Hudson County News

Top local news stories from The Jersey Journal

• Cops: Ambulance patient hit female EMT
A 26-year-old man was charged with punching a female EMT in the chest at Meadowlands Hospital Wednesday night, Secaucus police said.

• Hudson residents are urged
to take precautions on storm

• Hoboken City Council votes 5-4 to introduce half-year tax levy that's reduced by 5 percent
HOBOKEN - Preparing to transition from a fiscal year budget to a calendar year budget, the City Council voted 5-4 Wednesday to introduce a municipal tax levy that covers July 1 to the end of the year.

• Vigil outside Jersey City animal shelter is led by 'no kill' activist from New York demanding it end all euthanasia
A gathering of concerned citizens and activists populated the sidewalks in front of the Liberty Humane Society shelter last night to protest its use of euthanasia and later held a candlelight vigil for the animals that have been put down.

• Bayonne fifth-grader's fire safety poster wins top prize in state contest and will be on walls everywhere
TRENTON - Katie Boyle of Bayonne is the grand prize-winner of the New Jersey Fire Safety Poster Contest for the 2009-2010 school year.

• Bayonne fire chief says home blaze started in dishwasher's control panel
Bayonne firefighters responded to a one-alarm fire at a one-family residence on West 38th Street, Thursday morning, fire officials said.

• Three charged with leaving Hoboken restaurant without paying dinner bill
HOBOKEN - Three men were arrested and charged with theft of services Tuesday night after they allegedly dined and dashed from Dino & Harry's Steakhouse on 14th Street, police reports said.

• Bayonne police say woman tried to steal jar of wrinkle cream at supermarket
A Staten Island woman who allegedly put a jar of wrinkle cream in her pocketbook was charged with shoplifting at the ShopRite on 26th Street and Avenue C on Wednesday morning, Bayonne police reports said.

• Union City man breaks leg when his bicycle hits vehicle on West Side Avenue in Jersey City
%%webhead%%Union City man breaks leg when his bicycle hits vehicle on West Side Avenue in Jersey City%%ewebhead%%

• Jersey City brownstone fire displaces family; intense heat taxes firefighting effort
A two-alarm fire at a Downtown Jersey City brownstone displaced a family last night, officials said.

• Hoboken council tables resolution opposing planned police layoffs; vote is 5-4
HOBOKEN - In a packed meeting at City Hall Wednesday night, the City Council voted 5-4 to table a resolution opposing Mayor Dawn Zimmer's planned layoffs of 18 police officers and demotions for 19 senior officers.

• Bayonne's new business administrator will continue to serve as mayor's chief of staff and head of Municipal Utilities Authority
Stephen Gallo may be a man of many hats, but luckily for Bayonne taxpayers, he's a man of just one paycheck.

• Prosecutors say Jersey City man indicted in theft of computer needs to do a fourth prison stretch
A persistent criminal from Jersey City has been indicted yet again and prosecutors say they will now try to put him behind bars for what would be his fourth stretch in lockup.

• Roadwork on New Jersey highways suspended for holiday weekend
Roadwork across the state will be put on hold this holiday weekend.

• Hoboken police say Brooklyn man arrested after showing fake identification in trying to loot someone else's bank account of $4,000
HOBOKEN - Police nabbed a 23-year-old Brooklyn man they say attempted to withdraw $4,000 in cash from the Chase Bank on 14th Street using fake identification cards, officials said

• Union City police charge suspect with a second car burglary based on DNA recovered at crime scene
%%by%%By JEAN-PIERRE MESTANZA and KEN THORBOURNE%%endby%%%%source%%JOURNAL STAFF WRITERS%%endsource%%%%bodybegin%% UNION CITY - A city man is again facing charges of breaking into a car based on DNA evidence left at the scene, police said yesterday. Luis Alberto Lourido Feliciano, 42, of Bergenline Avenue, was charged yesterday with stealing a GPS device from a Toyota Corolla on March 24.

• Jersey City police arrest carjacking suspect after van driver fights back with pepper spray outside Newport mall
A commuter van driver turned the tables on an accused carjacker Wednesday night at the Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City - leaving the suspect coughing, teary, and disoriented after he pepper-sprayed him, officials said.

• Death threats from 'no-kill' animal activists are keeping Liberty Humane Society's board members on edge and fearful
Things are getting uglier at the Liberty Humane Society animal shelter in Jersey City.

• New station vandalized
BW STAFF WRITER

• Fourth arrest is made in 2007 Easton, Pa., triple slaying tied to earlier gang retaliation killing in Arlington Park in Jersey City
A fourth arrest has been made in connection with the 2007 execution-style murders of three people in Pennsylvania that came amidst a wave of gang-related violence stretching from Jersey City to Easton, Pa.

• Five who sat on Pamrapo Savings Bank's board are fined total of $80,000; federal probe found "unsafe" practices let illegal transactions go unnoticed
DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

• Announcing his run for Ward B seat on Jersey City council, pastor says joblessness and rising crime are his main concerns
The Rev. Earlin Thomas has added himself to the growing list of candidates seeking the Ward B City Council seat in Jersey City in the November special election.

• 22-year-old on life support after brawl outside Downtown Jersey City bar leaves two friends also injured; two men are sought
A Warren man remains on life support after being brutally beaten outside a Downtown Jersey City bar in the early morning hours Saturday during an incident in which two of his friends also were injured, officials said yesterday.

• Union City cops make quick arrest after man hit over head with beer bottle in supermarket parking lot on Bergenline
UNION CITY - A 27-year-old Fairview man was arrested on 44th Street in Union City after he allegedly hit a stranger over the head with a Corona beer bottle early Monday morning, Sgt. Ray Vasquez said.

