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Sparta, NJ

Abandoned Mineshaft Collapse Revealed As Cause Of Route 80 Sinkhole: DOT Abandoned Mineshaft Collapse Revealed As Cause Of Route 80 Sinkhole: DOT
Abandoned Mineshaft Collapse Revealed As Cause Of Route 80 Sinkhole: DOT The collapse of an abandoned mineshaft caused the massive sinkhole on Route 80 in Morris County, authorities said on Friday, Dec. 27. Route 80 eastbound remains closed after the 40-foot by 40-foot sinkhole appeared on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 26, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said. Crews have stabilized the area and began excavation work Thursday night in the right shoulder and right lane on I-80 eastbound, near mile post 34 in Wharton, the DOT said. Crews will continue working around the clock to complete the repair and reopen the highway as soon as possible, t…
Route 80 Sinkhole: Highway Remains Closed Day Later Route 80 Sinkhole: Highway Remains Closed Day Later
Route 80 Sinkhole: Highway Remains Closed Day Later A stretch of Route 80 remains closed Friday, Dec. 27, the day after a sinkhole opened forcing multiple closures and delays. According to the NJDOT site, the sinkhole is in the eastbound lanes near Exit 34 in Wharton. #BreakingNews: A #sinkhole is halting traffic on I-80 in Morris County as crews make emergency repairs - https://t.co/MO3jT4W3Hx#NewJersey pic.twitter.com/yjEhuc4mKI — News12NJ (@News12NJ) December 26, 2024 All lanes were closed as of Friday morning. The following detours are in place until further notice: Motorists on I-80 eastbound are being directed to take Exit…
Mystery In The Skies: FBI Probing Unexplained Drone Sightings In Morris County Mystery In The Skies: FBI Probing Unexplained Drone Sightings In Morris County
Mystery In The Skies: FBI Probing Unexplained Drone Sightings In Morris County The skies over New Jersey remain a puzzling hotspot for drone sightings as reports continue nearly two weeks after they first emerged, with residents growing increasingly uneasy (scroll for video). On Wednesday, Dec. 4, Warren County officials confirmed they are working with the FBI-Newark, New Jersey State Police, and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to monitor, assess, and investigate the unusual activity. This follows a similar announcement from Morris and Somerset counties, where prosecutors, sheriffs, and emergency management offices are coordinating efforts …
Teacher Gets 10 Years After Recording Upskirt Photos Of Students: Sussex County Prosecutor Teacher Gets 10 Years After Recording Upskirt Photos Of Students: Sussex County Prosecutor
Teacher Gets 10 Years After Recording Upskirt Photos Of Students: Sussex County Prosecutor A 41-year-old Hopatcong teacher was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday, Nov. 15, after pleading guilty to illegally recording upskirt photos of his female students, authorities said. Michael Wagner made the recordings while teaching at Pope John XXIII and Reverend Brown schools, Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray, Chief of Detectives Thomas McCormick, and Sparta Police Chief Jeff McCarrick said. In October 2022, a teacher at Pope John in Sparta overhead several students talking about Wagner recording them during class, authorities said. A forensic examin…
Sparta's Tristan Lozada Dies After Battle With Brain Cancer, 8 Sparta's Tristan Lozada Dies After Battle With Brain Cancer, 8
Sparta's Tristan Lozada Dies After Battle With Brain Cancer, 8 Tristan Lozada, an 8-year-old Sparta resident died after battling brain cancer on Monday, Oct. 28, according to his obituary from the Shook Funeral Home website. Tristan had moved to Sparta from Newark and enjoyed dancing, Halloween, and playing Roblox on his iPad, his obituary reads. He is survived by his parents, James and Monica,  his brother James and his grandparents Mercede, Luzmila and Victor, according to his obituary. A fundraiser was set up to assist his family with expenses while he battled the cancer, which was diagnosed in August 2023. As of Wednesday, Nov. 13, almost $38,…
Sussex County Dad, NJ Transit Worker Scott Williams Dies, 47 Sussex County Dad, NJ Transit Worker Scott Williams Dies, 47
Sussex County Dad, NJ Transit Worker Scott Williams Dies, 47 Scott Williams, a longtime NJ Transit employee and Sparta resident, died on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the age of 41, according to an obituary from the Goble Funeral Home website. Williams, was born in Livingston and graduated from Sparta High School, before going to work at NJ Transit, where he worked for 17 years, according to his obituary Williams is survived by his wife, Jillian, and his five children, Harvey, Eva, Charlotte, Lillian and Abigail, his obituary reads. He is also survived by his parents James and Janice, his siblings, Lindsey and Colleen, and numerous other family members and fri…
One Hospitalized In Sparta House Fire: Police One Hospitalized In Sparta House Fire: Police
One Hospitalized In Sparta House Fire: Police One person was hospitalized following a house fire in Sparta on the evening of Monday, Oct. 14, authorities said. Firefighters responded to 190 West Shore Trail and worked to extinguish the blaze, Sparta police said in a release. One of the residents had to be transported to a nearby hospital with minor burns and smoke inhalation, police said. The Sparta Police Detective Bureau will be investigating the origin of the fire, police said.
