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Andre Sayegh

Obituaries
Clifton Councilwoman Lauren Murphy Dies At 69: 'Champion For The Underdog' Clifton Councilwoman Lauren Murphy Dies At 69: 'Champion For The Underdog'
Clifton Councilwoman Lauren Murphy Dies At 69: 'Champion For The Underdog' Lauren Murphy, a Clifton councilwoman, died on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the age of 69, according to her obituary.  Murphy served as executive director of the Passaic County One Stop Career Center in Paterson and previously spent 34 years as an administrator at the Passaic County Board of Social Services, her obituary reads.  She was elected to the Clifton City Council 2014 and served as president of the Clifton Democratic Club, according to her obituary. "Our hearts are heavy," Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said on Facebook. "Lauren Murphy did so much for so many. She was a champion fo…

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by Sam Barron
Lifestyle
Vince Vaughn Paterson Mayor's Doppleganger? That's What He Says Vince Vaughn Paterson Mayor's Doppleganger? That's What He Says
Vince Vaughn Paterson Mayor's Doppleganger? That's What He Says Who hasn't seen Vince Vaughn in North Jersey by now? The "Wedding Crashers" star has been popping up in the area amid filming for the upcoming movie "Nonna's." His latest stop? Paterson. "THE WEDDING CRASHER!" said Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, who shared a photo with the actor to Facebook. "Vince Vaughn is literally a Giant among men! He's 6'5 and has a larger than life personality. It was a pleasure to finally meet someone who some people say is my doppelganger.  "We are profoundly grateful that he picked Paterson to film his upcoming movie. #GreatFalls #GreatFilming." That's righ…

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by Cecilia Levine
Politics
North Jersey Pols Demand Apology From White House After NJ Mayor Turned Away During Ramadan North Jersey Pols Demand Apology From White House After NJ Mayor Turned Away During Ramadan
North Jersey Pols Demand Apology From White House After NJ Mayor Turned Away During Ramadan A consortium of mayors throughout North Jersey are demanding an apology from the White House to Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah after he was denied entry for a celebration marking the end of Ramadan. Khairullah, who was recently sworn in for his fifth term as mayor, was told by Secret Service Monday, May 1 that he had not been cleared for entry.  Khairullah received the news just hours before he was set to arrive. Khairullah was also recently interrogated for three hours at John F. Kennedy International Airport. "As mayors who value transparency and the U.S. legal sys…

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by Sam Barron
Lifestyle
Billy Crystal Spotted Filming TV Show In North Jersey Billy Crystal Spotted Filming TV Show In North Jersey
Billy Crystal Spotted Filming TV Show In North Jersey He looked mahvelous! Billy Crystal was in Paterson recently filming "Before", a limited series for Apple TV+, Mayor Andre Sayegh revealed on social media. "Add another big name to the long list of Hollywood heavyweights who have picked Paterson to film,' Sayegh said. "It was an honor to have Billy Crystal in our city today." On "Before," Crystal plays a child psychiatrist grieving over the loss of his wife who meets a troubled foster child. 

