HANOVER TOWNSHIP  —  Hanover Township Mayor Ronald Francioli celebrated the grand opening of Pet Supplies Plus on Saturday, May 4, with owners Barbara Grobert and J.P. Altier. Grobert and Altier are both Madison residents.

Also celebrating with the owners and cutting the ribbon were Mayor Francioli, Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Board Member Frank Cahill, Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Hanover Chairperson Barbara Freda and Board member Nicolas Limanov.

Co-Owner Barbara Grobert  said “Welcome! JP and I, along with all of our team members, are super excited to be a part of Cedar Knolls and the surrounding communities! We are ready to help all of our Neighbors fulfill their Pet’s needs and desires. We offer extensive brand variety in natural and premium dog and cat foods. You will find a good selection of USA made products, toys and treats. Birds, small animals, fish and reptiles will also be in attendance. We offer a full line of supplies for these species as well. Grooming and Self-service Pet Wash are also available. Regular grooming keeps your pets looking good and is important to maintaining their good health. Self-service dog wash is $10.00 per dog, or you can purchase our Dirty Dog punch card and get five washes for $25.00. A deal that can’t be beat! The dog wash is clean and ready to go with a variety of shampoos, clean towels and dryers…all at no extra charge. When you sign up to become a member of our preferred pet club you will receive discounts and coupons. We also offer price matching. Come on by! And don’t forget, we are pet friendly so please bring in your furry friends so we can meet them.”

Pet Supplies Plus Grand Opening

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Some of the services available are Dog Wash, Grooming, Live Fish, Live Small Pets, Live Crickets and Visiting Pet Care Clinic.

Pet Supplies Plus is located at 170 East Hanover Avenue, Cedar Knolls. You can reach them by calling (973) 867-4999. Click here for more information. The store is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Grooming is available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

MORRIS COUNTY — Local law enforcement members and representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigations held an Active Shooter Training Seminar at the County College of Morris on Thursday, May 2. Multiple members of local law enforcement including Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Lieutenant Jan Monrad, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Lieutenant Will Harzula of the Randolph Police Department, FBI Special Agents Scott Nawrocki and Matthew Richert, and County College of Morris Security Director Harvey Jackson presented on the subject. The seminar was attended by over 100 professors and administrators of the college.

The training focused on the best practices to utilize in the event of an active shooter threat on the County College of Morris Campus. A similar training was held at the County College of Morris in October of 2018. This seminar furthered the training from last year, and covered the policy and procedure of the County College of Morris, as well as the resources available to the college. Following the presentation, a question and answer session was held for the professors and administrators in attendance. These professionals pride themselves on ensuring their students’ safety, and were eager to raise any comments or concerns they had on the protocol.

Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp, who was in attendance, said, “All of our students in Morris County deserve the right to further their education in a safe environment. These trainings are important as they ensure that the members of the faculty and staff are aware of the appropriate procedures, and have the capability to instinctively react in the event of an active shooter incident. Thanks are in order to all of the presenters for joining us today”.

MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio marks the 46th anniversary of the brutal murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster, by Joanne Chesimard who fled to Cuba for asylum where she remains today. Pennacchio sponsors legislation calling for her extradition.

Chesimard was convicted of murdering Trooper Foerster and sentenced to life in prison, but subsequently escaped and has been living under the protection of political asylum in Cuba ever since. Senator Pennacchio has long-sponsored a bipartisan resolution calling for her extradition to the United States.

“Our hearts go out to for the Foerster family as they continue to cope with this unimaginable loss. No child should blow out a birthday candle, graduate, or walk down the aisle without their father by their side. Trooper Foerster was a pillar of strength for his family, and his brothers and sisters in arms at the State Police. That pillar crumbled 46 years ago today when Joanne Chesimard pulled the trigger.

“That convicted killer belongs in jail, and justice will not be served until we bring her back to serve out her sentence. Clearly, we cannot count on Cuba to take action. We must do the right thing and demand her extradition now.

“We owe it to the Foerster family, and all of the State Troopers serving bravely today to stand united in this call for Chesimard’s immediate return to the United States. I can think of no better time to schedule a hearing on my bill then today, as we mark his untimely passing for the 46th time. I hope a vote will be called as soon as possible. The Foerster family has waited far too long already.”

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Nicholas Ricciotti and Timothy Palazzolo assisted detectives from the Morristown Bureau of Police and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in identifying and apprehending a 21-year-old man suspected of hiding an imitation handgun under a bush minutes before his appointment with a Morris County Probation Officer.

The investigation began on Wednesday, May 1 when the Morris County Sheriff’s Office contacted Morristown Police to advise that a witness reported seeing what appeared to be a black-colored handgun under a bush on Court Street, by the Morris County Administration and Records Building.The witness reported to police that the suspected handgun was gone when he checked a short time after he first spotted it.  The witness made the observation on Tuesday, April 30 and reported it on May 1.

Entrances to the Morris County Courthouse and Administration and Records Building are heavily monitored by surveillance cameras and Morris County Sheriff’s Officers, who operate metal detectors that expose all weapons, real and imitation.

Detective Ricciotti reviewed surveillance footage of the area around the Administration and Records Building and observed a man, later identified as Morristown resident Maurice J. Bates, remove a black object from his pocket and place it under a bush near the front entrance to the Administration and Records Building on Tuesday, April 30.

Mr. Bates was observed on the surveillance video entering the Administration and Records Building and walking to the Probation office around 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30. Around 2:30 p.m., as the videotape shows, Mr. Bates was seen, allegedly retrieving the black object from under the bush, putting it in his pocket, and walking away.Detectives Ricciotti and Palazzolo gathered information identifying Mr. Bates and his residence. Morristown Police Detectives Scott Pino and Scott Weaver had integral roles in the investigation, including preparing search and arrest warrants that received judicial approval before being executed.

Detectives from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Morristown Bureau of Police and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Special Enforcement Unit conducted surveillance on Mr. Bates’s home on Wednesday, May 1. Detectives verified that Mr. Bates was at home. With the assistance of the Morris County Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT), officers entered Mr. Bates’s apartment and arrested him before conducting a search that revealed a black imitation handgun.

Mr. Bates was charged on Thursday, May 2 by Morristown Detective Scott Pino with possession of a weapon, an imitation firearm, for an unlawful purpose. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a motion to detain him in the Morris County Correctional Facility while the charge is pending.

Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon and Morristown Public Safety Director Michael Corcoran commend the detectives for the thorough and timely investigation.

“There are aggressive, proactive security safeguards in and around the Morris County Court Complex and Administration and Records Building. People who bring illegal weapons to the area will be caught,” Sheriff Gannon said.

Editor’s Note: An arrest or the signing of a criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.