The Abbott Leadership Institute at Rutgers University Newark begins its 28th series of empowerment classes this Saturday to educate Newark parents, students and community leaders about school reform.

The Abbott Leadership Institute at Rutgers University Newark begins its 28th series of empowerment classes this Saturday to educate Newark parents, students and community leaders about school reform and returning the district to local control.

The six classes in the series are free and they are every Saturday from Sept 26 to Dec. 15. They are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in  Boyden Hall (Room 100) at Rutgers University Newark, 195 University Avenue.

The first class this Saturday features a documentary by Newark students that is titled "Newark Education: The Real Nitty Gritty.'' The students who made the documentary are members of the Youth Media Symposium, a program offered by the Abbott Leadership Institute, which teaches parents and students to advocate for education.

Classes on the following Saturday's include discussions on how Newark lost local control, the role of the community in a locally controlled school district and accountability of elected school officials.

For more information, contact Kaleena Berryman at 973-353-3560 or kaleenab@rutgers.edu. 

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @Barry CarterSL.

Clifton-based Omni Development is slated to receive approximately $142 million to clean up the 550-unit Garden Spires complex in the city's Central Ward

NEWARK - A roach and rodent-infested public housing project in the city's Central Ward is finally on track for a long-awaited cleanup.

Last week, the Municipal Council unanimously approved a measure to reclassify the Garden Spires complex as a part of a redevelopment plan. The move opens the door for a tax abatement and other incentives for developers that could rehabilitate its 550 units.

City officials said they had a tentative agreement in place with Clifton-based Omni Development Co. that would provide $142 million to correct a myriad of code violations at Garden Spires, including mold, vermin and crumbling walls.

"This is a total rehabilitation of the two buildings," said At-Large Councilman Carlos Gonzalez.

No specific timeline for the work was offered because officials were still working on the details of the deal with Omni.

Company representatives present at last week's council meeting said that no residents would be displaced by the work. Instead, work would be performed unit-by-unit, with tenants leaving only for a day and returning to a freshly refurbished home.

The complex, which has long been a hotbed for violence and narcotics trafficking in the city, has been identified as a high priority for officials after they found grim conditions there during a publicized visit in July.

At the time, tenants told reporters with NJ Advance Media they considered their home a "slum", and that owner First King Properties regularly failed to respond to complaints about leaking faucets, mildew and other problems.

Community activist Donna Jackson was one of a handful of city residents who expressed relief that issues at Garden Spires would finally be addressed following the council's vote.

However, she said she still had reservations that the improvements might lead to longtime tenants being ousted - something she said had occurred after rehabilitation work at Maple Garden in Irvington, another First King-owned complex.

"I just hope that this is not a plan to take people from where they live and where they've been, and take them out," she said. "We all understand the handwriting on the wall in this community, and people are being pushed out."

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Bail was set at $175,000 cash or bond today for a 27-year-old Newark felon charged with robbing a man at gun-point at the Red Roof Inn in Secaucus in July.

A 22-year-old Kean University student has been identified as the second victim in a deadly car crash in Caldwell.

Devon Smith, 22, was the driver in the deadly crash, authorities said (Courtesy of Don Foti).Vernal Coleman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

CALDWELL -- A second victim in the Tuesday car crash that already claimed the life of 23-year-old East Orange man has died, authorities said. 

Devon Smith, 22, of Newark, died Wednesday after receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the crash at University Hospital, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter. 

According to authorities, Smith, a third year student at Kean University, was driving the Ford Mustang that crashed into a tree and telephone pole near Mountain Avenue near Hatfield Street late Tuesday evening. 

Theo Walsh, 23, who authorities said was riding in the passenger seat at the time of the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene, Carter said. A second passenger remains hospitalized in critical condition, she added. Authorities have declined to disclose the passenger's name.

The exact circumstances of the crash, including its cause, remain unclear. A joint investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Caldwell Police Department is ongoing, authorities said.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield took the witness stand on Wednesday at her trial on charges of sexually assaulting a disabled man

NEWARK -- While suffering from cerebral palsy and other disabilities, the 34-year-old man, known as D.J., has movement problems and he is unable to speak.

But on the witness stand Wednesday at her trial on charges of sexually assaulting D.J., Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield said he was able to express himself through a controversial technique, known as "facilitated communication."

With Stubblefield's left hand under his elbow and her right hand on his right hand, Stubblefield claimed D.J. was able to communicate by typing on a keyboard.

