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

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

High property taxes, traffic congestion and the flight of young professionals are serious challenges facing Nassau County. To address these problems, County Executive Tom Suozzi has proposed "New Suburbia: the 90/10 Solution. more

The Long Beach Board of Education unanimously approved a proposal to install artificial-turf fields at the high school and middle school at the Sept. 18 board of ed. meeting. more

“You don’t send a Boy Scout after a bad guy,” says Joe Panz in the first episode of the new show on the National Geographic Channel, “Rescue Ink: Unleashed.” “You send a bad guy after a bad guy. The difference is, we’re your bad guys.” more

Eight years ago to the day, hundreds of people had gathered at Lido Beach Park and watched the clear, sunny sky in the distance fill with black clouds of dark smoke from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. more

Standing on the putting green at the Hempstead Country Club on Monday, Army Ranger William Castillo, 29, couldn’t believe the turn his life had taken since he returned from his third tour of duty in the Middle East in 2007. more

As concern grows about the upcoming flu season -- and specifically the H1N1 virus -- South Nassau Communities Hospital and the Oceanside School District are preparing to combat the virus. more

As Tuesday’s first day of school drew nearer, some of the most excited children in Oceanside and Island Park were those who were about to start kindergarten. With new backpacks and notebooks, folders and pencils, may were looking forward to their first full days of school. more

Standing on the putting green at the Hempstead Country Club on Monday, Army Ranger William Castillo, 29, couldn’t believe the turn his life had taken since he returned from his third tour of duty in the Middle East in 2007. more