Thursday, December 27, 2012
No one was injured in blaze on Thursday afternoon in Sparta.
No one was injured when a minivan burst into flames on Route 15 South Thursday afternoon, Sparta Police said. A Vernon woman was traveling with her two children, ages 8 and 13, on the highway by the Blue Heron Interchange when she noticed smoke coming from her Mercury Villager, according to Sgt. John-Paul Beebe. The woman pulled over by the 11-mile marker and was able to escape safely with her two children before the car caught on fire, Beebe said. When the Sparta Fire Department arrived around 1:30 p.m., the minivan was completely engulfed, and was able to extinguish the blaze within minutes, Beebe said. The exact cause of the fire, which destroyed the vehicle, is unkown, but Beebe said it was some type of mechanical defect. Sparta Police…
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Sparta Police Sgt. John-Paul Beebe said there were over a dozen minor accidents in the township Wednesday afternoon.
Wednesday's storm caused hazardous driving conditions in North Jersey Wednesday afternoon, resulting in several accidents and backed up traffic. Sparta Police Sgt. John-Paul Beebe said there were over a dozen accidents Wednesday afternoon in the township since the snow began to fall around 2 p.m. "The roads are terrible, there's a lot of traffic out there, there's accidents all over the township," he said. All of the accidents were minor, he said, which all involved drivers sliding off the roads and getting stuck in the snow. Beebe said there were no reported injuries in any of the accidents. Beebe advises motorists to stay off the roads and wait until Thursday morning when the roads are clear. "If you don't need to be on the road, don't …
35-year-old drug and weapon charges from Friday evening motor vehicle stop.
A Newton man was caught with heroin and a knife following a motor vehicle stop Saturday, Sparta Police said. Jason Hanrahan, 35, was charged with possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of hypodermic syringes, being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to a report supplied by Sgt. John-Paul Beebe. Sparta Police first responded to a call from a motorist about a possible drunk driver traveling on Route 15 North at about 7 p.m. Friday, Beebe said. Officer Brian Hassloch located Hanrahan's vehicle parked in the Park & Ride on Blue Heron Road where he found Hanrahan sitting in the driver’s seat drifting in and out of consciousness, Beebe …
Friday, December 7, 2012
Former co-workers remember James Friedberg as a thoughtful, caring person with a big sense of humor.
James Friedberg was the type of guy everyone knew and loved. He had a big heart and sense of humor, and never let anything get in the way of his love for animals and his job. The 71-year-old Sparta resident who was struck and killed by a garbage truck on Friday had devoted nearly half of his life working in the township as the Animal Control Officer. Although he retired 13 years ago, he made a lasting impression in the community and is remembered by his coworkers as someone who is "irreplaceable." "He was a good guy, everybody liked him," said Sgt. John-Paul Beebe, who knew Friedberg for 23 years. "He was a good worker, but had a tremendous sense of humor so he fit in with all of us." When it came to rescuing animals in his 33 years …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
11-year-old girl told Sparta Police man asked her several times to get into his car.
A sketch was released Tuesday of a man wanted for an attempted luring incident last month when an 11-year-old girl was repeatedly asked to get in his car as she was walking home from the school bus in Sparta. The incident occured on Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. when a man asked a girl to get in his car after she got off her bus near the intersection of Sussex Mills Road and Lambert drive, according to a report released by Sgt. John Paul Beebe. Beebe said the 11-year-old was approached by a white male driving a tan/brown older model Audi, which the girl described as beat up. The male asked the girl several times if she wanted a ride, until he fled the scene once the girl's adult relative arrived, according to Beebe. Beebe said the girl described the …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Newton man also accused of causing destruction of hundreds of dollars of wine in Sparta, according to authorities.
A Newton man allegedly struck and bit employees of a Sparta liquor store while causing hundreds of dollars of damage after trying to steal a cigar, according to police. Police also said the man was arrested after the employees and a customer held him down while waiting for authorities on Monday night. Michael Martinez, 19, was arrested and charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief, simple assault and disorderly conduct, according to a report released by Sgt. John-Paul Beebe. Beebe said when police arrived at the White Deer Liquor store at about 6:15 p.m. they found a store employee and a customer holding Martinez down on the floor. According to Beebe, Martinez had entered the store and …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Sparta woman charged with assault by auto, DWI and careless driving.
A Sparta man was struck and pinned into a guide rail by an alleged drunk driver Sunday night on Seneca Lake Road, police said. Charlene Myers, 40, a Seneca Lake Road resident, was charged with DWI, careless driving and fourth-degree assault by auto. According to a report released by Sparta Sgt. John-Paul Beebe, Myers was under the influence of alcohol when she struck a utility tractor that pinned Salvatore Pietropinto, 63, against a guide rail by his home Sunday at about 7:15 p.m. Pietropinto was cleaning debris from Superstorm Sandy near the roadway at the time of the accident, the report said. Police and the Sparta Fire Department were able to extricate Pietropinto from the guide rail, the report said. He was then was airlifted from the …
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The chimney was used consistently because of a lack of heat in the house, police say.
Constant chimney use because of the power outages led to a small fire in a home on Signal Hill Trail in Sparta early Sunday morning. According to Sparta Police Sgt. John Paul Beebe, the fire was in the chimney when it occurred around 1:30 a.m. The fire, he said, started as a chimney fire, and then got between the chimney and the firebox. "It did damage to an upstairs bedroom," he said. "And there is heavy smoke and water damage throughout the house." There were no injuries reported in the incident. Beebe said the fire was extinguished, but the house is not inhabitable because of the smoke damage. "The family cleaned out some belongings, and are waiting for an insurance adjustor," he said. The chimney, Beebe said, had been used for many …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Blaze on St. Mary's Place causes water and smoke damage throughout home, police say.
Four pets were rescued and no one was injured in a residential fire on St. Mary's Place Thursday afternoon, Sparta Police said. According to police, members of the Sparta and Ogdensburg fire departments were able to extinguish the structure fire that was ignited by embers in a cardboard box in the garage at about 4:20 p.m. The home's garage suffered extensive fire damage, and the remainder of the home sustained heavy smoke and water damage, police said. Police said Cpl. Robert Fraser first discovered the fire when he was checking on homes still without power. He noticed thick black smoke exiting from the home, and then called the police and fire departments for assistance, police said. Fraser first checked on the home and banged on the …
Monday, November 5, 2012
Kids will be able to go door-to-door at homes with lights on until 9 p.m. Monday, police say.
Sparta kids are allowed to trick-or-treat on Monday, after Governor Chris Christie moved Wednesday's celebrations to this week because of Hurricane Sandy's damage, police said. Hopatcong will not participate in any Halloween celebrations on Monday, after Mayor Sylvia Petillo said Sunday that the road conditions are too dangerous for walking outside. According to a report released by the Sparta Police Monday, trick-or-treating will only be allowed in neighborhoods with power under the following conditions: Police said there are still many areas within the township that remain unsafe, so if parents allow their children to participate, they should "exercise a common sense approach and be mindful of the hazards that still exist in some areas …
Nobody Important
10:27 am on Sunday, December 30, 2012
I called the DPW and told them about my road being not plowed properly and had to leave a message. I never got a call back and my road was never plowed. Just as an FYI there is a DPW worker with DUI who is riding shotgun throughout this storm making time and half. So who here thinks it fair that our tax dollars should go towards a worker who is doing nothing but sitting on his ASS!!! I am also … more ›