Elizabeth, NJ
Real Estate
QuickChek Goes Big: 7 New Locations Land In NJ QuickChek Goes Big: 7 New Locations Land In NJ
QuickChek Goes Big: 7 New Locations Land In NJ QuickChek is going big with an expanded location in Central Jersey, and six more planned across the Garden State (scroll for the list). The 4,542-square-foot store opened at the intersection of Bordentown Avenue and Cheesequake Road Parlin on Tuesday, Sept. 20, replacing a smaller store that stood in its place. The new QuickChek features a new exterior with a green tower and “Fresh to Go” interior layout designed to enhance the shopping experience. More than half of the new store will be dedicated to freshly prepared food and beverages, including QuickChek’s guaranteed fresh brewe…

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by Cecilia Levine
Elizabeth, NJ
Police & Fire
North Jersey Man Convicted Of Repeatedly Sexually Assaulting Teen North Jersey Man Convicted Of Repeatedly Sexually Assaulting Teen
North Jersey Man Convicted Of Repeatedly Sexually Assaulting Teen A North Jersey man was convicted Tuesday, Sept. 20 of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl over the course of two years, authorities said. Jeff Banatte, 37, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated sexual assault, third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said. The Scotch Plains man sexually assaulted the victim on multiple occasions when she was between 13 and 15 years old, the prosecutor said. Banatte is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, Oct. 21. “We are grateful for the co…

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by Nicole Acosta
Edison, NJ
News
These NJ Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners These NJ Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners
These NJ Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners Nine New Jersey schools were named 2022 Blue Ribbon winners. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, a part of the United States Department of Education, announces hundreds of recipients of the award each year. The award was created to recognize schools that are considered outstanding, and the winners are honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, where schools receive plaques and flags. The nine New Jersey schools that received the award this year are listed below, along with links to the Blue Ribbon overview of each: Center Grove School in Randolph Township Cliffside Park Schoo…

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by Jon Craig
Franklin Township, NJ
Lifestyle
Popular Ice Cream Spots In North Jersey For A Tasty Cool Down Popular Ice Cream Spots In North Jersey For A Tasty Cool Down
Popular Ice Cream Spots In North Jersey For A Tasty Cool Down We've got a scorcher of a weekend ahead of us. Why not a tasty treat to cool down? Here are some of the most popular ice cream spots in North Jersey. The sampling of spots below were top-rated on several user-generated review sites, featured in local publications and recommended by Daily Voice readers. Applegate Farm Homemade Ice Cream, Montclair View this post on Instagram A post shared by Applegate Ice Cream (@applegatefarmic) Cliff’s Homemade Ice Cream, Ledgewood Conrad’s Confectionary, Westwood Denville Dairy, Denville Falls Creamery,…

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by Cecilia Levine
Franklin Township, NJ
News
These Public NJ High Schools Are The Best In America, US News Says These Public NJ High Schools Are The Best In America, US News Says
These Public NJ High Schools Are The Best In America, US News Says A school isn't just a building. It's a home: A a place for children to foster self-confidence, learn social skills and explore their strengths. Many factors go into what makes a great school, and US News has crunched that data to compile its latest ranking of the best public schools in America.  The Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies, comes in at No. 23 on that list, and Union County Magnet School No. 49. Here are the top public high schools in New Jersey, according to US News: 10. Academy for Allied Health Sciences (Scotch Plains) 9.…

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by Cecilia Levine
Elizabeth, NJ
News
Dad Battling Cancer Dies On His Own Terms In His Favorite Place: Watchung Reservation Dad Battling Cancer Dies On His Own Terms In His Favorite Place: Watchung Reservation
Dad Battling Cancer Dies On His Own Terms In His Favorite Place: Watchung Reservation If you've been to Watchung Reservation, chances are you've passed Richard Carroll. Having grown up working in the stables, the park has been the Scotch Plains native's happy place for decades.  On Monday, April 18, Carroll made the park his final resting place. He chose to go on his own terms after a 12-year battle with cancer, his family tells Daily Voice. "The cancer beat my dad, physically and at the end mentally," Katrina Carroll said on a GoFundMe page that had raised more than $28,000 as of April 21. "My dad couldn’t fight anymore, and he ended his fight in his way." Carroll wa…

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by Cecilia Levine
Elizabeth, NJ
Police & Fire
Unfounded Bomb Threat Locks Down Union County Vocational School: Officials Unfounded Bomb Threat Locks Down Union County Vocational School: Officials
Unfounded Bomb Threat Locks Down Union County Vocational School: Officials A North Jersey high school was put on lockdown Tuesday, April 12 amid a bomb threat, officials confirmed. No threats or devices were found during a search of the Union County Vocational Technical School on Raritan Road in Scotch Plains around 11 a.m., a county spokesperson said. The person responsible for making the threat on social media was later identified by police and subsequently interviewed, officials said. The lockdown was eventually lifted.

