Posted December 28, 2017 at 09:15 AM | Updated December 28, 2017 at 09:17 AM
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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal
By Corey W. McDonald | The Jersey Journal
It's been an interesting year for Bayonne: Redevelopment plans, budget debacles, plane crashes, lawsuits and federal trials, and a special movie premiere for Bayonne's hometown hero.
Here are the top news stories that came out of the Peninsula City in 2017:
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Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Small plane crashes in Bayonne
What could have been a tragic accident left only mangled power lines and damaged cars in February, when a
small plane came crashing down onto Avenue E.
The pilot was the only person in the plane and, thankfully, and he walked away with minor injuries. But residents of the area
were certainly shocked to see a downed plane outside their windows.
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Michael Dempsey | The Jersey Journal
Bayonne Muslims' mosque application nixed
The fervor over the plan by the Bayonne Muslims group to build a mosque on the east side of town reached its boiling point in March when the
city Zoning Board denied the plan after a six-hour meeting at Bayonne High School.
Two months later, the group filed
a federal lawsuit against the city alleging the Zoning Board violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by denying approval for the plan based on factors board members were not legally permitted to consider.
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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal
Chuck Wepner's red carpet premiere
Bayonne's folk hero, Chuck Wepner, got a champion's welcome in May when the city
rolled out the red carpet for the premiere of the biopic film "Chuck."
The Frank Theatres in the South Cove Common plaza held a special viewing event for "Chuck," which
centers around Wepner's life and starred Liev Schreiber as the former heavyweight prizefighter.
"This why I love Bayonne," Wepner said at the event.
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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal
Bayonne's new police chief
Former Deputy Police Chief Drew Sisk stepped into his new role as head of the city's police force in July, following former Chief Drew Niekrasz's retirement.
"I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead -- comfortable in the knowledge that the city's administration shares my commitment of ensuring the safety and well being of this city's residents," Sisk said.