MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon swore in three Sheriff’s Officers Wednesday during a ceremony in the historic courtroom at the Morris County Courthouse.

The ceremony was attended by family, friends, Sheriff’s Office Administration, and other Morris County Sheriff’s Office members.

Officer Steven Bachmann was sworn in as a new Sheriff’s Officer. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University, and before his employment with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, he worked for the Roxbury Township Police Department.

Officer Brian Weber holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from The College of New Jersey. He joined the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 after graduating from the Ocean County Police Academy. Officer Weber is currently assigned to the Patrol Division. He has been afforded a title change from Sheriff’s Investigator to Sheriff’s Officer.

Officer Ryan Wood joined the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 and began his career assigned to the Protective Service Division. He is currently assigned to the Emergency Services Unit as a full-time member.

Officer Wood is committed to giving back to his community. He has been a volunteer firefighter of the Budd Lake Fire Department since 2015, serving as an Engineer and Lieutenant. Officer Wood is also a New Jersey National Guard member, serving as an Infantryman since 2015 and will be deployed next year. He has been afforded a title change from Sheriff’s Investigator to Sheriff’s Officer.

VICTORY GARDENS — nourish.NJ recently celebrated the inauguration of its latest facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 347 South Salem Street in Victory Gardens.

The new facility is an 8,000-square-foot facility aimed at addressing food insecurity by providing fresh food, stable housing, and critical mental health support. A community hub offering a variety of services to assist with case management, financial stability, mental and physical health, and more, in one of the most densely populated and impoverished municipalities in New Jersey.

For nearly 40 years, nourish.NJ has constantly adapted to create dynamic, lasting solutions to the problems of hunger, homelessness, and poverty in Morris County. Formerly known as the Community Soup Kitchen, the Morristown-native organization operates 365 days a year, offering supportive services and carrying out its mission with the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the heart of its work. Their unique approach to fostering and maintaining an environment that is accepting, affirming, and empowering to all who engage with their organization sets them apart and enables their ability to offer maximum assistance.

The last three years in particular have served as a time of dramatic growth and transformation for nourish.NJ. Consequently, their geographic and programmatic reach, as well as their community impact, have increased significantly, culminating with the grand opening of their new Community Hub on South Salem Street in Victory Gardens.

This additional location features a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, which will help the organization serve thousands more healthy, freshly prepared meals. Additionally, new office spaces for their Outreach Team will enable the offering of free, easily accessible case-management services for housing, mental and physical health, and financial stability support.

MORRIS COUNTY — When an event garners an unexpectedly large turnout in support of a candidate, the situation at The Westin – Governor Morris Hotel’s ballroom is a prime example. It was bustling with attendees, prompting the hotel personnel to continually set up additional tables and chairs to seat the growing number of supporters.

The turnout for Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi’s 10th Annual “Get Out To Vote” campaign was a testament to its far-reaching support. Distinguished guests included Senators, Assembly members, Commissioners, Mayors, Council members, Republican Committee Chairs and members, Republican Committee Club chairs and members, and candidates for various offices. The event drew not just a host of supporters but also representatives from all 39 municipalities of Morris County and even beyond, demonstrating a strong show of support for the County Clerk’s initiative.

Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi, a Parsippany native, is campaigning for re-election, having already devoted ten years to the role. Her tenure as a Morris County freeholder and a councilwoman for Parsippany-Troy Hills has fortified her experience. Facing competition from Caroline O’Brien of Towaco in the November 7 general election, Grossi has expressed her unwavering commitment to the Clerk’s office and the citizens it serves. Grossi’s re-election campaign hinges on her dedication and her extensive legal and administrative background, which she believes are crucial to capably managing the County Clerk’s Office functions. She vows to tackle upcoming challenges with the same efficacy that has marked her past decade in office.

Grossi said she was also proud of the quality of services that her office provides.

“I receive compliments from the public all of the time, which reinforces my vision for the Clerk’s Office since it is a direct service provider to the public.

During her tenure, Ann Grossi has overseen the introduction of several programs and services aimed at enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of the Morris County Clerk’s Office.

Key initiatives include:

1. The launch of a free mobile app designed to streamline services for residents.
2. A property fraud alert system that offers free protection for property owners against fraudulent activities.
3. The establishment of free email subscription alerts to keep the community informed.
4. The maintenance of active social media platforms to engage with residents and provide timely updates.
5. Operation Give Back, a discount book for veterans with more than 300 local merchants participating. or Veteran.

Furthermore, Grossi’s office has modernized the process for handling passport applications by:

1. Passport department allows walk-ins, or to help with better planning, appointments are available
2. Creating a comprehensive passport acceptance division, which also offers passport and visa photo services.
3. Providing specialized county identification cards, catering to military veterans, Gold Star Families, and seniors.
4. Offering Notary Public services to residents.

In addition to these services, her office has developed an election night reporting website, providing real-time updates and enhancing transparency around election results. These advancements reflect Grossi’s commitment to leveraging technology and innovative solutions to serve the residents of Morris County more effectively.

MORRIS COUNTY — Sergeant Julio Torres, Jr. has announced his retirement from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, and Chief of Detectives Robert McNally honored Sergeant Torres for his outstanding service and expressed their gratitude of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office on his last day.

