11 Biggest Hauppauge Stories of 2012

It's New Year's Eve and and we are counting down the final moments of 2012. Before we do so, we're taking a moment to reflect on the biggest news in Hauppauge over the last 12 months. 

Here are the biggest stories of 2012 based on Patch readers: 

* - A religious leader of a Hauppauge church passed away suddenly Monday night and his absence is already sending ripples through the local community. 

* Hauppauge Boy Dies After Falling in Pool - A Hauppauge boy, Shane Brennan, has died after falling into his backyard pool in June. 

* - Hooters in Islandia will be closing to give birth to a new restaurant. Edward McCabe, an attorney for Strix Restaurant Group, which owns the franchise rights to Hooters locations on Long Island and Queens, said he will be closing the East Meadow location and there that there will be changes made to the other Hooters locations - including Islandia. 

* Silk Prepares for Return to its Wall Street Roots - The big secret of what's happening at Silk is out as the night club prepares to return to its Wall Street roots.

* Parents: District Unfairly Reported Us to Child Services - Two Hauppauge parents publicly accused school officials in January of unfairly reporting parents of special education students to Child Protective Services after the students racked up unexcused absences.

* - Two Hauppauge residents and seven Nesconset residents were among the 41 Town of Smithtown residents arrested in a long-term heroin bust announced in January 2012 by Queens County District Attorney.

* Man Killed in Two-Car Collision on Vets Highway - Suffolk County police said Michael Santor, 85, was killed in a two-car crash at the intersection of Veterans Highway and Spartan Lane on Friday evening.

* Sears Hardware Begins Liquidation Sales - Hauppauge residents spotted large yellow-and-red blowout sale signs posted on the front doors Sears Hardware off Veterans Memorial Highway this week, the first sign of what's to come. 

* Nesconset Residents Outraged Over Sonic Proposal - Nesconset residents’ opposition to plans to bring a Sonic restaurant to the area quickly turned into outrage as residents felt their complaints fell on deaf ears at Tuesday night's town meeting.

* Nesconset Mom Gets 2 Years for Dealing Oxycodone - Despite pleas that jail time would hurt her family, Nesconset's Joanne Connelly was sentenced to 26 months in prison Wednesday for illegally dealing oxycodone, an opiate.

* Residents: Insignia Parking Too Close for Comfort - Residents are calling on Smithtown officials to stop the region's new and posh Insignia Steakhouse from moving closer to their homes.