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Hackensack High School

Police & Fire
Student Stabbed In Hackensack High School Student Stabbed In Hackensack High School
Student Stabbed In Hackensack High School An 18-year-old student was stabbed by a younger classmate Monday morning in Hackensack High School, authorities confirmed. The injured student was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening after being treated by school personnel around 8:15 a.m. Feb. 5, said Capt. Michael Antista, the officer in charge of the Hackensack Police Department. A school safety officer seized the accused stabber, who the captain said remained in custody with delinquency complaints pending the results of an investigation. Students said the stabbing occurre…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
Jersey Mike's Opening In Hackensack Jersey Mike's Opening In Hackensack
Jersey Mike's Opening In Hackensack Jersey Mike's is opening a location in its namesake state. The sandwich franchise, which was founded in Point Pleasant and is headquartered in Manasquan, is celebrating the grand opening of its new location in Hackensack at 150 River St. from Wednesday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 21. The restaurant is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. This is Jersey Mike's first location in the city. As part of its opening, franchise owner Chris Rigassio is holding a fundraiser to support Hackensack High School.  Customers who receive a fundraising coupon can make a minimum $3 contribution to the…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
GOTCHA! Resident Carjacked Outside Hackensack HS, Suspect Captured In Middlesex County GOTCHA! Resident Carjacked Outside Hackensack HS, Suspect Captured In Middlesex County
Gotcha! Resident Carjacked Outside Hackensack HS, Suspect Captured In Middlesex County An Egyptian national who carjacked a motorist outside Hackensack High School resident was captured more than 30 miles away, authorities said. The 42-year-old victim from Hackensack told responding officers that he was assaulted and his 2012 Toyota Corolla taken around 9:45 a.m. on Labor Day, Sept. 4, said Hackensack Police Capt. Michael Antista, the officer in charge of the department. The victim refused treatment for minor injuries, the captain said. Meanwhile, a witness pursued the vehicle into Teaneck before losing it, he said. Detective Demetrius Carroll and Det. Sgt. Luis Dominguez r…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Hackensack HS Seniors Get Into Scrape After Targeting Uber Driver In 'Assassin' Game Hackensack HS Seniors Get Into Scrape After Targeting Uber Driver In 'Assassin' Game
Hackensack HS Seniors Get Into Scrape After Targeting Uber Driver In 'Assassin' Game A half-dozen Hackensack High School seniors who started out having innocent fun got more than they bargained for when one of them firedt a toy Orbeez gun at an Uber driver. The teens were headed to the Walmart off Route 46 in Teterboro as part of the increasingly popular "Senior Assassin" game when they say they were cut off. Played by high school seniors and university students, the group-chat game involves teams that "eliminate targets" by shooting at one another with water guns that fire gel pellets, then share the encounters on social media. It's naturally caused concern in certain cir…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
Hard Work Pays Off For Bergen Brothers Expanding 'Mob Pizzeria & Burgers' Hard Work Pays Off For Bergen Brothers Expanding 'Mob Pizzeria & Burgers'
Hard Work Pays Off For Bergen Brothers Expanding 'Mob Pizzeria & Burgers' A pair of Bergen County brothers are expanding their award-winning mob-themed pizzeria and burger restaurant. Waldy, 29, and Kevin Salinas, 25, who own "Mob Pizzeria & Burgers" on Hackensack Street in Wood-Ridge, are opening their second location Main Street in Hackensack sometime in March. The brothers' parents moved their family to Hackensack from El Salvador when they were young. Kevin and Waldy both graduated from Hackensack High School, and went on to work in the restaurant industry right after graduation: Waldy in the kitchen at Oak Ale House in Maywood, and Kevin down the street…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
UPDATE: Teens Stabbed But Not At Hackensack High School, Police Say UPDATE: Teens Stabbed But Not At Hackensack High School, Police Say
Update: Teens Stabbed But Not At Hackensack High School, Police Say Three teenagers were stabbed in an incident that authorities initially believed occurred at Hackensack High School. The confusion began with a report to city police of a fight with possible weapons at the high school around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17, said Capt. Michael Antista, the officer in charge of the department. As responding officers dispersed a crowd on nearby First Street, they received a report from Hackensack University Medical Center that three victims with apparent stab wounds had shown up at the hospital following an incident "that may have occurred near the high …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
GOTCHA! Garfield Man Nabbed After Series Of ‘Swatting’ Threats To Hackensack High School, PD GOTCHA! Garfield Man Nabbed After Series Of ‘Swatting’ Threats To Hackensack High School, PD
