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	Matt Gianesses is a Valley Stream native and special education teacher whose hobby of drawing charcoal portraits of athletes is getting noticed by fans of his favorite team, the Jets. Gianesses recently met with wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who was impressed with Gianesses&#39; likeness of him. NewsdayTV&#39;s Jamie Stuart reports.
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Art of the field: LI teacher's sports portraits 

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Valley Stream native, schoolteacher and diehard Jets fan's charcoal portraits getting noticed

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Long Islanders Newsday spoke with said what they are trying to accomplish with their resolution for 2026. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Long Islanders' 2026 New Year's resolutions 

Long Island's top federal prosecutor said ICE will no longer hold detainees more than 12 hours or overnight at the facility. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Immigration groups urge judge to keep scrutiny on ICE holding cells in Central Islip

Paws of War rescued dogs from an illegal puppy mill in Tennessee. The animals are now going to forever homes of veterans. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

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Travel reporter Carissa Kellman experiences the luxurious perks at local hotels with no check-in required.

Daycation: You don't have to spend the night to enjoy these amenities at nearby hotels

John Sterbens is a volunteer with Splashes of Hope, in Huntington. He says the organization's mission is to brighten the world through art.

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NewsdayTV's Doug Geed speaks to local wineries on the best sparkling wines for your midnight champagne toast.

Out East: Local champagnes for the new year

Hundreds of people attended the candlelight vigil in Lindenhurst Monday evening for Edeedson Cine Jr., who was fatally stabbed while working at CVS on Christmas.

Vigil held for slain CVS worker

Beginning next month, MetroCards will be a thing of the past and the cost of LIRR tickets will rise. Newsday transportation reporter Alfonso Castillo has more.

MTA fare and toll hikes coming in 2026

After Carey High School senior James McGrath Jr. lost both of his parents by age 11, he relied on his older brother and two sisters to help guide him through life.

Carey High's James McGrath has siblings' support after losing parents

The federal "no tax on tips" policy allows workers who typically receive tips to receive up to a $25,000 tax deduction for certain gratuities until 2028.

No tax on tips: What it means for LIers

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Look back at NewsdayTV's top exclusives and highlights of 2025

Authorities are looking for a thief who stole a statue of baby Jesus from a Nativity scene displayed outside the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge last week. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

Baby Jesus stolen from Nativity scene

Composer Stephen Schwartz, who grew up in Roslyn Heights, says he will not perform at the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump's name was added to the building.

LI native joins other artists bowing out of Kennedy Center

Nassau County police said Tasabbir Hossain, 32, of Ronkonkoma, was westbound on the eastbound lanes of Sunrise Highway near Louden Avenue in Massapequa when he collided with the other driver's 2015 Acura.

Crash leaves two hospitalized

Victim's father speaks at vigil

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Newsday transportation reporter Alfonso A. Castillo moderated a town hall where a panel of experts discussed making Long Island roads safer. "I think success is zero deaths on the roadway," said DMV Deputy Commissioner for Traffic Safety Mary Tanner-Richter.

'We have to change our mindset'

Dozens gathered in cold and rainy weather in Central Islip to protest alleged ICE detention conditions at the federal courthouse. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'We have to say it's not okay'

Residents and town officials are preparing for Friday night's snowstorm. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

Can you dig it?

Long Islanders on Saturday cleared out snow from the post-Christmas storm. NewsdayTV's Jamie Stuart reports.

The state Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection was meant to reimburse people who had money stolen by dishonest lawyers. With payments in those cases now surpassing $100 million over the fund's history, the fund is struggling. Newsday investigative reporter Joshua Solomon reports.

State fund that reimburses victims more often can't pay in full

'It's like an insurance policy'

Floral Park's Dominick Critelli, a 104-year-old World War II veteran, will perform the national anthem on his saxophone before the Islanders-Rangers game on Saturday night at UBS Arena.

'I love this country'

Laney McGowan died after a long and courageous battle with Dravet syndrome, a severe form of genetic epilepsy. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'We always prayed and we wished they would have a cure'

Coastal flooding and heavy wind gusts are possible as a Nor'easter could hit Long Island this weekend. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

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Drones and helicopters flew over the sites of the fires in Suffolk Monday as investigators determined the cause of the fires. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

Burn ban remains in effect

Scenes from Westhampton on Saturday evening as firefighters battled the brush fire.

Watch: Firefighters battle Westhampton fire

The nonprofit paid for renovations to the Massapequa home of former NYPD officer William Meurer, who was severely injured on the job in 1994 and later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

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