Crimes, Hurricane Sandy and Elections Top Monthly News

Verona Teen Charged With Eluding Police

A 17-year-old Verona youth was arrested Thanksgiving night when he sped off as police attempted to stop his car for speeding, Cedar Grove police said.

The driver and three 15-year-old passengers were on Pompton Avenue (Route 23) around 10 p.m. Nov. 22, police said, when an officer turned on his lights and siren to stop the car.

Gas Rationing Begins Saturday in 12 Counties

A system for dispensing gas is to begin Saturday to combat long lines at the pump in 12 counties throughout the state.

According to a release from the Governor's Office, citizens of the following counties are now limited on the days in which they can fill up their gas tanks, as per the state Office of Emergency Management: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.

Verona Mayor Dissatisfied with PSE&G Response

Verona Township officials, police, fire, rescue squad and volunteers have been working tirelessly to get the town back on the grid, but officials say PSE&G may not be doing all it can to help them.

On Friday, Nov. 2, four days after Hurricane Sandy, about 70 percent of the town was still without power, according to Verona Office of Emergency Management Director Jeff Hayes.

Here we go again.

Residents of Verona and Cedar Grove are losing power once again as a nor'easter, now named Winter Storm Athena, hit the towns on Wednesday afternoon.

“The township is experiencing a wide spread power outage,” Cedar Grove police said. “PSE&G is aware of the problem and is working on a repair.”

A 23-year-old Verona man went through a stop sign Wednesday morning at the intersection of Ridge Road and Reservoir Drive and struck an occupied parked car, injuring a woman, police said.

Michael A. Collins was driving west on Reservoir Drive, police said, when he passed a stop sign at the intersection of Ridge Road and Reservoir Drive at 11:47 a.m. and struck a car travelling southbound on Ridge Road.

The number of stations that have supplies of gasoline is running low everywhere in Essex County, including Verona and Cedar Grove.

The stations that have managed to get power and fuel have had lines stretching for miles, with customers sometimes waiting hours for a few gallons.

In a scene reminiscent of the 1970s oil crisis, residents have been sitting in lines stretching around the block for hours at a time.

Cedar Grove Still Working to Restore Power

PSE&G crews have been working around the clock to restore power to Verona and Cedar Grove residents, who have been without electricity since Hurricane Sandy damaged trees and power lines on Monday.

Power began coming back on Wednesday Oct. 31 and continued through Thursday, officials said.

A rental car used in a suspected burglary led police on a high-speed chase through Cedar Grove Tuesday night, Cedar Grove police said.

Law-enforcement officials contacted OnStar on Wednesday morning and were told the car was found abandoned near the George Washington Bridge in New York City. The vehicle was not reported stolen at the time of the burglary.

An early morning crash Monday left a woman injured and damaged a utility pole on Mount Prospect Avenue (Route 23) in Verona, police said.

Verona Police Chief Douglas Huber said the unidentified woman was travelling south on Mount Pleasant Avenue at approximately 3 a.m. when she hit the electric pole, splitting it in half and knocking wires down before the vehicle flipped.

President Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term, but Verona and Cedar Grove voters responded differently at the polls.

A majority of Cedar Grove residents voted in favor of Mitt Romney, with 3,301 votes against Barack Obama's 2,393 votes.