Fog/Mist 48°
Police & Fire
NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial
NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial A Mercer County high school teacher accused of sexually assaulting a student several times at a Monmouth County wildlife preserve was released from jail to await her trial, authorities said. A judge denied a request on Wednesday, Apr. 17 to keep 37-year-old Jessica Sawicki of Point Pleasant Beach in jail through her trial, a Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson said. She was charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Sawicki was arrested on Monday, Apr. 8, according to an affidavit obtai…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Trader Joe's Recalling Basil Sold In New Jersey Due To Salmonella Outbreak Trader Joe's Recalling Basil Sold In New Jersey Due To Salmonella Outbreak
Trader Joe's Recalling Basil Sold In New Jersey Due To Salmonella Outbreak Trader Joe's is recalling Infinite Herbs-brand organic basil that was sold across the country in 2.5-ounce clamshell packaging due to concerns of Salmonella contamination. This week, the supermarket giant issued an alert cautioning shoppers in 29 states, as well as Washington, DC, not to consume the product as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigates a reported outbreak of Salmonella. Trader Joes is recalling Infinite Herbs Organic Basil FDA According to the FDA, "Trader Joe’s has already voluntarily removed all Infinite Herbs-brand organic basil packed in 2.5-oz clamshell pa…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
NJ Daycare Worker Caused Child's Nose Bleed In Series Of Assaults, Police Papers Say NJ Daycare Worker Caused Child's Nose Bleed In Series Of Assaults, Police Papers Say
NJ Daycare Worker Caused Child's Nose Bleed In Series Of Assaults, Police Papers Say Three students at a preschool in Mercer County were hit and grabbed aggressively by a childcare teacher, authorities said. In one of the incidents at the Malvern School on Route 33 in Robbinsville, the teacher's slap caused a nosebleed, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Daily Voice. Another incident caused a visible injury to an arm, the paperwork says. Ekta Dwarkesh, 45, of South Brunswick, is charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child by abuse or neglect, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. Surveillance video from the school…

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by Jon Craig
Lifestyle
'Not Pretty, Can't Act:' Sydney Sweeney Slams NJ Producer Who Publicly Insulted Her 'Not Pretty, Can't Act:' Sydney Sweeney Slams NJ Producer Who Publicly Insulted Her
'Not Pretty, Can't Act:' Sydney Sweeney Slams NJ Producer Who Publicly Insulted Her A film producer from New Jersey is under fire after saying Sydney Sweeney can't act and isn't pretty. Carol Baum, who graduated Columbia High School in Maplewood, disparaged the "Euphoria" star during a Q-n-A at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY, on Thursday, April, 11.  Baum, who has produced movies like "Father of the Bride" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," was on hand to discuss her experiences producing the 1988 David Cronenberg film "Dead Calm," which came out nine years before Sweeney was born. "I don't get Sydney Sweeney," Baum reportedly said. "I was watching on …

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by Sam Barron
Sports
NJ Golfer Returning To U.S. Women's Open After Reaching Leaderboard While In High School NJ Golfer Returning To U.S. Women's Open After Reaching Leaderboard While In High School
NJ Golfer Returning To U.S. Women's Open After Reaching Leaderboard While In High School A Monmouth County golfer who was in high school while on the leaderboard of an LPGA major tournament's final round is returning to the event three years later. Megha Ganne qualified for the 2024 U.S. Women's Open after winning a U.S. Golf Association qualifying tournament on Monday, Apr. 15. The Holmdel native finished six under par in the two-round event in El Macero, California. Ganne shared pictures on Instagram of the official invitation to her third LPGA major. "US OPEN BOUND!!" Ganne posted. "[It's] been a while since one of these, grateful for another U.S. Women's Open opp…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
License Permanently Stripped From NJ Doc Who Let 20-Year-Old ER Patient Die License Permanently Stripped From NJ Doc Who Let 20-Year-Old ER Patient Die
License Permanently Stripped From NJ Doc Who Let 20-Year-Old ER Patient Die UPDATE: An ER doctor had her medical license permanently revoked by the state of New Jersey for allowing a 20-year-old patient to die on her watch and then trying to cover it up, authorities said. Shar Kennett, 66, of Wayne was on duty in the emergency room at Overlook Medical Center in Summit when the patient was brought in with urgent "respiratory distress" on June 29, 2017, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. Kennett failed to examine him and didn't order any diagnostics, "despite his parents' urgent requests for assistance," Platkin said on Thursday, April 18. The patient died in…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Schools
NJ Student Hospitalized After 'Blackout Challenge' NJ Student Hospitalized After 'Blackout Challenge'
NJ Student Hospitalized After 'Blackout Challenge' A student at an Essex County middle school was hospitalized on Tuesday, April 16, after he tried the "blackout challenge." Two students at South Orange Middle School took part in the dangerous stunt, popular on social media, which involves holding one's breath to the point of passing out, Lynn Irby Hill, the principal, said in a letter to parents. The first student passed out but was treated by the nursing staff, Irby Hill said. The second student had difficulty resuming breathing and was taken to a hospital by ambulance for further evaluation, Irby Hill said. Assistant Principal Jim Waldro…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Man Injured In Crash Caused By 17-Year-Old: Montgomery Police Man Injured In Crash Caused By 17-Year-Old: Montgomery Police
Man Injured In Crash Caused By 17-Year-Old: Montgomery Police A 17-year-old Skillman resident was cited following a two-car crash that injured a 32-year-old Illinois man in Montgomery, police said. At 1:56 p.m., police responded to the crash at County Road 601 near Skillman Road. A 17-year-old from Skillman was traveling north on County Route 601 in a Lexus GX when he failed to maintain his travel lane while negotiating the "S" curve portion of the roadway, Montgomery police said in a release. His vehicle entered the opposite lane of travel and struck a southbound 2021 Toyota Tacoma, police said. The 17-year-old and his 16-year-old passenger were not …

