Shoshanna McCollum, Author at Fire Island News & Great South Bay News

It may have been a gray, damp Thursday morning, with shops still busy making final touches as Memorial Day Weekend loomed large on Fire Island, but things felt a little warmer as vibrantly colored editions of Fire Island News (FIN) graced with the cover artwork of Margery Gosnell-Qua were loaded off the water taxi and onto wagons, and delivery rounds were made in Fire Island communities multiple communities including Atlatique, Cherry Grove, Davis Park, Fair Harbor, Fire Island Pines Kismet, Ocean Beach, Ocean Bay Park, and Saltaire.

First Fire Island News of 2026 Rolls Off the Presses, and Stocked on Newsstands Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on May 21, 2026

Ocean Beach village residents have been closely watching what has become a competitive mayoral and trustee election. However, a surprise came out of left field when the Village Court Justice race heated up in recent weeks, bringing both candidates into a Riverhead courtroom and reopening a perennial question about election law and residents’ legitimacy in the history of this incorporated village on Fire Island.

NYS Supreme Court Dismisses Filing to Remove Ocean Beach Village Justice Court Candidate from the Ballot

Posted on May 19, 2026

Juliann Bachmann, age 30 and a resident of Bellport, was pronounced dead at NYU Langone Hospital in Patchogue on May 16. She had been found that morning at 7:25 a.m. by the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), injured and in an unresponsive state, inside a vehicle parked at a Speedway gas station on Horseblock Road in Yaphank.

SCPD Arrest Man for the Murder of a Bellport Woman

Posted on May 17, 2026

Tuesday, May 19 (7-9 p.m.) STAR SPANGLED CONCERT: Honoring our Nation’s 250th Anniversary Enjoy a special evening of music, remembrance, and celebration as we honor America’s 250th Anniversary and pay tribute to U.S. Navy SEALs and all veterans on Tuesday, May 19, as the North Shore Community Band performs against the backdrop of the museum and the legacy it represents. Raffles and lite snacks are available. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the concert begins at 7 p.m. The LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum is located at 50 West Ave. in West Sayville.

The Week of May Before Memorial Day: Things To Do Before the Big Weekend

Posted on May 15, 2026

Toasted Oysters AKA

New York State Awards $3 Million Long Island Aquaculture Grants

Posted on May 14, 2026

On May 11, the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Disaster & Recovery Resilience announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in New York to offset economic losses caused by freeze, ice floes, and tidal surge incidents between Jan. 26 and February 23. Suffolk, Nassau, and New York City counties are all eligible. The Declaration Number is NY-20032, and the filing deadline is Dec. 21, 2026.

Small Business Administration (SBA) is Offering Low-Interest Loans for New York and Long Island Organizations that Suffered Winter Storm Hardships

Posted on May 13, 2026

Crime Stoppers and the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) seek the public's help in locating the person in question in connection with criminal mischief in Babylon Village.

Crime Stoppers and SCPD Seeks Help in Locating Criminal Mischief Suspect in Babylon Village

Posted on May 11, 2026

May arrives at the Great South Bay with familiar signs of the season—the days are longer and friendlier, boats are returning to the water, and communities are easing into the peaceable rhythm of late spring. It’s a time when neighbors reconnect, when outdoor spaces fill again, and when our calendars begin to hum with the quiet anticipation of summer’s respite. However, May has yet another layer of significance: Mental Health Awareness Month. Once observed more quietly, it has become an increasingly visible part of community life across the South Shore, marked not just by clinical messaging, but by active conversation, education, and, perhaps most importantly, connection.

OP ED: May and its Meaning During Mental Health Awareness Month

Posted on May 9, 2026

Choppy waters loom ahead for West Marine as talks about the boating and fishing retail supply mega-giant heading for Chapter 11 appear imminent. The nautical empire has over 230 stores across the country, with nine locations in New York state, five of which are on Long Island, including Huntington, Patchogue, Port Washington, Riverhead, and West Islip. The state of Florida boasts the largest number of franchises in the U.S, with 54 stores across the Sunshine State, including one in North Palm Beach.

Boating World Rocks as West Marine is Veering Towards Bankruptcy

Posted on May 7, 2026

Screenshot

Mother’s Day and Mid-May: Things To Do this Week and the Week Ahead Along Great South Bay Long Island

Posted on May 7, 2026

Luna waited patiently for 916 days. She was surrendered to the Brookhaven Animal Shelter in 2023 because her owner could no longer care for her. Before that, she spent time in a New York City shelter before being transferred to Brookhaven.

Luna, Brookhaven Animal Shelter’s Longtime Resident at Last Finds Her Forever Home

Posted on May 1, 2026

A number of Long Island parents gathered at Babylon Town Hall Park in Lindenhurst on April 29 and placed approximately 50 memorial rocks to remember lost loved ones on Fentanyl Awareness Day

The Purple Rock Project and Town of Babylon Dedicate Memorial Space at Lakeside Park to Honor Lives Lost to Opioid Epidemic

Posted on May 1, 2026

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