Illegal Use Of Taxpayer Funds? + Free, Full-Day Pre-K

Hey, Five Towns! It's Tuesday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on today in Five Towns.

Hewlett-Woodmere schools got a top grade in a recent ranking and Nassau County was chosen as safest county in America in another. Hempstead Town Supervisor Clavin is accused of misusing taxpayer money. And one of the men involved in the deadly Roosevelt Fourth of July shooting was indicted for murder.

First, today's weather:

Rain in the afternoon and evening. High: 79, low: 55.

Here are the top stories today in Five Towns:

1. Newsday reports that one of two men facing charges after the July Fourth block party shooting in Roosevelt pleaded not guilty to murder Monday. Michael Wright, 34, of Roosevelt, is accused of opening fire with a .9 mm gun. Bullets from the weapon killed Tavon Greenhill, 27, of Hempstead and wounded two others. (Subscription: Newsday)
2. Michael DeSantis tells us that Hewlett-Woodmere Schools got an A+ rating on a ranking from data analysis company Niche comparing K-12 schools on Long Island. The criteria include academics, teachers and diversity. (Patch)
3. Alex Costello previews the first-ever Nassau County fall music festival scheduled this weekend at Eisenhower Park. On Oct. 2 from noon to 7 p.m. there will be performances from the Grateful Dead tribute band Half-Step, country music by Two for the Road and Eagles' tribute band Desert Highway and more than a dozen food trucks, games and a classic car show. (Patch)
4. Long Island Press explains that the Democratic candidate challenging Republican Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin wants an investigation into alleged illegal use of taxpayer-funded mailers that double as campaign literature by Clavin. Jason Abelove says Clavin used $5 million on about 70 mailers adorned with Clavin's name, title and photo. (Long Island Press)

Today's Five Towns Daily is brought to you by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Five Towns!

Today in Five Towns:

• CHS Back to School Night 7 p.m., Central High School, 135 Fletcher Ave., Valley Stream.
• MJHS 8th Grade Picture Day, Memorial Junior High School, 320 Fletcher Ave., Valley Stream.

Five Towns Patch Notebook

• U.S. News & World Report has named Nassau County the safest community in America for the second year in a row. Crime rates here are the lowest in the 3,000 included counties. (Facebook)
• Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools announced that starting Nov. 1, there will be free, full-day Pre-K at Franklin Early Childhood Center. Registration opens Oct. 5. (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Tuesday! See you tomorrow morning for another update. If you're liking these newsletters, consider bringing some more friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Jakie

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Five Towns Daily? You can contact me at FiveTowns@Patch.com.