The connection between Heroes and Star Trek is strong, and getting stronger: first George Takei (TOS: Sulu), then Dominic Keating (ENT: Malcolm Reed). Then Zachary Quinto cast as Spock… and earlier this week Heroes creator Tim Kring told he was looking “for another face that will have a very similar impact” to Takei when appearing on the show.
The ‘face’ Kring was talking about is Nichelle Nichols, (ST: Uhura), and she’ll appear on six episodes of Heroes Season Two.

Here’s some extra info about her character and how she relates to other ‘Heroes’

Showing up in the season’s fourth episode, she’ll play Nana, a New Orleans doyenne whose daughter died during Hurricane Katrina. The character, who is in dire financial straits, has moved back into her once-flooded home, where she cares for her two grandchildren. One of them, new hero Monica (Dana Davis), is an avenging angel intent on bringing justice to the corruption-plagued Big Easy. Nana is also a great-aunt to Micah, the junior hero played by series regular Noah Gray-Cabey.

Now, about the ‘interesting rumor’ we heard here at Heroesrevealed.com:
Niki Sanders (Ali Larter) will send her son Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey) to live
in New Orleans, at his great-aunt’s (Nana) home.