2026 Long Island preview: LIRR strike deadline, Green Acres mall transformation, Gilgo and more big cases head to trial

When Long Islanders wake up on Jan. 1, the world will be changed already. MetroCards will be a thing of the past, a temporary boost in federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance will have expired and the state's minimum wage will have increased to $17.

That's just the beginning.

The early days of the new year could bring about the first Long Island Rail Road union strike in more than 30 years, the closure of a local zoo and the re-sentencing of former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.

And several high-profile cases — including that of the suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller's accused killer and the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer — are expected to go to trial in 2026.

Horse racing is expected to return to Belmont and the U.S. Open to Shinnecock Hills for the first time in years. And the Island stands to see several new business openings and expansions, as well as major downtown projects taking shape.

How do we know all of this and more?

Newsday reporters have scoured their notes, consulted their sources and maybe taken a trip or two in a DeLorean to come up with this year's list of notable developments to keep an eye on.

So come take a peek into the future with us, so you know what to expect in the year ahead.

January: Zoo closes, potential strike and Gilgo case

Possible LIRR strike. The first Long Island Rail Road strike in more than 30 years could happen as early as midnight on Jan. 16, unless the MTA settles a contract dispute with five of its unions, or a request is made for intervention from the White House. — Alfonso A. Castillo

Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer case nears trial. Rex A. Heuermann, the Massapequa Park architect charged with the killings of seven women whose remains were found near Gilgo Beach and on the East End, is due back in court for his criminal case Jan. 13.

Defense attorneys Michael J. Brown and Danielle Coysh are expected to file motions on that date seeking to suppress evidence and challenging the grand jury presentation regarding alleged victims Sandra Costilla and Valerie Mack. Those pretrial issues would be decided in the first part of the year with a trial planned for September, Brown said. — Grant Parpan

No more MetroCards. You’ll no longer be able to buy a MetroCard, as the MTA planned to stop sales of the 30-year-old magnetic stripe fare card on Dec. 31. Taking the MetroCard’s place is the OMNY tap-and-go fare system, which is already in place on all city buses and subways. Nassau’s NICE Bus says it expects to have OMNY in place on its vehicles by Jan. 4. — Alfonso A. Castillo

LI zoo closes. The controversial zoo at the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve is set to close after more than 40 years. The Brookhaven Town Board sealed the zoo’s fate in November when it voted 7-0 to approve the town budget, which called for closing the facility as a cost-saving measure. While many animal welfare advocates had said animals at the zoo were mistreated and abused — which town officials denied — zoo supporters said it was a cherished place to bring children, grandchildren and students. — Carl MacGowan

Minimum wage increases. The state minimum wage will increase to $17 an hour on Long Island, in Westchester and in New York City, up from the current $16.50, effective Jan. 1. Beginning in 2027, the rate will be tied to inflation, according to plans adopted by the state in 2023. — Victor Ocasio

Mangano’s resentencing. Former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence at a Massachusetts facility, will be resentenced on Jan. 15 after an appellate court dismissed two of his felony convictions. Mangano, a Republican, was convicted of bribery and fraud for his role in directing Oyster Bay Town officials to indirectly back what amounted to $20 million in loans for restaurateur and town concessionaire Harendra Singh.

In February 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed Mangano’s convictions on bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery involving federal programs," ruling that Mangano was not an "agent" of the Town of Oyster Bay, which maintains a separate government from the county government. Singh has testified that he bribed Mangano with a $454,000 "no-show" job for his wife, Linda Mangano, who served about five months of a 15-month sentence for lying to the FBI. Edward Mangano also received bribes of free meals and vacations, two luxury chairs, hardwood flooring for the couple’s bedroom and a $7,300 wristwatch for one of their sons, Singh testified. — Nicole Fuller

Fare increases. New rates take effect across MTA transit agencies and crossings on Jan. 4. On the Long Island Rail Road, fares will go up by around 4.4%. In another change, one-way tickets will only be valid until 4 a.m. on the day after they are purchased. On New York City buses and subways, and Nassau’s NICE Bus, fares will go up to $3. — Alfonso A. Castillo

Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies end. As of Jan. 1, about 28,000 Long Islanders with Affordable Care Act insurance will face an average 32% increase in premiums because federal subsidies adopted in 2021 are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. Congress in 2021 provided money to increase subsidies for many low- and lower-middle-income people and for the first time provided subsidies for many middle-class families. The recent government shutdown was in part because of Democrats’ refusal to vote for a spending bill that didn’t include the expanded subsidies. To end the shutdown, Republicans agreed to hold a Senate vote this month on whether to extend them. — David Olson

Sprouts Farmers Market opens. The first Sprouts Farmers Market in New York State is set to open in Centereach on Jan. 30. The fresh, natural and organic foods grocer will open the store at 1934 Middle Country Rd. in 24,000 square feet of the approximately 43,000-square-foot space that LA Fitness vacated in January. Headquartered in Phoenix, Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. is a fast-growing specialty retailer that has more than 450 stores in 24 states. — Tory N. Parrish