• Jersey City police charge man, 77, with criminal sexual contact after 14-year-old boy tells of being grabbed off street, dragged into basement and fondled
A 77-year-old Jersey City man was arrested after allegedly dragging a 14-year-old boy into a basement and fondling him while masturbating Tuesday afternoon on the Western Slope, officials said yesterday.

• Correction
A story in yesterday's editions about a book on boxer Frankie DePaula's death should have said DePaula was shot on Harrison Avenue in Jersey City.

• Jersey City police say man free on $270,000 bail after earlier narcotics sweep is caught selling suspected heroin on Greenville street
A Jersey City man nabbed in February during a massive gang sweep was out on $270,000 bail when arrested Tuesday by officers doing surveillance who said they watched him selling suspected heroin, officials said.

• Pharmacy admits mistake in filling prescription for 2-year-old who was rushed to hospital; boy got powerful painkiller, not allergy pill
A 2-year-old boy was rushed into intensive care in a life-threatening emergency Friday after ingesting a high-powered painkiller that a Jersey City pharmacy dispensed along with the boy's allergy medicine prescription.

• Hoboken cops warn public's safety will be at risk if City Council approves mayor's plan for layoffs and demotions
HOBOKEN - Emotions ran high at last night's City Council meeting as more than 200 residents and police officers packed the council chambers to protest Mayor Dawn Zimmer's money-saving measure to lay off 18 police officers and demote 19 senior officers.

• Jersey City Incinerator Authority gets phone service back, but differs with Verizon over whether bill was paid
Service on the main phone line at the Jersey City Incinerator Authority was shut off Tuesday because the agency didn't pay its bill, a spokesman for the Verizon phone company said yesterday.

• NJ Transit says kids 11 and under will ride free this weekend
Planning on getting out of town with the kids this weekend?

• Jersey City animal shelter's critics plan 'no-kill' vigil at its door tonight from 5 o'clock to 10
Animal rescue groups, community members and others concerned about cats and dogs being killed at a Jersey City animal shelter are holding a vigil tonight.

• Bret Schundler says Christie has "defamed" him and releases 7-page chronology that he says shows he did not mislead the governor on education funding fiasco
and JEANETTE RUNDQUIST

• State Board of Education and acting commissioner meet, and fuzziness on future plans makes obvious the toll of recent discord
and JESSICA CALEFATI

• North Bergen Democratic Municipal Committee was tops in drawing campaign contributions in 2009, state ELEC records show
The North Bergen Democratic Municipal Committee raised $668,830 in campaign contributions in 2009, by far the most of any municipal committee in the state, Election Law Enforcement Commission records show.

• Heat knocks out power on Guttenberg block
GUTTENBERG - A power outage occurred after 9:30 last night on 68th Street, knocking out power to an entire block due to the oppressive heat, PSE&G officials said.

• Jersey City police arrest 5 teens and seek 2 others in Saturday's shooting incident at Heights intersection in which woman was hit with stray bullet
Jersey City police have arrested five boys in connection with this past weekend's shooting near Pershing Field in which a 43-year-old woman was wounded, and warrants are being issued for the arrest of at least two more boys, officials said.

• Bayonne's new school business administrator says he's making every dollar count in face of $5.3 million cut in state aid
He's the new business administrator of the Bayonne school district and his younger brother is mayor. How's that for sibling rivalry?

• Brother-in-law of Hoboken's "Cake Boss" has court date Tuesday on sex-with-minor charges he faces in Morris County
MORRISTOWN - Remigio "Remy" Gonzalez, the brother-in-law of "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro and a supporting cast member on the popular TV reality-show, is scheduled to appear in court next week on sex assault charges.

• Jersey City Incinerator Authority's main phone is cut off, but service is expected to be back today
Service on the main phone line at the Jersey City Incinerator Authority was cut off yesterday morning due to a billing dispute with Verizon, city officials said.

• 5 Hoboken Parking Utility vehicles parked illegally in garage are ticketed and towed at 1 a.m.
HOBOKEN - Around 1 a.m. yesterday morning, city police ticketed and towed five Hoboken Parking Utility vehicles that were illegally parked in handicapped spots in Garage B on Second Street, according to police and city officials.

• Missing Hoboken woman's dress, keys, credit cards and paperwork found in bag in Florida three weeks after disappearance
HOBOKEN - The search is still on for a 45-year-old city woman and Stevens Institute of Technology alumna who disappeared in Manhattan on Aug. 1 and is now believed to have traveled to Florida.

• Jersey City woman proud to live in CANCOlofts, the reborn American Can factory where her grandparents met and toiled for years
A picture of Tami Wisniewski's grandparents is displayed prominently inside her chic one-bedroom condo unit at CANCOlofts in Jersey City.

• Jersey City to have first African-American fire chief; Darren Rivers to take charge when Michael O'Reilly's retirement kicks in tonight at midnight
Jersey City will be getting its first black fire chief - just not today.

• Jersey City Zoning Board meets tonight to hear developer's renewed request to tear down Sixth Street Embankment so he can build condos
Developer Steve Hyman is again asking the Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment to let him tear down the Sixth Street Embankment walls to build condominiums.

• Union City teen facing drug charges after "in plain sight" bust on street
UNION CITY - Police charged a city teen with possessing marijuana and a bong Monday after they were called to investigate a car blocking a driveway, an official said.

• Arrest number 27 for "transit worker wannabe" comes on bus stolen in Hoboken and driven empty to JFK airport and around Queens, police say
NEW YORK - A man who commandeered a subway train at age 15 and has repeatedly posed as a transit worker was arrested again yesterday on charges he stole a bus in Hoboken and drove it to a New York airport.