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by Sam Barron
News
Worshippers Seize Attacker Who Stabbed Imam During Prayer Service At Paterson Mosque (w/VIDEO) Worshippers Seize Attacker Who Stabbed Imam During Prayer Service At Paterson Mosque (w/VIDEO)
Worshippers Seize Attacker Who Stabbed Imam During Prayer Service At Paterson Mosque (w/Video) Sayed Elnakib was leading an early morning prayer service at the Omar Mosque in Paterson on Sunday when a man among the worshippers suddenly rushed forward and stabbed the beloved imam, surveillance video shows. The assailant, 32-year-old Serif Zorba, turned and bolted for the door, but the worshippers -- without regard for their own safety -- quickly converged on the assailant and held him for police. Elnakib, 65, sustained liver damage, a mosque spokesperson said, but he was expected to survive after being rushed into surgery at nearby St. Joseph's University Medical Center following the…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
MOSQUE ATTACK: Prayer Leader Stabbed, Suspect Seized In Paterson MOSQUE ATTACK: Prayer Leader Stabbed, Suspect Seized In Paterson
Mosque Attack: Prayer Leader Stabbed, Suspect Seized In Paterson Sayed Elnakib was leading an early morning prayer service at the Omar Mosque in Paterson on Sunday when a man among the worshippers suddenly rushed forward and stabbed the beloved imam, surveillance video shows. The assailant, 32-year-old Serif Zorba, turned and bolted for the door, but the worshippers -- without regard for their own safety -- quickly converged on the assailant and held him for police. Elnakib, 65, sustained liver damage, a mosque spokesperson said, but he was expected to survive after being rushed into surgery at nearby St. Joseph's University Medical Center following the…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
NJ Attorney General To Take Over Paterson Police Operations, Live Stream Link Here NJ Attorney General To Take Over Paterson Police Operations, Live Stream Link Here
NJ Attorney General To Take Over Paterson Police Operations, Live Stream Link Here “There is no safety without trust,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in announcing a state takeover of the day-to-day operations of the Paterson Police Department and plans to include mental health professionals in responses to barricaded individuals there and statewide. Experience has shown that both moves are absolutely necessary at the moment, the state’s top law enforcement officer said. “There is a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in this city,” Platkin said, speaking outside the Frank X. Graves Jr. Public Safety Complex on Broadway on March 27. “Under these ci…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Brawl Between Paterson Officials Nearly Breaks Out During Council Meeting Brawl Between Paterson Officials Nearly Breaks Out During Council Meeting
Brawl Between Paterson Officials Nearly Breaks Out During Council Meeting A Paterson city council meeting nearly turned violent between two elected officials. The Tuesday, March 14 meeting was a forum open to the public following the police shooting death of Najee Seabrooks earlier this month.  What Najee Seabrooks did with inner-city youngsters was “life-changing, soul-saving kind of work.”New Jersey Violence Intervention and Prevention Coalition As a woman was speaking, approximately 90 minutes into the meeting, Paterson Council Member Mike Jackson and Chief Financial Officer Javier Silva stood up and began arguing.  Police officers and other elected offic…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
3 Paterson Officers Used 'Less Lethal Force' Before Two Shot Non-Violence Activist, AG Says 3 Paterson Officers Used 'Less Lethal Force' Before Two Shot Non-Violence Activist, AG Says
3 Paterson Officers Used 'Less Lethal Force' Before Two Shot Non-Violence Activist, AG Says UPDATE: Three Paterson police officers first employed “less lethal force” before two others shot and killed a local non-violence activist who was in the middle of a mental health crisis last week, the state’s top law enforcement official said Wednesday. Tensions were rising in the city as New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin formally identified Najee Seabrooks, who was killed during the nearly five-hour confrontation at his home last Friday, and the officers who were directly involved in a release on Wednesday. Mayor Andre Sayegh, who has been criticized by community leaders for …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Metal Detection Begins At Paterson High Schools After Seizure Of 3 Guns, Four Teens Metal Detection Begins At Paterson High Schools After Seizure Of 3 Guns, Four Teens
Metal Detection Begins At Paterson High Schools After Seizure Of 3 Guns, Four Teens Officials began screening students entering John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson following an incident late last week in which a trio of loaded guns were seized and the armed teens taken into custody. The hand-held metal-detecting wandings will continue indefinitely at all city high schools, Paterson Schools Supt. Eileen F. Shafer announced on Monday, Dec. 19. Additional city police officers will also patrol the grounds, she said. “The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we are working to make sure that no one is able to bring an unauthorized weapon onto school pro…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
MASS CASUALTY: Engines Collide Headed To Paterson Fire, Critical Injuries Reported MASS CASUALTY: Engines Collide Headed To Paterson Fire, Critical Injuries Reported
Mass Casualty: Engines Collide Headed To Paterson Fire, Critical Injuries Reported WATCH: A social media video shows a collision of two Paterson fire engines that sent eight of the Silk City's bravest to the hospital. CLICK HERE: Viral Video Shows Paterson Fire Trucks Colliding ****** ORIGINAL STORY: Several Paterson firefighters were hospitalized in a crash of engines that sent one into a building and the other into a tree. Both vehicles were headed to a fire at a furniture store on Main Street when they collided at the corner of Broadway and Straight Street around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. One engine smashed into the front of a corner supermarket, while the othe…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Federal Jurors Convict Ex-Paterson Police Sergeant Of Civil Rights Violations Federal Jurors Convict Ex-Paterson Police Sergeant Of Civil Rights Violations
Federal Jurors Convict Ex-Paterson Police Sergeant Of Civil Rights Violations UPDATE: A federal jury convicted a now-former Paterson police sergeant of stealing money from a suspect, then lying on reports to protect himself and his department accomplices. The guilty verdicts against Michael Cheff, 51, of Oakland on Thursday followed a five-day trial in U.S. District Court in Newark. They also prompted a statement from Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh: "Michael Cheff was fired [Thursday]. His trial revealed sickening and horrific acts committed by former officers who violated their oath to protect and serve. Paterson has taken significant steps to root out such conduct an…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Teen Girl Shot Dead In Paterson: Reports Teen Girl Shot Dead In Paterson: Reports
Teen Girl Shot Dead In Paterson: Reports A 15-year-old girl was shot and killed and three other victims were injured Wednesday, May 11 in Paterson, various news reports say. Gunfire broke out at the corner of Essex and Madison streets around 10:30 p.m., NJ Advance Media says citing Mayor Andre Sayegh. The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office was handling the investigation. The Girl's name was not immediately released.

