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Small plane crash-lands in Bergen County, 2 seriously hurt

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A small plane crashed in the borough late Thursday afternoon, police confirmed.

CRESSKILL - A small plane on a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary patrol crash-landed in the borough late Thursday afternoon, leaving two people seriously injured, officials said.  

The crash was reported near the Cresskill Swim Club, not far from an athletic field.  

The plane was occupied by two people who were on a routine patrol of the Hudson River, a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said Thursday. Auxiliary members are volunteers working on behalf of the Coast Guard, the spokeswoman added.

Officials confirmed that two people on the Cessna suffered serious injuries and were taken to Hackensack University Medical Center. Further information on their conditions was not immediately released. 

Both occupants of the plane were alert and conscious when first responders arrived, according to Bergen County Sheriff's Office spokesman Anthony Cureton. 

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it received reports that a Cessna 172 aircraft "landed in trees" around 5 p.m. FAA officials did not immediately release details on the crash. 

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said the agency would investigate the crash. 

The plane's crew checked in and reported normal operations as of around 4:30 p.m. as it traveled over the Hudson River, according to the Coast Guard. Around 4:50 p.m., the Coast Guard said it received reports that the aircraft made "an emergency crash landing" near the field. 

News helicopter footage from the scene showed emergency crews working on the damaged aircraft. Most of the plane appeared to be intact and there was no sign of any fire. 

In a Twitter message, the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police said its officers were assisting local authorities at the crash site. The county sheriff's office, borough firefighters and police from nearby communities were among officials that responded to the scene.

Video and photos on social media showed emergency crews rushing to the wrecked plane. 

A video posted by LoveKpFs (@lovekpfs) on

Staff writer Paul Milo contributed to this report. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahycFind NJ.com on Facebook.

 

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Two vehicles crash into Paramus fast-food restaurant

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One driver issued summons after crash Thursday afternoon

PARAMUS -- A car and a minivan slammed into the Wendy's restaurant at 190 Rt. 4 Thursday afternoon, police said, the second time in the last few months a vehicle crashed into the building.  

police lights file photo.jpg 

One motorist allegedly cut off another before both vehicles plunged into the building shortly before 5 p.m., police said. No one in the vehicles, a Dodge Caravan and a Toyota Corolla, was hurt. 

Four patrons inside the eatery were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, police also said. The driver of the Corolla was issued a motor-vehicle summons. 

A vehicle crashed into the same restaurant in June. No one was injured.  

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

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Take this week's NJ.com News Quiz

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Finish off the summer season with a perfect score this week

Time to see where you stack up with other NJ.commers. Take this week's NJ.com News Quiz to see how well you know New Jersey news. Post your score in comments to see how you compare to other NJ.com users. Do you know local news? Prove it now.




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'American Idol' contestant Maroulis's assault charge hearing postponed

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Season 4 American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis's assault charge hearing set for Sept. 3 in Wyckoff municipal court has been postponed until Sept. 16.

constantine-maroulisConstantine Maroulis, the former "American Idol" finalist, was in Wyckoff's municipal court on Thursday for a simple assault charge. (Mitsu Yasukawa / The Star-Ledger)

WYCKOFF -- Former "American Idol" contestant Constantine Maroulis's assault charge hearing has been postponed.

Maroulis, who placed sixth in the 2005 season of the singing reality competition and went on to star on Broadway, was in Wyckoff municipal court Thursday evening for his scheduled hearing, but his lawyer John Hogan asked the judge for an adjournment.

The hearing was postponed until Sept. 16, so that Maroulis's alleged victim, his longtime girlfriend and 4-year-old child's mother, Angel Reed, could be subpoenaed. 

Leaving the courtroom, Hogan told NJ Advance Media that Reed did not show up to the court because she "wasn't aware that she had to be here."


RELATED: N.J. Idol Contestant Maroulis arrested in alleged assault on girlfriend


Hogan declined all further comment on the case, a hearing for which was already postponed once before.

Maroulis, 39, who grew up in Wyckoff, is accused of grabbing Reed's hair, throwing her to the ground and kicking her during an Aug. 11 argument, but his spokesman has denied the attack, saying Reed assaulted Maroulis.

After the argument, Maroulis left his Wyckoff home, but was later found and arrested on a simple assault charge. He was released on $500 bail.

