Family Jumps Out Third-Floor to Escape Blaze

A mother and her five children were forced to jump out of a third-floor window when a fire broke out early Wednesday morning in their Newark apartment.

The blaze, which began at 12:24 a.m. in the bathroom of the apartment at 224 S. Orange Ave., apparently blocked the front door exit, leaving the family with no choice but to jump out the window, according to Capt. John Brown, spokesperson for the Newark Fire Department.

16-Year-Old Bloomfield Girl Killed in Car Crash

A 16-year-old Bloomfield High School soccer player died Saturday night in car crash that left four others injured.  

Christina Lembo was seated in the back of a 2007 Honda Civic when it was involved in a car crash with a 2000 Chevrolet Camaro at about 11:10 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Broughton Avenue and Walter Street in Bloomfield, according to a press release from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

State: Short Hills Man Stole Dentist's Identity

A Short Hills dentist, who was banned from practicing, used the identity of dead dentist to work out of four dental offices during the last year, according to the state Attorney General.

Authorities said Roben Brookhim stole the identity of Dr. John Kirkland Jr., who died last year of natural causes. Brookhim had been banned from practicing dentistry in 2004 for insurance fraud. He learned the day before Kirkland died, on Oct. 14, 2011 Kirkland's license had been renewed for two more years.

After Kirkland died, Brookhim resumed practicing at Associated Dental in New Providence, West Orange and Springfield, as well as a Family Dental Center office in West New York under Kirkland's name and license. 

Real Housewife Misses Fundraiser

Although New Jersey Housewife Jacqueline Laurita couldn't make it to Victor's Chateau Wednesday night, organizers for a fundraiser for cancer patient Frank Napolitano, said the evening was a success.

Laurita, of Real Housewives of New Jersey fame, was expected to be the guest of honor at the shopping fundraiser held at Victor’s Chateau in Little Falls.

But she called out sick.

Man Beaten, Robbed in West Orange

A 24-year-old Orange man was found bleeding from the nose and side of the head Monday and told police he'd been jumped and beaten with a baseball bat by two teenagers, West Orange Police reported.

The Orange man said he was walking near the intersection of Valley Road and Glebe Street around 8 p.m. when two teens began chasing him. The teenagers eventually caught up to him on Valley Road, punched him in the face and struck him with a small baseball bat several times, the man told police.  

The two teenagers took the Orange man’s wallet, which contained credit cards and about $80 in cash, and fled. 

Cops Arrest Seton Hall Students For Drugs

South Orange police confiscated 45 bags of marijuana, related drug paraphernalia, and a pair of brass knuckles from a Seton Hall dorm room on Wednesday night. Police arrested Russell Bailey, 20, and Darrell Barnes, 19, both Seton Hall students.

South Orange police arrested the two men after Seton Hall security asked them to intervene. Security officers entered Bailey's dorm room to follow up on reports a strong marijuana smell. Security officers discovered what police called a "large quantity" of marijuana and called the authorities.

Attorney: Council 'Overstepped Boundaries'

The latest in the Memphis the pit bull saga has the Bloomfield council and Board of Health (BOH) once again pitted against each other.

In a letter dated Oct. 1 and addressed to Mayor Raymond McCarthy, BOH attorney Ronald J. Ricci accused the council of "overstepping its boundaries and passing resolutions which support a group who is threatening and defaming public employees and the animal shelter under the control of the Bloomfield Board of Health."

The council last week passed a resolution proposing the township's attorney draft some sort of settlement, Bloomfield Life reported, to end a months-long feud between the township, BOH and dog trainers Jeff and Diana Coltenback, who wish to adopt the dog.

Expert: Stop & Shop Won't Increase Traffic

A traffic expert and principal engineer for Stop & Shop, Dan Disario, told the Millburn Zoning Board this week the construction of the proposed Stop & Shop on Millburn Avenue will not create much more traffic in town. 

However, after a lengthly hearing, where most residents left, the few Millburn and Springfield residents that stayed argued it would.

"The fact that we are putting in a new supermarket at this site, is not going to all of a sudden create all of these new shopping trips to this supermarket," Disario responsed to the public.

Montclair Hit By Another Round Of Burglaries

Residents reported thieves entered unlocked back doors and stole a variety of items including an Apple iPhone4 and iPad and a cell phone and an unknown amount of cash from homes on Edgecliff Road and Upper Mountain Avenue.

So. Orange Police Nab Three Alleged Shoplifters

South Orange police arrested two men and a teenage boy in separate shoplifting incidents at Pathmark, Rite Aid and a South Orange Avenue AT&T store.

Montclair Quest Founders Continue School Fight

Tracey Williams, one of the founders of the proposed Quest Academy Charter High School, said Monday that she and others have filed an appeal with the New Jersey Supreme Court to challenge the Superior Court's recent denial of their fifth application to open the school in Montclair.

Williams also said that she hopes to hear a decision soon on the group's sixth application.

Livingston Shuttle to South Orange Begins

The Livingston Primetime Shuttle started this week offering non-stop, roundtrip express service from the Livingston Mall to the South Orange train station.

Caldwell Boutique Mixes Fashion With Candy

Caldwell’s newest boutique, Runway, which opened Saturday at 3 Smull Ave., is a collaborative business venture.

The business, a unique blend of clothing and candy, is a collaboration between Caldwell mom Martha Aleman Fava, owner of thesassyshopgirl.com, and Cedar Knolls mom Andrea Festa Zembelis, owner of lalascookiejar.com and Sugar Rush. 

The partners hope Runway will be the go-to boutique by offering women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as items for toddlers and tweens along with candy.

Cardiomyopathy Afflicts West Caldwell Girl

Although an initial diagnosis indicated West Caldwell resident Anna Torok would need a heart transplant by the age of three, she has defied the odds and continues to thrive on a regimen of heart medication. 

Figures show one in 100,000 children will be diagnosed with the disease and some children will suffer cardiac arrest at school or on a playing field. Others will need a heart transplant to survive.

Maplewood Will Rent Lights for Memorial Park

The Maplewood Township Committee approved a resolution on Tuesday to rent temporary lighting for the south field at Memorial Park, at a cost not to exceed $28,000. The lights would enable local sports teams such as Cougar Soccer to hold night practices.

The resolution passed 4-1, with Committeeman Marlon Brownlee dissenting. Brownlee cited concerns about the large range of the cost estimate, which was between $16,000 - 28,000. "It's not an insignificant amount of money," he said.

Mayor Vic DeLuca also expressed concern about the range -- "It's kind of like a blank check," he said -- but he noted, "We do not have a lit field in this town." He asked Township Administrator Joseph Manning to request a more specific estimate from the Recreation Department.

Livingston HS Students Score Well on SATs

Livingston students are more prepared for college than the average American high school, according to a new report released by College Board.

The SAT Report on College & Career Readiness estimates that only 43% of high school students were likely to succeed in college and faults a lack of rigor in our nation's educational system.  College Board uses SAT scores as a benchmark and says that a score of 1550 (out of a total 2400) means the student is likely to achieve a B- average or higher during the first year at a four-year college.