The Kearny Police Department Detective Bureau has charged six individuals in connection with a stabbing that occurred during a large altercation at the Wawa at 150 Harrison Ave. in the early morning hours of Sept. 9, 2025, Det. Sgt. John Fabula said. According to Fabula: That day, at approximately 2 a.m., officers responded to a report of a fight involving an estimated eight to 10 people. The incident was determined to be a retaliatory confrontation stemming from a dispute earlier the same evening. An 18-year-old man from Harrison sustained more than five stab wounds and was transported to University Hospital for treatment.

I am pleased to welcome Bishop Ronald Hicks as the new Archbishop of New York. Our new neighbor brings a pastor’s heart, a thoughtful spirit and a deep love for the people he serves, especially for the poor and those on the margins and in his commitment to sharing the Gospel in ways that speak to people’s real lives. I am grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for his prayerful and discerning appointment of Bishop Hicks to this important ministry, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide him in shepherding the faithful of New York.

Belleville Mayor Michael Melham and officials around Essex County are prepping for a unique news conference and community event Sunday, Dec. 21 — where they're expected to announce the apprehension of the Grinch at long last. The family-friendly event will culminate in an official Grinch perp walk, led by the Belleville Police Department, whose diligent work led to the apprehension of the green good-for-nothing. The event will begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Belleville Police Department Garage, located under the Law Enforcement Building at Town Hall, 152 Washington Ave. The Grinch, facing serious charges of attempted theft of Christmas, will be formally escorted by the Belleville Police Department from the station and placed into a police vehicle for transport to the County for central processing — symbolically ensuring he will be locked up for Christmas and that holiday joy is protected for Belleville’s children.

A man who fell asleep outside the Lyndhurst storage unit he rents is likely having serious regrets now. On Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 at 11:44 a.m., Sgt. Phil Reina and Officers Michael Scalese and James Colacci responded to 1 Terminal Road (Columbia Self Storage) for a report of a male party sleeping the hallway. Upon arrival, police say they were met by management, who told them they received several complaints about a male sleeping in the hallway on the sixth floor. The manger also reported the identity of the individual — Kevin Salamanca, 42, who had been renting a unit in the business.

Muriel Elsmore Muriel Elsmore (née Rainey), 87, a lifelong resident of Kearny who recently moved to Toms River, died Dec. 10, 2025. Muriel was the beloved wife of the late Joe Elsmore and a dear friend to so many. She will be fondly remembered for her Kearny High School cheerleading days — she never stopped cheering for all of us, even well into her 80s. A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, Muriel loved sunshine, laughter and caring for others before herself. She was employed by Jeffrey Symeonides Insurance for 25 years before retiring to care for her grandchildren, a role she cherished as the most meaningful “career” of her life.

At full strength, Nutley ice hockey head coach David Macri sees a team with the talent to compete night in and night out in the always-competitive NJIIHL Kelly Division. Like so many other teams however, Nutley has often been at far less than complete due injuries and availability. Even so, Nutley, which is in a tri-op with Bloomfield and Columbia, is 3-2 on the young season after defeating Lakeland, 6-3, on Sunday night. “We’ve got a handful of guys with experience and skill and when we have all of those guys, we’re a competitive team,” said Macri.

Last season, North Arlington posted its first winning season in nine years when it went 13-12. A mark made more impressive by a wild offseason marred by transfers and a fall coaching change. But as much as the record helped raise the bar for the Vikings, now second-year head coach Chris Boyce wants that to represent the floor for the program moving forward. And with five of the top eight scorers back from that team, Boyce looks for this group to take another step this winter. “Going over .500 was definitely an accomplishment to set that bar,” said Boyce.

Every day, the players on the Lyndhurst girls basketball team are told about the goal for this season - a NJIC Patriot Division title. But just in case the Golden Bears need any more reminders of that goal, all they have to do is look up at the blank banner inside their gym. “We say every day our goal is to win a division championship and it hasn't been done in our school's history for girls basketball,” second year head coach Dan Kesack said. “We leave the gym, we look at that banner and it's blank, and we say, why not this group be the first group to achieve that?

North Arlington  volunteers ushered in the holiday season by decorating a community Christmas tree for Bergen County’s annual Winter Wonderland celebration at Van Saun Park, Paramus. The festive tradition features a “Municipal Tree Decoration Contest,” in which every Bergen County municipality is invited to design and decorate its own tree as part of the county’s month-long holiday showcase. This year’s project was led for the first time by Councilwoman Amanda DeCicco, who said she was grateful for the opportunity to work side by side with North Arlington residents, public servants and local business owners.

