We look at the vast amount of Division I talent that graduated two years ago

Officials and residents gathered in Bloomfield Middle School Tuesday evening to debate the merits of the study. Watch video

BLOOMFIELD -- A controversial report that officials said has become a "blemish" on the town of Bloomfield was discussed and often criticized by the mayor, police director, residents, and other officials on Tuesday evening.

The recently released study -- which was supposed to be representative of a larger national issue, was conducted by student researchers from the Seton Hall University School of Law Center for Policy and Research -- called attention to an allegedly "persistent and disproportionate representation of African Americans and Latinos in the courtroom" as compared to Bloomfield's demographics.

Among the findings of the study, was that 78 percent of residents who answered tickets in the municipal court during one month last year were black or Latino.

No officials at Tuesday's meeting outright denied the possibility of racial profiling in Bloomfield, but they emphasized that they believed the study had many "flaws."

Are town's cops racially profiling drivers? Ticketing, ethnic make-up don't match, study says

New Bloomfield Police Director Samuel DeMaio called attention to all the good Bloomfield police are doing, including reducing overall crime by 28 percent, increasing diversity in their ranks, and taking training to avoid discriminatory policing.

Bloomfield Civil Rights Commission leader Satenik Margaryan, who has a PhD. in criminal justice from Rutgers University, said "racial profiling" was never proved, because that would require proof of intent.

Also, she said, its methodology was arbitrary, and it relied on ticket data that didn't even specify race, forcing the students to look at "Spanish surnames" at one point. She said, the report should not have compared the court appearances to the town's demographics, since the people who drive in a town are not representative of the town.

This "would not have seen the light" if it had received stringent peer review, she emphasized.

Mayor Michael Venezia, who said he "believed strongly in the power of community engagement and dialogue," said that the town would hold a follow-up meeting and eventually conduct an independent study.

The mayor's meeting followed a meeting last week that was held by his opponent in the upcoming Democratic primary, Councilman Joe Lopez. Lopez's meeting attracted State Sen. Ron Rice, State Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, and other officials, as well as the study's leader Professor Mark Denbeaux. Rice also attended the mayor's meeting.

Denbeaux, who previously told NJ Advance Media that the study's findings were surprisingly "blatant and obvious... ugly racial profiling," did not come to Tuesday's meeting because he said the mayor did not provide him with enough information, Venezia said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Denbeaux told NJ Advance Media, in response to the criticisms, that no one from the town or police department had disputed the accuracy of the numbers included in the report. He confirmed that he had wanted to come to Tuesday night's meeting but no one ever provided him with data that officials said would have contradicted the report.

"It may be that their motives are benign. That it doesn't change the fact that their practices are in fact producing a shockingly different face in the courtroom" than the town itself, he said. "If you pull over people who have an air freshener hanging from their rearview mirror and you give them a ticket, it's not racial profiling... (but if) all the people you pull over for that violation are African Americans, it looks an awful lot like racial profiling."

"I guess I'd like people to say 'This is a problem. We should look into it,'" he said.

Lopez said his meeting, which the mayor did not attend, was an opportunity for the report to be discussed in earnest, rather than be "swept under the rug" as he claimed the mayor had been doing.

Residents on Tuesday night clapped after hearing criticisms of the report. They also clapped for six people who said that they believed they had been the victims of racial profiling in Bloomfield.

Even if they can't prove it was racial profiling, these individuals said, Bloomfield police officers have treated them tactlessly.

Three men said that they had been stopped by police and immediately asked "Are there any drugs in the car?" when there was not, and they then received tickets for minor motor vehicle offenses.

"I have no priors. You have no reason to be asking me 'do you have drugs or guns in your car?'" said Matthew Gurramone.

Pat Lissade, a Bloomfield resident, said she had gone on dates with three separate black men, and a police car followed them each time, without arresting or ticketing anyone. She said this did not happen when she went on dates with white men.

The experiences "changed how I feel about Bloomfield," she said.

Officials emphasized that "racial profiling" declarations required proof of an officer observing race before a stop, making a decision to stop correlated to race, and lacking alternative reasons for the stop.

"We can't have the media keep saying that 'profiling is taking place in Bloomfield' and we do nothing... It can't be an observation. It has to be a real analysis that's done," said Rice, a former police officer who grew up in the segregated south. "(These instances) are occurring. Are they occurring for legitimate reasons? We do not know."

DeMaio, who said his officers were pulling over even numbers of each race, claimed that his department's traffic stops led to the removal of 24 guns, 300 narcotic busts, and the arrests of more than 600 people on felony warrants.

Ultimately, the room's broad consensus appeared to be that Bloomfield, and its police department, has come a long way from the town it once was even if there may be some lingering issues. Residents said they love their town's increased diversity and want all residents to feel safe.

Some were troubled over the issue of aggressive ticketing, however. According to the report, Bloomfield municipal court anticipated about $500,000 in revenue from tickets in 2014, but police instead brought in about $1.1 million.

Rich Galioto, a former councilman from 1996 to 1999, said these numbers concern him. However, he said he said his town did not deserve this report.

