Several law firms left the courtroom and headed to the softball field for an annual tournament that raises money to send city kids to camp through the Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund.

The rules seemed kind of quirky for a softball tournament - and costly, too.

If your team gave up a home run, or got caught up in a double play, that was $125. A strike out was the same price and so was hitting a foul ball with a two-strike count.

And if the pitcher let the ball come off the bat for a grand slam? That was $500 big ones.

Then again, it all made perfect sense because this was a tournament to raise money to send city kids to camp.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns    

Everything was legal on this diamond because the teams were made up of lawyers, who had left the courtroom for a day on Wednesday to play in the Battle of the Barristers, a softball tournament that is the bread-and-butter fundraiser for the Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund.

"It's a great cause and we get to get out and play a little softball, get out of the courtroom and on to the ball field,'' said Charles M. Carella, who is a co-hair of the event and an attorney with Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody & Agnello in Roseland.

The Fresh Air Fund has been exposing city kids to the outdoors since 1882. It is one of several programs of the Newark Day Center, the oldest service agency in the state, which doesn't receive any grants to run the camp program.

 It relies strictly on donations from the public and the annual softball game that started 30 years ago.

 "At the end of the day, we raise close to $100,000,'' said Karim G. Kaspar, co-chair of the tournament and senior counsel with the Lowenstein Sandler law firm in Roseland.

"We're happy to support a great organization,'' Kaspar said.

The Fresh Air Fund is more than grateful and appreciates every cent it receives from people who support them. If you would like to donate, checks can be sent to the Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund, 43 Hill St., Newark N.J. 07102, or a donation can be made by credit card at Newarkdaycenter.org. The names of contributors  are published Sundays.

Many of the kids have never been to camp, but with funding, it's a rewarding experience once they get over the jitters of leaving home for the first time.

As the kids were waiting for the bus last week, Donna Johnson Thompson, executive director of the Newark Day Center, said many of them were quiet and maybe a little nervous at first.

"They were just looking at each other,'' she said.

But by now, they're in a canoe somewhere or on a nature trail, getting lost in the outdoors without cell phones, i-Pads and video games.

The first round of campers will be returning next week, having left July 5^th for six different sites that the Fresh Air Fund works with each year.  Kids who don't stay overnight, attend camp for the day.

"They were ready to go, '' said Trish Morris Yamba, an assistant Fresh Air Fund Coordinator.

Yamba has attended just about every game in the 30 years that the tournament has been held and it doesn't get old. She was there Wednesday, recalling how the event started out with just two law firms.  Now 10 participate. When time permitted in the past, she said, the kids attending camp would go to the games, as well.

This year's tournament got underway at Brookdale Park in Bloomfield with the teams playing four games that lasted three innings.

You read that right.  Three innings go quick, so each at bat meant something when the lawyers straddled the plate, considering the fundraiser rules that were in place. T-shirts were sold, too, to raise money, and how teams finished determined how much they had to pay. The winner's contribution was the least, $5,750; and the fifth place team in a division paid the most, $7,500. Teams in the middle - second to fourth place, wrote checks, as well, that ranged from $6,000 to $7,250.

After several hours of competition, McCarter & English squared off against Lowenstein Sandler at Yogi Berra Stadium at Montclair State University for the seven-inning championship game.

MORE CARTER: College student from Newark fights to get healthy as she waits for transplant 

McCarter jumped out to an early, 6-2, lead by the second inning, with home runs, extra base hits, and aggressive base running.  

Lowenstein was scrappy in its effort to close the gap, but in the end, the lead was too much to overcome.

McCarter 16; Lowenstein, 8.

Team Captain Brett Kahn said McCarter looks forward to the tournament every year, having advanced to the championship game three times.

They were all smiles hoisting the trophy high, taking a team picture in centerfield. And how much better could it be when your law firm also gets to kick in $5,750 - the champion's contributions - to the Fresh Air Fund.

"We're just happy to be a part of this to help the kids enjoy the summer,'' Kahn said.

It was the best check they could have written.

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

The fire broke out early Monday morning, authorities said.

Newark UD 51 Cypress St All companies working. Deck gun in use. pic.twitter.com/IkHfYTbhyt

-- NorthJersey FireNews (@NJFires) July 18, 2016

NEWARK -- Firefighters are responding to a three-alarm fire in a building on Cypress Street, Newark Director of Public Safety Anthony Ambrose confirmed Monday morning.

By 8:30 a.m., the fire at the abandoned building at 51 Cypress Street was under control, Ambrose said. The building was still considered unsafe, and firefighters were continuing to search the structure, authorities said.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire early Monday, officials said.

It is unclear what caused the fire or the extent of damage to the building.

Newark UD 51 Cypress 3rd Alarm Struck companies to bring in water from Clinton Ave. DWH pic.twitter.com/uqU9LknVhG

-- NorthJersey FireNews (@NJFires) July 18, 2016

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

N.J. basketball players are well-represented in the national college recruiting rankings. Here's how they stack up.

The three-alarm fire broke out at a former illegal boarding house that was condemned last year.

NEWARK -- Squatters were seen jumping from the windows of an abandoned building that caught fire early Monday morning, according to authorities at the scene of the blaze.

