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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
News
Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree
Feds: Newark Wheelman Cops Plea In 7-County Armed Robbery Spree An ex-con from Newark told a federal judge on Thursday that he was the getaway driver in a string of overnight convenience store and gas station robberies in Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, Morris and Union counties. Meshach Whagar, 31, admitted during a video-conferenced plea hearing that he was the wheelman during the 20 predawn holdups in November and December of 2017, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. It included robberies in Lodi, Mahwah, Elmwood Park, Clifton, Hoboken, Bayonne, Kearny, Parsippany, Rockaway, Morris Plains, West Orange, East Brunswick, South River, Edison, …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Hudson Driver, 18, Charged With Assault In Wrong-Way Route 3 DWI Crash Near MetLife Stadium Hudson Driver, 18, Charged With Assault In Wrong-Way Route 3 DWI Crash Near MetLife Stadium
Hudson Driver, 18, Charged With Assault In Wrong-Way Route 3 DWI Crash Near MetLife Stadium An 18-year-old student from Kearny was drunk when her sedan slammed head-on into another as she drove the wrong way on Route 3 near MetLife Stadium, authorities said. Two victims remained hospitalized following the 1:30 a.m. crash on the Berry’s Creek bridge in East Rutherford on Nov. 28, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Meanwhile, Nube Guzman-Picon remained free pending a Dec. 16 first appearance scheduled in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack on assault by auto charges, Musella said. She also received summonses for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and d…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
BUSTED! Feds Charge NJ Postal Carrier With Dumping Election Ballots BUSTED! Feds Charge NJ Postal Carrier With Dumping Election Ballots
Busted! Feds Charge NJ Postal Carrier With Dumping Election Ballots Federal authorities on Wednesday arrested a postal carrier from Kearny who they said dumped 1,875 pieces of mail -- including general election ballots and campaign flyers – instead of delivering them. Nicholas Beauchene, 26, 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. Beauchene tossed 1,875 pieces of mail – including 99 general election ballots destined for residents in West Orange and 276 campaign flyers from local candidates for West Orang…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
'Go Jump In A Lake': Authorities Verify Bergen Man's Report Of Dumped Mail-In Ballots 'Go Jump In A Lake': Authorities Verify Bergen Man's Report Of Dumped Mail-In Ballots
'Go Jump In A Lake': Authorities Verify Bergen Man's Report Of Dumped Mail-In Ballots A man who reported finding election ballots among mail dumped behind a Bergen County bank told skeptics, critics and other doubters to "go jump in a lake" after the U.S. Postal Service said it has since delivered the bundles and is investigating. “Just found two to 300 lb of mail dumped in a dumpster behind one of the banks I service. Including at least 200 ballots,” Howard Dinger of Saddle Brook wrote in a Facebook post. “This is the kind of stuff you just can’t make up. And yes it was reported to the local police and the postal police.” ****** UPDATE: Federal authorities on Wednesday arr…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Hudson 'Runner' In $3.5M Accident Insurance Fraud Scheme Gets Year And Day In Federal Prison Hudson 'Runner' In $3.5M Accident Insurance Fraud Scheme Gets Year And Day In Federal Prison
Hudson 'Runner' In $3.5M Accident Insurance Fraud Scheme Gets Year And Day In Federal Prison A Hudson County man is headed to federal prison for a plea-bargained year and a day for recruiting accident victims for an insurance fraud racket that racked up $3.5 million in bogus medical bills. Luis G. Aguirre, 57, of Kearny admitted in March that he worked as a “runner,” steering accident victims to various chiropractors, medical imaging centers and others who billed PIP insurance plans for medically unnecessary services. Health care providers gave Aguirre $500 in cash for each victim he delivered, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Aguirre and an employee from an auto body shop…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
Ulta Beauty To Close 19 Stores Ulta Beauty To Close 19 Stores
Ulta Beauty To Close 19 Stores Ulta Beauty announced plans to close 19 stores this year. Shops slated to get the ax have not been announced, but the beauty supplies chain has shops across New Jersey that could be impacted. Ulta Beauty top officials blamed COVID-19’s economic disruption as the reason for the cuts. Even while it closes some stores, Ulta Beauty has plans to open 30 more. Efforts will be made to transfer employees from closed shops to new or already existing ones, the company said in a press release. In New Jersey, Ulta has stores in Edgewater, Clifton, Maywood, Garfield, Cedar Knolls, Wayne, Montvale, L…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Man Riding Electric Scooter On NJ Turnpike Killed By SUV Man Riding Electric Scooter On NJ Turnpike Killed By SUV
Man Riding Electric Scooter On NJ Turnpike Killed By SUV A National Park man riding an electric scooter was killed in an overnight crash on the NJ Turnpike, authorities said. Alexander Dziewa, 27, was heading westbound on a TailG scooter in the left lane when he was struck by a Buick Rendezvous SUV around 2:25 a.m. in Kearny, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Lawrence Peele said. Dziewa -- whose Facebook page says he is a Garfield native -- was pronounced dead at the scene, near mile marker 109.4, Peele said. The area was closed for three hours for investigation. Circumstances surrounding the crash are still under investigation.

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Walmart, Quest Labs Offer Drive-Thru COVID-19 Tests, Self-Swabs Walmart, Quest Labs Offer Drive-Thru COVID-19 Tests, Self-Swabs
Walmart, Quest Labs Offer Drive-Thru Covid-19 Tests, Self-Swabs Walmart and Quest Diagnostic labs will offer self-administered tests for coronavirus starting next week, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday. By appointment only, residents can drive-up to seven Walmart stores to be tested for COVID-19, and get results in about two days, Murphy said during an afternoon briefing. More details can be found at www.MyQuestCOVIDtest.com.  Tests will be offered at Walmart drive-thru sites in Garfield, North Bergen, Kearny, Flemington, Burlington, Howell and Mount Laurel. Walmart tests will be offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday next week, and Monday, Wednesda…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
Bayonne Ex-Con Charged With Murder In Shooting Death Of Jersey City Man Bayonne Ex-Con Charged With Murder In Shooting Death Of Jersey City Man
Bayonne Ex-Con Charged With Murder In Shooting Death Of Jersey City Man Authorities on Wednesday charged a Bayonne ex-con with murder in the shooting death of a man on a Jersey City street the night before. Bernard Wilson, 27, gunned down 38-year-old Abimael Fuentes on Brinkerhoff Street between Monticello and Bergen avenues around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said Wednesday. Fuentes was taken with an abdominal gunshot wound to Jersey City Medical Center, where Suarez said he was pronounced deceased at 1:41 a.m.  Members of Suarez's Homicide Unit seized Wilson at his home Wednesday morning and recovered two guns, the pro…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Kearny Man With Love Of Birthdays Dies Of Coronavirus On His 30th, Days After Mom Kearny Man With Love Of Birthdays Dies Of Coronavirus On His 30th, Days After Mom
Kearny Man With Love Of Birthdays Dies Of Coronavirus On His 30th, Days After Mom A Kearny man with a love of birthdays died of coronavirus on his 30th -- nine days after the virus took his mom. Thomas Martins, who had Down syndrome, died of the virus on April 6. His mom, Carolyn Martins-Reitz -- a graphic designer for the Archdiocese of Newark -- passed away March 28 at Clara Maas Medical Center. Surviving them are Reitz' husband and Martins step-dad Rudy Reitz, who mourns alone with his daughter -- Martins' half-sister -- Sharon Reitz. Carolyn and Thomas, born in Belleville, were "each other's whole word," Rudy told BuzzFeed News. The doting mom made sure her son was…

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by Cecilia Levine