• African Ancestry visits Jersey City to publicize its services in linking people with their African heritage
When state Sen. Sandra Cunningham of Jersey City began to delve into her ancestral history about 15 years ago, she quickly realized that most records concerning African Americans only date back to the period shortly after slaves won emancipation in 1865.

• Jersey City's parking meters now taking 75 cents an hour, and Parking Authority is cracking down on misuse of handicapped placards
The cost to park at a meter in Jersey City has jumped by 25 cents an hour.

• Hudson County Sheriff's Office fills post of drug recognition expert to help local police ID and prosecute impaired drivers
There's a new drug expert working for the Hudson County Sheriff's Office.

• Secaucus furniture retailer says billboard not meant to knock nearby furniture store, just to point potential customers to own off-Route 3 location
SECAUCUS - There appears to be a battle brewing on the highway among furniture retailers in town.

• New Jersey City University is digging deep into financial records in wake of staffer's arrest in $167,000 theft from Student Government Organization
New Jersey City University is conducting a forensic audit after discovering financial irregularities that resulted in the state Attorney General's Office filing charges against a staff member and her husband.

• Two West New York men indicted on identity theft and fraud charges
TRENTON - Two West New York men were indicted Friday for alleged identity theft and insurance fraud, state Attorney General Paula Dow announced yesterday.

• Hoboken police say 3 men snatch bicycle from 15-year-old at Second and Harrison streets
HOBOKEN - A 15-year-old Jersey City boy told police three men robbed him of his bike at Second and Harrison streets at around 8:30 p.m. Friday, reports said.

• Bayonne public schools manage to cut budget by $5.3 million without layoffs, but classes larger this year
In March, Bayonne Superintendent of Schools Patricia McGeehan and her staff were handed a doozy by the Board of School Estimate: Absorb a $5.3 million cut in state aid for the upcoming school year without a raft of layoffs and no tax hike.

• Bayonne police say driver faces several charges - including DWI - after hitting gate at Gordon Terminal and driving away
A Berkeley Heights man was charged with DWI after Bayonne cops found him slumped over the wheel of his car Saturday night, reports said.

• Bayonne police arrest driver on DWI and other charges after he allegedly hits a parked car and keeps on going
A driver who allegedly hit a parked car while intoxicated and continued driving was arrested after he allegedly attacked Bayonne police officers, according to reports.

• Hoboken police say sharp-eyed merchant called them and they ended Paterson woman's shoplifting spree
HOBOKEN - A 58-year-old Paterson woman was arrested on charges of shoplifting nearly $2,250 worth of merchandise - including dresses, jewelry and a handbag - from a Washington Street boutique store on Friday, reports said.

• Man's body found near Conrail tracks in Jersey City is still unidentified
A forensic anthropologist has developed additional information on the headless and decomposed body found along the Conrail tracks off Tonnelle Avenue in Jersey City on Aug. 21, but the man remains unidentified, officials said.

• Two West New York men arrested after their apartments are raided in wind up to drug investigation, police say
WEST NEW YORK - Police raided the apartments of two alleged drug dealers and found 52 small bags of cocaine and some cash early Friday morning, Police Director Albert Bringa said.

• Ex-heavyweight champ Mike Tyson comes back to Jersey City, a place he says is "like home"
The self-proclaimed "Baddest Man on the Planet" was in Jersey City yesterday - chatty, trim, and excited about a new TV series about his pet pigeons.

• North Bergen is about to lower fees for getting copies of public records
NORTH BERGEN - Copies of public documents in the township are about to get a lot cheaper.

• Husband of woman accused of stealing $167,000 in student funds at New Jersey City University is also accused of participating in plot
TRENTON - The husband of the suspended office manager at New Jersey City University who was charged Friday with stealing more than $167,000 in student funds has now been arrested and charged with participating in the theft of funds, authorities said yesterday.

• Pizza delivery man robbed, then suspect quickly arrested after victim's coworker overhears robbers say where they were headed next, police say
A Jersey City man was charged with robbing a pizza delivery man after a coworker called the victim and overheard the robbers saying where they were going to rendezvous after fleeing Sunday night, officials said.

• POLICE BEAT
Cops: Slurs in taxi stand attack

• Schundler admits it was his editing of application that cost New Jersey $400 million in federal education funding
THE STAR-LEDGER

• Hudson County sheriff's officer is suspended after she's charged with assault in domestic incident
A Hudson County sheriff's officer has been suspended after being charged with stabbing a man after he allegedly knocked her down during a domestic violence incident in Ocean County, officials said yesterday.

• Jersey City's Back-to-School Project puts 4,500 backpacks stuffed with supplies in kids hands
It is safe to say that Saturday's Jersey City Back-to-School Project was a hit.

• Jersey City police chase down and arrest 20-year-old after receiving tip of man carrying a handgun
Working on a tip that a man was carrying a handgun, Jersey City cops arrested an armed felon in Greenville Sunday night after a chase, officials said.

• Arson suspected as two cars burn on street in Jersey City Heights just before 5 a.m., fire officials say
Two cars parked within 30 feet of each other were found engulfed in flames in Jersey City early yesterday morning, officials said. At around 4:50 a.m., firefighters were called to Charles Street near Summit Avenue, where they found a 1991 BMW and a 1999 Toyota Camry on fire, officials said.

• Faucets in Hoboken and Jersey City had discolored water over weekend, but it was safe to drink, United Water says
Some Hoboken and Jersey City residents noticed discolored water coming from their faucets over the weekend, but the water was safe to drink and met safety standards, United Water officials said yesterday.

• Former Bayonne employee sues for his job back; Bayonne says OK
Fired after 15 years on the job, the City of Bayonne's former purchasing agent filed a lawsuit against his former employer in federal court on Aug. 13.