Paid family leave boosts benefits. Beginning Jan. 1, Long Islanders who take Paid Family Leave may receive up to $14,742 in benefits, an increase of more than $614 from 2025, according to the state Workers' Compensation Board. — Victor Ocasio

Executives discuss state of the region. On Jan. 9, county executives Bruce Blakeman and Edward P. Romaine will discuss the "state of the region" before about 1,000 business executives and nonprofit leaders at a Long Island Association breakfast at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. With Blakeman, who recently announced plans to run for governor, and Gov. Kathy Hochul attending past breakfasts, the question remains whether Blakeman, a Republican, will repeat his remarks of two years ago that Hochul, a Democrat, isn’t welcome on Long Island. — James T. Madore

Dem joins GOP-controlled board. After four years of all-Republican rule, pastor Jerry Halpin will be the first Democrat to join the Riverhead Town Board since 2021 when he is sworn in as supervisor this month. Halpin, 53, narrowly defeated incumbent Tim Hubbard, 65, by 37 votes in November’s general election. — Tara Smith

Suffolk pipeline project. The Suffolk County Water Authority’s $30 million plan to boost water supply in Southold will undergo more environmental review and public feedback early in the new year. Officials at the utility said they anticipate a draft environmental impact statement to be completed by the end of January. Once it’s released, public hearings will be held on the document before the SCWA board makes a determination on the project’s environmental impact.

The pipeline would bring "pristine" water from the Pine Barrens to Southold via an 8.5 mile, 24-inch transmission line through Riverhead. The proposal has sparked concerns about heavy construction, traffic and economic disruptions in Riverhead as Southold residents fear unwanted effects added water supply could have, including more development.

SCWA officials said the shallow and failing wells in Southold put supply at dangerously low levels during summer and the new pipeline would meet existing demand. — Tara Smith

Former teacher to stand trial for sexual abuse allegations. Thomas Bernagozzi, a Babylon resident charged with felony counts of criminal sex act, sexual conduct and possessing a sexual performance by a child — charges relating to three elementary school students under his care decades ago — is scheduled for trial beginning Jan. 5, his attorney said.

Prosecutors are seeking to include testimony at trial from more than three dozen additional students who allege Bernagozzi abused them while teaching at Gardiner Manor and Mary G. Clarkson elementary schools from 1970 to 2000. — Grant Parpan

Wolf Moon. The first of three so-called supermoons of 2026, this one completes on Jan. 3 what astronomers consider a "rare" four-consecutive-month supermoon series — including the Oct. 6 Harvest Moon, Nov. 5 Beaver Moon and the Dec. 4 Cold Moon. The moon will appear larger, bigger and brighter in the night sky, and will draw higher tides than normal. The Quadrantids meteor shower, which begins Dec. 28 and ends Jan. 12, also peaks on Jan. 3 — but the timing means almost all will be obscured by the brightness of the supermoon. — John Valenti

Home health aides earn more. The state-mandated hourly minimum wage for home health aides in Long Island, New York City and Westchester will rise to $19.65, up from $19.10 in 2025, effective Jan. 1, according to the New York State Department of Labor. — Victor Ocasio

Congesting pricing milestone. The MTA’s controversial congestion pricing program marks its first anniversary on Jan. 5. After being debated for decades, the program took effect in Jan. 5, 2025, charging most vehicles $9 for driving below 60th Street in Manhattan during peak periods. MTA officials say the program has been successful in reducing traffic and air pollution, and speeding up travel times. — Alfonso A. Castillo

Early 2026: Trials in police officer's death and CEO killing, motel shuttered

Trial in NYPD officer killing. The trial of Guy Rivera, who is charged in the March 2024 killing of NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller, is expected to take place this year. Judge Michael Aloise in Queens is expected to rule on pretrial motions early in December and set a trial date for early 2026. Rivera is accused of shooting and killing Diller on March 25, 2024, in Far Rockaway, Queens during a traffic stop and search for a weapon. Diller, from Nassau County, was part of a community response team when he died and was promoted after his death to detective. A co-defendant, Lindy Jones, was charged with weapons possession in the case. — Anthony N. DeStefano

State education aid. School officials are keeping a close eye on the New York State budget negotiations, in particular "looking to see if the pressure the state is under with the loss of federal funding for Medicaid and other areas" will have an impact on state education aid, said Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association. Educators are also monitoring possible changes to federal funding, especially for special-needs students, and whether technical support to schools will be impacted as some of the federal Education Department’s responsibilities are assigned to other agencies. — Lorena Mongelli

