Westwood Teacher Made Physics Fun — Now He Faces His Hardest Equation Yet: Finding A Kidney Westwood Teacher Made Physics Fun — Now He Faces His Hardest Equation Yet: Finding A Kidney
Westwood Teacher Made Physics Fun — Now He Faces His Hardest Equation Yet: Finding A Kidney For more than a decade, Henry Chen has inspired students in his Westwood Regional High School physics classroom — now, his students are rallying to save his life. Chen, known for his after-school tutoring sessions and his lighthearted “Chen Awards,” has been diagnosed with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease, according to a GoFundMe launched by former student Daniel Shotkin. “Whether it’s staying hours after school to offer extra help or hosting fun traditions like his aptly named Chen Awards, Mr. Chen’s class has been one of the most memorable experiences of my time at Westwood,” Shotkin wrote.…
Man Killed In Construction Accident In Hudson Valley; Support Swells For Partner, Young Son Man Killed In Construction Accident In Hudson Valley; Support Swells For Partner, Young Son
Man Killed In Construction Accident In Hudson Valley; Support Swells For Partner, Young Son Total strangers are coming to the aid of the grieving partner and young son of a man killed in a Hudson Valley construction accident. John Lust, 63, of Glen Spey, died Tuesday, Aug. 12, in a jobsite mishap in Sullivan County, according to a GoFundMe campaign. Details about the accident have not been released. “John was a devoted life partner to Lisa and a loving father to her young son, Lucas," organizers Doug Militzer and Amy Miller wrote. "His sudden passing has left an unbearable void in our hearts — and a financial burden for his family." The campaign, which had collected over $37…
ICE Agents Ambush DC Father Loved In Community For Decades, Neighbors Rally To Save Him ICE Agents Ambush DC Father Loved In Community For Decades, Neighbors Rally To Save Him
ICE Agents Ambush DC Father Loved In Community For Decades, Neighbors Rally To Save Him A DC father who has been a part of his community for more than two decades is sitting in ICE custody after being picked up on his way to work, sparking outrage and support from neighbors and loved ones. On Monday, Aug. 18, Byron Mejia was surrounded by three police cars and taken into custody by ICE while commuting to his job, according to his distraught family. Mejia, who came to Washington, DC from Guatemala in 2005 at age 19, has spent more than 20 years in the community, raising two children with his wife, Monica Sanchez.  Loved ones say he built a life marked by hard work, though…
Sparta Dad Jeffrey Krajicek Dies Months After Wife Sparta Dad Jeffrey Krajicek Dies Months After Wife
Sparta Dad Jeffrey Krajicek Dies Months After Wife After losing his wife Jane in March, Sparta’s Jeffrey Krajicek has died following his own battle with cancer. Krajicek, 65, died Tuesday, Aug. 12, surrounded by his loving family, according to his obituary from Goble Funeral Home. Born at Fort Dix, Krajicek graduated from Winter Park High School in 1977 and the University of Florida in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, his obituary reads.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1984, commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1985, and served in Germany before transitioning to military intelligence, according to his ob…
Former D1 Football Player Killed In Crash On Franklin Twp Farm Field (UPDATE) Former D1 Football Player Killed In Crash On Franklin Twp Farm Field (UPDATE)
Former D1 Football Player Killed In Crash On Franklin Twp Farm Field (Update) A 27-year-old former Division 1 football player has been identified as the victim of a fatal weekend New Jersey crash. Loved ones identified Bailey Lenney, of Malaga, as the driver ejected from the sunroof of a vehicle that had overturned multiple times Saturday, Aug. 16 in a farm field after leaving Marshall Mill Road, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Lenney played Division I football as an offensive lineman for Alabama A&M, according to the team’s roster. Loved ones said he was known for his laughter, charm, and the way he always cared for others. “Bailey was to be a first…
Loudoun County Deputy Faces 18 Months Of Recovery After Head-On Motorcycle Crash Loudoun County Deputy Faces 18 Months Of Recovery After Head-On Motorcycle Crash
Loudoun County Deputy Faces 18 Months Of Recovery After Head-On Motorcycle Crash What started as a routine day on the job for Loudoun County Sheriff's deputy Louis Custodio ended with a life-altering motorcycle crash while he was on patrol, his family says. At approximately 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, Custodio was on patrol when he struck another motorcycle head-on between Hyatt Lane and Morrisonville Road, sending both riders to the hospital with critical injuries. According to loved ones, Custodio was left with "devastating injuries" that will require at least 15 surgeries and a recovery time of at least 18 months, leaving him out of work. Following the crash, the …
