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COVID-19 Pandemic

Business
Rise In Food Prices Goes Beyond Eggs: Here’s Rundown Rise In Food Prices Goes Beyond Eggs: Here’s Rundown
Rise In Food Prices Goes Beyond Eggs: Here’s Rundown Eggs are not the only food product seeing a sharp increase in prices. December grocery prices were nearly 28 percent higher than five years ago, reflecting how much harder families are finding it to manage their everyday expenses, The Wall Street Journal reports.  According to Labor Department data, grocery prices surged 1.8 percent year-over-year in December, marking the fastest increase in over a year, The trend started just after the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019, mainly due to pandemic-related supply chain issues. According to a Trace One analysis of US Bureau of Labo…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Westfield Man Admits To Defrauding COVID Relief Fund Of $900K: Feds Westfield Man Admits To Defrauding COVID Relief Fund Of $900K: Feds
Westfield Man Admits To Defrauding COVID Relief Fund Of $900K: Feds A 66-year-old Westfield man recently admitted to fraudulently obtaining a $900,000 PPP loan during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said.  Joseph McKeon applied for PPP loans on behalf of his New Jersey company, falsely claiming a higher number of employees and inflated payroll figures, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said. To support his claims, McKeon submitted forged documents, including bank statements and tax returns, Sellinger said. McKeon withdrew significant amounts of cash and transferred portions of the money, including a $315,504 transaction to an Indiana title company, Selli…

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by Sam Barron
News
Whooping Cough Cases Are Spiking, CDC Warns Whooping Cough Cases Are Spiking, CDC Warns
Whooping Cough Cases Are Spiking, CDC Warns Cases of whooping cough are five times higher than at this time a year ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning. Officially known as pertussis, those infected have persistent, chronic fits of coughing followed by a “whoop” sound. "Reports of pertussis cases were lower than usual over the past few years, during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.," the CDC said in a new advisory. "However, the United States is beginning to return to pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year. It's likely mitigation measures used during the…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
North Jersey Vegan Kosher 'Kind Of Chinese' Eatery Spotlighted On New Show North Jersey Vegan Kosher 'Kind Of Chinese' Eatery Spotlighted On New Show
North Jersey Vegan Kosher 'Kind Of Chinese' Eatery Spotlighted On New Show An acclaimed Bergen County restaurant known for its new take on old favorites is being spotlighted on a new show. Fat Choy, a kosher vegan, also "kind of Chinese" restaurant at 52 E Palisade Ave. in Englewood is profiled on "Schmoozing and Cruising," streaming on ChaiFlicks, which celebrates the best in kosher cuisine.  The episode, hosted by CW Silverburg, premiered on Thursday, Dec. 14. ChaiFlicks describes itself as the leading streaming service for Jewish storytelling. Fat Choy was recently named one of the best restaurants in America by the New York Times. Pete Wells raved about the r…

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by Sam Barron
Business
112-Year-Old NJ Movie Theater Reopens For First Time Since Pandemic 112-Year-Old NJ Movie Theater Reopens For First Time Since Pandemic
112-Year-Old NJ Movie Theater Reopens For First Time Since Pandemic One of New Jersey's oldest movie theaters has reopened for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Bernardsville Cinema 3 officially reopened on Friday, Oct. 27, with the International Bernardsville Film Festival, which will run through Sunday, Oct. 29. The cinema, located at 5 Minebrook Road in Bernardsville, was built in 1910 by Frank Allen, a developer downtown, the theater's website says.  The theater seats 500 people but was converted into a triplex theater in the 1990s. BowTie cinemas took over in 2013 until changing hands to United Leisure Cinemas, who has ownersh…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Rutgers Law School Grad Nominated To Succeed Sheila Oliver In Major Role Rutgers Law School Grad Nominated To Succeed Sheila Oliver In Major Role
Rutgers Law School Grad Nominated To Succeed Sheila Oliver In Major Role Gov. Phil Murphy has nominated Rutgers law school graduate Jacquelyn Suárez to step in as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs after Sheila Y. Oliver’s unexpected death last month. Suárez, who currently serves as the Director of the DCA’s Division of Local Government Services, will serve as Acting Commissioner pending Senate confirmation and will be the first Hispanic Commissioner to hold the title. Gov. Murphy appointed Secretary of State Tahesha Way as the new Lt. Governor of New Jersey last week. Way will retain her role as the head of the State Department, whic…

