Photo by Adrienne J. Romero / SOC Images.
Hudson County has been hit with both somber and history-making news this past week.
Here’s what’s happened.
Hudson Catholic Football Coaches Among 6 Killed In Car Crash
Hudson Catholic head football coach Lamar McKnight, aged 32, and assistant coach Brad Cunningham, aged 41, died last Friday in a fiery crash. They were two of six people killed in the crash.
Reports have said that the car was headed south on Raymond Boulevard in Newark at around 10:45 p.m. last Friday. The car went airborne after it reached an on-ramp to Routes 1 and 9 and went off the road and hit a support column beneath the Pulaski Skyway, then catching on fire.
Police have yet to officially release the victims’ names, but Natasha McKnight of Jersey City told CBS News New York that two of her sons, Lamar and Darryl, were involved in the crash and killed.
“I check my kids’ location all day, all night, every day, and those two never turn them (phones) off,” McKnight said. “I knew something, and it was there for too many hours. So, I started to worry.”
“I drove to and found out on social media that it was an accident … And you see my son’s bumper, and that’s how I was able to identify that they were in that car, ” said McKnight.
After Lamar McKnight’s death became public, social media tributes began, honoring McKnight as an inspiring figure to the student-athletes he leads.
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said in a statement that the city “mourns the tragic loss of six community members gone too soon.”
The Archdiocese of Newark, which Hudson Catholic is affiliated with, said in a separate statement how “devastated” the community is by the loss of McKnight and Cunningham.
“They were dedicated educators and mentors who made a lasting impact on players, students and colleagues. Their warmth, commitment, and passion for the Hudson Catholic community will never be forgotten. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families and friends, and to the families of the other victims of this tragedy,” they said in a statement to NJ Advance Media.
Prior to Lamar McKnight’s first season as Hudson Catholic’s head football coach, he was a star quarterback at Lincoln High School. He eventually went on to become an assistant coach for Union City before joining Hudson Catholic.
Cunningham also made noise as fullback/linebacker at Rutgers, joining Greg Schiano’s first recruiting class in the winter of 2001. Despite an injury filled career at Rutgers, Cunningham helped the Scarlet Knights make its first bowl appearance in nearly three decades.
Theodore N. Stephens II Essex County Prosecutor said the crash was the “biggest” car accident the county has seen in at least 20 years.
Stephens said police were first called to the accident at 11:28 p.m. Friday. The car was already on fire and the Newark Fire Department arrived just four minutes later.
“They extinguished the fire and confirmed that all six occupants of the vehicle were dead,” Stephens said. He was not able to give the make or model of the car, but later reports said it was a four-door sedan.
Two of the other victims were identified by family members, Vaitiare Piotti and Veronica Bailey, with the sixth passenger still unknown.
A vigil was hosted for Piotti on Saturday in front of the Colgate Clock in Jersey City.
Authorities have yet to announce their confirmed identifications as the investigation is ongoing.
Lieutenant Steven Rhodes Makes History In Bayonne
Lieutenant Steven Rhodes has officially become the first and highest ranking African American officer in Bayonne Police Department.
Congratulations were in order as Instagram users fled to their comments to send Lt. Rhodes their best wishes.
“Congratulations, and Thank you for your service in Bayonne Lt. Rhodes,” an Instagram user commented on blackinbayonnes’s post.
Rhodes was born and raised in Bayonne. He graduated from Bayonne High School, St. John’s University and Jersey City State College, where he majored in criminal justice.
Rhodes began his career in law enforcement in 1990 as a Hudson County Corrections Officer. In 1996, he became a New Jersey Transit Police Officer. Three years later, Rhodes became a Bayonne Police Officer.
There, he has been assigned to the Patrol Division and Community Oriented Policing Unit. As a detective, he was part of the Detective Bureau Narcotics Unit and Juvenile Aide Bureau.
Rhodes was then promoted to sergeant in 2019 and was assigned to Chief Robert Geisler’s office, serving as the Community Outreach Officer.
Heis also a Board Member of the Bayonne Branch NAACP, the Bayonne PAL and the Bayonne Community Center.
Earlier this week the Bayonne Police Department held a promotions ceremony recently for twenty-three police officers in the City Council Chambers.
There were nearly forty police retirements in the past year. This created a need for promotions to refill the ranks of the department’s superior officers.
The other new lieutenants are Kelly McKeand, Ashley Munoz, Mark Fabbricatore and Timothy Donaway.
Longtime Family-Owned Pharmacy Is Closing In Bayonne
Hudacko’s Pharmacy is closing its doors after serving three generations and the city of Bayonne due to a an unidentified “number of unfortunate circumstances.”
Hudacko’s took the time to thank their loyal patients saying in a Facebook post:
“We will miss seeing all of you, our patients and our friends and we thank you for your loyalty and support throughout the years. We will miss seeing your smiling faces walk into our home for over 80 years. Last but very not least we would like to thank our staff. Over the years they have gone over and above for our patients and for us. Especially now during our most difficult time, they have been amazing. There are no words to express our gratitude to each of them for their loyalty and support. They are so much more than just our team, they are our family forever.”
