Harrowing Photo Shows Aftermath Of Fire That Destroyed 7 Torahs, NJ Rabbi's Home Harrowing Photo Shows Aftermath Of Fire That Destroyed 7 Torahs, NJ Rabbi's Home
Harrowing Photo Shows Aftermath Of Fire That Destroyed 7 Torahs, NJ Rabbi's Home Tragedy has struck yet again for a New Jersey synagogue targeted in a 2012 firebombing. At approximately 2:45 a.m. Friday, Aug. 8, a blaze ripped through Rabbi Yitzchok Lerman and his wife, Bina's, Montross Avenue home and synagogue in Rutherford, where they've been since 2014. The couple and four of their six children who were home at the time escaped "right in the nick of time," according to Bina's sister, Brocha Wilschanski. However, everything else was destroyed — including all seven Torahs. "They're in shock, but they're well," Wilschanski said in a call with Daily Voice. "The al…
Hersheypark Wave Pool Drowning Investigation Report Released By Police Hersheypark Wave Pool Drowning Investigation Report Released By Police
Hersheypark Wave Pool Drowning Investigation Report Released By Police Police have released the findings of their investigation into the tragic Hersheypark wave pool drowning of 9-year-old Sophia Subedi, confirming her death was an accidental freshwater drowning. The Derry Township Police Department announced Friday, Aug. 1, that no criminal activity was involved in the July 24 incident, which unfolded shortly before 6:46 p.m. The review — conducted with the cooperation of the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office and Hersheypark — included video surveillance, witness and employee statements, and a detailed examination of the physical scene. Investigators confirmed …
Girl Who Died In Hersheypark Wave Pool Identified As 9-Year-Old Sophia Subedi Girl Who Died In Hersheypark Wave Pool Identified As 9-Year-Old Sophia Subedi
Girl Who Died In Hersheypark Wave Pool Identified As 9-Year-Old Sophia Subedi The 9-year-old girl who died after being rescued from Hersheypark’s wave pool last week has been identified as Sophia Subedi, a resident of Harrisburg’s Bhutanese community. Sophia, born in 2016 in Mount Carmel, Columbus, Ohio, had lived in Harrisburg since 2022. She had just completed 3rd grade at North Side Elementary School in the Central Dauphin School District and was preparing to begin 4th grade this fall, according to a statement from the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg (BCH) released on Monday, July 28. “A bright, kind, and loving young girl, Sophia, brought joy and light to every…
Bhutanese Community Mourns 9-Year-Old Girl Killed At Hersheypark Bhutanese Community Mourns 9-Year-Old Girl Killed At Hersheypark
Bhutanese Community Mourns 9-Year-Old Girl Killed At Hersheypark The Bhutanese community in Harrisburg is grieving the loss of a 9-year-old girl who died after being pulled from the wave pool at Hersheypark on Thursday, July 24. Tilak Niroula, chairman of the Board for the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg, confirmed the girl was a member of their close-knit community. In a heartfelt statement, he said the girl was “full of promise, innocence, and joy — a light in the lives of all who knew her. “Her sudden and tragic departure has left a deep void in our hearts and in the community she was so warmly a part of,” Niroula said. “Our entire community is grie…
Pastor Detained by ICE Forced to Sleep on Concrete Floor With No Bed, Family Says Pastor Detained by ICE Forced to Sleep on Concrete Floor With No Bed, Family Says
Pastor Detained by ICE Forced to Sleep on Concrete Floor With No Bed, Family Says A beloved, longtime Maryland pastor is reportedly living in troubling conditions after being detained by ICE and shipped to a detention center in Baltimore. Pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal, of Easton, the head of Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama (Church of the Nazarene Jesus Loves You), was picked up while shopping at a local Lowe's, according to his loved ones. Fuentes Espinal — who has been in the country for 24 years, has no criminal record, and leads a congregation of dozens in Easton — was taken into custody by ICE agents, and transported to a detention center in Baltimore, wh…
Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including NJ Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including NJ
Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including NJ A 7-year-old boy who stole the hearts of first responders across the region has died, Carlisle Borough Police announced on Tuesday, July 22. Connor Taverna, a dinosaur-loving first grader sworn in as an honorary police officer in November 2023, passed away after a nearly two-year battle with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)—a rare and aggressive brain tumor found in children. Doctors gave him 8 to 12 months to live in 2023, but Connor beat the odds, becoming one of fewer than 10 percent of children to survive beyond the first year. EMS Convoy Tribute Just weeks before his passing, mo…
