MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, and President of the Morris County Police Chiefs’ Association remind residents to always lock their vehicles at night, even if parked in the driveway. Never leave your key fobs in your vehicle.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has been monitoring a recent trend involving unlocked vehicles, most recently in Randolph, Mendham and Morris Plains. Vehicles were either stolen or burglarized during the overnight hours. Most concerning is the fact that some of these incidents resulted in pursuits involving law enforcement.

Please be sure to lock your vehicles even when parked in your driveway or garage.  Also, be sure to remove any valuables from your vehicle. Residents are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to their local police department.

Together, law enforcement and residents can prevent these crimes from occurring.

PARSIPPANY — What is an ear saver? An ear saver is a piece of material, yarn, etc. used to remove pressure and friction from the ears making any mask more comfortable to wear.

Thanks to club member, Lee Maddocks, there are many essential workers out there finding it easier to wear their mask each day.  Lee sent an email out to our club members and to her Jersey Knitters group. The response to her email has been wonderful. Several members from the Parsippany Woman’s Club and members of the Jersey Knitters have been busy knitting, crocheting, or sewing ear savers. There was a need for buttons. Turns out buttons weren’t an issue. Lee reached out to Emsig Manufacturing Corporation who generously donated hundreds of buttons to complete the ear savers.

So far 251 ear savers have been made. Deliveries have been made to workers at the Fresenius Dialysis Center and Care One in Parsippany and the Alzheimer’s Wing of the Paramus Veterans Home. Friends and relatives have also been the recipients of the much-needed ear savers.

To date, members of the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills have also made 98 masks for local essential workers, made 50 “Thank You” cards for the Parsippany Supporting Our Town effort for Nurses Appreciation Day, and made donations (both food and monetary) to the Parsippany Food Pantry.

The Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is a member of NJSFWC, which is the largest volunteer women’s service organization in the state, providing opportunities for education, leadership training, and community service.  General Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month from September to April at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Parsippany Rescue & Recovery, 100 Centerton Drive.

For more information e-mail the club at womansclubofpth@gmail.com, click here or follow the club on FACEBOOK.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker advise residents that criminal scammers are taking advantage of the COVID-19 emergency while people are staying home to conduct scams by phone, email and online, especially targeting our elderly population.

We and our Law enforcement partners throughout Morris County and the State have observed an increase in the number of scams and confidence crimes. Residents are being asked to remain vigilant, especially as scammers are trying to upset them into impulsively turning over money. Residents are encouraged to reach out to elderly friends and relatives to alert them about these scams.

Some examples are as follows:

BAIL BOND – A criminal will call the victim and explain their grandchild has been arrested. The criminal may or may not provide the grandchild’s name. In some cases, a person was placed on the phone pretending to be the grandchild as proof of being arrested. The criminal will ask the victim to post (in other words, give) a sum of money in order for the grandchild to be released from jail. During a recent incident in Roxbury Township, the criminal asked for the victim’s home address in order to pick up the money. This type of scam is particularly dangerous, as the criminal will attempt to collect the money in person directly from the victim.

Please be aware, the criminal may give the victim instructions on what to say to a bank teller if they ask why cash is being withdrawn. The criminal may also instruct the victim to act upset and angry or to tell the bank employee that it is none of their business.

IRS SCAM – A criminal will call the victim and tell them that they owe the government money and face being arrested if they do not pay. To avoid being arrested, the victim must satisfy the debt by way of a MoneyGram or gift cards.

Please be aware that the IRS will never call and attempt to settle a tax debt via MoneyGram or gift card.

STIMULUS CHECKS – The United States Postal Inspection Service advises that scammers are calling and/or emailing individuals claiming to be from the Treasury Department, and offering expedited payments or assistance with obtaining an Economic Impact Payment. According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, citizens do not need to pay taxes or processing fees in order to obtain the relief stimulus payment. Residents are advised if they receive a call asking for personal information or for fees to obtain a stimulus check, do provide any personal information, and do not send money.

Prosecutor Knapp said, “I am appalled by these attacks upon our most vulnerable residents. Personally, the 95-year-old father of my close friend was bilked out of $25,000 on a Bail Scam. Please don’t be a victim!”

Residents can also report the theft of stimulus checks from the mail to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by clicking here or 1-800-ASK-USPS.

If you are contacted please notify your local police department or the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit at (973) 285-6200.

PARSIPPANY — If you were driving down Knoll Road, you can’t miss the big sign posted by the Vitiello family! To All Graduating Students: WE LOVE YOU! Stay Strong ave Faith and Believe the Best is Yet to Come. Love, Vitiello’s.

MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Murphy announced the first positive steps towards reopening New Jersey’s economy.

1. Restrictions on non-essential construction will be lifted beginning on Monday, May 18, 2020 at 6:00 a.m., provided that social distancing and mitigation protocols are followed. This will allow construction prohibited by Executive Order 122 to resume.
2. Retail businesses that were deemed non-essential also will benefit by the relaxing of the restrictions imposed by Executive Order 107, by being allowed to provide curbside pick-up (both by vehicle and foot traffic) beginning on Monday, May 18, 2020 at 6:00 a.m.
3. Our cars also will benefit from the Governor’s announcement. Vehicle gatherings will also be allowed effective immediately, subject to social distancing. This will allow drive-in and drive-through services such as movie theaters, farms, and church services to resume.

PARSIPPANY — Christine Serrano Glassner was appointed to the position of Campaign Chair of the Morris County Republican Committee. This role will be critical in delivering Republican victories from the top of the ballot to the bottom this November and beyond.

PARSIPPANY — The County of Morris has identified an additional seven Parsippany residents presumptively tested positive for COVID-19, since it was last reported on Tuesday, May 12.

The number of presumptive positive cases in Parsippany-Troy Hills stands at 675 individuals. (This data is as of 4:10 p.m., Wednesday, May 13). There are also 71 reported deaths.

Morris County has risen to 5,913 presumptively tested positive cases an increase of 23 cases since last reported on Tuesday, May 12. A total of 531 deaths have been reported in Morris County. In New Jersey a total of 141,560 presumptively tested positive cases with a total of 9,702 deaths.

The County of Morris, in partnership with Atlantic Health, is offering drive-thru COVID-19 testing at the County College of Morris, Dover Chester Road, Randolph, NJ 07869, in parking lot 1. The hours for testings are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on weekdays and is for Morris County residents only. There is no fee for the test.

To be tested, residents MUST:

• have a COVID-19 test prescription from a healthcare provider
• read and acknowledge the consent form
• make an appointment

For information and to make an appointment residents should visit the Morris County by clicking here.

Morris County COVID-19 Cases

The figures reflect COVID-19 positive cases as of the date and time indicated, some cases which may be pending, or have yet to be entered into the system.

Please note the following limitations and provisos related to the data above:

• COVID-19-related deaths are not included in this data. Visit the State of NJ COVID-19 Dashboard for a summary of death totals.
• Pursuant to HIPAA, specific identifying health information of persons testing positive or who have passed due to the virus will not be released.
• Data reflects COVID-19 positive cases on dates and times indicated; some cases may be pending and are not yet entered.
• Data may not include cases with incomplete or incorrect street addresses or PO boxes. Such cases require additional investigation by local health officials.
• Figures do not include persons under quarantine/isolation due to exposure and who have not tested positive.
• The numbers, especially higher numbers, do not necessarily reflect community spread in a specific town. Various factors may be related to high numbers, such as increased testing and facilities with high-risk populations.
• This data should not be used to gauge if heightened precautions are needed in specific towns. Social distancing, hand hygiene, and preventive steps must be followed at all times regardless of the number of cases in a municipality.