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by Nicole Acosta
Washington Township, NJ
Business
Woodbury Charlie Brown's Sets Reopening Date Woodbury Charlie Brown's Sets Reopening Date
Woodbury Charlie Brown's Sets Reopening Date Charlie Brown’s Fresh Grill has an opening date for its Woodbury location. The casual restaurant will open on Monday, April 18 after extensive renovations, according to its updated Google Maps description.  The eatery is located at 111 N. Broad St. It describes itself as an easygoing chophouse with steaks, prime rib, seafood and an all-you-can-eat salad bar. Charlie Brown's repens on April 18Google This is the company’s first reopening of the 13 locations that closed in 2020. Many shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened. The Woodbury restaurant joins the Scotch P…

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by Jon Craig
Englewood, NJ
News
Four NJ Smoke Shops Raided, Five Busted For Selling Pot, THC Edibles Four NJ Smoke Shops Raided, Five Busted For Selling Pot, THC Edibles
Four NJ Smoke Shops Raided, Five Busted For Selling Pot, THC Edibles A group of owners and operators sold pot and THC products out of smoke shops in Englewood, Butler, Randolph, and Scotch Plains, charged authorities who busted them during a series of raids. Detectives assisted by the DEA seized seizure of hundreds of pounds of marijuana, THC edibles and THC wax/oil, along with $305,000 in illicit proceeds, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. They arrested co-owners Michael Ligus, 24, and Damian Harry Wesler Sr., 44, along with Damian H. Wesler Jr., 22, all of Ringwood, and were arrested, along with Anthony Garcia, 45, of Secaucus and Ezekiel Pau…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Elizabeth, NJ
Obituaries
Support Surging For Toddler Who Lost Dad In Parkway Crash Week Before Christmas Support Surging For Toddler Who Lost Dad In Parkway Crash Week Before Christmas
Support Surging For Toddler Who Lost Dad In Parkway Crash Week Before Christmas Support is on the rise for a toddler who lost his loving father in a fiery Garden State Parkway crash just a week before Christmas. Scotch Plains resident Fabrice Deryce, aka “Fab,” 34, was pronounced dead after crashing into several objects and a concrete cantilever overhead sign support in Tinton Falls on Dec. 18, DailyVoice.com reported. Deryce was remembered as a devoted father who “lit up any room he walked into,” according to a GoFundMe launched for his young son, Cameron. “Fab had a special bond with many people, but the most special of those was his bond with his 2-year-old son Cam…

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by Valerie Musson
Elizabeth, NJ
Police & Fire
Driver, 34, Killed In Fiery Garden State Parkway Crash Driver, 34, Killed In Fiery Garden State Parkway Crash
Driver, 34, Killed In Fiery Garden State Parkway Crash A 34-year-old North Jersey man was killed in a fiery crash on the Garden State Parkway in Monmouth County, State Police said. Fabrice Deryce, of Scotch Plains, was heading south in a Chevy Impala when he struck multiple fixed objects around 11:45 p.m. Saturday in Tinton Falls, NJSP Sgt. Philip Curry said. The vehicle then entered the grass median that separates the local and express lanes, and struck a concrete cantilever overhead sign support.  Initial reports say the car caught fire and CPR was performed on Deryce, formerly of Rahway. He was later pronounced dead, Curry said. The …

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by Cecilia Levine
Washington Township, NJ
Business
Charlie Brown's Reopening 1 Shuttered NJ Location: Report Charlie Brown's Reopening 1 Shuttered NJ Location: Report
Charlie Brown's Reopening 1 Shuttered NJ Location: Report Charlie Brown's Fresh Grill closed 13 of its New Jersey locations last year. Next year, one will reopen, local officials said. The Woodbury location at 111 N. Broad St. is expected to make a comeback in 2022, 42 Freeway reports citing the township mayor's most recent newsletter.   An exact reopening date has not been announced. The company’s Scotch Plains restaurant is currently the only one operating statewide. Click here for more from 42 Freeway.

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by Jon Craig