The three-alarm fire broke out at around 6 a.m. in a multi-family home at 51 Cypress Avenue, Newark Department of Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

"When the first fire apparatus pulled up, they saw people jumping out the windows," Ambrose said. Those people, who authorities said were likely squatters in the abandoned building, did not stay at the scene to speak with investigators, Ambrose said.

About 100 Newark firefighters responded to the blaze, which was put under control by about 7 a.m., though it continued to smolder after that, authorities said. No firefighters were injured, officials said.

Authorities said they did not believe that there was anyone still in the building, but firefighters were continuing to search the structure. The building appeared to be completely destroyed by the blaze, and officials said it was structurally unsound.

Officials said they will request the remains of the structure be demolished.    

The cause and point of origin of the fire remain unclear.

The building previously operated as an illegal boarding house, and was shut down in 2015 after state Sen. Richard Codey, Mayor Ras Baraka, police officers and a team of health, fire, and code enforcement officials made a surprise visit to the building. Ten people were displaced from the rooming house, which was found to have no heat, no water, and no working toilets.

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

Some storms that develop Monday afternoon or evening could contain damaging winds, the National Weather Service said. Watch video

If you live or work in New Jersey or in the nearby cities, keep your eye on the sky Monday afternoon and evening.

All 21 counties in New Jersey are under a severe thunderstorm watch until Monday night, along with Philadelphia and New York City. (NewJerseyWeather.com)

Stormy weather is heading in this direction, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a severe thunderstorm watch for all 21 counties across the Garden State, as well as New York City and Philadelphia.

The watch is effective until 8 p.m. Monday.

During the next few hours, showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop in Pennsylvania and move across parts of New Jersey ahead of a cold front, the weather service said.

"If these storms maintain their intensity by the time they reach the I-95 corridor late this afternoon or this evening, they could contain locally damaging winds," the weather service noted in its watch advisory. Hail, frequent lightning and heavy downpours are also possible.

N.J. driver electrocuted by downed wires

The National Weather Service said a severe storm is heading toward those counties and it could pack wind gusts as strong as 60 mph, along with penny-size hail. "Expect damage to roofs, siding and trees," the weather service said in its thunderstorm warning.

As severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Somerset County, northern Middlesex County and southeastern Morris County until 4:45 p.m., and a warning has been issued for Hudson and Union counties until 5:15 p.m.

Last Thursday, a line of strong thunderstorms brought damaging winds to parts of Warren, Sussex, Morris, Essex and Union counties, knocking down large trees, causing power outages and spawning a low-level tornado.

The tornado swept through Warren County, causing widespread damage to a barn and other structures on a farm in White Township.

A survey team from the weather service that inspected the damage determined the wind speeds in the small tornado were about 75 mph.

Before the stormy weather hits on Monday, New Jerseyans will have to cope with yet another steamy day with high humidity and temperatures in the low to mid-90s.

Here's a look at the storms that are rolling through Allentown, PA, at this hour, heading toward western New Jersey.

How is anyone driving in this? #Allentown #LehighValley #Weather pic.twitter.com/8aLqVKCY4Y

-- Sarah Cassi (@SarahCassi) July 18, 2016

Storm rolling into Downtown #Allentown #weather #lehighvalley pic.twitter.com/PEX2RzdM61

-- Sarah Cassi (@SarahCassi) July 18, 2016

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

Four apartment buildings in the city will be renovated and marketed to young professionals.

107 New Street in East Orange was one of four buildings sold for $12 million. (Courtesy Gebroe-Hammer Associates)
 

EAST ORANGE -- When millennials searching for walkable, transit-oriented communities are priced out of high rises in Hoboken and Jersey City, will they head to East Orange?

A recent $12 million land sale seems to suggest it might be.

According to commercial real estate broker Gebroe-Hammer Associates, a developer has purchased four apartment buildings in the Essex County city. East Orange has been working in recent years to change its reputation from a high-crime neighbor of Newark to a bustling transit-oriented community and "an example of urban excellence."

The four buildings - at 24 South Grove Street, 25 North Harrison Street, 235 South Harrison Street, and 107 New Street - are all near the Brick Church Train Station, about a half an hour ride to NYC.

"East Orange's greatest assets are its mass transit links, which have drawn copious private investment that is the on-going stimulus for revitalization initiatives as well as the introduction of millennials into the tenant-base demographic," said Gebroe-Hammer Managing Director David Oropeza.

"East Orange's population renting percentage continues to climb and exceed the state average."  

According to city officials, ProudLiving Companies, a Montclair-based developer, purchased the buildings. Company representatives did not return calls seeking comment on the purchase.

City of 700 vacancies: Cleaning to development

According to Oropeza, the buyer is planning "major renovations and updates" at all four buildings, including the additions of high-end kitchens and bathrooms in units, and elevator upgrades. The 264 units in the four buildings were renting at about 90 percent occupancy when they were sold, Oropeza said.

The sale comes after several city initiatives to make East Orange a viable option for young professionals, including a clean-up of vacant properties, crime crack-down, and designation as a transit village.

City officials called the purchase "urban excellence at its best."

"(It's) a continuation of our partnership with property owners, developers and real estate firms to purchase and rehab older housing stock for our existing residents and to attract potential newcomers," said Valerie Jackson, East Orange's Director of Policy, Planning and Development.

"Modernizing these residential buildings will further enhance our efforts to develop around our train stations and increase the walkability of our community."

It is unclear when renovations will begin.