• Jersey City's LGBT festival and march celebrates rainbow pride
Jersey City resident Ty Whitfield felt so isolated as a gay teenager that at 16, he tried to take his own life.

• Jersey City Business Administrator defends his work for three other municipalities WORKING 3 JOBS?
A Jersey City councilman has asked the mayor to remove a recently-hired city official becaause he also does work for three municipalities outside Hudson County.

• THIS WEEK IN BAYONNE
MONDAY

• Tractor-trailer collides with car, injuring three, including 3-year-old
Three people, including a 3-year-old child, were rushed to the hospital last night after a tractor-trailer collided with a passenger vehicle near the intersection of Route 440 and Duncan Avenue in Jersey City, police said.

• Courthouse restoration delayed due to spat with contractor over light fixtures
The restoration of the William J. Brennan Jr. Courthouse on Newark Avenue hit a snag that will delay its completion at least six months.

• Jersey City baby beats out 2,000 to become national product model
The angelic face of a Jersey City baby will now adorn a new collection of infant- and toddler-oriented beauty products.

• Jersey City's rich Dutch heritage noted, but snubbed, in forthcoming book
To most Jersey City residents, names such as Van Reypen, Pavonia, Vroom and Bergen connote bustling urban areas. But to members of the city's historical societies, they bring to mind the rich legacy left by a half-century of Dutch settlement.

• Couple, both 88, live and love in Jersey City nursing home
Married for 64 years, Donato and Rose Fortunato are the "Noah" and "Allie" of the Hamilton Park Nursing Home in Jersey City.

• Tires of 15 cars slashed in Jersey City
Fifteen cars were found with their tires slashed Saturday morning in Jersey City, police said.

• Manhattan iman at center of debate is also a Hudson landlord
UNION CITY - Ydalia Peña, 54, was shocked to learn yesterday that the multi-family building she lives in at the corner of Central Avenue and 22nd Street is owned by the imam who wants to build the controversial center and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero.

• Four Jersey City men shot at after exchanging 'What's up' with group of 10
After exchanging "what's ups" with a group of about 10 men on Claremont Avenue in Jersey City early yesterday, four men were shot at - and two of the victims were taken to the Jersey City Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, reports said.

• Person shot near Pershing Field; seven teens arrested but then released
A person was shot near Pershing Field in Jersey City Saturday night and seven teenagers were arrested, but they were all released after no one - including the victim - could tie them to the shooting, reports said.

• Christie fires Schundler after $400 mil in Fed aid is lost for incomplete grant application
%%by%%and JEANETTE RUNDQUIST%%endby%% STAR-LEDGER STAFF

• Charged with forging checks a college office worker awaits trial in jail
An office manager from New Jersey City University has been charged with stealing more than $167,000 from the school's Student Government Organization.

• Sitting on prime real estate WTC memorial faces relocation,
The Russian artist who designed Bayonne's 9/11 Teardrop Memorial said he was sad to learn it will almost certainly be moved to make way for a container port, and hoped it will be moved to another location with a view of the World Trade Center site.

• Former municipal court chief judge is sentence for 'fixing' parking tickets
HACKENSACK - Former Jersey City Municipal Court Chief Judge Wanda Molina was teary eyed as she hugged supporters after being sentenced to three years probation for "fixing" parking tickets.

• New dual language school admits first students
Hoboken made state history yesterday as the site of New Jersey's first Spanish-English charter school.

• Road work on NJ Turnpike extension will close lanes
Work will continue this weekend on the New Jersey Turnpike extension between Newark and Bayonne.

• Both parties will have day in court, outside Hudson County, for politicos ordered to stop giving fliers
UNION CITY - A grand jury declined to indict a group of political opponents to Mayor Brian P. Stack on charges of forgery, falsifying records, and harassment last month, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Guy Gregory said. But two outstanding charges remain to be heard at the municipal level, he said.

• Driver without license or insurance card hits pedestrian.
WEST NEW YORK - A 33-year old man crossing the street was struck by a car on Bergenline Avenue and 64th Street early yesterday morning, officials said.

• Melee of unruly women leads to arrest and charges
Seven women face varying charges of disorderly conduct or simple assault for engaging in a fight yesterday morning in downtown Hoboken, according to police reports.

• Landlord-tenant dispute will get new trial due to clerical error
A Hudson County Superior Court judge vacated a ruling yesterday that had ordered a Jersey City landlord to pay more than $3,000 to a former tenant after a clerical error led to the landlord's absence at the initial hearing.

• Pet shelter cited for poor conditions has to make plan for improvements
Liberty Humane Society has failed another state inspection, but the Jersey City animal shelter won't be forced to close.

• Car owner has laptop and electronics stolen from car with open window
A thief made off with a laptop, GPS device and iPod from a van early Thursday morning after the owner left its window open, police said.

• Military tribute for soldier killed in motorcycle accident by alleged drunk driver
Fellow soldiers and family members attended a military tribute Thursday to the Guttenberg soldier killed in a motor vehicle crash two weeks ago.

• Towns to receive state aid based on responses to questionnaire about current municipal structure
Gov. Chris Christie's administration released a questionnaire earlier this week that all municipalities in the state must fill out, and there's quite a bit at stake: The percentage of "yes" answers will determine whether or not they get their full allotment of state aid.

• Street renamed for pastor who has helped residents for decades
The congregation of the Good News Bible Mission Church on Dales Avenue in Jersey City held a ceremony yesterday that included the renaming of the street in honor of its pastor, Erwin H. Lanier Sr.

