Police Van Lawsuit, Sexual Assault Arrest, Re-Org Meetings Top Local News

A Fort Lee college freshman, who was among five minors left locked in a police transport van outside the Fort Lee Department in March 2011, has filed a civil suit against the borough, the police department and several police officers, according to a report.

Assistant at Fort Lee Medical Office Charged With Sexual Assault

A Metuchen man was charged Wednesday with sexual assault and criminal sexual contact after he allegedly touched two different women “in a sexual manner” at a medical office in Fort Lee, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli announced.

Drug Bust at Fort Lee McDonald’s Leads to Arrest of Delaware Fugitive

Fort Lee police arrested two men Wednesday in connection with an alleged marijuana sale in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, charging one of the men with being a fugitive from justice, authorities said.

A Manhattan man was charged Thursday in connection with an alleged attempt to steal several bottles of booze from a Fort Lee liquor store. Employees at Linwood Wine and Liquor in Fort Lee struggled to stop the would be robber, who police say tried to make off with several bottles of alcohol valued at about $300.

Fort Lee BOE Begins New Year With New Board Members

Four new members of the Fort Lee Board of Education took the oath of office at the school board’s New Year’s Day reorganization meeting, during which the board also nominated and elected its president and vice president for the coming year.

New Middle School Principal Appointed by Fort Lee School Board

The Fort Lee Board of Education voted Tuesday to appoint a new principal at Lewis F. Cole Middle School roughly three months after the school’s former principal resigned. The board appointed Robert Daniello, currently the principal of Secaucus Middle School, to the post. But the final details of his contract won’t be hammered out until a new board attorney is selected, which school officials anticipate will happen at a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 7.

One of Fort Lee’s two incumbent Councilmen, who were re-elected in November, took the oath of office Thursday, but it was the conspicuous absence of his running mate that took many by surprise. Councilman Joseph Cervieri was sworn in at Thursday’s reorganization meeting, while his running mate, Harvey Sohmer, had to be rushed to the hospital earlier in the day.

Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich delivered his annual State of the Borough Address Thursday, discussing some of the highlights of 2012 and what residents can look forward to in 2013.

Advocate for the Mentally Ill Dies in Palisades Cliff Plunge

Police on Thursday identified the woman found dead at the base of a Palisades cliff as a 65-year-old Hackensack resident who advocated for people with mental illness.

The Week in Review appears every Sunday on Fort Lee Patch.

****

Find us on Facebook or Twitter, or for news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.