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

After a motorcade intended to disrupt port traffic, Mayor Ras Baraka called on the agency to force ts port tenants to hire more minorities and Newark residents, akin to its airport wage policy Watch video

NEWARK -- After leading a motorcade intended to disrupt traffic at Port Newark, Mayor Ras Baraka called on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to adopt a policy mandating that the private firms who sub-let space from the agency at Port Newark hire more minorities and Newark residents.

"We are tired of everybody who comes here and makes a whole lot of money and leaves everybody else in squalor," Baraka said in an interview outside City Hall Monday afternoon, after the motorcade arrived back from the port.

Along with trying to maximizing revenues from the Port Authority for his cash-strapped city and accusing the agency of failing to do enough to curb port-related emissions, Baraka has waged a campaign to boost the number of jobs filled by Newark residents at the port, particularly in highly paid longshoremen's jobs.

The hiring issue is far from simple, however, because while the Port Authority controls the port and acts as a landlord to private terminal operators, shipping companies and other businesses that operate there, the agency is not a significant port employer itself.

Rather, longshoremen are hired by private companies under complex provisions of a collective bargaining agreement between the International Longshoremen's Association union, or ILA, and the New York Shipping Association, which represents the companies. 

The hiring process is further complicated by a statutory requirement that longshoremen pass background checks administered by another bi-state agency at the port, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor.  

So, Baraka said the Port Authority should do for its seaport what it did for its airports: impose a policy that mandates certain employment practices as a condition of doing business at its facilities. For example, at Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports, employers must pay airport workers at least $10.10 an hour, and provide benefits including a paid holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

The Port Authrority which sought unsuccessfully to block the demonstration in court, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Port officials said it was unclear whether the demonstration had cost shippers time and money on Monday.

Other than ILA Local 1233 in Newark, which is predominantly black, Baraka harshly criticized the ILA as "racist." However, he credited the New York Shipping Association for at least meeting with him to discuss port hiring, something he said the ILA had declined to do.

The shipping association's president, John Nardi, said he could not immediately comment on Baraka's call for a hiring policy at the port. But he noted that hiring practices were already spelled out in the collective bargaining agreement between the association and the ILA.

"I really don't know the legality of it," Nardi said. "It's a legal question that would need to be explored." 

Nardi noted that there are many other, non-ILA jobs at the port, in warehousing, trucking and elsewhere along the import-export supply chain, which are not bound by union hiring rules. However, he acknowledged that those jobs tend not to pay as well as coveted longshoremen's positions, at least not at the entry level.

In any case, shipping association officials say they have progress in diversifying the port workplace in recent years.

"Since 2013, the New York Shipping Association has hired 71 residents of the city of Newark, which makes up approximately 11% of all newly hired employees and is the highest percentage of newly hired employees from any city in New Jersey, and the second highest fromall citiesin the NJ-NY-PA metropolitan region," the association's web site states. 

Before the motorcade left City Hall, the mayor's manager of port activities, Aturick Kenney, read off a list of racial and gender inequities in the ILA's ranks. For example, among the 1,587 ILA members who work at Port Newark, just 40 were African Americans, Kenney said.

Taking aim at the ILA's international president, Harold Daggett, a Sparta resident, Kenney said Daggett is paid $523,000 a year, and that the half-dozen Daggett family members who work for the union took home a total of more than $2 million last year.  

An ILA spokesman, Jim McNamara, said Daggett's pay and that of his family members was specified in the union's constitution. McNamara also rejected Baraka's characterization of the union as racist.

"Absolutely not," McNamara said. "We believe in diversity. We've always believed in diversity."

McNamara noted that the last collective bargaining agreement signed by the union contained provisions calling for minority hiring, and that progress in diversifying the port was borne out by the recent hiring figures published by the shipping association.

Monday's motorcade was made up of some two dozen cars, four yellow school buses filled with demonstrators, and a pair of city dump trucks. It made a 2-hour round trip from City Hall to the Port Newark complex, proceeding south along Corbin Street, the main port road, and into the adjacent Elizabeth Marine Terminal complex.

Citing logistical and safety concerns, the Port Authority had sought a court order to block the motorcade from taking place, and there was a highly visible Port Authority Police presence along the route that included officers in bullet-proof vests and a menacing looking military-style armored vehicle.

When Baraka was asked why the city's motorcade included the big, heavy dump trucks, he said, "We wanted to have some of our tanks. They had theirs."  

Like most Mondays, the port was busy with hundreds of trucks picking up or dropping off shipping containers from China and other export nations or bound for importers overseas. At one point, truckers halted in traffic as the motorcade passed by honked their horns in a chorus of what was either solidarity with the demonstrators' cause or frustration from the congestion.      

In addition to including the dump trucks, the demonstrators made another show of strength during remarks before the motorcade departed City Hall, where a dozen  Nation of Islam security men, known the Fruit of Islam, in trademark suits, bow ties and sunglasses, stood stone-faced on either side of the podium where the mayor and others spoke.

"They live here," Baraka said, explaining the group's presence.

A Nation of Islam minister in Newark, Jacson X, said the point was not a show of strength or militancy, bur rather of "Unity" among not only the city's African-American community, but all Newark residents.

Nearly a dozen people rallied for the 27th consecutive week to demand social justice Monday evening.