Decades ago, he criticized the town for having just one black officer out of 126 officers, he said. But with all of Bloomfield's positive strides, he believed the town should have told the study's authors to "shove it."

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Sexual activity allegedly took place on school property during the school day

Jaime Rodriguez, 33 (Photo: Essex County Prosecutor's Office) 

Jaime Rodriguez, 33, of North Bergen, was charged with three counts of second-degree sexual assault, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced in a statement.

The sexual activity allegedly took place between between Jan. 1 and April 27 during the school day, according to the prosecutor.

Rodriguez, who has taught at Arts High School for nearly four years, is set for his first court appearance Thursday in Essex County Central Judicial Processing, officials said. He was ordered held in lieu of $200,000 full bail.

"The employee in question has been placed on immediate leave and the district is fully cooperating with law enforcement officials; however, we cannot comment further on the pending criminal investigation," Newark Public Schools spokeswoman Dreena Whitfield said in a statement. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Rolando Terrell lost a bid to overturn his convictions for killing a woman and three teenage girls

NEWARK -- In a split ruling, a three-judge appellate panel on Tuesday upheld the convictions of a man for fatally shooting a woman and three teenage girls during a robbery at an Irvington residence in 2008 and then setting the house on fire.

Appellate Division Judges Marie E. Lihotz and Douglas M. Fasciale issued a majority opinion affirming the convictions of Rolando Terrell, 44, formerly of Newark, who is serving a 300-year state prison sentence for the gang-related killings.

But in a dissenting opinion, Appellate Division Judge Carol E. Higbee said Terrell had been deprived of a fair trial and his convictions should be overturned.

During the Sept. 8, 2008 robbery, Terrell and his co-defendant, Lester Hayes, visited 40-year-old Candes McLean's Columbia Avenue home, believing she had drugs or money in the house, authorities said. McLean's boyfriend, Michael Fields, was in prison at the time on drug charges and was a gang associate of Terrell.

A reputed Bloods gang member, Terrell fatally shot McLean; her daughter, Talia McLean, 18; her niece, Zakiyyah Jones, 18; and her boyfriend's daughter, Latrisha Curruthers-Fields, 13.

At his first trial in 2011, Terrell was convicted of robbery and other charges, but the jury deadlocked on the murder and felony murder charges. When he was re-tried in 2012, Terrell was found guilty of four counts each of murder and felony murder.

In addition to Hayes's testimony, the evidence presented at the trials included testimony from Anijah McLean, the then-19-year-old daughter of Candes McLean, who survived the attack by hiding in a closet before then grabbing her 16-month-old nephew and running from the burning house, authorities said.

About two weeks before the killings, Anijah McLean had met with Terrell, according to the appellate decision. She testified she recognized Terrell as being the assailant by hearing his voice from inside the closet, the decision states.

According to the majority and dissenting opinions, the judges reached different conclusions in regard to three primary issues:

• The trial judge's ruling to limit testimony from a defense expert about the reliability of voice identification evidence
• The admission of trial testimony from a gang expert
• The trial judge's decision to excuse a juror during deliberations in the retrial

With the first issue, Lihotz and Fasciale found Superior Court Judge Joseph Cassini III properly limited testimony about voice identification evidence from Steven Penrod, a research psychologist and licensed attorney. Terrell ultimately chose not to call Penrod as a witness at his trials, the majority opinion states.

"(Cassini) satisfactorily detailed areas where the expert's reasoning and methodology on 'earwitness' identification testimony seemed self-validating or jumbled with eyewitness identifications, a topic the expert was admittedly more familiar with," the opinion states. "As a result, the expert's proffered testimony not only risked juror confusion but also tended toward subjects where expert opinion would be unnecessary."

But Higbee disagreed with Cassini's ruling, saying the judge "barred defendant from presenting evidence in his own defense based on unsupported assumptions and a misunderstanding of the rules of evidence."

In regard to the gang expert evidence, Lihotz and Fasciale said that testimony was properly admitted, because it was related to the case and Terrell's opportunity in committing the crimes. But Higbee said the testimony was irrelevant and prejudicial to Terrell.

During Terrell's retrial, two jurors asked to be excused after deliberations had begun, the opinions state. After questioning the jurors, Cassini excused one juror who claimed she had emotional reasons for not wanting to continue on the jury, the opinions state. The judge had directed the juror not to reveal juror interactions and deliberations, the opinions state. The second juror remained on the jury.

The day after the one juror was replaced with an alternate, the jury reached its guilty verdict, the opinions state.

Lihotz and Fasciale said Cassini's decision to excuse the juror was supported by her verbal responses and his observations of her physical demeanor. "We conclude the trial judge properly carried out the delicate balancing function in exercising his reasoned judgment," the judges wrote in their majority opinion.

But Higbee argued Cassini improperly excused the juror after failing to conduct a more thorough inquiry into her reasons for wanting to be excused.

Higbee said that "if she was upset because of how deliberations were going or because of interactions with other jurors during deliberations, she either had to continue or the court was obligated to declare a mistrial."

