Bieber Concert a Bust, Murder Suspect Arrested in Top Essex News

Bears' Bieber Concert a Bust

On Monday, the Newark Bears announced pop sensation Justin Bieber was set to perform at the Newark Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium for the team's second annual "Stadium of Screams." Bieber was scheduled to perform acoustic Oct. 28 and meet with season ticket holders afterward.

But now, it seems a performance by the "Boyfriend" crooner is a no go.

Bieber's publicist Melissa Victor told The Star Ledger Tuesday that word of the star's appearance is "pure fiction."

"No such appearance was ever confirmed," Victor told the Ledger in an e-mail.

Suspect in Woman's Murder Arrested

Authorities have arrested a suspect in the murder of a 24-year-old city woman who was shot and killed in her car Oct. 1. 

Bronique McLeod was waiting in a vehicle in the 300 block of Hawthorne Avenue around 11:28 p.m. when she was shot. McLeod was pronounced dead at University Hospital a little more than three hours later, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. 

Virgil Suggs, a 42-year-old city resident, was arrested Tuesday. 

Cedar Grove Man Arrested For Graffiti Incident

A 19-year-old township resident was arrested following a spree of graffiti-related incidents The incidents occurred on Sept. 27 in the township, officials said.

On Oct. 4, detectives arrested 19-year-old Darin C. Keepers of Cedar Grove. Video surveillance showed him spray painting graffiti on multiple street signs, guardrails and retaining walls along Ridge Road, Rugby Road, Bowden Road and Pompton Avenue, police said.

Teens Allegedly Steal Car, Lead Police on Chase

Two 13-year-old boys were arrested Monday night for allegedly stealing a car in Bloomfield and leading police on a car chase through three towns.

The chase began at around 10:49 p.m., when police officers responded to a report of a car being stolen from a driveway on Baldwin Place, according to Sgt. Anthony Servedio, spokesperson for the Bloomfield Police Department. Bloomfield police officer Michael Moleski spotted the stolen vehicle, a 1996 Dodge, traveling on Watsessing Avenue and began to follow the car, while Officers Sang Yoon and Joseph Corio assisted in separate patrol cars.

The teens refused to stop and led officers on a car chase through Bloomfield, East Orange and Newark. The chase ended when the Dodge was involved in a minor accident at Gray Street in Newark. 

Nutley schools' grading scale gets tougher

Nutley's public schools are scrapping a 14-year grading system that critics said inflated grade point averages and hurt students' chances of being accepted to college.

The system in place since the late 1990s has a maximum grade point average in excess of 4.0, the number that most school districts and colleges recognize as the standard for a perfect GPA. Under the existing system, an excessive number of students qualified for the honor society, school officials said at Tuesday night's board of education meeting.

Sunday Short Hills Fire Ruled Accidental

The Sunday night two-alarm fire was ruled accidental, officials said on Thursday.

The fire was caused by a malfunctioning heater in the attic, Fire Chief Michael Roberts said. The cost of damage remains unknown.

The house fire on Browning Road in the Short Hills section of Millburn was quickly extinguished by firefighters with little visible damage to the home and no injuries.

35-Year-Old Caldwell Man Missing

A 35-year-old Caldwell man has been missing since Thursday, according to police.

Marcos “Giacomo” Alotto left his house on foot around 11 p.m. and has not been seen or heard from since, according to a press release from the Caldwell Police Department.

Shuttle Bus Reverts to Original Schedule

The Bloomfield Shuttle Bus eliminated the Hoover Avenue stop from its original route, effective Tuesday.

The Hoover stop, added for a one-month trial period in lieu of New Jersey Transit's canceled No. 93 bus, had picked up just one rider during that time. The Bloomfield Recreation Center decided the permanent addition of the stop was not cost effective, and, with the rider able to use a different shuttle stop, decided to eliminate the Hoover Avenue stop.

Temple B'nai Abraham Mourns Loss of Rabbi

Rabbi Emeritus Barry Friedman, who served as spiritual leader of Temple B’nai Abraham from 1977-1999 passed away on Monday. He was 78.

Cuban bakery opens in Belleville

Washington Avenue welcomed its newest business this past Saturday, when Sweets & Cortaditos, a bakery and cafe, held its grand opening. 

The cozy shop, located at 138 Washington Ave. in Belleville, offers authentic Cuban delicacies, including Cuban sandwiches and “cortaditos,” a small coffee with a shot of milk or cream. 

North Caldwell Eager to Control Deer Population

Bow hunting, pesticides and fencing are some of the ways North Caldwell is considering curbing the borough’s deer population. But what will actually work?

That’s the $64 million question faced by the three-square-mile suburb’s governing body.

At Tuesday night's council meeting, Borough Engineer and Department of Public Works Director Frank Zichelli suggested the town ask residents what they are doing to keep deer off their properties in a survey that will be mailed to all households later this year. 

ShopRite offers Free Programs For Food Day

In honor of  Christine Patorniti develops nutritional programs for ShopRite and helps to serve the local community and schools.

In her role, Patorniti conducts grocery shopping tasting tours, runs interactive ‘kids-only’ programs, highlights specialty products for specific allergies and diseases, offers recipe and pantry makeovers and coordinates other health and wellness initiatives and nutritional programs for ShopRite customers.

Singapore Math Comes to Town

Kindergarten through 2nd grade students in the South Orange-Maplewood School District (SOMSD) will experience a different approach to learning math this year, as the district implements Math in Focus: Singapore Math.

The term “Singapore Math” refers to the coherent progression and specific instructional strategies used by all teachers in Singapore, a country that consistently scores at the top on international math tests.  

The district announced the new program to the community last year.

Maplewood's Studio B Launches Film Festival

Studio B, the local arts organization known for popular, local arts events like Story Slam and Hybrids, will premier the Catalyst Film Series on Saturday, Oct. 13. The series will present six documentaries about the role of artists as agents of social change. Each screening will be followed by a panel discussion comprised of local artists.