Jersey City police this morning announced that the department is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the man who robbed, shot and ran over a commuter bus driver in Journal Square in the early hours of March 5. A group of fellow commuter van and bus drivers have decided to match that total,...
A multi-family building on 40th Street in Union City caught fire this morning, displacing at least 12 families and injuring two firefighters, fire officials said. The fire, at 510 40th Street, near Bergenline Avenue, was called in at 9:19 a.m. and went to three alarms before it was placed under control at about 11:30 a.m., North Hudson Regional Fire...
Peter Giunchini, North Bergen's former director of automotive services and public transportation, is receiving $37,312.50 for unused vacation and sick time as part of his retirement package, according to a resolution passed by the Board of Commissioners.
Giunchini resigned from his $130,000-a-year position in January after the township began investigating allegations that he exchanged inappropriate e-mails, including nude photos, and engaged in risqué chats, with his secretary.
According to the resolution, Giunchini, who has worked for the township for 24 years, is receiving $12,000 for unused sick time and $25,312 for unused vacation time.
The secretary has also agreed to resign in the near future, officials said.
The Board of Commissioners also passed a resolution for a formal policy on "acceptable use of computer and related resources."
"Access is a privilege, not a right, and it is the policy of the township to prohibit access to any and all obscene and or inappropriate materials," the document states.
The new policy governs the use of all telecommunications technologies, including cellular/mobile telephones, PDAs and other wired or wireless telecommunications devices.
There also may be periodic monitoring of employee use of the Internet and other technologies, including periodic review of e-mail, according to the policy, which will be distributed to township employees.
In addition to software with filters blocking inappropriate content, North Bergen has also invested in software and hardware that has the ability to capture and archive all of the work done on any piece of equipment owned by the municipality, said Township Administrator Chris Pianese.
West Hudson will be going Kelly green Sunday, when the United Irish Associations of West Hudson sponsors its annual St. Patrick's Day parade.
The parade steps off at 2 p.m. in Harrison and winds its way through East Newark and Kearny.
"It's a homecoming," United Irish Associations President Kevin M. Quinn said of the event, now in its 36th year.
"People who have moved away come back to the area. It's an opportunity to go out on a nice spring day and see old friends."
It's also a chance for revelers to soak in some Irish culture, with bagpipers and step dancers expected to take part.
In a nod to the area's multicultural heritage, groups representing some of West Hudson's other cultures, including Portuguese and Peruvian, will also march the parade route.
Quinn said this year's line of march will also feature Star Wars characters, a float with performers from Mater Dei Academy's upcoming musical production of "OZ!" and a wide range other organizations, from school bands to service organizations.
The grand marshal for this year's parade is Harrison Fire Department Captain James Woods, with longtime Harrison educator Kevin Barber and East Newark Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Steven Duffy serving as deputy grand marshals.
The parade starts at Second Street and Harrison Avenue in Harrison.
The driver of the vehicle that drove through a fence and fell nearly 20 feet onto PATH train tracks, and her daughter, 14, are being examined and evaluated at Jersey City Medical Center, officials said.
JERSEY CITY -- A police officer was arrested today by the FBI and charged in federal court with mortgage fraud for allegedly lying to a bank to secure a roughly $530,000 loan, authorities said. Brian Ragauckas, 36, of Secaucus, falsely claimed he was a first-time home-buyer in 2008 when he applied for a loan from Countrywide Bank to buy a...
JERSEY CITY -- A police officer was arrested today by the FBI and charged in federal court with mortgage fraud for allegedly lying to a bank to secure a roughly $530,000 loan, authorities said.
Brian Ragauckas, 36, of Secaucus, falsely claimed he was a first-time home-buyer in 2008 when he applied for a loan from Countrywide Bank to buy a three-family house here, authorities said. When asked about his house in Secaucus, Ragauckas said he was renter, not an owner, authorities said.
But Authorities said the 11-year police veteran bought the Secaucus property in 2000 and was paying the $513,700 mortgage, authorities said. Last year, the officer defaulted on the Secaucus home, authorities said.
When interviewed by the FBI, Ragauckas admitted lying about the mortgage because he feared otherwise the bank would deny him a loan for the Jersey City property, authorities said.
He is scheduled to appear before federal judge later today. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
A 26-year-old Jersey City woman had her purse stolen while walking on Griffith Street, reports said.
The handbag contained a cell phone, passport, $300 and other items, reports said.
She described the man as being about 27 years old, 5-foot-4, clean-cut and wearing a hooded sweater.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the Jersey City police tip line at (201) 547-JAIL.
In his annual report, Hudson County Sheriff Juan M. Perez touts technological improvements in the department, a countywide recruitment drive, and the appointment of the first African-American female undersheriff.
Starting his third year in office, Perez, 59, released his report earlier this year.
Among the technological advances he trumpets are a juvenile monitoring program with electronic bracelets for home supervision, the use of Palm Pilot technology for warrant and Division of Motor Vehicle look-ups, and CCTV monitoring of Lincoln Park in Jersey City.
Perez also implemented the department's first countywide recruitment drive, a college intern program, and the department's first medical investigators are now being trained.
Perez appointed Francine Shelton on Dec. 21. She is the first female African-American undersheriff.
About 230 sworn officers and supervisors, as well as 60 civilian employees, make up the Sheriff's Office, which has a budget of about $25 million.
