One veteran officer is making his 19th ride to Washington, D.C.

NEWARK -- Seventeen Newark police officers set off Monday to join colleagues from around the country on a 320-mile bike tour in honor of officers who died in the line of duty.

Hernandez Thomas, who recently retired from the city's force, is making his 19th trip for the annual Police Unity Tour.

"It's a very grueling 320-mile ride, but the cause it is for is unbelievable," Thomas said before departing from Newark. "After 19 years, I still get the butterflies in my stomach, I still get the goose bumps and I still get teary-eyed."

Thomas said the riders see strong support as they pedal to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. 

"It's something that you never forget if you do this ride," he added.

Hundreds of riders stopped Monday for a ceremony at Newark's fallen officers memorial on Franklin Street, where families of those who died, law enforcement officers from around the area and city police brass, joined them.

Essex police, firefighters honored for heroics

A bugler played taps and riders departed under a giant American flag raised between two Newark fire trucks.

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose called the ceremony and ride a morale booster for officers. The director said he would be in D.C. on Thursday when cyclists arrive at the national memorial.

"They're [riders] going to be wet, they're going to be cold, they're going to be sweaty, they're going to be tired, but every pedal is going to the 128 police officers, who went to work last year and never came back," Ambrose said.

Several family members of fallen Newark police also attended the ceremony, including the mother of Detective Michael Morgan, Jr., who was gunned-down as he tried to stop a robbery in Paterson.

Additionally, the ceremony recognized family members of Detective Thomas S. Adubato, who was killed Aug. 17, 1918 as he tried to arrest a murder suspect. Despite his own wounds, the detective carried another detective who was shot down five flights of stairs to safety.

Newark Fraternal Order of Police President James Stewart Jr. said the ride helped show support for the families of fallen officers.

"We're here with them," Stewart said as he prepared for the ride. "We want them to know they're not going through this alone."

The Police Unity Tour was launched by Florham Park Police Officer Patrick Montuore with 18 riders in 1997 and has since swelled to about 1,700 officers.

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

East Orange police conducted multiple undercover operations over several months.

EAST ORANGE -- Five months of undercover investigations have led the East Orange Police to arrest 17 people and seize more than $30,000 worth of illegal drugs, authorities announced last week.

The arrests came after five separate investigations in Orange and East Orange prompted by complaints from residents and anonymous tips, police said. During the investigations, police seized 997 grams of marijuana, 21 grams of crack cocaine, more than a pound of heroin, and "numerous" handguns, ammunition, assault and semi-automatic weapons, officials said.

"Residents are often our eyes and our ears," newly minted Public Safety Director Sheilah Coley said in a statement about the arrests.

"Maintaining open lines of communication between our officers and the people who live and work here is vital to ensuring that we keep crime and illegal drug activity out of our community."

The following people were arrested on drugs and weapons charges, police said:

• Timothy Wayne, 25, of East Orange
• April Wayne, 43, of East Orange
• Zahir Christmas, 30, of Newark
• Shaquill Baker, 19, of East Orange
• A 13-year-old from Newark
• Tareek Garcia, 27, of East Orange
• Shakira Garcia, 20, of East Orange
• Paula Garcia, 52, of East Orange
• Shakiya Garcia, 30, of East Orange
• Walter Garcia, Jr., 57, of East Orange
• John Umstead, 56, of Orange
• Tony Warren, 50, of East Orange
• John Harris, 24, of East Orange
• J'Quan Schenck-Faison, 20, of East Orange
• Shakeema Kelly, 18, of Elizabeth
• Keyan Smith, 25, of East Orange
• Wajier Sturdivant, 30, of Paterson

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

NEWARK — Two city men face charges after police said they made terroristic threats against in separate incidents, Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said. Darrius T. Falana, 21, and Andre McIntyre, 68, were wanted by the police department's Sexual Assault Rape Analysis Unit and were picked up Sunday morning. Authorities say Falana repeatedly threatened to kill a 21-year-old, most...

NEWARK -- Two city men face charges after police said they made terroristic threats against in separate incidents, Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

Darrius T. Falana, 21, and Andre McIntyre, 68, were wanted by the police department's Sexual Assault Rape Analysis Unit and were picked up Sunday morning.

Authorities say Falana repeatedly threatened to kill a 21-year-old, most recently on April 29. McIntyre threatened to kill a woman during an argument, police said. Warrants for violation of the state's domestic violence laws were issued for both men.

Falana was arrested by Fugitive Apprehension Team detectives at a home in the 100 block of Tuxedo Parkway, shortly before McIntyre was arrested in the 300 block of Mount Prospect Avenue.

Anyone with information about this or any other crime is being asked to call the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers' tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).  All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential.

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

A painting by Dutch master Rembrandt was found in a New Jersey basement

BLOOMFIELD -- A small painting discovered in a New Jersey basement and originally valued at less than $1,000 turns out to be a highly prized part of a series created by a young Rembrandt in the 17th century.

John Nye, who operates the Bloomfield-based Nye and Co. auction house, found the painting when he was called to appraise it in September, he told The Los Angeles Times. Nye declined to reveal the identity of the painting's owner at the time.

The 9-inch painting was originally believed to be from an unknown 19th century artist and was valued at between $500 and $800. But after the auction was announced, two Paris art dealers and two other bidders in Europe realized it was actually part of a series created by an 18-year-old Rembrandt van Rijn in the 1620s. Called "The Unconscious Patient (An Allegory of the Sense of Smell)", the painting is one of five highlighting the human senses. One painting from the series is still missing.

"I think it's a very exciting discovery," said Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., a curator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, told the Times.  "It shows Rembrandt at the very outset of his career," a period when the artist was changing his style "on a monthly basis."

The painting was eventually purchased by a New York financier and collector of Dutch art,  Thomas Kaplan, after the bidders from Paris paid a total, with fees, of $1 million for the work. It was not known how much Kaplan paid.

"Unconscious Patient" will be displayed at the Getty in Los Angeles alongside two other Rembrandts through Aug. 28.

 

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

Organize Change Inc., a grass roots community organization in Newark and the Woodland Cemetery Board are at odds over the future of the cemetery.

The latest campaign to cleanup Woodland Cemetery in Newark finally had some starch in its backbone.

Organize Change Inc., a Newark community group, stoked the neighborhood's interest in getting the abandoned cemetery up and running again.

The volunteer cemetery board was eager, its members looking forward to working with the group after a Feb. 27 community meeting.

By mid-March, the momentum was gone. The cemetery board wanted no part of this past Saturday's cleanup and both sides blamed each other for their fractured relationship.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

They bumped heads over the cemetery's future, including its governance and finances, plans to raise revenue and requirements to fill seats on the board.

The tension erupted March 16 with a physical fight - at the cemetery of all places - between Warren Vincentz, a cemetery board member, and Horatio Joines, an Organize Change member. Joines also is the boyfriend of Karima Jackson, the leader of Organize Change.

This is not good, but first, some background on how we got here.  Jackson, a Newark native, has been passionate about cleaning up the cemetery that is also home to Civil War veterans.

"The community has been dying for this,'' she said.

She has called on Newark residents who have relatives buried in Woodland to join the board after past efforts to clean the cemetery failed.

Board President Rosemary Hilbert said Woodland's problems hinge on money. It doesn't earn enough annual interest from a trust fund to cut the grass, reset fallen headstones and install a new fence around the 37 acres.

Hilbert explained this at the February meeting, along with the board's five-year plan to sell graves and generate additional revenue.

Jackson has questioned the strategy, saying it's not workable. She also believes the board is a barrier to cleaning the cemetery, accusing the members of refusing to release financial records to proprietors, who are people with family members buried in the cemetery. She said the board has not to held an annual proprietor meeting to bring on new board members and that it has added stipulations for people to join, such as submitting biographical information and agreeing to a background check. 

"There is something wrong with this cemetery board in the way they're doing business,'' Jackson said. 

Hilbert said the board member requirements are policies that it had in place before Jackson came around, and she disagrees with her assertion that the board has not been cooperative.

"That is the spin that she puts on everything,'' Hilbert said.

Enough.

This is a sad, disappointing situation, made worse by the physical confrontation.

According to a police report, Jackson and Vincentz had a conversation - about trash being dumped in the cemetery -  which escalated into an argument.

She said he pointed his finger in her face and that he poked her in the chest.

Vincentz, who is also a Ridgefield councilman, said he couldn't comment on the incident. In the police report, he acknowledged the argument and said he left afterward to continue working in the cemetery. 

