Daily Dispatch News

By Alicia Cruz It's Sunday morning and millions of us are up -- or getting up -- to attend Sunday Mass in observance of Easter. Churches will perform re-enactments of Jesus' walk to his crucifixion. At the Vatican Saturday, The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI led the annual Easter vigil at St. Peter's Basilica , a tradition within the Catholic faith. Later today, hundreds of thousands will stand within St. Peters Square to listen to the Pontiff as he delivers words of hope and change in the spirit of this Holy season. For those of you unable to make it to Church, I hope you are able to watch services or Mass on television. Photos

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John Cruz, Sr By Alicia Cruz The Black Urban Times Anthony Ruggerio, of Hammonton, will spend the next nine years of his life in prison for the January 2008 drunken driving crash that claimed the life of Atlantic County Corrections Officer, John Cruz Sr. as he was leaving home for work. In February, Ruggerio pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and driving while intoxicated for the Jan. 14, 2008, crash that killed Cruz. The day of the accident, Ruggerio had a blood alcohol content of between .27 and .29 percent. It was later revealed that Ruggerio had been drinking hand sanitizer, which has an alcohol content of upwards of .65 percent, before he got behind the wheel of his car. During sentencing, a letter from Ruggerio's mother, Mary, was read in court. She said she tried to keep her home alcohol free because her son was struggling with depression and alcoholism. Mary said her son tried to recover from his alcoholism, but did not. Ruggerio also addressed the court and the Cruz...

By Alicia Cruz A Hammonton woman earned the McDonald's Ray Kroc Award after owners and regional staff member nominated her as one of their top managers. The company only honors its top 1 percent managers with the prestigious award. Glenda Aviles , was one of 141 managers from the McDonald's corporation honored at a March 16 gala reception held in Chicago. She manages the White Horse Pike McDonald's and has worked for there for 16 years. La Boricua, a native of Puerto Rico and mother of three received $2,500 in cash, a trip to Chicago and a commemorative pin along with the award. "Glenda being honored with the coveted Ray Kroc Award is a true testament to her unwavering commitment to excellence, building our business and taking care of our customers' needs each and every day," John Durante, a McDonald's owner/operator told the Hammontonnews.com. "We are truly proud to have Glenda as part of our McDonald's family and commend her on this truly amazin...

Aruban authorities have called off a dive team's search for the remains of Natalee Holloway after two days of searching the waters off Aruba proved fruitless, a spokeswoman for the Aruban prosecutor said Wednesday. The search was initiated after a Pennsylvania couple vacationing on the island told authorities that a picture they took last year while snorkeling looked like a skeleton. Aruban police contacted the island's tour companies .... Full article

The Supreme Court granted a temporary stay of execution late Wednesday for a condemned Texas inmate who is requesting DNA testing of evidence in his case. The order was handed down less than an hour before Henry "Hank" Skinner, 47, was scheduled to be executed by injection for the New Year's Eve 1993 killings of his live-in girlfriend and her two .... Full article

U.S. A last look at old Yankees stadium It's 'still snowing' in Colorado Chicago students protest budget cuts Will California legalize marijuana? Vatican: Unaware of abuse in US Obama takes health care on the road Pentagon to honor WWII paratroopers World UK intercepts Russian bombers Mexican gang may target Texas cops Russia, U.S. arms control deal near Residents catch, kill suicide bomber Aruba ends Holloway search Date set for Rio Tinto verdict Afghan bases to lose U.S. taste Business Hybrid vs. diesel smackdown! Tax breaks for freelancers China takes clean energy lead Your tan is about to be taxed Where to keep your cash Can you still get a 5% mortgage? 200,000 miles and still driving?