A new prescription drug program in Essex County is expected to help residents save money on brand name and generic drugs.  The free program open to all residents regardless of age or employment is estimated to save participants 10 to 20 percent on brand name drugs, and 20 to 70 percent on generic drugs, according to the county. Residents only have to show the discount card at their pharmacy when filling a prescription.  “You will agree that ... this is definitely needed in today’s world and in our society,” said Freeholder President Blonnie Watson. “And what is the most expensive things in …

One year after Tropical Storm Irene crashed Shea and Matthew Bailey's wedding, the married couple got a second chance they couldn’t believe would ever happen.  The Baileys planned their wedding for Aug. 27, 2011, in Asbury Park, the day after Gov. Chris Christie told New Jersey beach-goers to “get the hell off the beach” because of the approaching tropical storm. Instead of a wedding surrounded by more than 100 of their friends on the beach, the two were married at a rehearsal dinner with the few guests that could attend.   But on Sunday, the couple celebrated their one year anniversary with …

An Essex County park which has remained undeveloped for 43 years now looks like a million bucks. That’s how much the county spent this summer to improve Becker Park, a 146.73 tract in Roseland and Livingston, to make it safer and more accessible to the public. The work started in May and was completed in three months, the county announced Monday. The county partnered with the Becker Park Conservancy, NJ Green Acres program and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Advisory Board on the project, which was funded with a New Jersey Green Acres grant received by the Becker Park Conservancy …

The Montclair man accused of shooting to death a Villanova University student in Montclair pled not guilty early Tuesday at his arraignment in Essex County Superior Court in Newark, The Montclair Times reported. According to the article, Judge Peter J. Vazquez asked Ernest Williams, 21, if he reviewed the charges against him, if he understood the charges, and if his lawyer, John McMahon, reviewed his rights. In each case, Williams responded "yes, I do." Vazquez told Williams that the matter will go before a grand jury—most likely not until December—and that his bail will be continued at $750,…

Miami Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano plays his home games down in South Beach, but his thoughts are never far from his hometown of Verona. Verona is so deeply ingrained in Fasano that he returns each year for a golf tournament named after him and run by the Anthony Fasano Foundation. For the last three years, Fasano has sponsored a bocce competition in Montville in Morris County, because that was the nearest place with the four bocce courts available to host the event. Working with Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Fasano organized a volunteer campaign to open up four new courts at…

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will visit Cedar Grove on Tuesday, June 19 for a town hall meeting, Cedar Grove officials announced this week. The event will be held in Cedar Grove High School's gymnasium to better accommodate the crowd, said Cedar Grove Mayor John Zunic. Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. with seating on a first come, first serve basis. The event will start at 11 a.m. and is expected to last approximately 90 minutes. “You always like to have the executive leader of the state visit your town,” said Zunic. “Residents will be able to directly ask their questions to the governor. It’s…

A Newark woman who is accused of fatally throwing her neighbor's dog into the oncoming traffic during an argument over a parking spot was indicted on four counts Wednesday, authorities said. Haniyyah Barnes, 25, was indicted by an Essex County Grand Jury on charges of second degree burglary, third degree animal cruelty, third degree theft and third degree criminal mischief, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. In August 2011, Barnes allegedly forced her way into her neighbor's home and threatened and assaulted the neighbor over a parking space. When her neighbor's 2-year-old …

A 21-year-old man was indicted Tuesday for first degree murder in the fatal shooting of an off-duty Newark police officer last year, authorities said. Rasul McNeil-Thomas, of Newark, was also indicted by an Essex County Grand Jury for first degree conspiracy to commit murder, first and second degree carjacking, first degree attempted murder, second degree aggravated assault, two second degree weapons charges, and third degree child endangerment in connection with the death of Newark Police Officer William C. Johnson Jr. Johnson, 45, a 16-year veteran of the department and father of two …

A Ukrainian man who authorities said ran an online child pornography site featuring horrific images and video is in U.S. custody today after losing a three-year extradition battle, the U.S. Attorney’s office said at a press conference in Newark. Maksym Shynkarenko, 33, was brought to this country this past weekend from Thailand, where he had been in custody since 2009 after being arrested while on vacation. A 32-count indictment states Shynkarenko founded a Ukraine-based site with thousands of customers around the world, including nearly 600 American men, 30 of whom are from New Jersey—…

Responding to charges filed this week that she failed to pay taxes, singer and South Orange native and resident Lauryn Hill posted a lengthy statement on her Tumblr account. She noted that the charges are from 2005, 2006, and 2007, which she describes as "this period of crisis."  Hill explains that, after "Having put the lives and needs of other people before my own for multiple years, and having made hundreds of millions of dollars for certain institutions, under complex and sometimes severe circumstances, I began to require growth and more equitable treatment, but was met with resistance." …

