MORRIS COUNTY — Morristown-based construction firm Community Builders has committed to a three-year, $60,000 investment in Morris Arts, marking a significant milestone in the nonprofit’s ongoing mission to enrich community life through the arts.

Community Builders’ pledge positions the firm as the founding supporter of Morris Arts’ Corporate Community Champions program—a new initiative designed to ally with corporations and business leaders dedicated to advancing education, health, and well-being through artistic engagement. Under this program, corporate partners will work closely with Dominique Tornabe, the organization’s Director of Development and Marketing, to strategically allocate funds to programs that align with their community-focused mission.

The financial commitment will support a suite of signature events and programs at Morris Arts. Among these is the annual Commercial Real Estate Breakfast, which highlights the intersection of art and commercial development. The event features panels composed of architects, artists, real estate developers, and other experts, serving as a forum for discussing how art can enhance commercial projects and foster vibrant community spaces.

In addition to sustaining the Commercial Real Estate Breakfast, part of the $60,000 pledge will fund the newly introduced Arts in Health Breakfast. This event aims to raise awareness about the health benefits of artistic engagement and will be bolstered by a $6,500 Community Builders Arts in Health Residency Award. This award is earmarked for projects or programs that create nurturing environments to promote health, wellness, and artistic expression throughout Morris County by partnering with local health, wellness, or social services agencies.

Tom Werder, Executive Director of Morris Arts, remarked on the partnership, “Both of our organizations share a focus on community, making us natural partners. Community Builders’ generous support further strengthens our longstanding commitment to quality arts education and community programs.” Conor Evans, Founder and Managing Partner of Community Builders, added, “Community is powerful. Being deeply embedded in our community daily creates a high degree of ownership over our missions. That alignment made supporting Morris Arts an easy choice.”

Founded last year, Community Builders provides construction and facility management services emphasizing creating community-oriented spaces. Its involvement with Morris Arts underscores a broader commitment to investing in local cultural initiatives. As a Corporate Community Partner, the firm will also support Morris Arts’ annual gala, Great Conversations, and the Giralda Music & Arts Festival—an outdoor concert featuring the New Jersey Symphony.

Through this multi-year pledge, Community Builders ensures the continuity of key arts events and reinforces its dedication to building stronger, more vibrant communities through sustained cultural investment.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Roxbury Police Chief Matthew Holland confirmed that Auraceli A. Maldonado, 25, Irvington, has been sentenced for shooting a man at the Roxbury Motel on October 18, 2023, during an armed robbery. Co-defendant Jean Omar Rockson, 34, Orange, previously entered a guilty plea concerning the incident and is awaiting sentencing.

On January 21, 2025, Maldonado pled guilty to one count of first-degree Robbery and one count of second-degree Aggravated Assault. On February 21, the Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C. imposed an aggregate sentence of twelve years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA) and Graves Act.

At approximately 8:54 p.m. on October 18, 2023, authorities were notified that a man had been shot at the Roxbury Motel on Route 46. Roxbury Police officers arrived on scene, located a male victim with a gunshot wound to the leg, and provided lifesaving medical aid. The 36-year-old victim was transported to a medical center with severe but not life-threatening injuries. Doctors amputated the victim’s leg above the knee on October 25, the complaint said.

Subsequent investigation revealed the victim had planned to meet with an unknown suspect at the motel. On the incident date, surveillance video captured a Honda Accord with a New York registration arriving at the motel parking lot. A man and a woman were seen exiting the vehicle. Two individuals – later identified as Auraceli A. Maldonado and Jean Omar Rockson – met with the victim inside a hotel room and robbed him. Maldonado was armed with an assault-style rifle during the interaction and shot the victim in the leg during a struggle for the firearm. She and Rockson fled the scene after the shooting.

Maldonado was subsequently located and detained in Middleburg, Florida, on November 2, 2023. Co-defendant Rockson was arrested outside his Orange residence on February 15, 2024.

Rockson entered a guilty plea to first-degree Robbery on October 8, 2024, before the Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C. A sentencing date is pending. Rockson is currently on home detention subject to Pretrial Monitoring Level 3+ and is to have no contact with the victim.

Prosecutor Carroll commends the efforts of the Roxbury Police Department, the Orange Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office—Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit in this investigation and prosecution.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County’s infrastructure and transportation priorities were the focus of a panel discussion this week featuring county Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw and Assemblyman Christian Barranco at a Government Affairs Forum hosted by the Morris County Chamber of Commerce at Tilcon’s corporate office in Parsippany.

The event, part of the Morris County Chamber’s monthly Public Policy Series, examined infrastructure investment, long-term transportation planning, and public safety improvements, highlighting how the county and state collaborate with municipalities and the federal government to advance these initiatives. Deputy Director Shaw, Morris County’s representative to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), outlined the county’s infrastructure responsibilities and the NJTPA’s role in funding local projects. Asm. Barranco, a member of the state Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee, discussed state-level initiatives and shared his perspective on proposals put forth by the governor.

“The county oversees 287 miles of roads spanning 39 municipalities, 1,000 bridges and culverts, and three freight railroads, in addition to other infrastructure assets. Each year, we resurface about ten percent of our roadway network, replace critical bridges and culverts, and improve intersections while facing rising costs and stagnant state funding. Our paving costs, for example, have nearly doubled since I began serving as a commissioner in 2019,” said Deputy Director Shaw.

