Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes, NJ
Obituaries
'You Matter': Gabriel Perez Of Wyckoff Dies, 19 'You Matter': Gabriel Perez Of Wyckoff Dies, 19
'You Matter': Gabriel Perez Of Wyckoff Dies, 19 "You matter." Those are the words Gabriel "Gabe" Jose Perez is wearing printed on his yellow hoodie in the photo on his obituary.  It's the message that the 19-year-old Wyckoff resident's family is hoping to send to others like Gabe battling depression, after his death Feb. 3, 2022. Gabe is survived by his doting parents, Gabriel S. Perez and Rosa Perez Marmol; supportive sisters, Janille G. Fagundo and Anabel Perez; and his adoring niece, Emmalie Fagundo. Born on May 13, 2002 in New York, NY, after defying many odds, Gabe brought so much joy and warmth to those around him.  Those who k…

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by Cecilia Levine
North Hunterdon, NJ
Breaking News
FOUND: Missing NJ Man Who Left Home Without Cell Phone Located Safely, State Police Say FOUND: Missing NJ Man Who Left Home Without Cell Phone Located Safely, State Police Say
Found: Missing NJ Man Who Left Home Without Cell Phone Located Safely, State Police Say UPDATE: Vanassen has been located safely, police confirmed. ------------------------------ State Police have issued an alert for a missing North Jersey man who suffers from depression and left home without his cell phone. Bryan T. Vanassen, 42, was last seen at his home in Harmony Township, NJ, around 7 a.m. Monday, New Jersey State Police said. Vanassen left his home without his cell phone and is thought to be driving a black 1988 Ford Bronco with a 4-inch lift, a large black antenna on the rear, and a chrome grill guard with New Jersey license plates reading A87NZY, police said. He is…

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by Valerie Musson
Brookfield, CT
Your Community
Congressman Says Talking About Suicide Of His Son, An Amherst College Grad, Saved His Own Life Congressman Says Talking About Suicide Of His Son, An Amherst College Grad, Saved His Own Life
Congressman Says Talking About Suicide Of His Son, An Amherst College Grad, Saved His Own Life Jamie Raskin is opening up about his son's death by suicide. In a recent interview with "People" magazine, the Democratic congressman from Maryland said writing his new memoir saved his own life. The 59-year-old Democrat details a "life-altering" first few weeks in January 2021, where he had to face down a mob of angry Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol -- all while dealing with the loss of his 25-year-old son Tommy. "It probably would have been the end of my life had I not been able to talk about it," Raskin tells the magazine. Tommy Raskin was a second-year student at Harvard L…

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by Joe Gomez
Glen Burnie, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Congressman Says Talking About His Son's Suicide Saved His Own Life Maryland Congressman Says Talking About His Son's Suicide Saved His Own Life
Maryland Congressman Says Talking About His Son's Suicide Saved His Own Life Jamie Raskin is opening up about his son's suicide. In a recent interview with "People" magazine, the Congressman said writing his new memoir saved his own life. The 59-year-old Democrat details a "life-altering" first few weeks in January 2021, where he had to face down a mob of angry Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol -- all while dealing with the loss of his 25-year-old son Tommy. "It probably would have been the end of my life had I not been able to talk about it," Raskin tells the magazine. Tommy Raskin was a second-year student at Harvard Law School, who took his own life o…

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by Joe Gomez
Greenburgh, NY
Your Community
Here's How Many Hours Per Day A Child Spends Looking At Screens On Average, New Study Finds Here's How Many Hours Per Day A Child Spends Looking At Screens On Average, New Study Finds
Here's How Many Hours Per Day A Child Spends Looking At Screens On Average, New Study Finds Researchers have found that the average amount of time children spend looking at screens each day has doubled since before the COVID-19 pandemic. In May of 2020, children ages 12 and 13 spent an average of 7.7 hours per day looking at screens for reasons unrelated to school, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics by researchers from the University of California-San Francisco. The university shared the study's findings in an announcement on Monday, Nov. 1.  The figure is a significant increase from the 3.8 hours spent on screens each day prior to the pandemic. Researchers found that …