“On behalf of the Hudacko’s Pharmacy family we would like to say thank you, farewell, and wish you all best”.
Alternative pharmacies for Bayonne customers include:
- Broad Pharmacy
- Bergen Point Pharmacy
- Brockman’s Pharmacy
Jersey City Police Investigating 34-Year-Old Man Fatally Shot
On Sunday night, an Elizabeth man was fatally shot in the West Side area of Jersey City.
Dushawn E. Bell, 34, was pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center around 3:40 a.m. Monday morning. The official cause of death is still under investigation.
Police were called to a shooting on Fairview Avenue between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and West Side Avenue just before 11:30 p.m. There, they found Bell with gunshot wounds.
(Dushawn Eric Bell Facebook)
This is the seventh homicide in Jersey City this year. Just four days before, the city praised a drop in homicides and shootings this year.
(Dushawn Eric Bell Facebook)
A Reddit post and Facebook posts questioned the sound of gunshots late Sunday night. A commenter on the Reddit post said, “I heard people outside and saw a man pushing his friend up the street while the friend cried and yelled. It was horrible. I really felt for the guy.”
Bell lived in Elizabeth, but was frequently in Jersey City and had deep roots in the Hudson County town. The community flooded Bell’s Facebook page with words of grief, memories and more. Posts on Instagram also circulated, remembering Bell.
Sports Illustrated Coming To Harrison
Sports Illustrated Stadium has officially debuted in Harrison. What was once known as “Red Bull Arena”, the 25,000-person sports venue in Harrison has adopted a new name.
This is part of a 13-year contract between the New York Red Bulls and Sports Illustrated.
The stadium currently is and will remain home to MLS’s, New York Red Bulls and NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC.
An Instagram post by hudpost states that the collaboration will make Sports Illustrated Tickets the official ticketing partner starting in 2026, introducing blockchain-based ticketing and exclusive fan experiences. This includes NY Red Bulls matches, Gotham FC matches, international soccer games, concerts, youth events, watch parties and more.
The rebranding is meant to elevate the venue into a hub for sports and entertainment in the tri-state area.
Financial terms of the deal are not currently known.
Body Of Missing Harrison Teacher Retrieved From Passaic River
It has been confirmed that authorities have found the body of Brian Kolakowski, 37, of North Arlington, who was reported missing on Dec. 4.
Kolakowski and his car were found in the Passaic River after an extensive investigation and recovery operation, according to a statement from the Kearny Police Department.
Security camera footage viewed by Kearny Police Detective Klye Plaugic showed Kolakowski’s Volkswagen Jetta entering the Passaic River via the boat ramp at the Frank Vincent Marina in Kearny at 4:29 a.m.
It’s still unclear how or why Kolakowski’s car got into the boat ramp.
Poor weather conditions, low visibility underwater and the car’s position made the investigation go longer than intended, according to a report.
Kolakowski’s body was found on Dec. 10, and immediately pronounced dead at the scene and his family was notified right away.
Kolakowksi has been a middle school teacher at Harrison since 2010 and coach of Harrison High School’s girl tennis team. In 2023, he won the NJIC Meadowlands coach of the year award. He was also the flag football coach at Harrison High School.
“Mr. Kolakowski was known for his unwavering commitment, kindness, and the positive impact he had on everyone in the Harrison School District,” read the letter, signed both by Director of personnel for Harrison Public Schools James Doran and Superintendent Maureen Kroog.
The district said it was planning to offer emotional support to students and their families.
Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to contact the North Arlington Police Department Detective Bureau at (201) 991-4400.
People Are Calling For PATH To Improve Its Service
The PATH gets over 200,000 passengers per day and serves as a vital form of public transportation for all types of commuters.
The @PANYNJ on Instagram is looking for public input for their 2025 budget. The Action Network, with advocacy from Hudson County Complete Streets, is also calling for improvements, especially as the federal government has called for an increase in investments in transit to reduce carbon emissions.
The Action Network is asking that you write a letter to the Port Authority (it takes just 2 minutes!) if you want to see change.
They are calling for two actions to be put into place:
- More Frequent Service Off-Peak: The PATH can run as infrequently as every 20-40 minutes on weekends, weeknights and even midday on weekdays, even though ridership has returned to pre-pandemic levels. This leads to dangerous overcrowding on trains and platforms, unacceptable delays and missed connections for their riders. The PATH can run trains every 2 minutes in rush hour; they ask for a train every 5 minutes off-peak. Adding more frequent trains will help everyone who works non-traditional hours, sees friends and family, and attends events, restaurants and businesses in the region.
- Expand the Network to EWR: Extending the PATH, including a direct connection to Newark Airport, will provide faster connectivity, affordability and reduce reliance on expensive vehicles. Cities around the world are connecting their airports directly to their transit systems; New York and New Jersey deserve better. The PATH ends just 3 miles from EWR. Extending the PATH to EWR, replacing the existing transfers to NJ TRANSIT and the AirTrain with a single direct PATH ride will benefit residents, air travelers and provide a fast and affordable commute option for thousands of airport workers.
To start writing your letter, you can click here.