"The judge appears to have avoided eliciting an explanation that could require a mistrial, at the cost of wrongfully replacing a juror," Higbee wrote.

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

The deal is part of a larger plan to open up banks in Princeton and Philadelphia

PRINCETON - The longtime local Bank of Princeton was purchased by Investors Bancorp this week in a $154 million deal.

The new Princeton logo designed by town resident Jeff Leonard. courtesy photo 

Investors Bancorp, based in Short Hills, executed the merger as part of an effort to expand their business into Princeton and Philadelphia, the bank said in a statement Wednesday.

Once the deal is closed, Investors Bancorp will take the opportunity to add 13 branches of their bank around Princeton and Philadelphia, they said.

"We are pleased to partner with The Bank of Princeton, a commercial bank with a track record of strong profitability and growth," Kevin Cummings, CEO of Investors Bancorp said in the statement.

Members of Investors Bancorp also said they believe Bank of Princeton customers will benefit from the merger because the bank is bringing, "additional retail and business banking products, expanded lending capabilities and capital strength," the statement said. 

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook. 

Officer will be suspended without pay, public safety director says

Kenneth Gaulette, 33 (Photo: Essex County Prosecutor's Office) 

Kenneth Gaulette, 33, of Manalapan, allegedly forced the 40-year-old woman to engage in a sex act while on police property Nov. 29, 2015, according to a statement from Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray's office.

Gaulette is also accused of criminal coercion for suggesting the woman "would receive favorable treatment from law enforcement if she performed the sex act," Murray's statement added.

Gaulette served with the Newark police department for nine years and was previously assigned as a detective, officials said. He was laid off in 2010, but was rehired by the force in 2012.

In a statement, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said he would suspend Gaulette without pay in light of the arrest.

Newark Fraternal Order of Police President James Stewart Jr. described Gaulette as an "exemplary police officer" before he was laid off and after he returned to the department. 

"These allegations have turned his life, and the lives of his family, upside down. He looks forward to his day in court and he has our support as he and his attorney prepares his defense," Stewart added. 

Teacher accused of sex with student at school

According to prosecutors, Gaulette turned himself in Wednesday with his attorney and posted $75,000 bail. The name of his lawyer was not immediately available. Gaulette could not be reached for comment.

The prosecutor's office did not release further details on the alleged assault.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The janitors lost their jobs in 2014 when a new contractor, Eastern Essential Services, refused to hire them because of their affiliation with Union 32-BJ.

NEWARK - Thirty-six janitors who lost their jobs in 2014 because they belonged to a union will receive back pay that could total up to $1 million, according to union representatives.

The janitors lost their jobs when a new contractor, Eastern Essential Services, refused to hire them because of their affiliation with Union 32-BJ, an administrative law judge decided last summer.

The judge found that EES had broken the law and ordered the contractor to offer the workers their jobs back and give them retroactive pay.

The National Labor Relations Board on Monday upheld the administrative law judge's decision and ordered that the workers receive back pay and benefits because they were wrongly fired.

Lawsuit: Horizon underpaid claims

Most of the employees returned to their jobs last September at offices in East Rutherford, Secaucus and Bernards Township.

"This decision is so gratifying because we fought so hard to right this wrong," said Marie de la Torre, a longtime office cleaner.  "We marched, rallied and protested in the heat, rain and snow for more than a year to make our voices heard."

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Man reportedly shot while running from robbery

NEWARK -- A man who was already in custody for multiple burglaries was charged with shooting a city resident during a robbery attempt two years ago, authorities said Wednesday.

Tyron Howard, 19, was charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses in the April 14, 2014 shooting on Clinton Avenue, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced in a statement.

City police Major Crimes Cease Fire Shooting Response Team Detective Pablo Gonzalez identified Howard as a suspect in the case after an extensive investigation, Ambrose said.

The 19-year-old victim said he was on Clinton Avenue when two assailants approached and tried to rob him, according to police. Howard is accused of shooting the man as he ran away.

Man charged in triple shooting at Newark bar

The injured man was treated and released from University Hospital, police added.

Howard, a city resident, was ordered held in lieu of $100,000 bail, officials said.

Anyone with information on the case was asked to contact the Newark 24-hour Crime Stoppers tip line at 877-NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867). Anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers would be kept confidential.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Who is the best of the best in New Jersey track and field? NJ.com tries to answer that question this season with the brand new Fab 50 individual male rankings. Check back each week for five new additions to the Fab 50.

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg described bars as "a third place, different from home or work, where people could escape but still be part of a group."

As I looked through the oldest photos in this gallery, one question came to mind time and again:

What was the purpose of the towels hanging on the customer side of many of the bars pictured?

Bartenders, of course, would have towels to clean glasses and wipe down the bar, but why would towels hang from the patrons' side?

I did a little research on legendsofamerica.com and, in a sense, am sorry I did because the answer is a little disturbing.

The site notes, "encircling the base of the bar would be a gleaming brass foot rail with a row of spittoons spaced along the floor next to the bar. Along the ledge, the saloon patron would find towels hanging so that they might wipe the beer suds from their mustaches."