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by Nicole Valinote
Teaneck, NJ
Breaking News
Special Needs School Bus Crashes On Route 4 Special Needs School Bus Crashes On Route 4
Special Needs School Bus Crashes On Route 4 UPDATE: No serious injuries were reported following a crash involving a school bus carrying children with special needs on Route 4. Six children, the driver and an aide from the Windsor Academy in Ridgewood were aboard the bus when it was involved in a crash with a private vehicle on the eastbound highway in Teaneck near the Hackensack border around 3 p.m. Wednesday, Bergen County Sheriff's Public Information Officer Keisha J. McLean said Thursday afternoon. One youngster was taken to Holy Name Medical Center by the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps with a minor injury, McLean said. The lo…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Massapequa, NY
Your Community
COVID-19: Here's Percentage Of NYers Who Say They Gained Weight, Felt Depressed During Pandemic COVID-19: Here's Percentage Of NYers Who Say They Gained Weight, Felt Depressed During Pandemic
Covid-19: Here's Percentage Of NYers Who Say They Gained Weight, Felt Depressed During Pandemic Millions of New Yorkers may experience lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic after reporting weight gain and depression, according to a newly released Siena College study. In a poll conducted between Wednesday, June 16 and Tuesday, June 29 of hundreds of New Yorkers, 49 percent said that they gained weight during the yearlong pandemic, while more than half (51 percent) said that they felt depressed while contending with the 16-month crisis. On the brighter side: 68 percent of those polled said that they believe the worst of COVID-19 is over, and more than half said they will feel comfort…

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by Zak Failla
Hamilton Township, NJ
Breaking News
SEEN HER? Former NJ Teacher Reported Missing SEEN HER? Former NJ Teacher Reported Missing
Seen HER? Former NJ Teacher Reported Missing Police are searching for a former New Jersey teacher reported missing. Kelly Brophy's family said her phone was last tracked to Brooklyn, NY on June 30, but has since been off and she is unreachable. Brophy -- formerly a teacher in Lawrence Township -- is believed to be suffering from depression since her father's passing, family says. She is driving a red 2021 Mazda CX30 NJ Reg. DH9-NRJ. Anyone who sees her is urged to call Lawrence Twp. Police at 609-896-1111 Det. Ryan Dunn 609-844-7125. 

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by Cecilia Levine
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Obituaries
Morris County Native, Truck Driver Daniel Merz Dies, 31 Morris County Native, Truck Driver Daniel Merz Dies, 31
Morris County Native, Truck Driver Daniel Merz Dies, 31 Morris County native and truck driver Daniel J. Merz died May 31 at St. Clare’s Hospital in Denville. He was 31. Merz was born in Dover and lived in Rockaway Township for 11 years, his obituary says. Merz worked as a truck driver for MXI Environmental for 13 years and enjoyed photography and fishing in his free time, according to his memorial. Merz is survived by his mother, Liz Vastola; his step-father Gerard Vastola; two siblings: Kassie and Nick Merz; his grandmother, "Nan" Carolyn Merz; his father, Dan McErlean; and many extended family members. Merz’s visitation will be hel…

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by Valerie Musson
Mahwah-Ramsey, NJ
Breaking News
Authorities: Mahwah Woman Stabbed Dead, Husband In Custody After Calling Police Authorities: Mahwah Woman Stabbed Dead, Husband In Custody After Calling Police
Authorities: Mahwah Woman Stabbed Dead, Husband In Custody After Calling Police UPDATE: Authorities on Tuesday night identified a Mahwah retiree who they said stabbed his wife dead with a kitchen knife after her morning shower. Dieter R. Zimmerman, 73, called police around 7:45 a.m. from the couple's home on Indian Field Court, a townhouse development off Belgrove Drive near the Rockland border, to tell them what happened, authorities said. Township police found Zimmerman with “several scratches and a bleeding cut on a finger” and his 69-year-old wife, Jaquelin, on a floor in an upstairs bathroom adjacent to the master bedroom, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella sa…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Massapequa, NY
Breaking News
COVID-19: Patients Treated For Virus Display Symptoms Months Later, New Study Finds COVID-19: Patients Treated For Virus Display Symptoms Months Later, New Study Finds
Covid-19: Patients Treated For Virus Display Symptoms Months Later, New Study Finds Symptoms of COVID-19 may last for as long as six months, according to a new study of 1,733 people who were hospitalized with the virus. The research was done at the Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan, China, and published in the Lancet medical journal. Its purpose was to describe the long-term health consequences of patients with COVID who have been discharged from hospitals and investigate the associated risk factors. The study revealed that patients who first tested positive at the start of the outbreak in January 2020 were still experiencing some symptoms in May 2020, including difficult…

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by Joe Lombardi
Bristol, PA
Breaking News
Obsessed Patient Beat Bensalem Chiropractor To Death, DA Says Obsessed Patient Beat Bensalem Chiropractor To Death, DA Says
Obsessed Patient Beat Bensalem Chiropractor To Death, DA Says A 22-year-old Bucks County man was charged with killing his chiropractor whom prosecutors say he became obsessed with while seeking treatment for jaw pain. Joseph O'Boyle, of Bensalem, beat 64-year-old Dr. James Sowa to death in his Hulmeville Road home office on Nov. 2, 2020, Bucks County, District Attorney Matt Weintraub said Friday. O'Boyle was remanded to the Bucks County jail on Nov. 10, when he assaulted a police officer at his home as part of the homicide investigation, Weintraub said. O'Boyle was being jailed on charges of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment when he w…

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by Cecilia Levine