Local school districts are scouring their budgets, looking for places where they can save after word came down last week that Gov. David Paterson will likely try to cut school aid mid-year by more than a half billion dollars statewide as part of his $5 billion Deficit Reduction Plan. more

A gas station attendant in Elmont showed an iron will with a gutsy display of bravado last week, as he swiped a 12-gauge shotgun out of the hands of a would-be robber trying to steal cash from his register. 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

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

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

Valley Stream North celebrated Homecoming last Saturday with a 20-12 victory over Conference IV rival Locust Valley. more

Franklin Square and Elmont saw their fair share of parade floats and gleeful teenagers last weekend, as three separate homecomings turned the area into one long parade. H. Frank Carey, Sewanhaka and North high schools held their Homecoming festivities on Saturday, filling the local streets with marching bands and parade floats, not to mention the most all-American of royalty, the Homecoming courts. more

It’s been a bittersweet year for the Antonino Scolieri of Franklin Square’s famous A&S Bagels. After a fire tore through the beloved 24-hour bagel bakery in April, people from far and wide lamented what they thought would be the long-term loss of a local institution. Franklin Square residents and the Scolieri family proved that you can’t keep a good businessman down, however, as A&S Bagels was back up and running in May after a layoff of less than a month. more

Sewanhaka High School's "Holiday" Homecoming theme was a weekend-long celebration for students of all ages. 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