Vigil Set For Missing Garwood Teen Last Seen At Newark Penn Station
Ivy Alave, a juvenile from Garwood, has been missing since Thursday, Sept. 4, authorities said.
Alave was last seen at Newark Penn Station that day, Garwood police said. Surveillance footage obtained by detectives shows Alave in the area of 17 N. Ave W. in Cranford at 1:36 p.m. that day, police said.
She was last seen wearing dark gray sweatpants, Crocs shoes, a dark green hooded sweatshirt and a black backpack. She has brown hair, brown eyes and is 5’0” tall and weighs 135 pounds, police said.
A mass and prayer vigil is being held for Alave at Church of St. Anne in Garwood on Wednesday, S…
Cranford First Aid Squad Mourns Loss Of Member Meredith Pisaeno, 44
Meredith Lynn Pisaeno, a beloved special education and elementary school teacher in the Sayreville School District, died Friday, July 25, at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, surrounded by her family, according to her obituary on the Carmen Spezzi Funeral Home website. She was 44.
Pisaeno, who earned two master’s degrees in education, dedicated more than 22 years to students at Arleth and Truman Schools, leaving a lasting impact on the community.
A Cranford native, Pisaeno was a lifelong Girl Scout who earned the Gold Award and served as a volunteer EMT. She was a…
Loaded Handgun, Heroin, Crack Cocaine Gets Man Arrested In Cranford: Police
A 41-year-old Keansburg man was arrested and charged after he was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm and multiple controlled substances during a traffic stop on Cranford on Saturday, Aug. 16.
At 12:46 a.m., officers observed a black 2015 Honda for an equipment violation in the area of North Avenue and the Garden State Parkway, Cranford police said.
During the traffic stop, officers recovered a loaded Canik 9mm semi-automatic handgun containing hollow-nose bullets, over 200 folds of CDS heroin, over 60 packages of CDS crack-cocaine, prescription pills, and multiple pressed pills s…
Cranford's Greg Swenson, Teacher, Athlete, Husband, New Dad, Dies At 29
The death of Gregory "Greg" Swenson, a new father, educator, and lifelong athlete, is spreading shock and sadness across multiple states.
Greg, 29, of Cranford, NJ, died peacefully on Saturday, July 12 following a short illness, according to his obituary on the Gray Funeral Home.
Greg's death comes six months after welcoming a baby boy, Lars, with his wife and college sweetheart, Morgan. A GoFundMe page launched for the pair had raised nearly $70,000 as of press time.
A Farmingdale, NY native, Greg later moved to East Lyme where he was a three-sport athlete at East Lyme High School, h…
Five People Armed With Loaded Firearms: Cranford PD
Four men and one juvenile were in possession of loaded firearms discovering during a traffic stop in Cranford on Saturday, June 28, authorities said.
At 2:24 a.m., officers stopped a 2011 Kia Optima on North Avenue near the Garden State Parkway for several motor vehicle violations, Cranford police said.
During the investigation, two occupants fled on foot, police said. The three remaining occupants, Chryshon Winbush, a 21-year-old Newark resident, Samir Walker, an 18-year-old Irvington resident and a 17-year-old Camden County juvenile were taken into custody after officers located two loade…
BMWs, Mercedes: Newark Members Of $1 Mil NJ Stolen Car Ring Learn Fate, Prosecutor Says
Five members, including two juveniles were sentenced for their involvement in an auto theft trafficking network that pilfered luxury vehicles throughout North Jersey, authorities announced Thursday, May 22.
Tikeem Shearin, 19, Carlos Espinal, 20 and Sincere Sims, 21, Newark residents, were each sentenced to five years in prison after previously pleading guilty to leader of an auto trafficking ring, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said.
Two juveniles were sentenced to three years in Jamesburg Juvenile Detention Center for their involvement in the ring.
A four-month investigation by n…
Final Ride Will Honor Cranford Motorcyclist Killed In Crash
Family, friends, and strangers across North Jersey are rallying around the loved ones of Michael Mendonca-Lopez, the 23-year-old motorcyclist killed in a Passaic County crash over the weekend.
