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Military

Police & Fire
Sussex County Fire Department Mourns Loss Of Former Captain Michael Basso, 37 Sussex County Fire Department Mourns Loss Of Former Captain Michael Basso, 37
Sussex County Fire Department Mourns Loss Of Former Captain Michael Basso, 37 Michael Basso, a former captain in the McAfee Fire Department, died on Wednesday, Oct. 30, the fire department said. He was 37 years old. “He was a kind, smart, motivated person and a great friend,” the McAfee Fire Department said on Facebook. “We want to send our condolences to his family and wife, and hope they may find peace knowing he is resting easy now. We will miss you brother; we’ve got it from here.” This evening we learned of the passing of former McAfee Fire Department Captain & Highland Lakes Fire Department member... Posted by Vernon Township Fire Department C…

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by Sam Barron
News
South Jersey Air Force Vet Named NJ Adjutant General, 1st Black Woman Heading National Guard South Jersey Air Force Vet Named NJ Adjutant General, 1st Black Woman Heading National Guard
South Jersey Air Force Vet Named NJ Adjutant General, 1st Black Woman Heading National Guard An Air Force veteran from Burlington County has been nominated as the next New Jersey Adjutant General, Gov. Phil Murphy announced. Effective Monday, July 1, Colonel Yvonne L. Mays of Lumberton Township also would become the state's first black woman in the state's history to head up the New Jersey National Guard. The opening as acting head of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs comes after the departure of Major General Lisa J. Hou, who has accepted a new assignment as the director of the Office of the Joint Surgeon General, National Guard Bureau. The nomination is …

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by Jon Craig
News
'It's Terrifying': North Jersey Mom's Son Serves In Israeli Army 'It's Terrifying': North Jersey Mom's Son Serves In Israeli Army
'It's Terrifying': North Jersey Mom's Son Serves In Israeli Army It's been a harrowing week for Nancy Dubin, a Wyckoff resident, whose son, Ari serves in the Israeli Defense Force. Following the attacks in Israel by Hamas on Saturday, Oct. 7, Dubin, a cantor at Temple Beth Rishon did not hear from her son for more than a day. Right now, he is safe on a military base. But Dubin has the role of military mom.  "He said he is safe because he is only doing things that are safe," Dubin said. "I said you're definition of safety is widely divergent from mine." Ari has served in the IDF since December, fulfilling a dream he had since he spent several years…

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by Sam Barron
Obituaries
North Jersey Airman, Ramapo Basketball Star Dies At Military Base North Jersey Airman, Ramapo Basketball Star Dies At Military Base
North Jersey Airman, Ramapo Basketball Star Dies At Military Base Quamier Harding, a Jersey City native, died after being found unresponsive at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on Tuesday, April 25, multiple outlets are reporting. An airman at Cannon, Harding is survived by his wife and his three children. His death remains under investigation, officials said. “Q was well known for his mentorship and growing the next generation. He expressed this in so many ways from the Cannon Air Force Base men’s basketball coach to the junior enlisted and officers he molded in the 27 Special Operations Communications Squadron," US Air Force Lt. Col Benjamin Wingler…

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by Sam Barron
News
Convicted NJ Sex Offender Charged With Trafficking Child Porn Convicted NJ Sex Offender Charged With Trafficking Child Porn
Convicted NJ Sex Offender Charged With Trafficking Child Porn A retired Marine from South Jersey who'd previously been convicted of having sex with an underage Pennsylvania girl was arrested by federal agents on child porn charges, authorities said. A U.S. District Court judge in Camden released Matthew Knapp, 38, of Lindenwold, on an unsecured bond following his arrest by Homeland Security Investigations agents last week, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced on Monday, Feb. 27. The agents found Knapp sharing the images from his home, the U.S. attorney said. A warranted search of the residence produced the seizure of, among other things, “a co…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
NJ Marine, 33, Killed By Missile Helping In Ukraine, Organization Says NJ Marine, 33, Killed By Missile Helping In Ukraine, Organization Says
NJ Marine, 33, Killed By Missile Helping In Ukraine, Organization Says Pete Reed, a 33-year-old New Jersey native and global activist, died helping civilians in Ukraine on Friday, Feb. 2. Reed was "actively aiding in the evacuation of Ukrainian civilians when his evacuation vehicle was hit with a reported missile in Bakhmut," according to Global Outreach Doctors.  Pete Reed helps an elderly woman evacuate in Ukraine.Albert Lores A Bordentown native and US Marine veteran, Reed served as the country director for the nonprofit, and founded Global Response Medicine, a different nonprofit. "The GoDocs team is devastated by this news, as are our humanitarian ai…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
William Borgersen Of Bergen County Dies Suddenly, 21 William Borgersen Of Bergen County Dies Suddenly, 21
William Borgersen Of Bergen County Dies Suddenly, 21 Support was surging for the family of 21-year-old William Borgersen, a Bergen County native, who died suddenly on Thursday, Oct. 6. Borgersen's obituary says only that he died in a "tragic shooting accident." "Our lives are broken and will never be the same," his parents Janine and Chris said in a joint statement on social media. "Anyone who knew Willy was better for it.  "He was a breath of fresh air in the room, and a light in the lives of us all. That light has dimmed here on earth, but his spirt will shine brightly forever." William was raised in Westwood and, after graduati…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
3 Navy Sailors Die By Suicide On Same Ship This Month: Report 3 Navy Sailors Die By Suicide On Same Ship This Month: Report
3 Navy Sailors Die By Suicide On Same Ship This Month: Report Three US Navy sailors stationed on the USS George Washington died by suicide within seven days of each other this month, The Washington Post reports. A fourth also died by suicide in 2021, the outlet says. Xavier Sandor, 19, a Shelton, CT native, was found unresponsive aboard the ship in Newport News on Friday, April 15, The Post says. Two other sailors on the ship reportedly died by suicide on April 9 and 10. Pentagon Secretary John Kirby addressed the deaths in a press conference this week. “Each death is tragic in its own right”, said Kirby. “Our thoughts and prayers cont…

