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Union County, NJ

Two West Nile Virus-Related Deaths Among Six New Cases Reported In New Jersey Two West Nile Virus-Related Deaths Among Six New Cases Reported In New Jersey
Two West Nile Virus-Related Deaths Among Six New Cases Reported In New Jersey New Jersey health officials are reporting an additional six cases of West Nile Virus including two deaths, and two presumptive viremic blood donor (PVD) cases in the state.  The six new WNV cases are residents of Bergen, Camden, Cumberland, Hudson, Mercer, and Middlesex counties (one 50+, two 60+, one 70+, two 80+). The two individuals who died were older adults from Cumberland and Mercer counties, the DOH said. Two human cases of WNV were reported earlier this year in Middlesex and Union counties. Seven out of the eight cases were hospitalized with neuroinvasive disease, includi…
New Charges Filed Against Former NJ Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Election Fraud: AG New Charges Filed Against Former NJ Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Election Fraud: AG
New Charges Filed Against Former NJ Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Election Fraud: AG A 70-year-old former mayoral candidate town previously accused of election fraud is facing new charges, New Jersey authorities announced Friday, Aug. 23. An indictment returned against Plainfield's former mayoral candidate Dr. Henrilynn Ibezim charges him with tampering with witnesses and informants and trafficking in personal identifying information pertaining to another person, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Ibezim had previously been accused of trying to submit hundreds of bogus voter registration applications to Union County's election officials, and th…
Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In
Tornado Watch Shifts, Now Covers These Counties Across NJ, PA As Debby Creeps In The National Weather Service has shifted its tornado watch across New Jersey and Pennsylvania as Hurricane Debby creeps in. In New Jersey, the tornado watch is in effect through 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9 and covers Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties in North Jersey. In Pennsylvania, the tornado watch is issued in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe, and Bucks counties. The tornado threat for South Jersey has diminished since the initial watch was issued early Friday morning, which has since been canceled. AccuWeather Th…
NJ Reports Three West Nile Virus Cases NJ Reports Three West Nile Virus Cases
NJ Reports Three West Nile Virus Cases The New Jersey Department of Health has confirmed the state’s first human cases of the West Nile Virus, much earlier than in prior seasons. Two residents, one more than 70 years old and the other under 18, tested positive for the illness transmitted by mosquitoes after reporting symptoms in the first week of July, the state's health department said. The individuals, from Union and Middlesex counties, were hospitalized and have since been discharged. A third case of an asymptomatic WNV-positive blood donor was later reported, the DOH said. They were identified as a Somerset County resid…
Towns With The Most Rainfall In New Jersey Towns With The Most Rainfall In New Jersey
Towns With The Most Rainfall In New Jersey The National Weather Service has released the rainfall totals from the Tuesday, Aug. 6 storm. Residents across the Northeast woke up Wednesday, Aug. 7 to several inches of water — in some places, feet. Here are the towns that got the most amount of rain: Bergen County: Ridgewood 5.79 inches   Bogota 5.60 inches Oakland 3.86 inches Leonia 3.81 inches Lyndhurst 3.77 inches Hillsdale 3.56 inches Hasbrouck Heights 3.42 inches Hackensack 2.9…
Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week
Tracking Hurricane Debby, Severe Storms Expected To Slam Northeast This Week The Northeast is in for a wild week of weather. AccuWeather forecasters say episodes of drenching rain and heavy winds are working their way across the country and are expected to arrive in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland on Tuesday, Aug. 6. AccuWeather The above AccuWeather map shows which part of the region will be most impacted by the storms arriving Tuesday afternoon and lasting into the evening. Those include the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, South Jersey, and the Philadelphia and Baltimore areas. Tuesday will be sunny and hot with a high of 90 before storms roll in,…
Office Manager Embezzled $350K From North Jersey Synagogue, Feds Say Office Manager Embezzled $350K From North Jersey Synagogue, Feds Say