Canon awaits tax breaks decision. Clarity is expected in the first quarter on whether Canon U.S.A. Inc. will keep all of the $7 million in tax breaks for its Melville headquarters. The seller of cameras and photocopy machines must submit employment reports to the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency, which granted the tax aid. The agency determines compliance based on a client’s highest point of employment in the previous year. For example, in early 2024, Canon had 1,092 employees in Melville, 11 more than required. Months later, however, about 100 workers lost their jobs, as Newsday previously reported. — James T. Madore

New police precinct. Construction will begin on the Port Washington Police District’s new 25,000-square foot facility on Main Street. The $32 million project is a subject of controversy on the peninsula. Supporters insist the space is necessary to accommodate the needs of the district, while critics say it is too big and will increase traffic in an area already overwhelmed with traffic. — Joshua Needelman

New rules on greenhouse gas emissions. New York State is under court order to issue regulations by Feb. 6 that will cut greenhouse gas emissions as required by the state’s landmark climate law.

The 2019 law, called the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, mandates a reduction in emissions of 40% by 2030 (compared with 1990 levels) and 85% by 2050. The state failed to meet the original deadline to set rules in 2024, and the Supreme Court justice in Ulster County said its excuses wouldn’t fly.

For a time Gov. Hochul was promoting a cap and invest program as the main mechanism to meet the climate goals. But she abruptly dropped the plan a year ago; if she isn’t keen to revive it, she has a very short window in which to propose another way. — Tracy Tullis

Shuttering motel among downtown projects. The Town of Oyster Bay expects public and private projects in downtown Hicksville to continue next year. The town will begin streetscape projects on Broadway in early 2026, said Brian Nevin, an Oyster Bay spokesman. A new pedestrian path to the station, called Festival Plaza, and The Underline, a new area under the train trestle with pop-up shops and outdoor cafes, is expected to be completed in September, Nevin said. 

Construction is expected on multiple mixed-use developments in the downtown area, including Fieldstone at North Broadway. Alpine Residential, a project featuring 7,660 square feet of commercial space and 189 apartment units, is slated to open between April and September, Nevin said. The four-story building will hold studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. Nineteen of the units will be designated as affordable housing. 

Oyster Bay plans to purchase and demolish the Budget Inn Motel in the first half of 2026, according to Nevin. The town sued the owners of the property last year, and a judge ordered the site be demolished. — Joseph Ostapiuk and Celia Young

Reckless driving enforcement. Suffolk police will continue its crackdown on motorists who speed, tailgate, run red lights, pass on shoulders and drive while impaired. A decline in violent crime, officials said, has freed up resources and allowed authorities to focus on reckless drivers who not only cause premature deaths and life-altering injuries, but also drive up insurance premiums. Most people in Suffolk are not going to be victims of a violent crime, police officials told Newsday, but everybody is affected by someone weaving in and out of traffic at 100 miles per hour on the Long Island Expressway. — Michael O'Keeffe

CEO killing trial. The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside an investors’ convention in December 2024 on a Manhattan sidewalk stunned the public, but also tapped a deep discontent with the U.S. health insurance industry. Early next year, the suspected shooter, Ivy League computer engineering graduate Luigi Mangione, will go to trial in Manhattan Supreme Court on second-degree murder and weapons charges.

Mangione, who grew up in suburban Maryland, was arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s after a massive six-day manhunt and charged in both state and federal court. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors have said that Mangione confessed to the crime in a series of notebook entries in which he critiques the U.S. health care system and complains about the greed in the medical insurance business. — Janon Fisher

Chronic absence in school. The state Education Department is expected to release district-by-district data on chronic absenteeism in schools. What educators and experts are closely watching is whether chronic absence has continued to decrease on Long Island, meaning more students are attending school more consistently. One particular worry for many educators is whether ramped-up immigration enforcement under the Trump administration has led to spikes in absences for schools that serve large immigrant student populations. — Dandan Zou

March: New supermarket opens, total lunar eclipse 

Compare Fresh supermarket opens. Compare Fresh, a Hispanic-format supermarket, will open in March in Hempstead Village. The 16,000-square-foot store will open on the ground floor of a new mixed-use retail and affordable housing development at 159 Main St. The supermarket will employ 54 people and include full-service bakery, butcher and deli departments; fresh produce; and to-go meals, owner José Urena said. — Tory N. Parrish

Total lunar eclipse. Making up for the fact that February's solar eclipse will only be visible in remote areas of the Antarctic and the Southern Indian Ocean, Long Islanders should be able to take in a total lunar eclipse on March 3. — John Valenti

The Oscar goes to ... The 98th Oscars will be held at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre and air live on ABC with Conan O’Brien hosting on March 15. Nominations will be announced on Jan. 22, and it’s expected that "Wicked: For Good" will grab several, along with early favorite "One Battle After Another." In 2026, a new category, achievement in casting, has been added. — Andy Edelstein

Ross Dress for Less expanding. Off-price retailer Ross Dress for Less, which entered the Long Island market last summer, now has its sights set on two more areas on the Island. The clothing and home goods retailer plans to open its third and fourth Long Island stores in Riverhead and Lake Grove, respectively, in March, a spokeswoman for Dublin, California-based Ross Stores Inc. told Newsday in an email.

