, the Town of Babylon unveiled a memorial on Friday to the residents who came home from Ground Zero and died later of what they breathed there. Town Hall spent the week warning businesses about a phishing scam that sends fake invoices under the Town seal. A Copiague haunted house that has been scaring people for two decades was condemned before it could open. And a West Babylon man was sentenced to 25 years for abusing a child he was trusted to babysit. Here’s everything worth knowing from across the Town of Babylon — the big stories up top, quick hits below.
Jump to a story:
A Memorial for the Ones Who Died After •
Fake Invoices Under the Town Seal •
Condemned Before Halloween •
25 Years for Abusing a Child •
A Stunt Plane on the Robert Moses Blacktop •
Pulled From the Bay Off Tanner Park •
Heuermann Disciplined in Prison •
Dave’s Hot Chicken Comes to Deer Park •
Reworld Buys the Lindenhurst Plant •
Following Up •
Sports Roundup •
Quick Hits •
Coming Up •
Nearby •
Remembering Our Neighbors •
What to Watch Next
TOP STORY · TOWN OF BABYLON · SEPTEMBER 11
The Town Unveiled a Memorial to the Residents Who Died After 9/11, Not On It
Between Overlook and Cedar beaches, just beyond the Town’s existing September 11 memorial, a large rectangular stone sat under a blue tarp for most of this week. It was uncovered Friday, at the Town’s twenty-fifth anniversary commemoration. Fourteen names are engraved on it, flanked by marble replicas of the Twin Towers reading “Never Forget” and “Sept. 11, 2001.”
The inscription reads: “In solemn remembrance of all Town of Babylon residents who succumbed to illness as a result of their courageous rescue efforts at the World Trade Center. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten.” The older memorial a few steps away carries metal plaques for the 48 Town residents who died on the day itself. This new one is believed to be among the first on Long Island dedicated solely to the people who died afterward.
Thomas Wischerth is one of the fourteen. He was a federal investigator; he died of 9/11-related colon cancer in 2017, at 62. “My dad was a humble person who would never want that kind of recognition,” his son Rhyan Wischerth told Newsday. “Just the fact that the town is acknowledging that these guys ultimately sacrificed their lives means a lot.” Councilman Terence McSweeney put it plainly: “They were every much a part of that day as the people who passed away actually on that day.” The project was led by the Town of Babylon Fire Chiefs Association and cost about $100,000.
The reason a town needs a second memorial is in the numbers. Cancer cases tied to the World Trade Center attacks have gone from just over 5,600 in June 2016 to more than 57,000 in June 2026. Some of these cancers take decades to surface. Ken George of North Babylon, who helped with the rescue effort at Ground Zero, is one of many first responders still living with ailments traced back to it. The toll is not a closed number, and the Town has now built something that admits it.
Sources: Newsday → · Newsday → · NewsdayTV → · Fire Island News →
PUBLIC SAFETY · TOWN OF BABYLON · SEPTEMBER 11
Fake Invoices Are Going Out Under the Town of Babylon Seal
If you have an application in front of the Town — a rezoning, a variance, anything property-related — read your email carefully this month. A phishing scam that worked the East End over the summer has moved west into Babylon Town, and the people running it have done their homework.
According to Andrew Baranowski, Babylon’s director of information technology and security, the scammers are scraping the Town’s own website — possibly with the help of artificial intelligence — for the minutes and agendas of public meetings where applicants are seeking approvals. They pull the public email addresses of those applicants, then send them messages carrying the Town of Babylon seal and signed as Denise Graziano, the real commissioner of the Town’s planning and development department. The emails come from addresses like tobplanning@gmail.com. Inside is an invoice for thousands of dollars in supposed Town fees, and wiring instructions.
“They’re trying to make it look like a legit invoice,” Baranowski said. “They’re looking for people and this is the easiest way to get money.” The same scam surfaced this summer in Southampton, Riverhead and Shelter Island, and in the Village of Southampton. In one Riverhead case the intended victim was standing in the bank about to wire the money when a teller got suspicious and stopped it.
The tell is the payment method. A municipality does not email you a wire transfer request from a Gmail address. If you get one, call the department directly on a number you looked up yourself.
Sources: Newsday →
BUSINESS · COPIAGUE · SEPTEMBER 10
Condemned Before Halloween: Darkness Rising Will Not Open This Year
After two decades of scaring people on the South Shore, Darkness Rising Haunted House is going dark. The Copiague attraction will not open for Halloween 2026, because the building it operates out of has been condemned.