Gotcha! Garfield Man Nabbed After Series Of ‘Swatting’ Threats To Hackensack High School, PD What seemed like an unending series of phone threats that plagued Hackensack High School and city police for nearly three months led to the arrest of a stock clerk from Garfield, authorities announced. Christopher Vitone, 38, was seized at his job after Hackensack Police Detectives Chris Lara-Nunez and Felix Katsaroans identified him as the "swatter" responsible for one of the calls, which was made to Hackensack police on June 16, Detective Capt. Michael Antista said Monday. An investigation was continuing into more than a dozen other bomb threats and false alarms to both the city Boar…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
SWATTING: Tactical Units, Hackensack Police Respond To Another Bogus Call From Same Number SWATTING: Tactical Units, Hackensack Police Respond To Another Bogus Call From Same Number
Swatting: Tactical Units, Hackensack Police Respond To Another Bogus Call From Same Number Yet another in a series of bogus "emergency" calls brought a SWAT team and other responders to a Hackensack home while forcing yet another high school lockdown early Tuesday afternoon. The May  3 "swatter" used the same bogus local phone number that was connected to a series of threats to Hackensack High School in March, city Police Capt. Darrin DeWitt said. Students, staff and particularly parents and law enforcers had grown irritated by the recent string of calls, including one in which a threat was made to shoot up the school. This time, members of a Bergen County Regional SWAT Tea…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
ALL CLEAR: Bogus Call Locks Down Ramsey HS, Shelters Other Schools In Place ALL CLEAR: Bogus Call Locks Down Ramsey HS, Shelters Other Schools In Place
ALL Clear: Bogus Call Locks Down Ramsey HS, Shelters Other Schools In Place SWATTING AGAIN (UPDATE): A bogus call locked down Ramsey High School while sending at least one other area school into shelter, bringing a massive police response that stoked parents' fears. In the end, there was no shooter, no weapons, no arrests, no injuries. "Law enforcement investigated the threat with no credibility," read a 12:03 p.m. tweet from RHS on Thursday, April 7. "No report of any injury to students or staff. "RHS will be dismissing early today. Updates on dismissal procedures will be forthcoming." Meanwhile, RHS remained in lockdown status. An intensive search of the pr…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
UPDATE: 'Jilted Boyfriend' Bomb Threats Plague NJ High Schools UPDATE: 'Jilted Boyfriend' Bomb Threats Plague NJ High Schools
Update: 'Jilted Boyfriend' Bomb Threats Plague NJ High Schools It's becoming too familiar: A male caller tells police he's a jilted boyfriend who intends to shoot or blow up a school. Streets are closed, students are locked down or sheltered in place and bomb-sniffing dogs are brought in. Sometimes parents become fearful and converge on the school. It happened three times in Bergen County this past week. Hackensack High School was targeted twice, once prompting a brief evacuation and another time a shelter-in-place. It happened again on Friday, April 1 at Ridgewood High School. "A male caller called the main police number spoke with central dispatch…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Third Bogus Threat Of Month Briefly Locks Down Hackensack High School Third Bogus Threat Of Month Briefly Locks Down Hackensack High School
Third Bogus Threat Of Month Briefly Locks Down Hackensack High School Another day, another unfounded threat at Hackensack High School rattles and annoys people. Students, staff and particularly parents and law enforcers have grown irritated by a recent string of calls, including one that forced a brief lockdown on Wednesday, March 30 when someone reportedly threatened to shoot up the school. That makes three just this month alone -- all of which city police are investigating aggressively. Wednesday's lockdown ended quickly. No streets were closed nor injuries reported. "The school was checked by police personnel and the unspecified threat was deemed unfound…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Unfounded Call Prompts Shelter In Place At Hackensack HS, Police Investigate UPDATE: Unfounded Call Prompts Shelter In Place At Hackensack HS, Police Investigate
Update: Unfounded Call Prompts Shelter In Place At Hackensack HS, Police Investigate What turned out to be a bogus bomb threat prompted a temporary shelter in place at Hackensack High School. No devices or suspicious items were found during a search that began shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Monday, March 28, following the unspecified phone message to city police headquarters, Capt. Michael Antista said. The Bergen County Sheriff's Bomb Squad and K-9 Unit investigated and found nothing out of the ordinary, and city police gave the OK to resume the regular day a short time later, he said. They took a different approach following what turned out to be a "swatting" call three wee…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
UPDATE: Classes Resume After 'Swatting' Call Clears Hackensack High School UPDATE: Classes Resume After 'Swatting' Call Clears Hackensack High School