Jackson said she tried to take a picture of Vincentz's license plate as he drove off. She then called Joines and the police.

After Joines showed up to check on Jackson, he said he then left in his own his car and saw Vincentz inside the cemetery, talking on a cell phone near his automobile.

The two men get into a fight after a dispute, with Vincentz alleging that Joines punched him in the face.  Joines said Vincentz rushed at him while he tried to take a picture of the councilman's license plate. The two wound up wrestling on the ground and a police report indicates there was some redness on Vincentz's cheek.

Both men filed assault charges against each other. Jackson also filed assault charges against Vincentz, and has registered a complaint with the N.J. Cemetery Board about Woodland's management practices. The state Division of Consumer Affairs said it's reviewing Jackson's complaint and that it could not comment further on matters under review. 

MORE CARTER:Service is Newark woman's greatest joy

Because of the two investigations, Hilbert said the Woodland board has postponed its annual meeting to fill three empty seats on its nine-member board and to appoint two advisory members from the communit

"It's Karima who is causing the problem,'' Hilbert said.

Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins is not pleased, placing the onus on the board for things not progressing.

"This is unfair to the people who have family members buried there,'' she said. "This is unnecessary flexing of muscle by the board.''

The board revoked its right-of-entry agreement with Organize Change to do the cleanup. Jackson's group held it anyway, doing what it could with limited volunteers. 

The board didn't  stop them, although rescinding the agreement caused  a large volunteer group from Jersey Cares to not participate.

Jackson says she is not deterred. The board still has to answer to her at some point. 

When a new date is scheduled for the annual meeting, only the proprietors  who have family members buried in the cemetery can attend. 

Jackson is a proprietor.

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

The new communication exhibit will only be in place for a limited time.

NEWARK -- It's the one shipping container that can travel across the world without leaving New Jersey.

The "portal," a repurposed container that was installed as a temporary exhibit in Newark's Military Park last month, is part of a global artist initiative to connect strangers around the world. The container is equipped with technology that allows users to video chat with people in similar portals that have been placed in other cities around the world.

The "Shared Studios" project, according to its director of global development Michelle Moghtader, is meant to facilitate conversations on specific topics.

The current round of portal conversations, which are being studied by artists and academics from several universities and organizations, are meant to be about criminal justice.

Carousel tells Newark's story through 16 horses

"We, along with the researchers, chose Newark and Milwaukee (for portal installations) as they have communities with high concentrations of police activity," Moghtader said. After they enter the portal and are connected with someone in a different city, participants are given a prompt, like 'what does criminal justice mean to you,' and are asked to talk about it for 20 minutes.

"We hope that the intimate and safe space of the portal allows people to say what they want to say in their own terms and words and build a bond with someone in a similar but distant community," Moghtader said.

Locals can make online reservations to try the portal. (Courtesy Military Park Partnership) 

In addition to the U.S. cities, there are portals placed in multiple locations throughout the world, like Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Iran.

The portal, which will be in Military Park through June 30 and is free to use, comes after a string of improvements at the Newark park, which underwent a full multi-million dollar renovation in 2014. The new installation fits in with the rest of the community space, said Ben Donsky of Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, who also serves as Vice President of the Military Park Partnership, which redeveloped the space.

"We want to use this as a town square that creates serendipitous interactions between strangers in Newark," Donsky said of the park, which includes attractions ranging from Ping-Pong tables to a custom-made city history carousel.

"This takes those principals...and (allows us) the opportunity to do that on a global scale."

So far, people have been signing on to try the portal out. Visitors can either pass by the portal to walk in, or reserve a 20-minute session online. Users have given the experience positive reviews.

"I strongly encourage people to stop by the portal and share their experiences and perspectives with partners from all over the globe," said New Jersey Institute for Social Justice CEO Ryan Haygood, who recently spoke with a community organizer from Milwaukee, Wis. via the portal.

"It is time well spent."

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

A look at New Jersey uniforms

A look at New Jersey uniforms

Assault allegedly stemmed from fight over dollar

NEWARK -- Detectives arrested a 27-year-old man who was wanted for attacking a woman with a brick last week in the city, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement Monday.

Jerrell K. Hayes was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon.

The 25-year-old victim said Hayes threw the brick, striking her in the head as the two argued over a dollar, according to police. The woman needed stitches for her injuries.