Triathlete, 37, Dies During Swim At NJ Lake, Authorities Say Triathlete, 37, Dies During Swim At NJ Lake, Authorities Say
Triathlete, 37, Dies During Swim At NJ Lake, Authorities Say A 37-year-old teacher and mother of four died while competing in the swimming portion of a triathlon at a North Jersey lake over the weekend, Daily Voice has learned. The incident involving 37-year-old Hannah Merlucci, of Kinnelon, happened on the morning of Saturday, July 19 at Fayson Lakes, according to Meghan Kbab, a spokeswoman for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. Lifeguards spotted a female swimmer unresponsive in the water, swam out to her, and brought her back to shore, Knab said. CPR was immediately initiated. Emergency medical personnel arrived shortly after and transported …
‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches ‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches
‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches Chase Childers, a former Baltimore Orioles minor league prospect, died a hero in South Carolina after rushing into floodwaters to save a group of swimmers — sacrificing his life to protect theirs. According to Pawleys Island Police, officers received a 911 call at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, reporting “multiple swimmers in distress near Shell Road Ocean.”  One man — later identified as Childers — was missing, and a search was immediately launched by police, Midway Fire Rescue, and the US Coast Guard. At approximately 6:15 p.m., rescue teams recovered Childers' body fro…
Mom Paralyzed In NY Boat Crash Faces Setbacks As Support Grows: 'Will Continue To Fight' Mom Paralyzed In NY Boat Crash Faces Setbacks As Support Grows: 'Will Continue To Fight'
Mom Paralyzed In NY Boat Crash Faces Setbacks As Support Grows: 'Will Continue To Fight' The Long Island mother paralyzed in a Memorial Day weekend boat crash is now facing new challenges in her recovery — but her family is staying hopeful as community support pours in. Brooke Skrocki, the 28-year-old fiancée of Edward Hillkewicz, was left with life-altering spinal injuries after he piloted a speeding boat while drunk, slamming into a jetty in Hampton Bays with her, two other adults, and their two young daughters aboard, the Suffolk County DA’s Office said. While her children, ages 2 and 6, were not physically injured, Skrocki was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital an…
NJ Nightlife Icon DJ Ammo Dies Suddenly, Shockwaves Spread Through NYC Club Scene NJ Nightlife Icon DJ Ammo Dies Suddenly, Shockwaves Spread Through NYC Club Scene
NJ Nightlife Icon DJ Ammo Dies Suddenly, Shockwaves Spread Through NYC Club Scene Friends, family, and fans are mourning the sudden loss of Mossna M. Varasteh, a Bergen County native known worldwide as DJ Ammo, whose reach spanned from New York City to Asia. Varasteh, 42, died on Tuesday, July 8. He had gone to bed, gotten up around 5 a.m., gone back to sleep and was found unresponsive just hours later, his loved ones said. An exact cause has not yet been identified. Ammo had recently returned from performances in Japan, Germany, Amsterdam, and Aruba, and was still DJing major New York City events just weeks before his passing. He got his start in the summer after 8th g…
After Coach's Death In Crash, Former Player Leads NJ High School Football Team After Coach's Death In Crash, Former Player Leads NJ High School Football Team
After Coach's Death In Crash, Former Player Leads NJ High School Football Team Joe Lapi never imagined it would happen like this. He thought one day, down the line, he might step into a head coaching role — something he’d work toward slowly, with time. But he never expected it to come in the wake of tragedy. Lapi, a Bergenfield native and 2014 graduate of the high school, is stepping into the role of head BHS football coach, a role held for 15 years by Rob Violante — more affectionately known as "Coach V" — who died on May 14 in a crash on the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester. “It was the worst phone call of my life,” said Lapi, 29. “I was devastated." Violante …
Attacked With Cane In Her Own Home, NJ Mom Left Fighting For Her Life, Loved Ones Say Attacked With Cane In Her Own Home, NJ Mom Left Fighting For Her Life, Loved Ones Say
Attacked With Cane In Her Own Home, NJ Mom Left Fighting For Her Life, Loved Ones Say For decades, Terry was the one others turned to, offering a warm meal, a soft place to land, and the kind of love that expected nothing in return.  But today, the 71-year-old Ocean County mother — identified by a GoFundMe page launched by loved ones — is fighting for her life in a hospital bed, the victim of a horrific attack allegedly at the hands of her son that shattered her face, her body, and the quiet life she built in Manchester Township. Authorities say Terry was beaten with her own cane by her son inside her home at the Pine Acres Manor Mobile Home Community just after noon on…