Sergeant Julio Torres was hired by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in June 2002, when he was hired as a Detective. He was later promoted to Detective Supervisor in the Fugitive Unit within the Special Operations Division in July 2018. He was later promoted to the rank of Sergeant of the Fugitive Unit in July 2019.

Sergeant Torres has worked in various units in the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office including General Investigations, Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment, Megan’s Law, Intelligence/Narcotics, and Major Crimes Units. He is a certified Polygraph Examiner, a Crisis Negotiator, and a 5th-degree black belt instructor in Jujutsu.

Before joining the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Sergeant Torres worked as a support employee of the FBI Newark Division while he was attending college at Essex County College and Rutgers University-Newark.

He was then hired as a Detective with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office where he worked for four years.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Sheriff James Gannon, and Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano confirmed that Luis Martinez, 35, formerly of Newark, has been sentenced to 11 years in New Jersey State Prison for the theft and possession of numerous firearms.

On January 6, 2023, Martinez and others burglarized the FSS Armory store in the Pine Brook section of Montville and stole approximately 20 guns from the business. Martinez was identified as a suspect through a combination of law enforcement efforts, which included electronic surveillance, DNA, and other technological capabilities.

During Martinez’s guilty plea on October 13, presided over by the Honorable Claudia Jones, J.S.C., Martinez admitted to arriving at FSS Armory in a stolen motor vehicle during the early morning hours of January 6. Martinez admitted that he and others broke into the gun store, stole the guns, and then loaded the guns into the trunk of the stolen vehicle and fled the area.

On October 27, the Honorable Claudia Jones, J.S.C., sentenced Martinez to 11 years in prison, 5 1/2 years of which he must serve before becoming eligible for parole.

Senior Assistant Prosecutor Erin Callahan represented the State at sentencing.

On September 14, Leila Acevedo was identified and charged as part of the investigation. Acevedo was charged with conspiracy, burglary, and gun possession charges. The investigation remains ongoing to identify three other co-conspirators who were present but who have yet to be identified.

Prosecutor Carroll thanks the tireless efforts of law enforcement, which continues to this day, and specifically acknowledges the efforts of Montville Detective Keith Donnelly, detectives from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Intelligence Unit, special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Scene Investigation Unit who all contributed to the successful investigation and prosecution of this incident.

Prosecutor Carroll said, “I am joined by Chief McNally, Chief Caggiano, and Sheriff Gannon in stating that the burglary of a firearms store is a priority for all law enforcement as preventing firearms from falling into the hands of criminals is an absolute necessity for protecting our citizens from the later use of stolen deadly weapons to commit other crimes. This investigation was tenaciously pursued by the involved Local, County, and Federal law enforcement, and we will continue our coordinated efforts to locate all of the involved subjects.”

MORRIS COUNTY — The in-demand field of data science continues to expand, offering numerous rewarding, well-paying career options for those with knowledge and training.

County College of Morris (CCM) invites you to “Data Science Night: Data Under the Stars” to learn about the wide range of academic and career opportunities.

This free, interactive event, for students ages 15 and up through adult learners, will introduce data science and artificial intelligence. An overview of the Data Analytics Certificate of Achievement, a “stackable” program that can be applied toward an associate degree at CCM, will also be discussed. No prior experience in data science is needed to attend this fun evening.

It takes place on Thursday, November 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Sheffield Hall Room 200, on CCM’s campus, 214 Center Grove Road, Randolph. Refreshments will also be served.

“Data science is an exciting field that helps to answer society’s important questions,” notes Professor Nancy Binowski, Information Technologies. “The employment opportunities in data science and artificial intelligence are immense with projected job growth much higher than average growth rates.”

Professor Kelly Fitzpatrick, Mathematics and a Tableau Desktop Specialist who developed CCM’s Data Analytics Certificate Program adds, “Students in the Data Analytics Certificate Program are landing data science internships at Cranium AI, Gain Theory, Fiserv, Atlantic Health and UPS. Come join us for a journey in data science.”

Participants will hear from CCM Data Analytics faculty, students, the college’s industry and educational partners. Short, interactive workshops on AI-generated artwork, natural language processing and more will be offered as well.

The schedule of events is:

• 5:30 – 6:00 p.m., Check-in
• 6:00 – 6:30 p.m., Welcome to Data Science Night, What is Data Science? Job Market and Internship Opportunities
• 6:00 – 9:30 p.m., CCM Workforce Development Data Offerings, Ramapo College Transfer Partner
• 6:40 – 7:15 p.m., Workshops: Concurrent Session I (Choose between Data Visualization with Tableau, Natural Language Processing, Python Programming, Data Analysis with R)
• 7:25 – 8 p.m., Moody’s: Industry Presentations and Refreshments
• 8:10 – 8:40 p.m., Workshops: Concurrent Session II (Choose between Data Visualization with Tableau, Natural Language Processing, Python Programming, Data Analysis with R)
• 8:45 – 9:30 p.m., Student Presentations/Q&A and Dessert

Registration is required to take part in Data Science Night. To register click here.

For questions email Kelly Fitzpatrick at kfitzpatrick@ccm.edu or call (973) 328-5765.

The program, sponsored by the Data Analytics Certificate Program at CCM, is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and funding from the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, New Jersey Pathways Center for Workforce Innovation in Data Science.