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47°
Saturday, apr 27
Tag:
COVID-19
Police & Fire
Notorious NJ Consultant Used COVID Rules To File Fake Petitions For Partner, Indictment Charges
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A controversial New Jersey political consultant was indicted by a state grand jury for filing nearly 2,000 bogus petitions in what authorities called a transparent attempt at getting his life partner on the Democratic primary ballot for governor. James Devine, 62, of Lambertville, initially received a summons last May after state authorities said he filed 1,948 fraudulent petitions with the Secretary of State’s office to get Lisa McCormick on the ballot for the June 2021 primary. Grand jurors in Trenton, in turn, returned an indictment charging Devine with offenses concerning nomin…
News
Covid-
19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC
New isolation guidelines for those infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory infections have just been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency said there is no longer a need to isolate for five days before returning to work or school in a statement issued Friday, March 1. The CDC said it's making updates to the recommendations now because the US is seeing "far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV." Three "core prevention tips" were also detaile…
Police & Fire
Kickbacks Convinced Doc To Scam Medicare Out Of Nearly $21 Million: NJ Feds
A doctor pocketed cash kickbacks from lab companies and others for filing more than $20.7 million in bogus Medicare claims for medically unnecessary -- and often expensive -- COVID and cancer genetic tests, among other scams, a federal grand jury in Newark has charged. Alexander Baldonado, 68, of Queens already was awaiting trial dating back to charges brought a few years ago when grand jurors in Newark this week returned a superseding indictment that digs deeper into the allegations. Baldonado approved lab tests billed to Medicare in exchange for cash payoffs "from a laboratory representat…
Police & Fire
Eddie Negron, Longtime North Jersey Detective, Dies At 46
Eddie Negron, a longtime police officer who worked in East Newark and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, died on Saturday Feb. 10 in Philadelphia at the age of 46, according to his obituary. Born in Hoboken, Negron joined the East Newark Police Department in July 1998 and moved to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office as a detective in 2005, later achieving the rank of sergeant. Negron retired in 2022 when he had a double-lung transplant after contracting COVID-19. Negron also served in the East Newark Fire Department. It is with deep sadness that we must bid fare…
News
Yet Another Renowned NJ Catering Venue Passes: The Woodcliff Lake Hilton Closes
Yet another North Jersey hotel that rings with decades worth of fond memories is biting the dust -- and raising the anxiety levels for customers forced to find another venue for their weddings, proms, bar mitzvahs and other special events. The Hilton Woodcliff Lake is closing within the next two weeks, having been sold at auction to a company headed by a New Jersey-bred billionaire developer. "I personally have been going to events there since I was a teenager. My own Sweet 16, proms, fundraisers were all held there," New Jersey State Sen. Holly Schepisi said. “I’m sorry to see such a long-…
Police & Fire
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A onetime insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes into the ground from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria admitted that he purposely shorted the IRS nearly $39M, federal authorities said. Joseph Schwartz, 64, of Suffern, owned Skyline Management Group, which was based in the Wood-Ridge and amassed 95 nursing homes across 11 states. These once included Hudson View Care & Rehab Center in North Bergen, Brookhaven Health Care Center in East Orange and the Voorhees Care & Rehabilitation Center. Over a period of only sev…
News
'AI Moonshoot' Among Murphy's Ideas To Make Life More Affordable For NJ Residents
Gov. Phil Murphy sees New Jersey as a future global leader in artificial intelligence, while balancing the urgent financial needs of families during his 2024 State of the State Address. In his speech on Tuesday, Jan. 9, Gov. Murphy spoke about "an era of unease and uncertainty" defined by economic recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with wars in Israel and Ukraine. He also talked about how higher costs of living are the biggest challenges for many families. "Making life more affordable for more families is our highest priority," said Gov. Murphy. "We need to recognize t…
News
New Year, Old Rules: These NJ Hospitals Are Bringing Back Mask Requirements
As COVID-19, RSV, and the flu continue to spread after the holidays, some healthcare systems are bringing back mask requirements. Inspira Health Network said as of Thursday, Jan. 4, it will mandate masks in its facilities "due to an increase in respiratory virus positivity rates throughout the area." Inspira Health has hospitals, urgent care clinics, and other medical facilities across South Jersey. 🚨Effective Thursday, January 4, Inspira Health is implementing mandatory masking in our facilities due to an increase in respiratory virus positivity rates throughout the area.🚨 Posted by In…
