Q. We want to add a floor to our one-story home, and also want a den addition. Will our taxes go up a lot? We know they’ll increase, but we’re concerned they’ll be too high for us to do the addition. more

Anthony J. Santino is seeking a fifth term as a councilman for the Town of Hempstead's fourth district, vowing to “continue to manage your tax dollars in tough times.” more

George Maragos, CEO of a financial services business, is challenging two-term incumbent Howard Weitzman in the race for Nassau County comptroller. Maragos said that the county’s finances have been poorly managed for the past eight years, and he believes his experience can bring needed change. more

From breaking news updates on 1010 WINS, to traffic reports on Z100, to sports recaps on WCBS 880, to political debates on national television, the alumni of Hofstra University’s radio station can be heard across the metropolitan area and around the country. more

Although the Herald Community Newspapers have had an online presence since 1999, an expanded, more comprehensive Web site has recently been launched to help readers keep in closer touch with their communities. The new LIHerald.com has more news, sports, local business and arts coverage and event listings than ever before. more

When Non Stop to Cairo guitarist Nick Diamond nearly lost his fingers in a freak shop accident in February, the then-three members of the Baldwin band weren't sure if they would be able to continue. more

It's a “rap.” Baldwin resident Dr. John Clarke won the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' H1N1 public service announcement contest with his rap video urging Americans to wash their hands regularly and practice other good hygiene habits to prevent the spread of the swine flu virus. more

On a plot of land called the Mariner’s Burying Ground in the Rockville Cemetery in Lynbrook, an 18-foot-tall marble obelisk pays tribute to the terrible tragedies of the Bristol and the Mexico, shipwrecked just days apart in the winter of 1836-37 off the coast of Long Island. more

Each year, drunken drivers cause deadly accidents and claim innocent lives. Their stories often become local and sometimes national lore, cautioning others about the potentially deadly consequences of a crime that some see as socially acceptable. But there is another type of loss that goes with drinking and driving, I recently learned. One that may be considered insensitive or politically incorrect to discuss. Three defense attorneys I interviewed saw the possible loss of one's reputation and even future employment as an unfair fate that befalls many of their clients. I contacted the lawyers after the Nassau County Police Department and the district attorney's office gave me a firsthand look at what a DWI arrest entails. Police simulated my arrest for DWI, including everything from handcuffing me to locking me up. Later, the district attorney's office brought me to District Court, where I took a tour of holding cells, courtrooms and assistant district attorneys' offices. I wrote about the experience for Herald readers. But as I spoke with defense lawyers, expecting to hear mainly about the financial burden of a DWI conviction, I learned that some of the most serious consequences for the convicted are harder to quantify. more

Republican Chris Browne scored a stunning victory in the Conservative Party primary Sept. 15, knocking Nassau County Legislator Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin) off the party line by receiving 79 write-in votes, according to unofficial results provided by the county Board of Elections on Monday. more