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Waldwick, NJ

Police & Fire
Man Convicted Again Of Murdering, Torching NJ Woman, 70, For Money Man Convicted Again Of Murdering, Torching NJ Woman, 70, For Money
Man Convicted Again Of Murdering, Torching NJ Woman, 70, For Money 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Questionable DNA evidence found under the fingernails of a 70-year-old Bergen County woman bludgeoned and burned in her home may have gotten her killer a new trial, but it didn't change the outcome. For a second time, a jury in Hackensack convicted Daniel Rochat on Wednesday of all charges in the brutal September 2012 slaying of real estate agent Barbara Vernieri in her East Rutherford home. Rochat, 48, of Wood-Ridge was originally convicted in June 2017 of beating Vernieri, then pouring gasoline on her and around her home before setting it on fire to cover up the crime scene. Pros…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
NJ Fugitive Captured In Indiana: Child Porn Charges Await 'Mountain' Man In Bergen County NJ Fugitive Captured In Indiana: Child Porn Charges Await 'Mountain' Man In Bergen County
NJ Fugitive Captured In Indiana: Child Porn Charges Await 'Mountain' Man In Bergen County A former Ridgewood resident who'd returned to his native Indiana while awaiting trial on child porn charges was zapped with a stun gun by state troopers who arrested him there on a fugitive warrant. Indiana State Police seized 70-year-old Robert "Mountain" Flynn after he tried to bolt out the back door of his current home in Anderson, IN, authorities said. The 6-foot, 190-pound fugitive apparently didn't require medical attention after resisting, authorities said. No troopers were reported injured. Flynn, who'd previously owned a sprinkler company in Waldwick and also worked as a local bo…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Disgraced NJ Judge’s Son Charged With Collecting Child Porn Disgraced NJ Judge’s Son Charged With Collecting Child Porn
Disgraced NJ Judge’s Son Charged With Collecting Child Porn BREAKING NEWS: The son of a former judge who was removed from the bench for misconduct was busted on child porn charges following a raid on the family home in Waldwick, authorities confirmed on Friday. George M. Silebi, 27, “used the Internet to view, download, and possess items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Jan. 18. Detectives from Musella’s Cyber Crimes Unit raided the Sheridan Avenue home of former Superior Court Judge Liliana DeAvila-Silebi exactly a week earlier. From there they traveled to N…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
27 NJ Boston Market Stores Issued Stop-Work Orders By Labor Department 27 NJ Boston Market Stores Issued Stop-Work Orders By Labor Department
27 NJ Boston Market Stores Issued Stop-Work Orders By Labor Department Boston Market stores across New Jersey owe its workers thousands of dollars in back wages, and the state's labor department is taking action. The NJDOL issued 27 stop-work orders to Boston Market locations throughout the state on Monday, Aug. 14 saying the rotisserie chicken franchise owes more than $600,000 in back wages to 314 employees. The investigation began after the NJDOL received a complaint from an employee at a restaurant in Hamilton last November. Since then, almost three dozen people have come forward, naming several other locations. Citations were issued for unpaid/late pa…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
ICE Looks To Deport Laborer Charged With Decade-Long Child Sex Abuse In Bergen, At Jersey Shore ICE Looks To Deport Laborer Charged With Decade-Long Child Sex Abuse In Bergen, At Jersey Shore
ICE Looks To Deport Laborer Charged With Decade-Long Child Sex Abuse In Bergen, At Jersey Shore For more than a decade, a laborer believed to living in the U.S. illegally sexually abused a child in Bergen County and at the Jersey Shore, authorities said Monday. Federal authorities have placed a detainer on Jonan Pascasio-Erazo, a 46-year-old Salvadoran national living in Waldwick, who was jailed late last week. Pascasio-Erazo sexually assaulted the victim in Waldwick, Mahwah and Belmar multiple times, beginning in 2012, up until his arrest, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Waldwick police notified detectives from Musella’s Special Victims Unit of the disclosure on Friday, …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Local Man Struck By Train In North Jersey Local Man Struck By Train In North Jersey