Update: Classes Resume After 'Swatting' Call Clears Hackensack High School UPDATE: Authorities gave the all-clear for Hackensack High School students and staff to return after a bomb threat phoned in from out of state cleared the school. The "swatting" incident began shortly before 9 a.m. Friday, March 4, when a caller "indicated he put bombs at a specific location" on school grounds, said Hackensack Police Capt. Darrin DeWitt, the officer in charge of the department. Area streets were closed down and students and staff were moved to safe locations, the captain said. The Bergen County Sheriff's Bomb Squad and K-9 Unit "assisted Hackensack police officers in …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
'Swatting' Call Clears Hackensack High School 'Swatting' Call Clears Hackensack High School
'Swatting' Call Clears Hackensack High School UPDATE: Authorities gave the all-clear for Hackensack High School students and staff to return after a bomb threat phoned in from out of state cleared the school. The "swatting" incident began shortly before 9 a.m. Friday, March 4, when a caller "indicated he put bombs at a specific location" on school grounds, said Hackensack Police Capt. Darrin DeWitt, the officer in charge of the department. Area streets were closed down and students and staff were moved to safe locations, the captain said. The Bergen County Sheriff's Bomb Squad and K-9 Unit "assisted Hackensack police officers in check…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Mechanic Living Across From Hackensack HS Collected 5,155 Child Porn Files, Authorities Charge Mechanic Living Across From Hackensack HS Collected 5,155 Child Porn Files, Authorities Charge
Mechanic Living Across From Hackensack HS Collected 5,155 Child Porn Files, Authorities Charge A divorced mechanic who lives across the street from Hackensack High School was charged with trafficking child porn after detectives found 5,515 illegal images during a raid on his apartment, authorities said. Juan C. Rodriguez, 41, “used the Internet to view, download, and possess” the files of “nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent children,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Friday, Feb. 18. He also shared files online, the prosecutor said. Rodriguez was arrested Thursday and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography following a raid on his Dawn Mano…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
Beloved North Jersey Dad Dies Suddenly, 34 Beloved North Jersey Dad Dies Suddenly, 34
Beloved North Jersey Dad Dies Suddenly, 34 Beloved North Jersey father Franklin Long died unexpectedly on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at the age of 34. Long attended Hackensack High School before graduating from Union County College in 2010, his social media pages say. He then moved to Newark, where he lived at the time of his death, his Facebook page says. Long worked as a field technician for ROI in West Caldwell. He was remembered as a devoted father and brother. “My heart is broken,” reads a tribute on Long’s obituary. “I was a big sister to such [a] beautiful baby boy…I love you and miss you dearly.” Long’s funeral will be held at Ca…

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by Valerie Musson
News
Labor Day Weekend Crash In Hackensack Kills Paterson Motorcyclist Labor Day Weekend Crash In Hackensack Kills Paterson Motorcyclist
Labor Day Weekend Crash In Hackensack Kills Paterson Motorcyclist A speeding motorcyclist was killed in a Labor Day weekend collision with an SUV near Hackensack High School, police said. Responding officers conducted CPR on an unresponsive Lloyd Fields, 41, of Paterson following the 11:20 p.m. crash Saturday at the intersection of First Street and American Legion Drive, said Capt. Darrin DeWitt.  An ambulance took him to Hackensack University Medical Center, where Fields was pronounced dead, said DeWitt, the officer in charge of the department. “A female witness reported that she was traveling south on First Street when Fields passed her at a high…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
New River Vale Police Officers Take Their Oaths New River Vale Police Officers Take Their Oaths
New River Vale Police Officers Take Their Oaths River Vale police welcomed two new alternate-route officers – both of whom had been scholastic athletes -- to their ranks. Officer Kimberly Pane grew up in River Vale and Westwood and was graduated from Montclair State University. She was a member of the Hillsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps and a Westwood police dispatcher prior to attending the Atlantic County Police Academy. Pane had also been a goalie on the girls soccer team at Pascack Valley High School. Officer Goran Krasic, who recently worked as a public safety officer at Fairleigh Dickinson University, grew up in Maywood. He st…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Hackensack PD Raids Apartment, Seizes 461 Heroin Folds, Oxy, Cash, Ex-Con Hackensack PD Raids Apartment, Seizes 461 Heroin Folds, Oxy, Cash, Ex-Con
Hackensack PD Raids Apartment, Seizes 461 Heroin Folds, Oxy, Cash, Ex-Con Hackensack police raided an ex-con’s apartment Friday and seized 461 heroin folds, 82 Oxycodone pills, pot and $1,170 in drug proceeds, authorities said.  Cyrus Maurice Hammond, 27, had been dealing in the neighborhood of mid-rise and garden apartment buildings near Hackensack High School and Carver Park, Capt. Darrin DeWitt said. Records show that the unemployed Hammond already had a history of drug-related arrests and convictions in Hackensack and Englewood. Thanks to the work of Narcotics Detective Nart Marza, police raided the Quail Heights apartment on Prospect Avenue, turned up …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