• Shelter will have kittens for adoption at City Hall Plaza event
The Liberty Humane Society and the Companion Animal Trust will hold the second annual Kitten Bonanza event tomorrow at City Hall Plaza on Grove Street.

• Workers question sale of hospital to for-profit management group
Apprehensive employees joined a small group of state representatives Thursday in the Secaucus High School auditorium for a public hearing before the State Health Planning Board on the proposed sale of Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus.

• Off-shore hurricane can make seas unfriendly to beachgoers this weekend
STAR-LEDGER STAFF

• Two corruption cases to stay joined
NEWARK - A judge has blocked an attempt by Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez to be tried separately from a defendant indicted with him on corruption charges.

• Corrections
The story in Thursday's editions about to Pamrapo branch closures in Bayonne should have said the BCB branch at Broadway is opposite the closing Pamrapo branch at 861 Broadway.

• Justice Dept approves United-Continental deal
MINNEAPOLIS - The Justice Department said yesterday that it has no more antitrust concerns about the deal that would combine United and Continental into the world's largest airline.

• Six arrested in Hudson after $300,000 of cocaine seized in pick-up truck
SECAUCUS - A Hudson County man was among a half dozen people busted after police seized $300,000 worth of cocaine as it arrived in town Tuesday morning.

• Cake Boss cast member charged with sex assault
HOBOKEN - Remigio "Remy" Gonzalez, the brother-in-law of "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro and supporting cast member on the hit reality TV show, was arrested in connection with acts of sexual assault on a child between the ages of 13 and 16, according to an arrest affidavit.

• Port Authority reportedly promises to spend at least a billion dollars to fix Bayonne Bridge
The Port Authority is ready to spend at least $1 billion to fix the Bayonne Bridge's height problem, a news agency reported yesterday.

• Secaucus worker finds 7-foot boa constrictor during his lunch break
SECAUCUS - A stunned but fearless worker on his lunch break discovered a seven-foot boa constrictor in a drainage pipe at the Century 21 distribution warehouse on Monday.

• Decapitated body found Saturday along train tracks is still a mystery
Homicide detectives have not yet been able to identify the decapitated, decomposed body of a man found along the Conrail train tracks on County Road in Jersey City on Saturday, officials said Tuesday.

• Hoboken man takes bat to former high school classmate and his car, cellphone
HOBOKEN - Police arrested a 27-year-old city man for allegedly striking a former high school acquaintance and the car the man was driving with a baseball bat, police officials said.

• New Bayonne Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Station vandalized; murals, windows defaced
The new Eighth Street Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Station, which is scheduled to open in the next several months, was vandalized between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to police reports.

• Hospitalized woman charged in beating cop
NORTH BERGEN - A hospitalized Guttenberg woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a township cop, officials said.

• Video: State didn't fix 'Race to the Top' error as governor says
TRENTON - The brouhaha over a mistake in a grant application that may have cost New Jersey $400 million in federal money isn't over.

• Bayonne hires two prosecutors on 10-month contracts
The Bayonne City Council voted to hire two new prosecutors on Wednesday.

• Three men charged with shoplifting TVs, DVD players from North Bergen Walmart
NORTH BERGEN - Three New York City men were arrested Wednesday for allegedly trying to walk out of the Walmart on 88th Street with two flat-screen televisions and two DVD players, officials said.

• Union City cops arrest alleged drug dealer in his home
UNION CITY - Police arrested an alleged drug dealer Wednesday following several weeks of investigation, officials said.

• NAACP blasts planned cop layoffs
HOBOKEN - Mayor Dawn Zimmer responded this week to a letter that's been circulated by the Hoboken chapter of the NAACP that takes her to task for her announced layoffs of 18 police officers.

• Gov., wife made more than $500K in past year
TRENTON - Newly released financial disclosure statements show New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his wife earned more than $500,000 in the past year.

• From King to Beck: Big rally at Lincoln Memorial
WASHINGTON - Glenn Beck says it's just a coincidence his Restoring Honor rally tomorrow at the Lincoln Memorial will take place on the anniversary and at the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

• Mayor seeks to calm NYC after knife attack
NEW YORK - A Muslim cab driver whose face and throat were slashed in a suspected hate crime attack appeared with Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday as city officials sought to ease tensions in the debate over a plan to put a mosque near the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

• Jersey City police charge second gunman in July 16 Montgomery Gardens shooting that hurt 5-year-old girl
A second man has been charged in the July 16 shooting that caused spinal damage to a Jersey City 5-year-old girl who was struck by a stray bullet during a block party at the Montgomery Gardens housing complex, officials said.

• Some Comcast subscribers will need new cable boxes for digital upgrade
Some Comcast subscribers in Jersey City will be making the move from analog to digital cable due to company wide policy changes.

• Jersey City family treated for smoke inhalation after one-alarm fire
A one-alarm fire in a three-story wooden frame building at 135 Woodlawn Ave. sent a family of four, including three children, to the hospital for smoke inhalation yesterday morning, Jersey City Fire Department officials said.

• Hoboken Cake Boss' brother-in-law charged with sexual assault
HOBOKEN - The brother-in-law of "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro is being held in Morris County Jail on sexual assault charges, according to several entertainment websites.

• Bayonne finally repairing collapsed sewer line at 45th Street and Avenue E
The "Monument" may soon be gone.

• Appellate Court upholds 2007 conviction in Jersey City college student's 1988 murder
An appellate court upheld the 2007 conviction and 50-year sentence of a man found guilty of the 1988 slaying of a Jersey City college student who was gunned down in the Hoboken parking lot where he worked as an attendant.

• Bayonne bank closing four branches following merger, but no layoffs
Following the merger with BCB Community Bank, four Pamrapo Savings Bank branches on Broadway will close in mid-September.

