5 Headlines Nearby: Secret Santas and Cheerleading Champs

With New Year's Eve upon us, we take a look at what happened in the final week of 2011 in nearby areas.

• For the eighth straight year, the won the Empire Regional Championship. The next step is to defend their national title.

• In acts of holiday charity, anonymous donors – "Secret Santas" – have to pay off layaway balances at the Farmingville Kmart. The store manager said the donations targeted accounts that were holding toys and clothing.

• Not all the sirens you heard on Christmas Eve were Santa giving out candy. The Mt. Sinai and Miller Place fire departments were busy taking on . The fire was from the dryer and remained in the basement ceiling and duct work.

• Ten students from the Oregon Middle School in the Patchogue-Medford district have formed the school's first . They join the approximately 100 competitive robotics teams on Long Island.

• We've heard of dazzling holiday light displays set to music, but have you even seen one in your neighborhood? You probably have if you live on Berg Street in Kings Park, where a magical scene of its own.