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by Annie DeVoe
Police & Fire
Jersey City Police Officer Jose Vargas Dies Suddenly, 35 Jersey City Police Officer Jose Vargas Dies Suddenly, 35
Jersey City Police Officer Jose Vargas Dies Suddenly, 35 The Jersey City Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its own. Officer Jose Vargas died on March 17, 2022. He was 35 years old. Born in Puerto Rico, Vargas later moved to Jersey City and attended the Midtown Community School, then Bayonne High School, graduating from Ferris High school, according to his obituary. He later attended NJCU. He served as a US Marine from 2005 to 2010, and was promoted to sergeant, specializing in Aircraft Communications/Navigation Radar Systems Technician. Vargas worked as a Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer from 2013 to 2015, and joined the JCPD in 2…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Feds: NJ Military Vet Charged With Child Porn Trafficking Feds: NJ Military Vet Charged With Child Porn Trafficking
Feds: NJ Military Vet Charged With Child Porn Trafficking A U.S. Army veteran who most recently trained soldiers at New Jersey's McGuire Air Force Base was arrested there by federal agents for trafficking child porn, authorities said. Brian J. Crann, 37, who's been with the military more than a decade, "transmitted a video and two images of child sexual abuse to another individual using an account on an instant messaging mobile application" this past weekend, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Crann "also transmitted a non-pornographic image of himself with a minor who appeared to be the same victim depicted in the images and v…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Army Soldier, Teen Boy Charged In Sussex County Killing Of 20-Year-Old Corporal Hayden Harris Army Soldier, Teen Boy Charged In Sussex County Killing Of 20-Year-Old Corporal Hayden Harris
Army Soldier, Teen Boy Charged In Sussex County Killing Of 20-Year-Old Corporal Hayden Harris A 23-year-old Fort Drum soldier and 16-year-old boy are facing murder and kidnapping charges in the Sussex County killing of 20-year-old U.S. Army Cpl. Hayden Harris. Pvt. Jamaal Mellish, 23, and the unidentified teen were arrested earlier this month after Harris' body was found buried in snow, in a wooded area off Ross Road in Byram Dec. 19, authorities in Sussex County previously said. Mellish, of Brooklyn, was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, handgun possession, suppression of evidence and more, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office announced Monday. The teen was charged wi…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Air Force Captain, Doctor From NJ Dies In United Arab Emirates Crash Air Force Captain, Doctor From NJ Dies In United Arab Emirates Crash
Air Force Captain, Doctor From NJ Dies In United Arab Emirates Crash A 30-year-old physician and Air Force captain from New Jersey died in a crash on base, the U.S. Defense Department said Saturday. Kelliann Leli, of Parlin (Middlesex County), died Friday in a non-combat related vehicle incident at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, military officials said. Leli was assigned to the 60th Healthcare Operations Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, California. “Our entire Travis family is beyond heartbroken over the tragic loss of our teammate, Kelliann,” said Col. Corey Simmons, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander.  “We are thinking of and praying …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
SEEN HIM? Search Continues For Waldwick Military Vet With PTSD SEEN HIM? Search Continues For Waldwick Military Vet With PTSD
Seen HIM? Search Continues For Waldwick Military Vet With PTSD The search for a Waldwick military veteran who wandered off from home Saturday morning entered its third day Monday with a false alarm or two but little else. Thomas Podschelne -- whose 60th birthday is this July 23 -- had briefly gone missing before but not for more than a half-day. "He could be anywhere at this point," said his daughter, Chelsea Podschelne.  Authorities and citizens have been notified throughout Bergen and Passaic counties and even in Rockland. Police had no pings from his phone, nor any reports that he'd used a credit or debit card anywhere. Podschelne, who s…

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by Jerry DeMarco