At first, D.J. provided one- or two-word answers to her questions, but as his literacy improved, he was able to participate in conversations with her and others, according to Stubblefield. Through the typing method, D.J. also wrote papers that were presented at conferences, Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield said she wasn't getting paid for working with D.J., but after seeing her mother assist other individuals through facilitated communication, she wanted to do the same for D.J.

"I'd grown up watching my mother help people get access to communication and...discover what their actual intellectual potential was," she said. "I wanted to be helpful."

Stubblefield, 45, of West Orange, has been on trial on two counts of aggravated sexual assault. She is accused of abusing D.J. in her Newark office in 2011.

The state's experts have said D.J. suffers from intellectual disabilities and cannot consent to sexual activity, but Stubblefield has claimed she and D.J. fell in love and that he consented through facilitated communication.

Stubblefield met D.J. in 2009 through his brother, then a Rutgers student, who was taking a course of Stubblefield's and asked the professor about ways to help D.J. with his communication.

Stubblefield spent about two years working with D.J. before revealing their sexual relationship to his mother and his brother on May 28, 2011.

Rutgers placed Stubblefield on administrative leave without pay and stripped her of the title of chairwoman of the philosophy department after the sexual assault allegations surfaced.

Stubblefield, who is expected to continue testifying on Thursday, did not discuss the sexual acts during her testimony on Wednesday. 

But she said she began to have "romantic feelings" for D.J. in the spring of 2010. As Stubblefield and D.J. had conversations, she said she was "getting to know him a little bit better as a person."

Referring to an essay D.J. wrote for one conference, Stubblefield said "he had a way of putting things."

"He had a lot of raw potential," she said. "He had insights that he was struggling to express, but they were there and I was very impressed with that."

Stubblefield, who was married at the time, said "the marriage wasn't right," but she wasn't looking to end it. "I wasn't looking to be having feelings for somebody else," she said.

Stubblefield recalled an "awkward conversation" in which D.J. expressed concerns about her leaving him. Stubblefield said she would continue providing communication support to him and told him, "you're stuck with me for life till death do us part."

Stubblefield said she realized that phrase had romantic overtones and told D.J. she didn't mean it "that way." D.J. then typed, "I love you, but not in that way," according to Stubblefield.

Anna Stubblefield, 45, a Rutgers-Newark professor from West Orange, who is facing two counts of aggravated sexual assault for allegedly abusing a severely mentally disabled man in 2011 testifies in court. The trial is being heard before Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare at the Essex County Courthouse in Newark. 9/23/15 (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Ed Murray 

In the months leading up to the trial, one of the hotly contested issues was what Stubblefield could say about facilitated communication during her trial testimony.

Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare barred expert testimony on the technique, because she determined it is "not a recognized science." The judge also warned Stubblefield to not take on an expert's perspective in her testimony about the technique.

Critics have claimed the method is ineffective, saying studies have shown the facilitators are controlling the users' movements. Several scientific organizations have declared the technique is invalid.

During her testimony on Wednesday, Stubblefield acknowledged that controversy. She said nine studies conducted in the United States in the early 1990s determined the method was invalid and that facilitators were influencing the users' responses.

But Stubblefield claimed 12 new studies between 1995 and about 2010 were performed that involved experienced users and facilitators and showed the method to be "a valid communication technique."

Soon after Stubblefield made that remark, Teare instructed the jury that no one could be qualified as an expert in facilitated communication under the state's court rules, because the method "has not met the standard required as a recognized field of science."

Stubblefield said she was first introduced to the technique through her mother, a professor emeritus of special education at Eastern Michigan University and a licensed psychologist, who was one of the first people to be trained in the method after its introduction in the United States in 1990.

Stubblefield said she assisted her mother in communication sessions, and later interacted with users of the method. In 2008, Stubblefield said she received training as a facilitator at Syracuse University in order to support her friends who were users.

During the 2009 course attended by D.J.'s brother, Stubblefield said she showed a video about facilitated communication.

After that particular class, the brother approached her about getting more information about the method, Stubblefield said. She said she encouraged him to visit a center at Syracuse University, but the brother said making such a trip would be difficult financially.

Stubblefield said she offered to look into how people in the New York City area could provide those services to D.J., but after doing some research, that option also proved to be cost prohibitive.

Ultimately, Stubblefield said she told the brother she had received some training and could meet with D.J.

