Police: Armed robbery at Dunkin Donuts A man armed with a black handgun entered the Dunkin Donuts at 2084 Sunrise Highway in Merrick on Dec. 7 at 9:15 p.m. and demanded money from a 33-year-old male employee, police said. The suspect, described by authorities as a black male in his mid-20s, about 6-foot-2, wearing a grey mask, dark hoodie and dark pants, reportedly ran off with an unknown amount of money from the cash register and was last seen heading toward Hewlett Avenue. Detectives ask anyone with information regarding this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous. Teen arrested for car theft Officers from the First Precinct arrested Joshua Gonzalez, 17, for stealing a 2000 Honda Civic from Schermerhorn street on Nov. 30 at 2:22 a.m. He was arraigned in First District Court on Dec. 1 and charged with third-degree Grand Larceny. Burglary A Tadmore Street home was burglarized on Nov. 30, and assorted jewelry was stolen, police said. The burglar reportedly entered through a back window. more

Craig Papach, Kennedy High School's athletic coordinator and a 19-year phys. ed. teacher, had long heard the stories of poverty and loneliness, and he wanted to help. So, on Thanksgiving morning, he and his family piled into their car and made the trek from their suburban home in a quiet Wantagh neighborhood to a tiny church on Beach 94th Street in Queens. They went to lend their hands and, equally important, their ears to a day-long effort to aid the homeless. Papach was one of 10 Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District teachers who joined roughly 100 volunteers from Rock and Wrap It Up, a Five Towns-based nonprofit group founded by Syd Mandelbaum, to feed hundreds of impoverished street denizens, some of whom had not eaten for days. more

It was a weekend full of holiday fun on Dec. 5 and 6 in Merrick, thanks to the Chamber of Commerce. The chamber was proud to present two holiday celebrations at the Merrick train station gazebo to ring in the start of the holiday season. A visit from Santa lit up children's faces with smiles on Saturday, and on Sunday, two community icons -- Merrick Avenue's own Christmas tree and Menorah - brought cheer to the neighborhood at the annual lighting ceremony. more

A woman at the wheel of an SUV swerved to avoid another vehicle and plowed into the front of Pizzelli's pizza/deli in North Bellmore at 6:15 p.m. on Dec. 3, according to police. more

Outgoing County Executive Tom Suozzi began the process of handing over power to his successor, Ed Mangano, last week, a transfer that both say should happen as smoothly as possible. When the … more

The villages of East Rockaway and Lynbrook celebrated the arrival of the holidays with winter festivals on the same evening. There was plenty of fun, music and entertainment, with sleigh rides and great … more

Sopranos star (Vito) and East Rockaway resident Joseph R. Gannascoli will be hosting a book signing for his novel, "A Meal to Die For:A Culinary Novel of Crime" on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Village Book Shoppe, 7 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For more information, call (516) 764-1395. more

No release date has been set yet for the new thriller "Afterlife," parts of which were filmed in Lynbrook. The movie — about a young woman caught between life and death and a funeral director … more

East Rockaway High School senior Danny Quadrino, 18, is living his dream as an actor on Broadway. He has made his debut on the Big White Way in the revival of the musical "Bye Bye Birdie." He just filled in for the starring role of "Hugo" in this week's matinee performance. more

It may seem odd to confess in a newspaper column, but this year I went on a week-long news fast. Actually, it was the week up to and including Thanksgiving that I blacked out the news; I needed to clear my mind. more