• Bayonne extends tax payment period
Bayonne property owners have until the close of business Tuesday to pay their taxes and avoid a late fee for the quarter that runs July 1 to Sept. 30.

• Jersey City Board of Education can't vote on superintendent contract until state signs-off
A vote on a new three-year contract for Jersey City Superintendent of Schools Charles T. Epps Jr. is on hold, awaiting sign-off by the county superintendent of schools, officials said yesterday.

• Mustard Seed School kids will sing with Peter Yarrow on PBS
HOBOKEN - Tonight, it's "lights, camera, action!" for about 40 first- through sixth-graders from the city's Mustard Seed School.

• Jersey City library patrons, staff ask city to save library budget from cuts
Paul Valleau may only be 8 years old, but that didn't stop him from making a case - complete with exhibits - for fully funding the Jersey City Free Public Library.

• Jersey City bank robbery suspect gets charged with attempted robbery in Union City
UNION CITY - Another robbery charge was added on to alleged bank robber Steven Lugo's list of offenses, police said yesterday.

• Bayonne police charge Jersey City man with toothbrush theft
A 27-year-old man was charged with shoplifting toothbrushes and toothpaste at Bayonne Family Dollar Tuesday, police said.

• Governor's veto blocks UEZ funds for Hoboken, Weehawken
Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill yesterday that would have allowed municipalities such as Hoboken and Weehawken to qualify for state financing only offered to certain urban communities.

• Jersey City paying Boston lobbyist $32K to fight natural gas pipeline
Jersey City will pay a consultant up to $32,500 in hopes of preventing a natural gas pipeline from running underground through parts of the city.

• Journal Square gets long-term vision
Saying it will create construction jobs and a pedestrian-friendly town center, the Jersey City City Council adopted a 50-year vision for development in Journal Square yesterday.

• Leaning utility poll backs up traffic on busy Jersey City road
A damaged utility pole on Tonnelle Avenue in Jersey City caused traffic delays throughout the day yesterday, police said.

• NJEA: Draft 'Race to the Top' application didn't have error
TRENTON - The state's largest teachers union produced paperwork yesterday showing the Christie administration changed key information that helped sink the state's application for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal education reform money.

• Bayonne's budget gets $33 million plug from Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority, which keeps $7 million from $40 million first payment from Port Authority for peninsula land
1

• Bayonne's bravest get safety gear
BW STAFF WRITER

• Clarification
A story about a fundraiser for victims of the Pakistan Flood in yesterday's paper should have said donations will be given to two nonprofits: Islamic Relief USA and the Association of Pakistani Americans for Community Organization.

• Bayonne developer angry over container port deal, files suit to stop it
A container port wasn't part of the deal.

• Jersey City Fire Chief puts in papers to retire
During his nearly 30-year tenure with Jersey City, Fire Chief Michael O'Reilly has lived through a number of changes.

• HCCC offers course in homeland security With the ninth anniversary of 9/11 on the horizon, Hudson County Community College is announcing a new certificate program in homeland security. An information session to inform potential students about the Gateway Certificate Program in Homeland Security is scheduled for tomorrow, 5:30 to 7:15 p.m., at the college's Culinary Arts Institute/Conference Center, 161 Newkirk St., Jersey City. The program consists of five courses: "Criminal Justice and the Law," "Ethics and Values," "Terrorism," "The Sociology of Disasters," and "GIS (Geographic Information Systems/Geospatial Technology)," which is a geographic information system that allows students to understand and visualize data in ways that reveal patterns in the form of maps and charts. The classes begin this fall. "There are many rewarding jobs for individuals who have an understanding of Homeland Security," Eric Friedman, dean of the college's division of community education, said recently. "We are living in a major port area and offering this gateway program will help better prepare our community and offer our students the knowledge that will lead to advanced programs and better-paying jobs such as urban planners, emergency managers, and law-enforcement agents," he added. For more information about the program, call (201) 360-4246. TONI-ANN CERBO Pirate adventure comes to Bayonne
Avast ye mateys, come aboard Bayonne Library Tuesday to see this swashbuckling adventure of daring-do

• Jersey City woman refuses to leave area, gets arrested for fighting
A Jersey City woman was arrested by police officers Sunday when she refused to stop fighting with another woman, officials said yesterday.

• Monmouth police: 2 Jersey City brothers charged with cockfighting after dead roosters found in car
Two Jersey City men were arrested on cockfighting charges after police in Eatontown spotted blood on their clothes during a motor vehicle stop, and found four of eight roosters in their car dead and covered with gashes, officials said yesterday.

• Bayonne's School 14 to be renamed for Medal of Honor winner
School 14 in Bayonne will be officially renamed the Nicholas Oresko School in honor of the Bayonne-born World War II veteran on Sept. 23.

• WNY nabs 2 more in prostitution-relation sting; 1 is state employee
WEST NEW YORK - Police have made their 60th and 61st prostitution-related arrests in town since the start of the year, and one of the suspects is a state employee, officials said.

• Jersey City group wants to help those affected by flooding in Pakistan
When Jersey City resident Riaz Wahid heard about the devastating flooding that has left millions in Pakistan without shelter and food, he wanted to do something to help.

• Scandal means that soon, MVC won't accept Puerto Rico birth certificates
As of Sept. 30, the state Motor Vehicle Commission will not accept birth certificates issued in Puerto Rico prior to July 1, 2010.

• Cops: Jersey City man charged with trying to rob North Bergen bank tried again at another branch
NORTH BERGEN - The Jersey City man who was arrested last Thursday for allegedly attempting to rob a Valley National Bank branch in Jersey City confessed to police that he also planned to rob a North Bergen bank on Aug. 17, officials said yesterday.

