Secaucus Police Detective Lt. Michael Torres is our #BlueFriday honoree for this week.

Detective Lt. Torres spent two hours at the cold Hackensack River negotiating with a mentally disturbed man who was threatening to harm himself.

The incident started when the 51-year-old slammed his vehicle into a utility truck on Paterson Plank Road. He then drove down the road and through Trolley Park, right into the river. Lt. Torres wasted no time, getting into the water and using his skill, training, and calm demeanor to keep the man talking and prevent him from hurting himself.

Officers from Secaucus, East Rutherford, Carlstadt, and the New Jersey State Police surrounded the man and prevented him from swimming away. Read the full story HERE.

This story speaks to two things. First, we are not doing a good enough job of proactively addressing mental health. How many people are out there who have no place to turn and no one to help them, reacting to an incident that could have ended in tragedy seems to be the norm.

The second thing this incident shows is how well-trained our cops across the state are and the effective way they combine training with the courage to solve problems and save lives.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story should have identified the officer as a detective lieutenant and the headline should have said the incident happened at the Hackensack River.

Biggest NJ company layoff notices in 2022 and 2023

In some cases, workers may be offered back their jobs or transfers to different locations. 

Here’s a look at more than a dozen of the biggest announcements within two years.

 

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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Up or down? Average property tax changes in NJ in 2022

Below are the average property tax bills for every municipality in New Jersey last year.

The towns are listed from the biggest cut in the average bill to the highest increase. On the county maps, the deeper red color means a higher increase above 2% whereas the darker green signifies a smaller increase or a reduction.

Each listing also shows how the average tax bill is split among the county, school and municipal governments.

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