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Tuesday, nov 5
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Union County, NJ
Politics
Last Look At New Jersey's 12 Congressional Races: Your Guide To The 2024 Election
More than 1.9 million people have already cast their vote in New Jersey ahead of the 2024 election. Here's one last look at who's on the ballot in the Garden State's 12 Congressional races, and what you need to know. District 1: All of Camden County, as well as parts of Burlington County and Gloucester County. Teddy Liddell and Donald Norcross. Teddy Liddell for Congress/Donald Norcross Facebook photos Democratic candidate Incumbent Rep. Donald Norcross: A father of three and electrician, Norcross was elected in 2014 having previously served in both the State Senate and Assembly. …
Police & Fire
Union County Man Arrested For DUI After Striking Curb: Police
A 43-year-old Union County man was arrested and charged with drunk driving after he struck a curb in Denville on Monday, Oct. 21, authorities said. Officers responded to 3056 Route 10 West after a black Honda struck a curb, Denville police said. The driver, Brian Sharkey, a Mountainside resident, was found to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, police said. Sharkey was arrested and transported to police headquarters for processing, police said. Sharkey refused to submit to a chemical test and was charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving, among other off…
News
Winners
! Powerball Tickets Sold In Essex County, Union County Win Big
It was a sensational Saturday for Powerball players in Union County and Essex County. Tickets sold in the two counties matched four numbers plus the red Powerball in the drawing held on Saturday, Oct. 19, winning $50,000. The tickets were sold at Super Discount Liquor in Elizabeth and B2 Liquors in Newark. The winning numbers were 7, 16, 19, 45, 64 and the red Powerball was 25.
Police & Fire
Serious Crash Shuts Route 22
A serious crash closed a stretch of Route 22 in Union County Thursday morning, Oct. 17. The NJDOT site shows it happened in the eastbound lanes west of Hillside Avenue. As of 10:30 a.m., all lanes were closed.
Police & Fire
Father, Three Sons Killed Daughter: Union County Prosecutor
A father and his three sons were indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday, Oct. 9 with manslaughter in the death of his daughter, a 28-year-old Union Township woman last May, authorities said. On Friday, May 10, the Union Police Department responded to the 300 block of Greenbriar Drive for a welfare check and found Kerline Joseph Charles dead at the scene, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel and Union Police Director Christopher Donnelly said. The Union County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be cardiac arrest following physical restraint and…
News
Mormon Church Announces New Temple In Union City
The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints announced it is building its first temple in the Garden State. The temple will be built in Summit (Union County), the church announced this month. The temple is one of 17 new temples the Mormon Church plans to build. “Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace?” President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said. "Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so. The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will…
Police & Fire
Plumber Admits To Taking Upskirt Videos Of Females In Union County: Prosecutors
A Red Bank man admitted to recording upskirt videos of more than two dozen women and girls, including some in their homes, authorities said. Christopher Cox, 35, pleaded guilty on Friday, Oct. 4 to second-degree eluding police, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and three counts of third-degree invasion of privacy. Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced the guilty plea in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Investigators said Cox entered the ShopRite supermarket in Shrewsbury just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, and began follow…
News
NJ Water Company Pauses Billing After Cyberattack
A water utility company based in Camden said it is pausing billing in the wake of a cyberattack on Thursday, Oct. 3. American Water serves 2.8 million people in the Garden State, providing water to municipalities in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Union and Warren counties. "American Water learned of unauthorized activity in our computer networks and systems," the company said in a release. "This activity has since been determined to be the result of a cybersecurity incident. In an effort to protect our …
Schools
New Rankings: Best Public High Schools In Union County
Niche has released its list of the best public high schools in America for 2025. The rankings are based on "rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Factors include teacher quality, high school ratings, college readiness, state test scores, and graduation rates (click here for more on methodology). Here are the top 10 best high schools in Union County, according to Niche. 1. Union County Magnet, Scotch Plains 2. Academy for Information Technology, Scotch Plains 3. Academy for Allied Health Scien…
Police & Fire
Luxury Union County Car Trafficking Ring Dismantled, Four Arrests Made, Prosecutor Says
Four teenagers were arrested on Thursday, Sept. 12 and charged for their participation in an auto theft trafficking network in North Jersey, authorities said. Two juveniles, a 16-year-old Newark resident and a 17-year-old Jersey City resident would use stolen Kias, Hondas and Hyundais to look for high-end luxury vehicles like BMWs and Mercedes, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said. After identifying target vehicles, they would go to target homes and search for keys/key fobs, Daniel said. Once they got the vehicles, they would contact Tikeem Shearin, 18, and Carlos Espi…
News
Union County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories
Twenty-five landlords are facing fines after state officials said they violated state laws by considering potential tenants' criminal histories. According to NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR), the notices of violation allege that the housing providers violated the law by, among other things, asking criminal history-related questions on housing applications that are prohibited by the law. The Notices of Violation announced Monday, Sept. 16 were served on housing providers located in 15 municipalities across Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, C…
News
Lotto Ticket Sold At Union County Convenience Store Wins Big
It was a fabulous Friday for a Mega Millions player in Union County. A ticket sold in Vauxhall matched four numbers and the gold Megaball in the drawing held on Friday, Sept. 6, winning $10,000. The ticket was sold at Mr. Mike's Convenience Store. The winning numbers were 6, 23, 41, 59, 63, and the gold Megaball was 25.
