Meghan Hunscher, president and CEO of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce delivered a “State of the Chamber” address, thanking all the sponsors, local businesses and community leaders who make an impact in Morris County.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — The Economic Development Advisory Committee will host a business networking event for Hanover Township business owners at Morristown Municipal Airport on Wednesday, October 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Businesses may begin setting up at 5:00 p.m.
The evening includes complimentary food and drink, along with remarks from Meghan Hunscher, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. Attendees will also get a private jet look-in and a tarmac tour of the airport.
The event is free and open to all businesses, business owners and business-related organizations based in Hanover Township. Registration is required. Click here to register, list your attendees and request a table.
The networking event will be held at Morristown Municipal Airport, 1 Airport Road in Morristown.
Mark Wrobel appears on the roster for the first time as 1st Ward Council Member, confirming his seat alongside John Meehan. Patrick Laverty is now listed as Town Administrator (replacing Neil Henry, who held that role as of the August 17 agenda).
Correspondence
South Boonton Hose & Engine Company No. 3 requested use of the Town Hall municipal parking lot on Saturday, October 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., for an open house to showcase its newly acquired Pierce fire apparatus. The request asked that town-owned vehicles be moved for the day (police vehicles on Lathrop Avenue could stay).
Consent agenda (Resolutions 26-220 through 26-229)
Approved August 17 meeting minutes and routine vouchers.
Hired Kaigo Miles as a full-time DPW laborer at $49,899 annually, effective September 21.
Authorized purchase of a 2025 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility, not to exceed $46,035.17, through the Cranford Police Cooperative.
Authorized purchase of two 2026/27 Ford AWD Police Interceptor Utility vehicles, not to exceed $98,758.60 combined, also through Cranford.
Approved inserting a $35,000 special revenue item into the 2026 budget tied to an interlocal agreement with Lumen Gentium Academy for a Class 3 Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO).
Conditionally appointed Gordon T. Gillen as a Class III Special Law Enforcement Officer at $38/hour, pending background investigation, PTC licensing, medical/psychological exams, and physical fitness testing.
Awarded a non-bid professional services contract to Chris J. Murphy, Esq. of Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP for legal/advisory work on federal and state tax credit programs.
Adopted the town’s new “Adopt a Spot” beautification program for town-owned properties.
Accepted a set of Employee Handbook and Personnel Policy updates (inclement weather/remote work, tuition reimbursement, use of town time, an AI policy, and 2026 FMLA/NJFLA changes).
Unfinished business
Ordinance 22-26 (public hearing/proposed adoption): regulates electronic smoking devices, vape shops, edibles, and psychoactive substances — requires Health Department licensing for retailers, bans sales to those under 21, restricts edibles and unregulated hemp/THC products to licensed cannabis retailers, and imposes 1,000-foot buffers from schools, parks, houses of worship, and other such establishments.
New business (introductions)
Ordinance 24-26 (title only): updates Knox Box requirements for the fire department.
Ordinance 25-26: establishes fees, penalties, and enforcement for nuisance and false fire alarms.
Ordinance 26-26: amends the parking code’s inclement-weather parking prohibition.
Other
No detail was included beyond the listed agenda items for council/administrator/attorney comments or public session.
James Lynch — Mayor John Meehan — Council Member, 1st Ward Mark Wrobel — Council Member, 1st Ward Danielle Cascone — Council Member, 2nd Ward Marie DeVenezia — Council Member, 2nd Ward Daniel Balan — Council Member, 3rd Ward Kimberly Mazzei — Council Member, 3rd Ward Luisa Lopez — Council Member, 4th Ward Benjamin Weisman — Council Member, 4th Ward
Here’s a recap of the Boonton Mayor & Town Council meeting held August 17, 2026:
Council appointment
Mark Wrobel was formally acknowledged as the new 1st Ward Council Member (Resolution 26-209), appointed by the Boonton Republican County Committee to fill the seat vacated after Cyril Wekilsky’s death. He’ll serve the unexpired term through December 31, 2026.