Newark detectives arrest 3 fugitives, official says

Police described the incident as a domestic violence case and said the investigation was continuing.

Detectives with the city's Fugitive Apprehension Team took Hayes into custody without incident at a residence on Howell Place Sunday, the director said.

Anyone with information was asked to call 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.

For-profit chain Prime Healthcare announced the $62 million purchase is final after a three-year process.

NEWARK -- Most of the 1,357 employees at St. Michael's Medical Center will keep their jobs, now that the sale of the hospital to a for-profit healthcare chain has been finalized.

Prime Healthcare's $62 million purchase of the 149-year-old Newark hospital preserved all but 29 of the jobs at the medical center, nearly have of which were in management, the company said.

The hospital's new owner has reached agreements with the three largest unions representing employees at the hospital, and all three have ratified new contracts, a Prime spokesman confirmed. He declined to detail specifics of the agreements with JNESO District Council 1, District 1199J (National Union of Hospital and Health Care Workers) and the Operating Engineers Local 68, which together represent 780 of the hospital's employees.

"I am pleased that we have been able to reach agreement...that provides for continuation of our health, pension and training fund benefits as well maintaining many other hard fought gains that we have achieved over the past 40 plus years," Sue Cleary, president of 1199J, said in a statement.

Drew Alban, shop steward for Operating Engineers Local 68, added that his union was "happy... glad we're staying open and we're glad we joined together to ensure (that Prime) acquired Saint Michael's."

The finalized sale is three years in the making. St. Michael's, millions of dollars in debt, put itself up for sale in 2012. Prime's bid to buy it survived several price changes, a slew of state approvals, and a report recommending that the hospital be closed. The report sparked an outcry from local lawmakers and residents, who supported the sale to keep jobs and healthcare options open in the city.

Robert Iannaccone has been appointed CEO. (Courtesy Prime Healthcare)
 

"There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Prime Healthcare has saved Saint Michael's, along with nearly 1,400 jobs that we could not afford to lose in this city," Newark Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins said in a release about the purchase.

"Instead of an empty hospital building, we will continue to have a thriving hospital in the heart of the Central Ward."

As part of its bid to buy the hospital, Prime agreed to keep the facility operating as a hospital for at least five years, and will invest $50 million worth of technology and new services to modernize it. Prime owns 43 other healthcare centers in 14 states across the country.

"We believe that every community deserves exceptional healthcare close to home," the company's CEO Dr. Prem Reddy said in a release. "Prime Healthcare hospitals are consistently ranked among the best hospitals in the nation, and we have no doubt that Saint Michael's Medical Center will continue that legacy."

In its announcement about the deal being complete, Prime also revealed its choice for a new CEO, Robert Iannaccone, who previously worked as senior vice president of Cardiovascular Services at Barnabas Health. Iannaccone, a councilman in Morristown, called the job "an honor and a privilege."

"I look forward to working with our employees and medical staff as we begin a new chapter in Saint Michael's that builds upon our mission of providing quality healthcare to the community."

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

Non-partisan municipal elections are happening in Belleville, Irvington, Montclair, Nutley, and Orange.

Five Essex towns are holding elections Tuesday. (File photo)
 

ESSEX COUNTY -- Voters in five Essex County towns will head to the polls Tuesday to elect local officials. The non-partisan municipal elections will be held in Belleville, Irvington, Montclair, Nutley, and Orange.

The race for mayor in Orange has made headlines as one of the most contentious in the state, with candidates bashing heads over several allegations, including inappropriate online posts and campaign sign swiping.

The contested council elections in Irvington and Montclair also made a PolitickerNJ list of elections to watch. In Irvington, a mayor-backed slate of incumbents is being challenged, and in Montclair, Councilman Sean Spiller is being challenged by Maureen Eledson. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that Spiller, a teacher who serves as secretary/treasurer of the NJEA, should step down from the Board of School Estimate.

See the list of candidates in Essex County below.