After she started working with D.J., Stubblefield said "it was clear that he knew the alphabet and that he could spell at least very simple words." After initially making mistakes on the keyboard, D.J. then answered correctly, showing that he was a "fast learner," Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield said D.J.'s mistakes reassured her that she was not the author of the messages.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Watch as New Jerseyan's remember Yogi Berra, a baseball icon and local resident, who was active in his community. Watch video

LITTLE FALLS -- Dozens of people from New Jersey, as well as people from the tri-state area, placed flowers and keepsakes around the Yogi Berra statue outside of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center to pay tribute to the Yankees legend. 

Berra, who passed away of natural causes on Tuesday at the age of 90, was not only a Hall of Fame catcher and baseball icon, he was a New Jersey local.   

RELATED: Remembering Yogi Berra. A life in pictures

David Secor, of Riverdale, recalled playing racquetball at the Yogi Berra's Fitness & Racquetball in Fairfield, as well as meeting Berra at the Montclair Country Club.  

Bob Groder, of Springfield, made a special trip to his almamater Montclair State Univeristy to pay tribute. He recalls the first time he met Berra at Pals Cabin which no longer exists in West Orange, New Jersey for his mother's birthday.

"He was such a gentleman and so kind" said Groder. "He was a character and the time we met him, he was so funny."

 

Amanda Marzullo may be reached at amarzullo@njadvancemedia.com .Follow her on Twitter @amanda_marzullo. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Peter Greer hit the banks a month apart in 2012

NEWARK -- A New Brunswick man will serve seven years in prison after being sentenced for robbing one bank and attempting to rob a second, the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement.

Ed Murray/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Peter Greer, 41, previously admitted that on Sept. 27, 2012, he entered a Valley National Bank in Newark and handed the teller a note demanding cash, leaving with the money. About a month later, Greer struck at another Newark bank, a Sovereign branch, passing note stating he had a gun and again demanding cash. When the teller refused to hand the money over, Greer fled.

Along with his prison sentence Greer has been ordered to pay more than $18,000 in restitution. 

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

Former airline executive faces up to 5 years in jail for defrauding bank, creditors

NEWARK -- A former charter-airline executive from Marlboro admitted Wednesday he defrauded a Wayne bank of millions of dollars in a "double-dipping" scheme involving escrow accounts for passenger fares, Paul Fishman, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, said in a statement.

 

Robert Keilman, 43, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he's sentenced early next year.  

Keilman, who co-founded Southern Sky Air & Tours, was serving as the airline's chief financial officer between January 2010 and September 2011 when he used an unnamed Wayne bank to deposit fares for flights. The airline was supposed to request the funds, also providing flight records, only after the trips were completed.  

Instead, authorities said, Keilman, working with two other unnamed executives, requested the cash before the flights had run, and then again after the flights had been completed, using fraudulent documents in the scheme, he admitted in court Wednesday. He also sent fake documents to creditors in order to conceal the corresponding shortfall in the airline's accounts.

Keilman admitted defrauding the bank of between $3.5 and $9.5 million.

His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

NEWARK — In this photo taken on Aug. 25, 1932, Amelia Earhart sits on the back of a vehicle at Newark Airport while her husband, George Putnam, stands beside. Earhart had just completed the first solo transcontinental flight by a woman, traveling from Los Angeles to Newark in 19 hours, five minutes. The flight also set a new standard for...

NEWARK -- In this photo taken on Aug. 25, 1932, Amelia Earhart sits on the back of a vehicle at Newark Airport while her husband, George Putnam, stands beside.

Earhart had just completed the first solo transcontinental flight by a woman, traveling from Los Angeles to Newark in 19 hours, five minutes. The flight also set a new standard for solo distance flown by a woman, 2,447.8 miles, breaking Ruth Nichols' mark by some 500 miles.

The flight to Newark came close to breaking the overall transcontinental record set by Frank Hawks of 17 hours and 40 minutes.

Earhart would end up holding almost all flying marks for women before she disappeared along with navigator Fred Noonan somewhere in the Pacific Ocean on the last leg of an around-the-world flight in 1937.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

Members of the Newark Education Success Board said the district will likely need to prove to the state that it is capable of self-governance by improving its scores on an annual assessment

The board charged with blazing the trail home, however, said they still face a major hurdle along the way.

The Newark Educational Success Board - formed by Mayor Ras Baraka and Gov. Chris Christie in June - told more than 100 attendees at Abyssinian Baptist Church Wednesday that the timeline for the end of state control will likely begin once the district demonstrates it is ready to govern itself.

According to the board, that indication will largely rest on the state's Quality Single Accountability Continuum, a sometimes-controversial assessment given annually to all of the state's public school systems.

"There needs to be a full court press. That's the framework that (Education Commissioner David Hespe) has talked about," said board chairwoman Mary Bennett.

The QSAC assessment evaluates each district in five separate areas - instruction and programming, operations, fiscal management, personnel and governance - the last of which will be the most critical in fast-tracking the transfer of power back to Newark.

Over recent years, the city's scores have been mixed. It consistently meant the state's benchmark of 80 percent in fiscal management and operations, and the state has granted some autonomy to the city to oversee those areas.

In the other three, however, including the ever-important governance, it has largely failed to meet the required standards.

"The problem is, we don't have governance, and to use the superintendent's own words, that's the trigger," Bennett said.

QSAC scores have proven controversial in the past, with critics saying the state appears to apply them arbitrarily when deciding whether or not to assume or retain control over low-performing districts.

In 2011, Newark schools scored between 83 and 100 percent in all five areas, but the state declined to begin the process of restoring local control, saying it still had additional work to do to deliver a "high-quality education" to students. The scores dipped considerably the following year, and a court later ruled that control over the schools was at the discretion of the education commissioner, regardless of any measurements of progress.

Board members said they had met with representatives from the state Department of Education who had provided more specific instructions about how to raise their scores, which most recently showed regression in some areas.

However, the state typically takes a year or longer to deliver the scores, meaning any adjustments based on the new guidance would likely not bear fruit until sometime in 2017.

Despite the potentially lengthy transition, the 9-member board said they were nonetheless committed to working with current district employees and the School Advisory Board toward their common goal.

"I know there's nothing I can do about the past, but I think there's a lot we can do together about the future," said Superintendent of Schools Christopher Cerf, one of five members appointed by Christie.

"Our destination must be local control, authentic complete absolute and total local control."

During the latter half of the two-hour meeting, attendees were invited to share their hopes and suggestions about how a locally controlled district might look.

Speakers, including many parents, largely asked for more teachers and support staff, and for the addition or restoration of both academic and extra-curricular activities to help students achieve.

"First of all, education in Newark public schools should look our children do when they're 6, 7, 8 years old, and they're racing to get to school. There is joy, there is expectation, and there is vision," said Dr. Maime Bridgeforth.

Others, however, said they had concerns that during such a crucial period, the district's progress would be overseen by Cerf, a former state education commissioner who appointed Cami Anderson, the recently departed school chief that many have blamed for running up a large budget deficit and underfunding public schools in favor of charter schools.

"That brings a grave concern to me, about how Cerf is going to handle that," said Denise Cole.

"Our schools right now need to be fully staffed, with qualified, certified teachers. When we talk, we need to talk about relative sustainable methods. That is going to bring local control back to this community."

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Michael B. Jordan made waves with his GQ cover spread.

NEWARK -- Local-kid-turned-superstar-actor Michael B. Jordan made some waves this week after Twitter users reacted harshly to comments he made in a magazine cover story interview.

When his GQ cover story hit the Internet Monday, it apparently ignited some hate from fans, who reacted to his comments on racial issues in his movies and in his personal life.

In the GQ cover story, Jordan commented that he is interested in playing roles that were originally written for white actors. When asked about fans' reaction to speculation that he was dating Kendall Jenner, Jordan commented that although they aren't dating, it wouldn't be a big deal if they were.

"They see white and black," he told GQ of his fans who "(felt like I) should have been there with a black woman."

"I don't."

According to a Daily Beast report, Jordan also voiced his support for the "All Lives Matter" movement via his Snapchat account.

His fans were not happy.

The irony of Michael B Jordan doing the movie Fruitvale and bumping his mouth about all lives matter

-- NaijaGal (@Naija4LifeO) September 23, 2015

Michael B Jordan is talking about all lives matter after being in Fruitvale Station? How sway?

-- Lazer Gun Carrier (@branfire) September 23, 2015

In the GQ article, Jordan also spoke a lot about growing up in Newark, which he described as "a rough place to live and grow up." In the interview, Jordan recounted troubling details of his childhood, such as regularly seeing crime scenes and dead bodies in his neighborhood.

Still, Jordan spoke of the city, and of his upbringing, with a sense of pride.

"This is where I came from, this is what built me, this is where I used to live, this is my home, this is me," he said of the city in the interview.

Locals spoke out on Twitter in support of the actor's New Jersey pride.

That Michael B Jordan GQ interview made me smile. Just for the simple fact he took them to Newark to show where he grew up.

-- Jason Akoi (@HERDS_FATHERS) September 23, 2015

Michael B Jordan's conflict about being in LA while his family is still in Newark was endearing. The rest kinda meh.

-- Snark Cuban (@ShantaFabulous) September 23, 2015

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

A Rahway woman now faces a year of rehabilitation after a crash where the car she was sitting in was struck by a cab after the cab driver was shot and killed.

RAHWAY -- She became almost an afterthought in the news reports of that tragic night in August, one that changed her life forever.

On that warm summer night, Stacey Lopez and her boyfriend, Eric Gandolfe were ending the day sitting in his Ford Fusion in front of Lopez's family home in Rahway.

Lopez saw a Lincoln Continental coming down the road. Then, she heard two pops, and saw the car careening towards Gandolfe's car. The next thing the 22-year-old Lopez remembers is waking up on the ground, her leg in pain.

What she didn't know was that the Continental was a taxi cab, and the pops she heard were gunshots fired by a robber who killed the driver, Imad Alasmar, 57, a father of 10 from Edison. The cab then swerved, hit Gandolfe's car with enough force to throw Lopez out of the open passenger's side door and into a tree.

Lopez also didn't know she had fractures to her shoulder, ribs and pelvis, and that her right foot was nearly destroyed.

"They said it looked like a bomb went off inside my foot," Lopez said recently from her hospital bed at University Hospital in Newark. She has been through nine surgeries to save the foot, which is kept elevated at all times, encased in a protective plastic bubble, with warm air continually blown in through a tube to promote healing.

So extensive was the damage that doctors suggested the foot be amputated.

Lopez, a 22-year-old Rutgers University senior, who last year performed with a university dance troupe, wanted to save the foot, though it will take a year of rehabilitation.

Gandolfe, 19, of Bridgewater, suffered a concussion, a broken tooth and knee injuries.

It wasn't until the day after the crash that Lopez was told the cab driver had been killed.

"I felt horrible," she said. She said she tried finding Alasmar's son on Facebook to reach out to him. She struggles to comprehend the robbery and shooting.

"Why would you rob a Rahway taxi driver, on a Tuesday night? It's such a stupid crime," she said, admitting to feeling angry. "It's days later and I'm still here (in the hospital). I can't sit up, and I can't walk away."

On Sept. 17, authorities charged 20-year-old Nathaniel Young, of Rahway, with killing Alasmar. Young is in the Essex County Correctional facility, where he faces charges of assault by auto and leaving the scene of accident for an incident completely unrelated to the shooting. Young was arrested in Essex County on Aug. 27, two days after the shooting, authorities said.

Lopez, a college senior majoring in human resources management and minoring in Greek, was on the Rutgers Belly Dance Troupe last year. She had planned to try out for the group again this fall, but missed that along with all her classes.

Lopez last remembers raising her arms in front of her as the Crown Victoria swerved towards her.

"It felt like it was slow motion," she recalled.

Inside the house, Lopez's mother, Joan Chilakos, heard the crash. Then she heard her daughter screaming in pain.

Neighbors rushed to Lopez, and she began asking about Gandolfe. He was knocked out in the crash, but then regained consciousness and began asking people about Lopez.

The Ford Fusion was pushed back into Chilakos' 2014 Ford Focus. Both cars were totaled, they say.

Police and other emergency workers arrived, and Chilakos rode in the ambulance to the hospital. Chilakos recalls the next couple of days as the most terrible of her life, seeing her daughter struggle.

Neighbors told her they saw the taxi cab, heard the shots and saw somebody run away. Police recovered a gun, she said.

Gandolfe was taken to a separate hospital where he was treated and later released. He is more nervous now, and catches himself looking over his shoulder when he stops for gasoline.

"It messes with you a lot," he said.

Friends and family have also been to the hospital, many bringing stuffed toy animals, a couple of which Lopez keeps by her side in bed.

"We have a strong faith in God," Chilakos said. "By God's grace, things will go well."

She wants the shooter to be punished, but quickly says, "There isn't anything that going to undo the damage that's been done."

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook

An overnight death in Newark brings the city's 2015 homicide total to 72, authorities say.

The incident occurred shortly after 4 a.m. on South 19th Street, authorities said (File photo). 

NEWARK --  Authorities are investigating a homicide that occurred early Thursday morning, officials said.

The incident took place shortly after 4 a.m. in the 500 block of South 19th Street, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Additional details of the incident, including the identity of the deceased, were not immediately available, she added.

An investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes task force is ongoing, authorities said.

The death brings the city's 2015 homicide total to 72, authorities said.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

The Give Something Back Foundation presented the donation Thursday, school officials said.

MONTCLAIR -- Fifty more economically disadvantaged New Jersey students will be going to college for free, thanks to a $1 million donation to Montclair State from the Give Something Back Foundation.

The nonprofit, founded by Heartland Payment Systems CEO Robert Carr, has made seven such donations to schools around the country. This marks the third in New Jersey - the first two supported 50 students each at Rowan University and The College of New Jersey.

Carr has said that he hopes to put 1,000 students from across the country through school.

"We have found over the years that a student being selected for this program really just uplifts the entire family," Carr said in a phone interview about the grant. With this donation, Give Something Back was looking to target students from struggling families in the northern part of the state, he said.

Students entering ninth grade can apply for the program, and are chosen based both on financial need and merit, Carr said. The students enter a mentorship program through high school, are required to meet certain academic standards, and are then financially supported through college.

The donation, which Carr presented to the school in a ceremony Thursday, "(helps to support) Montclair State's mission to create and sustain a learning community that is deeply and broadly reflective of the diverse population of New Jersey," MSU President Susan A. Cole said in a statement.

Four New Jersey Mayors - Ras Baraka of Newark, Robert Jackson of Montclair, Lester Taylor of East Orange, and Dwayne Warren of Orange - attended the ceremony Thursday, the school said.

The check will support students who will enter MSU in the fall of 2019, the school said.

The $1 million marks the latest in a string of high profile donations the university has received. Earlier this month, it opened a new business school building funded in part by donations from the school's new namesake, Mimi and Edwin Feliciano, and in July, it announced a $20 million anonymous donation, the largest ever in the school's history.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield claims the disabled man "wasn't intellectually impaired at all," and that he could communicate by typing on a keyboard with her assistance

NEWARK -- On trial on charges of sexually assaulting a disabled man, Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield testified on Thursday that she and the alleged victim were in a consensual relationship.

The state's experts have said the 34-year-old man, known as D.J., is unable to speak and has intellectual and physical disabilities, but Stubblefield claimed "he wasn't intellectually impaired at all," and that he could communicate by typing on a keyboard with her assistance.

"None whatsoever," Stubblefield said when her attorney asked if she had any doubts about whether the relationship was consensual. "Because I knew he was the one who was saying everything that he typed."

As they became romantically involved, Stubblefield said "it was initiated on both sides," and they made sure each other "was good with what was happening." She referred to their romance as "just a regular relationship."

It was obvious, Stubblefield said, that D.J. could consent to their sexual interactions.

"I wouldn't have fallen in love with him if he was somebody who wasn't capable of consent," Stubblefield said. "He was my best friend."

Before Stubblefield finished her direct testimony, her attorney, James Patton, asked how she fell in love with D.J. in light of his physical disabilities.

"If somebody has an interesting, engaging mind and a good heart and a beautiful soul....you love the person and so you love being close to them and you love the body that they're in if that's the body that they have," Stubblefield replied.

MORE: Professor in sex assault case testifies disabled man could communicate

Stubblefield, 45, of West Orange, is facing two counts of aggravated sexual assault for allegedly abusing D.J. in her Newark office in 2011. Rutgers has placed her on administrative leave without pay.

D.J., who suffers from cerebral palsy and other ailments, wears diapers and requires assistance with walking, bathing, dressing and eating, his mother has testified. Other than making noises, D.J. does not speak, his brother said.

Prosecutors argue D.J. is unable to consent, but Stubblefield claims he consented through the typing method, a controversial technique known as "facilitated communication."

Stubblefield met D.J. in 2009 through his brother, then a Rutgers student, who was taking a course of Stubblefield's and asked the professor about ways to help D.J. with his communication.

Over the next two years, Stubblefield said D.J. wrote papers that were presented at conferences and he took a literature class at Rutgers. As part of that class, D.J. read novels and wrote essays, Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield said she was reassured he was the one typing, in part because of mistakes he would make on the keyboard.