Victim ID'd In Fatal Sparta House Fire: Police Victim ID'd In Fatal Sparta House Fire: Police
Victim ID'd In Fatal Sparta House Fire: Police A 78-year-old man was killed in a house fire in Sparta on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 10, authorities said. Wayne Pait, who lived at the home, was identified as the victim, Sparta police said. First responders arrived at 132 Sawmill Road at 8:24 a.m. and found smoke billowing from the residence, Sparta police said. Upon arrival, they were informed a resident was still inside the home but officers were blocked from entering the home due to heavy smoke and fire, police said. Three family members were able to get out of the home with the assistance of patrols and were transported to a nearb…
One Killed In Sparta House Fire: Police One Killed In Sparta House Fire: Police
One Killed In Sparta House Fire: Police A person was killed in a house fire in Sparta on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 10, authorities said. First responders arrived at 132 Sawmill Road at 8:24 a.m. and found smoke billowing from the residence, Sparta police said. Upon arrival, they were informed a resident was still inside the home but officers were blocked from entering the home due to heavy smoke and fire, police said. A person was later discovered deceased inside the home, police said. Their identity is being withheld pending family notification, police said. Three family members were able to get out of the home with the ass…
Sparta Patrol Car Struck By Drunk Driver Who Hadn't Driven In Years: Police Sparta Patrol Car Struck By Drunk Driver Who Hadn't Driven In Years: Police
Sparta Patrol Car Struck By Drunk Driver Who Hadn't Driven In Years: Police A Sparta police car was struck by a drunk driver on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 3, authorities said. At 10:09 p.m., officers were on the scene of a motor vehicle crash on Route 15, Sparta police said. While police were assessing the damage from the crash, a gray Ford, driven by 43-year-old Nicole Romeo, a Hamburg resident, struck their patrol vehicle, officers said. As police tended to Romeo, they detected the odor of alcohol on her breath and noted her speech was slurred, officers said. Romeo told police she had a glass of wine earlier in the day, officers said. Romeo said she did not r…
Teen Airlifted In UTV Accident On Sussex County Farm: Police Teen Airlifted In UTV Accident On Sussex County Farm: Police
Teen Airlifted In UTV Accident On Sussex County Farm: Police An 18-year-old male was airlifted to the hospital following a crash on a Sussex County farm on Monday, Aug. 26, local police said. The male was riding on the back of the UTV, a larger type of ATV, which was being used to perform work on a farm on Layton Lane in Sparta, Sparta Police Capt. Tom Snyder said. The UTV made an unexpected turn and the victim lost his balance, falling off and hitting his head, Snyder said. He lost consciousness and was flown to the hospital. "The operator of the UTV was fully cooperative with patrol units and showed no signs of intoxication," Snyder said.