Office Manager Embezzled $350K From North Jersey Synagogue, Feds Say A 51-year-old Scotch Plains woman is charged with embezzling more than $350,000 from a Union County synagogue she worked at, authorities said.  In 2010, Stacy Margaritondo began working at Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains and was later promoted to bookkeeper and office manager in July 2020, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said.  Margaritondo’s duties included accounting/bookkeeping, payroll, preparing checks for accounts payable, and reporting to the synagogue’s board of directors regarding the synagogue’s financial condition, Sellinger said. From Dec. 2019 to May 20…
Drunk Driver Going 114 MPH Sentenced For Garden State Parkway Crash That Killed Amazon Worker Drunk Driver Going 114 MPH Sentenced For Garden State Parkway Crash That Killed Amazon Worker
Drunk Driver Going 114 MPH Sentenced For Garden State Parkway Crash That Killed Amazon Worker A 47-year-old Newark man was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Friday, July 19, for a deadly 2021 crash on the Garden State Parkway where he was driving intoxicated at 114 mph, authorities said. On Feb. 15, 2021, Rolando Godwin was driving a Range Rover when he struck a Lexus SUV driven by Christopher Meikle, a 46-year-old East Orange resident, causing his car to be engulfed in flames on the Garden State Parkway in Clark, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said. Following the crash, Godwin requested he be transported away from the scene, indicating he was prepared to offer an unsp…
Security Guard Charged In Deadly Assault At Elizabeth Lounge: Prosecutor Security Guard Charged In Deadly Assault At Elizabeth Lounge: Prosecutor
Security Guard Charged In Deadly Assault At Elizabeth Lounge: Prosecutor A 26-year-old Elizabeth resident was arrested and charged on Friday, July 12, with a deadly assault in 2023, authorities said. In July 2023, Elizabeth police found Jose Lopez suffering from a head injury at the El Monsignor Lounge, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel, Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves, and Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca said. Lopez was taken to a rehabilitation facility where he died in March, authorities said.  Regis Pelegrino Motas was identified as Lopez's assailant, and had been working as a security guard at the lounge at the time of the inciden…
Mugshot Released, Attempted Murder Charge For 79-Year-Old Man In NJ SWAT Standoff Mugshot Released, Attempted Murder Charge For 79-Year-Old Man In NJ SWAT Standoff
Mugshot Released, Attempted Murder Charge For 79-Year-Old Man In NJ SWAT Standoff Charges have been filed against a 79-year-old Union County man who was arrested after a SWAT standoff early Wednesday, July 2. Kenneth Kutyla, of Clark, has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a firearm, and possession of a firearm for unlawful purpose, local police said. At 12:31 a.m., officers responded to 9 Stanton St. on a report of shots fired, Clark police said in a release. An investigation found Kutyla had barricaded himself with a weapon inside, police said. Union County Special Weapons and Tactics responded to…
WINNER! Mega Millions Tickets Sold In North Jersey Net Big Bucks WINNER! Mega Millions Tickets Sold In North Jersey Net Big Bucks
Winner! Mega Millions Tickets Sold In North Jersey Net Big Bucks Two North Jersey Mega Millions players had a fantastic Friday. Their tickets, sold in Morris County and Union County, matched four numbers and the gold Megaball in the drawing held on Friday, June 7, winning $10,000. The tickets were sold at 7-Eleven in Rockaway and at a BP Gas Station in Rahway. The winning numbers were 3, 5, 12, 22, 66 and the gold Megaball was 7.
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced
Member Of Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners On 'Hit List' In NJ, NY, PA, Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A confessed member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, NJ, must serve a little over two years before he'll be eligible for release because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Jackson was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. One of Jackson's associates told detectives t…
Fugitive Hunters Bear No Responsibility For Accused Killer's Suicide In Newark Park: Grand Jury Fugitive Hunters Bear No Responsibility For Accused Killer's Suicide In Newark Park: Grand Jury