• Error on 'Race to the Top' application costs NJ $400M
& JESSICA CALEFATI

• Ramos to introduce bill to give patients notice of debt before collection agency called
HOBOKEN - Assemblyman Ruben Ramos Jr. will introduce legislation that would require health care providers to notify patients with outstanding debt before reporting them to a private collection agency or consumer reporting agency.

• Jersey City man, seen with TV, arrested on theft charges
A Jersey City man was arrested with three stolen flat-screen TVs and a laptop after police responded to a report of suspicious men carrying televisions down the street Monday, officials said.

• Window on unmarked Jersey City cop car smashed with rock; nothing taken
The window of an unmarked Jersey City police car was smashed by a rock while parked near the West District Police Station this past weekend, officials said yesterday.

• Correction
In a caption in Saturday's editions, the Little Miss Puerto Rico pageant winner should have been identified as Sierra Rose Dobles.

• Jersey City auto worker notices foul odor, discovers dead body
The decomposed body of a decapitated man was found along the Conrail train tracks on County Road in Jersey City Saturday morning in an overgrown area outside the iron fence of an auto wrecking yard, officials said yesterday.

• Federal grant to pay for park under Hoboken's 14th Street Viaduct
HOBOKEN - A dog run, playground and athletic court are just a few of the plans for the space beneath the 14th Street Viaduct, officials have announced.

• Guttenberg soldier laid to rest
WEST NEW YORK - More than 100 mourners gathered at St. Mary's Church yesterday morning to say good-bye to Pfc. Felipe Ramirez.

• Bronx woman strikes cop car, charged with DWI
NORTH BERGEN - A Bronx woman was arrested and charged with driving under the influence Saturday night when her Toyota Camry struck a parked Hudson County Sheriff's patrol car during a routine motor vehicle stop, officials said yesterday.

• Cops: Motorcyclist who died in crash had extensive criminal record
The career felon carrying nearly 170 vials of suspected cocaine when he died in a motorcycle crash after a Jersey City police chase Saturday had only been out of federal prison 36 days when he died, officials said yesterday.

• Diplomas, respect for Korean, 'Nam vets
THE STAR-LEDGER

• Gov awaiting news today about Race to Top money
THE STAR-LEDGER

• Power back on in North Bergen
Roughly 100 PSE&G customers in North Bergen were without power for 10 hours Sunday, PSE&G officials said yesterday.

• Bayonne renter achieves ultimate American dream: home ownership
After renting his entire adult life, a 50-year-old Bayonne union worker recently achieved the American dream of home ownership with the help of a state-sponsored program that covered his downpayment and closing costs.

• Car decal law for new drivers to be reviewed by Attorney General
THE STAR-LEDGER

• Hudson's family planning clinics preparing for worst with Christie's veto
Family planning clinics in Hudson County are planning to reduce services and bracing for layoffs in the wake of Gov. Chris Christie's veto of a bill to restore $7.5 million in family planning funds cut from the state budget in March.

• Jersey City City Council will give OK to lobbyist to block pipeline
The Jersey City City Council plans to vote to hire a lobbyist tomorrow in hopes of blocking a Texas company's plans to run a natural gas pipeline through Jersey City.

• JCIA issues summons to Jersey City developer over mounting garbage, debris at site
An environmental inspector for the Jersey City Incinerator Authority has told a developer to clean up the mounting garbage and debris at his construction site or face fines, a JCIA official said yesterday.

• Judge tosses indictment case against Bayonne man, 2 other Hunterdon sheriff's cops
THE STAR-LEDGER

• Jersey City fire displaces family, causes damage to home
An electrical fire displaced one family and caused severe damage to a three-story frame building at 76 Oakland Ave., in Jersey City yesterday morning, Fire Director Armando Roman said.

• Jersey City intersection to be renamed in honor of activist
The intersection of Van Horne Street and Bramhall Avenue in Jersey City will be renamed Ethel Mae Haynes Way in a ceremony this Saturday.

• Back-to-School Project gets boost with new donations
With just days remaining before Saturday's giveaway, the Jersey City Back-to-School Project has continued to attract donors, receiving $40,000 in corporate and in-kind donations in a matter of weeks, organizers said.

• BIKER'S FATAL MISTAKE
A 33-year-old Jersey City man riding a motorcycle at high speeds died Saturday night when he crashed into a van after being chased by cops, authorities said.

• Jersey City inventor comes up with his own anti-fungal formula
Meet 33-year-old Jeff Treut of Jersey City - a tax-law consultant by day, inventor of a nail fungus cure by night.

• Former assistant superintendent accused of angling for Epps' post
Cathy Coyle hasn't been an assistant superintendent in the Jersey City Public Schools since 2001.

• Bayonne doc awarded research grant
A nationally-recognized Bayonne doctor has been awarded a research grant and will be the principal investigator in a national study.

• Five-mile police chase ends when stolen pickup crashes into North Bergen building
A five-mile, multi-car police chase from Leonia to North Bergen ended when the driver of a stolen pickup truck crashed into an apartment building and was arrested early Saturday morning, police said.

• Shots fired from car near site of Jersey City street fight
Shots were fired from a car near a Jersey City street brawl Saturday night, according to police.

• K-9 bite leads Jersey City cops to suspect
Jersey City police dog Froto sunk his teeth into the heel of a fleeing robbery suspect who managed to escape, but was arrested after his mom reported the bite, police said.

• Power outage leaves 1,600 in Guttenberg and North Bergen in the dark for hours
Roughly 1,500 Guttenberg and 100 North Bergen customers were without power for more than three hours yesterday afternoon after the top of a utility pole caught fire, PSE&G officials said.