In Riverhead, Ross will take over a portion of the former T.J. Maxx store at 1120 Old Country Rd. In Lake Grove, the retailer will open an approximately 26,000-square-foot store in DSW Plaza, at 3190 Middle Country Rd., said Jerry Welkis, president of Welco Realty Inc., the New Rochelle-based firm that is the leasing agent for the shopping center. — Tory N. Parrish

Spring: New developer for Penn Station, downtown project breaks ground

Downtown revitalization project. Long-awaited construction of Riverhead’s Town Square is expected to get underway in 2026. The town named Joseph Petrocelli master developer of the downtown revitalization project in August. According to the developer’s timeline, construction of a hotel is expected to begin in May 2026, with other components like a playground and amphitheater to begin later in 2026. Completion of the hotel is anticipated in summer 2027. — Tara Smith

New Penn developer picked. The U.S. Department of Transportation expects to select a developer for Penn Station’s reconstruction, which will include new entrances and exits, natural light and taller ceilings. Project officials say design work and an environmental study will begin during the summer, and that construction will start by the end of the year. — Alfonso A. Castillo

Aldi preparing to open another store. Fast-growing discount grocer Aldi plans to open an approximately 21,000-square-foot store in Great Neck by the end of April, said Chris Daniels, vice president of the Germany-based grocer’s U.S. South Windsor Division. The store will be at 38 Great Neck Rd. and occupy about half of the space vacated in 2021 by a Best Market supermarket. — Tory N. Parrish

Eatery opening second location. Babylon's upscale restaurant The James is planning to open its second location, in Garden City. Owners Andrew Affa and Steven Squirito took over the new location, the former Primehouse, in late 2025. The site will undergo a full renovation before opening this spring. Expect iconic luxuries like caviar service, lobster Thermidor and beef Wellington. — Erica Marcus

Burlington plans another opening. Burlington has nearly doubled its number of stores on Long Island in the last two years, but the off-price retailer isn’t stopping there. The clothing and home goods retailer will open a store in the Melville Mall shopping center in spring 2026, spokeswoman Morgan Williams said in an email. Burlington plans to occupy a 32,314-square-foot space, at 180 Walt Whitman Rd. that was vacated in March by a 10-year-old Macy’s Backstage, also an off-price retailer. — Tory N. Parrish

New train station. The LIRR expects to open its new Yaphank station, which will be about a mile east of the LIE’s Exit 68 and three miles from the current station off Yaphank Avenue, in the second quarter of the year. Once the new station is open, the old Yaphank station will be demolished. — Alfonso A.Castillo

Spotted lanternfly hatchings. The invasive spotted lanternflies — eye-catchingly large-winged red insects that consume and ruin plants — have established themselves on Long Island, with many reported in Nassau and western Suffolk this summer. Hofstra University biology professor Lisa Filippi said that while few were seen on the East End, the species is multiplying and could potentially harm vineyards and farms if preventative measures are not made.

Female spotted lanternflies lay their egg clusters in late fall on both organic and non-organic materials, such as cars and walls, and then hatch in late spring. These clusters can survive harsh conditions, so the best way to prevent the expansion is to stomp on them and keep an eye out for them during the winter. — Maureen Mullarkey

Golf course project. Glen Cove expects ongoing construction on the city's golf course sprinkler system will be completed in spring 2026. The city anticipates the complete replacement of its Nancy Court water well and the installation of a new packed aeration well at the Duck Pond Road well site will be completed in 2026, bolstering Glen Cove's water treatment systems. — Joseph Ostapiuk

New play spaces. The Town of Babylon is expecting to make several upgrades in the spring, including adding pickleball courts and playgrounds. In early spring, resurfaced tennis courts will be lined for pickleball at the North Amityville Pool, North Lindenhurst Pool and Deer Park Pool. By late spring, Herman Griem Park in Wheatley Heights, along with the North Amityville and North Lindenhurst pools will see new playgrounds being installed.

