Shannon Gutches, 33, Ran Academy Of Dance In Union Shannon Gutches, 33, Ran Academy Of Dance In Union
Shannon Gutches, 33, Ran Academy Of Dance In Union Shannon Reilly Gutches of Bound Brook, previously of Elizabeth, died unexpectedly on Sunday. She was 33 years old.  Described as a loving and compassionate woman, she earned a Doctor of Psychology degree from Hofstra University and worked as a child psychologist at Piscataway High School and most recently for the Hillsborough Board of Education. Deeply involved with the Hi-Step Social Skills Program, she also served as a the director of the Academy of Dance in Union.  She is survived by her parents, Garry and Donna Gutches; her fiancé, Jason Lucre; her sister, Caitlin Camuccio and…
Lenny Dykstra Now Says He Won't Fight 'Bagel Boss' In A.C.: Report Lenny Dykstra Now Says He Won't Fight 'Bagel Boss' In A.C.: Report
Lenny Dykstra Now Says He Won't Fight 'Bagel Boss' In A.C.: Report A novelty boxing match between an Internet-famous celebrity and Lenny Dykstra, the former slugger for the New York Mets, has been called off, The New York Post reported.  Dykstra, a former Linden resident who said several weeks ago that he is moving to Livingston, pulled out of the fight scheduled to be held in Atlantic City to concentrate on a lawsuit he filed against his former attorneys.  The 56-year-old was planning to go toe-to-toe with Chris Morgan, dubbed the Bagel Boss Guy after the Long Island man's rant at a bagel shop went viral over the summer.  But in a twist be…
Man Safe After Threatening To Jump From Roof Of Linden City Hall Man Safe After Threatening To Jump From Roof Of Linden City Hall
Man Safe After Threatening To Jump From Roof Of Linden City Hall A man spent hours on the roof of Linden City Hall Monday, threatening to jump as police and other first-responders tried to bring him to safety, a police spokesman said.  Authorities cleared the scene around 5:30 p.m. The spokesman, Lt. Christopher Geunther, confirmed the man was safely in custody.   The man climbed to the roof of the building, located at 301 N. Wood Ave.,  around 1:45 p.m., nearly four hours earlier.  Streets around the area were closed off and "county and local resources" were deployed at city hall, Geunther said.  During the incident, the man, who was wearing a white s…
Dog Found Abandoned At Linden Home Without Food, Water: AHS Dog Found Abandoned At Linden Home Without Food, Water: AHS
Dog Found Abandoned At Linden Home Without Food, Water: AHS A pit bull dog that appears to have been repeatedly impregnated was found in "atrocious" conditions at a vacant Linden home, the Newark branch of Associated Humane Societies said in a Facebook post Saturday.  Named "June," the five-year-old was discovered locked in a cage without food or water and surrounded by her own waste, AHS said.  June appears to have been used to breed puppies for sale, the AHS also said. She also suffered multiple injuries.  "June has horribly cropped ears, and also looks to have had multiple litters of puppies throughout her life...June has an old i…
Ex-Met Lenny Dykstra Moves, Curses Out Linden Neighbors: Report Ex-Met Lenny Dykstra Moves, Curses Out Linden Neighbors: Report
Ex-Met Lenny Dykstra Moves, Curses Out Linden Neighbors: Report Lenny Dykstra, the former New York Mets star whose post-baseball career has taken a number of bizarre turns, is moving out of the Linden home which he had been accused of using as an unlicensed rooming house, NJ.com reported Monday.  “I made the house a great home. Those Stockton-ites can go f---- themselves,” Dykstra told the news site. “They complained they heard my chicks screaming during sex. Now they don’t have to hear it anymore.” Dykstra, 56, who was part of the legendary Mets squad that won the World Series in 1986, sold the home on Stockton Circle for $439,000. He's moving to …
Filip Babiuk, 25, Of Linden, Business Owner Who Was Recently Engaged Filip Babiuk, 25, Of Linden, Business Owner Who Was Recently Engaged
Filip Babiuk, 25, Of Linden, Business Owner Who Was Recently Engaged Filip Babiuk, A Clark resident who spent much of his life in Linden, died suddenly Sunday. He was 25.  Born in Poland, Filip moved to Linden in 2005 before moving to Clark less than a year ago, where he owned and operated Stealth Pool Installations.  Filip enjoyed swimming, sailing, skiing and dancing, and worked as a lifeguard in Avenel in high school. He was a volunteer for many years  during the pilgrimage to Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and also volunteered with the Polish American festival.  A self-taught man in many respects, he …