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by Sam Barron
News
Trenton Animal Shelter Taken Over By City Police Department Trenton Animal Shelter Taken Over By City Police Department
Trenton Animal Shelter Taken Over By City Police Department Trenton Animal Shelter will now be overseen by the city's police department. The reorganization is part of an executive order meant to strengthen management and ease overcrowding. Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora's executive order also creates a new five-member animal welfare advisory board. Trenton Police Lt. Alexis Durlacher will call the shots as the shelter’s new chief. Durlacher has had past animal control experience, the mayor said. Animal welfare, adoption services, pet ownership education and humane animal control enforcement will be among the priorities, the mayor said. "The welfare …

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by Jon Craig
News
WINNER! Bergen County Quick Draw Player Wins Big $$ WINNER! Bergen County Quick Draw Player Wins Big $$
Winner! Bergen County Quick Draw Player Wins Big $$ A Bergen County lottery player got a nice treat on Tax Day. The lucky player purchased a winning Quick Draw Progressive ticket on Monday, April 15, netting $80,950, 20 percent of the progressive jackpot. In Quick Draw, a set of nine “Your Jackpot Numbers” (01-80) are randomly selected and printed at the bottom of every Quick Draw ticket. If all nine of the player’s numbers are selected in any of the Quick Draw drawings the ticket is eligible for, the ticket wins a portion of the Progressive Jackpot based on the amount wagered per draw. The winning ticket was sold at Boulevard Bar & Gri…

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by Sam Barron
News
Schools Closed Following Bomb Threat In NJ District Probing Teacher For Abuse (UPDATE) Schools Closed Following Bomb Threat In NJ District Probing Teacher For Abuse (UPDATE)
Schools Closed Following Bomb Threat In NJ District Probing Teacher For Abuse (Update) UPDATE: Schools in Marlboro Township were closed Thursday, April 18 after a bomb threat initially prompted a 2-hour delay, officials announced. Marlboro police confirmed threats were sent to the middle school and the Board of Education buildings, the day after news spread that a middle school teacher was being investigated for abusing a student. At 6:12 a.m., Daily Voice was bcc'd on a hateful email saying bombs had been placed in various Marlboro schools. The email also said the Marlboro school district "is either extremely incompetent or outright evil... You not only allowed but you …

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Ford Recalls Over 450K Of Some Of Its Most Popular Models Over Safety Concerns Ford Recalls Over 450K Of Some Of Its Most Popular Models Over Safety Concerns
Ford Recalls Over 450K Of Some Of Its Most Popular Models Over Safety Concerns Ford announced that it would recall over 450,000 Bronco Sport SUVs and Maverick vehicles because of an issue with the battery that can cause the drive train to lose power and increase the likelihood of wrecks.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report on Friday, April 12, saying sensors in the car could fail to notice a change in the battery's power. If the power drops too low, the vehicle could turn off or lose important components such as hazard lights if the car breaks down.  The Broncos were produced from February 2020 until March 2024. Ford Maveric…

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by Josh Lanier