Local Man Struck By Train In North Jersey A 60-year-old Lyndhurst man suffered severe injuries when he was hit by a train Friday night. The westbound NJ TRANSIT Main Line train struck the man just before the Kingsland Station shortly before 5:30 p.m. Aug. 4 in what responders said wasn't an accident. The man was alert and conscious despite head trauma and severe injuries to his lower extremities. He was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center. The 500 or so passengers walked to the station from there. The Main Line No. 1221 train left Hoboken at 5:13 p.m. and was due to arrive in Waldwick at 6:11 p.m., said NJ TRANSIT Seni…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Rutgers Dining Hall Worker Saved Life Of Choking Student When No One Else Knew How Rutgers Dining Hall Worker Saved Life Of Choking Student When No One Else Knew How
Rutgers Dining Hall Worker Saved Life Of Choking Student When No One Else Knew How Melanie Buschgans was at dinner with friends at Rutgers University's Livingston Dining Hall Feb. 4 when something unusual happened: She began to choke. The Waldwick native tried washing the cucumbers down with water to no avail. Then, her friends started to panic. "We went to the front desk and they didn't know what to do," recalls Buschgans, 18. And so, Buschgans' friends began yelling out for help. Halil Bektas, who works in the beverage section in the cafeteria, heard some noise. It's not unusual for college students to be noisy, so at first, he ignored it. But then Bektas turned aroun…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Violent Fugitive From Bergen County Captured Violent Fugitive From Bergen County Captured
Violent Fugitive From Bergen County Captured A violent fugitive being sought by state authorities forced some schools in northwest Bergen County to shelter in place during a manhunt that ended in his capture early Tuesday, authorities said. Ex-con Justinian Rocco, 26, of Allendale was seized by Waldwick police shortly after 7:30 a.m. Jan. 3 after colleagues from Saddle River, Midland Park and Wyckoff -- along with a K-9 unit --  converged on the area to assist, they said. Rocco had absconded from a state facility last Thursday, Dec. 29, after spending time behind bars for a variety of convictions. Then came a call early Tuesday …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
UPDATE: NJ Woman Jailed For Shooting Up SUV In Former Neighbor's Driveway UPDATE: NJ Woman Jailed For Shooting Up SUV In Former Neighbor's Driveway
Update: NJ Woman Jailed For Shooting Up SUV In Former Neighbor's Driveway UPDATE: A 40-year-old Mahwah woman was charged with shooting up an SUV parked in the driveway of a former neighbor in Waldwick. Megan Dzugay spent the night in jail after being seized in Mahwah by Waldwick detectives, assisted by Mahwah police and a Bergen County Regional SWAT team, Wednesday evening, Nov. 30, Waldwick Police Lt. Troy E. Seifert said. She's charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief resulting in property damage in connection with the 3:35 a.m. shooting on Grove Street in Waldwick. The 5-foot-4-inch g…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Man Struck Killed By Train Near MetLife Stadium Man Struck Killed By Train Near MetLife Stadium
Man Struck Killed By Train Near MetLife Stadium A man was rendered unidentifiable when he was struck and killed by a commuter train in Rutherford. Police found the dismembered body after responding to the call near the intersection of Park and East Erie avenues just west of the Rutherford train station shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17. He'd been struck by the Bergen County Line No. 1854 train, which left Waldwick at 7:35 a.m. and was due to arrive in Hoboken at 8:20 a.m., NJ TRANSIT's Jim Smith said. It apparently wasn't an accident, responders at the scene said. It was also the second violent death in roughly 14 hours in Rutherf…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Fire Sweeps Through NJ Home Fire Sweeps Through NJ Home
Fire Sweeps Through NJ Home A raging fire ravaged a Mahwah home. The fire ignited in the attached three-car garage and raced through the nearly $1.5 million home set back off a long driveway near Young World Day School on Wyckoff Avenue shortly before 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1. The owner quickly got out and watched in anguish as firefighters battled the three-alarm blaze. They went to an exterior operation, heavily dousing the flames with a trio of aerials in front and back before moving inside of the 4,200-square-foot home after the second-floor ceiling collapsed.  The fire was declared under control shortly aft…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Loved Ones Say Aching Goodbyes To 6-Year-Old North Jersey Superhero Loved Ones Say Aching Goodbyes To 6-Year-Old North Jersey Superhero