News
New
Covid-
19 Variant Comprises 56% Of Thousands Of New Cases In New Jersey: CDC
COVID-19 is on the rise in New Jersey with more than half of the cases being comprised of a new variant, according to data from the state and the Centers for Disease Control. New Jersey's COVID-19 information hub shows a steady increase in cases since early November, when there were nearly 1,100 cases reported across the state. For the week ending in Dec. 23, there were 4,100 cases reported — a slight drop from the week before where more than 5,000 cases were reported. According to the CDC, new variant JN.1 (Omicron), which has been tracked since October, comprises 56.9% of cases in New Je…
News
Surge In
Covid-
19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sounding the alarm, warning that low vaccination rates for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) could strain healthcare systems across the nation in the weeks ahead. Hospitalizations among all age groups in the last month increased by 200 percent for influenza, 51 percent for COVID, and 60 percent for RSV, the CDC said. Meanwhile, coverage for the seasonal 2023-2024 flu shot is low in all age groups compared with the same period of the 2022–2023 season. Just 17 percent of adults had received the updated COVID vac…
Police & Fire
$2M NJ Scammer Who Claimed Dead People As Biz Partners Gets 3 Years, No Parole
UPDATE: A scammer from Sussex County who fraudulently collected more than $2 million in federal funds by identifying people who'd been dead for more than a decade as business partners must spend the next three years in federal prison. John Jhong, 54, of Sparta, actually submitted bogus applications for more than $15 million in federal pandemic aid earmarked to help struggling companies during COVID-19, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Jhong "turned these vital relief programs into his personal ATM," spending the more than $2 million he illegally collected on personal expenses, the U.…
Police & Fire
Update
: Jurors Convict Bergen County Man Of Gunning Down Newly-Released Killer
A 25-year-old South Hackensack man was convicted of gunning down a convicted killer who’d only just been released from prison after serving his time. Rather than accept a plea deal, Naszhere Marquette Jones took his chances with a jury – and lost – in connection with the March 2021 shooting death of ex-con Jaquan Harrison, 35, in Paterson. Jurors in Paterson found Jones guilty of reckless manslaughter and weapons offenses following a day and a half of deliberations, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said on Friday, Sept. 29. Harrison had spent more than four years in state prison…
Police & Fire
NJ Veterans Homes Where Pandemic Deaths Soared Violated Residents' Civil Rights, Feds Find
UPDATE: State-run veterans homes in Paramus and Menlo Park violated the civil rights of their residents during the COVID pandemic and must correct policies and procedures going forward, federal authorities said Thursday. COVID killed more than 200 residents and staff at New Jersey's veterans’ homes, which was among the highest in the entire country. The pandemic claimed a total of 103 residents at the Memorial Veterans Home in Edison and 89 at the Paramus Veterans Memorial Home, according to New Jersey's Department of Health. The state to this point has paid nearly $70 million to settle la…
News
Covid-
19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Identified In Five States
The most likely symptoms of a new COVID-19 variant with around 30 mutations are expected to be similar to the highly contagious Omicron strain based on reports so far. COVID-related hospitalizations have increased in the US for six straight weeks, with a 19-percent increase reported in the most recent week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The BA.2.86 strain, known as Pirola, has now been identified in five states: New York, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, and Ohio. The strain was first detected in Israel around Sunday, Aug. 20, and cases have also been identif…
News
Covid-
19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed
The first case of the newly identified COVID-19 variant with 30 mutations has been identified in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded BA.2.86 to a “variant under monitoring," citing the "large number of mutations it carries." BA.2.86, which has now been nicknamed "Pirola," was first detected in Israel, and cases have also been identified in the United Kingdom and Denmark. The initial case in the US has been detected in Michigan. The patient, an older person with mild symptoms, is from Washtenaw County, the Michigan Department of Health and Hu…
Police & Fire
Holland Tunnel Driver With Loaded Gun, $17K Toll Debt Impersonated Officer: Port Authority PD
