Stolen Car and Local Celebrities Top Local News

Verona Police Searching for Stolen Car

Verona police are searching for a stolen black BMW X3 taken from an Oakridge Road residence just after 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

The license plate on the stolen car is YSF 68J.

Anyone with information should call Verona police at (973) 239-5000.

Cedar Grove Chef Competes for Next Iron Chef Title

Chef Amanda Freitag has always been a proud Jersey girl, having grown up in Cedar Grove before moving to New York to become a Food Network television star.

Freitag moved to Cedar Grove with her parents when she was in second grade and later graduated from what was then known as Cedar Grove Memorial High School.

She moved out when she started at the Culinary Institute of America but always comes back home for the holidays.

Verona Schools Developing Five Year Strategic Plan

Dear Colleagues and Community Members,

The Verona School District is in the midst of the development phase of our next five year Strategic Plan.

On December 13th and 14th, the Steering Committee - comprised of a board member, administrators, faculty, parents, community members, and a high school student- collaborated to review and refine our mission statement, establish our strategic goals, and develop the strategies that will be executed to actualize the mission and goals.

Fontoura Sworn In For Eighth Term

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura was sworn in for a record-setting eighth term Wednesday morning at the Veterans Courthouse.

Fontoura, 69, has served as the Essex County Sheriff since 1990, but he has been involved in the county’s police force long before that. 

Fontoura began as Newark police officer in 1967, and eventually rose through the ranks to become a captain and then chief assistant to the police director. In 1986, he became an Essex County Undersheriff, where he served until he was appointed sheriff in 1990.

He won re-election in November after defeating challenger Orlando Mendez, garnering about 91 percent of the votes cast.

New Jersey’s Red Light Camera Program Has Failed

To the Editor:
A new report from the state Department of Transportation confirms what many opponents of red light camera ticketing systems have long suspected: cameras lead to more accidents, more injuries and greater cost.

The report contains data showing that both the total number and total cost of crashes have increased at intersections after cameras were installed.

NJ Transit Cross-Honoring Tickets During Storm

As the area braces for a potential three-to-five inches of tardy snow (not quite a White Christmas, but close, right?), NJ Transit announced that it would be cross-honoring of tickets starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Cross-honoring will remain in effect until the end of the service day Thursday, Dec. 27, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, bus or light rail. For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station. Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the train instead.