Fugitive Hunters Bear No Responsibility For Accused Killer's Suicide In Newark Park: Grand Jury UPDATE: A team of fugitive hunters bear no responsibility for the death of a Newark man who shot himself rather than be captured, a grand jury has found. Don Jones, 50, was wanted for a homicide in Union County when members of the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and city police chased him into West Side Park last Aug. 29, 2023. Jones pulled a handgun from his waistband, dashed to an open field and was surrounded by police, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Wednesday, May 15. He then dropped to his knees, pointed the firearm at his head and p…
Union County Dad, Coach Battling Brain Cancer Sees Overwhelming Support Union County Dad, Coach Battling Brain Cancer Sees Overwhelming Support
Union County Dad, Coach Battling Brain Cancer Sees Overwhelming Support Phil Orsini, a Union County dad, is in the fight of his life. But he won't do it alone. Orsini, of Scotch Plains, was diagnosed with Grade 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme, brain cancer, last year. He had surgery at Morristown Medical Center and underwent nine months of treatments, according to a campaign launched for his fight.  Despite his diagnosis, Orsini continued to live his life, coaching youth softball and basketball, fishing, golfing, performing punk rock karaoke and spending time with his wife Jill, and his two daughters, Lena and Amelia. In March, Orsini's condition worsened and he was…
NJ Teacher Who Posed As Woman To Lure 70 Boys Into Sending Him Nudes Gets 17½ Years: Feds NJ Teacher Who Posed As Woman To Lure 70 Boys Into Sending Him Nudes Gets 17½ Years: Feds
NJ Teacher Youth Coach Child Porn Boys Nude Videos Feds UPDATE: It's a measure of how despicably and disgustingly a former Union County grade-school teacher and youth soccer coach from Morristown abused dozens of boys he'd met online that a plea bargain got him "only" 17½ years in federal prison. Steven Brooks, 37, must serve at least 85% of the negotiated sentence handed down in federal court in Newark on Thursday, April 18, for posing as a woman to lure at least 70 underage boys into sending him nude photos and videos. That means he'll be in his early 50s before he'll be eligible to experience freedom again. FBI agents who investigated Brooks…
Where Is Central Jersey? Monmouth U. Poll Finds Answers To NJ's Tricky Regional Debate Where Is Central Jersey? Monmouth U. Poll Finds Answers To NJ's Tricky Regional Debate
Where Is Central Jersey? Monmouth U. Poll Finds Answers To NJ's Tricky Regional Debate Monmouth University pollsters have tried to answer a question that has been hard to solve for many in the Garden State: Where is Central Jersey exactly? The Monmouth University Polling Institute released a survey on Tuesday, Apr. 16 that asked New Jerseyans what region they live in and if they believe their region gets a fair share of state resources. The pollsters also asked people to pick their favorite convenience store. According to the poll, 41 percent of New Jerseyans said they live in North Jersey, 34 percent said they're in Central Jersey, and 23 percent said they're from South…
JCP&L Will Trim Trees Along 3,400 Miles Of Power Lines To Reduce Outages JCP&L Will Trim Trees Along 3,400 Miles Of Power Lines To Reduce Outages
JCP&L Will Trim Trees Along 3,400 Miles Of Power Lines To Reduce Outages Jersey Central Power & Light is planning to trim trees to protect more than 3,400 miles of power lines across the Garden State, officials said. JCP&L will clear trees as part of a $32.5 million plan to prevent power outages during severe weather, the company said in a news release on Wednesday, Apr. 10. It's the first part of an annual $1.5 million increase in tree-trimming costs as part of a settlement with the state Board of Public Utilities. JCP&L also said it will spend $2.5 million more in each of the next five years to expand trimming zones along 18 high-priority circ…
Police ID Scooter Operator Killed By Car In NJ Police ID Scooter Operator Killed By Car In NJ
Police ID Scooter Operator Killed By Car In NJ A man on an electric scooter died after he became trapped underneath a vehicle that struck him in Union County on Wednesday, March 20, police said. Lamar McBride, 46, was heading south in the northbound lanes of N. Wood Avenue when he was struck by a vehicle turning onto E. Gibbons Street in Linden around 2:30 p.m, Linden police said. McBride became trapped under the vehicle, which was lifted by the city's firefighters. He was pronounced deceased a short time later at RWJBH Rahway Hospital and the driver of the vehicle was not injured. The crash remains under investigation by the Lind…