Owner Kevin Baird has rented the space on Chettic Avenue since 2019. “We found out there was some issues with the building way too late,” he told News 12. The Town of Babylon said the haunt was shut down because it lacked the proper permits, and was specific about which ones: the building had no certificate of occupancy for that use and lacked the fire protections required of a special amusement under the fire code. The Town added that it is willing to work with the operators on that process for next year. Baird says the approvals cannot be finished before Halloween.
He is out about $100,000 on this year’s build, and now has to take the whole thing apart. “We had to cancel the haunt and now we have to go back in there and tear the whole thing down.” He is not quitting. “I’ve always been a big Universal Studios fan and Disney, and that’s the closest I could get to doing that was a haunted house, so I just love doing it,” he said. “I’ve been doing this my entire life since I was 9 years old, so we’re going to keep going and figure it out.” He is looking for a new location.
Sources: News 12 →
COURTS · WEST BABYLON · SEPTEMBER 9
A West Babylon Man Was Sentenced to 25 Years for Abusing a Child He Babysat
A 29-year-old West Babylon man was sentenced on Wednesday to 25 years in prison for repeatedly sexually abusing a child over several years, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said. His name is being withheld by prosecutors to protect the identity of the victim. A jury convicted him in May of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and endangering the welfare of a child.
Prosecutors said it started on a screen. The man began holding Zoom calls with the girl during the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, when she was nine. He was a close family friend; she thought of him as an uncle. The calls were about games and superheroes and television, until they were not. From March 2022, the girl’s mother began regularly bringing her to his home so he could babysit while she worked, and the abuse happened during those visits.
In April 2023, when she was 12, the girl worked out from school presentations and things she read online that what had been done to her was wrong. She confronted him, and it stopped.
PUBLIC SAFETY · ROBERT MOSES STATE PARK · SEPTEMBER 9
A Stunt Plane Lost Its Propeller and Put Down in the Field 4 Parking Lot
Just after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, a single-engine Zidco Edge 540 came down in an empty parking lot at Field 4, Robert Moses State Park. Nobody was hurt, and no beach property was damaged.
The pilot, a 62-year-old Melville man flying alone, performs every year in the air show at Jones Beach. He had taken off from Republic Airport in East Farmingdale to practise for a show the following day in Cape May, New Jersey. Less than ten minutes into the flight, the propeller stopped. He put it down on the blacktop.
State park police secured the scene and closed Field 4 pending the plane’s removal. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating, which is standard after any emergency landing.
Sources: NBC New York → · Patch → · Greater Long Island →
PUBLIC SAFETY · COPIAGUE · SEPTEMBER 10
A Clammer Was Pulled From the Great South Bay Off Tanner Park
Lisandro Figueroa, 48, was clamming near the shore off Tanner Park in Copiague on Thursday evening with his brother and two friends when he lost consciousness. At about 5:09 p.m. he was found floating in the water.
A passer-by saw him, went into the bay and pulled him to shore, where CPR was started and 911 was called. Copiague Rescue paramedics continued CPR and treated him at the scene. He was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip in serious condition. Suffolk County First Squad detectives are investigating and ask anyone with information to call 631-854-8152.
A note on the dateline: some coverage filed this under Lindenhurst. Tanner Park is in Copiague, and that is where it happened.
Sources: Patch →
COURTS · GILGO BEACH · SEPTEMBER 10
Rex Heuermann Was Disciplined in Prison for Drugs and Contraband
Rex Heuermann, 62, has been disciplined at Clinton Correctional Facility for drug possession and for smuggling a package into the prison. His mail was temporarily suspended, and Newsday reported he could lose access to his commissary account if there is a second incident.
Heuermann is serving his sentence for the Gilgo Beach murders at the upstate prison known as “Little Siberia,” where he is expected to spend the rest of his life.
Sources: Newsday → · Yahoo News → · Daily Express →
BUSINESS · DEER PARK · SEPTEMBER 9
Dave’s Hot Chicken Opens on Deer Park Avenue in October
Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening a Deer Park Avenue location in October, and the franchisee behind it is not stopping at one. “The New York metro area is a growth market for Dave’s Hot Chicken,” franchisee Crecca told Newsday, noting the business already runs 12 locations. More Long Island sites are planned.
