Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Lyft Driver Kidnapped At Gunpoint In Newark, Forced To Make Several Stops Lyft Driver Kidnapped At Gunpoint In Newark, Forced To Make Several Stops
Lyft Driver Kidnapped At Gunpoint In Newark, Forced To Make Several Stops Police in Newark are looking for a group of people who forced a ride share driver at gunpoint to take them to various locations in the area before robbing the driver, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.  The Lyft driver picked up a fare on the 700 block of S. 18th Street around 3:30 p.m. April 7. Three passengers, who may have been juveniles, entered the vehicle and one pulled the gun.  They first ordered the driver to take them to Capital One bank at 487 Springfield Ave., where two of the passengers entered as the third continued to hold the driver at gunpoint.  Ne…

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by Paul Milo
Elizabeth, NJ
News
At Least 9K Without Power In Union County At Least 9K Without Power In Union County
At Least 9K Without Power In Union County Thousands of people living along and near the North Avenue-South Avenue corridor running through suburban Union County lost power Monday afternoon, according to PSEG.  A spokeswoman for the utility said the outages were first reported around 11:38 a.m. Crews were still trying to determine a cause as of early Monday afternoon.  At least 9,000 customers in Roselle Park, Clark, Westfield, Cranford and other communities were affected, the spokeswoman also said. She did not have an estimate for when power would be restored. 

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by Paul Milo
Elizabeth, NJ
Lifestyle
Police Departments Across Union Recognizing Autism Awareness Month Police Departments Across Union Recognizing Autism Awareness Month
Police Departments Across Union Recognizing Autism Awareness Month Drivers may have noticed something a little different about the police cars in Cranford recently.  The usual black, white and gold color scheme has been enlivened with a vibrantly multicolored decal in a puzzle design. The logo has been popularized by Autism Speaks, an advocacy group, and is now associated with the condition in much the same way as a pink ribbon has come to symbolize breast cancer awareness.  Cranford is displaying the logo in honor of Autism Awareness Month, which began April 1, but the department is hardly alone.  A number of police forces have also promot…

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by Paul Milo
Fairfield, CT
Schools
Sacred Heart Denies Wrongdoing In Student's Choking Death During Pancake Eating Contest Sacred Heart Denies Wrongdoing In Student's Choking Death During Pancake Eating Contest
Sacred Heart Denies Wrongdoing In Student's Choking Death During Pancake Eating Contest Sacred Heart University is denying any wrongdoing in a student's choking death during a pancake eating contest in 2017. In court documents filed Tuesday in Superior Court in Bridgeport, the college's attorney's blamed Caitlin Nelson’s own actions in her death in response to a lawsuit brought by Nelson’s mother. Nelson, 20, who was studying social work and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority, was rushed to St. Vincent's Medical Center in March 2017 after choking on the pancakes during a charity fundraiser.  Her mother, Rosanne Nelson, of Clark, New Jersey, who is seeking dam…

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by Kathy Reakes
Hackensack, NJ
News
North Jersey Couple Among 8 Hospitalized In Weekend Overnight Crash North Jersey Couple Among 8 Hospitalized In Weekend Overnight Crash
North Jersey Couple Among 8 Hospitalized In Weekend Overnight Crash A 21-year-old Midland Park couple was in critical condition following a weekend collision that injured seven people and killed one. ** UPDATE: A 22-year-old man was charged in the Sunday morning crash that killed a 20-year-old college student and injured seven other people. ** More than $30,000 had been raised as of Wednesday evening on a GoFundMe for Ryan Moore and Jenna Passero.  Moore, a senior market major, was among five TCNJ students involved in the Sunday morning crash, who sustained multiple lacerations, concussions, a ruptured bladder and other injuries, the college's st…

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by Cecilia Levine
Fairfield, CT
News
Family Of 20-Year-Old Who Died During Pancake Eating Contest Sues Sacred Heart University Family Of 20-Year-Old Who Died During Pancake Eating Contest Sues Sacred Heart University
Family Of 20-Year-Old Who Died During Pancake Eating Contest Sues Sacred Heart University The family of a 20-year-old college student who choked to death during a pancake-eating contest at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield is filing a lawsuit against the school. Caitlin Nelson, a junior at the Fairfield County university, died last year on March 30 during the contest, which was a school-sanctioned event to raise money for charity. Her death was ultimately ruled an accident. The Clark, New Jersey, resident had eaten several pancakes before she collapsed, spitting out some food, but still choking, witnesses told police.  A nursing student began CPR, while others attempted to u…

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by Zak Failla