Notorious NJ Consultant Used COVID Rules To File Fake Petitions For Partner, Indictment Charges Notorious NJ Consultant Used COVID Rules To File Fake Petitions For Partner, Indictment Charges
Notorious NJ Consultant Used COVID Rules To File Fake Petitions For Partner, Indictment Charges 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A controversial New Jersey political consultant was indicted by a state grand jury for filing nearly 2,000 bogus petitions in what authorities called a transparent attempt at getting his life partner on the Democratic primary ballot for governor. James Devine, 62, of Lambertville, initially received a summons last May after state authorities said he filed 1,948 fraudulent petitions with the Secretary of State’s office to get Lisa McCormick on the ballot for the June 2021 primary. Grand jurors in Trenton, in turn, returned an indictment charging Devine with offenses concerning nomin…
Wanted Truck Rams Police Vehicle In 50-Mile Turnpike Pursuit That Ended In Crash: Cops Wanted Truck Rams Police Vehicle In 50-Mile Turnpike Pursuit That Ended In Crash: Cops
Wanted Truck Rams Police Vehicle In 50-Mile Turnpike Pursuit That Ended In Crash: Cops A fugitive from Delaware took New Jersey State Police on a wild chase from Mount Holly more than 50 miles to Elizabeth before crashing his truck, authorities said. On Thursday, Feb. 8, at approximately 12:20 p.m., troopers spotted a white Penske trunk going north on the New Jersey Turnpike in the area of milepost 35 in Mount Laurel Township, according to State Police Detective I Jeffrey Lebron. ALSO SEE: New Footage Shows Driver Flipping Box Truck After 50-Mile NJ Turnpike Pursuit The vehicle, being operated by 21-year-old Joel Espinal, of New York, NY, had been wanted by Delaware Sta…
GOTCHA! NJ Duo Charged With Beating Gas Station Attendants In Armed Tri-County Robbery Spree GOTCHA! NJ Duo Charged With Beating Gas Station Attendants In Armed Tri-County Robbery Spree
Gotcha! NJ Duo Charged With Beating Gas Station Attendants In Armed Tri-County Robbery Spree Two men wanted for beating attendants during a two-day spree of quick-stop armed gas station robberies in three New Jersey counties were captured by federal agents, authorities said. Ex-con Ahmad Singletary, 24, and Joseph Young, 26, both of Newark, committed three of the robberies last Sept. 5, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Four more holdups -- also in a single day -- followed exactly a week later, the U.S. attorney said. Singletary "threatened, assaulted, and struck victims in the head" with a Ruger 9 mm P95 handgun, injuring all of them, a complaint filed by the ATF says. Th…
WINNERS! North Jersey Powerball Players Take Home $50K WINNERS! North Jersey Powerball Players Take Home $50K
Winners! North Jersey Powerball Players Take Home $50K It was a lucrative day for two Powerball players in North Jersey. A ticket sold in Sussex County and a ticket sold in Union County matched four of the five numbers and the red Powerball, winning $50,000 in the drawing held on Monday, Jan. 8. The tickets were sold at Market Place Deli in Hamburg and South Street Market in New Providence. The winning numbers were 7, 17, 28, 40 and 45 and the Powerball was 2.
Snow Showers Could Close Out 2023 In Some Parts Of NJ, Mostly Dry Elsewhere: NWS Snow Showers Could Close Out 2023 In Some Parts Of NJ, Mostly Dry Elsewhere: NWS
Snow Showers Could Close Out 2023 In Some Parts Of NJ, Mostly Dry Elsewhere: NWS It won't be white but there will be flurries. New Year's Eve could come with snow (just a dusting of it) in parts of New Jersey, the National Weather Service says. We're gonna actually see our local star for a fair amount of today, which is something we haven't seen much of for the... Posted by US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly on Friday, December 29, 2023 The week will close out with sunny skies and temps near 50 on Friday, Dec. 29, according to the NWS. Temperatures will drop to around 45 on Saturday, Dec. 30, and slightly lower Sunday, Dec. 31. Sunday evening…
WINNERS! North Jersey Lotto Players Strike It Rich WINNERS! North Jersey Lotto Players Strike It Rich
Winners! North Jersey Lotto Players Strike It Rich It was a lucky Tuesday, Nov. 28 for two Mega Millions players in North Jersey. Two tickets, one sold in Union County and another sold in Bergen County, matched four of the five winning numbers plus the gold Mega Ball, winning $10,000. The ticket sold in Bergen County was bought with a Megaplier, increasing the prize to $30,000. Only 12 lottery players in the country took home $10,000. The tickets were sold at A & S Discount Liquors in Linden and Rocklin's in Teaneck. The winning numbers were 27, 37, 42, 59, 61 and the gold Mega Ball was 11.
