🌱 UBS Arena Neighbors Complain + DWI Crash In Woodmere

Hey, people of Five Towns! I'm here with your brand-new Five Towns Daily.

A crash that set a car on fire in Woodmere was caused by drunk driving, police say. And neighbors of the new UBS Arena say event-goers are trashing their homes.

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First, today's weather:

Windy and warm with showers. High: 60 Low: 44.

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Here are the top five stories in Five Towns today:

1. Patch reports that a veteran Nassau County Police Officer has died from COVID-19 complications. Hector Nunez spent 16 years as an officer, and was based at the 5th precinct in Elmont. An online fundraising effort for his family has been launched. (Patch)
2. Jerry Barmash has the story on a Far Rockaway man who was arrested for driving while intoxicated after he crashed into a utility pole in Woodmere Thursday. Willie Bryant, 54, was driving a Mercedes SUV that burst into flames after the impact. (Patch)
3. Juan Lasso tells us that Valley Stream native Tommy Shevlin will be the new acting president of the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association beginning in January. Shevlin is a state-certified counselor and wants to combat the stigma of mental health issues in the police force. (LI Herald)
4. The LI Herald visited Project Thank A Cop's second annual Michael Geraldi-Ray Abear Holiday Shop with a Cop at Matty's Toy Stop in the Peninsula Shopping Center in Hewlett last weekend. Around 100 children from Long Island and New York City, who have undergone recent hardship got to shop for free, with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus and police officers. (LI Herald)
5. News 12 Long Island talks to residents near the new UBS arena. At a Floral Park Civic Association meeting on Thursday, people said event-goers are urinating on peoples' lawns and throwing garbage around. (News 12)

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Today in Five Towns:

• King of the Mat Wrestling Tournament, Hewlett High School, 8:30 a.m.

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From my notebook:

• Hewlett High School students performed at New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) in Rochester, NY: Sean Fruman in Vocal Jazz, Anastasia Inglima in Mixed Choir and Ilana Mizrahi in Wind Ensemble. (Facebook)
• A new interactive exhibit at the Cradle of Aviation shows how the Hubble Telescope works. (Patch)
• The late Rabbi Alvin and Rosalind Poplack were remembered and the chapel of the International Synagogue at John F. Kennedy International Airport was dedicated to them at the synagogue's annual Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 2. (LI Herald)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with another update!

— Jackie