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Saturday, apr 27
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Change.org
News
UMass Dartmouth Student Charged In Death Of Manahawkin Peer In On-Campus Crash: DA
A 22-year-old Boston woman will face charges after she fatally struck 19-year-old University of Massachusetts Dartmouth student Frank Petillo Jr. earlier this year, authorities said. Danasia Sampson, of Mattapan, MA, was charged last week with motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said. Sampson is also a student at the university. Petillo, a Manahawkin, NJ, native, was crossing Ring Road with a friend on April 6 near his dorm when police say Sampson crashed into him with her Honda Accord around 5:30 p.m., the Bristol prosecutor said.…
News
NJ Mom Pushes For New Law After Bus Monitor Charged In 6-Year-Old Daughter's Death
A New Jersey mother is pushing for a new law following the death of her 6-year-old special needs daughter, which led to the arrest of a bus monitor. Fajr A. Williams was apparently strapped incorrectly when her bus went over a series of bumps on Monday, July 17, as Daily Voice previously reported citing the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office. Fajr, 6, died in July 2023 on the school bus.Najmah Nash Fajr's bus monitor, Amanda Davila, 27, of New Brunswick, had fastened the harness of the girl's wheelchair too tight, blocking her airway, authorities said. Davila was charged with manslau…
Sports
Hearts Break As NJ's Famed Atco Dragway Abruptly Closes After 63 Years
Racing fans are devastated by the abrupt closing of Atco Dragway after 63 years. The schedule for the remainder of the year has been canceled, the raceway said on Facebook Tuesday night, July 18. “Thank you all for your patronage and memories over the years,” the Camden County stadium wrote without providing a reason. The post drew more than 1,100 reactions and more than 450 comments on DragCoverage's Facebook page. Ron Gilbert said: "Breaks my heart! My son is gonna be really upset! Glad he was able to experience and run his car before it closed." "I'm so sad! It was on my short-term b…
News
NJ Student Killed In Pedestrian Crash On UMass-Dartmouth Campus
A 19-year-old University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth student from the Jersey Shore was struck and killed by a car on campus, college officials said. Frankie Petillo Jr. was struck by a vehicle on Thursday, April 6, according to the college chancellor. Petillo, of the Manahawkin section of Strafford, was a freshman Bioengineering student. The college held a candlelight vigil on Monday. Petillo's death prompted students to launch a Change.org petition to improve street safety on campus. The petition says, in part: "The student body wants more safety. Speed bumps, speed monitors, sidewalks, …
News
11-Year-Old Who Died By Suicide In School Bathroom Recorded Chilling Voice Note Years Before
An 11-year-old New Jersey middle school student who died by suicide in her school bathroom — just days after losing her dad, an NJ Transit police detective, to cancer — recorded a chilling voice note years before her death. "Unless you're me, well you're listening to this from the future," Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez can be heard saying in the 2021 voice note, shared by her mom Elaina LoAlbo, to Facebook. "Say hello to future mom, future dad... future everyone. Never, never never be bad, never give up on your friends, never, ever... be a bully." Since her daughter's death, LoAlbo has been vo…
News
Raritan Valley Community Freaked Out By Increasing Amount Of Monstrous Warehouses
Warehouses have begun popping up in one Somerset County community — and some residents have had their fill. A group of concerned citizens who live in a 55+ community of about 2,000 residents in Franklin Township held a rally on Thursday, Nov. 10 in protest of the monstrous developments. Organized by the Citizens Warehouse Action Group at Canal Walk, the rally was held with support from Franklin Township Councilman Ed Potosnak and Councilwoman Shepa Uddin. A Change.org petition had more than 1,200 signatures of the 1,500 needed as of the day of the rally. "Franklin Township (FT) is ov…
Police & Fire
Video Shows Jersey City Councilwoman In Hit-Run Trying To Get Out Of Car Tow Last Year
Newly-released bodycam footage shows a Jersey City councilwoman at the center of a recent hit-and-run case trying to plead her way out of having her car towed last year. The footage released by Hudson County View shows Amy DeGise on the verge of tears as her Nissan Rogue was loaded onto a tow truck in Hoboken. An officer tells her that the car had been struck by a tractor trailer partially because she was in a no stopping/standing zone, and then that her SUV was being impounded since it had been unregistered since 2019. "I have a family member that's an officer I have their card on me, if…
Police & Fire
Petition Calls For Resignation Of Jersey City Councilwoman Ticketed In Hit-Run Crash
A Change.org petition has been launched calling for the resignation of Jersey City councilwoman, seen striking a bicyclist who ran a red light and fleeing the scene. Amy DeGise was apparently behind the wheel of a Nissan Rogue that struck Andrew Black, who was heading south on Forrest Street near Martin Luther King Drive around 8 a.m. July 19, according to a police report obtained by Daily Voice. View this post on Instagram A post shared by HudPost (@hudpost) Black reportedly said he had a green light but the footage shows him running a red,…