Council

First Ward

Marie Strumolo Burke

Mary A. Higgins

Second Ward

Gary Hinton

Jeffrey A. Mattingly

Carol Politz

Steven J. Rovell

Third Ward

William Escott

Vincent Cozzarelli

Fourth Ward

John J. Notari

Diana Guardabasco

Council

East Ward

Paul J. Inman

North Ward

Cathy Southerland

David Lyons

South Ward

Sandra R. Jones

Al-Tariq Shabazz

West Ward

Vern Cox

Merreick L. Harris

Mayor

Robert D. Jackson

Town Council

At-Large - Vote for two

Robert J. Russo

Rich McMahon

First Ward

William Hurlock

Second Ward

Robin Schlager

Third Ward

Sean M. Spiller

Maureen Edelson

Fourth Ward

Renee E. Baskerville

Commission

Vote for five

Steven L. Rogers

Alphonse Al Petracco

John V. Kelly

Mauro G. Tucci

Frank Contella

Joseph P. Scarpelli

Sanford Sam D. Fleitell

Thomas J. Evans

Mayor

One four-year term

Dwayne D. Warren

Janice L. Morrell

Kerry J. Coley

Council

At-Large - Vote for three

Andrea R. Elliot

Sharief R. Williams

Rayfield R. Morton

Merlin Hackett

Joseph M. Juliano

Ashley J. Cartwright

Adrienne Wooten

April Gaunt-Butler

Elroy A Corbitt

Donna K. Williams

Christopher G. Jackson

Vanessa Arroyave

Jeffrey Wingfield

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

Voting is officially open for the top cap in the state.

Voting is officially open for the top cap in the state.

Incumbent Dwayne Warren, a lawyer seeking a second 4-year term, was criticized as a Christiecrat and a "carpetbagger." Warren dismissed his two challengers as unqualified

ORANGE -- Capping a contentious mayoral campaign that pitted an incumbent accused of opportunism, defamation and other ills against a pair of challengers he dismissed as unqualified, voters in Orange headed for the polls Tuesday to chose a mayor.

"I didn't pay any attention to all that, even though some of my opinions agree with it," said Margaret Doyle, an 83-year-old retired ShopRite cashier, who had just voted at a South and West ward polling place at the Board of Education offices on Lincoln Avenue.

One of those things Doyle agreed with was criticism of the incumbent, Mayor Dwayne Warren, a Democrat, for his endorsement of Republican Gov. Chris Christie's re-election bid in 2013.

That particular criticism has been led by Councilman Kerry Coley, a former Orange Police sergeant and lifetime resident who is one of two candidates challenging Warren for a 4-year term as mayor.

In one of the campaign's more notable twists, the Coley filed a defamation suit last month against Warren, alleging that the mayor and others falsely accused Coley of exposing the public to pornography through an explicit video on Facebook.

Coley is charging that Warren was behind both a fraudulent campaign mailer sent to city residents and a website aimed attacking the councilman. Warren has declined to comment on the suit.

The other challenger is Janice Morrill, an Orange Zoning Board member and retired Rutgers admissions official making her first bid for elected office. Morrill has questioned the mayor's concern for the health of Orange residents, because, she insists, he has failed to address several environmental issues, including elevated levels of lead in the town's water supply and mold that persists at the newly restored YMCA on Main Street.

Warren has insisted that the water and the YMCA are safe. He has also defended the Christie endorsement as being in the best interest of Orange, a cash-strapped city in need of state aid, and said it helped him negotiate a $2.5 million grant from the Christie Administration to purchase and renovate the Y.
 
Warren, a municipal attorney who upset incumbent Mayor Eldridge Hawkins in 2012, has countered his opponents' criticism by charging that they lack the expertise, experience, and leadership skills to guide the city.

But his decision to back the Republican governor, questioned even by some of his supporters, has cast the mayor as a so-called Christiecrat, and earned him the mistrust of many of Orange's die-hard Democrats.

Even so, like Doyle, several voters interviewed on this sunny election day morning said that even though they disliked Christie, that didn't mean they weren't willing to give Warren four more years to further the progress they believe he has led in Orange.  

"While I don't support Chris Christie, I do believe that you have to make calculated decisions to get what we need, and I think the mayor made a calculated decision," said Kamillah Knight, 24, who works in purchasing for the consumer products firm Unilever. "I like the fact that he supports the families and the seniors in our city. It's a fantastic thing that he opened the Y."

"He's a little slow on the uptake," Knight said of Warren's failure to address some local issues in his first four years. "Hope he'll eventually give the firefighters a contract and give the police raises. But these tings take time."  