Roselle Man Charged With Starting Fires In Linden Roselle Man Charged With Starting Fires In Linden
Roselle Man Charged With Starting Fires In Linden A 30-year-old Roselle man has been charged with arson in connection with a series of fires occurring on one night in Linden, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said.  Marcus B. Wise has been charged with five arson-related counts, as well as a single count of burglary and another count of criminal mischief.  The string of fires began around 10 p.m. July 25 at a business on North Wood Avenue, followed within a half-hour by a second blaze in the 900 block of Seymour Avenue at a vacant home. These were followed by a brush fire and a dumpster fire.  No one was seriously injure…
Winning $346K Lottery Ticket Sold In Linden Winning $346K Lottery Ticket Sold In Linden
Winning $346K Lottery Ticket Sold In Linden Someone is a lot wealthier Tuesday after purchasing a Jersey Cash 5 ticket in Linden.  The winning ticket matched all five numbers for Monday Jersey Cash 5 drawing. The winners numbers are  04, 11, 14, 16 and 26 and the XTRA number was: 03. That was good for a prize of $346,430.  The ticket was sold at the EZ Chek Food Store, 1015 N. Wood Ave. 
UPDATE: Man Charged With Setting Series Of Fires In Linden UPDATE: Man Charged With Setting Series Of Fires In Linden
Update: Man Charged With Setting Series Of Fires In Linden UPDATE, Aug. 1: A Roselle man has been charged with setting the fires. Click here for more.  Original story is below:  Firefighters in Linden and neighboring towns handled a string of fires Thursday night that police say appear to be suspicious.  No one was hurt in any of the fires.  The first in the series of blazes occurred at 809 N. Wood Ave. around 10 p.m., said Lt. Christopher Guenther of the Linden Police Department. The building was unoccupied, but police said neighbors were evacuated safely as a precaution.  An empty house on Seymour Avenue went up n…
$10G REWARD: Gunman Sought In Fatal Shooting Of Linden Dad In Rahway $10G REWARD: Gunman Sought In Fatal Shooting Of Linden Dad In Rahway
$10G Reward: Gunman Sought In Fatal Shooting Of Linden Dad In Rahway A $10,000 reward is being offered for anyone with information leading to the arrest or indictment of the gunman who killed a 25-year-old man in Rahway Saturday, authorities said. SaQuan Hurling of Linden was found dead on the 500 block of Harrison Street Saturday morning, Acting Union County Prosecutor Jennifer Davenport announced. Friends and family remembered Hurling as being a great dad on Facebook. The Union County Homicide Task Force, Rahway Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit and Union County Police Department Ballistics Unit are investigating. Any…
Newark Mayor Calls Trump ICE Raids ‘Outrageous,’ ‘Racist’ Newark Mayor Calls Trump ICE Raids ‘Outrageous,’ ‘Racist’
Newark Mayor Calls Trump ICE Raids ‘Outrageous,’ ‘Racist’ UPDATE: President Trump said Saturday afternoon he was delaying the controversial action, The New York Times reported.  Original article publisged Saturday morning is below:  Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark said Friday that a group representing the mayors of more than 30 communities -- including the state’s largest cities -- opposes a controversial series of raids planned for Sunday morning targeting undocumented immigrants. “We are appalled by the heavy-handed tactics being used by President Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in their plan for pre-dawn raids on Sunday, Jun…
Suit Claims Former Linden Minister Performed Sex Acts During Exorcisms Suit Claims Former Linden Minister Performed Sex Acts During Exorcisms
Suit Claims Former Linden Minister Performed Sex Acts During Exorcisms The prominent Union County cleric who stepped down from his post at a Linden church after being accused of sexual misconduct is being sued by his alleged victims, MyCentralJersey reported Wednesday. The Rev. Dr. William Weaver, who was the minister at Linden Presbyterian Church for four decades, was facing a church trial when he renounced his jurisdiction in January. Last month, three men were quoted in a news story accusing Weaver of performing non-consensual sex acts on them during exorcism rituals. The men, all of whom were identified by name in the article, said Weaver recommended exorc…