Former Councilman Denies Race Behind Statue

The owner of a local storage business who dressed a monkey statue in an anti-Obama T-shirt said Aug. 8 the statement was not racially motivated.

“It was not meant to be racial," business owner Rick Bond told Patch.

Bond, a former councilman and police officer, placed the statue in front of his Cedar Grove business, Don-Ric Self Storage at 405 Little Falls Road but removed it Tuesday afternoon after people started complaining.

The statue, which reappeared on Saturday, Aug. 18 seated in a red chair with the same OMG – Obama Must Go t-shirt and a black ski mask on the face of the statue, was allegedly put out for trash pickup and the controversy reignited. The statue later disappeared. 

Snooki Gives Birth in Livingston

Welcome Lorenzo, meet Mama Snooki.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, one of the stars of 'Jersey Shore,' gave birth Monday, Aug. 27 at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. 

Lorenzo Dominic LaValle was born just before 3 a.m., NJ.com reports. The baby boy weighs 6 pounds, 5 ounces and is healthy according to a report by MTV.

Snooki is engaged to reality TV star Jionni LaValle. This is her first child.

Verona Death Still Under Investigation

Three days after the sudden death of 41-year-old Kellie Swanstrom at her Linden Avenue home in Verona, officials have yet to determine what happened.

However, authorities say the death remains under investigation.

"The investigation is active and ongoing. We haven't determined the specific cause or manner of death yet, we're waiting for additional information," Essex Prosecutor's Office information officer Katherine Carter said Tuesday.

Police Investigating Verona Woman's Death

A Verona mother of two was found dead in her basement on Saturday, Feb. 4 and law enforcement officials said her death is under investigation.

Authorities said Kellie Swanstrom, 41, was found unresponsive in the basement of her Linden Avenue home at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday after police responded to a 9-1-1 call for medical assistance.

Anthony Robert Salon Gets More 'Jerseylicious'

To hear salon owner Anthony Lombardi speak, you’d never know he’s the star of the hit reality series Jerseylicious. He seems to have taken the seismic shift in his life and career all in stride.

The show’s popularity has catapulted this small-town salon owner into big-time celebrity and turned his new normal into a life of talk show interviews, public appearances and photo shoots not to mention several months of filming a year. Oh, and the actual business of running a salon.

If all that wasn't enough, Lombardi is also in the middle of opening a brand new, cavernous space just up the block from his current location on Bloomfield Avenue in Verona. The new salon is to be located at 277 Bloomfield Ave.

Space Shuttle Sails to Intrepid Museum

Photographer Willy Thompson, a Teaneck firefighter, captured images of the Space Shuttle Enterprise's trip by barge from Jersey City to the Intrepid Museum Wednesday. 

The shuttle sailed by several New York City landmarks, including the World Trade Center site and the Statue of Liberty. Boats from the New York City Police Department, Fire Department and a New York Water Taxi followed the shuttle on its historic trip. 

Scores of spectators from across the area lined the Hudson River waterfront to catch a glimpse of the shuttle. 

Black Bear and Cubs Spotted in Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove Police are monitoring a family of black bears, spotted by residents Wednesday, Sept. 26. The mother and three cubs are thought to be the same black bear family found foraging through West Caldwell on Sunday.

The initial call came in at 6:43 a.m. Wednesday morning from a resident on Eileen Drive, said Cedar Grove Police Chief Richard Vanderstreet. Since then, police have received numerous calls as the bear family continue to explore the township.

16-Year-Old Bloomfield Girl Killed in Crash

A 16-year-old Bloomfield High School soccer player died Sept. 29 in car crash that left four others injured.  

Christina Lembo was seated in the back of a 2007 Honda Civic when it was involved in a car crash with a 2000 Chevrolet Camaro at about 11:10 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Broughton Avenue and Walter Street in Bloomfield, according to a press release from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. Lembo was transported to University Hospital in Newark, and was pronounced dead a short time later, the release said. 

Update: Verona Woman Killed Tuesday Night

A 54-year-old Verona woman killed July 31 while crossing Bloomfield Avenue in Verona did not cross in a crosswalk, according to Verona Police Chief Douglas Huber.

Marie Trusits was struck by the car at 8:45 p.m. near 370 Bloomfield Ave., Huber said, adding she crossed the street as "it was getting dark." The weather was clear at the time of the accident, he said.

Trusits was transported to University Hospital in Newark and pronounced dead.

No charges have been filed in the incident and the investigation is continuing.

Football Must Be Moved Because of Sinkhole

Verona’s home football games will have to be moved off of the main football field to a lower field, school officials said late last week.

That’s because of a sinkhole has opened on the field and a preliminary report showing there are other problems underneath the field’s surface – including metal under the field’s northeast corner.

Superintendent Steven Forte said Sept. 14 the district has gotten the preliminary results of a scan of the field. Based on the report, the district is moving forward with a plan to move the five home games to the lower field at Verona High School, Forte said.