MATRICIDE: NJ Woman Fatally Stabbed Mother, Jury Finds MATRICIDE: NJ Woman Fatally Stabbed Mother, Jury Finds
Matricide: NJ Woman Fatally Stabbed Mother, Jury Finds A 26-year-old New Jersey woman was found guilty of fatally stabbing her mother on Friday, Nov. 3, authorities said. Malika Jones, of Rahway, was convicted of aggravated manslaughter for the incident, which occurred in February 2020, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Rahway Police Director Nicholas Breiner said. At 3 p.m. on February 16, the Rahway Police Department responded to 100 East Albert Street and found Inell Jones, 58, fatally stabbed at the scene, authorities said. Malika was immediately taken into custody, authorities said. Jones was a former Barnard student who had …
Feds: Digital Fingerprints Lead NJ Agents To Convicted Sex Offender's Child Porn Collection Feds: Digital Fingerprints Lead NJ Agents To Convicted Sex Offender's Child Porn Collection
Feds: Digital Fingerprints Lead NJ Agents To Convicted Sex Offender's Child Porn Collection Federal agents working a child porn investigation traced digital fingerprints to a convicted sex offender living in Union County who was downloading more horrifying illegal images when they came busting in, authorities said. Matthew T. Williams, 43, was seized during a raid of his Westfield apartment on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Homeland Security Investigations agents from Newark reported more than 40 child sexual abuse videos found on a drive attached to Williams's computer that was pulling more from the Internet when they arrived. Williams was living in New York State when he was previously con…
Are You Ready To React In Crisis? These Port Authority Citizens Police Academy Participants Are Are You Ready To React In Crisis? These Port Authority Citizens Police Academy Participants Are
Are You Ready To React In Crisis? These Port Authority Citizens Police Academy Participants Are Not everyone is prepared to react in a moment of crisis, which Samantha Perez-Gora said made it more than worthwhile to participate in the Port Authority Citizens Police Academy. The second annual PAPD citizens academy included presentations on the department's history, duties and functions -- highlighting, among other things, de-escalation techniques, counterterrorism measures and emergency medical response. Participants also got behind the wheel of the patrol vehicle driver simulator. Four sessions were held for 28 adult residents of New York and New Jersey. PAPD The academy is "des…
3-Alarm Fire Ravages NJ Mirror, Glass Business 3-Alarm Fire Ravages NJ Mirror, Glass Business
3-Alarm Fire Ravages NJ Mirror, Glass Business A New Jersey mirror and glass company was destroyed by a fire overnight. The Kenilworth Fire Department and Rescue Squad responded to New Jersey Mirror and Glass on the 700 block of Kenilworth Boulevard around 3:25 a.m., the rescue department said. 🚨 WHILE YOU SLEPT: 🚨 Early this morning around 0326, the Kenilworth Fire Department and Rescue Squad was dispatched to a... Posted by Kenilworth, NJ Fire Dept. and Rescue Squad on Saturday, October 7, 2023 Smoke and flames were shooting out of the building, and a second alarm was called. Fire departments responded for mutual aid and firefigh…
Gang Member Admits Planning Murder, Committing Gunpoint Robbery: NJ Feds Gang Member Admits Planning Murder, Committing Gunpoint Robbery: NJ Feds
Gang Member Admits Planning Murder, Committing Gunpoint Robbery: NJ Feds A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang admitted his role in planning a murder and robbing a victim at gunpoint, federal authorities said. Federal prosecutors used the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law to charge Tre Byrd, 22, and dozens of other reputed gang bangers rounded up by a collection of crime-fighting “supergroups.” Byrd, they said, belonged to the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips – a violent drug-selling gang -- for seven years. He was in on planning the rubout of a rival who was shot dead in March 2019 in Irvington, then more than a year later r…
Woman Fatally Struck By NJ Transit Train Woman Fatally Struck By NJ Transit Train
Woman Fatally Struck By NJ Transit Train A woman was struck and killed by an NJ Transit train this weekend in Union County, officials said. The unidentified woman was near the North Elizabeth station when she was struck by train No. 7844 at approximately 4 p.m., a spokesperson for NJ Transit said. The train had left Trenton just before 3 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at NY Penn Station that evening. None of the passengers or crew members were injured. New Jersey Transit Police are leading the investigation.
GOTCHA! NJ Driver Busted A Second Time For Using Plate-Flipping Gizmo At GWB Tolls (VIDEO) GOTCHA! NJ Driver Busted A Second Time For Using Plate-Flipping Gizmo At GWB Tolls (VIDEO)
Gotcha! NJ Driver Busted A Second Time For Using Plate-Flipping Gizmo At GWB Tolls (Video) Port Authority police busted a New Jersey driver with a license plate flipper that they said he used to avoid the tolls at the George Washington Bridge – and it wasn’t the first time. The remote-controlled after-market electronic device is an ingenious invention (see video below). It flips the vehicle’s genuine license plate over to reveal a second plate when passing toll scanners. Authority police first caught Adam Jimenez, 22, using it in February, PANYNJ Spokesperson Lenis Valens said The Union County resident was charged with various offenses and later released, then was taken into c…