Injured Officer Improves, Residents Rally Against Fracking Top Local News

Here is a recap of the top articles that ran this week on Wayne Patch.

Injured Police Officer Continues to Improve

Officer Robert Franco continues to steadily improve. He can now walk independently. His range of motion continues to increase and he has increased dexterity in his fingers.

“Everyday there is more progress,” Franco said. “I feel confident in my rate of recovery and am still confident that I’ll have a full recovery.”

Franco, a Wayne police officer, suffered a severe spinal cord injury during Tropical Storm Sandy when a tree fell on the patrol car he was in while at Fire Company 5. The tree landed on the vehicle, pinning Franco inside.

Footprints Lead Police to Accused Burglar

A Wayne man was charged with attempted burglary after Lincoln Park police reported he attempted to gain entry to a residence by smashing a window.

Scott Gelok, 26, was charged with attempted burglary and possession of burglary tools, police said.

Students Using Laptops to Enhance Learning

Dozens of students in Matthew Agrati’s classes at Wayne Hills High School are using laptops and Google documents to access lessons and complete assignments.

"It's been working out really really well," Agrati said. "Staying up to date and on the cutting edge is certainly a benefit to them."

Residents Rally Against Fracking

Two dozen people rallied against hydraulic fracking on Wednesday afternoon along Route 46 West.

The groups were protesting a state bill prohibiting the disposal or storage of wastewater and sludge used or created by hydraulic fracking both in and outside of New Jersey. Governor Christie vetoed the bill late last month.

Wayne Hills Football Loses in State Semifinals

Chris Olsen, the legendary coach of the Wayne Hills football team, walked the sidelines for the final time on Friday.

Hills lost to Pascack Valley in the semifinal round of the state playoffs on Friday 20-11.

"It is going to be hard to walk away, but I realized this week that next week would be the latest we'd be around. I am going to miss the kids, it was a great group to work with," the older Olsen said. "All 28 years at Wayne Hills, it has been a pleasure to be around them, a pleasure to be around their parents. I am certainly going to miss them."

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.