Bart Jones

5 days ago | newsday.com | Bart Jones

Ciro Granado used to walk three miles one-way from his home in El Salvador to the city center of San Miguel for Good Friday processions marking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Then he and his family would walk three miles back. On Friday, he found himself at another procession in Central Islip, surrounded by more than 500 people who came for a live reenactment of Jesus’s final hours.

6 days ago | newsday.com | Bart Jones

Florin Andrei served for eight years in the military in his homeland of Romania but the Nesconset resident always saw the U.S. military as the ultimate test. He knew of the storied reputation of American's fighting forces and learned English watching Hollywood's take on war and life in the service. So at the age of 40 he's joining up. Andrei and several dozen new Army recruits took part in a swearing-in ceremony Thursday at the Suffolk County government headquarters in Hauppauge.

1 week ago | newsday.com | Bart Jones

Weeklong Passover services start Saturday at sunset, and for many Jewish college students on Long Island they will serve as an important moment to celebrate their faith — which sometimes has been under fire on campus. At Adelphi University, the Chabad house is providing free kosher dinners and lunches to students throughout the week, said Rabbi Yankel Lipsker. Last year’s event drew up to 70 students — the most ever — and he expects at least that many this year.

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Bart Jones

It was the Studio 54 of the Dominican Republic, an iconic discotheque where elites from all walks of life partied and seemingly everyone in the country dreamed of going. But early Tuesday morning, the Jet Set in the capital city of Santo Domingo became the scene of one of the worst tragedies in the Caribbean nation’s history when its roof collapsed, killing at least 124 people. The victims included some of the most famous and powerful people in the country.

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Bart Jones

President Donald Trump's suspension of a program that resettled people fleeing Afghanistan, Ukraine and other war-torn countries has prompted Catholic bishops nationwide, including on Long Island, to end their decades-long collaboration with the federal government on resettlement efforts. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it was making the "heartbreaking" decision to phase out its resettlement work after Trump's Executive Order on Jan.