New Colonial clocks will also be installed in Wheatley Heights at Colonial Springs Road and North 27th Street and in North Babylon at Deer Park Avenue and Route 231 in early spring. — Denise Bonilla

Largest business trade show. The largest business trade show on Long Island will take place on May 28 at Suffolk County Community College’s Brentwood campus under the auspices of the HIA-LI. — James T. Madore

June: U.S. Open golf heads back to Shinnecock, Jones Beach concerts 

The U.S. Open returns. The U.S. Open golf tournament returns to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton for the first time since 2018. It’s the sixth time the historic Long Island golf course has hosted golf’s toughest major. The tournament starts on June 18, but practice rounds open to the ticketed public begin on June 15. It will run through June 21. The sporting event is estimated to bring 40,000 people to the course, and likely heavy traffic to the South Fork. — Mark LaMonica and Alek Lewis

Concerts at the beach. Northwell at Jones Beach Theater has already set several shows for next summer, starting with country singer Riley Green on June 20. Other concerts scheduled for 2026 include Evanescence on June 24, Jack Johnson on June 28, Train on July 18, Chicago and Styx on July 23, Rod Stewart on July 31 and Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner on Aug. 21. — Andy Edelstein

Renovation work. By the summer, renovations are expected to be completed on the Town of Babylon’s Irwin S. Quintyne Annex building in North Amityville. — Denise Bonilla

Hotel moratorium expires. The future of tourism and hospitality on the North Fork could come into focus as Southold’s moratorium on new hotels is set to expire in June 2026. The town board first hit pause on hotels in response to a flurry of new applications in 2024, and renewed the freeze to buy additional time as the town revamps its zoning regulations townwide. — Tara Smith

Summer: One chain returns to LI, another debuts and the air show gets new date

 

Bojangles plans Long Island return. Bojangles’ big expansion push will include the Southern chicken chain's return to New York — and a Long Island restaurant is part of the plan. Jericho resident Habib Hashimi, through his company, Hashimi Holding Corp., signed a franchise deal with Bojangles Restaurants Inc. in August to open 20 of the fast-food eateries in the metro area. His first Bojangles on Long Island is planned for the 3000 block of North Ocean Avenue in Farmingville, and he hopes to open the 2,806-square-foot eatery this summer, if the town of Brookhaven grants the construction approvals in time. With 850 restaurants, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bojangles Inc. is one of the fastest-growing chicken chains in the United States. — Tory N. Parrish

Hospital unveils new patient pavilion. In late summer, South Shore University Hospital is expected to open its new patient pavilion in Bay Shore. The six-story, 200,000-square-foot building will add up to 90 patient rooms and 10 operating rooms to the hospital facility, according to Northwell Health. — Celia Young

Jazz takeover. The Jazz Loft, a nonprofit music performance, preservation and education group based in Stony Brook, is taking over the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall in downtown Riverhead. The town board voted to sell the theater to the group last fall. Jazz Loft leaders are eyeing a summer reopening after a winter of renovations at the historic venue, which dates to 1881. — Tara Smith

The Picklr to open second LI location. The largest indoor-pickleball chain in the nation plans to open a second Long Island location in late summer. The Picklr has signed a lease for a 47,800-square-foot space at 3124 Jericho Tpke. in East Northport, said Tom Neale, majority owner of the franchise company that will own the pickleball club. The East Northport space was occupied for 23 years by a Best Buy store, which closed in March 2024. The Picklr’s East Northport franchise, called The Picklr Commack, will have 15 courts, as well as a member lounge, full pro shop, grab-and-go cafe, locker room and private event space, said Neale, whose franchise company will open the first Picklr on Long Island, in Centereach, this month. — Tory N. Parrish

The air show in July? The Jones Beach FourLeaf Air Show will move from Memorial Day weekend to the Fourth of July weekend in 2026 to honor the nation’s 250th birthday, Hochul announced. Jones Beach State Park will host an Independence Day 2026 fireworks show, followed by the air show on July 5 and 6. The show is moving for just the one year to mark the anniversary, before returning to Memorial Day weekend in 2027. — John Asbury

Tony’s Di Napoli opens first LI location. Family-style Italian restaurant Tony’s Di Napoli plans to venture out of the Big Apple for the first time in more than three decades. With two New York City locations already, Tony’s plans to open a restaurant on Long Island, in a former TGI Fridays space in Manhasset in the Miracle Mile shopping district. The new restaurant will open in summer 2026 in leased space at 1445 Northern Blvd., said Stuart Wetanson, a third-generation owner of the restaurant business. In July, he told Newsday that the eatery would open in early 2026, but he said on Dec. 2 that the opening had been pushed back to the summer because permitting from the Town of North Hempstead and the design process took longer than expected. — Tory N. Parrish

State’s Essential Plan ends. About 70,000 Long Islanders who have $0 health insurance premiums under New York’s Essential Plan will lose coverage as of July 1. After Congress eliminated $7.5 billion in annual federal funding for the state program in July, the state health department announced it would drop coverage to anyone earning 200% to 250% of the poverty level — up to $39,125 for an individual. Those who seek Affordable Care Act coverage as an alternative will face higher premiums in that program because of a planned cut in federal subsidies. People who earn up to 200% of the poverty level who don’t qualify for Medicaid will be shifted to a different state program. 