Loved Ones Say Aching Goodbyes To 6-Year-Old North Jersey Superhero Cancer is its most ruthless when it snatches young innocents, steals their childhood and shatters the hearts of those who love them. It claimed another when loved ones said goodbye this week to Cole McKeon. He was all of six years old. “He will never be in pain again. He will never have to do another hospital visit,” Cole’s mom wrote. “If something makes you sad when it ends, it must have been pretty wonderful when it was happening.” It was. Cole Patrick McKeon of Waldwick was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma four years ago. It began with a chronic stiff neck and a visit to the pedi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Community Staggered By Death Of NJ Student-Athlete In House Fire Community Staggered By Death Of NJ Student-Athlete In House Fire
Community Staggered By Death Of NJ Student-Athlete In House Fire The death of a Bergen County teenager in a house fire has staggered many in the community where she was raised, as well as others from area towns and beyond. Riley Boyle, 17, of Allendale was a stellar student-athlete who maintained a 4.0 Grade Point Average, as many who spoke of her pointed out. She was, as one put it, "an incredible role model for her peers." ****** Riley's family released a statement through attorney Ronald Dario:  "Our hearts are broken as we struggle to make sense of this terrible tragedy. Our only solace is in the outpouring of love from the community that shows u…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
LOCAL TRAGEDY: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In North Jersey House Fire LOCAL TRAGEDY: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In North Jersey House Fire
Local Tragedy: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In North Jersey House Fire An apparently accidental weekend fire that claimed the life of a Bergen County teenager has staggered many in the community where she was raised, as well as others from area towns and beyond. Riley Boyle, 17, was in the shower when the fire broke out close to the rear entrance of the 2½-story Bonnie Way home around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, responders said. The flames quickly spread to a rear hot tub room and a pergola-covered porch, trapping the victim in a bathroom just above the blaze, they said. The fire began in the rear of the Allendale home.Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE The Northern Hi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
GOTCHA! Trio Of Broad-Daylight NJ Car Thieves Captured Following Crash GOTCHA! Trio Of Broad-Daylight NJ Car Thieves Captured Following Crash
Gotcha! Trio Of Broad-Daylight NJ Car Thieves Captured Following Crash Three car thieves from Newark were captured thanks to a Saddle River resident who suspected something sinister, along with force-multiplying officers from neighboring towns who responded instantly, authorities said. Car thefts not only have skyrocketed recently throughout New Jersey the past few months -- they also occur during the day now, all because of new rules that prevent police pursuits. What local law enforcement officers can rely on, however, are their colleagues and their citizens. This played out in Saddle River -- an affluent suburban town off Route 17 near the New York State b…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Repeat Child Porn Offender From North Jersey Sentenced To 5 Years Repeat Child Porn Offender From North Jersey Sentenced To 5 Years
Repeat Child Porn Offender From North Jersey Sentenced To 5 Years A Bergen County landscaper who was caught collecting child porn for the second time in a decade was sentenced to five years in state prison. Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Cyber Crimes Unit arrested Jakob Menzo, 33, of Waldwick on June 10, 2021. The investigators found that Menzo “used the Internet to view, download, and possess more than 600 digital files depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said at the time. SEE: 10 Years After: Bergen Man Busted On Child Porn Charges Again Menzo was living in…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Jaywalker, 83, Struck By SUV Driven By 80-Year-Old Motorist In North Jersey Jaywalker, 83, Struck By SUV Driven By 80-Year-Old Motorist In North Jersey
Jaywalker, 83, Struck By SUV Driven By 80-Year-Old Motorist In North Jersey An 83-year-old pedestrian from Waldwick was hospitalized -- and got a ticket -- after she was struck in Hackensack by an SUV driven by an 80-year-old Westwood woman, authorities said. The victim needed ankle surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center after she was struck on Berry Street by a Ford Edge whose driver had made a left from southbound State Street at 2:17 p.m. Sunday, Police Lt. Anthony Natale said. Police issued a summons to the pedestrian for jaywalking, Natale said.