Maroulis has starred in numerous Broadway shows including "Rock of Ages," which garnered him a Tony nomination.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

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Coast Guard volunteers remain hospitalized after plane crash, officials say

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Two volunteers with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary remained hospitalized with serious injuries after the plane they were in crash-landed near a borough athletic field, officials said Friday morning.

CRESSKILL - Two volunteers with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary remained hospitalized with serious injuries after the plane they were in crash-landed near a borough athletic field, officials said Friday morning.

The plane's two injured occupants were being treated at Hackensack University Medical Center and their injuries were not considered life-threatening, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe said.

Rowe declined to identify the injured, citing agency policy.


RELATED: Small plane crash-lands in Bergen County, 2 seriously hurt


The plane was conducting a routine patrol of the Hudson River after taking off from Linden Airport on Thursday, according to Rowe. The patrols focus on possible safety hazards along the busy waterway.

As volunteers, members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary provide their own planes for patrol duties, the spokesman added. The aircraft was not a government plane, he said.

Federal Aviation Administration records show the 1978 Cessna 172 aircraft was registered to a Delaware-based aviation firm.

The plane made an emergency crash-landing in trees near the Cresskill Swim Club around 5 p.m. Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.

The FAA has not released further details on the incident. Rowe said the investigation was ongoing.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahycFind NJ.com on Facebook.

A video posted by LoveKpFs (@lovekpfs) on

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'We lost the engine completely,' pilot says before N.J. crash-landing

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The pilot of a small plane on a volunteer U.S. Coast Guard patrol reported engine trouble before making an emergency crash-landing near a borough athletic field, according to radio transmissions released Friday and officials.

CRESSKILL -- The pilot of a small plane on a volunteer U.S. Coast Guard patrol reported engine trouble before making an emergency crash-landing near a borough athletic field, according to radio transmissions released Friday and officials.

"We are experiencing engine roughness," a pilot on the Cessna 172 told controllers at LaGuardia Airport before the aircraft went down around 5 p.m. Thursday at Reagan Field. 

The audio transmissions, provided by LiveATC.net, reveal the calm-sounding pilot initially trying to reach Teterboro Airport. Transmissions show the in-flight situation soon worsens.

Yakov RosenbergU.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary pilot Yakov Rosenberg was seriously injured in a crash-landing in Cresskill Sept. 3, 2015, officials said. (Courtesy of Mayer Berger) 

"We lost the engine completely," the pilot said in the air traffic communications.

Two occupants of the plane suffered serious injuries, but were expected to survive, according to a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman.


RELATED: Coast Guard volunteers remain hospitalized after plane crash, officials say


Yakov Rosenberg, of Spring Valley, New York, was one of the two pilots badly injured in the crash, Rabbi Mayer Berger told NJ Advance Media. Rosenberg is a volunteer with Chesed Shel Emes, a group that responds to deaths to help ensure the deceased are treated according to Jewish religious laws.

"We're very proud of Mr. Rosenberg, how he so skillfully and carefully landed his plane and even put his own life in danger in order to avoid any harm to anyone on the ground, this personifies the way of life of a selfless volunteer," said Berger, director of operations at Chesed Shel Emes.

Rosenberg underwent surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, Berger added. He suffered fractures to both legs and lower back.

Berger described Rosenberg as a "dedicated volunteer" who flew medicine and food to Jewish families stuck in Vermont after Hurricane Irene.

"He is one of our volunteers who we can always rely on," Berger said in an interview Friday.

In a statement, the Coast Guard identified the other pilot as Erik Pearson, a Coast Guard Auxiliarist since 2010. 

Rosenberg has served with the agency since 2005, the Coast Guard said. 

An investigation into the crash was ongoing and a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency would not speculate on possible causes. 

National Transportation Safety Board Senior Air Safety Investigator Brian Rayner confirmed the pilot reported a "rough-running engine." 

Before the plane could reach Teterboro, its engine reportedly lost power, Rayner added. Witnesses near the field reported seeing the plane coming in low, but did not hear its engine. 

The pilots have not yet been interviewed while they were recovering, the investigator said. 

Officials planned to remove the wrecked plane Friday afternoon and take to another undisclosed site for further analysis. 

Rayner said his investigation would cover a range of factors, including the pilot, aircraft and environmental conditions. 

"I am very confident that when it's all said and done, we will understand this unfortunate incident," he said in an interview. 