Sources: Newsday →
BUSINESS · LINDENHURST · SEPTEMBER 8
Reworld Has Acquired the Lindenhurst Materials Processing Facility
Reworld has bought the Lindenhurst Materials Processing Facility, expanding its waste processing, transportation and resource recovery capacity in New York. It is the kind of transaction that never makes the front page and quietly decides where the Town’s garbage goes for the next decade.
Sources: Recycling Product News →
Following Up
Three stories from last week’s briefing moved again this week.
- The 121 mph Southern State case drew six more outlets. Felix Pantaleon, 24, of Lindenhurst admitted he was doing 121 miles an hour on the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon when he killed Reynaldo Collado, 49, of West Babylon. We covered the plea last week. He is due back in court October 23 for sentencing. News 12 → · Shore News Network → · Hoodline → · LI Life & Politics →
- Newsday has confirmed the Chick-fil-A cancellation. The chain is not building at the Great South Bay Shopping Center in West Babylon after all, a plan the Babylon Town Planning Board had already approved. Newsday →
- The Geiger Park turtle reward is $3,000, and there is now a date of death. The yellow-bellied slider found zip-tied inside a submerged cage in Geiger Park Lake on August 23 died at West Islip Veterinary Hospital on August 25. The Suffolk County SPCA has raised its reward from $2,000 to $3,000. Call 631-382-7722; all calls are confidential. Fire Island News →
Sports Roundup
New this week, and it is going to stay. Farmingdale State College sits in and alongside East Farmingdale, and a lot of its roster comes from our communities.
- Two North Babylon players decided Farmingdale State’s win over Westfield State, and handed their coach his 250th. Sophomore midfielder Jenna Biondo of North Babylon set up the equalizer for fellow North Babylon native Katelyn Nunziato in the 68th minute, then buried a penalty with 1:06 left to win it 2–1 on Sunday. It was Biondo’s first goal in a Rams uniform. The victory was head coach Chris Roche’s 250th with the program he has run since 2005, across 14 Skyline Conference titles. Farmingdale State →
- Lindenhurst’s Riana Herold made five saves in the season opener. The senior goalkeeper kept Farmingdale State in it early against Plattsburgh State on Saturday — including a leaping save off the crossbar seven minutes in — before the Cardinals took it 2–0. North Babylon’s Nunziato and Biondo both tested the Plattsburgh keeper. Farmingdale State →
- The men’s soccer comeback fell just short against Eastern Connecticut, 2–1. Farmingdale State →
- Women’s tennis blanked Yeshiva in the Skyline opener. Farmingdale State →
- High school football is back. West Babylon opened at Half Hollow Hills West on September 9, with quarterback Jahavi Reyes under center. Newsday photos → · Newsday scores blog →
- Boys soccer: Copiague at Lindenhurst, Friday September 11. MaxPreps →
Quick Hits
- Suffolk County is dropping 240,000 rabies vaccine baits across the Town of Babylon. The Health Department’s Bureau of Public Health Protection started distributing oral rabies vaccine this week, part of the response to terrestrial rabies reappearing in 2025. Baits go out across the Towns of Babylon, Huntington, Smithtown and Islip from September 8 through October 1, tossed from slow-moving marked County vehicles into sumps, storm drains, woods and hedges. They are about the size of a condiment packet, coated in fishmeal, and are not harmful to humans or pets. The goal is a barrier of vaccinated raccoons to stop the virus moving east. Suffolk County → · Patch →
- A Deer Park man rebuilt his 9/11 light display for the 25th anniversary. James Hentschel, whose programmable light shows on Namleps Lane have become a local fixture, updated last year’s tribute to mark twenty-five years. Patch →
- A West Babylon High School senior made a 9/11 banner about peace and unity. Patch →
- Two Amityville Memorial High School students earned NYSSMA All-State honors and will perform at the 2026 New York State School Music Association All-State festival. Patch →
- The Argyle Theatre in Babylon Village has a new artistic director. Tommy Ranieri, a Commack native who directed Disney’s “Newsies” at the Argyle earlier this year, succeeds Evan Pappas, who is retiring after nine years. Ranieri comes from three seasons running Timber Lake Playhouse in Illinois and trained at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Owners Mark and Dylan Perlman credited Pappas with building the theater’s Broadway-caliber reputation. Greater Long Island →
- A crash closed part of Montauk Highway in Copiague. A pickup truck was involved and the damage was significant. News 12 →
- An Amityville man was arrested over a car stolen from a Melville Planet Fitness. Patch →
- Newsday’s editorial board argues Suffolk needs all kinds of housing, and points at the planned duplex rentals in Wyandanch we covered last week as an example of the supply the County is short of. Newsday →
- Babylon Dental Care has welcomed a new dental hygienist, Deanna Saccente, RDH, at its West Babylon practice. Press release →
Coming Up in and Around Babylon
- The Long Island Public Arts Festival is up at Geiger Memorial Park in Deer Park through October 4. Twenty-one regional artists, shown on three-sided “prism” structures along the paths of the newly renovated park, free during regular park hours. It opened September 1 and moves to Heckscher Park in Huntington from October 9 to November 1. Organizers say a ribbon-cutting with Town of Babylon officials will be announced. Patch →
- Rabies baits are out across the Town through October 1. Leave them where they lie; they are not dangerous to people or pets.