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by Valerie Musson
Business
One Of NJ Town's Oldest Restaurants Closes: 'Hard But Good Decision' One Of NJ Town's Oldest Restaurants Closes: 'Hard But Good Decision'
One Of NJ Town's Oldest Restaurants Closes: 'Hard But Good Decision' The Tortilla Press, one of the oldest restaurants in Collingswood, has shuttered after two decades in business. The BYOB Mexican eatery at 703 Haddon Ave.  announced last weekend's sudden closing on Facebook. We have closed our Tortilla Press restaurant in Collingswood and my wife and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank... Posted by The Tortilla Press on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 Mark Smith and his wife, Lydia Cipriani, took over the former home of the Collingswood Family Restaurant in 2002. Their other restaurant, The Tortilla Press Cantina in Pennsauken remains open. The couple d…

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by Jon Craig
News
IRS Bags Hundreds Of Tax Cheats, Money Launderers As COVID Relief Fraud Tops $3.2 Billion IRS Bags Hundreds Of Tax Cheats, Money Launderers As COVID Relief Fraud Tops $3.2 Billion
IRS Bags Hundreds Of Tax Cheats, Money Launderers As COVID Relief Fraud Tops $3.2 Billion It wasn't long after the government began offering COVID relief loans three years ago that IRS investigators were hot on the tails of scammers. Since then, agents with IRS Criminal Investigation have pursued 975 tax and money-laundering cases nationwide involving $3.2 billion worth of fraudulently obtained loans, credits and payments meant to help American workers, families, and small businesses who were rocked by the pandemic. Over that time, IRS-CI has kept its conviction rate at nearly 100%, federal authorities say. It has produced indictments against 458 defendants, …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
NJ COVID Scammer Who Pocketed $1.8M In Taxpayer-Funded Rescue Loans Gets Three Years In Fed Pen NJ COVID Scammer Who Pocketed $1.8M In Taxpayer-Funded Rescue Loans Gets Three Years In Fed Pen
NJ COVID Scammer Who Pocketed $1.8M In Taxpayer-Funded Rescue Loans Gets Three Years In Fed Pen UPDATE: A North Jersey businessman who collected $1.8 million in COVID-19 pandemic loans that he wasn't entitled to, then diverted the money into accounts held by family members -- including his young children -- was sentenced to three years in federal prison on Wednesday. Rocco A. Malanga, 39, formerly of Hackettstown, must serve out the entire plea-bargained sentence approved by a U.S. District Court judge in Newark on March 22 because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Malanga lied on documents to three different lenders to secure federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) mo…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
Popular Jersey Shore Restaurant Avon Pavilion Will Stay Open After All Popular Jersey Shore Restaurant Avon Pavilion Will Stay Open After All
Popular Jersey Shore Restaurant Avon Pavilion Will Stay Open After All Popular Jersey Shore restaurant Avon Pavilion was set to close after 33 years, but will remain open under new ownership. Bareli's By the Sea owners Liam and Carmen Maloney bought the Ocean Avenue restaurant and are expected to reopen in Spring 2023, NJ Advance Media reports. The Maloneys made the announcement on Instagram, too, where longtime patrons celebrated the news. Avon Pavilion overcame every obstacle in its way. The Avon-by-the-Sea stayed strong after the deaths of its founders in 2011: Mamma and Pappa Fishman. Three years later, the beachfront restaurant was rebuilt after Hurri…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Proud Mama Rents South Jersey Billboard After Daughter Becomes Doctor Proud Mama Rents South Jersey Billboard After Daughter Becomes Doctor
Proud Mama Rents South Jersey Billboard After Daughter Becomes Doctor Drive down Route 130 and you'll see Kristine Small's smiling face. Dr. Kristine Smalls, that is. That's all thanks to her proud mom, Kendra Busbee, who rented the billboard for $1,250 after her 30-year-old daughter received her doctorate in psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine on July 29. "Let me reintroduce myself..." the billboard reads. "Dr. Kristine S. Smalls. Dr. Smiles. Look what good came out of Camden!" Smalls has wanted to be a doctor since she was 5 years old and completed grades K through 12 without a single absence, according to abc7 and th…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
CDC Warns Of Rise In Melatonin Poisoning In Kids Nationwide CDC Warns Of Rise In Melatonin Poisoning In Kids Nationwide
CDC Warns Of Rise In Melatonin Poisoning In Kids Nationwide Health officials are warning of an increase in melatonin poisoning among children. Over the past decade, the number of pediatric ingestions of melatonin rose 530%, with more than 260,000 ingestions reported between 2012 and 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Melatonin became the most frequently ingested substance among kids reported to national poison control centers in 2020, the CDC said. Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the body that regulates sleep-wake cycles, but is also sold as supplements. While the supplements are regulated by the …

