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TikTokers Want Justice For Woman Who Died On Bumble Date TikTokers Want Justice For Woman Who Died On Bumble Date
TikTokers Want Justice For Woman Who Died On Bumble Date The family of a Connecticut woman who was found dead in her apartment is upset over the way her death was handled is being backed by TikTok users. Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, of Bridgeport, was found dead in her apartment on Sunday, Dec. 12 by Bridgeport police after a date with 37-year-old Matthew LaFountain, whom she met on a dating site. LaFountain was the one who called to report her death, the family said at a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 16. More than a month after Smith-Fields died, her family still doesn't have a cause of death and is frustrated with the way they are being treated …

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by Kathy Reakes & Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Beloved Hunterdon County Native, Penn State Grad Megan Greene Dies After Long Illness, 38 Beloved Hunterdon County Native, Penn State Grad Megan Greene Dies After Long Illness, 38
Beloved Hunterdon County Native, Penn State Grad Megan Greene Dies After Long Illness, 38 Beloved Hunterdon County native and Penn State graduate Megan Elizabeth Greene died after a long illness on Jan. 6. She was 38. Born in South Plainfield, Greene grew up in Hunterdon County before moving to Connecticut with her family during her high school years, her obituary says. Greene earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology at Penn State before attending Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, where she earned a law degree. She also earned an LLM in Taxation from Temple University. Greene had worked for several years with the Internal Revenue Service, Office of Taxpayer Advocat…

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by Valerie Musson
News
TSA Nabs CT Traveler With Gun At LaGuardia TSA Nabs CT Traveler With Gun At LaGuardia
TSA Nabs CT Traveler With Gun At LaGuardia TSA officers at LaGuardia Airport nabbed a Connecticut man trying to carry a gun aboard a flight on Monday, authorities said. A Transportation Security Administration officer spotted the unloaded .38-caliber Sig Sauer P238 pistol in a carry-on bag as it passed through the checkpoint X-Ray machine’s monitor at the Queens, NY airport, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said.  Officers immediately alerted the Port Authority police, who detained the Darien man for questioning before arresting him on weapons charges, she said. Travelers cannot carry guns onto planes under any circumstances, Farbstein no…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Metal Found In These Drinks Forces FDA Recall In CT, NY, NJ, PA Metal Found In These Drinks Forces FDA Recall In CT, NY, NJ, PA
Metal Found In These Drinks Forces FDA Recall In CT, NY, NJ, PA Metal fragments and washers found in Minute Maid and Coca-Cola products have forced the US Food and Drug Administration to issue a voluntary recall in eight states. The products were distributed in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Maine and New Jersey, according to the FDA. The recalled Minute Maid products, first reported by Food Safety News, are: Berry Punch: Date codes Jan0422 NP and Jan0522 NP, Batch 0010323455 and 0010259344 (recall F-0276-2022) Strawberry Lemonade: Date code: Jan0322 NP, Batch: 0010259346 (recall F-0277-2022) Fruit Punch: Date…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
March of Dimes Rates Our Region Inadequately Prepared for Maternal and Infant Health March of Dimes Rates Our Region Inadequately Prepared for Maternal and Infant Health
March of Dimes Rates Our Region Inadequately Prepared for Maternal and Infant Health November is Prematurity Awareness Month and the March of Dimes has released its 2021 Report Card measuring preterm birth, infant mortality and social drivers of health and prenatal care. March of Dimes CEO, Stacey D. Stewart will be holding a live webinar, "Healthy Moms, Strong Babies," on Thursday, November 18 at 2 p.m. to discuss the report cards and the state of maternal and infant health in the United States. Connecticut's grade on the 2021 March of Dimes Report Card.March of Dimes In our region this year, Massachusetts leads the pack with an overall B, Connecticut and New York rate…

