Mayor unveils S.E.R.T. at State of the Township Address

IRVINGTON, NJ — At the annual State of the Township Address at Christian Pentecostal Church on Thursday, Jan. 28, Mayor Tony Vauss and police Director Tracey Bowers took a step toward upholding the promise to make Irvington clean and safe with the unveiling of the Police Division’s new Special Enforcement Response Team. Vauss said the S.E.R.T.’s […]

SOTT Address was all about God, family and community

IRVINGTON, NJ — At his annual State of the Township Address on Thursday, Jan. 28, Mayor Tony Vauss paid a special tribute to fallen local trail blazers, including former Municipal Council President and Essex County Freeholder D. Bilal Beasley, Rev. Ronald B. Christian, former Newark kingmaker Carl Sharif and others, who made a positive impact on […]

Winners of Legacy of a Dream are announced

IRVINGTON, NJ — The Irvington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Committee was co-founded by former Municipal Council President and Essex County Freeholder D. Bilal Beasley and current Freeholder Lebby Jones 31 years ago and, although Beasley has died, his work continues. On Saturday, Jan. 16, the committee hosted its 31st annual Commemorative Tribute to the […]

Mayor gives town a B-minus for snow removal

Some residents give much lower marks for township’s handling of Winter Storm Jonas

IRVINGTON, NJ — According to township officials, although Winter Storm Jonas dumped almost 3 feet of snow on Irvington and most of New Jersey on Saturday, Jan. 23, they were happy with their response. “We had 31 inches of snow and it had to be picked up and moved, because there was no place to put […]

Many to be honored at State of the Township Address

IRVINGTON, NJ — Mayor Tony Vauss said he will be ready to roll out the Police Division’s new Tactical Emergency Response Team at his annual State of the Township Address at Christian Pentecostal Church on Thursday, Jan. 28. “They’ve got new all black uniforms and weapons,” Vauss said of the team during an interview at Don’s […]

Townspeople support decision to abolish police chief’s position

IRVINGTON, NJ — On Tuesday, Jan. 12, the Municipal Council unanimously voted to abolish the position of chief of police from the chain of command within the Irvington Police Department, and the reaction around town to the news has been swift. Longtime residents and community activists such as Irvington Joint Block Association Coalition President and Nesbitt […]

Chase turns in his gun and badge; may sue township

IRVINGTON, NJ — After more than 40 years as a police officer, Irvington Police Chief Michael Chase turned in his badge and gun Tuesday, Jan. 19, at headquarters. He had been ordered to do so by Public Safety Director Tracey Bowers in a directive hand-delivered to him at his home by detectives from the department’s Internal […]

Presentation explains policy of community policing to the public

IRVINGTON, NJ — The Irvington NAACP hosted a presentation on policing on Thursday, Jan. 7, at Greater New Point Missionary Baptist Church on Paine Avenue. Numerous questions were asked about safety and the current role of community policing. Sgt. T. Charles was able to answer a few of the important questions explaining that patrols are […]

Hamm and others rally on MLK’s actual birthday

IRVINGTON, NJ — Chairman Larry Hamm and the members of his People’s Organization for Progress spent Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Friday, Jan. 15, doing what he said the civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner would have wanted them to do — hold a protest march in downtown Newark to support the fight for […]

Irvington man involved in counterfeit scheme pleads guilty

IRVINGTON, NJ — The ringleader in a counterfeit check scheme, Harold Stephens, 32, of Elizabeth, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Michael Toto in Middlesex County on Friday, Jan. 15, to conspiring with Michael Caldwell, 40, of Irvington, and Janilyn Roman, 32, of Orlando, Fla., and others to steal $620,000 from various banks by creating […]