The county’s 2025 Capital Spending Plan allocates $11 million for road resurfacing in 11 municipalities, bringing to more than 230 miles of roads resurfaced since 2016. An additional $8.58 million is designated for bridge and culvert replacements, including major spans in Montville, Mount Olive, and Jefferson Township. Other planned improvements include intersection upgrades in East Hanover and Boonton and countywide guide rail enhancements, for which $2.56 million has been budgeted.

The NJTPA, the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization for North Jersey serving 7 million people in 13 northern counties, is crucial in supporting Morris County’s infrastructure projects. With an annual budget exceeding $3 billion, it funds planning, safety, and transportation improvements through its Transportation Improvement Program.

The NJTPA has also contributed to expanding the Morris Canal Greenway, enhancing trail networks, and funding the Pompton Valley Rail Trail, which is set to open this spring.

“The NJTPA is a key partner in securing federal funding for Morris County’s infrastructure. Through this partnership, we have advanced projects like replacing critical bridges in Rockaway, Morristown, Florham Park, and Long Hill Township, as well as freight rail improvements to enhance safety in Dover and Roxbury,” said Deputy Director Shaw.

The discussion also highlighted the Local Safety Action Plan (LSAP), which positions Morris County to compete for more than $5 billion in federal funding for high-risk intersections and roadway safety improvements. Asm. Barranco, who supports the Target Zero Law approved last month to “eliminate” traffic fatalities, acknowledged the challenges in achieving that goal.

“While the Target Zero initiative sets an ambitious goal, the reality is that bad drivers and other factors will always pose risks. I strongly support programs like the LSAP, which take a practical, data-driven approach to making our roads safer,” Asm. Barranco said.

The LSAP is expected to be completed by June 2025, and a public meeting to gather community feedback is scheduled for April 2025.

Morris County is also collaborating with NJTPA on its Long-Range Transportation Plan, “Connecting Communities,” which anticipates significant regional growth by 2050. The plan prioritizes modernization, AI-driven traffic management, and smart infrastructure solutions.

Public input is encouraged through an online survey at njtpa.org/connecting, with virtual outreach events set for March 3 and 25.

The Chamber’s Government Affairs Forum was moderated by Chamber Committee Co-Chairs Sal Anderton and Rosalie Serapiglia and hosted in partnership with New Jersey Business and Industry Association Employer Legislative Committee Chair Alan Zakin. Meghan Hunscher, Morris County Chamber of Commerce President, welcomed all guests at the top of the meeting. Attendees included Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi and State Sen. Anthony Bucco, who provided updates on efforts to address sinkholes on Route 80 in Wharton.

Following the discussion, attendees were invited to present questions to the panel participants.

For more information on Morris County’s transportation initiatives, visit morriscountynj.gov and njtpa.org.

MORRIS COUNTY — An ice rescue training exercise on Lake Hopatcong turned into an actual life-saving mission on Wednesday, February 19, when members of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and multiple first responder agencies saved an 82-year-old man who had fallen through the ice near their emergency drill.

“It is work like this, with our other public safety partners, that makes it all worth it. Responding in a time of need and applying our training to help an individual with dire consequences, all with positive outcomes. Saving lives is the purpose of our mission and why we train together and ensure seamless performance,” said Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon.

The incident unfolded while the Sheriff’s Office conducted joint training alongside the N.J. State Police, Mt. Arlington Police Department, Hopatcong Police Department, and the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Police at Lee’s County Park Marina in Mt. Arlington. An urgent report showed that a man had fallen through the lake ice near the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club on Bertrand Island.

Sgt. Edward Koster of the Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, Sgt. Nicholas Vernotica of the Patrol Division, Cpl. Ivan Bajceski and Sheriff’s Officer Ryan Wood of the Emergency Services Unit (ESU) and the N.J. State Police Marine Bureau quickly mobilized to assist in the rescue.

The victim, who had been operating an iceboat on the lake, was observed lying on the ice and his vessel was partially submerged in the broken ice. Three Mt. Arlington firefighters were already crossing the unstable ice to reach him when Sgt. Koster and Cpl. Bajceski reached the scene with the Sheriff’s ESU truck and met the Mt. Arlington Fire Department incident commander.

Sgt. Vernotica and Sheriff’s Officer Wood arrived with the Sheriff’s Heavy Rescue Truck and deployed the MARSARS® Ice Rescue Sled. While tethered to the shoreline, Sgt. Koster, Cpl. Bajceski and N.J. State Police Trooper Thomas Gilroy carefully advanced across the ice and maneuvered the sled toward the victim, who remained conscious and alert. Mt. Arlington firefighters had secured a sling around him and rescuers placed him onto the sled before signaling the shoreline team to pull him to safety.

As the sled reached the edge of the ice shelf, Sgt. Vernotica, Sheriff’s Officer Woodand Mt. Arlington Police Officer Matthew Kaiteris waded into waist-deep water to carry the victim to solid ground, where he was immediately transferred to St. Clare’s EMS for medical evaluation.

Following the successful rescue, Troopers Gilroy and McClafferty of the N.J. State Police and two Mt. Arlington firefighters later returned to the ice and recovered the man’s iceboat.

The dramatic rescue underscores the dangers of venturing onto the ice and the critical role of specialized training in emergency response. Authorities urge the public to exercise extreme caution on frozen lakes and remain aware of changing ice conditions.