NJ Mall Santa's Leg-Saving Surgery Puts Him Back In The Sleigh — Just In Time For Christmas NJ Mall Santa's Leg-Saving Surgery Puts Him Back In The Sleigh — Just In Time For Christmas
NJ Mall Santa's Leg-Saving Surgery Puts Him Back In The Sleigh — Just In Time For Christmas A beloved New Jersey mall Santa who nearly lost his leg to diabetes is back to spreading holiday cheer, thanks to a life-saving surgery at Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center. Santa is used to giving gifts, not receiving them, but this holiday season, 73-year-old Ronald Fierro will once again take pictures with children sitting on his lap, thanks to a unique surgery that saved his leg. Fierro, a retired high school teacher and Boy Scouts shooting instructor from Brick Township, has been delighting families as Santa Claus for years at the Freehold Raceway Mall.  In Marc…
'A Mosquito Bite Can Ruin Your Life:' Rutherford Dad Battles West Nile Virus Nightmare 'A Mosquito Bite Can Ruin Your Life:' Rutherford Dad Battles West Nile Virus Nightmare
'A Mosquito Bite Can Ruin Your Life:' Rutherford Dad Battles West Nile Virus Nightmare A routine day in August turned into a nightmare for Bergen County dad and CUNY professor Frank Cornacchiulo, who went from walking and talking to being on life support within 48 hours. Frank Cornacchiulo, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and was on immunosuppressive treatment with Rituxan, contracted the virus over the summer, which triggered encephalitis — a severe brain inflammation — that has left him unable to eat, speak, or walk. Cornacchiulo's sister-in-law, Tanya Kevorkian, described the rapid decline since Thursday, Aug. 8  “He was sick with flu-like symptom…
Former NY Rep Paralyzed After Horse Accident Receiving Treatment At Kessler Institute: Report Former NY Rep Paralyzed After Horse Accident Receiving Treatment At Kessler Institute: Report
Former NY Rep Paralyzed After Horse Accident Receiving Treatment At Kessler Institute: Report Former New York Congressman Michael Grimm has been left paralyzed from the chest down after a severe horse-riding accident during a polo tournament, and is being treated in New Jersey, CBS News reports citing a friend of Grimm's.  Grimm, age 54, was thrown from his horse in September and is now undergoing treatment at the renowned Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, which has locations in West Orange, Saddle Brook, Chester, and Marlton.  Headquartered in West Orange, Kessler is where actor Christopher Reeve was treated following a similar accident in 1995, and was…
Trooper Struck By Pickup Truck ID'd As Mahopac Native Trooper Struck By Pickup Truck ID'd As Mahopac Native
Trooper Struck By Pickup Truck ID'd As Mahopac Native A New York State Trooper from the Hudson Valley remains hospitalized after being struck by a pickup truck on I-87 while outside of his vehicle during a traffic stop. Putnam County native Nicholas Abbondola, from Mahopac, was severely injured in Albany County on Saturday, Nov. 2, on the Northway southbound lanes at 12:30 p.m. A tow truck driver from Saratoga County, Brett M. Dempsey, age 29, of Clifton Park, was also hit. He is recovering at home but has a long road ahead, said New York State Police Trooper Stephanie O'Neil.  O'Neil said Abbondola will be moved to a rehabilitation cent…
Malnourished Dog Adopted By Police In Sussex County Comforts Those In Need: NJSP Malnourished Dog Adopted By Police In Sussex County Comforts Those In Need: NJSP
Malnourished Dog Adopted By Police In Sussex County Comforts Those In Need: Njsp In March, Remo was found by New Jersey State Police in Sussex County, malnourished and desperately in need of care. After two months of rehabilitation from Newton Animal Control, Remo fully recovered and was gifted to state police, where he was adopted by Trooper Ryan Dichiara, state police said. Meet Remo, the rescued pup who’s become a hero in more ways than one! In March 2024, New Jersey State Police Troop “B”... Posted by New Jersey State Police on Thursday, November 7, 2024 "Remo has been a beloved part of our team ever since," state police said. "Not only has Remo boost…
New Update: IDs Released For Trooper, Tow Truck Driver Hit By Pickup Truck In Colonie New Update: IDs Released For Trooper, Tow Truck Driver Hit By Pickup Truck In Colonie
New Update: IDs Released For Trooper, Tow Truck Driver Hit By Pickup Truck In Colonie The New York State trooper and tow truck operator who were struck by a pickup truck on I-87 while outside of their vehicles during a traffic stop have been identified by state police. The incident occurred in Albany County on the Northway southbound lanes on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Colonie.  Original report - Trooper Suffers Serious Injuries After Being Struck By Pickup Truck On Northway In Colonie According to Trooper Stephanie O'Neil, Trooper Nicholas Abbondola has undergone lengthy surgeries to repair some of the injuries, but additional surgeries are expected to be necess…
