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Police & Fire
HERO: Westwood Officer Rescues Emerson Driver After Car Plunges Into Backyard Pool HERO: Westwood Officer Rescues Emerson Driver After Car Plunges Into Backyard Pool
Hero: Westwood Officer Rescues Emerson Driver After Car Plunges Into Backyard Pool UPDATE: A driver who was rescued by a Westwood police officer after her wagon crashed into a backyard swimming pool received a summons for careless driving, Police Chief Michael Pontillo said Thursday. The 32-year-old Emerson driver, whom he didn’t identify by name, was headed south on Lafayette Avenue when her 2021 Honda wagon crossed over the center line as it rounded the bend at Ridgewood Road around 3 a.m. Monday, Pontillo said. The Honda hit a curb, then crashed through a fence, a shed and another fence before barreling down a small retaining wall, onto the pool deck and into the…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
WINNER: Lottery Ticket Good For $511K Sold In Bergen County WINNER: Lottery Ticket Good For $511K Sold In Bergen County
Winner: Lottery Ticket Good For $511K Sold In Bergen County A New Jersey Lottery ticket good for $511,895 was sold in Bergen County. The lucky Jersey Cash 5 ticket from Tuesday's drawing was purchased from Emerson Stationery on Kinderkamack Road in Emerson. The winning numbers were 03, 07, 42, 43, and 45 and the XTRA number was 03. 