A South Jersey woman finds herself behind bars after she is alleged to have attempted to pocket several steaks — and then spitting her blood at a Kearny police detective working an off-duty detail last week, Det. Sgt. Michael Gontarczuk, the Kearny Polce Department’s public-information officer, said. According to Gontarczuk: On Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., Det. Anthony Nunez was working the aforementioned detail at ShopRite when he was alerted to a shoplifter by management. After being seen shoplifting several ribeye steaks and other items, she was detained by Det. Nunez, to whom she provided a false identity.

Six members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office have been recognized for exceptional performance in 2025 by law enforcement partners and organizations. These awards highlight investigative excellence and efforts made by the HCPO to build a safer community. “The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office is comprised of some of the finest and most talented law enforcement officers in the nation,” Acting Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello said. “These six investigators are exemplary public servants who have demonstrated their commitment to seeking justice and holding individuals accountable for their actions.” Det. Katelyn Robertello, assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Det.

Michael Melham never does things basically. Such was the case when, as widely expected, the Belleville mayor delivered a spectacle during his annual birthday fundraiser on Dec. 2 — an event that doubled as the official launch of his re-election campaign. To support the independent mayor as he gears up for the May 12, 2026 election was a bipartisan crowd so big that organizers were forced to expand the catering space at Nanina’s in the Park and even add an outdoor tent to accommodate supporters. The buzz mounted as supporters posed with custom photo-op signs reading “Democrats for Melham,” “Republicans for Melham” and “Latinos con Melham.”

Jacklyn Burbach tried to avoid being distracted by the scoreboard. But what the monitor over her head at Bowlero Lanes in Belleville on Wednesday afternoon told a story that proved impossible for anyone else to ignore. Burbach, a senior at North Arlington, had one of the most impressive days of bowling The Observer area has seen in recent memory when she rolled a 718 series in the Vikings 7-0 victory over Irvington. Prior to Wednesday, no North Arlington girl had ever rolled a 700-series. While the season is only a handful of days old, Burbach’s 718 high set is an astonishing 51 pins greater than any other three-game series by any girls bowler in the state.

Valerie Iacono, principal of Schuyler School in Kearny, announces the school’s November Students of the Month: Jordan Alves, Julian Mejia, Gabriel Ypanaque, Ellee Dasilva, Landon Lopez-Cruz, Grace Tinoco Centeno, Mujtaba Zohaib, Skylee Liriano, AJ Diaz, Moriah Meier Rocha, Joao Oliveira, Declan Tingolie, Camila Alvarez Cortes, Marybeth QuillayCardenas, Sophia Herrera, Nuria Meier Rocha, Leah Solis, Aeron Silvestre, Michael Lopez, Jaxson Walters, Liam Bravo, Aiden Silvestre, Sarah Murgueitio Padilla, Rebecca Fernandes, Aiden Varilias, Palesa Rojas, Zachary McCarthy, Sophia Lepore, Luciano Refosco Medina, Aiden Wasilewski, Ellee Dasilva, Liam Ranilla, Olivia Walsh, Carlos Lopez Tinoco, James Hernandez, Sophia Lepore, Owen Bayer, Aiden Wasilewski, Adrian Toledo Choque, Ozan Kirca and Amy Reyes Zavala.

John Adamski, principal of Washington School in Kearny, announces that the following students have achieved Academic Honors for the first marking period: Grade 4 Principal’s Honors: Liana Capela; Viviana Hempel; Julieta Salazar Vargas; Alexander Salazar; Honors: Nala Adrianzen; Guilherme Andrade DeAssuncao; Elsie Ani; Camila Azcona Batista; Eder Azcona Batista; Alejandro Campos; Koruan Cornejo-Ramos; Leonardo Davila Rojas; Patrick Duryea; Landon Gorski; Mason John; Christopher Lopes; Elian Martinez Guevara; Izayah Manzanares; Jacquelyn Moore; Damaris Novay; Edwin Olivo; Matthew Rodriguez; Harold Torres; Davi Verissimo Coletto Grade 5…

Two Newark men have been arrested following a shoplifting incident at the Lyndhurst ShopRite, Capt. Paul F Haggery, Lyndhurst PD public-information officer, said. According to Haggerty: On Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025 at approximately 6:30 p.m., Sgt. Nicholas Abruscato and Officers Thomas Seickendick, Michael Walker and Glen Flora were dispatched to 540 New York Ave. (ShopRite of Lyndhurst) on a report of two  male shoplifters. While responding, officers learned one suspect remained in the store, a second had exited and was in the parking lot after stashing assorted merchandise into a backpack and pockets.

