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Police & Fire
Sedan Slams Into Totowa Firehouse Sedan Slams Into Totowa Firehouse
Sedan Slams Into Totowa Firehouse A driver sustained injuries that responders said weren't life-threatening after a sedan slammed into the side of a Totowa firehouse early Tuesday. The white Mercedes smashed into the side of Fire Rescue Co. 4 on Mitchell Avenue just before 5:30 a.m. Building officials were determining whether the structure was safe. No one inside the building was injured, authorities said.

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
TRIBUTE: Last Alarm Call To Sound For Veteran Totowa Firefighter Neil Colella, 80 TRIBUTE: Last Alarm Call To Sound For Veteran Totowa Firefighter Neil Colella, 80
Tribute: Last Alarm Call To Sound For Veteran Totowa Firefighter Neil Colella, 80 A chair with his gear will be placed outside Totowa Fire Rescue 4 when the last alarm call is sounded Friday for veteran firefighter Neil J. Colella. A volunteer firefighter for more than 45 years, Colella died Tuesday. He was 80. His funeral Mass is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. James of the Marches Church, followed by entombment at Laurel Grove Cemetery, both in Totowa. Born in Paterson on April 11, 1939 – one of 10 children -- Colella retired as a mail handler for the USPS in the Silk City. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus Post #6574 in Totowa and of the Totowa Happy …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
HERO: Wayne Postal Carrier Saves Woman After Finding Son, 2, In The Street HERO: Wayne Postal Carrier Saves Woman After Finding Son, 2, In The Street
Hero: Wayne Postal Carrier Saves Woman After Finding Son, 2, In The Street Postal carrier Steve Garofalo knew something was wrong when he saw a 2-year-old boy alone outside while on his route in Wayne. Garofalo, 57, of Totowa told CBS2 that he asked the youngster where his mother was and he pointed inside. He found the woman unconscious from a bad reaction to medication and quickly dialed 911, CBS2 reported. “If it wasn’t for him, the EMT wouldn’t have gotten there as quickly and I would’ve been brought to the hospital,” she told the TV station. Garofalo, who’s been on the route for 32 years, received a Life Saving Award Thursday from the U.S. Postal Service. G…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
Bed Bath & Beyond Will Close At Least 40 Stores Bed Bath & Beyond Will Close At Least 40 Stores
Bed Bath & Beyond Will Close At Least 40 Stores Bed Bath and Beyond is planning to close at least 40 stores to help stem losses after it lost $253.8 million in the fourth quarter last year.  The home goods retailer was founded in 1971 and headquartered in Union Township.  While the company, with 1,550 locations and more than 60,000 employees, also announced it plans on opening around 15 new locations, it said even more stores could close if it is unable to negotiate more favorable lease terms with current landlords. Bed Bath and Beyond has North Jersey stores in: Clifton East Hanover Edgewater Elizabeth Flanders Jersey City …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Trying To Stay Fresh? Glen Rock PD Says Pair Stole Deodorant, Gum In Bulk Trying To Stay Fresh? Glen Rock PD Says Pair Stole Deodorant, Gum In Bulk
Trying To Stay Fresh? Glen Rock PD Says Pair Stole Deodorant, Gum In Bulk Two Glen Rock police officers chased down a shoplifting duo – one from Lyndhurst, the other from Hawthorne -- who swiped 63 containers of deodorant and nearly two dozen packs of gum from a local CVS, authorities said. Both had fled the Rock Road store, but Sgt. Bryan Scott grabbed one on Main Street near Bradford Street 208 after an employee described them to a 911 operator, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. Sgt. Scott McGovern got the other trying to flee along the NJ Transit Main Line railroad tracks under Route 208, Ackermann said. Officers recovered $168 of $666 worth of items taken bu…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Hole Repair Jams Westbound Route 80 Traffic Hole Repair Jams Westbound Route 80 Traffic
Hole Repair Jams Westbound Route 80 Traffic UPDATE: Overnight repairs had to be made on a hole that opened on westbound Route 80 in Woodland Park after a drainpipe pipe below it collapsed. Monday night rush-hour traffic was backed up to the George Washington Bridge. The crack in the pipe, which connects basins at the median to the right shoulder, created a hole between the two left lanes. Drivers were urged to take alternate routes. Work begins in earnest.Contributed photo At least two lanes of westbound Route 80 in Woodland Park were compromised.Contributed photo At least two lanes of westbound Route 80 in Woodland Park …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Passaic Sheriff: Morris Security Company Worker, 48, Sexted, Sent Gifts To 12-Year-Old Girl Passaic Sheriff: Morris Security Company Worker, 48, Sexted, Sent Gifts To 12-Year-Old Girl
Passaic Sheriff: Morris Security Company Worker, 48, Sexted, Sent Gifts To 12-Year-Old Girl A 12-year-old Totowa girl received sexually explicit texts and a gift in the mail from a 48-year-old Morris County man who works for an Essex County security company, said authorities who arrested him Monday. Michael J. Chiuchiolo Jr. of Riverdale “communicated with the child for several weeks” before her mother discovered the texts, which purported to be from a man in his late teens, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said. After being contacted by the mother, sheriff’s detectives found that Chiuchiolo originally connected with the girl online through a live video streaming website,…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Motorcyclist Remains Critical After Route 46 Crash In Clifton Motorcyclist Remains Critical After Route 46 Crash In Clifton
Motorcyclist Remains Critical After Route 46 Crash In Clifton A Totowa motorcyclist remained in critical condition Monday after crashing on Route 46 in Clifton the day before, authorities said. James Kopec, 37, lost control and was thrown from the 2015 Honda VT7 on the eastbound highway by Fette Ford just after 12:30 p.m. Sunday, authorities said. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Clifton Police Chief Mark Centurione said in a joint announcement. No other vehicles were involved, they said. Valdes asked that anyone who may have witnessed the crash contact her office’s tip…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Pedestrian Seriously Injured Near Accident Scene In Totowa Pedestrian Seriously Injured Near Accident Scene In Totowa
Pedestrian Seriously Injured Near Accident Scene In Totowa A pedestrian was hospitalized with what responders said they believed were life-threatening injuries after she was struck by a car Thursday night in Totowa while a police officer was investigating a nearby crash that occurred moments earlier. The freak accident occurred in front of the Delta gas station on Union Boulevard and Boyle Avenue around 5 p.m. The officer was writing his report when the woman was hit. The Totowa First Aid Squad took her to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center. The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office responded along with borough police and EMS.