OMG, they had them in barber shops too.Courtesy of the Library of Congress 

Is it just me or do others think the local boards of health should have prevented saloon proprietors from allowing patron after patron from wiping their mouth on the same nasty towel? And, there was also the mention of spittoons on the floor which makes me wonder how much chew wound up on those towels, too.

To me, the concept doesn't seem all that different from a restaurant asking patrons to pass around a community napkin.

I also wondered why some taverns had bar stools and others didn't.

The site mentioned above notes that taverns that had table seating usually had standing-only bars, while establishments that didn't have enough room for more than one or two small tables offered their patrons stools at the bar.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

One thing to point out: it wasn't always drinking that made a bar or tavern popular or memorable. A number of the ones featured in this gallery were well known for their food as well as beverages. My own experience with that was what was considered by many a coming of age tradition in Vineland: lunch at the K&O Bar on Sixth Street.

Delish! ... the same to you ....Courtesy of flickr.com 

I distinctly recall my father taking me there one day; I ordered a liverwurst sandwich and it came with a glorious pickle. Regulations were a little more lax in those days; I was allowed to sit at the bar. But for many, including me, it was one of the earliest life experiences in a place usually reserved solely for adults.

Here's a gallery of watering holes ? some gone, some still in business -- in New Jersey. Be sure to have captions enabled to find out more about each photo.

Can't get enough? You can view previous galleries on the topic by clicking this link here and clicking this one over here.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

Long before passengers place their seats back and tray tables in their full upright position, they are getting hit with fees for everything from legroom to avoiding the aisle seat. Those fees are continuing to grow.

NEWARK--A round-trip economy ticket from Newark Liberty to Los Angeles on United Airlines will cost you about $296.20.

But that's just the starting point.

Making the reservation by phone instead of on-line? That's another $25. Buying your ticket at the airport? There's a $35 charge. A checked bag will set you back another $25 each way. Maybe something to eat? A Thai-style wrap with grilled chicken, creamy ginger spread, sliced carrots and peppers is on the menu for $9.49. Want a little extra room? That could cost $100 each leg of the trip.

Airline fees have become a major revenue source for the industry at a time of soaring profits.

According to data released Monday by the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the nation's 25 scheduled airlines collected $3.8 billion in baggage fees in 2015 and another $3 billion in reservation change fees. Other fees, such as revenue from seating assignments and on-board sales of food, beverages, pillows, blankets, and entertainment were not separately identified. But air travelers already fed up with baggage fees continue to see a growing number of hefty surcharges long before they place their seats back and tray tables in their full upright position.

Kayak, the travel search website, notes there are charges for ticket changes, pet transport and on some airlines, added fees for early boarding or even reserving a seat--an absolute necessity for those looking to keep out of the dreaded middle seat.

Spirit Airlines, which flies direct to Florida destinations out of Atlantic City, charges $10 to have an agent print out a boarding pass and $3 for a Coke on board.

"It's gotten completely out of control," complained Paul Hudson, president of the traveler advocacy group FlyersRights. "They call them optional fees, but you can't possibly avoid all of them."

Earlier this year, a British man's efforts to avoid an airline's baggage fees went viral after he dumped his suitcase and took a selfie of himself at London's Gatwick Airport--wearing a week's worth of winter clothes for a trip to Iceland.

Most airline passengers are unlikely to go to such extremes, although more are cramming as much as they can into their carry-on luggage to avoid the baggage fees that have become ubiquitous in the airline industry.

But Hudson said it has gone way beyond baggage. He noted airline fees have gone from charging a little more for extra services, to charging for just about everything.

He argued that the actual cost for most of those services can be trivial, with the fees serving only as a way of milking profit, in a year the 25 U.S. scheduled airlines reported an after-tax profit of $25.6 billion--up from $7.5 billion in 2014.

"It's deceptive because when you are pricing your airfare, the fees are not included," Hudson said. "It's like renting a car and after you signed everything, they want to charge you for giving you a key."

He added that the fees are exempt from the federal excise tax on airline fares, which takes money out of the aviation trust fund that pays for airport improvements.

PAYING FOR WHAT YOU WANT

Airlines for America, a Washington-based industry trade organization for the leading U.S. Airlines, said two-thirds of passengers prefer so-called a la carte pricing for tickets over bundled pricing--paying only for what they want.

"The model of offering customers choice and enabling them to choose what they value and are willing to pay for has enabled real airfares, including ancillary services, to remain 10 percent below 2000 levels," said spokeswoman Melanie Hinton. "Customers today are able choose among carriers and select the best service offerings, amenities and price combinations to meet their individual needs."

How United became the airline flyers love to hate

It was a trend that began more than a decade ago as carriers first began dropping free meal service, and soon followed with baggage charges and other fees.

Among the first to back away from inclusive fares, was Spirit Airlines, which called its fee schedule a fairer way to set the price of a ticket. Spokesman Paul Berry said there is a cost to everything, whether or not an airline includes it in the price of a ticket.

"We allow the customer to chose the services they want and which they don't," said Berry. "Not everyone needs to check a bag. Not everyone drinks soda or coffee. With Spirit, you don't have to pay for it unless you want it."

Spirit's pricing model looked at the cost for a seat and a personal item, because he said that's what everyone needs what they fly, and then backed out the price on everything else.

And indeed, that means everything: An advance-purchase round-trip ticket from Atlantic City to Orlando is $166.18, but that doesn't cover anything you might want to put in the overhead bin. According to the airline's website disclosing its optional fees, a carry-on bag is another $35 if paid in advance, and $100 at the gate. The first checked bag is $30 if paid during booking, jumping to $50 at the airport check-in. A specific seat request can be up to $50 more, while there is a $10 charge to have a boarding pass printed out by an agent. A bag of nuts and a soft drink will set you back another $6.

"People have labeled Spirit a no-frills airline," said Berry. "We have the frills. You just have to pay for them if you want them."

The average Spirit customer chooses to pay approximately $53 for optional items such as bags, seat upgrades and food. But according to the most recent DOT airline service quality, passengers griped more about Spirit than any other airline, with 11.56 complaints per 100,000 passengers--nearly six times the industry average.

Acknowledging there has been some frustration from people, Berry attributed that primarily those who book on third-party travel sites based on the price, without realizing the a la carte pricing schedule until they get to the airport.

Travel expert George Hobica, who operates Airfarewatchdog.com, said some airline fees are there for a reason.

"It costs them money to schlep people's luggage. They pay baggage handlers and liability and maintain baggage systems," he pointed out.

More carry-on luggage has meant longer TSA security lines. (Ben Solomon | Star Ledger file photo)

Yet it has led to consequences in the cabin. More people are bringing carry-on luggage aboard, which has also led to growing security lines as TSA agents go through luggage that once went through the baggage system.

Meanwhile, it is getting tough to find space in the overhead bins--especially for those last to board. And airlines have responded, with new fees for early boarding before those bins fill up.

Hobica noted there are ways around baggage and other airline fees. Airline credit cards, which waive their annual fee the first year, typically offer a free checked bag. Frequent flyers may also escape baggage frees or get upgraded to seats with more legroom. Southwest does not charge to check bags, but customers must pay for advance seat assignments. United offers packages that will include a checked bag as well as additional space in economy, a spokeswoman said.

Some lawmakers are looking to put the brakes on skyrocketing airline fees. Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the Senate that would limit charges that are not "reasonable or proportional to the cost of the service."

One of the sponsors, Democrat Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, said airlines "should not be allowed to overcharge captive passengers just because they need to change their flight or have to check a couple of bags."

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Jersey's "All-State Academic Team" will be honored Thursday in Trenton.

TRENTON -- The best and brightest students at New Jersey's two-year colleges will be honored Thursday in Trenton.

The New Jersey Council of County Colleges selected 37 students from the state's two-year colleges for the "2016 New Jersey All-State Academic Team." Some of the students will receive scholarships to continue their education at four-year colleges and universities.

"Each year, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges honors New Jersey's top community college students and their families for their outstanding academic achievements and exceptional service to their communities as members of Phi Theta Kappa at their local community colleges," said Lawrence Nespoli, the council's president.

The students will be honored Thursday at the Phi Theta Kappa Day celebration at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Trenton.

N.J. has 5 of the U.S.'s best high schools, report says

In addition to the state honor, several New Jersey students were also named among the best county college students in the country based on their academic work and community service. Brookdale Community College student Sameerah Wahab, a biology major, was named one of the top 20 two-year college students in the nation.

Wahab, 19, received a $5,000 scholarship as a member of the 2016 All-USA Community College Academic Team. The Howell resident also received a $2,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Foundation for being the top county college student in New Jersey.

Other top New Jersey students receiving scholarships include: Dana Yangello of Salem Community College ($1,500 scholarship); Mohamed Abdelghany of Passaic County Community College ($1,250 scholarship) and Kelsey Stockton of Salem Community College ($1,250 scholarship).

The 2016 New Jersey All-State Academic Team members are:

• Atlantic Cape Community College: Taylor Borz, of Collings Lakes, and Brandon Hand, of Stone Harbor
• Bergen Community College: Noemie Broussoux-Coutard, of Ridgewood, and Therande Jashari, of Garfield
• Brookdale Community College: Mona Patel, of Ocean, and Sameerah Wahab, of Howell
• Camden County College: Linh Le, of Philadelphia, and Laura Wames, of Lindenwold
• Cumberland County College: Sarah Galzerano, of Vineland, and Shawnna Stezzi, of Heislerville
• Essex County College: Angee Gonzalez, of Newark, and Peace Nosa-Omorogiuwa, of Maplewood
• Hudson County Community College: Olga Glavna, of Jersey City, and Sarah Roberts, of Kearny
• Mercer County Community College: Radoslaw Dlugowski, of Lawrenceville, and Cody Willever, of Columbus
• Middlesex County College: Carly Galasso, of Sayreville, and Jane Hernandez, of Manalapan
• County College of Morris: Daniel Edens, of Randolph, and Ethan Mauch, of Chester
• Ocean County College: Brianna Badami and Katarzyna Wac, both of Toms River
• Passaic County Community College: Mohamed Abdelghany, of Passaic, and Miguel De Jesus of Paterson
• Raritan Valley Community College: Michaela Bublikova, of Basking Ridge, and Stephany Rumrill, of Flemington
• Rowan College at Burlington County: Takeshwari Kamal, of Maple Shade, and Giaangelina McCarthy, of Browns Mills
• Rowan College at Gloucester County: Domonique DeNardo, of Blackwood, and Georgia Maitland, of Pittsgrove
• Salem Community College: Kelsey Stockton, of Quinton, and Dana Yangello of Pennsville
• Sussex County Community College: Samuel Dunn, of Newton
• Union County College: Christopher Coccoluto, of Cranford, and Sheila Zegarra, of Newark
• Warren County Community College: Michelle Cupo and Stasha Heinrich, both of Oxford