Poll workers at the Board of Education and at Washington Manner, an Orange Housing Authority senior residence serving as an East Ward polling place, said turnout among Orange's 15,000 registered voters seemed to be above average for a municipal election during the first couple of hours of voting, likely because it was a mayoral race, and a contentious one at that. But the polls workers predicted that most voting would occur after work, before polls close at 8 p.m.

The few residents who agreed to talk about their votes did not include any Coley or Morrill supporters.

One Coley supporter, Weldon Montague, who was serving as an election challenger at the Washington Manor polling place, reiterated his candidate's appeal to voters as a native son of Orange who, despite a lack of advanced education and oratorical skills, would still be preferable to the incumbent.
 
"For a lot of people, this is what they're dwelling on: Coley doesn't have a degree; Coley doesn't speak well," said Montague, 50, who works for the state. But, he added, "Coley, he has it in the heart. He's a good man. He's an honest man." 

Lateefah Carr, a 40-year-old claims inspector who had just cast a vote for Warren, didn't disagree with Montague. But for Carr, who moved to Orane when she was 12, honesty was not enough.
 
"Coley doesn't have any experience, he didn't give me anything to bite on," she said. "He wants me to vote for him because he lived here all his life? So did I. Morrill, she's an intelligent woman, she was at Rutgers. But I didn't necessarily see the correlation between that and knowing how to run a city."

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Residents voted in mayors and members of local governing bodies.

ESSEX COUNTY -- Voters in five Essex County towns elected mostly incumbent candidates Tuesday. The non-partisan municipal elections were held in Belleville, Irvington, Montclair, Nutley, and Orange.

Overall, about 16,559 voters turned out Tuesday, about 13.89 percent of those eligible to, the Essex County Clerk reported.

After a contentious mayoral election in Orange, incumbent Dwayne Warren beat out challengers Kerry Coley and Jan Morrill. In Montclair's only contested election, incumbent Councilman Sean Spiller beat out challenger Maureen Edelson. In Nutley, all five current commissioners were reelected.

See the full preliminary list of winners below, according to results posted by the Essex County Clerk.

Council

First Ward

Marie Strumolo Burke -- 515 votes

Mary A. Higgins -- 114 votes

Second Ward

Gary Hinton -- 84 votes

Jeffrey A. Mattingly -- 152 votes

Carol Politz -- 178 votes

Steven J. Rovell -- 485 votes

Third Ward

William Escott -- 88 votes

Vincent Cozzarelli -- 455 votes

Fourth Ward

John J. Notari -- 490 votes

Diana Guardabasco -- 172 votes

Council

East Ward

Paul J. Inman -- 292 votes

North Ward

Cathy Southerland -- 149 votes

David Lyons -- 433 votes

South Ward

Sandra R. Jones -- 613 votes

Al-Tariq Shabazz -- 313 votes

West Ward

Vern Cox -- 404 votes

Merreick L. Harris -- 92 votes

Mayor

Robert D. Jackson -- 1,928 votes

Town Council

At-Large - Vote for two

Robert J. Russo -- 1,866

Rich McMahon -- 1,795

First Ward

William Hurlock -- 324 votes

Second Ward

Robin Schlager -- 338 votes

Third Ward

Sean M. Spiller -- 692 votes

Maureen Edelson -- 256 votes

Fourth Ward

Renee E. Baskerville -- 543 votes

Commission

Vote for five

Steven L. Rogers -- 3,061 votes

Alphonse Al Petracco -- 3,242 votes

John V. Kelly -- 2,474 votes

Mauro G. Tucci -- 3,147 votes

Frank Contella -- 1,273 votes

Joseph P. Scarpelli -- 3,597 votes

Sanford Sam D. Fleitell -- 1,273 votes

Thomas J. Evans -- 3,129 votes

Mayor

One four-year term

Dwayne D. Warren -- 1,921 votes

Janice L. Morrell -- 664 votes

Kerry J. Coley -- 1,256 votes

Council

At-Large - Vote for three

Andrea R. Elliot -- 548 votes

Sharief R. Williams -- 552 votes

Rayfield R. Morton -- 518 votes

Merlin Hackett -- 530 votes

Joseph M. Juliano -- 228 votes

Ashley J. Cartwright -- 192 votes

Adrienne Wooten -- 781 votes

April Gaunt-Butler -- 535 votes

Elroy A Corbitt -- 556 votes

Donna K. Williams -- 1,071 votes

Christopher G. Jackson -- 820 votes

Vanessa Arroyave -- 738 votes

Jeffrey Wingfield -- 578 votes

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

After checking two locations in N.J., the agent said they found the suspect in the lobby of a NYC apartment building.