Correspondence / approvals sought
The Boonton Volunteer Fire Department requested approval for its 135th annual Labor Day Celebration (September 3–6): use of Main Street for the Saturday, September 5 parade (rain date Monday, September 7), a fireworks display, alcohol sales on the high school athletic field, DPW support (personnel, vehicles, a dumpster, post-event cleanup), and police assistance with traffic control and a lead vehicle for the parade.
Consent agenda (Resolutions 26-210 through 26-219)
Approved July 20 meeting minutes and routine vouchers.
Promoted Scott Bednar and Brendan Reilly from Repairer Step 3 to Senior Repairer, each to an annual salary of $109,373.16, effective July 1.
Appointed James Gansley to the Green Team.
Designated the Municipal Clerk as Records Custodian and directed the Police Chief to name a deputy custodian for police records under OPRA.
Removed 311 Harrison Street (Block 98, Lot 3.01) from tax sale due to an active bankruptcy.
Authorized redemption of Tax Sale Certificate #25-00003 (518 Liberty Street) for $95,444.96, payable to the certificate holder.
Authorized purchase of a vehicle lift for the DPW garage, not to exceed $52,469.79, through an ESCNJ cooperative contract.
Authorized purchase of a combination sewer cleaner truck, not to exceed $570,606.50, through a Sourcewell cooperative contract, and authorized public auction of the town’s 2011 Vactor sewer cleaner as surplus.
Unfinished business (public hearings)
Ordinance 19-26: sets 2026 salary ranges for town officers and employees across departments. Click here to download the Ordinance.
Ordinance 20-26: amends parking code — adjusts public parking hours, overtime penalties ($45), and adds designated delivery/15-minute free parking zones on several downtown streets (Main, Mechanic, William, Cornelia, Church, Boonton Ave., Liberty), each carrying a $55 fine for violations.
Ordinance 22-26 introduced (title only): would regulate electronic smoking devices, vape shops, and psychoactive-substance edibles.
Other
A discussion item regarding 202 Myrtle Avenue was listed, with no additional detail in the agenda.
James Lynch — Mayor John Meehan — Council Member, 1st Ward Mark Wrobel — Council Member, 1st Ward Danielle Cascone — Council Member, 2nd Ward Marie DeVenezia — Council Member, 2nd Ward Daniel Balan — Council Member, 3rd Ward Kimberly Mazzei — Council Member, 3rd Ward Luisa Lopez — Council Member, 4th Ward Benjamin Weisman — Council Member, 4th Ward
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
NEWTON — Sussex County Prosecutor Daniel M. Perez announced the arrest of Karl R. Heideck, 45, of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, on cyber-harassment charges connected to threatening emails sent to a Sussex County public official.
According to the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, on August 2, a Sussex County public official received communications through electronic means containing lewd, indecent, or obscene material intended to emotionally harm a reasonable person or place a reasonable person in fear of physical or emotional harm. The office said the emails included graphic and threatening language directed at the official and her family, along with derogatory statements about her role overseeing public safety in Sussex County.
The Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, together with the Newton Police Department, opened an investigation that led to Heideck’s arrest. Heideck is a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.
Heideck was charged on a complaint warrant with the following offense:
Cyber-Harassment (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4.1a), a crime of the fourth degree
Heideck was lodged at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending his first appearance in Sussex County Superior Court. Fourth-degree cyber-harassment carries a maximum sentence of eighteen months in New Jersey State Prison.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being conducted by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Newton Police Department. The State is represented by Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Jerome P. Neidhardt. The defendant is represented by Ernesto Cerimele.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
DOVER — A 28-year-old Elizabeth woman was charged with driving while intoxicated after police say her vehicle rolled backward while she was stopped on Spring Street and struck a parked car.
Patrolman Errick Williams responded to Spring Street at approximately 2:15 a.m. Sunday, August 9, after a caller reported a motor vehicle crash. Officers located a 2020 silver Mazda CX-3, driven by Hanna Tabares Lopez, of Elizabeth, still partially lodged against a parked, unoccupied 2017 Toyota RAV4 owned by Nancy Lombardo, of Dover.
Tabares Lopez told officers she had been traveling northbound on Spring Street when she fell asleep, causing her foot to come off the brake pedal and the vehicle to roll backward into the parked RAV4.