A woman who once made headlines for an alleged COVID scam was carrying a loaded gun -- and owed $17,000 in unpaid tolls -- when Port Authority police stopped her at the New Jersey end of the Holland Tunnel, Daily Voice has learned. Sharita T. Patterson, 36, of Brooklyn was stopped in Jersey City for having a bogus temporary Georgia license tag on her car just before noon Tuesday, July 25, said Port Authority Public Information Officer Lenis Valens. PAPD officers spotted the gun "in plain view" and seized it, Valens said. They also seized Patterson, a single mother of three who Valens said…
Obituaries
Integral Part Of Sparta's Business Network Hratch Kechishian Dies
Sparta is mourning the loss of a local business owner after what loved ones call a “difficult medical battle.” Hratch Kechishian died Saturday, July 15, his obituary says. He was 63. An integral part of Sparta’s business network, Hratch was the owner of The Leather Zone in Sparta — a business “he put his whole heart and resources into,” reads a GoFundMe launched by Melissa Prestipino for his family’s support. “Hratch was a generous man who would donate the shirt off of his back,” Prestipino writes. “He gave the community and healthcare workers many of his own supplies during the pandemic…
Neighbors
Essex County Girl With Neurological Disorder Sees Community Support
Kayla Burrowes' life has been turned upside down as she battles the effects of Functional Neurological Disorder. The West Orange native's medical journey began when she contracted covid-19 and she soon began to have persistent dizziness, severe headaches and bouts of nausea and vomiting. After weeks of testing, Burrowes was diagnosed with the disorder and has been going to a children's hospital for treatment. She has been forced to miss school and is continuing to deal with fatigue and dizziness. The family is seeking the help of a doctor in Michigan who has successfully treated other peop…
Lifestyle
Essex County Town's Crossing Guard Fights To Save Her Home
Stacy Sedita is fighting to save her home, and the community is lending a helping hand. Sedita's family has lived in the house, located in the Gregory neighborhood of West Orange, since they built it in the 1950s. The home has been housed four generations of her family. The family was hit hard by COVID, with Sedita losing her jobs as a crossing guard and staffer at a country club and discovering the utility bill and tax bill had not been paid as her grandmother's identity had been stolen, with someone else taking her Social Security checks. Overall, Sedita owes $52,000 in back taxes, pay…
Real Estate
One Of NJ's Youngest Ice Cream Truck Owner Rolls Through Hard Times
Gabbie Truppi almost makes it look easy. She's got customers following her bubblegum pink truck to all of its events. She's got lines out the door of her 2-year-old Flemington ice cream shop, Humdoo. And on slow business days, she dances in the rain. But the 24-year-old Hunterdon Central Regional grad's road to success was far from smooth. Truppi dropped out of college (twice). COVID hit just as she'd hit her stride with her ice cream truck, Scoops on Wheels, and she had a fully-booked summer of events ahead. Then, just as she was getting ready to open her Flemington storefront, the t…
Business
Cotton Candy Heaven: Newswoman Finds Sweet New Calling With Jersey Shore Biz
Have a hankering for cotton candy? You're in luck. Billie Rama of The Asbury Park Cotton Candy Co. is leasing a new production space exclusively for cotton candy lovers. Until now, Rama has been mobile only, operating a cotton candy table at parties, movies, and special events. Here is what Billie Rama's cotton candy table looks like when she "spins" at special events.Provided/ Billie Rama She organized this GoFundMe page to help defray the costs of setting up a permanent facility to expand and streamline her production. She started production at 909 Asbury Ave. Unit D on Thursday, Ma…
Lifestyle
Do Not Use These
Covid-
19 At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns: FDA
Americans have been advised by federal officials to stop using and dispose of specific COVID-19 at-home tests that could have potentially harmful bacteria inside the kits. SD Biosensor, Inc. announced on Friday, May 5, that the company is requesting that consumers stop using “Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Tests” due to contaminants found in the tube with liquid inside, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The tube with the liquidFDA The affected tests can be identified by the lot number on the outer packaging (see below) and should be discarded in the trash. The liquid should n…
Lifestyle
'Bruce Springsteen Day' Declared Official In NJ
Sept. 23 has long been a day of celebration for Bruce Springsteen fans in The Garden State. On Saturday, April 15, Governor Phil Murphy made it official. Murphy announced Sept. 23, Bruce Springsteen's birthday, will officially be known as "Bruce Springsteen Day" in New Jersey. Bruce Springsteen is one of the most iconic and influential musicians – and New Jerseyans – of all time, period.And so, I am both honored and proud to announce @springsteen's birthday, Sept. 23, will officially be known as Bruce Springsteen Day in the Garden State. pic.twitter.com/Ux5B54jdlB — Governor Phil Murph…
News
Covid-
19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant Detected In NJ