The state has said that, for those shifting to the Qualified Health Plan market, premiums will be 40% higher in the new year unless Congress extends enhanced premium tax credits. "We recognize that there is a lot of anxiety this year surrounding health care costs and the potential expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits, which have made coverage more affordable for thousands of New Yorkers," the state said in a statement. "The impact of these federal policies on New Yorkers enrolled in Qualified Health Plans and the Essential Health Plan could leave thousands with sharp increases in premiums, or without coverage altogether." — David Olson and Brianne Ledda

New Adventureland ride. Visitors to Adventureland in 2026 should finally be able to experience the new Wave Twister ride that was originally supposed to open last season. Two additional new rides are also planned to debut this summer, but after the unanticipated Wave Twister delay, park managers are being more conservative about announcing details until they are finalized, says Caitlin DiSclafani, park manager. Wave Twister’s opening was delayed due to manufacturing and fabrication issues, DiSclafani says. Wave Twister riders will climb onto what looks like an enormous contact lens case. Ten riders will be seated in each of the two circles as the car rides along a track that simulates being on ocean waves. — Beth Whitehouse

The Great South Bay Music Festival. Patchogue will host the music festival from July 23 to 26. Organizers have already announced two of its headlining acts: Sublime takes the stage on July 24, while My Morning Jacket closes out the festival on July 26. The latter will be making their first appearance at GSB. Tickets are now on sale. — Andy Edelstein

Partial lunar eclipse. The moon will be 96.2% covered on Aug. 28. The eclipse will be completely visible over North America, South America, the Pacific Ocean, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Which means you’ll be able to see it right here on Long Island — barring any kind of summertime storms or cloud cover. — John Valenti

 Fall: Racing returns to Belmont, 9/11 anniversary and NBA scandal 

Belmont Park prepares for racetrack opening. The redeveloped Belmont Park is scheduled to open for live horse racing in Elmont in September, according to New York state. The state loaned the New York Racing Association $455 million in 2023 for the project, which included tearing down the old 1.25-million-square-foot grandstand and building a new, five-story facility. After the redevelopment, the Breeders’ Cup is slated to return to Belmont Park in October 2027 for the first time since 2005. The Belmont Stakes is expected to return to the track in 2027 after three years at Saratoga. — Celia Young and Mark LaMonica

Potential new charter schools. Two new charter schools could welcome students in Brentwood, pending a second review from the State University of New York after the state’s Board of Regents sent the charter proposals back to SUNY on Dec. 16. SUNY trustees will now decide whether to re-submit the proposals. The elementary school and middle school would be run by the Academy Charter School, Long Island’s biggest and highest-performing charter school system. The Academy’s proposal for the new schools has faced fierce opposition from the Brentwood district and the local teachers’ union, whose members argued the new charters will drain funding from the local public school district. Charter supporters have argued that these independently-run public schools offer an alternative for parents dissatisfied with their traditional public school options. — Dandan Zou

25 years since 9/11. The coming year marks the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, which killed 2,977 Americans, including 497 Long Islanders. A quarter century has passed since a group of terrorists hijacked commercial airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A third plane that authorities have theorized was on its way to the White House or Congress crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought back against the hijackers.

Just as in past years, the attacks will be remembered with an annual reading of the names at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan, and in ceremonies at the Pentagon, in Pennsylvania and on Long Island. — Nicole Fuller

NBA gambling scandal. The NBA card cheating case, involving 31 defendants from NYC, Long Island and elsewhere, is expected to go to trial in Brooklyn federal court in September 2026. Judge Ramon Reyes Jr., is pushing for an early trial despite the large number of defendants. A number of reputed Mafia members, including two from Long Island, are among the defendants, as well as NBA coach Chauncey Billups. Some cases might settle with plea negotiations so that will be watched. — Anthony N. DeStefano

New York’s school cellphone ban. Public schools must publish an annual report detailing how the new policy was enforced in the prior school year. The reports will offer the first comprehensive look into how the statewide policy was implemented locally and must include demographic data on students who were disciplined for violating the ban and any "demographic disparities" in enforcement. Many school leaders have praised the bell-to-bell cellphone ban and said they saw meaningful change in school environments, with students more engaged and less distracted. — Dandan Zou

Maritime festival saved? Greenport’s annual maritime festival faced uncertainty after the East End Seaport Museum announced it would cancel the festivities in 2026. But a group of merchants led by the village’s Business Improvement District is working to salvage the three-decade-old tradition, which may be scaled back, but is expected to go on this fall. — Tara Smith

Meteor showers. Sept. 20 begins a series of fall meteor showers involving the Southern Taurids, Orionids and the Leonids. The Taurids run from Sept. 20 to Nov. 20, with peak viewing on Nov. 4 and 5 — when, the American Meteor Society said, they’ll streak the skies "with fireballs." The moon will be just 18% full, so viewing may be terrific. Not so for the Orionids, which should be visible from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7, but peak viewing on Oct. 21 and 22 figures to be hindered by a moon illuminated at 80%. The Leonids run from Nov. 6 to 30, with peak viewing on Nov. 16 to 17, when the moon will be illuminated at 45%. — John Valenti

Personal finance instruction. Students in grades 5-12 can expect classes in financial literacy to begin in the 2026-27 school year, as the state starts phasing in new high school graduation requirements. Known as "Portrait of a Graduate," students will be expected to have six qualities, including "creativity, critical thinking, communication, reflection and global awareness," according to the state Board of Regents. — Lorena Mongelli

Election Day. Several important local races will be decided when voters head to the polls on Nov. 3.