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by Vira Mamchur Schwartz
News
COVID-19: 8 Dead, 89 Infected In Outbreak At Connecticut Nursing Home COVID-19: 8 Dead, 89 Infected In Outbreak At Connecticut Nursing Home
Covid-19: 8 Dead, 89 Infected In Outbreak At Connecticut Nursing Home Eight residents of a Connecticut nursing home have died during a COVID-19 outbreak that has lasted nearly six weeks. A total of 89 employees and residents have tested positive since the outbreak began at the Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, located in Litchfield County, in the Town of Canaan, on Thursday, Sept. 30. "Despite seeing significant numbers of residents recovering from Covid," the facility's chief executive Kevin O’Connell and nursing director Cady Bloodgood said in a statement. "testing has resulted in one additional positive case among fully vaccinated resi…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
'Smackdown' Is Over: Kids Throughout NJ Can Now Sell Lemonade, Mow Lawns Without A Permit 'Smackdown' Is Over: Kids Throughout NJ Can Now Sell Lemonade, Mow Lawns Without A Permit
'Smackdown' Is Over: Kids Throughout NJ Can Now Sell Lemonade, Mow Lawns Without A Permit New Jersey youngsters can no longer be shaken down by local governments when they want to sell sidewalk lemonade. Gov. Phil Murphy signed a measure into law Monday that allows enterprising children looking to make a few bucks to operate pop-up businesses without municipal permits or licenses. Hard to believe, for sure, but dozens of states still make the summer pastime illegal without local government approval. The same goes for mowing lawns and shoveling snow. Health-code violations and child-labor laws are their concerns, officials in those states claim. New Jersey joined nearby New Yor…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas 9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas
9 Charged With Stealing $1.3M Worth of Vehicles In NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, Shipping Them Overseas An international ring of identity thieves stole $1.3 million worth of vehicles and watercraft from dealerships in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts using fraudulently obtained digital driver's licenses, authorities charged. Nine defendants used the stolen identities of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico -- along with fake Puerto Rico driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, debit cards and birth certificates -- to obtain the licenses from motor vehicle agencies in Jersey City and North Bergen, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. They used thos…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
These States Have Highest COVID Rates To Start November These States Have Highest COVID Rates To Start November
These States Have Highest COVID Rates To Start November The Northeast seems to be trending in the right direction when it comes to COVID cases to start out November. New data from the CDC shows the states with the highest COVID cases reported in the last 7 days. The 12 states with the highest number of new cases in the last week (per 100,000) are  New Hampshire: 622 North Dakota: 611 Montana: 866 Wyoming: 414 Alaska: 667 Minnesota: 2941 Maine: 1348 Idaho: 1244 Utah: 2152 Colorado: 2747 New Mexico: 1161 West Virginia 849 Hey Utah, once again we’re trending in the wrong direction. Utah now among top 10 states in nation with new COVID cas…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Where NJ, PA Rank On New List Of Safest States In America Where NJ, PA Rank On New List Of Safest States In America
Where NJ, PA Rank On New List Of Safest States In America A new Consumer Affairs report determined the safest states in the U.S., with New Jersey taking the top spot. Using data from the FBI and the U.S. Census Bureau, the website scored each state based on violent and property crime rates, the number of law enforcement officers per capita, and law enforcement budgets. The top 10 states were broken down by each state’s safest large city, safest medium-sized town, and safest small town, the website said. 1. New Jersey Safest small town: Mantoloking Safest midsize town: Matawan Safest large city: Toms River 2. New Hampshire 3. Rhode Island 4. M…

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by Nicole Acosta
News
Thief Who Swiped 94,000 Credit Card Numbers At Michaels Stores In NJ, NY, CT, PA Sentenced Thief Who Swiped 94,000 Credit Card Numbers At Michaels Stores In NJ, NY, CT, PA Sentenced
Thief Who Swiped 94,000 Credit Card Numbers At Michaels Stores In NJ, NY, CT, PA Sentenced UPDATE: A member of an ID theft ring that stole more than $600,000 from customers at Michaels stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and elsewhere was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison on Thursday. Jose “Tito” Salazar, 45, of Riverside, CA was part of a crew that replaced card-reading terminals at the arts and crafts retailer with wireless imitations that they used to capture customers' bank account numbers and PINs, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael A. Honig said. They then created copycat cards that were then used to withdraw more than $500,000 from hun…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Doc Accused Of Reckless, Harmful Breast, Penile Enlargement Injections In NJ, NY, CT, PA Doc Accused Of Reckless, Harmful Breast, Penile Enlargement Injections In NJ, NY, CT, PA
Doc Accused Of Reckless, Harmful Breast, Penile Enlargement Injections In NJ, NY, CT, PA An internist with little formal training has been recklessly injecting a hazardous dermal filler into patients seeking breast and penis enhancements -- often with extremely harmful results -- at dozens of offices in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, authorities charged. Toting the product around in duffle bags, Dr. Muhammad A. Mirza of Cedar Grove has seen up to 30 patients a day in what some described as a “small storage closet” and “closet area with a bench,” Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said Tuesday. Some patients said that Mirza didn't wear a mask…

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by Jerry DeMarco