Mostly Cloudy 34°
Police & Fire
Weekend Haul: Franklin Lakes Police Continue Picking Off Route 208 Drivers, Most For Warrants Weekend Haul: Franklin Lakes Police Continue Picking Off Route 208 Drivers, Most For Warrants
Weekend Haul: Franklin Lakes Police Continue Picking Off Route 208 Drivers, Most For Warrants A series of weekend traffic stops on Route 208 yielded Franklin Lakes police a half-dozen arrests – most of them of people wanted on warrants. They also included a 32-year-old West Nyack man charged with DWI just after 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Officer Matthew Geyer made that arrest, as well as one just before 7:30 a.m. Saturday of a 29-year-old Clifton man on marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession charges. Moments after that one, Sgt. William Zangara arrested Sean Levy, 48 of Atlantic Highlands, who was wanted on warrants out of Hillsdale and Middletown, Capt. John Bakelaar said Monday. Ju…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
News
WATCH: Marine's Little League Homecoming Surprise For Son Will Melt Your Heart WATCH: Marine's Little League Homecoming Surprise For Son Will Melt Your Heart
Watch: Marine's Little League Homecoming Surprise For Son Will Melt Your Heart Ryan Batista was at bat during a Bloomingdale Little League game when a pitching change was announced. Focused and zoned in, it took a moment for the 8-year-old to notice who was walking toward the mound. But when the youngster saw it was his dad, Lyndhurst native Steve Batista -- a U.S. Marine who had been on deployment in Afghanistan last September -- nothing mattered more than being in his arms. "It was a very emotional day," said Ryan's mom and Steve's wife Jillian Batista, who picked the staff sergeant up at Picatinny Arsenal before high-tailing it to the game.  "So happy everything…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Ex-Karate Assistant Instructor From Haskell Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Student Ex-Karate Assistant Instructor From Haskell Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Student
Ex-Karate Assistant Instructor From Haskell Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Student A former assistant karate instructor from Haskell faces a maximum of 40 in state prison after jurors in Paterson convicted him of raping a 9-year-old girl at the Pompton Lakes dojo where he worked and at her Bloomingdale home, authorities said. Luke V. Bakula, 31, was found guilty last week of two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and two counts each of sexual assault and child endangerment. Bakula sexually assaulted the girl at Porta’s Karate Dojo Academy and at her home between November 2005 and July 2006, prosecutors said. The girl eventually went to authorities nearly 10…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Schools
Murphy's Proposed School Funding Plan Would Help, Hurt These North Jersey Districts Most Murphy's Proposed School Funding Plan Would Help, Hurt These North Jersey Districts Most
Murphy's Proposed School Funding Plan Would Help, Hurt These North Jersey Districts Most Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed education investment plan for New Jersey would give millions to underfunded districts -- but would also take away hundreds from those that are thriving (about $90 million altogether). State lawmakers will see Murphy's 2020 state budget proposal by June 30. If approved, these Bergen, Passaic and Morris county districts would benefit the most, according to preliminary figures (for complete list of New Jersey schools click here). The first figure is the 2019-20 aid, the percentage is the increase. South Hackensack: $345,738 (16.78 percent) Elmwood Park: $9,89…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
IMAGES: 'Big One' Consumes Marcal Plant, Ignites Nearby Buildings, Power Lines IMAGES: 'Big One' Consumes Marcal Plant, Ignites Nearby Buildings, Power Lines
Images: 'Big One' Consumes Marcal Plant, Ignites Nearby Buildings, Power Lines UPDATE: They feared it would happen sooner or later. Now it has -- in a way far worse than could have been imagined. Wind-whipped flames consumed the Marcal Plant in Elmwood Park Wednesday night in what quickly became the kind of fire many have long feared. The fire raged for several hours after breaking out in a warehouse around the start of the evening rush along nearby Route 80. Dozens of companies raced to help. Hundreds of smoke eaters jumped in. 500 people lost their jobs. And just when it seemed things couldn't get worse, another threat emerged.  Flames consumed the entire pl…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco