Temperatures are running as much as 15 degrees above normal for this time of year.

Yes, it's hot outside. As in summer hot.

The thermometer hit 90 degrees at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Newark Liberty International Airport and also soared to 90 down in Toms River, according to preliminary weather data.

While it certainly feels like late June or early July outside, with temperatures running about 15 degrees above normal for late May, it appears it won't be hot enough to break any daily temperature records in the New Jersey region, said Valerie Meola, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly. 

Newark's record high for May 25 is 93 degrees, which was set in 1991, Meola said. The hottest Toms River ever was on May 25 also was 93 degrees, back in 1964, according to data from the state climatology office at Rutgers University. 

Air quality alert issued for N.J.

Among the other places with hot temperatures Wednesday afternoon are Caldwell, Cherry Hill, Jersey City and Teterboro, all reporting in at 89 degrees, Howell, New Brunswick and Sussex Borough at 88, Atlantic City, Holmdel, Pomona and Seaside Heights, at 87 degrees, and Millville, Trenton and Wrightstown, at 86 degrees.

Atlantic City's daily record for May 25 is 94 degrees, set in 1991, Meola said. Trenton's record high is 93, set way back in 1880.

Forecasters are expecting another hot day on Thursday, with temperatures rising into the mid- to upper 80s across most areas of the Garden State, and hovering in the upper 70s in coastal areas. On Friday, there's a risk of afternoon showers or thunderstorms.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Investigators say the suspects were part of a widespread business that saw 320 bettors and took in tens of millions.

HACKENSACK - Forty-six people have been arrested in three states and $2 million cash seized in what investigators are calling a large-scale criminal enterprise involving gambling, money laundering and racketeering.

Investigators say Robert "Elvis" D'Alessio, 62, of Little Falls, operated an illegal enterprise in and around Bergen County, employing a hierarchy of more than 50 gambling agents who oversaw about 320 bettors, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal.

The agents or "package holders" oversaw individual bettors and collected money from gambling losses. They also paid out winnings, the prosecutor said.

"These package holders managed 22 different gambling accounts," Grewal alleged in a statement.

D'Alessio allegedly ran the operation with the help of an off-shore wire room in Costa Rica, the prosecutor said. 

Grewal said agents and bettors used offshore 1-800 numbers to place or check on bets.

"The entire gambling operation is estimated to have processed tens of millions of dollars in wagers per year," Grewal said.

20 charged in ID theft ring

In addition to dozens of "package holders" identified throughout the New York/New Jersey area, the investigation revealed that D'Alessio's  former brother-in-law, Esteban "Steve" Cueli, played a key role in the enterprise, Grewal alleged.

In addition to managing several "packages" relating to the bookmaking operation in and around South Florida, Cueli is charged with conspiring with D'Alessio  to launder the proceeds of the illegal gambling operation, the prosecutor said.

The investigation also revealed that D'Alessio and Cueli conspired with Enrique Larach, a businessman in Miami, Fla., to launder proceeds from D'Alessio's illegal gambling operation, according to the prosecutor.

Robert Beatty of Wayne, Alfonc Pilinci of Franklin Lakes and Dante Monaco of Hackettstown have been charged for their alleged roles as managers within the enterprise, Grewal stated.

In addition to the prosecutor's office, the following agencies assisted in the arrests: New Jersey State Police, Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Broward County, Fla. Sheriff's Department, the Miami-Dade Police Department, and the New York City Police Department.

D'Alessio, Beatty, Monaco, Pilinci and Gregory Farace wer taken to the Bergen County Jail. Others arrested out of state were released on their own recognizance, pending extradition to New Jersey, the prosecutor said.

Here is a list of the suspects and charges:

1) ROBERT D'ALESSIO
Age: 62
Little Falls, Racketeering
Promoting Gambling
Money Laundering
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unemployed

2) JEFFREY BADAAN
Age: 33
Wayne, Promoting Gambling (3rd)
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Liquor Store Clerk

3) JAMES MIELE
Age: 52
Bridgewater, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unknown

4) ERIC OROZCO
Age: 39
Paterson, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unemployed

5) LOUIS SEMINERIO
Age: 69
Elmwood Park, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Retired

6) CASEY PASSMORE
Age: 35
Boonton, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unemployed

7) ROBERT BEATTY
Age: 40
Wayne, Racketeering
Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Restaurant owner

8) JOSEPH LOFORESE
Age: 30
Little Falls, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unknown

9) FATMIR SALAJ
Age: 45
Matawan, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unknown

10) ALFONC PILINCI
Age: 59
Franklin Lakes, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Restaurant owner

11) LULZIM "LUIGI" CANA
Age: 39
Dover, Promoting Gambling (3rd)
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Restaurant owner

12) GEZIM PILINCI
Age: 30
Franklin Lakes, Obstruction of Justice
Unknown

13) THOMAS D'ALESSIO JR.
Age: 66
Hackettstown, NJ Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Retired

14) IMER DRAGA, A/K/A MICHAEL DOLCE
Age: 47
Staten Island, NY Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Restaurant owner

15) JOSEPH D'ALESSIO
Age: 55
Wyckoff, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Teacher

16) ANTHONY MAGNANI
Age: 43
Harrison, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Bar owner

17) ESTEBAN "STEVE" CUELI
Age: 56
Doral, Fla. Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Unemployed

18) COREY ARRAJJ
Age: 31
Wyckoff, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy
Salesman

19) JOSEPH GRELLO
Age: 51
Newton, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy 
Self-Employed

20) RON KOCERHA
Age: 47
Secaucus, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy
Restaurant owner

21) GREGORY FARACE
Age: 51
Pequannock, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy
Unemployed

22) RALPH GAMBA
Age: 60
Livingston, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy Retired

23) WILLIAM RZUCIDLO
Age: 23
Parsippany, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy
Unknown

24) MARTIN FLANAGAN
Age: 72
Morristown, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Retired

25) BRIAN RUSSO
Age: 41
Verona, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Self-Employed

26) RONNIE FOX
Age: 57
Woodland Park, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Swim Instructor

27) DULO BOLIJEVIC
Age: 43
Dover, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Restaurant owner

28) EDWARD "BUZZ" KELLY
Age: 48
Bronx, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unemployed

29) VICTOR ROMANO
Age: 37
Staten Island, N.Y., Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unknown

30) WILLIAM GUIDO
Age: 67
Waretown, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Self-Employed

31) KENNETH PABON
Age: 62
Staten Island, N.Y., Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Retired

32) JOHN SCHWARTZ
Age: 52
Secaucus, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Facilities Director

33) KEVIN O'LEARY
Age: 24
Secaucus, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Student

34) CHARLES STEINBERG
Age: 40
Coral Springs, Fla., Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unemployed

35) DANTE MONACO
Age: 53
Hackettstown, 
Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Racketeering
Unemployed

36) JOSEPH FARRUGGIA
Age: 28
Mount Arlington, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unknown

37) DANTE MONACO JR.
Age: 20
Hackettstown, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling 
Unemployed

38) JAMES MANGANIELLO
Age: 56
Totowa, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unknown

39) ENRIQUE LARACH
Age: 54
Miami, Fla., Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Money Laundering
Self-Employed

40) STEPHEN GERISCH
Age: 71
Boonton,
Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Retired

41) SADIK "SAL" KOLIC
Age: 56
Randolph, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Restaurant worker

42) TYLER BERNTSEN
Age: 25
Lebanon, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unemployed

43) NEIL ESKOW
Age: 43
Fair Lawn, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unemployed

44) PALMA PAKULNIEWICZ
Age: 70
Secaucus, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Retired

45) JARED PETRUSKA
Age: 30
Wayne, Promoting Gambling
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Construction worker

46) PAUL JON SILJEE
Age: 26
Wayne, Promoting Gambling 
Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Unknown

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

Maritza Rivera dropped out of college 23 years ago to raise her son. She returned to campus in time for them to graduate on the same day.

NEWARK -- In the summer of 1993, Maritza Rivera was working a full-time job while raising two young sons and going to college part time. 

A political science major, Rivera hoped to take a few classes each semester, earn a degree from Montclair State University and attend law school, she said. But that all changed when she found out she was pregnant.

"Having a new baby takes a lot of time for a mom," said Rivera, who stopped taking classes that summer. "I really didn't think I was going to ever go back to school." 

On Wednesday, 23 years after she walked away from her dream of becoming a lawyer, Rivera donned a black cap and gown at Montclair State's commencement ceremony after finally earning her degree in political science.

Michael Ruiz and his mother Maritza Rivera at Montclair State University Commencement 2016 held at the Prudential Center in Newark. 5/25/16 (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Her 22-year-old son, Michael Ruiz, stood beside her at the Prudential Center in his own cap and gown after completing a bachelor's degree in science and biology. 

"It's double special," Rivera, 52, said before the ceremony. "Not only did I finish what I wanted to do but also my son, my baby, is finishing his first four years of college." 

Rivera and Ruiz, both of Garfield, didn't plan to graduate on the same day, they said. 

Rivera, who is divorced from Ruiz' father, raised her three sons in Passaic while working various jobs in payroll or accounting for local businesses, she said. She never imagined returning to college until she got laid off in 2013, she said. 

As she looked for work, Rivera saw that many employers wanted someone with a college degree, she said. By re-enrolling at Montclair State, Rivera extended her unemployment benefits while securing that coveted degree.

"Everybody asks for a degree nowadays to do anything," Rivera said. 

Rivera returned to school full-time in the fall of 2013 and kept applying for jobs, she said. Even when she landed a full-time position the following year as an office manger for a construction company in Clifton, she continued taking classes in the evening. 

One semester, Rivera and Ruiz took the same world dance class and choose each other as dance partners when they could, he said. 

"Me and my mom have a great relationship," Ruiz said. "If you would see us together you would think we were best friends." 

Because Rivera retained about 40 credits she had completed in the early 1990s, she was able to complete her political science degree this spring, just as Ruiz was competing his bachelor's degree. 

Ruiz will take courses at Rutgers-Newark this fall before starting medical school next year, he said. 

Rivera doesn't know what's next for her but said she isn't ruling out graduate school.

"Who knows," she said. 'We'll see what happens." 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

10th member of oxycodone ring pleads guilty

NEWARK -- A 54-year-old Belleville man Wednesday became the tenth person to admit his role in a oxycodone distribution ring in Essex County and elsewhere, according to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman's office. 

Rickie Horvath pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas.

According to Fishman's office, the members of the drug ring secured prescriptions for oxycodone and other drugs from various physicians in New Jersey and filled them at Belleville-area pharmacies. 

Horvath admitted that from February 2014 to August of that year, he got the prescriptions, filled them and sold pills to members of his ring and others, it said.

According to Fishman's office, on one day, Horvath said he and two other conspirators were able to get and fill prescriptions for 180 Endocet pills and then sell them on the street. The Endocet pills, it said, contained 10 milligrams of oxycodone.

The ring was busted by Drug Enforcement Administration agents working with confidential sources and physical and electronic surveillance, it said.

Crips members admit role in drug ring

Horvath faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million when he is sentenced Sept. 12, Fishman's office said.

He joins a number of other family members and others -- ringleader Victoria Horvath, 43 of Belleville; Monica Horvath, 22, Tony Marco, 47 and Steven  Horvath, all of Rutherford and Justin Farraj of Newark -- who have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Salas already has sentenced co-conspirators Brian Perez to 40 months in prison; Daniel Horvath to 27 months in prison; Luis Rivera to 54 months in prison and Johnny Horvath to 30 months in prison. 

A Belleville pharmacist, Vincent Cozzarelli, had charges against him withdrawn when he died in April 2014. 

The indictment remains pending against five other individuals, Fishman's office said. 

Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

In trying to define Memorial Day, the words of those who served our country are the most profound.

Recently, I stepped out of my office in Newark to ask folks walking on Market Street their thoughts on Memorial Day.

I learned some things aside from the fact that a LOT of people use earbuds these days.

"It's a day off, and I sure don't get a lot of 'em," said one person.

Two people had one-word answers: "Barbecues."

Another who overheard chimed in with, "You know ... barbecues, the beach, family gatherings."

One person said, "I like the parades. It's nice to see the flags and uniforms and it's not all sad."

"Veterans" was the one-word answer of yet another.

One woman summed it up in four succinct words: "Those who have fallen."

World War II Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Stephen Gregg, center, looks at headstones with other veterans after they participated in the Memorial Day Commemoration held at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City in 1999.NJNP photo by Tom Kitts 

Since its inception as a holiday called Decoration Day in 1868, Memorial Day has inspired meaningful thought. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "Your silent tents of green/we deck with fragrant flowers/yours has the suffering been/the memory shall be ours." Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich said "True patriotism isn't cheap. It's about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going."

Perhaps, the words of those who served are the most profound.

In a speech on Memorial Day in 2014, Desert Storm and Desert Shield veteran Johnny Q. Gogue III noted that the oath sworn by every U.S. soldier is reflected in their deeds and their sacrifices.

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic . . . streaming from the eyes of the returning soldier. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the Officers appointed over me . . . sounding from the stumbling gait of the disabled veteran. According to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God . . . blasting from the cold stone face of a grave marker."

And in the brevity one would expect from Gen. George Patton, "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died."

"Rather we should thank God that such men lived."

A survey of park access, acreage and spending per capita, and other factors ranks Jersey City 36th among the nation's 100 most populous cities, while Newark ranked 75th

NEWARK -- Looking for parks? You may want to bypass the state's largest city in favor of the second largest, according to the results of a survey released Thursday.

In the national comparison of parkland, Jersey City places 36th among the nation's 100 most populous cities, according to the non-profit Trust for Public Land, which promotes and funds open space. Newark tied for 75th with El Paso. 

Parks, said Abby Martin, a researcher for Trust for Public Land, are important because they improve everyone's quality of life.

"There's research showing that children perform better in school when they have more access to nature," Martin said.

"And we, of course, know the importance of exercise and active living, from children playing in a play ground to seniors getting their exercise. And there's even a mental health benefit in terms of community cohesion. Community members can meet each other and interact."

In the key category of what percentage of a city's land area is occupied by parks, Jersey City's 18 percent share triples Newark's 6 percent figure, according to the survey, which takes into account municipal, county and state parks.

Jersey City benefits in that category and others from the presence of Liberty State Park, a waterfront expanse of more than 1,200 acres, or nearly two square miles, in a 14.8-square-mile city.

In terms of amenities in their parks, Jersey City also leads by a wide margin, scoring 12 out of 20 possible points verses Newark's four out of 20 in terms of the number of basketball hoops, dog runs, playgrounds and recreation centers, according to the survey.

But there are other areas where the two cities are comparable.

"Both have pretty high access," said Martin.  "In Jersey City, 91 percent of residents are within a half mile of a park, and in Newark it's also 91 percent."

The national average is 68 percent, and Martin attributed the two cities' relatively high degree of park access to historical factors, including streets layouts centered around neighborhood parks.

"The Trust for Public Land is working to put every American within a 10-minute walk of a park," Martin said of the agency based in Washington, D.C. 

Their annual park spending per capita was also similar, with Newark actually having the higher figure, at $36, versus $29 for Jersey City. Still, park spending in both cities was less than half the national average of $82 per person per year, the survey found.

The full survey is posted on the Trust for Public Land's website.

Martin said there is not a park-sector formula for calculating the return on investment in public swing sets, fountains and lawns. But she said the availability, supply and quality of park space has an impact on various aspects of individuals' lives and the public good.

For example, Martin said, parks contribute to property values, which drive local tax revenues. They also help cleanse the air of automobile and industrial emissions that are especially common in urban areas. Unpaved parkland also absorbs storm water, which guards against sewage overflows and untreated discharges. And there are other benefits.    

With 2015 estimated populations of 281,944 for Newark and 264,290 for Jersey City, the Essex and Hudson County seats are the only New Jersey cities among the nation's 100 most populous.

New York City, America's most populous at an estimated 8,550,405 in 2015, ranked 7th overall on the park survey. Minneapolis, St. Paul and Washington, D.C., tied for first, while Fort Wayne, Ind., was the least park-friendly city among the nation's top 100.     

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said his administration was "honored" to be ranked among the nation's more park-friendly cities, calling the city's parks, "some of our most treasured assets."

"Parks greatly enhance the quality of life in urban areas, which is why we have invested more than $6 million in parks renovations citywide and why we are excited to open next month our newest municipal park, the 17.5-acre Berry Lane in heart of Bergen-Lafayette," Fulop said in a statement.
 
The Trust for Public Land does more than just rankings. The organization, which is funded by private contributions, spent $30 million on parks in the United States, much of that in conjunction with local, state and federal money, said Anthony Cucchi, the Trust's New Jersey state director.

The organization has been particularly active in Newark, where over the past 20 years it has contributed $40 million to land acquisition and construction of 13 parks and school playgrounds, where financing also came from state Green Acres funds and federal grants, as well as corporate contributions from the Prudential Foundation and other sources, said Cucchi. 

A Newark spokeswoman declined to comment on the survey.

Despite its below-average ranking, Newark has made strides in recent years to increase and enhance its parkland, most notably with the creation of a dedicated tax to fund a municipal open space trust fund, now universal among the state's 21 counties but still uncommon for municipalities, Cucchi said. 

Cucchi pointed out that the open space tax would pay off a $25 million bond issue now being considered by the City Council to expand Riverfront Park along the Passaic River. Riverfront is perhaps the city's best known municipal park, as opposed to Branch Brook and Weequahic Parks, which are both part of the Essex County Park System, the first county park system in the country. 

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

Weather data analyzed by NJ Advance Media shows very few Memorial Days in the Garden State have been washouts.

If you ignore all the computer models and weather apps, and try to predict the weather forecast for Memorial Day 2016 based only on past history, the outlook for New Jersey is pretty good.

Turns out Mother Nature has been very kind to the Garden State when it comes to delivering warm temperatures and rain-free days on this particular holiday -- at least during the past 16 years.

Just for fun, and to confirm the accuracy of our long-term memories, we analyzed weather data for three different regions of the state for every Memorial Day from 2000 to 2015.

The 2016 Memorial Day weather forecast

For North Jersey, we checked National Weather Service climate reports from Newark Liberty International Airport, for Central Jersey, we looked at data from the Belmar/Farmingdale weather monitoring site (located at Monmouth Executive Airport in Wall), and for South Jersey we sifted through climate observations for Atlantic City International Airport, which is in Pomona, about 10 miles away from the famous boardwalk.

Here's what we found:

* Thirteen of the past 16 Memorial Days have been nice in South Jersey, 12 have been nice in Central Jersey, and 12 in North Jersey. (Our definition of nice: Days that were completely dry or mostly dry, with more sun than clouds, and temperatures warm enough to enjoy the beach, parades, barbecues or other outdoor activities. If a Memorial Day started out with early-morning showers, but the sky was clear and dry the rest of the day, with temperatures in the 70s, 80s or 90s, we counted that as nice.)

* Only two Memorial Days statewide since 2000 have been total washouts, with overcast skies and rain showers most of the day. That was in 2003 and 2004. 

* Temperatures have been average or above average on 12 of the past 16 Memorial Days in North Jersey, and 11 of the past 16 in Central Jersey and South Jersey. (The average temperature in late May -- the average between the daily high and daily low -- ranges from 65 to 68 degrees.) 

* Seven of the last 10 Memorial Days had high temperatures hitting the 80s or low 90s in all three regions of the state.

* The worst Memorial Day weather in the past 16 years was on May 26, 2003, when the day was rainy and chilly statewide, with temperatures stuck in the 50s throughout the dreary day.

* The past four Memorial Days were completely dry across the entire state, except for a trace of rain that fell in North Jersey in the wee hours of the morning on Memorial Day 2012. 

* Memorial Day 2011 started out with heavy thunderstorms and rain showers in North Jersey around 6 a.m. and light rain from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., then cloudy the rest of the day. In Central Jersey, early morning showers gave way to mostly sunny skies and temperatures climbing into the upper 80s. South Jersey had no rain that day and temperatures soaring to 91 degrees. (We counted that day as a bad one for North Jersey and a good one for central and southern New Jersey, because it was a nice beach day.)

The current weather outlook for this year's Memorial Day is mixed. Temperatures and humidity levels are expected to rise this weekend, and there's a threat of afternoon showers or thunderstorms on Friday, Sunday and Monday, the day the holiday is observed.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The victim was abducted in Newark last month

A woman kidnapped in Newark escaped from her abductor as they traveled through Upstate New York, authorities said.

Rasheed McKenithNew York State Police 

Rasheed McKenith, 39, of Newark was arrested and charged with second-degree kidnapping, New York State Police announced on Wednesday.

The victim and McKenith were in a car on the New York State Thruway in Sloatsburg on April 30 when she managed to flee unharmed, according to police. She sought help from passing motorists.

New York State Police arrested McKenith after gathering information from Newark cops and interviewing witnesses at the scene.

McKenith was sent to Rockland County jail on $25,000 cash bail. 

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

Who are 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.

Games you need to hear about as the tournament rolls on.

The pedestrian was hit by a charter bus Thursday, officials said. Watch video

WEST ORANGE -- A woman was killed Thursday after being struck by a bus, Essex County Prosecutor's Office Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly confirmed.

The woman was hit by a charter bus on Harrison Avenue at around 10 a.m., authorities said. 

The victim's identity was not immediately being released, pending family notification, Fennelly said. No charges have been filed in connection with the incident, but an active investigation is ongoing, he said.

Authorities are working to confirm whether or not anyone on board the bus suffered any injuries as a result of the strike, he said.

A spokeswoman for the West Orange police department declined to comment on the incident, directing media questions to the prosecutor's office.

Additional details were not immediately available.

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

Police made the string of arrests this week.

NEWARK -- Four men wanted in a four separate city robberies and shootings are behind bars after a series of arrests this week by the Newark police department's Fugitive Apprehension Team, police announced Thursday morning.

The string of arrests, police said, included:

• FATS detectives and the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force arrested Ferdinand Ortiz Wednesday afternoon in Elizabeth. Ortiz was wanted in a May 5 shooting on Goble Street, police said.
• Gerral Ingram, who was wanted in the shooting of two people near the intersection of Littleton Avenue and Cabinet Street on May 21, was arrested Wednesday morning, police said.
• Two Newark men and a teenager were wanted in connection with the May 10 robbery of a 16-year-old, police said. A 17-year-old and Qurimlje Knight were arrested soon after the burglary, police said. The final suspect, Nafee Moore, 18, was arrested this week, police said. All three were charged with robbery and conspiracy, they said.
• In the May 8 robbery of a 38-year-old man in the area of Dickerson Street and 5th Street, police Wednesday arrested Bernardo Monegro, 25, of Passaic, on robbery and conspiracy charges, police said.

Anyone with information on these and other crimes in the city is asked to call 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867.

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

The Bloomfield man faces a 10-count indictment for the Dec. 6 death of a 35-year-old woman.

ELIZABETH -- A grand jury has indicted a Bloomfield man for murdering a Rahway woman in her home last December. 

Roberto Grillo, 37, is accused of strangling 35-year-old Yolanda Vega inside her Beacon Street house on Dec. 6. 

He faces charges of first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, second-degree burglary, six related weapons offenses and fourth-degree criminal trespassing, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park said Thursday.

The Union County Homicide Task Force and Rahway police responded to Vega's home around 4 a.m. on Dec. 7 and found the woman's body inside. Vega was pronounced dead at the scene, Union County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Spagnoli said.

Details of Vega's death are unclear. Neighbors said one of Vega's two sons found a masked gunman hiding in a closet on Dec. 6 and ran to tell their next-door neighbors. They said one of the neighbors chased the gunman until police arrived and questioned him, while the gunman escaped. 

Neighbors said police searched Vega's house with a dog that night but did not find her, so family members filed a missing person's report. A relative found Vega's body in the basement around 4 a.m. the next day, neighbors said. 

The prosecutor's office and Rahway police have declined to comment on whether authorities were, in fact, at Vega's house on Dec. 6. 

Authorities charged Grillo with the murder on Dec. 15. Grillo was already at Union County Jail because Linden police had arrested him for trespassing at the Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery on the evening of Dec. 6 -- about 90 minutes after Vegas was found to have been killed and at a spot less than half a mile from her house. 

The prosecutor's office said Vega and her family knew Grillo, but they have declined to specify how they were acquainted. 

At the time of the murder, Grillo was free on bail after he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor in Bloomfield. 

Grillo's bail is set at $2 million. Murder convictions are usually punishable by 30 years to life in state prison. 

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The governor had promised to aggressively pursue regulatory relief for charter schools.

ATLANTIC CITY -- Citing a "broken and unaffordable" education system and lengthy waiting lists for charter schools, Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday proposed sweeping reforms that he said would give charter schools greater flexibility in hiring staff and better access to high quality facilities. 

The proposals would give charter schools a chance to develop and propose their own standards for teacher certifications and hire chief financial officers who are certified public accountants but do not hold a master's degree, Christie said. 

New Jersey would also require state-controlled school districts to lease any available school buildings to charter schools and mandate that all public school districts notify the state of unoccupied school facilities available for lease.

Christie announced the proposed reforms in front of hundreds of charter school teachers and administrators at the New Jersey Charter School's Conference in Atlantic City. 

"Our commitment to ensure the success of charter schools in New Jersey has never been stronger," Christie said. "These reforms will heighten the benefits of innovative, accountable learning environments for children, their parents and our communities."

Christie: Charter schools are salvation for families

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of traditional school districts. They are run by appointed school boards and receive per-student payments from the school districts students leave. 

"We are excited to hear that the administration will be moving those proposals forward," said Nicole Cole, president of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. "They are really meaningful and are going to have a huge impact on our schools."    

The proposed reforms will need to be approved by the state Board of Education, according to the charter school association. 

The state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, said the proposals amount to doubling down on Christie's "failed charter school policies."

NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer predicted the proposals will lead to to increased charter school expansion and decreased charter school accountability.

Christie has been an advocate for charter schools since he took office and pledged during his 2016 State of the State address to aggressively prioritize deregulation for charter schools. 

The proposals were developed after Christie met with charter school leaders and asked what barriers are holding them back, he said. 

"All of these ideas came from you," Christie said Thursday.

Other proposed reforms include: 

• Expediting the charter renewal process for high-performing charter schools
• Allowing charter school to apply for public funds for renovation, expansion and reconstruction of their facilities. 
• Allowing single-gender charter schools.
• Allowing single-purpose charter schools. For example: A school dedicated to serving students high-school age or older who need more than four years to graduate. 
• Granting permission for weighted charter school lotteries that give educationally disadvantaged students higher odds of winning admission.

Christie has approved more than 40 new charter schools since taking office, and the number of charter school students in the state should surge past 50,000 after 16 charter school expansions approved earlier this year, according to the state Department of Education.  

His administration has also closed 17 charter schools since 2010 because of academic, operational or financial deficiencies, according to the state. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The West Orange woman was hit in her hometown Thursday morning. Watch video

WEST ORANGE -- The woman who was struck and killed by a charter bus Thursday morning was an 82-year-old West Orange woman, authorities said.

Dilma Khan was trying to cross Harrison Avenue at 9:31 a.m. when a DeCamp Bus traveling east on Mississippi Avenue attempted to make a left turn, and struck her, Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and West Orange Police Chief James Abbott said in a release.

Khan was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:07 a.m., officials said.

Authorities are still investigating what caused the strike, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said Thursday afternoon. No charges have been filed in the crash, he said.

The bus driver "remained at the scene, rendered assistance and called police," authorities said in the release.    

A representative of the DeCamp bus company declined to comment on the strike when reached by phone Thursday afternoon.

Authorities were working to confirm whether or not anyone on board the bus suffered any injuries as a result of the strike, Fennelly said.

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

About 100 elementary school students from Orange got a chance to run their own city in Edison.

EDISON -- The students spent hours during the year learning how to run businesses, handle finances and run a city -- but that was in a classroom.

Thursday was the time for the students of several elementary schools from Orange to show what they learned from Junior Achievement of New Jersey's JA BizTown program -- by running their own town for the day.

They had to role play chief executives of companies and make speeches to convince people to use their products. They had to be bank tellers, medical technologists, utility workers, design engineers, politicians.

Junior Achievement's new facilities at Raritan Center are set up as a mini Main Street and the children, fourth, fifth and sixth graders, had no time to talk -- they had work to do.

They had help from volunteers who work with various businesses and give their time.

Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey had advice for his counterpart, Mayor Luis Perez, 11 -- "make sure you keep taxes low. Then you keep everyone happy."

Perez said he really enjoyed the program and really "like being mayor."

The students receive "pay checks" and have to learn how to use them wisely--how much to put in checking accounts, how much to save and how much they can spend.

Dawn Schwartz, senior vice president for development, communications and capstones for Junior Achievement of New Jersey, said the program is offered free of charge to the schools.

Schwartz said the program starts with 13 teacher-taught lessons and culminates with the day-long field trip that the students experienced in Edison Thursday.

Junior Achievement also has a program for high school students known as JA Finance Park.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The prosecutor in the 'nanny cam' vicious assault of a Millburn woman told jurors the case was solved courageous witnesses. Watch video

NEWARK -- The prosecutor in the "nanny cam" trial, in which the brutal beating of a woman in her home was captured on video, tried to distance himself from the police investigation into the case, telling jurors that it was solved by four courageous women who identified the attacker.

"It's not great police work. It's the community stepping up," Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper said in his closing arguments in Superior Court on Thursday.

Semper referred to four woman who identified Shawn Custis, 45, of Newark, as the man who is seen on a nanny cam video that recorded the June 21, 2013 attack in Millburn. The video shows a woman being kicked and punched, and thrown down the basement stairs while her 3-year-old sat nearby in the living room and 18-month old son slept upstairs.

"We saw of the bravery of four woman who stepped up. They had no incentive to provide information to police," Semper said. He said the women were African-American, as is Custis, and one of them is a former girlfriend. "She doesn't come from a neighborhood where people call police," Semper said.

Before ending his argument, Semper again played the video of the attack as the victim sat in the court room flanked by two investigators from the prosecutor's office. When Semper finished his argument and the jury filed out for lunch, the victim broke down in tears, as she did during her testimony on Wednesday.

Will racial slurs impact nanny cam verdict?

Custis' lawyer, John McMahon, of the Public Defender's Office, argued that racist police focused on his client, lost evidence in the case, failed to follow leads about other suspects, and planted the blood on jeans that were found in a New York City apartment where Custis was arrested on June 28, 2013.

During the trial, jurors learned that shortly after the attack, when the victim called 911 and police arrived, Millburn Police Detective Collin McMillan was recorded by the still-running nanny cam and referred to the then unknown attacker using obscenities and racial slurs.

"We have a racist investigating agency," McMahon said. He said McMillan was the first detective to reach the house, and that he interviewed the victim at the hospital, was present when Custis was arrested, and logged in evidence in the case.

McMillan, in testimony during the trial, apologized to Custis and the jury, said he did not recall uttering the epithets, and said he never interviewed other witnesses in the case or Custis.

McMahon said police mislabeled evidence, and did not find any of Custis' fingerprints in the house, even though the attacker is seen grabbing a banister as he walked upstairs.

"He is not the intruder," McMahon said of his client.

Semper countered that "what McMillan said was stupid. What Shawn Custis did was criminal." The prosecutor said the police were not smart enough to conspire to plant blood.

"You saw the cops on that tape. Did they look that smart to you? I submit to you that they are not that bright. They won't mind me saying that," he said

He noted that the jeans worn by the attacker in the video has the same red stitching as jeans that investigators seized in the New York City apartment where Custis was arrested. Authorities later determined the victim's blood was on those jeans.

Custis is charged with attempted murder, burglary, endangering the welfare of a child, theft and criminal restraint.

The victim testified that she suffered a fracture to her back, a strained knee and injuries that left the right side of her face without any feeling.

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

A 41-year-old Bloomfield man has been charged with slashing a man's face and stabbing him multiple times in Union City yesterday.

JERSEY CITY -- A 41-year-old Bloomfield man is accused of slashing a man's face and stabbing him multiple times in Union City yesterday.

Onix X. Elias, of Elston Street, is charged with using a kitchen knife with a 7-inch blade to slash the right side of the man's face and then stabbing him in the back several times, the criminal complaint says.

He is charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of the knife and possession of the knife for an unlawful purpose, the complaint said.

Elias' bail was set at $10,000 with a 10 percent cash option, which he had already posted, when he made his first court appearance in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City today.

Federal agency filed suit against Ferry Carpets in Newark.

N.J. company was ordered to pay $280,000 to employees. (File photo)
 

NEWARK -- A city flooring company that federal authorities said overworked its workers without compensating them was ordered to pay 15 employees back $280,000, officials announced in a release Wednesday.

A federal consent judgment Tuesday ordered the owners of Ferry Carpets, Inc. to pay $140,000 in back pay and another $140,000 in damages to the employees, who officials said worked up to 72 hours a week, but who were only compensated for 40 hours. The order was the result of a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, which alleged that Ferry violated the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime and recordkeeping provisions.

According to the complaint, between February 2013 and February 2015, Ferry paid floor installers a fixed salary, regardless of how many hours they worked. In order to make it look like the company was in line with labor regulations, it submitted falsified records indicating that employees did not work any overtime hours, it said.

"The violations found in this case are all too common in this industry," John Warner, director of the Northern New Jersey Wage and Hour District Office, said in the release.

"Ferry Carpets denied these low-wage workers the wages they had rightfully and legally earned, profiting on the backs of their employees. This settlement demonstrates that the U.S. Department of Labor is determined to ensure that workers receive a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, and that employers who break the law do not get an unfair competitive advantage over those who play by the rules."

According to officials, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires a federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, plus time and a half for overtime hours beyond 40 a week.

In addition to the $280,000, Ferry agreed to give employees information about the FLSA rules, use an automated time clock to document employee hours, have employees approve their time cards, and hire a third party examiner to audit the company's compliance with the rules.

Ferry's owner could not immediately be reached for comment.

The closing date is not known but the luxury chain is now poised to place its New Jersey bet on the American Dream.

After more than 20 years in an upscale North Jersey mall, Saks Fifth Avenue is checking out.

It is unknown when the store in The Mall at Short Hills will shutter, but the luxury chain is now poised to place its New Jersey bet on the American Dream.

"Saks is committed to our shoppers in the New Jersey market with our investment in a brand new Saks Fifth Avenue store at American Dream in East Rutherford, N.J.," a spokeswoman for the retailer, Tiffany Bourre, said in a statement provided to NJ Advance Media. 

Here's everything promised for the Meadowlands megamall

The retailer has already announced plans to open a 132,000-square-foot storefront in the long-stalled East Rutherford megamall, in addition to its discount offshoot store, Off 5th Avenue, in the complex.

According to Debbie Patire, a spokeswoman for the American Dream, 75 percent of the nearly 3 million square feet of leasable space has been filled in the megamall and the developers still stand by its 2017 debut, despite more delays recently over funding.

Saks has been an anchor store in the Mall at Short Hills since the mid-'90s.

Along with the other anchor shops, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, the mall advertises a directory of more than 150 specialty retailers and restaurants, 40 of which are the boutique's only New Jersey location.

Saks' soon-to-be-shuttered storefront is its only location in New Jersey remaining after the high-end chain left the Shops at Riverside in Hackensack two year ago.

There is still an Off 5th store in The Mills at Jersey Gardens, but Saks failed to address if it planned on doubling-down on the American Dream, operating at the Meadowlands exclusively in New Jersey. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.