As volunteers, U.S. Coast Guard auxiliary members supply their own planes for patrol missions, agency spokesman Charles Rowe previously said. 

The single-engine aircraft took off from Linden Airport for a routine patrol of the Hudson River, according to Rowe. 

Click play below to hear the radio traffic: 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahycFind NJ.com on Facebook.

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Police ask for public's help to find missing girl, 15

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Authorities on Friday asked for the public's help in finding a missing 15-year-old girl, who they said was last seen in the borough.

Michelle HongMichelle Hong, 15 
DEMAREST - Authorities on Friday asked for the public's help in finding a missing 15-year-old girl, who they said was last seen in the borough.

Michelle Hong could be on the Lower East Side of Manhattan or possibly heading to Chicago by bus or other mass transit, according to a State Police alert.

Police described Hong as 5-foot-6, 140 pounds, with black eyes and hair. She was last seen in the borough Tuesday around 10 a.m.

Anyone with information was asked to call the State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000 ext. 2857 or local police at 201-768-1540.

Police did not immediately release further details. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahycFind NJ.com on Facebook.

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Crews battling fire at Fair Lawn spa, police say (PHOTOS)

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The blaze at 24-40 Broadway started at 2 p.m.

FAIR LAWN--Crews are battling a three-alarm fire that broke out in Fair Lawn Friday afternoon, police said. 

The blaze at 24-20 Broadway started at 2 p.m., and fire officials were still working at the scene as of 3:40 p.m. The cause of the fire isn't yet clear. Fire Marshal Jay Bender was unable to immediately discuss the fire when reached by phone Friday afternoon. 

No injuries have been reported. 

Kathryn Brenzel may be reached at kbrenzel@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @katiebrenzel. Find NJ.com on Facebook


Olympic skater's career was held 'hostage' by ex-skating group, lawyer says

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A recent court ruling has set an 18-year-old figure skater free from an agreement with the Israeli Ice Skating Federation that her attorney compared to being held "hostage."

Andrea DavidovichA recent court ruling could pave the way for figure skater Andrea "Anya" Davidovich to skate for the U.S., according to her attorney.

HACKENSACK — A recent court ruling has set an 18-year-old Olympic figure skater free from an agreement that, according to her attorney, held her career "hostage" and prevented her from skating for the United States.

Andrea "Anya" Davidovich, who along with her skating partner finished in 15th place at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, first agreed to skate for the Israel Ice Skating Federation in 2012, when she was 15 years old, after entering into an agreement with its parent organization, the International Skating Union, according to the court ruling.

When her skating partnership with Evgeni Krasnopolski ended in April 2014, Davidovich, who holds dual citizenship to the U.S. and Israel, sought a release from the IISF so that she could compete internationally with the United States Figure Skating Association. According to the ruling, Boris Chait, president of the IISF, denied her request and refused to release her.

Davidovich's attorney, Stuart Slotnick, said his client was in an untenable position as the IISF wouldn't release her to skate for the U.S. but it also didn't want Davidovich skating for the Israeli team.

Effectively, he said, the IISF was holding her career "hostage" as "young ice skaters have a very short career life to compete in the highest levels."

Davidovich, a Livingston resident, filed suit in Bergen County Superior Court last September seeking a release from the IISF and damages for alleged "tortious interference with prospective economic advantage."

On Aug. 28, Judge Robert Wilson issued a summary judgment compelling the IISF to release Davidovich from the agreement. Wilson said certain elements of the IISF's provision with Davidovich were "impermissible" due in part to the waiving of various constitutional and statutory rights.


RELATED: Should kids be forced to wear helmets while ice skating? Some N.J. lawmakers think so

Wilson, however, did not rule on whether the group interfered with her economic prospects. That issue has been remanded for trial.

"I am so grateful for the support of my family and attorneys, and, most importantly, the judge's decision which frees me to pursue skating for the USA," Davidovich said in a statement. "It would be the greatest honor to represent the U.S. in international competitions. I hope to put this unfortunate chapter of my life behind and focus on the future."

Attorney Brian Spector, who represented the IISF, declined comment.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Man arrested in bomb scare has history of making threats, police say

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He was arrested last year after he allegedly claimed to have a chemical weapon in his Fair Lawn apartment.

sirens-good-stockjpg-7b9771230af05c44.jpgPolice say a Ho-Ho-Kus man arrested this week for making a bomb threat at police headquarters was charge roughly a year ago for a similar offense.  