Obituaries
Support Rises For Family Of North Jersey Native Who Died After Valiant Breast Cancer Battle, 40
Support is on the rise for the family of a North Jersey native who died following a courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 40. Colleen Margaret Asea, a beloved sister, daughter, aunt, and friend, died surrounded by her family on Wednesday, June 15, her obituary says. Colleen embraced the countless roles she filled throughout her life, up to and during her difficult diagnosis. She always put others before herself and brought laughter and light to all those around her. She also “did not miss a beat” when it came to remembering and celebrating others’ special occasions,…
News
'Lyndhurst 18' Allowed To Walk At Graduation, Penalty For Prank Rescinded, Schools Chief Says
UPDATE: Lyndhurst Schools Supt. Joseph A. DeCorso announced that a group of high school seniors who staged a harmless prank earlier this week can walk at graduation Wednesday night. The schools chief had banned 18 seniors from walking at the scheduled 7:30 p.m. graduation, igniting a firestorm that eventually led him to rescind it. "This morning the administration met with parents of students involved with the high school prank incident," DeCorso said shortly after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. "As a result of the discussions had, an amicable resolution was reached between the parties. "Details c…
News
Schools Chief: Graduation Punishment For Lyndhurst HS Senior Prank Rescinded
UPDATE: Lyndhurst Schools Supt. Joseph A. DeCorso announced that a group of high school seniors who pulled a prank earlier this week can walk at graduation Wednesday night. "This morning the administration met with parents of students involved with the high school prank incident," DeCorso said. "As a result of the discussions had, an amicable resolution was reached between the parties. "Details concerning the resolution cannot be released as it involves sensitive student information," the superintendent noted. DeCorso added: "The Board is committed to preserving and securing the heal…
News
Classmate Seeks To Have HS Track Named For NJ Teen Who Died In Tragic Fire
A classmate of a Bergen County teen killed in a house fire has launched a petition to name the running track at their school after her. Riley Boyle, 17, of Allendale "was an amazing soul like no other who was loved by many," Northern Highlands Regional High School classmate Ryan Glazer wrote in a change.org petition. "(She) was not only a member of the Highlands track team but was also an incredible student with a 4.0 GPA," Glazer noted. "It’s only right if we immortalize her in Highlands' history and honor the all-around successful and amazing person she already was and would surely bec…
News
Man Recalls NJ BF's Final Moments On Notoriously Dangerous Hawaiian Beach 'Lumadie'
"I love my family. I don't want to die." Those were some of the last words spoken by New Jersey’s Matthew Preziose moments before being swept out to sea by the heavy currents on a beach in Hawaii last weekend — never to be seen again. The irony of it all is that his boyfriend, Nick Slawinski, said he’d never seen Preziose, 25, of Middletown, happier than he was that week. The couple chose Lumahai beach in Kauai to visit particularly because of its rave reviews both from tour guides and Google, 26-year-old Slawinski, of Riverside, said. Little did they know, the site is known as a dangerou…
Business
Chick-fil
-nay
: Petition Opposes Eatery Planned For NJ Turnpike Rest Stop
Hundreds of signatures had been garnered as of Thursday, Jan. 20 on a petition to stop a Chick-fil-A from opening at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority on Jan. 3 announced that it would be replacing the McDonald's restaurants at the Vauxhall and Brookdale South rest stops with Chick-fil-As. A Change.org petition launched by William Courson accuses the fast-food eatery's parent company of supporting "political candidates and individuals as well as organizations that actively oppose and work to undermine the civil rights and equality of a…
News
'It Will Always Be Woodrow Wilson To Me': Grads React To NJ School's Controversial Name Change
Many graduates of Camden's Woodrow Wilson High School are stunned by the fact their alma mater will soon be going by a different name. District officials opted for change due to the former president's racial legacy. “Class of 65 it will always be Woodrow Wilson to me,” says George Murray, who responded to a question from DailyVoice on a Facebook group made up of graduates from the school. Comments from FB Group "Graduates of Woodrow Wilson High School"Facebook, Graduates of Woodrow Wilson High School “I graduated in '64. I will always say I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School (no…
Police & Fire
Kearny Girl, 17, Charged In Death Of Baby Found In Trash Can
A 17-year-old girl was arrested in the death of an infant last October in Hudson County, authorities said. The Kearny teen was charged with aggravated manslaughter, child endangerment and desecrating human remains, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. The girl was charged as a juvenile. A Change.org petition called "Justice for Baby Matthew" was launched by Angela Owens last October, after the infant was found in a trash can. More than 2,100 signatures had been garnered as of Oct. 18, 2021.