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
Woodbury Charlie Brown's Sets Reopening Date Woodbury Charlie Brown's Sets Reopening Date
Woodbury Charlie Brown's Sets Reopening Date Charlie Brown’s Fresh Grill has an opening date for its Woodbury location. The casual restaurant will open on Monday, April 18 after extensive renovations, according to its updated Google Maps description.  The eatery is located at 111 N. Broad St. It describes itself as an easygoing chophouse with steaks, prime rib, seafood and an all-you-can-eat salad bar. Charlie Brown's repens on April 18Google This is the company’s first reopening of the 13 locations that closed in 2020. Many shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened. The Woodbury restaurant joins the Scotch P…

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by Jon Craig
News
What Newly Signed Tax Bill Means For Atlantic City Casinos What Newly Signed Tax Bill Means For Atlantic City Casinos
What Newly Signed Tax Bill Means For Atlantic City Casinos State legislation giving tax breaks to Atlantic City casinos was signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday night. The bill does not affect state taxes that casinos must pay on internet gambling, online sports betting revenue or in-person casino gambling. Those taxes range from 9 to 15 percent annually. Outgoing state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat from Gloucester who sponsored the bill, said up to four of the city’s nine casinos might close without the new legislation, NJ Advance Media  reported. But critics said the casinos have enjoyed higher revenues due to sport…

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by Jon Craig
Schools
Paterson Schools Superintendent Eileen F. Shafer To Retire Paterson Schools Superintendent Eileen F. Shafer To Retire
Paterson Schools Superintendent Eileen F. Shafer To Retire A renowned educator in Passaic County has announced her retirement after 31 years in the industry. At a Paterson Board of Education workshop meeting this week, Eileen F. Shafer stated her intention to retire on June 30, 2022. "Those aren’t easy words to say, especially about a career I have loved so much,” she said.  “I have been immensely proud to work for the students and families of Paterson Public Schools – not only while serving as Superintendent of Schools, but during every single day of the 31 years I have been here.” Shafer was appointed superintendent of Paterson Public Scho…

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by Nicole Acosta
Police & Fire
Police Seek Info In Garden State Parkway Crash That Killed North Jersey Nurse Police Seek Info In Garden State Parkway Crash That Killed North Jersey Nurse
Police Seek Info In Garden State Parkway Crash That Killed North Jersey Nurse New Jersey State Police are seeking the public's help with an investigation into a Garden State Parkway crash that killed a nurse from Bergen County early Monday morning. Damian Dymka, 29, of Garfield, was walking on the shoulder of the northbound side when he was struck by a Honda Accord shortly before 3 a.m. near milepost 151 in Bloomfield, New Jersey State Police said. The driver of the Honda, a 25-year-old resident of Bloomfield, was not injured. On Wednesday, loved ones set up a GoFundMe page for Dymka's funeral, remembering him as a kind soul who worked as a nurse before and during t…

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by Nicole Acosta
Police & Fire
Florida Sheriff Has Blunt Question For NJ Officials Who Released 2X Accused Murderer Early Florida Sheriff Has Blunt Question For NJ Officials Who Released 2X Accused Murderer Early
Florida Sheriff Has Blunt Question For NJ Officials Who Released 2X Accused Murderer Early "How'd that work out for you, releasing a killer early?" That's the question a Florida sheriff asked New Jersey officials when a convicted killer was released from prison early and committed a similarly heinous crime less than two years later. James Lewis, 51, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a 1989 homicide in East Orange, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd explained. He was released after 30 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Essex County Sheriff's Office. On Sept. 18, Lewis shot Troy Traynham, 59, while he was helping a woman unload groceries on Chestnut Street ap…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Killer Paroled After Only Three Years Charged With Shooting Paterson Dad Of 10 Dead Killer Paroled After Only Three Years Charged With Shooting Paterson Dad Of 10 Dead
Killer Paroled After Only Three Years Charged With Shooting Paterson Dad Of 10 Dead A convicted killer who was paroled after only three years in state prison was captured in Brooklyn and charged with shooting and killing a Paterson father of 10 in the Silk City last month, authorities said. Rondell Gray, 40, of North Haledon originally wasn’t even eligible for parole until Wednesday -- the day his arrest was announced -- after taking a plea bargain three years earlier for shooting and killing Myesha Montgomery, 28, with whom he once lived, in 2015, state records show. The state freed Gray, who’s also a registered sex offender, on Oct. 8, 2020, however, amid a wave of earl…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Feds: NJ Scammer, Accomplice Submit $1.2M In Bogus COVID-19 Unemployment Claims Feds: NJ Scammer, Accomplice Submit $1.2M In Bogus COVID-19 Unemployment Claims
Feds: NJ Scammer, Accomplice Submit $1.2M In Bogus Covid-19 Unemployment Claims A Paterson man and an accomplice filed nearly $1.2 million in bogus COVID-related unemployment claims over the course of three months, federal authorities in Massachusetts charged. Omar Thompson, 39, and his unidentified female partner submitted more than 100 fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims, sometimes recruiting people from other states in the scheme and pocketing kickbacks, they said. Roughly half of the claims were submitted on behalf of people with out-of-state driver’s licenses and mailing addresses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts. In anoth…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Real Estate
LOOK INSIDE: $39M New Jersey Mansion Sells For $4.6M LOOK INSIDE: $39M New Jersey Mansion Sells For $4.6M
Look Inside: $39M New Jersey Mansion Sells For $4.6M Glory, glory, hallelujah: New Jersey's $39 million Gloria Crest Estate has finally sold -- after eight years on the market for $4.6 million.  Listed in Englewood, since 2013, the opulent eight-bedroom mansion -- originally one of new Jersey's most expensive properties --  plummeted in value years before the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. "The NY Post" reported more details on the "measly" final sale price in this story Tuesday, noting that the buyers made out hugely -- with an 88% "discount" from the original asking price.  "The Post" noted that multiple real estate ag…