HO-HO-KUS--The man accused of making a bomb threat at Ho-Ho-Kus police headquarters Wednesday night was arrested less than a year ago for a similar offense, police confirmed. 

John Edwards III, 24, was arrested Wednesday after he dropped a backpack in the lobby of police headquarters and claimed a bomb was inside, Police Chief Chris Minchi said. This isn't the first time he's been accused of making bogus threats. Edwards was arrested Sept. 28, 2014, for allegedly telling authorities that he had chemical weapons in his apartment, Fair Lawn Capt. Ron Patterson confirmed on Friday. During both incidents, no weapons were found, police said.


RELATED: Bogus biological weapon threat in Fair Lawn forces evacuations


For the most recent incident, Edwards faces charges of making terroristic threats and false public alarm. 

Municipal Judge Harry Norton set bail at $75,000 in cash. Edwards was first transported to Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus for a 48-hour psychiatric evaluation.

Kathryn Brenzel may be reached at kbrenzel@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @katiebrenzel. Find NJ.com on Facebook

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Portion of Pascack Valley rail line suspended, NJ Transit says

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Service on NJ Transit's Pascack Valley rail line was suspended Friday between Oradell and Spring Valley as police investigated an incident near the Hillsdale Station, officials said.

 

HILLSDALE - Service on NJ Transit's Pascack Valley rail line was suspended Friday between Oradell and Spring Valley as police investigated an incident near the Hillsdale Station, officials said. 

The incident apparently involved a train bound for Hoboken from Spring Valley shortly after 4 p.m., NJ Transit spokeswoman Penny Bassett Hackett said. One person was injured, but their condition was not immediately known.

NJ Transit police were heading to the scene, the spokeswoman said. Additional details were not yet available.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahycFind NJ.com on Facebook.

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Ray Bramucci, longtime N.J. political figure, dies at 80

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Ray Bramucci, a well-known figure in New Jersey politics who worked as a union organizer, an aide to U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, state labor commissioner, and an assistant federal labor secretary, died Monday at age 80

TRENTON -- Ray Bramucci, a well-known figure in New Jersey politics who worked as a union organizer, an aide to U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, state labor commissioner, and an assistant federal labor secretary, died Monday at age 80.

Bramucci died at his home in Pompton Plains after an eight-year battle with cancer.

Born Ludlow, Mass., Bramucci was one of four children of an Italian butcher who lost everything during the Great Depression.

Bramucci worked a variety of factory jobs as a boy there and dropped out of high school at age 17 in 1952 to enter the U.S. Air Force. He served for four years.

Bramucci made his mark in labor circles after moving to New York City and joining International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, where he rose to become a senior director.

"Organizing a union -- that was college. That was graduate school," Bramucci told The Star-Ledger in 1998. 

Bramucci moved to New Jersey in 1967. And in 1979, he was chosen by Bill Bradley -- the former Princeton University and New York Knicks basketball star newly elected to the U.S. Senate -- to become the chief of staff in Bradley's New Jersey office.

A die-hard Boston Celtics fan, Bramucci was surprised to have ended up working for Bradley.

"I was a big fan of John Havlicek, who was a Celtics star. And they guarded each other," Bramucci recalled during an interview in 2013 with the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. "So he offered me the job, and I came home, and I said to Sue, my wife, I was going to go work for Bill Bradley. And Michael, my son -- who was then about 12 or 13 -- Sue told him, 'Your father's going to go work for Bill Bradley. And he bolted upstairs and slammed the door.

"And I went upstairs and I said, 'What's wrong?' He said, 'Dad, all those years that Bradley held Havlicek ... now you're gonna work for him? He played dirty.' I said, 'I'll talk to him about it.'" 

In 1990, then-Gov. Jim Florio picked Bramucci as commissioner of the state Department of Labor. Among his achievements was lobbying for passage of the Workforce Development Partnership Act, which trained unemployed workers in high-tech, emerging trades.

Bramucci -- a longtime Bergenfield resident -- spent 1994 to 1998 as executive director of the non-profit Seton Hall University Institute on Work. He was also an arbitrator on the New Jersey Board of Mediation, a Special Advisor to the President of Montclair State University, and an adjunct professor of political science at Rutgers University.