LAWSUIT: Alleged Victim Of Teacher's Aide Sex Assault Suing Hackensack Schools LAWSUIT: Alleged Victim Of Teacher's Aide Sex Assault Suing Hackensack Schools
Lawsuit: Alleged Victim Of Teacher's Aide Sex Assault Suing Hackensack Schools A woman who says she was a victim of sexual misconduct by a South Hackensack School District teacher's aide is now suing the district and two of its officials who she says should have taken steps to end the sexual relationship, NorthJersey.com reports. The suit stems from the arrest of Philip Cerone of Maywood, charged in October 2017 with "sexual assault by a supervisor" of a juvenile between 16-17 years old and "child endangerment by sexual contact," according to jail records. He has since been sentenced to five years of probation and surrendered his teaching license after pleading guilty…

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by Valerie Musson
Schools
Hackensack HS To Honor Hard-Working Immigrant With His Own Graduation Ceremony Hackensack HS To Honor Hard-Working Immigrant With His Own Graduation Ceremony
Hackensack HS To Honor Hard-Working Immigrant With His Own Graduation Ceremony High school came with a unique set of challenges for Hipolito Garcia, Jr. The teen transferred into Hackensack High School as a junior in 2017, after having immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic for better opportunities. His dad, mom and two sisters moved to Boston, leaving Garcia alone in Hackensack with his grandparents. He barely spoke English. His future was uncertain. Now that Garcia, 18, finished the past two years with all As and Bs, all that's left to do is graduate. The only problem is that he's set to leave for the U.S. Marine Corps on June 24, which means he'll m…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
BERGENFEST: Local Teens Organize Massive Bergen County Music Festival BERGENFEST: Local Teens Organize Massive Bergen County Music Festival
Bergenfest: Local Teens Organize Massive Bergen County Music Festival Hundreds of people are expected to turn out for a music festival organized by Bergen County teens. Bergenfest is a "local concert on a global mission" with Wé McDonald of NBC's "The Voice" headlining the June 29 event. Held at the Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, the concert is for non-profit humanitarian organization TEEEM: The Empathetic Entrepreneur Equality Mission. TEEEM raises funds and awareness toward world-wide community needs and includes students from across North Jersey. BergenfestContributed Each high school is dedicated to a particular country: Ridgewood H…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
Throngs Expected For Memorial Tribute To Legendary Hackensack HS Principal Harold Bloom Throngs Expected For Memorial Tribute To Legendary Hackensack HS Principal Harold Bloom
Throngs Expected For Memorial Tribute To Legendary Hackensack HS Principal Harold Bloom It seemed more fitting than a funeral: What organizers expect to be a spectacular tribute this weekend will try to reflect the impact that the late, legendary Harold Bloom had on Hackensack High School and beyond. The celebration of Bloom’s life scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, April 27, in the auditorium of the school where “Hal” served as principal for 22 years. Members of the sending districts of Maywood, Rochelle Park and South Hackensack will join the city Board of Education, the Bloom family and close friends, returning students and colleagues.  All will…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Hackensack Student's Design Will Represent NJ At Annual White House Easter Egg Roll Hackensack Student's Design Will Represent NJ At Annual White House Easter Egg Roll
Hackensack Student's Design Will Represent NJ At Annual White House Easter Egg Roll A design created by one Hackensack High School student was chosen to represent New Jersey at the White House's 141th Annual Easter Egg Roll. Ahmed El Gazzar's design depicts the New Jersey state bird, the American goldfinch, against a white background. The piece will be on display at the April 22 event, hosted by First Lady Melania Trump on the South Lawn of the White House. Following tradition, the U.S. Department of Education invited students nationally to design an egg reflective of their home state.  Designs had to be emblematic, including elements such as the state flower or stat…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Ex-Hackensack HS Football Star Busted On Warrants During Drug Raid Ex-Hackensack HS Football Star Busted On Warrants During Drug Raid
Ex-Hackensack HS Football Star Busted On Warrants During Drug Raid A former Hackensack High School football star who was acquitted several years ago of beating a man into critical condition outside a Passaic nightclub was arrested by city police during a drug raid at an ex-con’s house. Ausar Walcott, 29, of Lodi wasn’t charged with any drug-related offenses during the arrest of Kisaac Martin at Martin’s Broadway home before dawn Friday, Capt. Peter Busciglio said. However, Busciglio said Walcott – who’d stayed there overnight -- had two outstanding warrants, one of them out of Wyckoff and the other from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, so he was taken i…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Lifestyle