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by Jon Craig
News
Feds: Sussex Man Admits Spending $5.6M COVID Relief Money On Stock Market, Luxury Vehicle, More Feds: Sussex Man Admits Spending $5.6M COVID Relief Money On Stock Market, Luxury Vehicle, More
Feds: Sussex Man Admits Spending $5.6M COVID Relief Money On Stock Market, Luxury Vehicle, More A Sussex County man who was seized by federal agents as he tried to board a flight to Pakistan admitted fraudulently collecting $5.6 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic business loans that he put to personal use, authorities said. Azhar Sarwar Rana, 30, of Newton, used the money -- designed to keep struggling small businesses afloat during the pandemic – to millions in the stock market, make a payment to a luxury car dealership and send hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts in Pakistan, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Rana submitted an application for a stimulus loan und…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Real Estate
LOOK INSIDE: Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz Lists NJ Home & Pontoon Party Boat For $975K LOOK INSIDE: Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz Lists NJ Home & Pontoon Party Boat For $975K
Look Inside: Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz Lists NJ Home & Pontoon Party Boat For $975K Beastie Boys star Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz has listed his North Jersey home after 15 years. Horovitz and his wife, Kathleen Hanna, purchased the Hewitt (Passaic County) home for $799,000 in 2006, and have it listed on Zillow at $975,000, "People" reports. The couple have reportedly spent most of the COVID-19 pandemic at their home in Pasadena, California. Built in 1955, the Emerson Road home sits on Upper Greenwood Lake -- right on the New York border -- and has three beds and three baths. It also boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and a double slick dock with a pontoon party boat, …

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by Cecilia Levine
News
It's The Old Gun In The Belt Buckle Trick: Ridgefield Park Man Nabbed At Newark Airport It's The Old Gun In The Belt Buckle Trick: Ridgefield Park Man Nabbed At Newark Airport
It's The Old Gun In The Belt Buckle Trick: Ridgefield Park Man Nabbed At Newark Airport TSA agents at Newark Airport said they nabbed a Ridgefield Park man trying to sneak a gun belt buckle through security. The weapon, seized at a Terminal C X-ray security check, was “packed inside of two soft-sided zippered cases within a backpack and initially appeared to be a large belt buckle with a replica gun on it,” the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. It could quickly be popped out of its “decorative metal oval frame” and used, the agency said in a release. The owner told Port Authority police who arrested him that he “forgot he had his gun with him,” it said. “Cla…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
THE RISING: Springsteen Reopens Broadway THE RISING: Springsteen Reopens Broadway
THE Rising: Springsteen Reopens Broadway Bruce Springsteen will reopen Broadway this summer, it was announced Monday. The autobiographical “Springsteen on Broadway” -- which sold $113 million in tickets during its original run -- will be the first show to open on the Great White Way since the March 2020 COVID pandemic shutdown. It will have a limited run at the St. James Theater (246 W. 44th Street) beginning Saturday, June 26, through Sept. 4, when more theaters are expected to have reopened. Tickets go on sale this Thursday, June 10, at noon through SeatGeek. GO TO: Springsteen On Broadway (TICKETS) Opening nig…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Lifestyle
AAA: Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Will Be Highest They've Been In Years AAA: Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Will Be Highest They've Been In Years
AAA: Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Will Be Highest They've Been In Years With millions of Americans set to hit the road for the Memorial Day holiday, prices are peaking at the pump. Drivers are set to pay the highest prices in seven years, according to AAA, following a gas shortage that impacted the East Coast when the Colonial Pipeline was temporarily shut down due to a cyberattack. Nationally, the average price of gas as of Wednesday, May 26 hit $3.04 per gallon, down one cent from a week ago, but up from $2.89 a month ago. A year earlier, the average price was $1.96 per gallon. According to AAA, the national average has stabilized following the Colonial Pip…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
NJ High School Senior From Nigeria Accepted To 15 Colleges — Including 7 Ivy Leagues NJ High School Senior From Nigeria Accepted To 15 Colleges — Including 7 Ivy Leagues
NJ High School Senior From Nigeria Accepted To 15 Colleges — Including 7 Ivy Leagues Although the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally shifted the way of life for all school-age students, one North Jersey high school senior says it helped to broaden his horizons and give him the encouragement he needed to apply and get accepted to 15 colleges — including seven Ivy Leagues universities. David Odekunle, a 17-year-old Bloomfield High School senior, received letters of acceptance from the following universities for the fall semester: 1. Princeton University 2. Yale University 3. Brown University 4. Columbia University 5. Dartmouth University 6. Cornell University 7. University …

