TRENTON (MERCER)– The “Fallen Soldier Battlefield Cross” at the World War II at Veterans Park on West State Street has been repaired today.
The damage was discovered just over a week ago by a member of a local Facebook group, where they shared it to its members. It appeared that vandals knocked over the Battle Cross, breaking the bronze piece weighing hundreds of pounds from its weld at the base.
No arrests have been made in the mischievous act. Anyone with any information as to who the suspects may be are asked to contact the Trenton Police Department.
According to Wikipedia, The Fallen Soldier Battle Cross, Battlefield Cross or Battle Cross is a symbolic replacement of a cross, or marker appropriate to an individual service-member’s religion, on the battlefield or at the base camp for a soldier who has been killed. It is made up of the soldier’s rifle stuck into the ground or into the soldier’s boots, with helmet on top. Dog tags are sometimes placed on the rifle, and the boots of the dead soldier can be placed next to the rifle. The purpose is to show honor and respect for the dead at the battle site. The practice started during or prior to the American Civil War, as a means of identifying the bodies on the battleground before removal. Today, it is a means of showing respect for the dead amongst the still living members of the troop. It is commonly seen in the field or base camp after a battle, especially among American troops in Afghanistan or Iraq. While it is used less today as a means of identification, it still serves as a method of mourning among the living, as attending the funeral is not always possible for soldiers still in combat.
The State of New Jersey has taken the initiative to honor and remember our “Greatest Generation” of citizens by creating a memorial in Trenton across from the State House at Veterans Park.
Fittingly, the theme for New Jersey’s World War II Memorial is “Victory.” The memorial honors and pays tribute to the courage and the many sacrifices of the World War II Generation. Over 560,000 New Jerseyans served in the armed forces and the state was an important center of industrial production, military training and related activities in support of the war effort.
The Memorial is accessible at all hours at 125 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608.
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri announced today that an investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force lead to the arrest this morning of Dion Duncan for last week’s murder of Ramire Harvey.
Dion Duncan, 24, was arrested Friday morning in Bristol, Pennsylvania, by the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force. He is charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and one count of third-degree receiving stolen property. The prosecutor’s office will be filing a motion to detain Duncan pending trial.
“This is the type of investigation where the capabilities of the Homicide Task Force are truly highlighted,” Prosecutor Onofri said. “Having multi-jurisdictional personnel available to not only retrieve but review surveillance video and body-worn camera footage with such expediency is what allowed detectives to solve this murder the same night.”
Prosecutor Onofri also commended the new real-time crime and intelligence center in Trenton, which assisted in reviewing surveillance video.
Just before 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, 2021, Trenton police were dispatched to the 400 block of North Clinton Avenue on a report of a motor vehicle accident. Responding officers located Ramire Havery seated in the driver’s seat of a dark-colored Audi sedan that had crashed into two parked cars in the area of North Clinton Avenue and Poplar Street. The Audi had multiple bullet holes in the rear and passenger side of the vehicle. Harvey was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
A crime scene was established and secured, and patrol officers located a shooting scene on Meade Street where 10 .40 caliber spent shell casings were discovered.
As part of the investigation conducted by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force, area video surveillance and body-worn camera footage were reviewed, and witnesses were interviewed. Detectives received information that the shooter was Dion Duncan.
Surveillance video was obtained from the area that captured the shooting. A review of the video depicted the victim arriving on Meade Street from North Clinton Avenue in an Audi. Harvey made a U-turn and double parked in front of 15 Meade Street. He exited his vehicle and began to speak with a male subject in the middle of the street. While the two men were standing together, the shooting suspect walked from the front of the residence a few doors down and began to shoot at Harvey as he approached him. As Harvey retreated to his vehicle, the suspect ran down Meade Street and into an alley. Approximately 20 seconds later, the suspect returned and ran inside of a Meade Street residence.
Further review of surveillance video showed the suspect wearing a multicolored hooded sweatshirt, black pants, a yellow right shoe and a red left shoe approximately 12 minutes before the shooting. A search warrant was executed at the Meade Street residence in which Duncan ran inside, where detectives located a multicolor Nike zip-up hoodie and a black do-rag hidden inside a kitchen cabinet. A black, .40 caliber Glock Model 22 handgun was located on the rear porch of the residence, which is accessible from the alleyway alongside.
Review of body-worn camera footage from Trenton police officers who responded to Meade Street showed a black male leaving the Meade Street residence. Although the man had changed his clothes and attempted to conceal his face while in front of the officers, he was later identified as Dion Duncan. Upon leaving the area, the suspect crossed to the opposite side of Meade Street and continued in the direction of North Clinton Avenue.
The .40 caliber Glock handgun was confirmed stolen out of Griffin, Georgia.
Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dion Duncan, 24, was arrested Friday morning in Bristol, Pennsylvania, by the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force. He is charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and one count of third-degree receiving stolen property. The prosecutor’s office will be filing a motion to detain Duncan pending trial.
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Capital Health and St. Francis Medical Center, a member of Trinity Health, have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI). Under this LOI, St. Francis Medical Center will become a part of Capital Health.
