BAYONNE BRIEFS – The Hudson Reporter

Correction

In the June 5 edition of the Bayonne Community News, in a story titled, “When police take your stuff,” we reported that the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office seized more than $635 million worth of assets in 2016. The office seized more than $635 thousand. We regret the error.

Kid allegedly lied about being attacked at Hudson County Park

A 12-year-old boy has been charged with making a false report to law enforcement for telling police that he was attacked and robbed of $30 after a basketball game wager, according to police. The boy allegedly told police that on April 12, he bet $30 on a basketball game at Hudson County Park, won the game, and was then allegedly robbed of that $30 by the opposing players and attacked. The boy had injuries to his shoulder and elbow.

A later investigation by the Bayonne Juvenile Bureau revealed surveillance footage from the park that showed no evidence of the incident. The boy’s injuries turned out to be from an earlier, unrelated incident. The case has been referred to juvenile court.

Man allegedly threatened with shovel and knife

A man armed with a shovel and a knife allegedly threatened to kill a 59-year-old man in front of his wife and grandson outside an Avenue C apartment on the morning of June 2, according to police. That morning, the 59-year-old found a man banging on the door in the front lobby of his building in an effort to push the front door open. The man said that he was working on an upstairs apartment and pushed past the 59-year-old.

When the 59-year-old, his wife, and grandson left the building shortly thereafter, the same man approached him with a shovel and allegedly threatened to kill him. The grandson and wife went back into the building while the man allegedly retrieved a knife from his van and chased the 59-year-old while brandishing it. No one was injured in the incident, which remains under investigation.

In an 18-month span, 100 preteens attempted suicide, 80 percent girls

Suicide among preteens is increasingly becoming a nationwide problem. New data from the New Jersey Poison Control Center shows that New Jersey is not immune: 100 preteens have attempted suicide via drug overdose since January 2018, including three incidents with 9-year-olds, seven with 10-year-olds, 22 with 11-year-olds, and 68 with 12-year-olds. Eighty percent were female. That’s a 100 percent increase since 2015. These numbers only reflect the incidents reported to the center. State law does not require hospitals report the incidents.

State promises $25 million to electrify transportation

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection unveiled a proposal last week to devote $16 million to buy a fleet of electric school buses, garbage trucks, and port-related vehicles. Jersey City will receive five electric garbage trucks; IKEA Distribution Services North America will receive five electric “last mile” delivery trucks, one for Jersey City; Best Transportation at Port Newark will receive four electric yard tractors; International Motor Freight at Port Newark will receive one electric drayage (short-distance shipping) truck; and Hudson County Motors Inc., in Essex and Hudson counties, will receive four electric drayage trucks.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced details about the state’s plans to use $7 million to build more electric-vehicle charging stations, with more than a dozen throughout Jersey City, Hoboken, and Secaucus, plus a rebate incentive program to encourage the public to purchase zero-emission vehicles. Many of the charging stations have limited hours, charge a fee for use, or are restricted to specific vehicle makes, such as Tesla. A map of charging stations can be found on the NJ Department of Environmental Protection website.

Quest Diagnostics announces massive data breach

Secaucus-based Quest Diagnostics has announced its billing collections vendor, AMCA, experienced a data breach that could have affected as many as 12 million customers. The breach “is extremely concerning and creates the potential for all kinds of fraud,” according to Pace University Professor Darren Hayes in The Record. The breach appears to affect more than customers’ financial information. It could have compromised their medical records, too.

Controversial nursing bill clears senate committee

The state Senate health committee approved a bill that would enable advanced practice nurses to prescribe medication on their own without consulting physicians. Under current law, these nurses must sign an agreement with a doctor before given permission to prescribe. These joint protocols, which would be eliminated under this bill, require doctors to see only one patient per year, and cost nurses an average of $500 per month, according to NJ Spotlight.

Lawmakers approve oversight of student loan firms

The Assembly Higher Education Committee passed a bill that just might give the state a strong place to stand in the fight against student debt, which is a $43.2 billion problem in the state. The measure would attempt to hold student loan servicing companies accountable by creating a state student-loan ombudsman. The role would enable the state Department of Banking and Insurance to fine companies who violate state standards.

Bill to limit solitary confinement clears committee

A bill that was vetoed by former Gov. Chris Christie is fighting for a new life now, a group of criminal justice advocates made clear at a Senate Law and Public Safety Committee hearing last week. The committee approved a bill, the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act, that would limit the time a person would be forced to spend in solitary for 15 days in a row or 20 days over a two-month period. It would also ban this practice for anyone under age 21 or over age 65, and for other groups of people, including those who are pregnant or recently pregnant; people who are perceived to be gay, and people with certain disabilities, according to WHYY.

Long-term care just got a bit safer, after report

The state health commissioner has issued a final set of infectious-disease recommendations for long-term care facilities, according to The Record. Some of these ideas were folded into new legislation that the Assembly Health Committee approved last week. It all started seven months ago, when an adenovirus outbreak led to the deaths of 11 children at a center in Wanaque. The outbreak was so severe partly because these children depended on ventilators to breathe, but it could have been cut short if the facility and the local health department had been better prepared to respond, a state investigation found.

Hudson County CASA is seeking volunteers

Learn how to become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer and help foster children find safe and permanent homes. The next information session will be held at Little City Books at 100 Bloomfield St, Hoboken, on Wednesday, June 19 at 7 p.m.

Hudson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a non-profit organization committed to advocating for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA works through trained community volunteers to ensure that needed services and assistance are made available to children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes.

Hudson County CASA volunteers are everyday people who make a direct impact in foster children’s lives. They are trusted, dedicated adults who seek to improve children’s well-being. CASA volunteers get to know their assigned child and his or her circumstances and provide valuable information to the court. Judges rely on the volunteers’ recommendations to make the best decisions about the children’s futures.

For further information, visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org