While speaking with Tabares Lopez, officers reported detecting the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath. She agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tests, which were administered in Spanish, and was subsequently arrested for driving while intoxicated.
Tabares Lopez was transported to Dover Police Headquarters, where she was read her Miranda rights and later refused to provide a breath sample.
She was issued the following summonses, with a mandatory court date at Dover Municipal Court:
Driving While Intoxicated (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50)
Refusal to Submit to Chemical Test (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a)
Careless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-97)
Failure to Maintain Lane (N.J.S.A. 39:4-88)
Her vehicle was towed from the scene by Bunky’s Towing. The investigation was conducted by the Dover Police Department, including Patrolman Errick Williams, Patrolman Christopher Caraig, Patrolman Anthony Morin, and Patrolman Michael Cannon.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
ROSELAND — A Florham Park police officer has been charged with aggravated assault and stalking after authorities said he choked a woman until she blacked out after she told him to stop contacting her, according to court records and a report by NJ Advance Media.
By Police Reports
Gregory M. Dietz, 34, of Flanders, was charged out of Roseland Municipal Court on Sunday, July 19, in connection with an alleged incident on Sunday, July 5, at 10:30 p.m., according to court records.
Dietz faces the following charges:
Second-degree aggravated assault
Harassment
Stalking
Criminal trespassing
Dietz remained on the Florham Park Police Department roster as of publication.
Gregory M. Dietz
According to an arrest affidavit cited by NJ Advance Media, the woman, a Roseland resident, met Dietz in June 2025, and the two became friends. She said he later sent her repeated inappropriate messages despite there being no romantic relationship between them. In November 2025, she alleged Dietz touched her without consent and pulled her onto his lap.
On July 5, the woman told Dietz she wanted no further contact and blocked him on her phone, Instagram and email. Dietz allegedly went to her apartment building shortly afterward and entered without an access card. She let him into her apartment intending to end their friendship, but alleged that he tried to kiss her, struck her across the face and squeezed her neck with both hands until she blacked out.
The woman contacted authorities after encountering Dietz again on July 18 and becoming emotionally distressed. Florham Park police then investigated the allegations before notifying Roseland police, NJ Advance Media reported.
Dietz was sworn in as a probationary officer with the Florham Park Police Department effective February 1, 2019. A warrant was issued July 19 and executed the following morning, court records show. The case was transferred from Roseland Municipal Court to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, July 21.
Essex County jail records show Dietz was committed to the jail on Monday, July 20, and released four days later after a request for pretrial detention was denied.
Editor’s Note: The charges against Dietz are accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
MORRIS COUNTY — Mosquito control treatments are scheduled for portions of Hanover and Florham Park Thursday morning due to an increase in adult mosquito populations.
Weather permitting, the Morris County Division of Mosquito Control will treat wooded areas using all-terrain vehicles between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Thursday, September 10.
Treatments are scheduled for the following locations:
Hanover: Academy Drive East, Fredrick Place and Hanover Avenue, including the Community Gardens and Patriots Path
Florham Park: Columbia Turnpike at VDM Metals
Officials said crews will use either Anvil 2+2, which contains the active ingredient Sumithrin, or Zenivex E4, which contains the active ingredient Etofenprox.
Residents with questions about the mosquito control program or scheduled treatments can contact the Morris County Division of Mosquito Control at 973-285-6450.
Additional information, including pesticide product labels, is available on the Morris County Division of Mosquito Control website.
MORRIS COUNTY — Thirteen trees representing the original thirteen American colonies will be planted at Central Park of Morris County as part of a ceremony commemorating the nation’s two hundred fiftieth anniversary.
The New Jersey Arborists Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture and the Morris County Park Commission will host the ceremony from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, September 17, at Governor Chris Christie Drive in Greystone Park. The event will coincide with Constitution Day and include remarks from local and state representatives.
Organizers said the trees were selected for their ability to thrive in New Jersey’s climate while representing each of the original colonies.
A time capsule will also be placed with the trees, to be opened at a future ceremony marking the country’s three hundredth anniversary. It will contain information about New Jersey’s forests, the tree selections, tree-care practices and a vision for the future of the state’s parks and communities.