NEWARK -- As People's Organization for Progess Chairman Lawrence Hamm's voice got louder, the car horns and honks follow suit. 

Over a microphone, Hamm spoke to passersby and cars in front of the Rodino Federal Building in Newark. 

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress," he boomed.

A small group of dedicated protesters from the People's Organization for Progress held its 27th consecutive weekly rally Monday in a series designed to demand justice for police shooting victims like Alton Sterling and Philando Castile who were killed in Baton Rouge and Minnesota, respectively.

They called upon U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman and the U.S. Justice Department to launch investigations into the two most recent shootings and another federal investigation into the death of Freddie Gray, as well as into the police killings in New Jersey of Abdul Kamal, Kashad Ashford, Jerame Reid and Radazz Hearns.

The U.S. Attorney's office in the New Jersey district declined to comment on the call.

Monday's rally was the most recent in a string of protests in Newark and around the country following the shootings.

Hamm called Monday's rally an "enhanced episode."

"My suspicion is that things aren't going to calm down for the rest of the summer," he said. He attributed that to increased public outrage, as well as the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

"You can't divorce them from what's going on. ... And the fact that we have an election in November is going to be very tense," Hamm said.

On Broad Street, people held signs and chanted for justice. Car horns blared in support, and one car pulled over to offer the group a plate of sandwiches.

Despite heavy rain, the event drew nearly a dozen protesters.

"We don't let the elements stop us," said Alfreda Daniels. 

Shellia Reid was among the crowd. Her son Jerame Reid was fatally shot by police officers after a traffic stop in December 2014. 

"My son was supposed to bury me," she said. "I had to bury him." 

MORE ESSEX COUNTY NEWS

Kate Mishkin may be reached at kmishkin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KateMishkin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Trailers and vehicles also caught fire as the blaze spread to other buildings

UPDATE: Industrial warehouse destroyed in Newark's 2nd major blaze in 2 days

NEWARK -- A raging four-alarm fire destroyed the Kearny Steel Container warehouse in Newark early Tuesday and spread to two other buildings before more than 120 firefighters brought the blaze under control, according to reports.

Newark firefighters battled a 4-alarm blaze at an industrial site early Tuesday. (submitted photo) 

The warehouse complex is off Routes 1 & 9 on the north side of the railroad tracks that border the Newark Liberty International Airport property and officials cautioned that delays on nearby highways could continue into the morning rush, according to NBC4 New York.

The blaze broke out at 12:30 a.m. in a commercial building housing steel and plastic containers, WABC-7 said. Trailers and vehicles also caught fire in addition to wires associated with a commercial rail line, according to WABC.

No one was hurt in the fire, which took more than three hours to control, News 12 reported.

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

The mothers of sons who have been killed by police and senseless community violence share their pain.

There's a band of women - a circle of sisters, if you will - who check on each other with text messages and phone calls offering encouragement and hope.

Sometimes they show up in person as they did Friday night at Newark's Robert Treat Hotel. They ate, took pictures and exhaled a bit, an emotional release that doesn't happen often because their family members were killed by police or senseless gun violence.

The sisterhood came for Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, who died two years ago, after a New York City police officer subdued him with a chokehold on July 17, 2014.  The family settled for $5.9 million after the grand jury didn't indict.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns    

Carr leaned on her sisters - more than a dozen motherly shoulders -  this past weekend to observe the second anniversary of her son's death. And they leaned back, holding onto each other while sharing their painful stories. They marched in New York City on Saturday and called for justice Sunday during worship services at Christian Love Baptist Church in Irvington and the New Hope Memorial Baptist Church in Elizabeth.

"There are days when you are down and you need somebody to talk to. You can always call any one of them and they'll be there telling you it's going to be okay,'' said Constance Malcolm.

Like Carr, she's made that call to the group for support.

Her 18-year-old son, Ramarley Graham, was shot and killed Feb. 2, 2012, by a New York City police officer, who thought Graham had a gun. The grand jury indicted the officer, but the judge threw it out over a technicality. A second grand jury didn't indict. 

Kadi Diallo, the mother of Amadou Diallo, has been in the sisterhood since 1999. New York City police officers fired 41 shots at her unarmed son, hitting him 19 times. The officers, who mistakenly believed his wallet was a gun, were acquitted. A $3 million settlement was reached with his family in 2004. 

Two years later, in 2006, the death of Valerie Bell's son sparked the same widespread outrage because it was so similar to how Diallo died. Sean was killed in a hail of 51 bullets by New York City police officers hours before he was to get married. These officers were also acquitted, and the city settled for $3.2 million with his fiance, who is the mother of Bell's children.

The outcome was different for Wanda Johnson when she joined the mothers in 2009. A Bay Area Rapid Transit Officer was convicted of manslaughter when he shot and killed her son, Oscar Grant III on New Year's Day. He was handcuffed and face down on a train station platform on New Year's Day. The incident played out in "Fruitvale Station," a movie made in 2013 that tracked the final 24 hours of his life. 

There are many other cases, but the quest from mothers wanting convictions has taken a hit in recent days. Two black men, who hated law enforcement, killed eight police officers this month in separate attacks. Five died in Dallas, and three in Baton Rouge, La, on Sunday.

The Rev. Al Sharpton talked about the senseless killing and pain the mothers deal with as they sat behind him at the New Hope church on Sunday.

"Anyone who will shoot police hurts them (the mothers) even more and undermines the cause of justice,'' said Sharpton, who held a moment of silence for the fallen officers. "This is not a battle against police. It's a battle against wrong. We need good cops to stand up against bad cops."

Without accountability, the mother's club that Carr talked about last year and again on Sunday keeps growing. Last week, Carr met the families of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille, two black men who were killed a day apart this month by police officers. Their deaths set off the retaliatory murders of officers in Dallas and Louisiana.

"They (families) are puzzled now,'' Carr said. "When I was new to this, I was looking for direction.''

But in Carr, the mothers find strength to forge ahead and raise awareness about police shootings and gun violence. Samaria Rice fights for her 12-year-old son, Tamir Rice, after a grand jury didn't indict a Cleveland, Ohio, police officer who shot and killed him on a playground in 2014.

Queen Brown of Miami, Fla., started a radio show that talks about homicide as the leading cause of death for black men between the ages of 15 and 34. It was a fact she didn't know until her son, Eviton Brown Jr., 24, was killed during a drive-by shooting in which his cousin was the target. Brown died Oct 6, 2006, a year after he left college in his senior year to propose to his girlfriend and find employment so he could provide for their infant daughter. He got a job, but never received his first paycheck.

MORE CARTER: Lawyer's softball tournament is a hit for Newark Fresh Air Fund

Nardyne Jefferies is just as blunt as Brown addressing community gun violence. She shows lawmakers in her Washington, D.C., town what the carnage looks like. At city council meetings and rallies, Jefferies has held up grim autopsy pictures of Brishell Jones, her 16-year-old daughter, who was fatally shot when a group of teenagers sprayed a crowd with bullets from an AK-47 in March 2010.

That's a lot of grief and all of the mothers had something to say about theirs. Cynthia Dawkins, Marion Gray-Hopkins, Sharlene Stewart, Beverly Smith, Hawa Bah, Iris Baez, Darlene Cain and more.

In the days to come, these women will continue to call and send text messages to remember the birthdays and anniversaries of loved ones.

"We can't let go,'' Brown said. "Nobody can talk to me and make me feel like they make me feel.'' 

The next time they get together, let's pray it won't be to release balloons at a gravesite.

They did that on Sunday, with their sister, Gwen Carr.

"The world is upside down right now,'' Carr said. "We need prayer. We have to come together as a people and a nation.''

We have to come together, soon.

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

The devices are becoming standard equipment for a growing number of cops

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers campus police here as well as in Camden, Piscataway and Newark will soon be getting another piece of standard-issue equipment: body cameras.

Kenneth Cop, chief of Rutgers police, told NBC 4 News that the devices will "have a positive impact on our relations with the community."

A little more than a dozen cameras are being tried out this week as part of a testing phase, with all campus police expected to be equipped by the time the fall semester starts.

Last year, the state Attorney General's Office announced a $4 million plan to equip state and local police with body-mounted cameras. The AG also established guidelines for when the cameras must be used, including frisks, searches, brief detentions, assisting motorists, making arrests, transporting people under arrest and responding to calls.

Other campus police departments have been equipping their officers with body cameras since last year, including Rowan and Kean universities.

More law enforcement agencies across the state and the country have begun using the cameras as a way to foster trust among the public following high-profile police-involved shootings and deaths.

"Across the country, we've seen what happens when distrust and distance between police and their communities result in situations that can quickly spiral out of control," Gov. Chris Christie said last year in announcing the AG's body camera plan.

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

A massive response to the 4-alarm fire is causing traffic delays Tuesday morning.

Newark firefighters battled a 4-alarm blaze at an industrial site early Tuesday. (submitted photo) 

NEWARK -- No one was injured in a four-alarm fire that broke out at an industrial warehouse in the Ironbound section of the city Tuesday morning - the second major fire in as many days in Newark, authorities said.

The Kearny Steel Container warehouse on the 400 block of South Street was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at the scene at about 12:30 a.m., Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

The fire was declared under control at about 3:45 a.m., but crews remained on scene Tuesday morning as the fire continued to smolder, authorities said.

Authorities cautioned that the response to the fire may create additional traffic delays during the morning rush, especially on and around the nearby Routes 1&9 and Newark airport. South Street between Delancy and Jefferson Streets will remain closed Tuesday morning as crews remain on scene, and traffic will be redirected to Route 21 or Broad Street, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Squatters jump from burning building

Ambrose commended the 100 Newark firefighters and others from neighboring towns who responded to the fire for keeping the heavy blaze contained to the warehouse.

"The men and women of the Newark Fire Department did an exceptional job keeping the fire from spreading to nearby commercial businesses," he said in a statement.

This marks the second large fire this week in Newark. On Monday, an abandoned building on Cypress Street was completely destroyed in a three-alarm fire. Squatters were seen jumping from that building as it went up in flames, but no injuries were reported.

Authorities said Tuesday they are still investigating the cause of that fire. Crews will begin to demolish the Cypress Street building Tuesday, officials said.

Robbery occurred Monday afternoon

NEWARK -- A team of recent police academy graduates assigned to walking beats arrested two men and a 16-year-old accused of robbing a laundromat Monday afternoon in the city, authorities said.

Two rookie officers were checking businesses on Bloomfield Avenue when they heard a dispatch about a robbery in progress less than a block away, according to police. As the officers arrived, three suspected robbers ran from the laundromat and jumped into a stolen car.