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Funeral Arrangements Set For Bergen Firefighter Timmy Rice Funeral Arrangements Set For Bergen Firefighter Timmy Rice
Funeral Arrangements Set For Bergen Firefighter Timmy Rice A funeral Mass is scheduled Tuesday for a beloved Bergen County firefighter who died this weekend. Timothy “Timmy” Rice, 42, of Emerson fought a valiant battle with cancer, supported by legions of loved ones, friends and fellow firefighters. Rice, who served with the Hackensack and Paramus fire departments, died Saturday at Hackensack University Medical Center. "Timmy was a fireman's fireman," his Hackensack brethren wrote. He was "always there to help out in the firehouse, with union activities and any time anyone needed a hand or someone to talk to." Visiting hours are from 4 to 8 p.m.…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Heartbreaking Battle Ends For Beloved Bergen Firefighter Heartbreaking Battle Ends For Beloved Bergen Firefighter
Heartbreaking Battle Ends For Beloved Bergen Firefighter A career Bergen County firefighter's valiant battle with cancer ended Saturday, leaving countless loved ones, first responders, friends and others devastated. "We all ask why the great ones are taken to soon and we can't find the answer," Hackensack Fire Capt. Justin Derevyanik wrote as news of the death of Timothy Rice spread on Saturday. Timmy Rice, 42, of Emerson leaves Regina, his wife of 15 years, their daughter, Aubrey, and their son, TJ. He was "one of a kind, truly one of the nicest, most caring people I’ve ever known," Doug Habermann wrote -- just one of a rapidly growing collect…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Fort Lee Funds Dedicated To Families Displaced In Devastating Apartment Building Fire Fort Lee Funds Dedicated To Families Displaced In Devastating Apartment Building Fire
Fort Lee Funds Dedicated To Families Displaced In Devastating Apartment Building Fire UPDATE: A fund established to aid Hurricane Sandy victims will go toward helping families displaced by a fire that destroyed an apartment building near the George Washington Bridge. Two volunteer firefighters were hospitalized with relatively minor injuries in the six-alarm fire on Hudson Terrace in Fort Lee, which ignited Saturday afternoon, continued through the night and collapsed portions of the five-story brick building. Authorities initially feared the worst when a resident was unaccounted for, Mayor Mark Sokolich said, but that tenant apparently is out of the country. The Red Cros…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Mayor: Fears Of Fatality Unfounded In Furious Fire That Destroyed Fort Lee Apartment Building Mayor: Fears Of Fatality Unfounded In Furious Fire That Destroyed Fort Lee Apartment Building
Mayor: Fears Of Fatality Unfounded In Furious Fire That Destroyed Fort Lee Apartment Building UPDATE: No serious injuries were reported in a raging fire that destroyed an apartment building near the George Washington Bridge. Two volunteer firefighters were hospitalized with relatively minor injuries from the six-alarm fire on Hudson Terrace in Fort Lee, which ignited Saturday afternoon, continued through the night and collapsed portions of the five-story brick building. Authorities initially feared the worst when a resident was unaccounted for, Mayor Mark Sokolich said, but that tenant apparently is out of the country. The Red Cross had put up about a dozen families at local hote…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Fire Rages At Fort Lee Apartment Building Fire Rages At Fort Lee Apartment Building
Fire Rages At Fort Lee Apartment Building UPDATE: No serious injuries were reported in a raging fire that destroyed an apartment building near the George Washington Bridge. Two volunteer firefighters were hospitalized with relatively minor injuries from the six-alarm fire on Hudson Terrace in Fort Lee, which ignited Saturday afternoon, continued through the night and collapsed portions of the five-story brick building. Authorities initially feared the worst when a resident was unaccounted for, Mayor Mark Sokolich said, but that tenant apparently is out of the country. The Red Cross had put up about a dozen families at local hotel…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Support Surges For Bergen County Coach, Teacher Who Suffered Stroke Support Surges For Bergen County Coach, Teacher Who Suffered Stroke
Support Surges For Bergen County Coach, Teacher Who Suffered Stroke Support is surging for a North Jersey high school teacher and coach who suffered a stroke. More than $18,600 had been raised for Billy Connors and his family on a GoFundMe as of Sunday morning. Connors -- who has been teaching high school business classes for more than 30 years in Hoboken, Sparta, Emerson and Weehawken -- was airlifted to Overlook Hospital in Summit after suffering a stroke in April. After a successful surgical procedure, he began suffering seizures, leaving him in critical care and on a ventilator for five days, the campaign says. Connors was transfer…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Two Narcan Saves In One Weekend: Good Samaritans, EMS Assist Emerson Police Two Narcan Saves In One Weekend: Good Samaritans, EMS Assist Emerson Police
Two Narcan Saves In One Weekend: Good Samaritans, EMS Assist Emerson Police HEROES: Two good Samaritans helped police rescue an overdosing driver in one of two Narcan saves made in Emerson over the weekend, authorities said. The civilians had pulled the lifeless 30-year-old Lodi driver from his Ford sedan, which was stopped in the middle of Ackerman Avenue, shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday, Capt. Michael McDermott said. Sgt. Joseph Alasio assisted them with CPR and got a pulse, McDermott said. The driver was speaking with the sergeant when he lost consciousness again, McDermott said. Backup Officer Anthony Mazzo then joined the two civilians in CPR before members o…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Paterson Masseuse Sexually Assaults 2nd Bergen County Client, Prosecutor Says Paterson Masseuse Sexually Assaults 2nd Bergen County Client, Prosecutor Says
Paterson Masseuse Sexually Assaults 2nd Bergen County Client, Prosecutor Says A Paterson massage therapist is accused of sexually assaulting a Bergen County client for the second time in five years, authorities said. Jhon A. Cabrera, 28, was massaging the woman at a spa in Hackensack when he "engaged in sexual misconduct" on April 22, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The client reported the conduct to the Hackensack Police Department, who initiated an investigation and charged Cabrera with criminal sexual contact, Musella said. In 2016, Cabrera was working as a masseuse out of a spa in Emerson when he sexually penetrated the client without consent, M…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
Longtime North Jersey Bakery 'Rispoli's' Opening Hawthorne Location Longtime North Jersey Bakery 'Rispoli's' Opening Hawthorne Location
Longtime North Jersey Bakery 'Rispoli's' Opening Hawthorne Location Bergen County bakery Rispoli’s Italian Pastry Shop is expanding to Passaic County with the opening of a new location in Hawthorne. With stores in Ridgefield and Emerson, Rispoli’s dates back to 1937 and spans three generations, its website says. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tony Mangia (@tonymangia) The new store is opening at 1103 Goffle Rd. in Hawthorne, according to BoozyBurbs. The longtime bakery is known for its huge selection of classic pastries and sweet treats like eclairs, cannolis, cream puffs, tiramisu and more.…

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by Valerie Musson
News
Never-Ending Dedication To Service Marked Life Of Bergen Firefighting Veteran Never-Ending Dedication To Service Marked Life Of Bergen Firefighting Veteran
Never-Ending Dedication To Service Marked Life Of Bergen Firefighting Veteran TRIBUTE: In the world of public service, John Holter of Emerson was a rare breed. He worked for not just one but two fire companies for decades, and his professional life was all about helping people. Holter died Monday at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood surrounded by a small group of family and friends. He was 70. The man wore several hats, as they say. A top-notch mechanic, Holter made sure your vehicle was humming when you brought it to Alpine Texaco – and, later, Alpine Shell, – which he and his late wife owned for more than 15 years. The station at the top of Closter Dock Road becam…

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by Jerry DeMarco