The non-binding LOI is the first step in evaluating and designing a framework that will enhance health care services and create a new model of care for residents of Trenton and the surrounding area. The goal is to work toward a definitive agreement that will create a more comprehensive and sustainable health care system for our community. “From its founding as the city’s first hospital in 1874 to its important role as an acute care teaching hospital and Mercer County’s only provider of comprehensive cardiac surgery, St. Francis Medical Center has always put the needs of Trenton and surrounding neighborhoods first,” said Al Maghazehe, President and CEO of Capital Health. “This approach aligns very well with Capital Health’s mission, and we are committed to our shared vision of providing the highest level of care for the community.”
“The health care industry is always evolving to advance medicine and improve delivery of care to the communities we serve,” said Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., chairman of Capital Healthcare, Inc. Board of Trustees. “The changes we’re seeing here in Mercer County are a reflection of what’s going on nationally, but our neighbors in Trenton and nearby communities can rest assured that we will continue to keep their interests at the center of all we do.”
Both hospitals are known for providing advanced care and for ensuring local access to high-quality, comprehensive and affordable health care services.
“Both Capital Health and St. Francis Medical Center are deeply committed to caring for residents of our community,” said Daniel P. Moen, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Francis Medical Center. “The rapidly changing healthcare landscape presents challenges, but it is through a shared mission that both organizations look to expand services and positively impact the health and well-being of local and regional residents.”
“As a safety net hospital, ensuring the community has access to care is the heart of our mission,” said Joseph Youngblood, II, J.D., Ph.D., Chairman, Board of Trustees, St. Francis Medical Center. “In response to a broad national transformation of health care, we look to combine our strengths with those of Capital, a healthcare leader, and grow services for our residents. Together, we are steadfast in our commitment to provide area residents, including the underserved with high-quality, comprehensive care and to improve the delivery of healthcare for our community. Our partnership with Capital Health will be a fitting legacy to the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for their decades of service to Trenton and Mercer County.”
Capital Health and St. Francis now enter a period of due diligence. The process includes evaluation and discussion to determine how to best combine and enhance their capabilities to more effectively fulfill their missions to the citizens of Trenton and the surrounding area. Approvals will be necessary from State and Federal officials and others before the transaction is able to be completed.
Throughout the process, Capital Health and St. Francis remain committed to sustaining and advancing the comprehensive, high quality services they provide to residents of the greater Trenton area. Areas of focus will include exploring opportunities to expand access to care and improved efficiency in health care delivery.
About Capital Health
Capital Health is the Central New Jersey/Lower Bucks County region’s leader in providing progressive, quality patient care with significant investments in physicians, nurses and staff, as well as advanced technology. Comprised of two hospitals (Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton and Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell), a Hamilton outpatient facility, and various primary and specialty care practices across the region, Capital Health is a dynamic health care resource accredited by DNV GL – Healthcare.
A four-time Magnet-designated health system for nursing excellence, Capital Health serves as a Level II regional trauma center, regional perinatal center (including a Level III NICU), and emergency mental health screening center. Capital Health also offers the region’s first and most experienced Pediatric Emergency Department and most recently, New Jersey’s first Autism-Friendly Pediatric Emergency Department. Capital Health also provides innovative programs such as Capital Institute for Neurosciences; nationally accredited Center for Comprehensive Breast Care; Center for Digestive Health; Marjorie G. Ernest Joint Replacement Center of Excellence; award-winning Cancer Center; and the Heart & Vascular Institute, which includes the region’s first accredited Chest Pain Center. For more information, visit www.capitalhealth.org.
About St. Francis Medical Center
Accredited by The Joint Commission, St. Francis Medical Center has a long history of providing care to the community, having served Central Jersey residents for nearly 150 years. As an acute-care teaching hospital, St. Francis Medical Center, a member of Trinity Health, is known as the region’s Heart Hospital. St. Francis is the only facility in Mercer County with a state-issued certificate of need to perform cardiac surgery, including open-heart surgery as well as minimally invasive, robotic heart surgery. The Center of Excellence for Heart Health also provides high-level cardiac catheterization, angioplasty services, sophisticated ablation and heart arrhythmia treatments and advanced diagnostics. St. Francis regional services also include its award-winning Stroke Program, as well as Emergency Services, Sleep Disorder Center, Behavioral Health Inpatient Service and HIV Program. It is a teaching hospital offering an internal medical residency program through Jersey Shore University Medical Center, as well as a School of Nursing and a School of Radiologic Technology. St. Francis’ partner in care is LIFE St. Francis (Living Independently For Elders), a program for the all-inclusive care of the elderly based in Bordentown, NJ. The medical center provides care to patients throughout Mercer County, Burlington County, and nearby Bucks County, PA. For more information, visit www.stfrancismedical.org.
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation, serving diverse communities that include more than 30 million people across 22 states. Trinity Health includes 92 hospitals, as well as 100 continuing care locations that include PACE programs, senior living facilities, and home care and hospice services. Its continuing care programs provide nearly 2.5 million visits annually. Based in Livonia, Michigan, and with annual operating revenues of $18.8 billion and assets of $30.5 billion, the organization returns $1.3 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. Trinity Health employs about 123,000 colleagues, including 6,800 employed physicians and clinicians. Committed to those who are poor and underserved in its communities, Trinity Health is known for its focus on the country’s aging population. As a single, unified ministry, the organization is the innovator of Senior Emergency Departments, the largest not-for-profit provider of home health care services — ranked by number of visits — in the nation, as well as the nation’s leading provider of PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) based on the number of available programs. For more information, visit trinity-health.org. You can also follow Trinity Health on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
File photos St. Francis Medical Center by Brian McCarthy
MidJersey.News 
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