Community Corner

Mahwah Standoff, Deptford Murder Top NJ News

A weekly look at news in New Jersey.

Princeton University is home to world class scholars, students and athletes—and for the next few days, 28 members of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team. The Olympic hopefuls arrived in Princeton  on May 10 for a two-week intensive training camp before the team faces China on May 27 in Chester, Pa., U.S. Women's Soccer spokesman Aaron Heifetz said.

Standoff Couple Charged With Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest

A Mahwah couple was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, among other charges, after a  that ended after police used force and tear gas to remove the couple from their Ramapo Brae condo, Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli said.

A family argument led to the murder of a Deptford man early Friday morning, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. Chad Gatewood, 45, and his nephew, Elijah P. Gatewood-Gabriel, 20, allegedly got in a confrontation around midnight, when Gatewood stabbed Gatewood-Gabriel multiple times with a kitchen knife in the family's apartment, GCPO spokesman Bernie Weisenfeld said. 

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Student Brings Replica Firearm to Ridgewood Middle School

A student is facing discplinary action after bringing in a replica firearm to Ridgewood's George Washington Middle School Wednesday morning. 

New Jersey Revenue Falls Short in April

Tax collections in New Jersey are running $230 million behind Gov. Chris Christie's projections after April revenue came up short, according to a state Treasury report released Tuesday. If the trend continues, Christie and lawmakers may have to revise their plans to cut taxes, or they may have to find other places to trim the budget. [Inquirer]

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District officials from New Brunswick schools said Tuesday night that a report from the state misrepresented the district's actual graduation rate. According to the state, New Brunswick's graduation rate was reported to be 58.8 percent, but district officials said Tuesday that the actual rate, calculated through a previously used formula, is more than 70 percent.

Bill to Loosen State's Strict Surrogate Parenting Laws Moves Forward

A state Senate panel Thursday advanced a bill that would loosen New Jersey's strict surrogate parenting laws, enacted a quarter century ago after the state Supreme Court's "Baby M" decision spurred a national debate over who has rights to the child when couples hire a woman to give birth. Under the legislation, New Jersey would eliminate the three-day waiting period for parents of children born to surrogates to be listed on their birth certificates. [Star-Ledger]

A 1-year-old girl had been taken by an escaping criminal suspect was returned to a family member, police said. The child, the daughter of the woman who allegedly helped the suspect from a parked patrol car, was brought to the family member in Newark on Tuesday.

Distrust Lingers over NYPD Surveillance for Some North Jersey Muslims

A sense of anxiety and unease continues to grip some members of the Muslim community in the fallout from the New York Police Department’s surveillance controversy—and that distrust has undermined cooperation with law enforcement agencies that rely on Arab- and Muslim-Americans as partners in the fight against homegrown terrorism, some Muslim leaders say. [Record]

The charges against Kleber Vera, a parking utility worker who was arrested in November 2010, were dropped, and he will be reinstated to his job, according to Hoboken spokesman Juan Melli. Vera, 21, was charged with theft by extortion and official misconduct, after allegedly accepting sandwiches in return for not ticketing a delivery van.

Elvises Take to the Air at SkyScreamer Opening at Great Adventure

Thirty white-jumpsuit-clad Elvises in aviator glasses took to the skies Thursday for the inaugural flight of Six Flags Great Adventure's new SkyScreamer. The extreme swing ride spun the multiple Elvises 24 stories into the air to give each a bird's eye view of the theme park. [Asbury Park Press]

About 10 to 15 homeless people were evacuated from the wooded areas off Route 37 in Toms River, according to Brother Mike Williams of the More to Life Ministry. Relocations began Tuesday and concluded Wednesday.

Needed a caffeine fix at Starbucks and the handicapped space was the closest one to sweet latte luxury? You might want to think twice before taking the chance, because a new Facebook page, "You Park Stupid," might just call you out on that decision.

A Riverside man who refused to return money to a bank after the teller gave him too much was arrested on theft charges this week, according to police.

"The Dictator" opened in theaters Wednesday, and amid all the usual Sacha Baron Cohen ethnic and cultural mockery, an Ocean City boy gets kicked to the ground by the movie's star. Pete Wiggins, a 10-year-old fourth grader at Ocean City Intermediate School, stars in one brief scene with Cohen.

The focus Wednesday of Gov. Chris Christie's 79th Town Hall meeting was the governor's proposed 10 percent, across-the-board tax cuts. Christie, speaking at the East Hanover Fire Department, said he's determined to deliver the tax break New Jersey residents have been waiting for.


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