NEWARK -- It was one week after a man broke into a Millburn home and attacked a woman. The violent June 21, 2013 assault attracted attention after video from a "nanny cam" was released, showing the attack.

The FBI in Newark had contacted Millburn police and offered their help, and now the bureau's authority proved worthwhile, an FBI special agent testified in court Tuesday.

"We had the authority to cross state lines," the agent testified. On June 28, 2013, after checking two locations in New Jersey, the agents went to another address,  a New York City apartment building, and there in the lobby they arrested the suspect, Shaun Custis, 45, of Newark.

The special agent, who spent 10 years assigned to the Violent Crime Task Force in FBI's Newark Office, is now working out of the bureau's office in Washington, D.C.

He flew into Newark yesterday to testify at the Custis' trial. Because of the agent's current assignment, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office requested that his name be withheld.

Custis is charged with attempted murder, robbery, burglary and related offenses for allegedly punching the woman, kicking her and ultimately throwing her down the basement stairs, all while her 3-year-old daughter sat nearby on the living-room couch and her 18-month-old son was asleep in an upstairs bedroom.

The video showing the beating has been at the center of the trial.

Custis' attorney, Essex County Deputy Public Defender John McMahon, argued the video does not clearly depict the assailant's face.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper said witnesses who are familiar with Custis had seen the video and identified him as the assailant in statements to the police.

On Tuesday, Semper had the FBI agent describe how he and investigators from Essex County, assisted by FBI agents in New York, apprehended Custis in the lobby of the apartment building, and then went to the apartment of a woman in the building where Custis had been staying.

The agent identified photographs of men's clothing found in the apartment, including a pair of white sneakers similar to the ones the attacker is seen wearing in the video. The agent also identified a shirt and jeans found in the apartment.

Semper, in his opening statement, said DNA tests determined that blood on Custis' jeans had come from the victim of the attack.

Under cross-examination from McMahon, the agent said he was in the apartment but it was other investigators who admitted he was not in the apartment when other investigators photographed the men's clothing and collected the clothing for  evidence.

The trial before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler is scheduled to resume Thursday.

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

It took until the second week of May, but there was finally a repeat No. 1 in the NJ.com Baseball Top 20 . While things settled down atop the ratings there was still plenty of craziness throughout the rest of the rankings. Five first-timers moved into the ratings. Click through the rest of the slideshow to find out who joined the Top 20.

Troy Leonard, 31, of Franklin Lakes, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and health care claims fraud on Tuesday, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office said.

NEWTON -- A special education consultant who was accused of sexual assault and health care claims fraud last year admitted Tuesday to touching the genitals of eight children and submitting fraudulent insurance claims, authorities said.

Troy Leonard, 31, of Franklin Lakes, pleaded guilty to eight counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree health care claims fraud, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. Leonard admitted to having sexual contact against eight children under the age of 13 while he served as their behavioral therapist. Leonard also admitted to billing insurance companies for treatment he didn't provide.

Leonard's case had been referred to a grand jury for review, but he had not been indicted prior to his guilty plea on Tuesday.

Leonard advertised himself online as a life coach, a family counselor and an Applied Behavior Analysis therapist, but records with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board show he's not a credentialed behavior analyst. His license as a marriage and family therapy counselor is currently suspended, according to records with the Division of Consumer Affairs.

According to New Jersey Herald, Leonard submitted $650,000 worth of fraudulent insurance claims between August 2011 and November 2015. The newspaper also reported that the sexual assaults took place in Wantage, West Milford, Ringwood, Lafayette and Verona.

As part of the plea deal, the prosecutor's office agreed to drop child endangerment charges and consolidate 38 counts of health claims fraud into one count, Sussex County Assistant Prosecutor Seana Pappas confirmed.

The deal calls for Leonard to serve 10 years in prison -- a five-year concurrent sentence on the sexual assault charges and a five-year consecutive term for the health care claims fraud charge -- and requires he serve 85 percent of his sentence for the sexual assaults before he's eligible for parole, she said.

