Aug. 31: Lingering Outages, Charter School Debated, Football Preview and More

While many Malverne and West Hempstead residents' lives have returned back to normal in the days following Hurricane Irene, hundreds in the area are still coping with a lack of power in their homes and downed trees on their property.

Learn more about the continuing efforts. Plus, see how a plan to start a charter school in Lakeview was received, join in a discussion about student achievement in West Hempstead and find out what the top story is today from our neighboring Patches, a new feature.

Here are your top headlines for Aug. 31.

1. Left in the Dark: Driving around Malverne, West Hempstead and Lakeview there are still reminders of Irene, three days after the tropical storm hit the area. As of Wednesday morning, roughly 900 residents were still without power, some traffic signals remained dark and toppled trees could be found on streets, a car and even one home. Learn more later this morning.
2. Charter School Challenged: A proposal to establish a charter school in Lakeview met strong opposition Tuesday night during a public forum. Get the story today.
3. Rams Return: West Hempstead High School's varsity football team is ready for action. With their season starting in just 10 days, the Rams spoke to Patch about their goals for this year. Look for the story this afternoon.
4. Education Forum: The West Hempstead school district is inviting all community members, both parents and residents who do not have children in the schools, to a special forum tonight about student achievement. "A Conversation with District Administration" will start at 7 p.m. in the Chestnut Street board room.
   
5. Nearby News: The top story from our neighboring Patches comes from Five Towns today, which reports that four volunteer firefighters were seriously injured in Woodmere. for the story.