The stolen car stalled on Berkley Avenue and the three started running before a team of rookie and backup officers moved in to make the arrests, authorities said. Officers also recovered an unspecified amount of stolen money and the knife used in the holdup.

Newark welcomes largest police class in at least a decade

Police identified the accused robbers as Eduardo Vazquez, 25, Christian Marte, 23 and a 16 year old, all from Newark. They were charged with offenses, including robbery, conspiracy, weapons possession and receiving stolen property for having the car.

According to authorities, the group is also being eyed in other recent robberies. 

The new officers were assigned to the city's Community Deployment Team, which places recent academy graduates on foot patrols around the city.

"These officers did a good job. If the two CDT officers hadn't chased the suspects, they might have gotten away," Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement. "Although the presence of CDT officers usually acts as a deterrent, they can be equally effective at apprehending suspects when crimes do occur near or on their posts."

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

Tax losses to the government topped $100,000, authorities said.

NEWARK -- An employee of an Irvington tax preparation business pleaded guilty in federal court to preparing fraudulent tax returns to collect fees from refund anticipation loans, according to the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Unit in Newark.

Darlene Covington, 32, entered a guilty plea to a one count charge of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, it said. Covington entered the plea Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden. 

"IRS-Criminal Investigation stands ready to investigate anyone who would put a taxpayer at risk for a quick profit," said Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge in the Newark Field Office. "Ms. Covington's plea today shows that protecting taxpayer money is a matter IRS-Criminal Investigation takes extremely

seriously."

According to the IRS, Covington was a tax preparer at KCJ Financial Corp. in Irvington who had access to personal identification information, including names and Social Security numbers. Using the information from 24 individuals without their knowledge, Covington prepared tax forms so that an uncharged, unnamed co-conspirator would receive the funds, the IRS said in a news release. 

Fake W-2s net prisoners $400K

She then used the filed false income tax returns to secure refund anticipation loans from various banks, it said. Covington received a fee of $235 for each loan that was issued, it said. 

The fraudulent returns resulted in a tax loss to the federal government of $106,732, it said. 

Covington filed the false returns in 2009 and 2010, according to an indictment.

The count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns carries a maximum prison sentence of three years in jail as well as a fine of up to $250,000, the IRS said. 

Covington is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 25, it said.

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

Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator M. Teresa Ruiz hosted a roundtable in Newark to discuss the 'Formula for Success' plan.

NEWARK -- As part of an ongoing tour to tout their plan to reform education spending in New Jersey, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator M. Teresa Ruiz hosted a roundtable Tuesday in one of the cities that would be hardest hit by the competing spending overhaul proposed by Gov. Chris Christie last month.

As part of a series of meetings to promote the "Formula for Success" plan, Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Ruiz (D-Essex), the chair of the Senate Education Committee, met with members of the NJ Association of School Administrators and officials from 15 school districts in Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union, and Bergen Counties at the Rutgers-Newark campus.

The state senators were pushing a bill, S-2372, that proposes creating a commission to develop a school funding reform plan that would bring state aid levels up to the full amounts laid out in the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. The bill, which has been approved by the Senate Education Committee, would allow a five-year phase-in to get all districts in the state up to 100 percent funding.

How Christie's plan could impact your district

"Fully funding the system gives every district what it deserves and what it should be receiving," Sweeney said in a statement.

"This is a realistic and achievable plan that would have the state live up to the promise of full and equitable funding."

According to the legislators, about 80 percent of districts in New Jersey are "shortchanged" in terms of the amount of state aid they receive each year. If the plan were approved, it would increase the overall amount of state money given to districts by about $100 million annually, they said.

In a phone interview after the meeting, Ruiz declined to compare the spending plan to Christie's school spending plan, which proposed giving every district the exact same amount of aid per student, but noted that the senate bill is designed to distribute "resources (to) those who truly need them."

The governor's proposal, which he said he will also take on tour, would lower property taxes in many suburban towns, but significantly cut aid to many urban districts attended by students from low-income families.

In an NJ Spotlight op-ed comparing the two proposals, Rutgers professor Paul Tractenberg called Sweeney's plan "limited," and a way to push off the education spending issue until after the 2017 gubernatorial election, in which he is expected to run.

Still, several conference attendees released statements in support of the senate bill, including an Association of School Administrators spokesperson.

"(We support) this legislation and (applaud) Senators Sweeney and Ruiz for their leadership and a long overdue analysis of the school funding system," said Melanie Schulz, of the NJ ASA.

The New Jersey senate recently passed a bill that would require the owners or operators of crude oil trains to develop plans of actions to deal with spills or the consequences of a derailment or crash.

Trains hauling dozens of black tank cars filled with highly volatile crude oil go rumbling through New Jersey neighborhoods at all hours of the day.

And unless you are one of the unfortunate people stuck at a railroad crossing as one of these lengthy trains pass, you would have no idea of the destructive potential rolling through such a densely-populated state.

Just how destructive these traveling "bombs" can be was illustrated by the 2013 derailment of a 72-car oil train in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic. It caused a horrific explosion and fire that killed 47 people and destroyed about 40 buildings.   

That train, like so many crisscrossing New Jersey and the country, was carrying a particularly volatile form of petroleum from North Dakota's Bakken oil fields.  

According to the Associated Press, there have been at least 26 oil trains involved in major fires or derailments during the last decade in the United States and Canada, including one in Oregon in June. At least 12 of the oil trains were carrying Bakken crude, and of those, eight caught fire.

Is N.J. ready if an oil train disaster strikes?

It is estimated that up to 30 trains a week transport crude oil through New Jersey, going through communities like West Trenton, Somerville, Newark and Camden.

Mindful of the potential catastrophe these trains pose, the state Senate last month passed a bill (S806) that would require the owners or operators of these highly-hazardous trains to develop plans of actions to deal with spills or the consequences of a derailment or crash. These plans must be filed with the state Department of Environmental Protection for review and approval.

The bill also requires train operators and owners to prove that they have the financial resources to cover cleanup costs and mandates that they make available trained personnel and equipment in case of a spill.

Just as important, the bill mandates that hazardous train operators and owners must offer training to emergency services personnel of every local unit along the route of travel. Some operators offer training on a county level, but local responders need to be included as well, since they will be the first on the scene.

But for the average concerned citizen, a key part of the bill would require the operators and owners of trains carrying volatile crude oil to make the routes public, something New Jersey has been reluctant to do, citing security reasons.

But other states, such as New York, make that information available to the public.

Here is a situation where the public's right to know outweighs security concerns.

With prodding from the federal government, railroad operators are now phasing in newer tank cars that have a thick metal plate on the ends to prevent the ends of the rail car from being punctured in a derailment.

Crude oil trains also must travel at reduced speeds to minimize the risk of a derailment.

N.J. takes steps to prepare for crude oil rail disaster

But one glaring safety issue that is not being addressed is the volatile nature of the crude oil itself. Bakken crude is a highly combustible mix of natural gases including butane, methane and propane.

North Dakota requires that the volatility of the gas and oil vapors be reduced to below 13.7 pounds per square inch at the wellhead, but critics say even at that level it is too dangerous to ship.

That safety problem needs to be addressed on the federal level as soon as possible.

But for New Jersey, recently passed Senate bill S806 goes a long way to ensuring contingency plans are in place for dealing with a dangerous oil spill and letting the public know who is at risk.

Its companion Assembly bill (A2463) is still in committee. We urge the Assembly to approve the legislation and we urge the governor to sign it.

Follow NJ.com/Opinion on Twitter @NJ_Opinion. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

The university's Board of Governor's is meeting to set the price of tuition and fees.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University students should know by Wednesday afternoon whether the cost of tuition and fees will rise again this fall. 

The Board of Governors is scheduled to meet at 2:30 p.m. in New Brunswick to finalize the tuition rate at all three campuses for the 2016-17 school year. Student fees and the cost of room and board will also be set. 

Rutgers raised tuition and fees 2.3 percent last year, the latest in a series of annual increases. The university would not disclose the proposed tuition rate for this fall. 

"The Rutgers Board of Governors is committed to keeping tuition as low as possible while meeting rising operating costs," university spokesman Greg Trevor said. 

Rutgers' tuition increases in recent years have often been lower than other New Jersey colleges as well as other major universities nationwide, he said. 

The average in-state undergraduate on the New Brunswick campus paid $14,131 in annual tuition and fees in 2015-2016. The bill for the average student who lived on campus came to $26,185.

Rutgers and other public colleges and universities in New Jersey traditionally wait to finalize tuition and fees until the Legislature passes the state budget at the end of June. 

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

Jurors in Newark heard opening arguments in the re-trial of a man accused of killing two people at a restaurant in 2012.

NEWARK -- A masked man wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt burst into a Newark restaurant and opened fire with a handgun late one morning in September 2012. He killed two men and wounded an 81-year-old woman.

Police found a vehicle matching the description of the getaway car, authorities said. Based on information from bystanders who said the driver wore a gray hoodie, fled on foot and scaled a wall, police arrested a suspect a short time later.

In court Tuesday, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Frantzou Simon, told a jury that the man who was arrested, Mark Melvin, killed the two men in the restaurant. But Melvin's lawyer, Roy Greenman, said police rushed to make an arrest, and ignored a few facts.

Greenman said none of the witnesses could identify the hooded sweatshirt police recovered, and could not identify Melvin. Greenman said there were no traces of Melvin's DNA on the sweatshirt. He also said police have never identified a motive for the shooting.

The statements came during opening arguments in Melvin's trial for charges alleging he murdered the two men, Fuquan Mosley and Jason Chavis, in L.C.'s Place restaurant on 18th Avenue at about 10:40 a.m. on Sept. 27, 2012. Melvin is also accused of wounding the 81-year-old mother of the restaurant owner.

This is Melvin's second trial on these charges. In 2014, a jury failed to reach a verdict on the murder charge or the charge of assault for the wounding of the woman.

However, that first jury found Melvin guilty of unlawful possession of a handgun for the weapon that was found in the car after he fled. Melvin was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the gun charge. He is now being re-tried for the other charges.

In court Tuesday, Simon told the jury that Melvin left a horrible bloody scene in the restaurant. Simon said police quickly arrived and broadcast a description of the gunman and the car he likely used to flee, and other officers found the vehicle stalled in the street blocks away.

A passenger in the car complied with officers' directions to put his hands up, but Melvin got out and ran, climbing over a fence, taking off the sweatshirt, and continuing to flee until other officers apprehended him, Simon said.