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years
Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years A dealer who produced lethal opioids in a fortified basement drug mill across the street from the mayor of Paterson's house was sentenced to 10 years in state prison, authorities said. Silk City police had seized 17,000 folds of heroin and fentanyl -- as well as packaging and distribution materials -- while arresting Rafael “Chiquito” Brito and his girlfriend, Rosanny Prado, during a March 2020 raid on their East 36th Street residence across from Mayor Andre Sayegh's home. The drugs were linked to at least 10 overdose deaths of both local and suburban buyers, authorities said at the time. …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective
Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective Services are scheduled this coming Saturday for a Paterson man who was shot and killed last week in a confrontation with city police detectives. Witnesses insist that Thelonious “RaRa” McKnight, 25, was gunned down in cold blood last Wednesday night after detectives chased him down an alley in a mixed-use neighborhood of multi-family homes and businesses near the Passaic River New Jersey's top law enforcer, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck, said that a 9mm handgun was found near McKnight's body. Investigators had made an arrest there hours earlier and were looking fo…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective
Services Scheduled For Paterson Man Shot, Killed By Detective Services are scheduled this coming Saturday for a Paterson man who was shot and killed in a confrontation with city police detectives. Witnesses insist that Thelonious “RaRa” McKnight, 25, was gunned down in cold blood last Wednesday night after detectives chased him down an alley in a mixed-use neighborhood of multi-family homes and businesses near the Passaic River New Jersey's top law enforcer, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck, said that a 9mm handgun was found near McKnight's body. Investigators had made an arrest there hours earlier and were looking for another …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
'Israelis Are New Nazis': Paterson Hookah Shop Posts Anti-Israel Sign With Swastika 'Israelis Are New Nazis': Paterson Hookah Shop Posts Anti-Israel Sign With Swastika
'Israelis Are New Nazis': Paterson Hookah Shop Posts Anti-Israel Sign With Swastika A sign outside a Paterson hookah shop calling Israelis "the new Nazis" is stirring controversy. The sign outside of Clifton Hookah on Main Street bears a swastika and a photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a Hitler-styled mustache. A photo of the sign was shared on by StopAntisemitism.org on Twitter, which called it a "vile comparison deemed Antisemitic by the [International Holocaust Remembrance Association]." Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said it is "both shocking and saddening to witness such ignorance in a city that celebrates diversity as its greatest strength and at…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Clifton Man Gets Probation For Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion Clifton Man Gets Probation For Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion
Clifton Man Gets Probation For Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion UPDATE: A Clifton man who texted threats to Paterson’s first Muslim police chief because of his race, religion and nationality got plea-bargained probation. Stefan Keco, 29, who spent more than 15 months in the Passaic County Jail, also was ordered to attend counseling and to not have any contact with Chief Ibrahim Baycora, in addition to the three-year probationary sentence. Rather than face trial, Keco took a deal from prosecutors following an investigation by city police and including the FBI, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and other law enforcement agencies. In exchange for leni…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Two Wounded In Drive-By Shooting At Paterson's Cherished Eastside Park Two Wounded In Drive-By Shooting At Paterson's Cherished Eastside Park
Two Wounded In Drive-By Shooting At Paterson's Cherished Eastside Park One victim was struck in the head and another in the neck Monday night in a drive-by shooting that was believed to be the first outbreak of gunfire at Paterson's bucolic Eastside Park in more than a decade, responders said. The two victims -- both 18 years old -- remained in critical condition Tuesday at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora said in a joint announcement. Both were taken there via private vehicle following the Silk City's 44th shooting of the year shortly before 7:30 p.m. Monday, they said.…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
7-Year-Old Child Stabbed Dead In Paterson 7-Year-Old Child Stabbed Dead In Paterson