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by Valerie Musson
Business
'American Dream Come True': Dr. Oz Surprises NJ Restaurateur With $10,000 'American Dream Come True': Dr. Oz Surprises NJ Restaurateur With $10,000
'American Dream Come True': Dr. Oz Surprises NJ Restaurateur With $10,000 Faith, hope and patience is what Morris County restaurateur Mickey Chopra says inspired him to help others during the pandemic, even though he was struggling. Everything came full circle for Chopra last week, when Dr. Oz surprised him with $10,000 for the launch of his new series, "Surprise Restaurant Rescue." "I may be born in India but here, right here is where you see America," said Chopra, who owns I2I Italian and Indian Fusion and Vinnie's Pizza and Ristorante in Boonton. "I wasn't going to let the pandemic shatter my American Dream."  Chopra moved to the U.S. from India at just …

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
NYC Educator's Company Paves Way For Future Of Learning NYC Educator's Company Paves Way For Future Of Learning
NYC Educator's Company Paves Way For Future Of Learning One student is learning computer coding, another is taking Yoga. One is studying Spanish and another is mastering how to read a clock. From learning the ABCs to studying for the LSAT, all are doing so online with tutors stationed around the world through Virtuo Tutors. The company was launched last year by Lauren Rosenblum, a learning specialist at a New York City private school, who saw a need for improvement in the education sector at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I love working with kids, especially through one-on-one intervention, which allows you to get to know them, be their…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Feds: NJ Tax Preparer From PA Pocketed Stimulus Check Before Indictment For False Returns Feds: NJ Tax Preparer From PA Pocketed Stimulus Check Before Indictment For False Returns
Feds: NJ Tax Preparer From PA Pocketed Stimulus Check Before Indictment For False Returns A Pennsylvania man who worked as a tax preparer in Newark collected a fat stimulus check weeks before a federal grand jury indicted him for filing 44 bogus returns, authorities said. Rather than go to trial, Sylvain Dienhoue, 53, of Tobyhanna pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns during a video-conferenced hearing with a federal judge in Newark. Dienhoue, who owned and operated Cadi’s Multi Services, used “fabricated and inflated figures, including expenses and itemized deductions,” in order to generate inflat…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
America Can't Afford To Lose These 5 New Jersey Restaurants, Website Says America Can't Afford To Lose These 5 New Jersey Restaurants, Website Says
America Can't Afford To Lose These 5 New Jersey Restaurants, Website Says Small businesses have certainly suffered amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Some long-favorited restaurants closed temporarily, and that was difficult and tragic enough for their loyal patrons. Imagine if more closed for good. Five New Jersey eateries were named to Esquire's list of "100 Restaurants America Can't Afford to Lose." If you've been to any of them, you probably already know why. Cowan's Public, Nutley: The Irish pub with a speakeasy vibe was built on Centre Street in the 1920s and opened about 15 years later. What Esquire says: "The craft-beer, proper-drink, good-food re…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
COVID-19: Feds Nab Fleeing Sussex Man Accused Of Pocketing $5.6M Small Biz Pandemic Loan COVID-19: Feds Nab Fleeing Sussex Man Accused Of Pocketing $5.6M Small Biz Pandemic Loan
Covid-19: Feds Nab Fleeing Sussex Man Accused Of Pocketing $5.6M Small Biz Pandemic Loan A Sussex County man who collected $5.6 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic loans that he wasn't entitled to was about to board a flight to Pakistan when federal agents arrested him, authorities said. Azhar Sarwar Rana, 30, of Newton, took the money -- designed to keep struggling small businesses afloat during the pandemic – and invested millions in the stock market, made a payment to a luxury car dealership and sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts in Pakistan, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Rana submitted an application for a stimulus loan under the federal Paycheck Prote…

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by Jerry DeMarco