🌱 Mineola MS-13 Member Sentenced + Parechovirus Attacks Newborn

Hey, everybody. It's Thursday in Mineola and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening in town. Follow along for the latest...

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Now, today's weather:

A shower in spots. High: 85, low: 70.

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Here are the top stories today in Mineola:

1. An MS-13 gang member from Mineola, Luis Alejandro Valera a.k.a. Felon, 24, and fellow gang member William Reyes-Fuentes a.k.a. Desobediente, 27, from Uniondale have been sentenced to 21 and 20 years to life in prison respectively for hacking to death Carlos Rivas-Majano, 22, with a machete and dumping his body near the Meadowbrook Parkway in August 2017. Cases against three more co-defendants are still pending. (Patch)
2. With all the focus on COVID-19 and monkeypox, you probably don't have parechovirus on your radar. But in July, the CDC issued an alert that this common childhood virus had caused a cluster of parechovirus meningoencephalitis, or swelling of the brain. And that is when Kelly and Rob Martin of Mineola found that their 13-day-old son, Jaxon, was struggling to breathe and needed to be admitted to NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island where he was diagnosed and treated for viral meningitis from parechovirus. Fortunately within 10 days Jaxon recovered and went home, as his parents now try to raise awareness of this little known disease. (TODAY)
3. An ER nurse from Plainview and frontline worker through the pandemic, Joanne Drenckhahn has been diagnosed with viral myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle after being admitted to NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island in Mineola last week. A fundraiser has been set up for Drenckhahn, who has since been transferred to a hospital in the city and may need a heart transplant. So far, donors have raised almost $70,000 of the $100,000 fundraiser goal. (Patch)

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Today in Mineola:

• Kyra's Rally For Change - Nassau County Courthouse. (9:30 a.m.)
• Movie Series: "Cyrano" - Mineola Memorial Library. (6 p.m.)
• BonJourney Performs - St. Brigid/Our Lady of Hope Regional School, Westbury. (6 p.m.)
• Evan & James Band Live - The Patio Bar, The Garden City Hotel. (7 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW: "Tomorrow: As we get closer to the first retail cannabis businesses opening in NYS, join us and State Senator Jessica Ramos for a cannabis resource fair for information on how to get involved!" (Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW via Facebook)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Garden City: "Anyone know a great antique dealer? Was looking to get some quotes on things my parents had. Yes I can google but looking for someone honest you may know. Thanks." (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Mineola 516: "Hi Everyone! I am looking for someone to pull out weeds. I live in the Mineola area. Need this done ASAP please" (Nextdoor)
• Rosa Ribeiro, Neighbor: "Renting a 2nd floor studio apartment, preferably to a male, shared bathroom with my 38-year- old son across the hall for September 1. $1,500 a month all is included: gas,water, electric, cable and internet." (Patch Neighbor Posts)

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You're officially in the loop for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— Joanne Gallo

About me: Joanne Gallo is a lifelong resident of Long Island and a writer/editor for 30+ years. After earning a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Writing from NYU, Joanne was an on-staff editor for several consumer publications, including Features Editor for Soap Opera Weekly, Senior Editor for health magazine Energy Times and Executive Editor for The Johns Hopkins White Papers, a book series on medical conditions. Raised in the nearby town of Roslyn, Joanne is happy to call Mineola her home for the past 7+ years. She loves arts & entertainment, dining, gardening and all the natural beauty that Long Island has to offer.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Mineola Daily? Contact me at Mineola@Patch.com