The trees will be planted before the ceremony, with the final shovelfuls of soil reserved for the program.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to wear practical outdoor clothing, including long pants and closed-toe shoes or boots.
Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by emailing Jennifer Lieberman at [email protected].
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
DOVER — A Dover man was charged with driving while intoxicated and obstruction after police said he fled from the scene of a two-vehicle crash on Grant Street and hid inside his home.
Officer Christopher Caraig responded to a report of a motor vehicle crash in the area of Thompson Avenue and Grant Street at 2:40 a.m. on Sunday, August 9. Upon arriving on Grant Street, Caraig found a disabled vehicle in the roadway that had collided with a parked vehicle, police said.
Officer Christopher Caraig identified the driver of the disabled vehicle as Raymel Matos-Terrero, 27, of Dover. According to police, Matos-Terrero was observed leaning over the trunk of the vehicle before he began walking away toward a home on Grant Street.
Caraig ordered Matos-Terrero to stop, but he continued into the home and locked the front door, according to police. The officer then spoke with another man at the scene, later identified as Ramon Matos-Feliz, Matos-Terrero’s father, who told police his son had been driving the vehicle involved in the crash.
Matos-Feliz allowed the officer into the home through a rear door after Matos-Terrero would not answer the front door. Officers searched the home and located Matos-Terrero hiding under a blanket in a basement room.
Matos-Terrero was handcuffed and arrested for driving while intoxicated and obstruction.
At Dover Police headquarters, Matos-Terrero submitted to breath testing, which indicated a blood alcohol content of 0.141 percent, according to police. The legal limit in New Jersey is 0.08 percent.
Matos-Terrero was issued the following traffic summonses:
Driving While Intoxicated (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50)
Careless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-97)
Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Damage to an Unattended Vehicle (N.J.S.A. 39:4-129d)
Failure to Report an Accident (N.J.S.A. 39:4-130)
Improper Display of Plates (N.J.S.A. 39:3-33)
Failure to Notify the Motor Vehicle Commission of an Address Change (N.J.S.A. 39:3-36)
Matos-Terrero was also charged with obstructing the administration of law by flight from a uniformed law enforcement officer, a fourth-degree crime.
He was released to his father under the provisions of John’s Law.
Matos-Terrero had been scheduled to appear in Dover Municipal Court on the traffic summonses, and to make a first appearance in state Superior Court in Morris County on the obstruction charge. The outcome of those court dates was not immediately available.
Editor’s Note: A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
By Police Reports
DOVER — A Dover man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle stop on Monday, August 10, according to the Dover Police Department.
Patrol Officer Anthony Morin was patrolling the area of West Blackwell Street at 2:46 a.m. that day when he observed a black Honda CRV traveling northbound on South Warren Street, police said. According to the department, the vehicle turned onto West Blackwell Street and then North Sussex Street, where officers observed it fail to maintain its lane.
Morin conducted a motor vehicle stop in the parking lot of a Chase Bank branch at 1 East Clinton Street, according to police. The driver was identified as Jose Aguirre-Hernandez, 39, of Dover.
According to Patrol Officer Anthony Morin, Aguirre-Hernandez had slurred speech, watery and droopy eyes, and an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. Police said he was unsteady on his feet after exiting the vehicle.
Aguirre-Hernandez declined to perform standardized field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest. A search of the vehicle turned up an open container of alcohol in the center console.
Aguirre-Hernandez was transported to Dover Police headquarters, where police said he was given three opportunities to provide breath samples and refused each time.
Aguirre-Hernandez was charged with:
Driving While Intoxicated (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50)
Refusal to Submit to Chemical Test (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a)
Reckless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-96)
Careless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-97)
Failure to Maintain Lane (N.J.S.A. 39:4-88c)
Failure to Give Proper Signal (N.J.S.A. 39:4-126)
Open Container of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle (N.J.S.A. 39:4-51b)
Obstruction of Windshield for Vision (N.J.S.A. 39:3-74)
Failure to Possess Driver’s Insurance Card (N.J.S.A. 39:3-29c)
Failure to Possess Driving Registration (N.J.S.A. 39:3-29b)
Aguirre-Hernandez was scheduled to appear in Dover Municipal Court.
Editor’s Note: A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