7-Year-Old Child Stabbed Dead In Paterson UPDATE: Responders furiously tried to save the life a 7-year-old Paterson boy whom authorities said was stabbed dead by his mother early Saturday. Iris Tolentino, 46, also stabbed the dead boy's 17-year-old brother, who was holding a bathroom closed to keep her restrained until police arrived, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora said in a joint announcement. The younger boy, whom neighbors called David, was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. The older brother was treated for a stab wound to his upper arm be…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Clifton Man Admits Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion Clifton Man Admits Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion
Clifton Man Admits Threatening Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion UPDATE: A Clifton man admitted that he sent Paterson’s first Muslim police chief threatening texts because of his race, religion and nationality, authorities said. Stefan Keco, 29, told a Superior Court judge in Paterson on Monday that he sent the texts to Chief Ibrahim Baycora on Feb. 26 “with the purpose to terrorize him and in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror,” Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said. Baycora had been sworn to the position only a few weeks before receiving the threats. The threats “caused a disruption to the day-to-day operations of the poli…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Indictment: Clifton Man Threatened Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion Indictment: Clifton Man Threatened Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion
Indictment: Clifton Man Threatened Paterson Police Chief Over Race, Religion UPDATE: Paterson’s first Muslim police chief wasn’t in the job long when authorities said he became the target of threatening texts from a Clifton man because of his race, religion and nationality. A grand jury in Paterson returned a terroristic threats indictment against Stefan Keco, 29, who’s been held in the Passaic County Jail since city detectives arrested and charged him more than a year ago with threatening Police Chief Ibrahim “Mike” Baycora. Baycora had been sworn to the position only a few weeks before receiving the threats, authorities said. Keco sent the texts to the chief “wit…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Paterson Student Injured Running From Bees Awarded $85K Settlement Paterson Student Injured Running From Bees Awarded $85K Settlement
Paterson Student Injured Running From Bees Awarded $85K Settlement A former Paterson High School student who fell over a pothole while running from a swarm of bees and was injured in 2016 has been awarded $85,000 as part of a settlement, NJ.com reports. Luis Silverio, 20, was awarded the funds in addition to the $100,000 he was awarded by the Paterson Board of Education last lear. Paterson's City Council voted in favor of the settlement as part of an agreement Silverio would drop his claim agains the city, according to Mayor Andre Sayegh. Silverio, then 16, was in an outdoor gym class at Westside Park, when he fell while running from the bees th…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Paterson Police Getting Body Cams Paterson Police Getting Body Cams
Paterson Police Getting Body Cams Paterson police will become the latest New Jersey crime fighters to wear body cameras, authorities said Monday. Officers will wear the cameras on their uniforms or “outermost garment" during criminal investigations, motor vehicle stops, witness interviews in criminal investigations, searches, civil disorder, use of force and constructive authority, transporting prisoners, making arrests and conducting protective searches for weapons. Mayor Andre Sayegh said the move, following a directive from state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, "will allow for greater transparency in the police depar…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Famed 'Lean On Me' Paterson Eastside Principal Joe Clark Dies Famed 'Lean On Me' Paterson Eastside Principal Joe Clark Dies
Famed 'Lean On Me' Paterson Eastside Principal Joe Clark Dies He roamed the hallways of Paterson Eastside High School with a bullhorn and bat, wielding a brand of drill-instructor discipline that drew both admirers and critics alike. He held news conferences at 7 a.m. and once expelled 300 students for "fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers, and drug possession" – all in a single day. And he left such an indelible mark that John Legend, Wendy Calhoun and LeBron James were preparing to create a TV drama about him 30 years after his retirement. Joe Louis Clark, a Georgia-born, longtime South Orange resident who appeared on the cover of Time magazine an…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Badge Number Of Slain Paterson Police Officer Reassigned To Rookie -- His Sister Badge Number Of Slain Paterson Police Officer Reassigned To Rookie -- His Sister