Beginning at 11:59 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4 until 5 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, the Pulaski Skyway is scheduled to have a series of temporary traffic stoppages in both directions. The stoppages are expected to last approximately 10 minutes each and are necessary to ensure there is no load on Truss Spans 46 through 50 to allow for the jacking of Pier 49 near Halleck Avenue and Broadway for truss bearing replacements in Jersey City. The work is part of Contract 8B of the Pulaski Skyway rehabilitation project, which is being advanced through multiple construction contracts.

One Nutley dancer is certainly making a name for herself at a very young age. Naomi Wei, a 12th-grader at Nutley High School, has been selected as a 2026 YoungArts award winner in Dance: Modern/Contemporary. Wei joins hundreds of the nation’s most accomplished young visual, literary and performing artists from 39 states and the District of Columbia, YoungArts said. Bestowed annually since 1981, the YoungArts Award is the only award in the nation that recognizes exceptional young talent across artistic disciplines and affirms their pursuit of a professional life in the arts.

Hello children: Well, it is almost that time of year when I come to visit you with bundles of gifts. That time when you are all on your best behavior, when our hearts are lighter, we are more tolerant and inclined to forgive each other. You know, no matter how different we may seem, we all have the same red blood. We all breathe the same air. We all see the same sun setting, the same stars in the night sky, the same moon and the same sun rising. Regardless of how different we perceive each other, we are all members of the same human race.

While Thanksgiving Eve is a day made famous by last-minute cooking, spending time with friends and family and packed bar nights, members of the Kearny community set out to make sure everyone could have a dose of Thanksgiving holiday cheer. Coordinated by Lyla DeCastro, Kearny Mayor Carol Jean Doyle’s right-hand woman and Nelly Albizu, in the Kearny Health Department, Meals on Wheels delivered Thanksgiving-style senior citizens who may not be able to prepare Thanksgiving meals themselves. Said Kearny Councilwoman and volunteer for Meals on Wheels, Marytrine DeCastro:  “Wednesday night was for the senior meals on wheels delivery, which is for our seniors that are homebound.

Kelsey Anne Graham Kelsey Anne Graham of River Edge died peacefully at home Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. She was 29. A Funeral service will take place at the Mulligan Funeral Home, 331 Cleveland Ave., Harrison, on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025 at noon. Friends and relatives of Kelsey and her family may attend her visitation on Wednesday from 10 a.m. until noon. Her committal service will follow in Arlington Cemetery, Kearny. To read her complete obituary, express your sympathy to the family or share a fond memory of Kelsey, please visit www.mulliganfh.com. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests any donations be made to the gofundme for Javonte, Joralane and Jude. 

Lyndhurst boys bowling coach Mark Offitto doesn’t need any reminders of the expectations that surround the Golden Bears program as they begin the defense of their North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 title. But just in case Offitto does, there are plenty who are happy to remind him. “The standard is that Lyndhurst bowling succeeds and there’s no down years,” said Offitto, who is reminded by longtime former coach Mike Rizzo. “The standard is that we compete for a league title every year. We try to make noise in the county and then we try to make a run in the section.

Keala Cicchino knew she was going to continue her soccer career at Monmouth University for more than a year. But even for someone like Cicchino, who verbally committed before the start of her junior season, it didn’t really feel official until November when she formally signed her letter of intent to play at Monmouth. Nov. 10 marked the first day of the early signing period for high school seniors in all sports except for football, to sign their letter of intent with the college they’re committed to. “My first emotion was immediate relief.

Scott Millar knows that for almost every high school soccer player, their final memory is destined to end in tears and disappointment, rather than be a positive one due to the nature of the state tournament. Senior All-Star Games like the ones held last week in Hudson and Bergen counties are a way to change that while also honoring the accomplishments of the areas’ top talents. “This is a celebration of the quality of players we have in Hudson County,” said Millar, the head boys coach at Kearny and one of the instrumental figures in the second annual Hudson County Senior All-Star Game.

While Thanksgiving can often be a time of extra eating, spending time with family, catching up with classmates and more, in Nutley, for a lot of people, the time around Thanksgiving was spent doing something extremely different. And it’s all been happening the weekend after Thanksgiving for nearly two decades. More than 70 volunteers spent the holiday weekend cleaning and bagging leaves at over 40 homes belonging to senior and disabled residents as the Township of Nutley’s Department of Public Works’ RAKES (Random Acts of Kindness Extended to Seniors) program marked its 17th season.