SEE ALSO: Is professor using 'Ouija Board' science to defend herself?

Stubblefield said she and D.J. ultimately revealed their sexual relationship to his mother and his brother in May 2011.

On the witness stand on Thursday, Stubblefield explained how she had begun to have romantic feelings for D.J. and how the relationship ultimately became sexual in nature. She was married at the time, Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield recalled how D.J. addressed one of her classes in March 2011, when he was typing answers to the students' questions and she read the answers aloud.

At the time, one student asked D.J. whether he was interested in getting married, Stubblefield said.

According to Stubblefield, D.J. typed, "I want that more than anything, but that doesn't happen for people with disabilities like mine."

"I just wanted to put my arms around him and say, 'You can have that,'" Stubblefield recalled. "'I love you.'"

Soon afterward, Stubblefield said she met with D.J. at his day program and she was explaining to him why she was helping him.

Stubblefield said she told D.J., "I do what I do for you, because I love you."

"And he typed, 'I love you too,'" Stubblefield said.

When D.J. later asked whether she was physically attracted to him, Stubblefield said she told him: "I'm in love with you. That means I'm in love with you the whole way."

"And that was when he said, 'kiss me,' and then I did," Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield said D.J. then asked her whether it was possible for them to have sex in light of his cerebral palsy.

"And I said, 'There's only one way for us to find out,'" Stubblefield said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The state's Local Finance Board voted unanimously to approve the $766.25 million plan on Tuesday

NEWARK - The state has given its stamp of approval for a new budget that will send $10 million in aid to the city and cause a significant hike to local taxes, according to officials.

Business Administrator Jack Kelly said that the Local Finance Board unanimously approved the $766.25 million plan on Tuesday, four months after it was initially submitted to the state's Division of Community Affairs.

Kelly stressed that despite a 9 percent hike for the city itself, most taxpayers would see an overall increase of only 6.7 percent once levies from the school district and Essex County had been accounted for.

He added said that the city increase would have been much lower had the state approved the use of $13.3 million in Redevelopment Area Bonds from a settlement with PSE&G that it had hoped to use as added revenue.

"The city, if it had its druthers, could have gotten considerably under that number," Kelly said.

Under the plan, the average taxpayer's annual bill to the city will increase from $5,338 to $5,696, Kelly said.

Department of Community Affairs spokeswoman Emike Omogbai confirmed the Local Finance Board's decision on Tuesday. Board Chairman Timothy Cunningham declined to comment.

The city had initially submitted its initial proposal in June. By Tuesday, the state had made various adjustments, including the slashing of nearly $1 million to add new staff for the city's municipal ID program - the major cut in an 8.2 percent overall reduction to the mayor's office budget. Other cuts included the proposed PSE&G revenue, three assistants from the business administrator's office and two planned hires for the city's TV studio, according to documents provided by the DCA.

The $10 million in transitional aid, which Newark receives in exchange for granting the state oversight of much of its spending, is equal to the amount it received in 2014. DCA standards dictate that municipalities should expect to receive only about 85 percent of the transitional aid they received in 2014, but Kelly said an exception was made due to the city's annual deficits and myriad of other financial challenges.

In order to close this year's shortfall of around $60 million, it will rely on several revenue sources that may not be there in the future, including the $10 million in transitional aid, $2.5 million from the sale of foreclosed properties, and $5.9 million in car rental taxes that are typically designated for use on development projects.

Kelly attributed the large deficits the city has faced since in each fiscal year since Mayor Ras Baraka took office in July 2014 to paltry allocations by his predecessor Cory Booker's administration - something he said he was working to correct.

"Our revenues aren't pie in the sky. I'm suggesting that we will not have an operating deficit this year," he said.

The budget also reduces city clerk and council spending, which the state insisted upon when it agreed to provide transitional aid - though not for the reason you might think.

This year's appropriation is just $9 million, a nearly $2 million reduction from 2014. However, Kelly said that the reduction is due to the lack of a municipal election in the city this year, and that the spending the state had been looking to cut, including access to city vehicles and between $18,000 and $20,000 in expenses for council members, remains intact.

"The state would still like to see a larger reduction," he said. "It's a work in progress."

The budget is also set slightly earlier than last year, when the state did not sign of on the city's plan until Oct. 14. The deadline for introducing a budget is March, but Newark has routinely been late in recent years.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

The project will honor the Pope, who is currently in the midst of his first U.S. visit.