Police & Fire
Elizabeth Man Gets 25 Years For Bludgeoning Woman To Death: Authorities
A 34-year-old Elizabeth man was sentenced to 25 years in state prison on Friday, Sept. 6, after he bludgeoned a woman to death in 2022, authorities said. On Sept. 11, 2022, at 2 a.m., police in Elizabeth found Carmen Lopez Barahona, a 30-year-old Elizabeth woman, dead after sustaining blunt force trauma to the head, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel, Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca, and Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves said. Gomez fled the scene and his vehicle was later located in Perth Amboy, where he was apprehended and transported back to Union County, authoriti…
News
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…
Politics
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…
Police & Fire
Crash On Garden State Parkway Closes Lanes In Union County:
Njdot
Lanes are closed on the Garden State Parkway following a crash in Union County on the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 14, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said. The crash occurred south of Exit 138 in Kenilworth on the Garden State Parkway southbound, the NJDOT said. Two left lanes are blocked, the NJDOT said.
Weather
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…
News
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…
Weather
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…
Police & Fire
Man Gets 18 Years For Sexually Assaulting Woman At Newark Airport: Prosecutor
A 42-year-old West New York man was sentenced to 18 years in jail on Friday, Aug. 2, after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a woman at Newark Airport last year, authorities said. In January 2023, Port Authority police responded to a parking garage next to Terminal A after a woman reported being sexually assaulted while she was walking to her car, Union County Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Lawlor, who prosecuted the case, said. Police quickly located Thomassal Watkins and arrested him at the airport, Lawlor said. In December, Watkins pled guilty to aggravated sexual assault, …
Weather
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,…
News
Fourth Victim Comes Forward Accusing Elizabeth Man Of Juvenile Sex Assault: Prosecutor
A 62-year-old Elizabeth man arrested in 2022 for sexually assaulting three girls over the course of several years is facing additional charges after a fourth alleged victim came forward, authorities said. The victim said she was just a girl, under the age of 13, when Ivan Calderon sexually assaulted her in 2004, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel announced Thursday, Aug. 1. Calderon has been charged with second-degree sexual assault as a result of a fourth victim coming forward to file a complaint against him. Calderon first became the center of the investigation in January, …
Police & Fire
Home Explosion Rocks Quiet North Jersey Neighborhood
An unoccupied home in Westfield was destroyed following a fiery explosion on Monday evening, July 29, authorities said. At 10:15 p.m., firefighters responded to a home on the 100 block of Tudor Oval and found the structure ablaze with evidence of an explosion, the Westfield Fire Department said in a release. Debris was scattered around the area, firefighters said. Firefighters said they transported a second alarm at 10:23 p.m., requesting additional units to assist with containing the blaze. A third alarm was transmitted at 10:38 p.m., firefighters said. Police evacuated nearby homes, fire…
Sports
Jersey Shore Judoka Eliminated From 2024 Olympics, Enjoys 'Unreal Experience' In Paris
A West Long Branch man from a storied judo family had his quest for Olympic gold in Paris cut short after losing his first contest. Jack Yonezuka was defeated 10-0 by Adil Osmanov of Moldova in a round of 32 fight in the 73-kilogram weight class on Monday, July 29. He lost by ippon (points) after he was given his third shido (a penalty) three minutes and 40 seconds into the match. Before his fight, the 2021 Shore Regional High School graduate shared Instagram pictures and videos of his view aboard Team USA's boat during the opening ceremony along the River Seine on Friday, Ju…
Police & Fire
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…
Police & Fire
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…
Police & Fire
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…
News
Vehicle Fire Closes Route 78 In Union County
A vehicle fire on Route 78 in Union County has caused all lanes to be closed on the afternoon of Thursday, July 11, authorities said. The fire occurred on the Route 78 express lanes on the eastbound ramp near Exit 48 in Springfield Township, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said.
Police & Fire
Car Fire Completely Shuts Garden State Parkway, DOT Says
There are heavy delays on the Garden State Parkway due to a car fire closing all lanes in Union County on Wednesday, July 10. Three lanes are blocked on Garden State Parkway northbound from Exit 132 in Woodbridge to Exit 135 in Clark Township, the Department of Transportation said. Open lanes are operating on a 2.5 mile delay, the DOT said.
Real Estate
Scotch Plains Home Sells For $126K Over Asking Price
It's more spacious than it looks! A 2,308-square foot home in Union County sold for $126,000 over asking price and was under contract in less than a week. The split-level home at 1111 Jefferson Ave. in Scotch Plains was listed by Juan Gamarra of Compass New Jersey in the spring, and was under contract in less than seven days. The 4-bedroom 3.5-bathroom home had 11 offers, four of them over $100,000, Gamarra said. The final offer was for $825,000, the buyer closing just in time for summer vacation. "There's not much inventory in Scotch Plains, so when a property under $1 million come…
Police & Fire
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…
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