The North Merrick Fire Department’s quick response saved a 38-year-old man who was asleep and trapped in a Maeder Avenue home on Thursday morning, according to James Rogers, the North Merrick fire chief. more

After a long fight and an eventual denial from the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Pretzel Stop has received a go from the Rockville Centre Building Department. more

The Village of Island Park will have a building department, after a vote by the village board on Jan.15. Mayor Michael McGinty said that by formalizing the department, the village will be better able to serve its residents, investigate abandoned and derelict houses left from Sandy, and interface with other governments. McGinty explained that the village couldn’t just knock down or board up property that belongs to others; there are protocols that must be followed. Until now the Village only had an inspector, not a department. The Village also hired a public relations and media consultant. more

The vote was unanimous — hookah bars are now banned from the Village of Rockville Centre. No one spoke up at the public hearing on the proposed ban at the Board of Trustees meeting on Monday. more

A Long Beach landlord agreed to pay what city officials are calling a record fine earlier this month for renting illegal apartments that created unsafe conditions for tenants, generated numerous … more

Q: My town is overrun by signs that people have posted with information about garage sales, missing pets, fundraisers, etc. Are there any laws governing what can be posted publicly? A: As every town, city and village has … more

Fred Vordermeier, 39, who moved to Long Beach from Manhattan with his wife in 2009 to raise a family, pays $3,600 a year for flood insurance. He said that the foundation of his East Chester Street … more

The way we live is always changing, and in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the way we think about our homes is changing, too. Many of us are thinking about raising them — literally rebuilding them higher. more

Five Towns residents seeking to rebuild or repair their homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy can receive information and ask questions of Town of Hempstead Building Department employees at the Inwood Marina on Bayswater Boulevard on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. more

From noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Number Six School at the intersection of Peninsula and Branch boulevards in Woodmere and on Wednesday at the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence, the Town of Hempstead will have a walk-in center to help residents. more