Softball: A public No. 1 in the NJ.com Top 20 for May 5

During the pursuit, someone threw a purse from the car, which was recovered and found to contain six hypodermic needles and suspected heroin, police said.

HILLSIDE -- Three people with heroin in a stolen car led Hillside police on a chase into Newark Wednesday night before they blew a tire and were arrested, police said today.

According to Hillside Police, it was about 11:30 p.m. when officers monitoring traffic on Maple Avenue checked the plate of a passing Honda Civic and found it was reported stolen by Newark Police.

Officers tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver, Israel J. Rosado, 28, of Newark, disregarded their signal and accelerated on Maple Avenue into Newark, police said.

Police said the pursuit continued through various streets in Newark, and eventually Rosado blew a front tire when he drove onto the sidewalk to avoid colliding with an NJ Transit bus on Elizabeth Avenue and East Peddie Street.

Police said that moments later, someone threw a green clutch purse from the car, which was recovered and found to contain six hypodermic needles, a glassine envelope containing suspected heroin and another empty glassine envelope.

The pursuit continued on Delancey Street and a Newark police unit joined the chase until the car came to a stop in the area of 91 Bay Avenue and all three of the occupants were arrested, police said.

Rosado was charged with receiving stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, attempting to elude police, possession of a hypodermic needle and driving while suspended. He is also wanted by Sayreville on a $1,000 warrant, police said. He is being held at Hillside police headquarters pending transport to the Union County Jail on $25,000 bail.

Vanessa M. Pagan, 35, of Kearny, was charged with receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia. She also has an outstanding $3,000 warrant from Newark.

Malik A. Greene, 28, of Newark, was charged with receiving stolen property and was also wanted on warrants from East Orange and Newark totaling $806.

Pagan and Greene are being held in Hillside until they are picked up by Newark police.

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

William C. Logan is charged with murder and related offenses in the death of Patricia A. Blocker

EAST ORANGE -- An East Orange man has been indicted on charges of killing his mother at their city home last year, placing her body in the trunk of her car and abandoning the vehicle in Newark.

William C. Logan, 38, was indicted on Friday on murder and related charges in connection with the Sept. 6 killing of 62-year-old Patricia A. Blocker. Logan remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of posting $2 million bail.

In addition to murder, Logan is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and disturbing or desecrating human remains.

Logan is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on May 31 before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler.

Authorities are alleging Logan killed Blocker on Sept. 6 at the residence by hitting her multiple times on the head with a dumbbell weight, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

The following day, Logan allegedly placed his mother's body in the trunk of her vehicle and abandoned the car in Newark, Carter said. Blocker's body was discovered on Sept. 14, Carter said.

Authorities have said Blocker was reported missing on Sept. 10.

As East Orange detectives were investigating the missing person's report, they discovered Blocker's car at about 2 p.m. on Sept. 14 in the area of 23 Hartford Street in Newark, and ultimately found her body in the trunk of the vehicle, authorities said.

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

The 20-story structure,added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, is set to become an apartment building

NEWARK - Verizon's iconic downtown headquarters has been sold to a developer that plans to turn it into a modern high-rise apartment building.

The 20-story building at 540 Broad Street, known for its art-deco design, was sold to a company affiliated with New York-based L&M Development for $16.51 million, according to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. The board, which must approved the sale of any assets by Verizon or other utilities, signed off on the deal in January.

A source familiar with the deal said L&M plans to convert its 436,000-square feet into a residential tower.

Plans unveiled by Connecticut-based architectural firm Amara Associates indicate the building will undergo a wholesale renovation to create 246 units across 19 floors, and a basement complete with a gym, storage space and bowling lanes. The building's fourth floor is home to a Verizon switching station, which will continue to operate.

Built in 1929, the structure was initially home to the New Jersey Bell telephone company before being taken over by Verizon. While no larger than many other building in downtown Newark's skyline, it is widely known for its distinctive brick and sandstone facade, much of which is awash in orange lights after dark.

Challenging the lack of historic preservation in Newark

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, meaning the National Park Service will also need to approve all renovation plans.

Verizon spokesman Raymond McConville confirmed the building's sale, but said he could divulge where existing jobs in the building will be relocated.