"While the agreed upon sentence is less then what the defendant would be exposed to if he were found guilty of all counts after a trial, it is an appropriate recommended sentence upon admission of guilt so early in the judicial process," Pappas said.

Pappas said Leonard was not accused of nor did he admit to penetrating the victims and that the prosecutor's office took into account "many factors" in its plea offer, "particularly the fact that the child victims will now not have to testify in any pre-trial hearings or a trial itself."

"This coupled with the defendant's admission of the acts he committed upon the minors and closure of the matter will help the children to heal," she said.

Leonard will be sentenced on July 15 by Judge William J. McGovern.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Alleged drug dealer arrested

NEWARK -- Two Newark police officers interrupted a drug transaction, arrested the accused dealer and seized a loaded gun along with a host of narcotics, authorities said Wednesday.

According to Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, officers Roger Mendes and Onofre Cabezas were checking a building on the 700 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard Tuesday afternoon when they spotted Santos Rivera sell drugs to an unidentified woman.

Officers arrested Rivera as he tried to run into an apartment, authorities said in a statement. A search of a backup he was wearing revealed 10 envelopes holding 207 decks of heroin, 22 vials of cocaine, 31 bags of marijuana, a loaded handgun and bullets.

Newark detectives arrest 3 fugitives, official says

The suspected drug buyer managed to escape, police said. Rivera, 24, of Newark, faces charges, including possession of heroin, cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute the drugs within school and public housing property, and weapons possession.

Police asked anyone with information to contact the 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.

Upcoming East Orange land auctions are looking to sell abandoned city-owned properties for cheap.

EAST ORANGE -- Abandoned homes in the city are going, going, gone.

As part of East Orange's ongoing initiative to remove blight and cut down on the high number of abandoned residential and commercial properties, city officials announced Tuesday an as-is auction. The starting bids for the two dozen city-owned homes are as low as $30,000.

"Getting blighted properties back on our tax rolls is the next step in our aggressive campaign to revitalize our city," Mayor Lester Taylor said in a statement about the sale.

"All potential investors play a vital role in helping us to achieve our vision to set the standard for urban excellence and become a destination city."

Turning 700 vacant homes into a bright future

The in-person auctions are happening on May 20 and May 27 at 11 a.m. at East Orange city hall.

The auctions are the latest move in an initiative started last year that identified 700 vacant and abandoned properties across the city. East Orange stands to gain about $215,000 in tax revenue from the sales of these 24 properties. And, another 60 properties in the Teen Streets section of the city are pending foreclosure, and likely to be auctioned off soon, city officials said.

Bidders must be on-site at the auctions to buy properties, and pre-register with the city's corporation council by May 19 for the first auction and May 26 for the second. At the auctions, bidders must present 10 percent of the minimum bid in the form of a certified check, cashier's check, or money order.

Get information about the available properties in the gallery above, and see a full list of buyer qualifications and auction rules here.

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

Livingston resident had cocaine in his carry-on and in his hand, according to Port Authority police

NEWARK — A Livingston man had bags of suspected cocaine in his hand when he was arrested Tuesday afternoon at a Newark Liberty International Airport security checkpoint, according to authorities.

Joel GoldsteinPort Authority police

Joel Goldstein, 55, was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a press release.

Goldstein's bag was designated for additional checking in Terminal C at about 3:30 p.m. because it had a bottle of water in it, spokesman Joe Pentangelo said. Agents then found a total of 35 sealed bags containing a white, powdery substance in his luggage and in his Goldstein's hands.

Goldstein was traveling alone.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A Newark man was charged with the fatal shooting of a East Orange victim who was killed in East Orange.

Valentino Kirkland, 41, is charged with the fatal shooting of an East Orange man in April. (Essex County Prosecutor's Office) 

NEWARK -- They were acquaintances and got in an argument that ended with gunfire last month, authorities said.

Now Valentino Kirkland, 41, of Newark, faces a murder charge for the fatal shooting of Gary Brown, 40, in East Orange on April 17.

Authorities said Brown, an East Orange resident, was gunned down on the 100 block of Warwick Street about 8:30 a.m.

Brown and Kirkland had known each other and got into a dispute, said said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Kirkland was arrested May 3 and charged with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to court records.

During Kirkland's arraignment on Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler ordered bail remain at $1 million.

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