Nassau County’s three towns will hold elections for supervisor and two will hold elections for town clerk because those elected in November will serve truncated one-year terms as towns transition to even-year elections. The elections will give Democrats another chance to challenge Republican or Republican-backed incumbents.

Incumbents facing new even-year elections include: Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferrette and Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray, both Republicans; North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, a Democrat who runs on the Republican line; and Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Oyster Bay Town Clerk Richard LaMarca. 

Even though Suffolk County residents cast ballots for their legislators, winners are expected to appear on the ballot again thanks to a recently signed law that extends the length of terms from two to four years. The threat of a lawsuit challenging the law could upend those plans, making 2026 a wait-and-see-year on whether Suffolk locals will see an election on the county legislature level.

Two-year terms for New York State’s 26 congressional districts are up for grabs. That includes the four seats from Long Island now held by Reps. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), Andrew Gabarino (R-Bayport), Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre). A close fight nationally is anticipated for majority control of the 435-seat U.S. House — now held narrowly by Republicans. Non-partisan political handicappers view the seats held by Gillen and Suozzi as among so-called swing districts that could be pivotal to the outcome.

Atop the ballot, a four-year term as New York governor will be at stake. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is running for a second full term in the job. Another Democrat who has launched a campaign for the post is current Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. On the Republican side, North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman have both announced they are seeking their party’s nomination for governor. Hochul was the lieutenant governor in 2021 when then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned and she ascended to governor. She then won her first four-year term in 2022.

Four-year terms as lieutenant governor and state comptroller also are in play. Democrat Thomas DiNapoli of Nassau County has held the comptroller’s job since 2007.

A four-year term as New York state attorney general is also on the ballot in 2026. Democratic incumbent Letitia James is expected to seek re-election.

And two-year terms for all 150 state Assembly seats and 63 state Senate seats will be on the line in 2026. Both chambers are now controlled by Democrats. — Ted Phillips and Billy House

Late 2026: Mall transformation, hemp ban, mixed-use housing

Green Acres Mall undergoing major redevelopment. Green Acres Mall is undergoing a redevelopment, estimated to cost between $130 million and $150 million, that is aimed at taking the nearly 70-year-old Valley Stream property in a more upscale direction. In addition to the planned construction of a new freestanding, full-service ShopRite supermarket and creation of an open-air shopping streetscape at the former Kohl’s space, the project included the demolition of the vacant Sears and Sears Auto stores.

Most of the new tenants coming to the mall — including The Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, Paris Baguette, Tony’s Tacos, Panda Express, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Sephora — will open by Black Friday in 2026, said Richard Madramuthu, vice president of leasing for The Macerich Co., the Santa Monica, California-based real estate investment trust that owns the mall. The ShopRite will open in fall 2027, he said. — Tory N. Parrish

Federal ban on hemp-derived THC products. A provision in the federal spending bill passed in November will ban most hemp-derived THC products by late 2026. The legislation tightened the definition of hemp that vendors can legally sell under the 2018 Farm Act. Experts say enforcement of the law — which will prohibit products with more than 0.4 milligrams of THC — will ultimately fall to each state, including New York, where recreational marijuana has been legal since 2021. — Brianne Ledda

Uncle Giuseppe’s continues expansion. High-end, Italian specialty grocer Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace will continue its growth push next year. The Melville-based grocer plans to open a 52,000-square-foot store in June at a former Stop & Shop in Greenvale, at 130 Wheatley Plaza. Uncle Giuseppe’s also plans to open a 50,000-square-foot supermarket in Levittown in the third quarter of 2026 at 3284 Hempstead Tpke., which used to house a King Kullen supermarket. — Tory N. Parrish

Target opens new store. Target plans to open its 21st Long Island store in Bridgehampton in 2026, in a space vacated by the last full-size Kmart on the mainland United States, according to an attorney for the retailer. The 91,035-square-foot Target will occupy a space at 2044 Montauk Hwy., which Kmart left in October 2024 after 25 years in operation. The Target, which will include a CVS drugstore and Starbucks, likely will open in the fall, said attorney Brian W. Kennedy, a partner with law firm Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP in Uniondale, who is representing Target in the building-approval process with the Town of Southampton. Minneapolis-based Target Corp. declined to comment on when the store will open. — Tory N. Parrish

Babylon treatment center. The town’s second chemical dependency treatment center, Beacon 2 in North Amityville, is expected to be finished in the last part of the year. — Denise Bonilla