Verizon had a deal in place to sell the building for approximately $35 million in 2008, but eventually opted to stay after receiving more than $20 million in tax breaks from the state.

L&M owns several properties in the Newark area, including the former Hahne's department store building just a few hundred feet south of the Verizon property - where a Whole Foods is set to open as early as next year.

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

Shooting may have stemmed from prior dispute, authorities say

Alphonso Richardson, 30 (Photo: Essex County Prosecutor's Office) 

Alphonso Richardson, 30, faces charges of murder and weapons offenses, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony  Ambrose announced in a joint statement.

Richardson is accused of killing Gerard Jones, 49, around 12:30 a.m. April 26 near Poinier Street, authorities said. The slaying may have stemmed from a prior dispute.

Hackettstown man killed in Newark shooting

Richardson was ordered held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark in lieu of  $750,000 bail, officials said. He is set for a first court hearing May 10.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

About 5 years after pleading guilty in a homicide case, James Johnson was convicted Thursday in a carjacking case

James JohnsonEssex County Prosecutor's Office 

NEWARK -- Nearly 5 years after receiving a 3-year prison sentence in a homicide case, an Irvington man is now facing as much as 30 years behind bars following his conviction Thursday in a carjacking case.

Following a five-day trial, James Johnson, 25, was convicted of carjacking and related offenses for stealing a man's car and wallet in Newark on Dec. 9, 2013, according to a news release from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Johnson was caught after authorities discovered he used the victim's credit card the following day to purchase balloons, teddy bears and other items at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, the release states.

In addition to carjacking, Johnson was found guilty of conspiracy to commit a carjacking, possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, credit card theft and forgery. He was acquitted of aggravated assault.

On the carjacking charge alone, Johnson is facing up to 30 years in state prison. His sentencing is scheduled for June 17 before Superior Court Judge John Zunic.

"While he is only 25 years old, this defendant poses a threat to the community. Even before this conviction, this defendant had a long criminal history," Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Allison Korodan, who tried the case, said in the release. "When he is sentenced we will be seeking an extended prison term."

The latest conviction comes about five years after Johnson and his co-defendant, Dashawn Gibson, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2011 to reckless manslaughter and related charges in connection with the May 17, 2009 fatal shooting of Desean Hamilton, 19, of Newark, court records show. That incident occurred in the area of Aldine Street and Forest Place in Newark.

At the time of the killing, Gibson and Johnson were both 18 years old.

Under plea deals, Gibson and Johnson were each sentenced on June 20, 2011 to three years in state prison and they received credit for about two years of time served.

Following Gibson's release from prison, he ultimately shot and killed Altariq Davis, 28, of Newark, on March 20, 2014 on the 200 block of South 6th Street in Newark.

After pleading guilty under a plea deal on Nov. 13, 2015 to a reckless manslaughter charge, Gibson was sentenced on Jan. 8 to five years in state prison. Gibson received credit for nearly two years of time served.

Following his sentence in 2011 in the homicide case, Johnson was released from prison on June 15, 2012, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

At the time of the carjacking on Dec. 9, 2013, Johnson was a passenger in a Range Rover that rear-ended the victim's car in the area of Springfield Avenue and South 14th Street in Newark, authorities said. The victim was a man in his 40s who was in Newark on business, authorities said.

When the man got out of his car to inspect the damage, Johnson exited the Range Rover and pulled a gun on the victim, demanding his car keys, authorities said. After the victim refused, Johnson ripped a gold chain from the man's neck, authorities said.

Johnson then returned to the Range Rover, but came back and jumped into the driver's side of the victim's car, authorities said. Johnson sped off as the victim dangled from the passenger side of the vehicle, authorities said.

The victim ultimately escaped and Johnson drove off with the car, authorities said. The man's wallet was in the vehicle, authorities said.

The following day, Johnson used the victim's credit card to buy $140 worth of balloons, teddy bears and other items at the hospital gift shop at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, authorities said.

Authorities said Johnson was identified on security cameras as one of the two men in the store who made the purchases. The second man was never identified, authorities said.

In addition to Thursday's conviction, Johnson has been arrested as an adult more than 10 times, authorities said. Besides the 2011 manslaughter conviction, Johnson was previously convicted of eluding twice, two burglaries and receiving stolen property - a stolen car, authorities said.

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

Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren, seeking second 4-year term on Tuesday, said challengers who attacked him in Wednesday night's debate don't understand leadership or politics Watch video

ORANGE -- The three candidates for mayor in Orange's May 10 election squared off in a debate Wednesday night at the YMCA on Main Street, in a contest that contrasted the experience and expertise of the controversial incumbent and his two challengers.

Mayor Dwayne Warren, East Ward Councilman Kerry Coley and Janice Morrell, a former zoning board chairwoman, sat side-by-side at a table in the gym of the YMCA, a facility that was purchased and is being rehabilitated by the city under Warren and figured into the debate.

Before the candidates, a crowd of about 300 spectators that included State Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex), a Warren supporter and Orange native, sat in folding chairs, while several firefighters who for years have been working under an expired contract stood in their protective gear against the gym's cinder block wall.

