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CONFIRMED: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida CONFIRMED: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida
Confirmed: Male, Female Bodies Pulled From Passaic River Are Couple Drowned By Ida CONFIRMED: The New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office on Friday positively identified two bodies pulled from the Passaic River over the previous two days as a former high school prom king and queen swept away in Hurricane Ida's floodwaters last week. A search for Nidhi Rana, 18, and Ayush Rana, 21, had ended when the medical examiner's office finally confirmed their identities Friday afternoon based on dental and medical records, Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. Nidhi and Ayush were swept into a storm drain that empties into the river after getting out of their car on Main Street durin…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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Getaway Driver In 7-County North Jersey Holdup Spree Heads To Federal Prison Getaway Driver In 7-County North Jersey Holdup Spree Heads To Federal Prison
Getaway Driver In 7-County North Jersey Holdup Spree Heads To Federal Prison The wheelman in nearly two dozen gas station and convenience store armed robberies in North Jersey was sent to federal prison for at least nine years. Meshach Whagar, 31, of Newark must serve just about all of the 110-month sentence handed down in U.S. District Court in Newark on Wednesday because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Whager admitted late last year that he drove the getaway car during the 20 predawn holdups in seven counties -- Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, Morris and Union -- in November and December of 2017 (see list of locations below). The gunman…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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Hudson Music Teacher Charged With Fondling Lyndhurst Student, 12, During Private Lessons Hudson Music Teacher Charged With Fondling Lyndhurst Student, 12, During Private Lessons
Hudson Music Teacher Charged With Fondling Lyndhurst Student, 12, During Private Lessons A 67-year-old music teacher from Kearny fondled a 12-year-old Lyndhurst girl during private lessons, authorities charged. Fernando Valadares remained held Wednesday in the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack. Bergen County prosecutor’s detectives had arrested Valadares at his Belgrove Drove home the night before. The Special Victims Unit detectives joined the investigation after township police were told that Valadares “engaged in the conduct on multiple occasions while instructing the child in music lessons” in Lyndhurst, Bergen…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Three Charged In $3 Million Burglary Of 50 Cent’s Bergen County Crib Three Charged In $3 Million Burglary Of 50 Cent’s Bergen County Crib
Three Charged In $3 Million Burglary Of 50 Cent’s Bergen County Crib A stolen car helped tie three ex-cons to the $3 million burglary of 50 Cent’s luxury apartment above the Hudson River, authorities said. The rapper, songwriter, TV producer and actor posted on Instagram that he was in Miami the third week of January, which law enforcement sources said afforded the thieves the opportunity. 50 – whose real name is Curtis Jackson – reported the break-in of his apartment to Cliffside Park police on Jan. 17. It “involved an estimated loss of approximately three million dollars in U.S. currency and jewelry,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday, wit…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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NJ Postal Carrier Admits Dumping Election Ballots NJ Postal Carrier Admits Dumping Election Ballots
NJ Postal Carrier Admits Dumping Election Ballots A postal carrier from Hudson County admitted Thursday in federal court that he dumped 1,875 pieces of mail -- including general election ballots and campaign flyers – instead of delivering them. Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny was nabbed by special agents of the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General after a Saddle Brook man reported finding dumped bundles of mail in a dumpster behind a North Arlington bank last fall. The mail tossed by Beauchene included 99 general election ballots destined for residents in West Orange and 276 campaign flyers from local candidates for West Or…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Serious Crash Closes NJ Turnpike In Kearny, 1 Airlifted Serious Crash Closes NJ Turnpike In Kearny, 1 Airlifted
Serious Crash Closes NJ Turnpike In Kearny, 1 Airlifted All lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike in Kearny were closed due to a serious crash Wednesday afternoon and evening. The multi-vehicle accident was reported around 3:35 p.m on the southbound side of the western spur at milepost 110.3, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Alejandro Goez said. Multiple injuries were reported including one person who was airlifted with serious injuries, Goez said. All southbound lanes were closed as of 8:15 p.m. for the investigation.  Traffic was diverted to the eastern spur.