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
NJ Man Once Accused Of Flinging Feces At Neighbor's House Arrested Again NJ Man Once Accused Of Flinging Feces At Neighbor's House Arrested Again
NJ Man Once Accused Of Flinging Feces At Neighbor's House Arrested Again A noisy steam pipe has again triggered a Ho-Ho-Kus man who once stored his own excrement and shot it at his neighbor's house, authorities said. William J. Krywos, 49, has had a history of run-ins with the law, including causing a mid-1990s blackout that affected more than 32,000 Bergen County customers. More recently, Krywos had a series of conflicts with no fewer than three different residents who've lived next door to his Duncan Road home over the years -- always in the winter, police said. The way defense attorney Frank Lucianna once explained it, "there is a pipe on his neighbor’s hous…

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by DAILY VOICE
News
Malfunctioning Emergency System Locks Down NJ School, Brings SWAT Team Malfunctioning Emergency System Locks Down NJ School, Brings SWAT Team
Malfunctioning Emergency System Locks Down NJ School, Brings SWAT Team This was not the day for a school lockdown alarm to malfunction. Police and school officials in Waldwick said that's what sent the school into emergency mode Friday afternoon, bringing the Bergen County Regional SWAT team and mutual aid support from neighboring towns -- while frightening some students, staff and especially parents. "The system malfunction at 3:02 p.m., right after school let out," Police Lt. Thomas Dowling said. "Officers from surrounding towns along with the swat team helped in securing the building till the malfunction was confirmed."   Police eventually gave t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Transit Police Nab Man Wanted For Assaulting Conductor In North Jersey Transit Police Nab Man Wanted For Assaulting Conductor In North Jersey
Transit Police Nab Man Wanted For Assaulting Conductor In North Jersey Authorities captured a Waldwick man wanted for assaulting a conductor at a local train station. New Jersey Transit police tracked down DeVaugn K. Dudley, 23, and took him into custody assisted by Waldwick police, said Emma Wright, NJT's senior public information officer. They charged him with aggravated assault and interfering with transportation in connection with a Nov. 23 incident at the Waldwick station, Wright said. DeVaugn K. DudleyBERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF No sooner was Dudley booked into the Bergen County Jail than a Superior Court judge in Hackensack released him Tuesday, pending…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Transit Police Nab Man Wanted For Assaulting Conductor In North Jersey Transit Police Nab Man Wanted For Assaulting Conductor In North Jersey
Transit Police Nab Man Wanted For Assaulting Conductor In North Jersey Authorities captured a Waldwick man wanted for assaulting a conductor at a local train station. New Jersey Transit police tracked down DeVaugn K. Dudley, 23, and took him into custody assisted by Waldwick police, said Emma Wright, NJT's senior public information officer. They charged him with aggravated assault and interfering with transportation in connection with a Nov. 23 incident at the Waldwick station, Wright said. No sooner was Dudley booked into the Bergen County Jail than a Superior Court judge in Hackensack released him Tuesday, pending further court action, under New Jersey's 2…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
PD: Telltale Sign Helps Locate Man Seen Masturbating Outside NJ Home PD: Telltale Sign Helps Locate Man Seen Masturbating Outside NJ Home
PD: Telltale Sign Helps Locate Man Seen Masturbating Outside NJ Home An Allendale man recorded on a doorbell camera masturbating in a Waldwick resident's driveway early Saturday was captured a short time later by police from both towns, authorities said. Paul Montenigro, 44, wasn't difficult to spot, they said. He'd dyed his hair blue. A resident near Crescent Elementary School called Waldwick police after his Ring video alerted him around 8:30 a.m., Detective Sgt. David Passaretti said. The resident ran out and confronted Montenigro, who fled, he said. Waldwick patrol officers converged on the area, assisted by Allendale police. They checked area busine…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
10 Years After: North Jersey Man Busted On Child Porn Charges Again 10 Years After: North Jersey Man Busted On Child Porn Charges Again
10 Years After: North Jersey Man Busted On Child Porn Charges Again A landscaper from Waldwick who was busted on child porn charges nearly 10 years ago was back in custody after detectives caught him this time with more than 600 illegal files, authorities said. Jakob Menzo, 31, was arrested after detectives raided his Dow Avenue home on Thursday, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Members of his Cyber Crimes Unit found that Menzo “used the Internet to view, download, and possess more than 600 digital files depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” the prosecutor said. Menzo was living in Ramsey, attending Bergen…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
VIDEO: Driver Faints After COVID Test, Crashes Into Eatery's Outdoor Dining VIDEO: Driver Faints After COVID Test, Crashes Into Eatery's Outdoor Dining
Video: Driver Faints After COVID Test, Crashes Into Eatery's Outdoor Dining Tropical Storm Fay may have ended up saving lives when an SUV plowed into a popular Bergen County restaurant's temporary outdoor dining area after the driver fainted following a COVID test. Surveillance video captured the lunchtime crash, which scattered tables, chairs and tent poles before slamming into a pair of Dumpsters and stopping atop some tree stumps Friday at Nellie’s Place in Waldwick. Witnesses said the 57-year-old driver had just submitted a sample for a COVID test at the Rite Aid up the street when she lost consciousness heading down Franklin Turnpike. Her SUV hit the curb ou…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Bergen County Students Launch BLM Website For Tri-State Area Activists Bergen County Students Launch BLM Website For Tri-State Area Activists