He said police later found a mask in the car, along with 100 small envelops of heroin and a .45-caliber handgun. He said the car was registered to Melvin, and tests showed the gun was used to kill the two men.

Mosley and Chavis were each rushed to a hospital, where Mosley, who was shot in the chest and neck, died later that day, authorities said. Chavis, who was shot in the head, died nine days later, the assistant prosecutor said.

Greenman said the gun and drugs were found in a compartment on the passenger's side of the car. He said Melvin previously had surgery on his ankle that would have prevented him from scaling the wall. Also, he said witnesses never identified Melvin as the gunman.

"Not one of the bystanders, in any way shape or form, will say that Mark Melvin was the shooter that morning," Greenman said.

The trial is expected to continue Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Martin G. Cronin.

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

Projected finals matchups for the remade playoff sections

Chaos, violence fueled by cameras and political hate-mongers

Saturday I was in Washington, taking in the wonders of our great nation. Not in the museums or galleries, but by people-watching on the National Mall. 

Half of the mall was taken up by the Stonewall Sports kickball tournament, an LBTGQ event. This was serious business for about 100 teams from across the country, with umpires calling balls and strikes, and bunch of competitive players who looked like they just walked off their university's soccer field.

The other half was taken up by "Together 2016" a national religious gathering of an estimated 250,000 people.

And guess what? 

There were no picket signs or spit invectives. It was just a mass of people, getting along, mixing together at the food trucks along mall streets.

At the evangelical summit, whites, blacks, browns, and every other variety of human shade were camped out in lawn chairs or on blankets. English and other languages filled the air.

In this way, the crowd was as uniquely American as the street names where the hundreds of buses that brought them to Washington from all over the country were lined up. Constitution, Independence, Jefferson, Madison welcomed all, like some straight and paved version of the Statue of Liberty.

You'd think the gathering of a quarter-million people would draw some media attention.

But Google "Together 2016" and you won't find coverage by a major news agency, except the Washington Post. The only cameras were handhelds, as the crowd shot selfies and videos. No networks, no CNN, no Fox News.

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

There is a lot of talk these days about "conversations" this country must have, again, in the aftermath of police executions and excessive force deaths of black men. There is talk about telling the truths, and causes, of the nations' racial and political divides, to beat back the fear and hatred.

The media should be part of that conversation because, since we're telling truths, those of us in the media should seriously begin to ask ourselves about our role in ratcheting up fear and hatred. We should ask ourselves about our contribution to the chaos.

Media is not a cartel. It's not a one-headed monster. It's more like a bunch of dogs, sniffing each other, chasing tails in the park. That metaphor is purposeful, by the way. With a great big world out there, much of the media chooses to focus on the stink and stay in its tight circle.

News programs have become nothing but a bunch talking-head attack dogs, tearing apart our leaders - and our commonality -- like a pieces of raw meat for our entertainment and their own hubris. Yesterday it was Melania Trump's turn in the barrel, 24/7, or damn near.

Much of the media exploit our differences, rather than explore our similarities.

It's true. This is why a harmonious gathering of a few hundred thousand people on the Washington Mall is dismissed. But bring out a few dozen people for "Black Lives Matter" or "Dump Trump" and the microwave trucks are lined up the street. You know it. I know it.

"Together 2016" was described in the scant media reports as an "Evangelical Christian" event, therefore disqualified as worthy of coverage. That's the world we live in. Let's not pretend otherwise.

But calling this gathering a solely Christian event is like saying "Black Lives Matter" is a black-only event.

It attracted religious people of many types. I saw a Jewish tent, a Muslim presence, and contingents of Catholics.

One large group of buses came from the "Twelve Tribes," an international anti-denominational group of Old Testament fundamentalists who live communally. To call them hippies is accurate only on their surface appearance. But they were out in force, distributing pamphlets and bottles of cold water with equal generosity. Google them. They're a heckuva story, born out of the turbulent times of the early '70s. But no one was there to put them on camera or to tell their story of survival by rejecting modern chaos.

Chaos is a word that is increasingly synonymous with the presence of cameras. Would the protests in Ferguson and Baltimore have turned violent if the cameras backed off? Are we seeing raw emotion, or performance art?

This is nothing new. Go back to Marshall McLuhan and his 1964 book "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man." It's where the term "the medium is the message" became universal. It is something every thinking person should be aware of when they watch what much of the media decides is news.   

Last weekend, there was a very peaceful and orderly "Black Lives Matter" protest in Newark. About 150 people marched from Penn Station up Market Street as police controlled traffic. At the end, they thanked police and posed for pictures. It left me feeling good, almost optimistic.

Then a funny thing happened. The rally started at noon, but there was some confusion on social media, so the TV cameras didn't get there until it was almost over three hours later. That's when a fraction of the group gathered tight around the cameras. Showtime.

You know the rest. Screaming. Hyped-up anger. Narcissistic performance in the Age of Narcissism.

The presence of the cameras changed the atmosphere. That's the truth. It would almost be comical if the ramifications weren't so awful. More anger. More fear. More hate. More violence.

And so, here we are. Ready for a conversation? Doubtful. The media deflects blame. It is never circumspect. So we continue to get the same old song and dance, no matter how much damage it does to the national psyche. And we wonder why people are tuning the news out.

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.