The two-hour contest was sponsored by WRNU Radio's "All Politics Are Local" show, whose co-host, Jonathan Alston, a debate coach at Science Park High School in Newark, acted as the highly structured event's disciplined moderator, cutting off the candidates mid-sentence when their time was up and hushing the crowd whenever prohibited applause broke out.

The orderly debate caps an acrimonious campaign and recent history dating back to July when Warren accused Coley of posting a sex video on his facebook page, a claim Coley denied, claiming his account was hacked, and has sued the mayor over the matter. Coley, a former Orange Police sergeant, has also accused Warren of illegally accessing internal affairs complaints against him.

Coley emphasizing the need to reduce crime in order to attract new residents and businesses to the city's abandoned homes and vacant lots.

He spent much of his time criticizing Warren for running a corrupt regime riddled with cronyism and nepotism, and even ridiculed the mayor's law degree and knowledge of complex municipal finance rules, comparing himself favorably as an honest and plainspoken, "simple guy," who would do what's best for the city.

Coley's simplicity, and his brevity, sometimes visibly surprised the moderator, Alston, when at several points the candidate ended his responses before his time had run out. During one rebuttal segment, Coley simply passed on a chance to elaborate on how he would improve the school system, which is largely under the mayor's control thanks to an appointed school board. He did say he favored an elected board.

"I'm a simple guy," Coley said at one point. Even so, he asserted, "I am the best qualified person to run this city."

Morrell, a retired Rutgers admissions official, also attacked the incumbent, labelling Warren "a bully," who deprived the City Council of documents and other information needed to make informed decisions on the budget and individual programs and projects.

"I pledge to you they will have an overload of information," Morrell said of council members under her administration. At council meetings, she added, "There will be department heads there to answer their questions."

Warren is a municipal attorney and father of two who moved to Orange in 2002 with his wife, Dr. Karma Warren, an emergency room physician at University Hospital in Newark. After being elected mayor in 2012, part of his strategy to maximize revenues for the largely working class city with an abundance of abandoned properties included endorsing Gov. Chris Christie for re-election in 2013.

Warren's endorsement of the Republican governor, then still a Republican presidential hopeful for 2016, was a controversial move in the mostly African-American, overwhelmingly Democratic city, and has generated suspicion of the mayor and his motives ever since.

Warren defended the endorsement as beneficial to Orange, asserting that he was then able to negotiate with the Christie Administration for the $2.5 million grant to buy the Y and restore its swimming pool and other facilities.

Many observers believe Fort Lee was actually punished by Christie loyalists at the Port Authority who directed the traffic snarling closure of local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, after the borough's Democratic mayor, Mark Sakolich, refused to join Warren and other so-called Christiecrats in backing the governor in 2013.

But the endorsement angered some partisans, including the Orange Democratic Committee, which has endorsed Coley in this month's officially non-partisan election.
And Coley raised the endorsement during the debate, bitterly denouncing Warren for "parading" Christie up and down Main Street during a visit to Orange by the governor during his re-election bid.
 
And even the acquisition of the Y was dismissed by both challengers, who complained that the pool was still awaiting rehabilitation, and that mold grew on the walls and fouled the air, echoing signs held by protestors outside the Y prior to the debate.   

"There's black mold @ the Y," read one sign. "Mayor Warren does not care about our children," read another.

Morrell, who decided to move to Orange in 1977 after her parents had been married there in 1944, did not invoke the Christie endorsement, but she did refer to Warren as a "carpetbagger."

Warren insisted he ran an open government, pointing to a series of Christie-like town halls he had staged to underscore his personal accessibility. He also cited several projects around town as examples of his success leading the city's economic development.

He urged voters to use their "common sense" in selecting him as the most qualified and experienced candidate, and rejected his challengers' criticisms, particularly of endorsement of Christie, as misleading or outfight false. He said the criticism reflected a "lack of understanding" of basic politics, and likened the endorsement to Christie's embrace of Barack Obama during the president's visit to the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy, before the state received billions of dollars in federal aide.

"When you're dealing with the chief executive of a state that has more resources than you do, you need to have a relationship and leverage those resources for your township," Warren said in a post-debate interview in the YMCA gym. "This very facility we're standing in was a product of that kind of negotiation and that kind of leverage of what we can get from the state. So, any real leader is going to negotiate with whoever is in office to make sure they get the best for their city. Christie did it with Obama. I'm certainly doing it with Christie, or anybody else. I'll work with anybody to help the City of Orange Township."  

Codey, a bitter Christie foe who nonetheless supports Warren, said he was impressed by the incumbent's performance, declining to characterize the other two.

Members of the Rutgers Newark debate club, who attended the debate, were divided. The team captain, Devane Murphy, 22, a Rutgers junior, liked the mayor's performance. Nicole Nabe, also a 22-year-old junior, judged said Morrell impressed her most.

Kevin Brown, 48, who will be voting in his first Orange election since moving from East Orange, said he was inclined to give Warren a second term.

"I think the mayor spoke well," said Brown, a security guard for the school district. "Four years isn't a long time to turn one of these towns around."