Bergen County Students Launch BLM Website For Tri-State Area Activists A pair of Bergen County high school students whose parents feared for their safety at rallies took activism into their own hands with the launch of a website dedicated raising awareness toward the Black Lives Matter movement. Upon recognizing need for a localized BLM resource, Rayyan Ahmed, 15, of Waldwick and Divyash Shah, 14, of Tenafly jumped to action -- bringing BLM NJ online last week. Ahmed and Shah, both rising sophomores at Bergen County Academies, initially wanted to dive headfirst into the movement through active participation in protests and riots. That idea didn’t sit well wit…

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by Valerie Musson
News
UPDATE: Tree Downs Wires, Burns Route 17 Pavement UPDATE: Tree Downs Wires, Burns Route 17 Pavement
Update: Tree Downs Wires, Burns Route 17 Pavement UPDATE: Southbound Route 17 remained closed temporarily after a transformer fire downed wires and burned a portion of the roadway Wednesday night in Waldwick. Police initially closed the highway north at Allendale Road and south at Cameron Road around 9:15 p.m. Several area power outages were reported. Police, firefighters and the state Department of Transportation responded. The northbound side was reopened shortly before 10:30 p.m., but the southbound side remained closed while things cooled off and a hole could be patched. Grove Street in Waldwick.DAILY VOICE

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Fire Ravages Mahwah Townhouse Complex Fire Ravages Mahwah Townhouse Complex
Fire Ravages Mahwah Townhouse Complex Fire ravaged multiple units of a Mahwah townhouse complex early Friday evening. Occupants all got out safely and no injuries were immediately reported. The three-alarm fire broke out in the Dickinson Manor condominiums in the Fardale section of town shortly after 5 p.m. Township firefighters moved quickly and in sizable numbers from the front and rear of the building to prevent the blaze from doing more serious damage. Firefighters from Waldwick, Wyckoff and Allendale were among those who joined their Mahwah colleagues at the scene, along with township police and EMS. Tallman FAST, Hill…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Firefighters Douse Allendale House Blaze Firefighters Douse Allendale House Blaze
Firefighters Douse Allendale House Blaze Firefighters doused a house blaze in Allendale late Sunday. The fire broke out on the second floor of the 2½-story, wood-frame house on West Crescent Avenue off Franklin Turnpike around 10:15 p.m. It went to a second alarm for coverage 20 minutes later and was knocked down 10 minutes or so after that, responders said. Firefighters from Mahwah, Waldwick, Wyckoff, Ho-Ho-Kus and Saddle River assisted their Allendale colleagues at the scene. Franklin Lakes, Midland Park and Upper Saddle River firefighters were asked to remain on standby in their own headquarters. No injuries were reported i…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Firefighters Catch Ho-Ho-Kus Basement Blaze Before It Can Do Serious Damage Firefighters Catch Ho-Ho-Kus Basement Blaze Before It Can Do Serious Damage
Firefighters Catch Ho-Ho-Kus Basement Blaze Before It Can Do Serious Damage Firefighters doused a Ho-Ho-Kus basement blaze before it could extend to the rest of the house. The blaze was just about to reach the floor above when firefighters found a heating unit that caught fire in a confined basement crawl space at the Spruce Place home around noon Monday. “Due to the quick action of our firefighters, the fire was contained to the unit of origin, resulting in minimal damage,” the department said in a release. “The HHKFD takes pride in protecting life and property in the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus through training and aggressive firefighting,” it added. The department t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Weather
High Winds Wreak Havoc In North Jersey: Trees, Poles, Wires Down, Roads Closed High Winds Wreak Havoc In North Jersey: Trees, Poles, Wires Down, Roads Closed
High Winds Wreak Havoc In North Jersey: Trees, Poles, Wires Down, Roads Closed High winds on Monday toppled trees and utility poles, damaging homes and vehicles and closing North Jersey roadways. Among the damage: No injuries were reported when high winds blew off part of a Saddle Brook rooftop, blanketing a vehicle parked on President Street; Tenafly responders were busy with a window broken by high winds that rained glass on the sidewalk below from the second floor of the CVS on Washington Street, downed wires from a tree that toppled on Johnson Avenue and a large transformer fire at East Clinton Avenue and Woodland Street; Downed wires closed Route 46 in in both …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Multi-Alarm Fire Ravages Ridgewood Downtown UPDATE: Multi-Alarm Fire Ravages Ridgewood Downtown
Update: Multi-Alarm Fire Ravages Ridgewood Downtown Firefighters saved an entire block of businesses and homes by eventually putting down a destructive downtown blaze Sunday night in Ridgewood. The five-alarm fire broke out in an apartment upstairs from the Bagelicious shop on North Broad Street shortly after 9 p.m. and quickly spread to the building housing the Mediterraneo restaurant and an office building. A female resident of an upstairs apartment was rescued through a window and taken to The Valley Hospital with smoke inhalation. Other residents who live in apartments above both businesses fled before floors collapsed and flames began…

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by Jerry DeMarco