A new place to play. A new playground at Babylon Town Hall park in Lindenhurst will be installed in the fall. The new Tanner Park Overdose Memorial in Copiague is also expected to be completed during that time. — Denise Bonilla

More fare and toll hikes? The MTA Board will vote in December on a new financial plan that is expected to include another fare and toll increase in 2027—the second in as many years. — Alfonso A. Castillo

Supermoon 3. The Cold Moon or Long Night’s Moon — so-called because it occurs in winter on one of the longest nights of the year — will be viewable on Dec. 23. The last of three supermoons for 2026, it will be one of the biggest and brightest moons of the year, and, if there are clear skies, should make for fabulous viewing. — John Valenti

Sometime in 2026: New hotel, cold case trial and fight over major project 

New hotel on the rise. Construction of a new Tempo by Hilton hotel — Patchogue’s first hotel in at least 70 years — is expected to begin in 2026 after securing approvals from the South Shore village. The five-story hotel, with a rooftop restaurant, 96 guest rooms and 13 rental apartments, is to be built on the site of a shuttered bowling alley on West Avenue, near the Watch Hill ferry terminal and Patchogue’s Long Island Rail Road station. An opening date has not been announced.  — Carl MacGowan

Cold case trial. The 1986 rape and murder of 16-year-old Teresa Fusco in Lynbrook has frustrated investigators for 40 years, but next year the Nassau County District Attorney will try a new suspect in the case, Richard Bilodeau, of West Islip.

Bilodeau, 63, a stockman at Home Depot, was indicted for the crime in October, after a sample of his DNA taken off a smoothie straw that he had tossed in the garbage matched the DNA from a vaginal swab taken from the teen victim. He is charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

Bilodeau pleaded not guilty and remains locked up in the Nassau County jail awaiting trial. He would be the fourth man accused of the crime.

John Kogut, John Restivo and Dennis Halstead were tried and found guilty of the crime in the mid-1980s before DNA became a mainstream tool in criminal prosecutions. The men spent the next 17 years behind bars until the DNA from the same vaginal swab was used to clear their convictions. The Nassau County district attorney retried John Kogut, but he was acquitted. — Janon Fisher

Trader Joe’s to open new store. Construction of the building shell of a new Trader Joe’s grocery store in Miller Place looks to be at or near completion. In December 2024, the Town of Brookhaven approved planned for a 13,500-square-foot grocery store to be built on vacant land at 302 Route 25A. The store will open in 2026, according to spokeswoman Nakia Rohde, who declined to provide a more specific timeline. — Tory N. Parrish

Investigators pursue pandemic fraud. Federal investigators and prosecutors continue to pursue individuals who defrauded pandemic relief programs, such as Paycheck Protection Program loans and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Some of those charged are expected to be sentenced this year. — James T. Madore

Legal fight over major LI project. The first phase of the 452-acre Heartland Town Square project seeks to transform Brentwood’s former Pilgrim State hospital into a community hub with more than 3,504 apartments and 1.2 million square feet of retail and office space. A lawsuit filed by a local civic organization aiming to stop the project had been on hold in court since 2017, leaving the plan in limbo, but a judge ruled in October that the case can begin moving forward. Although it's unclear when the legal battle will wrap up, it's expected to begin playing out in court next year. — Sam Kmack

NYPD contract. The contract between the Police Benevolent Association and the city of New York expired in July and is now the subject of negotiations with the Adams administration. Assuming a deal is not reached with Adams, the PBA will have talks with the incoming Mamdani administration. The city faces a potential $8 billion budget shortfall and with costly programs proposed by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, it may be tough to get raises and other benefits to stop the bleeding of officers through attrition. The negotiations are expected to impact other police union negotiations. — Anthony N. DeStefano

Supportive senior housing. A 67-unit affordable, senior housing development is expected to open in the hamlet of Medford by the end of 2026, according to New York State. Half of the units at the $40 million, fully electric complex, dubbed Medford Gardens, will be reserved for tenants in need of supportive services. — Celia Young

Buy Now, Pay Later credit update. Fans of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) shopping should know that FICO, the credit scoring company, soon plans to release two new scores that incorporate BNPL data. This is prompting experts to warn that consumers should be especially mindful about paying installments on time in the new year. Defaulting will show up on credit reports, but paying on time could also build credit, said Rebecca Carter, a LegalShield provider lawyer. "It's not all bad, but it's something that consumers need to be aware of," she said.

A FICO spokeswoman said the new scores will "be available soon," but did not offer a release date. The timing of consumer impact will depend on BNPL providers sending enough data to credit reporting agencies. "Once the [credit reporting agencies] have the necessary data volume to support integration into credit scores, lenders will be able to begin using FICO's new BNPL models," FICO spokeswoman Elle Nelson said. in an email. — Brianne Ledda