The project will honor the Pope, who is currently in the midst of his first U.S. visit. (Courtesy Habitat Newark)
 

NEWARK -- Habitat for Humanity is raising money to build a home in the state's largest city that it says will be inspired by, and named for, Pope Francis.

The project will commemorate the Pope's first visit to the United States, which the pontiff is currently in the midst of.

"As the pope arrives, we are set to begin construction of this home to honor his commitment to social justice and his work to reinvigorate the Catholic Church," Jeffrey J. Farrell, CEO of Habitat Newark, said in a release about the project.

"Building this home is a unifying celebratory opportunity for both Catholic and non-Catholic volunteers in our area to work towards a common goal."

The West Ward home will be built partially from an anonymous $60,000 donation that stipulated that the project be tied to the Pope, Habitat officials confirmed. It will be known as the "Pope Francis House" project until it is handed over to the family, which will then retain naming rights, the group said.

Habitat Newark is working to raise an additional $60,000 to complete the project, they said. Currently working to obtain permits, the group said it hopes to break ground on the nine-month construction project later this year.

In a release, the group called the home "a lasting celebration of the Pope's visit."

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Officials have identified the man killed in Newark early Thursday morning.

Officials have identified the man killed in Newark early Thursday morning. (File photo) 

NEWARK -- Authorities have identified the victim of an early morning fatal shooting in Newark.

Elijah Q. Greene, 23, of Elizabeth, was shot in the 500 block of South 19th Street shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Police Director Eugene Venable announced in a joint release.

Greene was pronounced dead at 4:23 a.m. at University Hospital, authorities said. His death marks the 72nd homicide in Newark so far this year, officials said.

An investigation into the fatal shooting is ongoing, authorities said. No suspects have been identified. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-877-TIPS-4-EC or 1-877-847-7432.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Suspect had gun, drugs when he was arrested near housing complex

NEWARK -- A 20-year-old city man was arrested Wednesday night after police saw him try to conceal a weapon and also found him in possession of drugs, police spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.

 

Detectives of the Special Conditions Unit were in the area of Riverview Terrace conducting proactive patrols targeting violent crimes and drug activity when they spotted Anthony M. Johnson among a group of males near the housing complex. Johnson drew the notice of officers because he appeared to be holding something, Glover said.

When detectives approached, the group scattered and Johnson was seen placing the object down the back of his sweatpants. When police ordered Johnson to stop and show his hands, Johnson replied "I ain't got nothing, I ain't got nothing," according to Glover.

When detectives searched Johnson, they found a loaded 9-mm handgun as well as 53 small plastic bags of cocaine, Glover added.

Johnson has been charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute.

"The keen observations of these detectives led to the arrest and removal of another loaded weapon from the street.  I applaud their work," said Police Director Eugene Venable.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

Two New Jersey residents even pitched a tent in a nearby campground after winning a lottery for tickets to see Pope Francis in Washington.

WASHINGTON -- When U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance raffled off tickets to see Pope Francis at the U.S. Capitol, Michael Flynn jumped at the chance to enter.

Flynn's son Ronan, 7, was preparing to receive his First Communion, and he thought a visit to see the pope would be especially meaningful. So when Flynn, a financial adviser from Cranford, landed two tickets, he took his son with him to Washington.

They stood outside with thousands who had made the trek to the nation's capital to catch a glimpse of the pope, who stood at the West Front of the Capitol and spoke briefly to the crowd after he delivered a historic speech to the U.S. Congress.

"The connection between our faith and our country -- what an opportunity," Flynn said.

Lance was inundated with requests and his staff managed to secure around 150 tickets, many of them from lawmakers whose districts are hundreds of miles further from Washington than the area he represents in New Jersey.

"Pope Francis has captured the imagination of the world," said Lance (R-7th Dist.).

Mount Arlington Council member Stephen Sadow also came to hear the pope.

"The speech was amazing," he said. "It has a beautiful thread that ran through it. No matter who you are, you had to respect what he had to say."

Jennifer LaParch and Annemarie Stanton, both of Harmony, pitched a tent in a campground in the Washington suburbs Wednesday night in order to get a head start on the day.

"It was inspiring," said Stanton, a quality assurance administrator. "It was asking people to do better."

LaParch, who had won the ticket lottery and invited Stanton to join her, called it "a great experience.''

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.