Driving Too Slowly Gets Man Busted For DWI: Sparta PD Driving Too Slowly Gets Man Busted For DWI: Sparta PD
Driving Too Slowly Gets Man Busted For DWI: Sparta PD A 45-year-old Franklin man was arrested for DWI on the early morning of Sunday, Aug. 11, after he was observed driving 10 miles below the speed limit, authorities said. At 1:48 a.m., officers were patrolling Sparta Avenue when they noticed a vehicle driving southbound failing to maintain a single lane of travel and driving below the speed limit, Sparta police said. After pulling over the vehicle, officers detected the odor of alcohol from the man's mouth and believed he was impaired, police said. The Franklin man was asked to perform several sobriety tests before he was arrested for DWI and…
Man Stole Generator, Gas Can During July 4 Parade Setup: Sparta PD Man Stole Generator, Gas Can During July 4 Parade Setup: Sparta PD
Man Stole Generator, Gas Can During July 4 Parade Setup: Sparta PD A 65-year-old Sparta man was arrested and charged after he stole a generator and gas can during setup for a July 4 parade, authorities said. At 7:46 a.m., officers responded to the Mohawk Avenue school for a report of a theft and met with the Sparta Elks Club, who said their generator and 5-gallon gas can had been stolen, Sparta police said in a release. Police obtained surveillance footage showing Daniel Waitzman taking the generator and placing it in his pickup truck before fleeing the scene, officers said. The generator and gas can were still in Waitzman's struck when he was arrested, po…
Teen Driver Airlifted, Pedestrian Hospitalized In Sussex County Crash Teen Driver Airlifted, Pedestrian Hospitalized In Sussex County Crash
Teen Driver Airlifted, Pedestrian Hospitalized In Sussex County Crash A 43-year-old pedestrian suffered moderate injuries while a 17-year-old driver suffered serious injuries in a crash on Route 15 in Lafayette just before midnight on Thursday, July 3, authorities said. The teen driver from Sparta was heading south on Route 15 near milepost 17.2 in a BMW when he veered off the right side of the roadway and struck a 43-year-old woman from Lafayette, NJSP Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron said. The driver then struck a sign and a tree, and was airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries, Lebron said. The pedestrian was hospitalized with moderate injuries, according t…
Sussex County Man Raked In Millions In Bogus PPP Loans, Feds Say Sussex County Man Raked In Millions In Bogus PPP Loans, Feds Say
Sussex County Man Raked In Millions In Bogus PPP Loans, Feds Say A 44-year-old Sparta man was indicted on fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said. From April 2020 through November 2022, Nikenson Jean Mathurin participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration to obtain COVD-19 emergency relief money by submitting several fraudulent PPP applications on behalf of fake businesses, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Mathurin’s fraudulent applications included false information concerning monthly payroll, gross revenue, and number of employees, and fake…
Dispute At Home In Sparta Leads To Knife Brandished, Two Arrested: Police Dispute At Home In Sparta Leads To Knife Brandished, Two Arrested: Police
Dispute At Home In Sparta Leads To Knife Brandished, Two Arrested: Police Two people were arrested at a home in Sparta following a dispute where a knife was brandished on Saturday, June 15, police said. At 2:41 p.m., officers responded to a dispute on Sagamore Trail between Alex Fudali, a 25-year-old who lived at the home, and Devon Webb, a 24-year-old Kenilworth resident, who was an "unwanted guest," Sparta police said in a release. Webb was there to confront Fudali's friend about texting Webb's sister, police said. During the confrontation, Webb brandished a knife and made a threat, police said. While leaving the property, Webb attempted to slash Fudali's tire…
10-Year Prison Minimum Awaits NJ Catholic School Teacher Who Took Upskirts Of Girls In Class 10-Year Prison Minimum Awaits NJ Catholic School Teacher Who Took Upskirts Of Girls In Class
10-Year Prison Minimum Awaits NJ Catholic School Teacher Who Took Upskirts Of Girls In Class UPDATE: A North Jersey school teacher who took upskirt photos and videos of female students faces at least 10 years in state prison when he’s sentenced next month. Michael F. Wagner, 41, of Hopatcong took a deal from prosecutors rather than risk the potential outcome of a trial, admitting that he recorded female 8th graders of his at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta during class and collected child porn. In order to secure the agreement – and whatever leniency may come at his July 26 sentencing in Newton -- Wagner had to plead guilty earlier this month to first-degree child en…
Paul Galvez, Filipino Immigrant From Sussex County, Dies, 50 Paul Galvez, Filipino Immigrant From Sussex County, Dies, 50
Paul Galvez, Filipino Immigrant From Sussex County, Dies, 50 Paul Errol Galvez, a longtime Sparta resident, died on Tuesday, May 14, at the age of 50, according to his obituary on the Goble Funeral Home site. "EG" as he was known to his family, was the eldest of three children and grew up in the Philippines, his obituary reads. Growing up, he enjoyed reading, playing video games and reading comic books, along with  weekly visits with his grandparents,  according to his obituary. He later moved to Sparta, graduating from Sparta High and studying International Business at Rutgers University, working in financial services at ING, Morgan S…