Home health aide sentenced to three years for Medicaid fraud

TRENTON — A home health aide who pleaded guilty to submitting phony claims to Medicaid for patients he never saw was sentenced to a three-year prison term Wednesday. Anatoli Rountsev, 53, of Totowa was one of six employees from the Confident Care Corporation nabbed in the scam, according to an announcement from acting Attorney General John…

Want to be a Little Vikings Cheerleader? Registration will be held in May

PARSIPPANY — Registration will be held  for Little Vikings Cheerleaders at Parsippany Hills High School, 20 Rita Drive, Room D-36 on Wednesday, May 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday, May 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Open to all girls in the PHHS sending district for grades 1 though 8 in September 2015.

Cheerleader (must be present for uniform fitting)

  • Completed registration form (download from website by clicking here)
  • Registration check for $150.00
  • Work bond check for $100.00 dated for November 1, 2015.
  • Proof of residency and copy of birth certificate for all new cheerleaders

Please make all checks payable to LVF Cheerleading

Please take note that if your child cheers, this should be their only fall sport.

For additional information or questions contact Maureen by clicking here.

Mission Statement
Little Vikings Football Cheerleading program is dedicated toinstilling firmly in the children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and respect of authority.  This program will give all children the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of cheerleading, regardless of ability, sex, race or religion.  Little Vikings organization as a whole provides continuity of teaching, strategies, and code of conduct for their football players and cheerleaders that prepares them for their high school career.

Valley National Bank to host Identity Theft Awareness Event

PARSIPPANY — Valley National Bank announced that it will host an Identity Theft Awareness Event on Saturday, May 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Parsippany branch, located at 800 Route 46 West, in the Arlington Shopping Plaza. This event is partnered with USA SHRED, which will provide an on-site truck to shred personal and confidential documents, at no cost, to help customers avoid becoming victims of identity theft.

Residents from the community are encouraged to bring documents such as old bank statements, checks, income tax returns, credit card statements, etc., that can be shredded on-site, for free. Staff members will discuss effective measures that can be used to reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft.

The event is also hosted by the Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire Department District 5. Children will get a free tour of the firetruck and receive a hat.  Parents will also learn about fire safety tips.

For more information about this event, contact Branch Service Manager at (973) 263-0600. For information about similar events, click here.

Valley National Bancorp is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey with $18 billion in assets. Valley National Bank is one of the largest commercial banks headquartered in New Jersey and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest in product innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable staff with a high priority on friendly customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information about Valley National Bank and its products and services, click here or call Customer Service, 24/7 at 800-522-4100.

Christie not concerned over Bridgegate probe or report that former ally Wildstein may plead guilty

NEW BRUNSWICK — Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday said he’s “not the least bit concerned” about the federal probe into the George Washington Bridge lane closure controversy that’s rocked his administration. The governor, speaking to reporters in New Jersey for the first time in months, also refused to speculate on the outcome the probe just as…

Christie pal to plead guilty, report says

David Wildstein, the former ally and classmate of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will plead guilty on Thursday, according to a report this afternoon in Bloomberg.

The report says Wildstein may be cooperating with prosecutors investigating the traffic jams he ordered near the George Washington Bridge.

For the full report, go here.

Talk of impending indictments have been occurring for weeks. One Parsippany Focus source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said charges would be made public as early as tomorrow .

Increased law enforcement leads to quiet night in Baltimore the day after riots

National Guard members, state troopers and Baltimore Police patrolled Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Tuesday.

Dozens of Guard members and police were stationed outside of the National Aquarium, the Cheesecake Factory and Ripley’s Believe it or Not! museum. Crowds along the promenade were lighter than normal, but several people walked, pushed strollers and ran along the scenic route.

A city-wide curfew went into effect at 10 p.m. on Tuesday; the curfew is schedule to last one week.

baltimore3The relatively quiet night spurred business owners to launch a petition asking Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to lift the curfew.

According to the petition: “With National Guard, we feel safe. With a curfew, you will do more damage financially to our bars & restaurants than rioters will do. In this month, we have to deal taxes, license renewals, and more. Now you are cutting businesses, employees ability to recover. We have insurance for vandalism, not loss of revenue. Please lift the Curfew for at least Over 21. We are adults and can make our own choices.”

Wednesday’s Orioles vs. White Sox game is being played in a nearly empty ballpark; the game was closed to fans.