Jackson Twp. Man Admits To Driving High On Meth, Injuring Four In Toms River Crash: Prosecutors Jackson Twp. Man Admits To Driving High On Meth, Injuring Four In Toms River Crash: Prosecutors
Jackson Twp. Man Admits To Driving High On Meth, Injuring Four In Toms River Crash: Prosecutors A Jackson Township man admitted to driving a stolen pickup while high on methamphetamine in a crash that injured another man and three children, authorities said. Charles Sharkey Jr., 35, pleaded guilty on Monday, Oct. 21 to aggravated assault, driving while intoxicated, and certain person not to possess a firearm, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release.  Sharkey was charged in a crash on Thursday, Mar. 23, 2023. Toms River police responded to the wreck near the intersection of Route 70 and Massachusetts Avenue at around 4 p.m. Invest…
'Evil Perpetrator' Who Shot Sheriff's Deputy Gets Decades In Prison For Calvert County Pursuit 'Evil Perpetrator' Who Shot Sheriff's Deputy Gets Decades In Prison For Calvert County Pursuit
'Evil Perpetrator' Who Shot Sheriff's Deputy Gets Decades In Prison For Calvert County Pursuit The man who shot a sheriff's deputy following a lengthy high-speed chase in Maryland will spend decades in prison after being convicted by a jury over the summer, the Calvert County State's Attorney announced on Friday. Greenbelt resident Brandon Alexander Turner, 23, who was previously described as an "evil perpetrator" by Sheriff Ricky Cox, was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder in connection to the shooting of Master Deputy James Flynt in December 2022.  On Friday, Oct. 11, the Calvert County Sheriff's Office announced that Turner has been sentenced to life in prison, wit…
Nursing Home Murder-Suicide: Cops ID Husband, Wife Dead in Cromwell Nursing Home Murder-Suicide: Cops ID Husband, Wife Dead in Cromwell
Nursing Home Murder-Suicide: Cops ID Husband, Wife Dead in Cromwell An 82-year-old Connecticut man shot his 81-year-old wife to death at a rehabilitation center on Friday, Oct. 4, before turning the gun on himself, authorities said.  Dennis Brandt was identified as the shooter at Middlesex County's Apple Rehab on Berlin Road in Crowell, authorities said.  Cromwell Police received a 911 call just before 11 a.m. to reports of a shooting at the center. When they arrived, they found the bodies of Dennis and Barbara Brandt suffering from bullet wounds.  Authorities said Barbara was a longtime resident of the center.  Investigators beli…
Aspiring Nurse On Life Support, Funeral Set For Second Teen In Double Fatal West Babylon Crash Aspiring Nurse On Life Support, Funeral Set For Second Teen In Double Fatal West Babylon Crash
Aspiring Nurse On Life Support, Funeral Set For Second Teen In Double Fatal West Babylon Crash Four teenagers are fighting for their lives following a crash on Long Island that killed one driver and claimed the life of a recent high school graduate. New, updated story - Girl Becomes 3rd Fatality From Crash In Which Driver Ran Red Light In West Babylon: Police The wreck happened in West Babylon, just after 1 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Suffolk County Police said a Kia sedan was heading eastbound on Railroad Avenue when it ran a red light at the intersection of Great East Neck Road and slammed into a Kia SUV. Earlier Report: 2 Killed, 4 Severely Injured In Crash At West Babylon…
Retired Hagerstown Firefighter Recovering After Suffering Critical Injuries During SC Vacation Retired Hagerstown Firefighter Recovering After Suffering Critical Injuries During SC Vacation
Retired Hagerstown Firefighter Recovering After Suffering Critical Injuries During SC Vacation What started as a fun vacation with friends and family in Myrtle Beach left a beloved father and community member in Maryland laid up in a hospital bed with critical injuries. Rick Conrad, a retired firefighter and engineer from the Hagerstown Fire Department Local 1605 is facing a long road to recovery after suffering life-altering injuries that required double knee surgery to repair extensive damages. The hope, his family says, is that Conrad will be able to walk again, though that future is unclear the day after his surgery on Saturday, Sept. 14. "I’m not sure how to ask for help becaus…
Passaic Valley Alum Struck In Head By Line Drive At College Baseball Practice, Family Says Passaic Valley Alum Struck In Head By Line Drive At College Baseball Practice, Family Says
Passaic Valley Alum Struck In Head By Line Drive At College Baseball Practice, Family Says Nicholas Fiorita was days into his baseball career at the County College of Morris when the unthinkable happened. The freshman, who graduated from Passaic Valley High School last spring, was struck in the head by a line drive at practice on Wednesday, Sept. 4, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by his sister, Sofia. Fiorita has been in a medically-induced coma and, although he's since been taken off of a ventilator and is breathing on his own, it's too soon to say how his brain will respond to the injury, Sofia says. As of Monday, Sept. 9, more than $35,700 had been raised on t…