But Bramucci entered the Washington political scene in 1998 when then-President Bill Clinton tapped him to become assistant secretary of labor at the U.S. Department of Labor. There, Bramucci oversaw the administration of national Youth Opportunity grants and supervised job training across the country, including more than 100 Job Corps Centers.

"I've done some pretty good things here," Bramucci said at the end of his tenure.

Bramucci was also a trustee at Felician College in Lodi for 30 years.

Man fatally injured while running alongside train

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Daniel Stark, 50, of Hillsdale, was fatally injured while running next to a train on the Pascack Valley line Friday, authorities said.

train.jpgDaniel Stark, 50, of Hillsdale, was fatally injured while running next to a train on the Pascack Valley line Friday, authorities said. 

HILLSDALE -- A 50-year-old man was fatally injured Friday afternoon when his arm was severed as he was running next to a Hoboken-bound train on the Pascack Valley line, authorities said.

Daniel Stark, of Hillsdale, also sustained serious damage to his legs during the incident, NJ Transit spokeswoman Penny Bassett said.

Bassett later clarified her remarks, saying Stark was at the station at the time of the incident. Under the law, she said, he's considered a "trespasser"--even though he wasn't on the tracks--because he was running to get on a moving train.

Stark was airlifted to Hackensack University Medical Center where he later died from his injuries, Bassett said.

The train crew was unaware of the incident until they were stopped by Emerson police two stops east of the incident at about 4:20 p.m., she said.

The train had left Spring Valley at 3:45 p.m. on the Pascack Valley line and was scheduled to arrive in Hoboken by 5:02 p.m., she said.

No injuries were reported by either the 60 customers on board or the train crew, Bassett said. Service was suspended until 6 p.m. and customers were transferred onto an NJ Transit bus, she said.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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County official wants answers over assaults against Bergen hospital staff

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported on Thursday that it had investigated eight incidents at the hospital from Feb. 22 through June 12 in which health care workers were assaulted by violent patients.

bergen-regional-medical-center-0903.bmp.jpgBergen Regional Medical Center (Google Maps)

PARAMUS -- After federal authorities cited Bergen Regional Medical Center for allegedly failing to protect employees from violent patients, the county executive says he wants answers and an "action plan" from the private company that leases the county-owned hospital.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported on Thursday that it had investigated eight incidents at the hospital from Feb. 22 through June 12 in which health care workers were assaulted by violent patients. According to OSHA, Bergen Regional management failed to take adequate measures to protect workers.

Employees reported patients barricading them in rooms, threatening them, exposing them to blood-borne pathogens and biting, punching and kicking them, OSHA. In one case a nurse suffered a laceration and bruises trying to stop an attack on a patient, OSHA said.

Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, who made a revamp of the hospital a priority of his campaign, said he was "alarmed" by OSHA's report.

"I have called upon the hospital's management to explain and address these violations immediately," Tedesco said. "I am scheduling a meeting with hospital management and employee representatives. I expect hospital management to present a detailed action plan to strengthen safety and security measures at the hospital to better protect both staff and patients moving forward."


RELATED: Bergen hospital allegedly exposed workers to violent patients

This past June, Tedesco appointed a 13-member committee to recommend what to do with the hospital once the private management company's lease expires in March 2017. As reported by The Record, Tedesco has said he wants Bergen Regional Medical Center to offer a mix of mental health services, long-term care and expanded veteran's services.

Bergen Regional management has requested an informal conference with OSHA in response to the citations. Donalee Corrieri, a spokeswoman for the hospital, previously told NJ Advance Media that Bergen Regional serves many patients with mental health and addiction issues.

"Caring for patients whose disease makes their actions unpredictable is challenging, as all healthcare workers understand," she said.

"We look forward to the OSHA conference and having the opportunity to, as has been done in the past, successfully address any concerns and thus remove/reduce the citations," she added.

Bergen Regional, which has 1,070 beds, is the largest hospital and licensed nursing home in New Jersey.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Quick-thinking pilot avoided school field in crash landing, report says

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The pilot of a small plane that crash-landed in a Cresskill field Thursday made the split-second decision to avoid a Tenafly school field

Yakov RosenbergU.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary pilot Yakov Rosenberg was seriously injured in a crash-landing in Cresskill Sept. 3, 2015, officials said. (Courtesy of Mayer Berger) 

HACKENSACK -- The pilot of a small plane that crash-landed in a Cresskill field Thursday made the split-second decision to avoid a Tenafly school field, he said to the Record.

