Stolen Cars Found, Chase to Newark, Candlelight Vigil Top Local News

Four men were charged Wednesday after police found them in a Fort Lee hotel parking lot allegedly in possession of two stolen cars, a loaded handgun and more than $30,000 in cash, authorities said.

Fort Lee Police Cars Rammed In Chase of Stolen BMW to Newark

Fort Lee police are investigated an incident that started with a stolen car in Englewood Cliffs late Friday night and ended with a chase all the way to Newark. Two police units were rammed and a loaded gun recovered in the process, authorities said.

Fort Lee Residents Hold Candlelight Vigil in Wake of Newtown Massacre

Dozens of Fort Lee residents joined local clergy and community leaders at Monument Park Monday for a candlelight vigil for the victims, family and community members of Newtown, Conn., where a school shooting Friday claimed the lives of 20 children—six- and seven-year-olds—and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

With Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli set to retire Dec. 31, Capt. Keith Bendul and Capt. Timothy Ford will assume their duties as Chief and Deputy Chief, respectively, of the Fort Lee Police Department on Jan. 1. They were sworn in by the Fort Lee Mayor and Council Thursday.

Two Bergen County men, including one from Fort Lee, were charged in a scheme to sell guns believed to have belonged to the family of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced Thursday.

The former Director of Law Enforcement Relations for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, who recently moved back to Fort Lee from Washington, spoke out this week in light of the Newtown, Conn. school shooting.

Fort Lee’s Interim Superintendent of Schools issued a statement on the school district’s website, assuring parents and members of the school community that schools officials and the Fort Lee Police Department are doing “everything possible to secure our buildings and protect our children” in light of the tragic events in Newtown.

Amato also issued a holiday message on the school district’s website later in the week, in which she also mentioned her time in the role, calling it “the most rewarding experience” of her career.

In what has become a Fort Lee holiday tradition, parking for up to three hours is free on the borough’s downtown streets and municipal lots through Jan. 1, 2013, the Fort Lee Parking Authority has announced.

A lifelong Fort Lee resident and Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, who recently returned from Afghanistan, has dedicated his life to service of country and community and says he’d like to see more young veterans do the same.

Library Display Showcases Work of Fort Lee’s ‘Glamour Coach’

Tatyana Dyagileva is a fashion and accessory designer, fashion stylist, interior decorator and "home stager" whose exhibit is on display at the Fort Lee Public Library throughout December.

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

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