Update: It’s not much of a description, but this is all MPD has on the suspect:
“a black male in his 50′s driving a white Honda CRV.”
An official warning to Montclair residents from Lt. Ken Miscia, Commander of the Community Policing Bureau:

The Police Department would like to make all residents aware of an incident that occurred today (02/23/09) where a person claiming to be a Township employee said that they needed to, “check our water and furnace – upstairs and downstairs”. This unidentified male subject tried to walk right into the house and was not driving a Township owned vehicle.
All residents are reminded to always ask for Identification from any person claiming to be a Township employee who is attempting to gain access to their home or apartment. All Township employees have Identification and are more than willing to show it to any resident who may have concerns

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If you have any concerns or questions, contact Lt. Miscia at (973) 509-4740. Read the story from the homeowner involved,who, luckily, didn’t get scammed – after the jump.

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The Essex County Prosecutor’s Homicide Squad and the Verona Police Department are continuing with their investigation into the fatal shooting that occurred last evening in Verona. Detectives have determined the motive of the crime to be robbery. No arrests in connection with this crime have been made. Detectives are urging anyone with any information about this incident to contact the Verona Police Department at (973) 239-5000 or the Essex County Prosecutor’s Homicide Squad at 1-877-TIPS – 4 – EC.
UPDATE: The Essex County Sheriff’s CrimeStoppers Program is offering a cash reward up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect or suspects in the case.

The search is on, again, for someone to claim the title of Montclair High School principal. The news came home to parents in this letter from Dr. Alvarez…

Montclair High School has sustained its high performance under the leadership of Dr. Judith Weiss. Unfortunately, Dr. Weiss cannot complete another full-year of service due to personal commitments. She will remain with us through June 30, 2009.
In order to plan for a smooth transition, we will initiate the principal’s search process immediately. The district will advertise in local, tri-state, and trade publications. We will also use our professional contacts — such as the Minority Student Achievement Network, District Management Council, Tri-State Consortium, and others — to seek out the best possible candidates. We currently have approximately 70 resumes on file from individuals who expressed interest when we first advertised in the fall.

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