By Mike White 🇺🇸 Feb. 17, 2026

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☕ Good morning, Long Island!

⚜️ 🎭 👑 Today is Fat Tuesday so load up! I'm giving up cheese for Lent. 🙏🏼 Wish me luck; I am going to need it.

🥂 Planning a party this year? Check out GLI’s featured partners in our Guide to Private Event Spaces — with great options across both Nassau and Suffolk. 🤙🏼

Weather: Today will be cloudy before gradually becoming mostly sunny with a high near 43. ⛅

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1. Massive hole carved from the earth signals next step for Route 347 intersection

🏗️ Drivers navigating the busy intersection of Nicolls Road and Route 347 may have noticed something hard to miss: a massive hole carved into the ground on the northeast corner of the corridor.

2. End of an era: Long Island’s last Hooters in Farmingdale closing down

🦉 Long Island’s only remaining Hooters, the game day go-to known for mounds of Buffalo wings and famously curvy brand ambassadors, has announced it is closing its doors for good.

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3. ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ legacy lives on in Huntington with historic $250K gift

❤️ From a quiet street in Huntington, Cat’s in the Cradle songwriter Harry Chapin built more than a music career. He built a movement. To this day, his legacy is measured less in record sales and more in meals served.

More headlines to highlight

💔 Legendary actor Robert Duvall, who got his start on the stage at Bellport’s Gateway Playhouse before starring in classics like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has died at 95.

📚🍺 A local Huntington couple is transforming the former Finley’s space into Published, a new bookstore and bar with beer, wine, cocktails and community events, with an opening date coming soon.

✨ The Sinclair in Port Washington unveiled a $50 million redesign with new renderings showing a refreshed look and expanded amenities.

🚨 A body was found in the woods in Manorville, and police say it’s the missing woman whose disappearance sparked a search earlier this month.

💸 Two men were arrested in Central Islip after Suffolk County police say they scammed a 92-year-old out of more than $250,000 with promises of an $18 million Publishers Clearing House prize that never existed.

🛠️ Islip Supervisor says town crews have already filled 12,250 potholes so far in 2026 as part of an ongoing push to repair roads across the town.

Take-home clambake concept Topsail Steamer is looking to L.I.

🦀 The rapidly growing Topsail Steamer franchise is gearing up to bring its ready-to-heat seafood boils to Long Island — and founder Danielle Mahon, still glowing after her Shark Tank appearance, says the goal is simple: easy, authentic clambakes you can enjoy at home or on the go.

Greater Babylon coverage is funded in part by The Argyle Theatre, where Broadway comes to Babylon. Click here for tickets to Newsies.