Two Tenafly High school cross-country runners who were in the field visited Jack Rosenberg Monday at Hackensack University Medical Center to thank him.

Rosenberg and Erik Pearson, who was aboard the Cessna 172 as an observer, waved and shouted at the kids to get out of the way, but couldn't be heard. Rosenberg won't be able to put weight on his legs for three months, but said he was eager to fly again.

Rosenberg, flying a volunteer patrol for the U.S. Coast Guard, reported engine trouble before crash-landing, according to radio transmissions. He and Pearson both suffered serious injuries, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Rosenberg has served with the Coast Guard since 2005. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.


Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Bus riders to have help with today's Port Authority changes

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A reconfiguration of Port Authority Bus Terminal gates is meant to improve on-time performance, but could confuse some riders

NEW YORK -- More than 30,000 commuters faced with potentially confusing gate changes taking effect today at the Port Authority Bus Terminal can look up the changes online or ask special customer service agents who will be stationed at the terminal all week.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the bus terminal, and NJ Transit, which accounts for 60 percent of it 7,000 daily bus trips, have posted the gate changes on their web sites. 

The measures are meant to minimize confusion, anger or other potential consequences of forcing about one third of the terminal's 110,000 daily round-trip bus riders affected by the changes to alter their commuting habits all at once, particularly during the evening rush hour, when commuters will have to find their new gates for the trip home after a day's work.

In addition to the dozens of "gate change ambassadors" that will be on hand to answer commuters' questions, the Port Authority said 500 signs will be posted throughout the terminal advising riders of the changes, which will involve NJ Transit, Coach USA, DeCamp and Lakeland buses.

Variable message signs on state roads warned of the changes over the Labor Day weekend.


RELATED: Inside the Port Authority's Plan to speed up bus commutes


The gates are being reconfigured in an effort to improve on-time performance by giving NJ Transit and Coach USA, its two biggest carriers, more control of their operations.

The entire third floor of the terminal will be dedicated to NJ Transit, which officials say will free the agency from delays caused by other carriers and even allow it to take advantage of occasional opportunities to make up time, for example, when one of its buses is early. NJ Transit will still use some gates on other levels.   

By the same token, all of Coach USA's operations will be concentrated along a "Coach Corridor" on the fourth floor, though other carriers will use other Level 4 gates.

There have already been glitches, including errors on fliers signaling the changes that NJ Transit handed out last week. 

Officials have declined to quantify just how much they hope the gate changes will improve on-time performance, which was 87.1 percent among NJ Transit buses for the 12-month period ending in June. On-time means departing less than six minutes behind schedule.    

The gate changes are among $90 million in short-term improvements to the 65-year-old terminal launched by the Port Authority last year, including new bathrooms, enhanced ventilation and wi-fi, and spruced-up commercial space, while the agency plans to replace the terminal for up to $10.5 billion.

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), who helped spur the improvements with rider forums and appearances before the Port Authority Board of Commissioners, said she would ride a bus to the terminal this afternoon for a first-hand look at how the gate changes unfold.

"We'll see how it goes," Weinberg said.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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N.J. summer photo album: Your pictures from Labor Day weekend

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To cap the summer season NJ.com users shared their favorite photos from Labor Day weekend

As the final days of summer approached we asked NJ.com users to help us cap the summer season by sending us their photos from Labor Day weekend.

Facebook follower Anneliese Rudoshko sent us a photo from high atop Mt. Tammany in the Delaware Water Gap while Facebook user Kathryn Lee Campo shared her view of the Delaware River during a cruise in a 1960's wildcat.

Whether showing off their summer tans or highlighting the Garden State's tomato harvest, New Jerseyans all over showed us how fun is done.


RELATED: Earth Day 2015: Photos of N.J.'s most unspoiled places


So, As you settle back into work and school, take a moment to remember the good times and enjoy these Labor Day weekend photos from around the state.

Do you have a photo to share? Post them in comments or tweet them to @njdotcom with the hashtag #LaborDayNJ and we'll add more user-submitted photos throughout the day.

