🌱 Threatening Officers + Woman Hit By Car + Helping Fireman

Hey, people of Merrick! I'm here with a fresh copy of the Merrick Daily.

First, today's weather:

Turning sunny and breezy. High: 49 Low: 33.

Here are the top three stories in Merrick today:

1. Nassau police arrested a New Cassel man on Friday for threatening officers conducting an investigation, charging him with two counts of assault and one of resisting arrest.
   Kevin Venegas, 26, was also charged with obstructing governmental administration. (Subscription: Newsday)
2. A 77-year-old woman was struck on Herricks Road near Rockaway Boulevard by a 2016 Subaru that was being driven by a 67-year-old woman and suffered critical injuries on Thursday. (Daily Voice)
3. A fundraiser is planned for a volunteer firefighter battling cancer. Brian Saphire, 33, volunteers in Lindenhurst and Malverne and he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma and can no longer work. The fundraiser on Jan. 29 at the Fireman's Pavillion in Lindenhurst will raise money to help him pay for his medical care. (Subscription: Newsday)

Today in Merrick:

• Larks in Love - Paint and Sip Experience, Garden City, 11 a.m.
• Cradle of Aviation - Colors of the Universe, Garden City, noon to 4 p.m.
• Post Christmas Bar Crawl, Wantagh, 4 p.m.

From my notebook:

• Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Christmas Eve that health care workers who test positive for COVID-19 can return to work in seven days with a negative test instead of 10. (Patch)
• The LIRR will restore several morning rush-hour trains that were eliminated as part of COVID-19 service reductions. Beginning Jan. 3, three more Babylon branch trains will be added. (Subscription: Newsday)
• Nassau County's seven-day average positivity rate hit 12.9 percent on Saturday. (New York State Department of Health)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Sunday! I'll see you around.

— Jackie