In an effort to bring local fire departments up to par with regard to equipment and fire vehicles, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy and Richard Ohlsen of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) held a workshop earlier this week to help departments file for grant money under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. FULL STORY

Disney Channel, one of the world's leading cable networks, will soon premier a made-for-TV movie featuring advanced computer animation from 3D motion graphics expert Paul Lipsky, a resident of Plainview and professor of communication arts at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). FULL STORY

Only days before the state bowling championships, the top girls bowler in Nassau County, Clarke's Stacey Landini, is only thinking about one thing. It is the same thing she always thinks about when she bowls. She doesn't think about any pressure that would come from entering the tournament with a 202 average, good for tops among girls in Nassau County. The junior simply wants to have fun, which is something that comes naturally with bowling. It also helps that the sports run in the family as her parents both used to bowl for Mineola High School and her grandfather, who is president of the Mineola Civic Association, is one of her biggest supporters. FULL STORY