A new COVID-19 variant first detected in New York in January has now been identified in 27 states, including New Jersey. The so-called Arcturus strain — officially known as XBB.1.16 — is believed to be one of the most infectious versions of Omicron to date. Shortly after the World Health Organization began monitoring the variant in late March, cases had been reported in about two dozen countries. The WHO says Arcturus is a "recombinant" of COVID subvariants BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75. In addition to New York, XBB.1.16 has also been confirmed in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pen…
News
NJ's Oldest Bus Line Ceases NYC Commuter Service
The wheels on New Jersey's oldest bus line won't be going round and round for commuters much longer. Citing ridership declines that have lingered since the COVID-19 pandemic, DeCamp Bus Lines will only offer charter and casino services as of April 7, the company announced in a customer notice. DeCamp Bus Lines started as a stagecoach in 1870, and has seven commuter routes: 33, 66,/66R/44, 99, 88, 32 and 100. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce that DeCamp Bus Lines will be ceasing commuter services to and from New York City. . ." the company said. "DeCamp Bus Lines has str…
News
Covid-
19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus
A past COVID-19 infection provides "durable" but temporary protection against getting severely sick no matter the variant, according to a brand-new study. Researchers from the University of Washington say it's the most comprehensive data compiled so far showing national immunity protection against the virus. The findings were released Thursday, Feb. 16 in the peer-reviewed journal, The Lancet. The research identified and analyzed 65 studies from 19 different countries. "Our meta-analyses showed that protection from past infection and any symptomatic disease was high for (COVID-19) an…
News
Superintendent Resigns After Controversial Comments On Jersey Shore Teen's Suicide
The superintendent of an Ocean County school district resigned Saturday, Feb. 11 after comments he made on a 14-year-old student's suicide surfaced. Officials at Central Regional High School announced Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides's resignation on its website, hours after a funeral was held for Adriana Kuch — who died by suicide on Feb. 3, days after a video of her being beaten in the halls of the school went viral. Parlapanides's resignation comes after the Daily Mail leaked an email he sent saying the teen's behavior was a result of her father's affair that began in middle school. Dail…
News
NJ Deli Fraud Scheme Mastermind Arrested In Thailand: Feds
An international company chairman charged over a purported scheme to manipulate the stock market — one that resulted in a bogus $100M valuation for a Gloucester County deli despite minimal sales — was arrested in Thailand, the feds confirmed. Peter Coker Jr., 54, had been a fugitive since September when prosecutors filed 12 federal charges against him, his father, Peter Coker Sr., 80, and associate James Patten, 63. The trio allegedly boosted the share prices of Hometown International Inc. and another firm, E-Waste Corp. Matthew Reilly, a spokesperson for the New Jersey US Attorney’s Offic…
News
ABC News Producer Dax Tejera Dead At 37
ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" producer Dax Tejera died suddenly on Friday, Dec. 23. He was 37 years old. The Chevy Chase native is survived by his wife, Veronica, and their daughters, Sofia and Ella. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dax Tejera (@daxtejera) Tejera joined the ABC News team in 2017 and worked as a senior producer in Washington DC. He helmed the Sunday show since just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Tejera was the executive producer of Jorge Ramos' program with ABC-Univision and worked f…
News
Cancer Misdiagnosed As COVID For NJ Nursing Student Who Finished School From Hospital Bed
Angela Meister was weeks away from finishing nursing school when she woke up with flu-like symptoms one day in late October. The 29-year-old Bergenfield resident was achey and had a fever, but wanted to push through and finally finish the 16-month accelerated nursing program she started. Her symptoms came and went, and she figured that was because she wasn't letting herself rest. But after 11 days with a fever, Meister went to the ER. Doctors told her she had a bad case of COVID and sent her on her way, encouraging rest and Tylenol. Meister spent the following month in and out of urgent c…
News
NJ Pilot Suing Billionaire Passenger, Wife After Contracting COVID On Private Flight: Report
A New Jersey pilot is suing a billionaire passenger for negligence after contracting COVID on a private flight, forcing him to quarantine for two weeks and cancel other work — work that the billionaire promised to reimburse him for and later backed out of, according to a report from DailyRecord. The suit, filed in Morris County Superior Court on Monday, claims that pilot Adam Toombs contracted the virus after flying billionaire Stephen Deckoff’s wife, Pamela, and several friends to Miami in December 2020 — but on the way back, they insisted on adding Pamela’s friend Allegra Blinken who likel…
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