The actual cost to taxpayers was reduced by more than $7 million last year because the department reimbursed the county $5.7 million, much of this coming from traffic fines.
The department also passed along to the county $1.4 million it received from the state for the work it does in the area of child support enforcement, Perez said.
Sworn in on Jan. 1, 2008, Perez retired from the New Jersey State Police at the rank of captain and is a former public school teacher in Jersey City.
Hudson County Undersheriff Frank Schillari has announced his intention to file nominating petitions to run against Perez in June's Democratic Party primary.
Schillari has been an undersheriff since 1997.
The car that flipped onto the PATH rail tracks near Journal Square has now been removed and full service will resume on 10 minute delays, according to PATH spokeswoman Jennifer Friedberg.
1010-WINS is reporting that a car crashed through a fence and flipped onto the PATH tracks on Tonnelle Avenue near Journal Square, suspending service from Newark to the World Trade Center.
Jersey Journal file photoPATH has announced that the World Trade Center to Newark is suspended.
From the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey PATHAlerts page:
3/10/2010 8:05:21 AM
Due to a Police Investigation, New Jersey Transit Trains are cross-honoring during this time. At the WTC, passengers bound for Newark are advised to take New York City Subway to New York Penn Station and then take New Jersey Transit Trains into Newark Penn Station.
1010-WINS is reporting that a car crashed through a fence and flipped onto the PATH tracks on Tonnelle Avenue near Journal Square.
PATH officials said that the incident happened around 7:20 this morning, and that the driver and a passenger were extricated from the vehicle and taken to a local hospital for non life-threatening injuries.
The PATH will have one-track service beginning soon, but recommend NJ Transit trains as there will be delays.
The Port Authority police and Jersey City Police Department are working together to remove the car from the tracks.
More details will be available here on Hudson Now as they become available.
A Jersey City man being followed by robbers Monday night tried to call police, but they ran up to him and grabbed his cell phone, officials said. The 48-year-old Gifford Avenue man flagged down a police car at 8:51 p.m. Monday and said 10 minutes earlier he was robbed while walking on Clinton Avenue just east of Kennedy Boulevard....
A New York man who admitted strangling a teenage girl in a Weehawken hotel has been sentenced to up to 50 years in prison. A woman accused of taking part in the murder with him has until next week to accept a plea deal offer. Meanwhile, teachers and parents at the CREATE School have planned a rally to oppose...
Watch out, Hoboken. Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is indeed coming to Carlo’s Bake Shop tomorrow to meet “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro and sample his custom cake creations. The 21-year-old guidette starlet, who rose to fame for her role on the hit MTV reality series “Jersey Shore,” that aired over the winter, wrote on Twitter tonight: “Guess who I'm going to...
Associated PressNicole "Snooki" Polizzi from MTV's "Jersey Shore," pictured here at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, is visiting Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken.
Watch out, Hoboken. Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is indeed coming to Carlo’s Bake Shop tomorrow to meet “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro and sample his custom cake creations.
The 21-year-old guidette starlet, who rose to fame for her role on the hit MTV reality series “Jersey Shore,” that aired over the winter, wrote on Twitter tonight: “Guess who I'm going to see tomorrow?!?!......@CakeBossBuddy !!!!!!! def. not sleeping tonight...to much excitement!”
Hoboken Now prepared you for this day back in February. Stop by the bakery during the day and you might catch her.
What should we ask her? Let us know in the comments.
Moving Jersey City municipal elections to November could create chaos inside the voting booth, according to City Clerk Robert Byrne. In fact, if there were a lot of municipal candidates and candidates for governor or the county Board of Freeholders as well, he said city residents could possibly face two separate ballots at the polls. The law allowing municipalities...
A group of Jersey City residents is hoping to keep the momentum going and continue to pack City Council meetings in the wake of a hefty tax increase. About 500 residents attended the public hearing on the city's budget last month, after hundreds attended a January City Council meeting to propose a roughly 25 percent tax hike. City officials are...
David Jolkovski / The Jersey JournalJersey City residents are hoping to pack Wednesday's City Council meeting after flooding the public budget hearing last month and the Jan. 27 meeting to protest higher taxes. Fletcher Gensawer holds a sign during the Jan. 27 meeting, which over 300 residents attended to protest possible tax hikes.A group of Jersey City residents is hoping to keep the momentum going and continue to pack City Council meetings in the wake of a hefty tax increase.
About 500 residents attended the public hearing on the city's budget last month, after hundreds attended a January City Council meeting to propose a roughly 25 percent tax hike.
City officials are still working on the current fiscal year budget, but say the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 stands to pay $640 more in taxes. That's down from the $800 projected when the council rushed to introduce to include $14 million in state aid before Gov. Jon S. Corzine left office in January.
The city council meetings are usually sparsely attended. But residents John Lynch and Esther Wintner want to change that. They're again calling on residents to attend the meeting, tomorrow at 6 p.m. in City Hall at 280 Grove Street.
"It is great to see that Jersey City residents are finally rising up as it has been exposed on how Mayor Healy and his Council Members are failing the residents of Jersey City," Lynch said. "We cannot and will note fade away as they are so hoping will happen."
Defense attorneys for Bayonne Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone filed a motion today in Mercer County Superior Court to dismiss charges he and his wife Diane plucked more than $8,000 from his legislative aides's paychecks and moved them into their personal bank account and his campaign coffers. The New Jersey Attorney General's office charged Chiappone in August 2009 with conspiracy and...
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