Police & Fire
'No One Listened': Mom Says She Tried To Protect Son Before NJ Dad's Abuse Killed Him
A 29-year-old man from the Jersey Shore has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child in connection to his son's suspicious death, authorities said. Christopher Gregor of Barnegat reportedly surrendered to Barnegat police Friday, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. The boy, identified by his mom, Breanna Micciolo, as Englishtown's Corey, Micciolo, was only 6 years old. Micciolo has launched a Change.org petition, where she said she had been pleading with child protective services to help get him away from his abuser -- his father. "No one listened or hel…
News
Students Petition To Save Graduation Seat For Bergen Classmate Who Died By Suicide
A Bergen County teen who took his own life won't be honored at his high school's upcoming graduation ceremony, prompting protest from students and community members. Instead, there will be a moment of silence, district officials said. A memorial service honoring 16-year-old Jordan Falco during the 2021 graduation ceremony next Tuesday would "set a bad precedent," a Change.org petition quotes Northern Valley Demarest High School Principal Dr. Timothy Gouraige as saying. Gouraige, in his defense, told Daily Voice that it was "a district decision, not a building decision," and denied saying…
News
Report: Transphobic Rant Spurs Dueling Harassment Case For NJ School School Admin, Diners
The vice principal of a New Jersey middle school who tossed beer at a group of people filming his wife rant against a transgender women's bathroom is accusing the people who got hit with the beer of harassment. And the people who got hit with the beer are accusing the school admin of the same. A Galloway Township municipal court judge on Thursday is expected to examine the cases of Michael Smurro -- who works at Neptune Middle School -- along with those he accused of harassing him and his wife, Lisa, AP News reports. The incident occurred April 24 at Fred and Ethel's in Absecon. An admini…
News
Consequences Demanded For Homophobic Remarks In Dumont Teachers' Zoom Chat
Homophobic comments posted in a Zoom chat among Dumont High School teachers has parents, students, graduates and other educators fuming -- and district officials investigating. Mayor Andrew LaBruno said he's contacted Schools Supt. Emanuele Triggiano, "who has assured me that this incident is being taken seriously and will be thoroughly investigated." Meanwhile, signatures mounted on a change.org petition calling for the teachers' ouster. A screenshot captured from the chat contains references to a "gay gym teacher," along with the comment: "Is that her adopted kid? Who is gonna be all f--…
News
Hackensack Board Member Who Opposed LGBTQ Curriculum Resigns After Embarrassing Zoom Incident
A Hackensack School Board member who made national headlines by opposing a LGBTC curriculum has resigned after an embarrassing incident during a Zoom meeting. Frances Cogelja didn’t realize she’d left her laptop camera on when she took it with her while going to the bathroom during the public comments section of a board meeting Monday night. Nearly 150 participants, including students, apparently saw Cogelja relieve herself. No one immediately said anything when she returned from her trip to the toilet. A short time later, Vice President Scott James-Vickery reportedly told Cogelja: “You n…
News
Petition Seeks Garfield Columbus School Name Change
A former Garfield resident spent Columbus Day campaigning to rename a public school in town. “Christopher Columbus did not discover America, but[,] rather, stole and destroyed the land and history of [i]ndigenous [p]eoples who continue to suffer from his actions today,” Venise J. Salcedo wrote in a change.org petition that seeks to rename School No. 8. Salcedo, who works for Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia, believes that the pre-K-to-5th grade school should be named for “someone who best reflects the values of its students, staff, faculty and alumni.” “European coloni…
Police & Fire
Friends Seek Justice For Morris County Man, 20, Found Hanged In Park
Friends of a Morris County man whose body was found hanged in a park last weekend are seeking justice. Morris County authorities said Friday they'd found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing to this point in the hanging park death of a 20-year-old Amani Kildea, of Long Valley. His death had been ruled a suicide. A Change.org petition called "Justice for Amani Kildea" launched by Taylor Packwood, however, had garnered more than 31,000 signatures as of Friday afternoon. "His death, without investigation, was ruled a suicide," the petition says. "Amani was found an hour away from where h…
Schools
Racial Tension Divides Hackensack BOE, Black Teacher Resigns Citing Years Of Racism