• At 19, Jersey City native is the author of a published children's book
For Alyssa Pierce, the dream of becoming an author is now a reality.

• DANCING,
SINGING IN

• Teachers from Hudson, Bergen trudge through watershed, gaining hands-on experience in science
Walking in mud and catching frogs in the Hackensack River Watershed were two of the hands-on lessons teachers experienced last week during a workshop to improve teaching science to middle and high schoolers.

• Wake held for Army soldier killed in DWI involving another member of the service
NORTH BERGEN - Family and friends gathered at a wake yesterday for a 27-year-old soldier from Guttenberg who was killed Aug. 14 after he was knocked off his motorcycle by a drunk driver, who police say is also an enlisted man.

• Suspects 'plow through' Pulaski traffic
THE STAR-LEDGER

• Turbine to save Bayonne big bucks in long run
A planned 262-foot-tall windmill for Bayonne will save the city roughly $8 million over the next 25 years, according to the company building the project.

• Proposed 'credit' system could transform how Jersey City develops
Jersey City planning officials hope to employ a unique state zoning law to turn a dilapidated industrial area along Jersey Avenue, between 10th and 18th streets, into a neighborhood resembling nearby Hamilton Park.

• Former Jersey City Municipal Court Administrator Virginia Pagan sentenced to three years in prison for fixing parking tickets
HACKENSACK - Former Jersey City Municipal Court Administrator Virginia Pagan was sentenced to three years in prison yesterday for illegally "fixing" 215 tickets. She was also ordered to pay restitution for all of them.

• Federal security worker from Bayonne charged with embezzlement in theft of four laptops at lost-and-found office
A 40-year-old Bayonne woman surrendered yesterday after being charged with embezzlement for allegedly stealing laptops from a Transportation Security Administration lost-and-found facility.

• Delays ahead as one lane closes on turnpike extension from Bayonne to Newark this weekend
Expect more delays on the New Jersey Turnpike Extension from Bayonne to Newark this weekend.

• Security video of Schillari - Bartucci clash indicates minimal physical contact
Security video appears to show only minimal contact between Hudson County Undersheriff Frank Schillari and Sheriff's Office Chief John Bartucci in the incident that resulted in assault charges that were filed by Bartucci.

• Iconic sign on Union City theater dismantled
UNION CITY - With legendary names like George Carlin and Johnny Cash once gracing the old marquee of the Park Performing Arts Center, one might think the venerable sign would stand the test of time.

• Kearny fire leaves family of four looking for new home
KEARNY - A two-alarm fire that apparently began in a kitchen forced one family from their home Thursday night, Kearny fire officials said.

• A bride's gown being worn as christening dress for 10th time tomorrow
Each christening takes 70-year-old Aida Fiorina back to her wedding day 46 years ago.

• A little parking relief is ahead for Hoboken motorists
HOBOKEN - The city is switching on its brand-new parking meters this week as it furthers an initiative to increase meters for multi-space parking, according to a news release.

• Annual Puerto Rican festival starts today in Jersey City; parade follows on Sunday
The streets of Jersey City will overflow with Puerto Rican pride today and tomorrow, as the annual Puerto Rican Heritage Festival and Parade returns for its 50th installment.

• 'I can't play with the people I love," says softball player as she transfers from High Tech High School to Hoboken, because of transportation issues
After the Hudson County Schools of Technology Board of Trustees jettisoned the athletics programs at High Tech and County Prep earlier because of cuts in state aid, some students have opted to transfer out of the county schools.

• Delays plague state-sponsored consolidation report regarding three Hudson hospitals
The completion of a state-sponsored consolidation report - aimed at offering recommendations for improvement of three Hudson County hospitals' respective services - has been met with multiple obstacles, according to Gov. Chris Christie's office.

• Conserve water or else, United Water warns North Hudson and Bergen
Lawn-watering restrictions are in effect for northern Hudson County and Bergen County residents, and those who don't comply face getting their water turned off, a United Water spokeswoman said yesterday.

• William J. O'Donnell dies, was mayor of Guttenberg
When it concerned Guttenberg, William J. O'Donnell had his hand in everything.

• Anti-pipeline Web site launched by two Jersey City residents
Two Jersey City residents have launched a website opposing a Texas company's plans to build a natural gas pipeline through the city.

• Hoboken man sentenced to seven years in prison for manslaughter of a Jersey City man whose skull was fractured in a 2008 fight
A Hoboken man was sentenced to seven years in prison for the manslaughter of a Jersey City man who was left for dead in the street after his skull was fractured in a fight, officials said.

• Nobody from state showed up to inspect dog shelter in Jersey City that it had ordered fixed, according to Liberty Humane Society.
Despite a threatening letter telling Liberty Humane Society it had until yesterday to fix inhumane conditions, the state didn't pay a visit to the Jersey City shelter.

• After three weeks on run, fugitives arrested without fight
ST. JOHNS, Ariz. - Over the past three weeks, an escaped Arizona prisoner and his girlfriend bedeviled the hundreds of lawmen hunting them across the desolate highways and thick forests of the West.

• Charter schools face fights in suburbs
Charter schools are a mainstay in New Jersey's poorest cities, offering students alternatives to struggling public schools.

• Dad buys ad after daughter breaks curfew
SOUTHLAKE, Texas - A Texas teenager who broke curfew is headed for a reluctant adventure in baby-sitting.

• Driver fined $100 for goat in trunk
BEDFORD, Va. - A driver has been convicted of animal cruelty and fined $100 after Virginia authorities found a goat stuffed in the trunk of her car.

• On vacation, Obama tends to summer reading list
VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. - In the first full day of a Martha's Vineyard vacation, President Barack Obama set aside some of the cares of office yesterday to work on his family's summer reading list.