Adya Beasley may be reached at abeasley@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @adyabeasley. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Pascrell says he will support Obama and vote for Iran agreement

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U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. became the fifth of eight Democratic members of Congress from New Jersey to support the Iran nuclear agreement.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. on Tuesday backed fellow Democrat President Obama and announced he will vote for the agreement curbing Iran's nuclear program for more than a decade in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

"Rejecting this agreement leaves us with a crumbling sanctions regime, a weakened standing for our nation on the global stage, and most critically with Iran only months from completing the development of a nuclear weapon.," Pascrell (D-9th Dist.) said in a statement. "Moving forward with this agreement is most certainly not the last step, but the first because it commits the international community to ensuring that Iran does not become a nuclear weapons state. 

Pascrell was the last of the 14-member New Jersey congressional delegation to take a position on the deal, and joins four other Democrats, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (6th Dist.), Donald Payne Jr. (10th Dist.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (12th Dist.) in endorsing the agreement.

Former U.S. Reps. Steve Rothman (D-9th Dist.), who Pascrell defeated in the 2012 Democratic primary, and Rush Holt (D-12th Dist.) also came out in favor of the deal.


RELATED: N.J.'s Pallone backs Obama on Iran


Three Democratic lawmakers, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Reps. Donald Norcross (1st Dist.) and Albio Sires (8th Dist.) have said they will vote no, as will all six House Republicans from the state.

The House is scheduled to vote on the agreement this week. More than 34 Senate Democrats have announced their support of the deal, meaning that opponents will not have the two-thirds majorities in both houses they need to override President Obama's expected veto of any resolution against the agreement.

Pascrell said that curbing Iran's rhetoric and threats against other nations "was never the goal of the agreement. The fact is that a nuclear Iran would only exacerbate these problems, and this deal drastically reduces that threat."

"I have no illusions about the destructive force that Iran continues to be in the international community," Pascrell said. "Iran makes daily threats against the United States and our ally Israel, and its support of terrorism must continue to be a top priority."

At the same time, he said, the U.S. should "look for ways to bolster" support for Israel in the wake of the Iran deal. 

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Tuskegee airman, WWII hero from N.J., dies at 90, report says

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Spann, who was raised in Rutherford, was a pioneering black World War II combat pilot recognized for his bravery escorting bombers over enemy territory in Europe in the 1940s.

Calvin Spann, a New Jersey native who flew 26 missions over Nazi Germany as one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, died at his home in Texas Sunday, according to NBC New York. He was 90.

Spann, who was raised in Rutherford, was a pioneering black World War II combat pilot recognized for his bravery escorting bombers over enemy territory in Europe in the 1940s.

He once said watching the planes take off from Teterboro Airport inspired him to become a pilot. He volunteered for the Army Air Corps and was sent to Tuskegee, Alabama to join the first group of African-American military aviators in the history of the U.S. Armed Forces, credited with breaking down racial barriers with their valor and skill.

"I was determined, because from the very beginning — I don't know why or where it came from — but the rumor was out there that because I was black, I couldn't learn," he said in a 2012 interview with The Record newspaper. "I was determined to prove that wrong."

He later retired to Texas, where he celebrated his 90th birthday at the end of August.

He was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame in Teterboro in 2006 and received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. In 2012, he saw his story rendered on the big screen when he attended a premiere of the George Lucas film "Red Tails," which dramatized the Tuskegee airmen's tale.

Memorial services are being arranged in Texas and New Jersey, his family told the NBC affiliate in Fort Worth.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

At least $3.5M in heroin seized at N.J. house, authorities say

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Investigators seized at least $3.5 million worth of heroin and arrested a California man at a Teaneck house, authorities said Tuesday.

Miguel Armenta-VillaMiguel Armenta-Villa, 25 
TRENTON - Investigators seized at least $3.5 million worth of heroin and arrested a California man at a Teaneck house, authorities said Tuesday.

Miguel Armenta-Villa, 25, of Bakersfield, faces heroin possession and distribution charges, according to a State Police statement. He was ordered held at the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail, with no 10 percent option.

State Police and members of a New York-based Drug Enforcement Administration task force found 22 kilograms of heroin, which equals 1.1 million doses, after serving a search warrant Friday at a Bryant Avenue residence, authorities said.

The drugs have an estimated street value between $3.5 and $5 million, according to police. The arrest came after a three-week probe.

Armenta-Villa's case will be prosecuted by the state Division of Criminal Justice, officials said. It was not immediately clear if he had retained an attorney.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahycFind NJ.com on Facebook.

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