Top 2025 stories from Irvington

The following are some of the top stories in Irvington during 2025

Irvington High School student Ziyad Cook is fatally shot to death
Ziyad Cook, a 16-year-old Irvington student was fatally shot in Newark on June 26. Cook, a student athlete who played on the football team, was killed in a shooting that left another teen wounded. Irvington Superintendent of Schools April Vauss said Ziyad was an inspiring young man who embodied the spirit of the Irvington High School Blue Knights. Cook was honored before a game against West Orange. His mother and little brother were honorary captains for the game. Principal Darnel Mangan said Cook was a good student and a mature teenager. No arrest has been made in the case.

Irvington roommates rob New York jewelry store
Two roommates from Irvington were charged in March with using a stolen vehicle to drive to the New York State town of Hartsdale, where they used sledgehammers to break into a jewelry store and steal approximately $1.7 million worth of jewelry. Kevin Williams, 26, and Byron Wilson, 24, both of Irvington, were charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The alleged robbery took place on Dec. 16, 2024.

Race to represent Irvington in state Assembly intensifies
The race to represent Irvington in the state Assembly was more intense than usual this year. The Democratic primary featured three candidates seeking the two open seats in the Assembly for the 28th Legislative District: Incumbents Garnet R. Hall, Cleopatra G. Tucker and newcomer Chigozie Onyema. Hall lost the Essex County Democratic convention in March, in favor of Onyema, and nine-term incumbent Cleopatra Tucker so Onyema and Tucker had the party’s endorsement. Hall, who initially said she would not run, did run and appeared on the ballot as a Democrats for Change candidate. Onyema and Tucker won the primary and went on to win election to the seats in the Assembly.

‘Happy Gilmore 2’ comedy films inside of Irvington
A township home was featured in one of the most talked about movies of the year. Exterior shots of a home on Wellend Avenue were used in the Adam Sandler sports comedy film “Happy Gilmore 2.” The sequel premiered on Netflix, nearly 30 years after the original film.

IPD officer cited for gallantry
A township police officer was cited for gallantry after a shoot out with an armed suspect who was later taken into custody. On March 13, Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers awarded Officer Odyngo Henry a Gallantry Star Medal for his actions which led to the apprehension of a criminal under extraordinary conditions. The incident occurred on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Irvington patrol units were dispatched to a report of a male in possession of a handgun. Henry attempted to stop the suspect who brandished a handgun from his waistband and shot directly at Henry who subsequently took cover. Other units responded and the suspect was eventually taken into custody.

Girl football player signs NIL deal with Nike
Irvington High School graduate Janasia Wilson signed the first name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal awarded by Nike for girls’ flag football. Wilson was the girls’ flag football player of the year in New Jersey while she was in high school and was introduced to Nike by Gary Way, another football star out of Irvington High School. After graduating from Irvington High, Wilson received an invitation to enroll at one of the first universities in the U.S. with a flag football program, Keiser University in Florida. During the Super Bowl, Wilson was invited to New Orleans, where Nike introduced her as the first flag football athlete signed by the company, and as the face of the “Field General.” She spent the weekend participating in a girls’ flag football festival attended by more than 250 high school players and speaking on panels promoting flag football alongside current NFL players, league executives, and an NFL coach. She has also been featured on social media such as Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn – by Nike’s CEO Elliott Hill.

Wall remembers the legends of Irvington
Legends Way was unveiled during the summer along Nye Avenue and 21st Street. The nine works of art that celebrate the township’s history and people adorn concrete walls around the new PSE&G Nye Avenue Substation. One of two substations built as replacements, the Nye Avenue substation, was designed to provide improved reliability and power capacity for customers and businesses in the surrounding community. The Township of Irvington requested artwork cover the concrete perimeter walls around the substation so PSE&G commissioned Newark-based arts organization, YENDOR, to lead the beautification effort. The result is Legends Way, nine pieces of art showcasing prominent citizens, landmarks, and essential events in Irvington’s history and progress.

Football star comes home to give back to community
University of Notre Dame student and football safety Adon Shuler, an Irvington High School graduate, has been a presence on the local and national scene. He was at the Berkeley Terrace Elementary School in Irvington in December to give out toys to children at the school. He has also directed a local football camp and had a book bag giveaway at IHS before the start of the school year. At Notre Dame, Shuler played in the college football national championship game in 2025.

Animal welfare organization takes aim at cat population
An Essex County based animal welfare group received two grants to help with the cat population in Irvington.Communities Promoting Animal Welfare NJ (CPAW) aims to reduce the cat population in Irvington through a targeted program called “Neuter the Neighborhood.” Through CPAW’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, community cats are trapped, vaccinated for rabies, neutered, and returned to their outdoor homes for continued monitoring by their caregivers. CPAW has trapped 194 outdoor cats in Irvington with 43 of those later adopted through rescue and shelter partners.

Local boxers keep winning
Irvington residents Jean Pierre Valencia and Ghandi Romain each secured victories in their respective professional boxing matches on Feb. 1, at the Prudential Center in Newark. Valencia defeated Dmitry Noskov in a four-round split decision in a junior middleweight bout. Valencia improved his professional record to 4-0. Romain defeated Benjamin Lamptey via knockout at 2:52 in the second round of a six-round welterweight fight. Romain’s victory brought his record to 7-1-1.