Cheating in school has been a problem across the country for generations, and Hewlett High School senior Shira Shamir decided that finding the root cause of academic dishonesty would make for an interesting social science research project. Shamir surveyed 202 of her fellow students, and got some interesting answers to her questions about how some of them justify cheating, whether on a test or copying a homework assignment. more

The village of Lawrence business district is in for a spring makeover. Construction began last month on a long-awaited streetscape project aimed at sprucing up Lawrence's Central Avenue and making it a more pleasant place for shoppers and business owners. more

There are big-picture issues that the town of Hempsteand and Nassau County will have to tackle together. Foremost among them is the Lighthouse project, a sweeping proposal to transform 150 acres surrounding the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale from the barren asphalt of a parking lot to a residential and commercial zone. more

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy recently announced a $500,000 grant for the Village of Rockville Centre’s annual road projects. The money, part of the departments of Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, will be used by the village for its 2010 Roadway Project. McCarthy, who represents New York’s Fourth Congressional District, helped secure the funds. more

The Rockville Centre Youth Council is hosting a presentation and discussion with Phoenix House staff and teen clients about substance abuse among teens on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Rockville Centre Public Library, 221 N. Village Ave. more

Village stars were shining as Rockville Centre residents took to the stage in three recent productions. more

In gratitude for what he considers to be the excellent arts education his children received in the Rockville Centre schools, village resident Anthony Roman is starting a charitable foundation — The Fine Tuning Project — to assist the district with its vision to grow and sustain a professional music and performing arts program and facility at South Side High School. To kick off the project, raise awareness and garner support, the group will sponsor what it promises will be a star-studded performance by illustrious South Side alumni and faculty on Oct. 17 at 7:30 in South Side High School. more

A fourth-grade teacher tells me this story: She advises an after-school club for children who want to work on a special project for a science fair. She can only accept 10 students, and she chooses those who step up first with their plans. They set a due date for completion. Part of the project requires the students to interview a science teacher and write up the Q & A. more

Rockville Centre native Courtney Morin, a senior at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. has been working to foster sustainable enterprises and community-serving businesses in a local neighborhood near the school. The English major’s internship is part of Easton’s Urban Ecology Project. more