Richard Cowen

New York

Journalist and Staff Writer at The Record (Bergen County)

Fact-based reporter covering New Jersey and its environs for the Star-Ledger and https://t.co/nGc5YPph1A. Humanist, I hope. Tweet or email me tips to [email protected]

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Articles

Family vows to fight on after grand jury clears Jersey City officer in fatal shooting

6 days ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

The family of Andrew Washington vowed Thursday to keep fighting to change the way police respond to calls involving the mentally ill, after a grand jury declined to indict the Jersey City officer who fatally shot the man who was having a mental health crisis. “Andrew was not a threat to the public,” his aunt, Doris “Toni” Ervin, told the civil rights activists gathered in front of the City Hall Annex.
Federal judge temporarily restores $85 million in COVID-19 funding for N.J. schools

1 week ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction that restores, at least for now, $85 million in congressionally approved funding for New Jersey schools to deal with the long-term impacts of COVID on students. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon last month sought to block states from accessing the education funding approved by Congress in 2021 in the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA).
89-year-old driver hits, kills woman loading groceries in N.J. parking lot

1 week ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

An Englewood woman who was struck by a car while loading her car in the parking lot of the Closter Plaza on Saturday has died, Closter police said. Andrea Miller, 73, was loading groceries into the trunk of her car just after 6 p.m. when a vehicle driven by an 89-year-old Allendale woman began backing out of a handicapped spot in front of HomeGoods, Closter police Capt. Vincent Aiello said. The vehicle backed across the travel lane, then jumped the curb and struck the victim.
Firefighter, children injured as fire truck collides with car

1 week ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

A firefighter and three others were injured Saturday when a fire truck collided with a car in Newark, authorities said. The accident happened at 11:46 a.m. at the intersection of Broadway and Bloomfield Place, according to Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda. The truck was not responding to an emergency call at the time, the city said. An adult and two children who were in the car complained of pain and were taken to University Hospital for evaluation.
Historic NJ theater closed indefinitely following partial ceiling collapse

1 week ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

The historic Cranford Theater has been shut down following a partial ceiling collapse on Wednesday night that sent patrons scurrying for the exits and fire trucks rushing downtown. Cranford Fire Official Matthew Lubin said the roof is intact, but a good chunk of the plaster and drop ceiling in Theater 1 came crashing down around 7:30 p.m. “They [the owners] have to get some engineering analysis done to determine what they need to do to repair it,” Lubin said.
Mystery Pennsylvania sender returns 43-year-overdue book to N.J. school

2 weeks ago | pennlive.com | Richard Cowen

Students at the Walter Stillman School in Tenafly, New Jersey, are trying to solve a real-life mystery: who mailed the book “Jumanji” back to the school library last week, 43 years after it was checked out? The long-overdue book was shipped by priority mail from the U.S. Post Office in Drums, Pennsylvania, with a $40 money order attached. There was no note, just the word “Clifton” scrawled over the return address. 784 Saint Johns Rd, Drums, Pa., 18222, which happened to be the post office.
Mystery sender returns 43-year-overdue Jumanji book to N.J. school

2 weeks ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

Students at the Walter Stillman School in Tenafly are trying to solve a real-life mystery: who mailed the book “Jumanji” back to the school library last week, 43 years after it was checked out? The long-overdue book was shipped by priority mail from the U.S. Post Office in Drums, Pennsylvania, with a $40 money order attached. There was no note, just the word “Clifton” scrawled over the return address. 784 Saint Johns Rd, Drums, Pa., 18222, which happened to be the post office.
$10K reward offered to help find N.J. woman missing for 7 weeks

2 weeks ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office and the Elizabeth Police Department are asking for the public’s help in locating a woman who has been missing for seven weeks. Janaina Freire Goncalves, 48, Goncalves, 48, was last heard from on the night of March 10 when she texted a friend. Elizabeth Police went to her apartment in the 600 block of New Point Road on March 14, but the trail has gone cold and investigators are now asking for the public’s help.
Family of man killed at Hoboken basketball court wins right to sue police

2 weeks ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

The family of a Hoboken man who was fatally shot at a housing authority basketball court where alcohol was illegally sold has regained the right to sue the city for damages, an appellate court has ruled. In reversing a lower court decision, the appellate division reinstated a lawsuit filed by the mother and brother of the victim, Christopher Garcia.
12-year-old girl saved family from early-morning N.J. house fire

3 weeks ago | nj.com | Richard Cowen

A 12-year-old girl that smelled smoke and alerted her family may have helped save them from an early-morning fire in their Bloomfield home, according to Bloomfield Fire Chief Lou Venezia said. “She awakened everybody,” Venezia said. He said the child participated in the Bloomfield’s Girls on Fire summer program, where she learned about fire safety. Venezia said the family of five were all asleep when the fire on Woodland Road broke out.