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark on Thursday charged singer and actress Lauryn Hill with failing to file tax returns for three years on $1.6 million in income. Hill, a South Orange resident, is charged with three counts of failing to file tax returns, in 2005, 2006 and 2007. She is scheduled to appear before a U.S. magistrate for a hearing on the charges on June 29.U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement that Hill owns four corporations besides her income as an entertainer. They include Creations Music, Inc., Boogie Tours, Inc., L.H. Productions 2001, Inc. and Studio 22, Inc. Hill…

Visitors entering Newark from the west will now be greeted by a likeness of one of professional baseball’s most beloved icons, the late Roberto Clemente, remembered as much for his humanitarianism as for his considerable exploits on the diamond. A few thousand jubilant spectators Sunday came to the corner of Lake Street and Bloomfield Avenue, at the entrance of Branch Brook Park, for the official unveiling of a statue of Clemente, a Hall of Fame right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates who died 40 years ago in a plane crash while delivering supplies to the victims of an earthquake in …

A 12.3-acre parcel along the Passaic River that once housed unsightly cargo storage containers was reborn Wednesday as a lustrous green athletic field, the latest addition to Essex County’s park system. Gov. Chris Christie joined Mayor Cory Booker, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and several other officials for the ribbon-cutting at Riverfront Park, located in the East Ward near the corner of Brill Street and Raymond Boulevard. “I remember the days of this being called the container capital of the state of New Jersey,” said East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador. “It was an absolute …

Even as an old man, hometown kid Kyrie Irving looks like he will not lose a step in his game—at least that is the way it seems in a new Pepsi Max commercial.  Reigning Rookie of the Year in the NBA, Irving, who grew up in West Orange and played basketball at Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair, has gone viral in a new television advertisement shot as a “documentary” on the basketball courts in nearby Bloomfield. In the commercial, Irving attends a late night basketball game at Clark’s Pond in Bloomfield, dressed as paunchy old man, complete with white hair and beard. With his new persona…

Essex County officials paid tribute to war veterans past and present Wednesday with its annual wreath-laying ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Newark. The tradition, said County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., serves as a reminder that Memorial Day is a holiday that honors servicemen—and not just the unofficial start of summer. "If it wasn't for our veterans and those who lost their lives, we wouldn't be able to do those things," said DiVincenzo of the upcoming abundance of Memorial Day barbecues and picnics. Two wreaths adorned with patriotic red and white flowers were laid at Staff Sgt…

More than a dozen law enforcement agencies have smashed a ring that shipped stolen cars through Port Newark/Elizabeth for sale in a number of West African nations, the US Attorney’s Office announced today. The ring handled about 200 cars—10 percent of which were carjacked—with an estimated value of $6 million, said First Assistant US Attorney Gil Childers. The cars were stolen out of a number of New Jersey communities, including Newark, Union City, Hoboken, West Orange, Roseland, Elizabeth, Manalapan, Englewood Cliffs and Hillside. Most of the stolen cars were luxury vehicles, including …

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced the addition of 19 new buses for the county’s Special Transportation System while unveiling the new arrivals at the Essex County Division of Senior Services in Verona Wednesday. Coinciding with May’s designation as Older Americans Month, buses will be added to the fleet run under the county’s Division of Senior Services, which provides free transportation to the county’s senior citizens and disabled residents. Ten buses arrived this month with an additional nine to be delivered in June. With the new buses, four of which were awarded to…

The Two Hundred Club of Essex County doled out its annual Valor Awards last week, with 32 police and fire officials recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty amid the most harrowing situations. Among the recipients was John King of Essex Fells, a councilman and volunteer with the Essex Fells Fire Dept. who displayed remarkable courage last December when he rescued his own daughter in a blaze that destroyed his family's home. The following summary of the evening's events was prepared by The Two Hundred Club:   It is very rare for the quiet suburban town of Essex Fells, with 2,000 …

After days of fog and rain, the sun emerged on Sunday at 8 a.m., just in time to greet the breast cancer survivors and their supporters at theSusan G. Komen North Jersey Race for the Cureat the South Mountain Recreation Complex.  Some 5000 strong, the crowd of women, children and men browsed informational tents, played games, ate, danced to the live music on the stage, and greeted one another with hugs and tears. “This is my third time here,” said Beverly James of Newark. “I’m a six-year survivor and I don’t plan to miss a single year.”  Many supporters and survivors came in groups, wearing …

The story of Nutley mom Patricia Krentcil, 44, allegedly taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth has grabbed the public's attention. For the record: Back in April, Krentcil's daughter told her school nurse she got a sunburn from tanning with her mother, prompting the school to call child services. Police have since charged Krentcil with child endangerment. The story has prompted a lot of discussion—mostly because of Krentcil's extraordinary appearance. The Star-Ledger wrote that Krentcil's "deep tan makes the Jersey Shore crew look ghostly." Her own attorney has called her "…