A wake will be held for Lopez on Wednesday, April 30, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at August F. Schmidt Memorial Funeral Home in Elizabeth, according to his obituary. His memorial service will begin the following morning, Thursday, May 1 at 9 a.m., at the same location.
Michael will then take his final ride to Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, escorted by fellow bikers with PISC Motards Motorcycle Club.
Lo…
Motorcyclist, 23, Killed In Ringwood Crash: Prosecutor
A young motorcyclist was killed in a crash with an SUV in Passaic County, authorities said.
ALSO SEE: Final Ride Will Honor Cranford Motorcyclist Killed In Crash
The collision happened Sunday, April 27, at around 5:30 p.m. near Skyline Drive and Greenwood Lake Drive in Ringwood, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Ringwood Police Chief Peter McGinty said.
Michael Mendonca-Lopez, 23, of Cranford, was riding a motorcycle when he collided with a Jeep Cherokee SUV, officials said.
Mendonca-Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene, Valdes and McGinty said. The occupants of the J…
Grandmother Mauled to Death by Hippo on African Safari; Husband Sues Stamford Tour Company
A New Jersey man is suing a Connecticut-based safari company after his wife was mauled to death by a hippopotamus during a bush walk in Zambia last year.
Craig Manders, 72, of Cranford, NJ, is suing African Portfolio, an Old Greenwich-based travel company, after a hippopotamus fatally attacked his wife, Lisa Manders, 70 — a Long Island, NY native — in Lower Zambezi National Park on June 5, 2024.
NJ mom of three was mauled to death by a hippo that charged them on African safari: lawsuit https://t.co/An7NOJ2hpt pic.twitter.com/YFz7oRFoHA — New York Post (@nypost) February 13, 2025
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Cranford Eagles Fan In Enemy Territory Transforms Lawn Into Viral Tribute
Melissa Davies, 52, of Cranford, NJ, didn’t expect to go viral when she grabbed a can of paint and turned her lawn into a giant tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
But after her husband, Tim Davies, posted a photo in an Eagles Facebook group this week, the internet soared with excitement—earning her over 17,000 likes as of Thursday, Feb. 7.
"I felt like I could do it, so I did it," Davies said. "I'm not normally a hobby artist. My career is in social media research, so I’m used to looking at what content themes are going viral, but not necessarily being th…
DUI Driver Seriously Injures Family Thanksgiving Morning On Route 1 In Edison, Prosecutor Says
A 31-year-old DUI driver is facing multiple charges in a crash that left a family and a teenager seriously injured in Edison, police said.
Alyssa Figueredo, 31, of Cranford, drove through a red light around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 28 on Route 1 north at Parsonage Road in Edison, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan said.
Figueredo’s vehicle struck a car driven by a 39-year-old Edison man, his wife, 35, of Woodbridge, and his 15-year-old daughter, Ciccone and Bryan said. The other driver suffered serious injuries while his wife and the teen g…
Dozen NJ Towns Serve As Backdrop For Movie 'Sweethearts' Out Thanksgiving Day
Nearly a dozen New Jersey towns serve as the backdrop for the Max Original film "Sweethearts," set to debut this Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28.
The romantic comedy starring Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga was filmed in Cranford, Jersey City, and Mahwah. Two cast members have Garden State ties: Jake Bonjiovi, son of NJ rocker Jon Bon Jovi, and former "Saturday Night Live" star Chloe Troast, of Ho-Ho-Kus, are featured actors in "Sweethearts."
According to NJ Advance Media, "Sweethearts" filmed at local homes in Newark, Demarest, Kinnelon and Cranford; as well as at the Cr…
These 23 New Jersey Athletes Are At The Paris Olympic Games: Here's When To Watch
The Paris Olympics have begun!
And, in case you missed it, several of Garden State's fittest and most athletic residents are there (scroll for their names, sports, and hometowns).
A total of 23 athletes from New Jersey have qualified for the Olympics and are ready to make their run at the gold. Events kicked off Friday, July 26. Click here for a complete schedule of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Garden State athletes include:
Paxten Aaronson, of Medford: Soccer
Bam Adebayo, of Newark, and 2020 Olympian: Basketball
Jack Alexy, of Morristown: Swimming
Jackie Dubrovich, of Riverda…