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by Cecilia Levine
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Target To Replace These Shuttered NJ Kmarts Target To Replace These Shuttered NJ Kmarts
Target To Replace These Shuttered NJ Kmarts Another Kmart store has closed its doors leaving just two left in all of New Jersey. The Kearny store on Passaic Avenue closed on May 2, NJ Advance Media reports. The storefront will be replaced by a Target store, according to Target's list of upcoming locations.  Target will also be replacing the Kmart that closed in Wall on Route 35, and the one in Somers Point on 250 New Road. Only two Kmart stores remain in New Jersey: One in Avenel and the other in Westwood.

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
NJ Man Used Instagram, Snapchat To Solicit Sexual Photos From Several Teen Girls: Police NJ Man Used Instagram, Snapchat To Solicit Sexual Photos From Several Teen Girls: Police
NJ Man Used Instagram, Snapchat To Solicit Sexual Photos From Several Teen Girls: Police A 20-year-old Kearny who used social media to solicit sexually-explicit photos from local residents including several teen girls was arrested and found with child porn, authorities said. An investigation began in June 2020 based on numerous public social media posts alleging several residents had been subjected to harassment or sexually-objectionable behavior by a man later identified as Justin T. Davidson, Police Chief George King said. The investigation uncovered many instances in which Davidson contacted victims through Instagram and Snapchat, and arranged to receive sexually explic…

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by Cecilia Levine
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BRUSH FIRES: GS Parkway Closed Near Shore, NJ Turnpike Threatened Near Meadowlands BRUSH FIRES: GS Parkway Closed Near Shore, NJ Turnpike Threatened Near Meadowlands
Brush FIRES: GS Parkway Closed Near Shore, NJ Turnpike Threatened Near Meadowlands UPDATE: A forest fire jumped the entire width of the Garden State Parkway from Lakewood into Brick Township while a Meadowlands brush fire stopped short of the New Jersey Turnpike amid Sunday's fierce winds.  They were among no fewer than a half-dozen large brush fires -- and nearly just as many smaller blazes -- that raged at once throughout the Garden State on Sunday, whipped by winds reported at up to 40 miles an hour and low humidity that barely cracked 20%. Several New Jersey State Police troopers gathered on the Turnpike's western awaiting word whether to close the roadway as firefig…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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National Eyeglass, Contacts Retailer Accused Of Discriminating Against Pregnant NJ Employee National Eyeglass, Contacts Retailer Accused Of Discriminating Against Pregnant NJ Employee
National Eyeglass, Contacts Retailer Accused Of Discriminating Against Pregnant NJ Employee A discount vision retailer with stores throughout New Jersey discriminated against a now-former employee by switching her to part time and not providing a suitable place to pump breast milk after she had a baby, a state civil rights complaint alleges. Jalaia Hill says in a state civil rights complaint that her health coverage was eliminated by the sudden position switch from full to part time when she returned from maternity leave to the America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses store in Burlington. America’s Best also “failed to reasonably accommodate her request for a place to express brea…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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New Jersey's First Two 2021 Babies Born At Stroke Of Midnight New Jersey's First Two 2021 Babies Born At Stroke Of Midnight
New Jersey's First Two 2021 Babies Born At Stroke Of Midnight Happy New Year -- and happy birthday to these babies! While some were out celebrating the new year, others were going into labor. Two of New Jersey's first 2021 babies were born right at the stroke of midnight. One was baby boy Damon, born to Jessica and Steve Palaia, of Pompton Lakes at The Valley Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds and 6 ounces, and measured 19 ½ inches long. Baby Damon was born to Jessica and Steve Palaia, of Pompton Lakes, right at the stroke of midnight.The Valley Hospital Meanwhile, in Livingston, Jose and Juliana Miranda Sucuzhanay welcomed  Ella Andrea at Saint Barn…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
COVID-19: Class Action Suit Filed Against New Jersey Lab Raided By FBI COVID-19: Class Action Suit Filed Against New Jersey Lab Raided By FBI
Covid-19: Class Action Suit Filed Against New Jersey Lab Raided By FBI At least four people have joined a class-action lawsuit filed against a North Jersey company accused of selling bogus COVID-19 tests in at least one South Jersey location, NorthJersey.com reports. Filed Dec. 15 in Atlantic County Superior Court, the suit alleges Infinity Diagnostic Labs -- headquartered in Teterboro -- advertised antibody tests as $75 rapid coronavirus tests. The tests were distributed out of Infinity's Ventnor City location, which shuttered following an FBI raid earlier this month, the news outlet says. "Infinity put corporate profit ahead of people’s health and well-bein…

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by Cecilia Levine