Badge Number Of Slain Paterson Police Officer Reassigned To Rookie -- His Sister Local law enforcement history will be made Friday when Paterson Police Officer Bavennia Franklin Marks is assigned the badge number of her late brother, who was killed in the line of duty 13 years ago. Among many friends, family members and colleagues expected at the City Hall ceremony is her father, Larry Franklin, who made history himself when he became the Paterson Fire Department’s first black captain in 1995.  Also there will be Franklin's husband, Englewood native Daniel Marks, who’s a youth minister at Canaan Baptist Church in the city’s notorious 4th Ward. City Public Saf…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Some Blame COVID: Paterson Man Gunned Down, City Homicides Break 30-Year High Some Blame COVID: Paterson Man Gunned Down, City Homicides Break 30-Year High
Some Blame COVID: Paterson Man Gunned Down, City Homicides Break 30-Year High A man found shot dead in a Paterson gas station parking lot Wednesday became the 23rd victim gunned down in the Silk City this year. The body of Michael Richardson, 33, was found on the ground of the BP station at Broadway and Summer Street, in a neighborhood rife with drugs and gangs, shortly after 3 p.m., authorities said. He'd been shot in the head, said detectives who were searching for a juvenile who reportedly fled the scene. Richardson was taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes and city Police Chief Ibrah…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
COVID-19: Authorities Close Packed Paterson Nightclubs COVID-19: Authorities Close Packed Paterson Nightclubs
Covid-19: Authorities Close Packed Paterson Nightclubs Paterson police raided several nightclubs -- and closed a couple -- that they said were packed with patrons in violation of social distancing regulations, among other offenses. More than 300 people were packed into Besan Café on East Railway Avenue club one night when police showed up one night -- and more than 160 the next time, Speziale said. That wasn't all, he said. Summonses were issued for not having an entertainment license, smoking in public and creating or maintaining a dangerous condition, he said. The Gypsy Lounge on Getty Avenue club also was closed after police found more tha…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Paterson Police Bust 3 Out-Of-State Men With Loaded Gun, Drugs Paterson Police Bust 3 Out-Of-State Men With Loaded Gun, Drugs
Paterson Police Bust 3 Out-Of-State Men With Loaded Gun, Drugs Paterson police detectives arrested three out-of-state men after they said they found one of them carrying a loaded gun. Detectives Mustafa Dombayci, Mohamad Bashir and Yamil Piminenta were in the area of Washington Avenue and Spring Street around 7:45 p.m. Saturday when the silver Nissan with Georgia license plates sped by, Police Director Jerry Speziale said. They stopped the car in the 500 block of Main Street, he said. A patdown turned up a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in the waistband of Shakeem Jones, 20, of Roanoke, Virginia, Speziale said. Jones was sent to the Passaic Count…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
'Drug Dungeon': Synth Pot Lab Found In Paterson Basement, 4 Firefighters Sickened By Fumes 'Drug Dungeon': Synth Pot Lab Found In Paterson Basement, 4 Firefighters Sickened By Fumes
'Drug Dungeon': Synth Pot Lab Found In Paterson Basement, 4 Firefighters Sickened By Fumes Four firefighters were briefly hospitalized after an overnight explosion and fire at a large-scale synth pot lab in the basement of a Paterson home up the block from a school. The firefighters were evaluated as a precaution and then released from St.Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson after they inhaled noxious fumes at the Illinois Avenue residence, Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said. “What it appears to be is a K2 mill,” Speziale said. Sold cheaply in packages the size of tea bags, K2 is what some officials have referred to as “weaponized marijuana.” It’s mixed with min…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
Paterson Hot Dog Icon Could Close Paterson Hot Dog Icon Could Close
Paterson Hot Dog Icon Could Close The future is up in the air for Libby’s Lunch — a legendary Paterson hot dog shop — after owners have been billed for three years’ worth of unpaid rent, reports say. The lease for the joint, which is considered the state’s oldest Texas Weiner shop, expires at the end of this month, NorthJersey.com reports. Both the land and the building are leased by the government, which is owed approximately $93,000 in back rent, the report says. Because of this, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh stated that the government may not renew the shop’s lease, the report says. Owners will be obligated to pay the fu…

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by Valerie Musson