According to a team announcement: Due to circumstances involving riots and protests in the city of Baltimore, today’s Orioles-White Sox game will begin at 2:05 p.m. ET and be closed to the public. In addition, this weekend’s games against the Rays, originally scheduled to be played at Camden Yards, have been moved to Tampa Bay.

baltimore2Orioles pitcher Zach Britton told Focus that the decision was correct and that pulling law enforcement resources away from the important task of protecting the city would not have made sense. Britton currently has 4 saves and 12 strikeouts for the last place Orioles.

Near-perfect spring weather in Parsippany today before slightly cooler temperatures arrive

Spring weather in New Jersey doesn’t get much better than it will be Wednesday. Then conditions take a bit of a slight turn for the worse on Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Enjoy today though — it will be sunny and warm with highs in the mid 70s, though it will be…

Four Parsippany Schools Join In With Acclaimed Composer, Musician Mark Miller

Mark Miller
Mark Miller

PARSIPPANY — Thanks to a grant by the Parsippany Education Foundation, Central Middle School Choral teacher Adam Aguanno has made arrangements to bring renowned composer and musician and Drew and Yale Universities Choral professor Mark Miller to Parsippany to work with and inspire all chorus students from Central Middle School, Brooklawn Middle School, Parsippany High School and Parsippany Hills High School, on Friday, May 1.

Approximaely 350 students and their choir teachers will come together at Parsippany Hills High School to spend the afternoon participating in workshops and rehearsing with Mr. Miller and his group of musicians.

Mr. Mark Miller believes passionately that music can change the world. He also believes in Cornell West’s quote that ‘Justice is what love looks like in public.’ His dream is that the music he composes, performs, teaches and leads will inspire and empower people to create the beloved community.

Support from the Parsippany Education Foundation has also allowed the commissioning of a new song written by Mr. Miller specifically for the PTHSD students. Lyrics for this newly commissioned piece were developed using poems and essays written by select student participants across the district. The song will be premiered and performed by these 350+ PTHSD students under the direction of Mr. Miller and his musicians in a culminating concert that will take place on Friday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m., at the Parsippany Hills High School Auditorium.

The concert will also include performances from each of the four schools. All parents and community members are welcomed to attend the concert.

This is an exciting opportunity for the district’s choral students and their teachers to join in this music collaboration, benefit from the expertise of and be inspired by Mr. Mark Miller and his musicians, and celebrate the talent and gifts of the PTHSD students.

For more information on Parsippany Education Foundation, click here.

Morris County Young Republicans hosting State Convention

stateconventionThe Morris County Young Republicans will host the Biennial NJ Young Republican State Convention at the Hyatt in Morristown, said Gary La Spisa, Chairman, Morris County Young Republicans.

 Tickets for the event are $125.00 which includes the open bar and welcome dinner at Pazzo Pazzo on Friday, May 1 as well as breakfast and lunch during the convention on Saturday, May 2. 
If you can’t join us for the convention, you can purchase a ticket for the event at Pazzo Pazzo for $50.00. 
 
After the convention you can join the group for the annual MCYR Spring Stroll starting at 6:00 p.m., just in time for the Kentucky Derby!  
 
Tickets for all events can be purchased by clicking here.
You can find more information about the convention by clicking here.
 
The MCYRs is planning to send out weekly “Volunteer Call” emails throughout the rest of the primary election season.  Any local, county or state candidate who is seeking volunteers should send an email to morrisyr@gmail.com.

All emails should include: candidate, meeting place, task, contact person and contact email or phone number.  The Morris County Young Republicans DOES NOT endorse candidates in primaries. 
Emails will include any Republican candidate who submits a request and will be organized by office and listed in the order in which they were received.
 
Sincerely,

Sections of Smith Road temporarily closed this week

PARSIPPANY — Smith Road will be closed between East Halsey Road and Westminster Drive on Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Detours signs will be in place and the routes are listed below:

  • Vehicles driving south on Smith Road will have to make a right onto East Halsey Road and take the second left onto Westminster Drive, which brings you back to Smith Road.
  • Vehicles driving north on Smith Road will have to make a left onto Westminster Drive, which will bring you to East Halsey Road. Once there you will make a right turn which brings you back to Smith Road.
  • Vehicles traveling eastbound on East Halsey from the Jefferson Road area that need to take Smith Road southbound will need to take Westminster Drive to the end and turn right onto Smith Road.

As a reminder Westminster Drive has a 25 mph speed limit and East Halsey Road has a 30 mph speed limit.