At a New York State Women of Distinction ceremony on Oct. 15 at the Levittown Public Library, five of nine honorees hailed from Merrick. Ilene Dixel, account executive for the Merrick and Bellmore Heralds, Dr. Beverly Adler, Margaret Mueller and Ildi O'Gorman, all of Merrick, were honored by State Assemblymen David McDonough, Republican from North Merrick, and Joseph Saladino, Republican from Massapequa. more

Kathleen Rice ascended to the district attorney’s post four years ago as a virtual unknown -- a former federal prosecutor and Brooklyn assistant district attorney who had never run for political office before. Back then, she appeared a tad unsure of herself, slightly nervous in her interviews with the Herald. And why not? She was opposing the legendary Denis Dillon, who had served as Nassau County district attorney for 31 years. Despite being a political neophyte, Rice ran a strong campaign, and was elected with 51 percent of the vote to Dillon’s 49 percent. Four years later, we’re happy that Rice was elected. She has proven herself to be a consummate professional who only improved an already well-run D.A.’s office. Cases are processed nearly twice as fast as they once were. Conviction rates are up. And Rice has garnered a national reputation for her aggressive stance against driving while intoxicated. Many now call her the toughest DWI prosecutor in the country. more

State Assemblyman David McDonough, a Republican from North Merrick, is reminding his constituents that the law banning texting while driving will take effect Nov. 1. The law was passed by the state to supplement the current law banning the use of a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving. more

Only 6 months old, Sophia Gaynor of Bellmore is bringing out the best in hundreds of local high school students. Around 300 people turned out at Mepham High School's track on Oct. 22 to take a part in a walk-a-thon to benefit the charitable organization, Sophia's Cure. The organization is named for a local newborn who was diagnosed with fatal spinal muscular atrophy, a group of diseases that affect the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brain stem. more

It’s hard to argue with a track record like that of Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove. Over the past eight years, he took a fiscally mismanaged, virtually insolvent county and turned it around, consistently balancing a budget that seemingly could not be balanced. Suozzi saved money by cutting the county work force by 1,000 employees and instituting tried-and-true management practices that were previously nonexistent. At the same time, he has put in place a host of programs to improve residents’ quality of life, from smoking-cessation regimens to energy-efficiency incentives. more

Calhoun High School students got a small taste of what it's like to drive drunk last Friday, the final day of National Teen Driver Safety Week. The students suited up with bicycle helmets and special glasses that obscure users’ vision, hopped aboard one of two pedal carts and attempted to negotiate an obstacle course of orange highway cones. The students, who were not drinking, smiled and laughed as they maneuvered slowly -- and quite awkwardly -- through the course. But the message was serious: Drinking makes you lose your sense of control, and that can lead to dire consequences if you drive. more

Freeport resident Johnny Cerda was arrested yesterday by Nassau County police and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms this morning for allegedly conspiring to "obstruct, delay and … more

When Gina Capone of Valley Stream was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2000, she began scouring the Internet to find someone with diabetes whom she could talk with; someone who knew what she was going through. Capone’s aunt was the only person she knew with diabetes, and her aunt’s case was filled with complications. more

The Kiwanis Club of Merrick welcomed a new president and slate of officers for 2009-2010 at the club's 61st Annual Installation Dinner on Oct. 15 at the Hempstead Golf and Country Club. Tammy McLoughlin was tapped as Kiwanis's newest president, replacing Susan Gruen Helsinger, who was lauded after a successful year leading the community-service organization. McLoughlin is a fourth-generation Merokean, with strong ties to the community. "My family has lived here forever, and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else," she said. more

The race for Nassau County district attorney pits one-term Democratic incumbent Kathleen Rice, a former federal prosecutor and Brooklyn assistant district attorney, against Republican Joy Watson, a former assistant Nassau County district attorney who is now a law clerk for a county Supreme Court justice. more