Longtime Hackensack Middle School teacher Raquel James-Goodman tendered her resignation Tuesday, following a Board of Education vote that she says was just another example of systemic racism in Hackensack. James-Goodman, who had been with the Hackensack School District for 13 years, was saddened and disappointed by the fact that BOE Trustee Frances Cogelja refused to vote on a resolution to promote diversity and abolish racism in the district. The referendum was otherwise passed unanimously by the board’s eight other members. To James-Goodman -- who is black -- the problem is not just Coge…
News
Essex County Town To Remove Christopher Columbus Statue
A Christopher Columbus statue that has long remained in West Orange will soon come down. Mayor Robert Parisi said in a Facebook video the monument at intersection of Valley Road and Kingsley Street will be replaced by a "more appropriate message," but did not provide a timeline. "The legend of Columbus does not match the history and today, the man, statues or monuments celebrating his life are a divisive and a symbol of hate and oppression and cannot remain as part of our community," Parisi said. Two Change.org petitions to keep the monument have been launched: One argues for the statue's …
Schools
Teaneck NYU Freshman Among Thousands Demanding Refund For 'Subpar' Online Classes
A 19-year-old New York University freshman from Teaneck is among thousands of students asking for a refund on subpar online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports say. The school did return a fractional refund for housing, meals and specific school/course-based fees, the New York Post reports. Still, students are demanding more. A Change.org petition calling for a partial tuition refund had garnered more than 12,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. The petition needed an additional 3,000 to reach its goal. “The fact that school has transitioned to remote teaching means that we s…
Schools
St. Peter’s University Seniors Fight Commencement Move From PNC To 'Gym'
This spring’s St. Peter’s University graduates learned Friday that they won’t be getting their degrees at the massive PNC Bank Center – but, instead, at the school’s on-campus recreational facility. And they're steamed. Brenda Coates, 21, of Linden said she’d knuckled down for four years at the Jesuit university in Jersey City “just for me to find out that I have to graduate in the gym.” The Victor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center, to be exact, the Montgomery Street home of the Peacocks and Peahens of basketball, swimming and volleyball. SPU commencements for years had been held…
Police & Fire
Essex County Sheriff's K9 Unit To Be Disbanded By End Of Year
A petition has been created urging officials in Essex County to reverse a decision to shut down the sheriff's K-9 unit by the end of this month. The sheriff's office stressed that homes will be found for all the dogs when the unit is closed down. "Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura has announced that on December 31, 2019 he will disband the Essex County K-9 Unit," the petition reads. "The busiest county in New Jersey! Getting rid of Narcotic K-9 , Tracking K-9, Search and Rescue K-9, and Weapon/bomb detection K-9! Essex County is one of the ONLY COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF NEW …
News
After Racist Comments Surface, Calls For Renaming Elizabeth's Reagan Academy
A college student and Democratic Party activist has started a petition calling for the Ronald Reagan Academy in Elizabeth to be renamed after a recording of the 40th president referring to Africans as "monkeys" emerged a few weeks ago. Ricky Castaneda, 21, launched the petition on Change.org and hopes to have it signed by 1,000 people in time for the next Elizabeth Board of Education meeting Aug 22. "In [the] wake of the damaging October 1971 racist phone conversation between Governor Ronald Reagan and President Richard Nixon that recently surfaced, outraged human/civil rights a…
News
County Executive: Hackensack BOE Trustee Who Called LGBTQ Teaching 'Repugnant' Should Resign
Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco on Monday called for the resignation of a Hackensack School Board trustee who called new state laws that require teaching about LGBTQ history “repugnant.” “Bergen County’s diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and the thousands of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender help make us all stronger, and help make all of our 70 communities stronger," Tedesco said. “It is important that we stand in solidarity against bigotry, violence, and discrimination and continue to reaffirm our commitment to equal rights for everyone, especiall…
News
Hackensack BOE Trustee Responds To 'Homophobic' Emails
A Hackensack Board of Education trustee stirred controversy when she told district officials that she was not only disturbed by the state's new LGBT school curriculum law -- but felt it would be a waste of time for students, a new report reveals. The words "repugnant" and "disgust" were used by Frances Cogelia in emails to district officials expressing her sentiments toward the new state LGBT laws, which requires LGBT history be incorporated in middle and high school curriculums, OutInJersey reports. Cogelja sent several emails to Acting Superintendent Rosemary Marks saying the law was shoc…
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