Pintor Costarricense, 40, Muere Tras Caída De Un Techo; Buscaba Una Vida Mejor, Dice Hermano Pintor Costarricense, 40, Muere Tras Caída De Un Techo; Buscaba Una Vida Mejor, Dice Hermano
Pintor Costarricense, 40, Muere Tras Caída De Un Techo; Buscaba Una Vida Mejor, Dice Hermano Un pintor costarricense que cayó desde el segundo piso de un techo en Ridgewood ha fallecido, confirmaron las autoridades. La policía de Ridgewood dijo que respondió a 152 Kenilworth Road el martes 12 de agosto, a la 1:45 p.m., tras un informe de un hombre adulto que había caído. El hermano de la víctima, Carlos Solís, lo identificó a Daily Voice como Heriberto Solís Fallas, de 40 años, residente de Irvington. Como se informó anteriormente, Solís estaba trabajando en el techo cuando cayó y fue trasladado al Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center en Paterson con heridas graves, según la po…
‘Catastrophic’ Injury Leaves Maryland Lacrosse Player Hayden Pancake Partially Paralyzed ‘Catastrophic’ Injury Leaves Maryland Lacrosse Player Hayden Pancake Partially Paralyzed
‘Catastrophic’ Injury Leaves Maryland Lacrosse Player Hayden Pancake Partially Paralyzed A young standout lacrosse player in Maryland suffered a "catastrophic injury in a terrible accident" that has left him partially paralyzed. Now, the community is coming together to rally behind Hayden Pancake and his family in Baltimore County. Pancake's sister Madelyn said that on Tuesday, April 5, he was critically injured and is now paralyzed from the waist down.  Remembered as a "person who lights up any room — the funniest, most charming, easygoing guy around," Pancake's sister said that typically, "he's the one cracking jokes, making friends out of strangers, and making lif…
‘Fighting For Her Life’: Port Deposit 6-Year-Old With Leukemia Now Recovering At Home ‘Fighting For Her Life’: Port Deposit 6-Year-Old With Leukemia Now Recovering At Home
‘Fighting For Her Life’: Port Deposit 6-Year-Old With Leukemia Now Recovering At Home Oakley Avalos continues her unexpected fight against B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia — but this week, she’s doing it from the comfort of home, surrounded by the family who has been by the 6-year-old's side since day one. Her parents, Bethany and Chad Avalos, said in an update on Wednesday, Aug. 13, that Oakley’s levels held steady enough for doctors at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to approve her release after weeks of treatment.  It’s a big step forward in a battle that began unexpectedly, when the little girl — known for her love of all things pink, unicorns, axolotls — was giv…
Newtown Family Home To 3 Generations Leveled In Propane Explosion; Community Rallies Newtown Family Home To 3 Generations Leveled In Propane Explosion; Community Rallies
Newtown Family Home To 3 Generations Leveled In Propane Explosion; Community Rallies Three generations of a Newtown family narrowly escaped tragedy when a propane tank exploded. They were away from home and unharmed, but their South Main Street house was destroyed. Sara Lewis, her two young children, and her parents had left the home before the blast on Friday evening, Aug 9, according to a GoFundMe raising money for the family. While they escaped unharmed, the Lewises now face rebuilding everything.  In addition to keeping her family together, Lewis is also a small-business owner in Bethel, operating a salon within Artista Beauty Studios. Colleagues there st…
‘Heart Of Her Family’: Maryland Mom, Police Corporal's Wife Dies Suddenly, Leaves Behind 2 Kids ‘Heart Of Her Family’: Maryland Mom, Police Corporal's Wife Dies Suddenly, Leaves Behind 2 Kids
‘Heart Of Her Family’: Maryland Mom, Police Corporal's Wife Dies Suddenly, Leaves Behind 2 Kids Jen Smith was the "heart of her family" — now her family is picking up the pieces after her unexpected death in Maryland. Smith died on Thursday, Aug. 7, according to loved ones, leaving behind her husband, Prince George's County Police Cpl. Donald Smith and their two children.  “Jen was the heart of her family — a devoted wife to Donnie and a loving mother to Katelinn and Makenzie,” organizers of a fundraiser set up for the family wrote. “She was known for her warmth, kindness, and the way she made everyone feel valued and loved.” The fundraiser says Jen’s passing “has left an unfill…
‘Shining Light’: Maryland Teen, 19, Dies After Heart Attack, Sister Shares Painful Goodbye ‘Shining Light’: Maryland Teen, 19, Dies After Heart Attack, Sister Shares Painful Goodbye
‘Shining Light’: Maryland Teen, 19, Dies After Heart Attack, Sister Shares Painful Goodbye A Maryland family is mourning the sudden loss of 19-year-old Diamond Catalan, who died after suffering a heart attack, and they are now asking for help to give her the farewell she deserves. Catalan was more than a daughter, sister, and friend—she was a twin, “a shining light, and a source of love and laughter to everyone who knew her,” her family said. Her spirit was described as vibrant, her heart pure, and her presence a blessing.  The teen’s obituary notes her life was “a gift we were lucky to have,” while her loved ones try to grapple with the unimaginable grief of losing her so …