WATCH: Banjo-Playing CVS Worker Gives Hackensack Bagel Shop Impromptu Bluegrass Show WATCH: Banjo-Playing CVS Worker Gives Hackensack Bagel Shop Impromptu Bluegrass Show
Watch: Banjo-Playing CVS Worker Gives Hackensack Bagel Shop Impromptu Bluegrass Show A routine stop at the local bagel shop became an unforgettable one for many customers Thursday morning in Hackensack, thanks to "Banjo Greg." Dressed in his navy blue scrubs, 21-year-old Greg Donlan put on a live bluegrass show at The Bagel Shoppe on Passaic Street, after weeks of requests from employees. Finally, to their delight, it happened. "I've been coming here a while and as I started coming more and more I got acquainted with all the guys working here," said Donlan, who works at the Rochelle Park CVS. Banjo GregCecilia Levine Donlan, who is self-taught on the banjo, performed…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Hackensack Mourns Beloved HS Principal Harold Bloom, 89 Hackensack Mourns Beloved HS Principal Harold Bloom, 89
Hackensack Mourns Beloved HS Principal Harold Bloom, 89 The Hackensack community is mourning the loss of the high school's longtime and beloved principal Harold Bloom, who died Jan. 14 at Hackensack University Medical Center. He was 89 years old. Affectionately known as "Uncle Hal," Bloom started in the district as a history teacher in 1954. He worked his way up to become principal in 1969 and retired in 1992. Bloom went on to become a trustee for the Maywood library, playing a major role in stabilizing its finances. His name lives on not only on Hackensack High School's First Street skybridge, but in the hearts of hundreds of former colleagues…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Mass Tuesday For Beloved Mahwah Firefighter, Father Of Two, 49 Mass Tuesday For Beloved Mahwah Firefighter, Father Of Two, 49
Mass Tuesday For Beloved Mahwah Firefighter, Father Of Two, 49 A funeral Mass will be held Tuesday morning for beloved Mahwah firefighter Giovanni A. Pertuz, who died this week at 49. A father of two who his family said “will be remembered by so many as the ultimate family man, the model for community service and the ultimate optimist even in the most of difficult of times,” Pertuz died suddenly on Monday – shocking and saddening the many who knew him. Born in Hackensack, Pertuz was graduated from Hackensack High School in 1987 and went on to become a successful businessman in the commercial fire alarm and electrical contracting industry, owning Master…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Scared Straight? Hackensack Prom Season Off To Serious Start Scared Straight? Hackensack Prom Season Off To Serious Start
Scared Straight? Hackensack Prom Season Off To Serious Start Students gathered outside of Hackensack High School early Tuesday for the annual demonstration by emergency responders of what could happen in a deadly prom-time crash -- only this year there was a twist. "The message we want kids to get is: Besides impaired driving, distracted driving is also dangerous," said Iris Koonan, a student assistance counselor. Each year, city firefighters, police, EMS and other responders show the students the consequences of drunk driving. Tuesday morning's "crash," however, occurred when youngsters on the way to their prom looked up to take…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
Rising MMA Fighter Juvaunne Gordon Of Hackensack Dies, 26 Rising MMA Fighter Juvaunne Gordon Of Hackensack Dies, 26
Rising MMA Fighter Juvaunne Gordon Of Hackensack Dies, 26 Hackensack native Juvaunne Gordon died on Friday, April 20. He was 26 years old. UPDATE: Cause Of Death For Hackensack MMA Fighter Juvaunne Gordon Released Gordon had been pursuing his passion as an MMA fighter. He got his start on the Hackensack High School (Class of 2010) wrestling team. He was known in the ring as Maica or Maika -- a tribute to his native country, Jamaica. Gordon on Facebook described himself as "A man striving to become a legend." "They say God makes no mistakes, but I find that very hard to believe right now." Friends remembered Gordon as one of t…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
Hackensack High School Students Had Clever Alternative To National Walkout Hackensack High School Students Had Clever Alternative To National Walkout
Hackensack High School Students Had Clever Alternative To National Walkout National Walkout Day was cancelled in Hackensack due to security concerns, school officials announced. "In response to security concerns brought to the attention of administration at Hackensack High School earlier today, Tuesday, March 13, the walk-out planned for tomorrow has been cancelled," Superintendent Rosemary Marks and Asst. Superintendent Andrea Parchment said. Instead, student organizers shared a presentation in support of the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, which will be streamed to all classrooms via the school TV Studio. Student Mackenzie Carroll felt …

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by Cecilia Levine