- Felix Pantaleon is sentenced October 23 in the Southern State crash.
Looking for something to do this weekend? Don’t miss our latest events roundup — your guide to festivals, live music, markets and family fun across the Town of Babylon.
See this weekend’s events →
Nearby
Two stories just outside the Town line that matter here anyway.
- A Bay Shore company has recalled 68 ready-to-eat foods over possible listeria. Made Fresh Salads Inc. announced the recall on September 6 after environmental sampling by the FDA and the company found Listeria monocytogenes in parts of its facility. It covers deli-style salads, cream cheeses and other prepared foods under the Made Fresh Salads and Northside brands with expiration dates from September 3 through September 18, 2026. No illnesses had been reported as of the announcement. The products went to retailers and distributors in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and New York City, and retailers may have repackaged them, so labels can vary. Check your refrigerator. Patch →
- A retired NYPD chief died of a 9/11-related illness this week. Charles Kammerdener, of Massapequa Park in Nassau County, died September 4 at 78. He is survived by his wife Enid, his son Sean, his daughter Cherilyn and two grandchildren his obituary calls the “light of his life.” A funeral service was held Wednesday, followed by a police escort to Calverton National Cemetery. The family asked that donations go to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Patch →
Remembering Our Neighbors
We take a moment to remember neighbors whose obituaries were published or shared this week. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.
- Connie Katsock, North Babylon — born April 3, 1940, died September 11, 2026, at 86. Dignity Memorial →
- Elizabeth A. Rand, Lindenhurst — December 14, 1951 – September 8, 2026. Tribute Archive →
- Lidia Grimaldi, Copiague — born February 14, 1935. Services at D’Andrea Bros. Funeral Home, 99 Oak Street, Copiague. Dignity Memorial →
What Residents Should Watch Next
The phishing scam is the one to act on rather than watch. It is aimed squarely at people with business in front of the Town, and the Town has named both the impersonated official and the kind of address the mail comes from. If you have an application pending, tell whoever handles your invoices. On the memorial: fourteen names are engraved on that stone now, and the honest thing to say is that the number is not final — nationally, 9/11-linked cancer cases have gone from 5,600 to more than 57,000 in a decade. The Darkness Rising closure has an opening in it; the Town said it is willing to work with the operators for next year, so whether a permitted haunt returns in 2027 is a real question with an answer coming. Pantaleon is sentenced October 23. And the Geiger Park cruelty case is still open at $3,000, with the SPCA asking anyone who was at that lake on August 23 to call 631-382-7722.
ARE YOU A BABYLON LOCAL ICON?
Two questions.
1. Do you serve the Town of Babylon area?
2. Are you rated 4 stars or above on Google?
If you said yes to both, you belong on Babylon Local — and you may already be on it. The
directory holds 1,178 businesses across the Town of Babylon.
No Google profile yet? Reach out anyway — happy to help you set one up.
One hundred of them will carry the Founding Icon badge. The Founding Icon Listing is
$399 today and includes $893
of services, through Monday, September 14 at 11:59 PM. On
Tuesday, September 15 it is $499 and loses the Google Business
Profile optimization too. The $299 Labor Day rate closed Monday night, on schedule.
The price goes up, the package gets smaller, and only the first 100 ever get the founding badge.
Make I Love Babylon a Preferred Source on Google. It takes one click, and it means our
Town of Babylon reporting shows up first when you search for local news.
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Got a story we missed? Reply and tell us — the best tips in this briefing come from
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— ILoveBabylon.com ·
Amityville · Babylon Village · Copiague · Deer Park · East Farmingdale ·
Lindenhurst · North Babylon · West Babylon · Wyandanch · Wheatley Heights ·
Gilgo Beach · Oak Beach · Captree