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
Beloved Passaic County Construction Worker William Lafontaine Dies, 28 Beloved Passaic County Construction Worker William Lafontaine Dies, 28
Beloved Passaic County Construction Worker William Lafontaine Dies, 28 Friends say William Lafontaine was rarely without a smile on his face. He had a passion for basketball and lifting others' spirits. Lafontaine -- affectionately known as Willy -- was also preparing to become a father. He died on March 7, at 28 years old. "RHONJ" star and local business owner Kim DePaola expressed condolences on social media. "I will miss you soo much my Willy !" she wrote. "That beautiful smile and always willing to help everyone." Lafontaine was born in Wayne and later moved to Totowa, where he lived for most of his life. He was a construction worker for Greener Construc…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Two Accused Dealers, Six Buyers Charged In Paterson Sports Bar Raid Two Accused Dealers, Six Buyers Charged In Paterson Sports Bar Raid
Two Accused Dealers, Six Buyers Charged In Paterson Sports Bar Raid An undercover operation led to a raid on a Paterson sports bar and the arrests of eight people on a whopping 32 combined charges, authorities said. Working together, investigators from the city’s vice and narcotics unit infiltrated the Terrace Inn on Totowa Avenue, seizing 10 bags of cocaine and few hundred dollars in alleged proceeds, Police Director Jerry Speziale said. The joint operation also produced 11 Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) charges against the business, he said. Arrested were two alleged dealers: Ramon Rivera, 47, of Haledon, and Brian R. Wichowski, 28, of Little Falls – eac…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
Passaic County Native April Zanfino Dies, 19 Passaic County Native April Zanfino Dies, 19
Passaic County Native April Zanfino Dies, 19 Resilient. Talented. Funny. This is how friends, family and loved ones are remembering April Victoria Zanfino of Lincoln Park, who died suddenly on Feb. 27 at 19 years old. Born in Paterson, April loved dancing, writing songs and playing music on the piano, her obituary says. She graduated from Boonton High School in 2018, where she played basketball. More than $9,600 had been raised for her family on a GoFundMe launched by Lori Johnson as of Wednesday afternoon. Condolences poured in. "April was a beautiful person both inside and out," one family wrote under on obituary. "I’ve nev…

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by Cecilia Levine