The city is trying a new way to reduce crime.

NEWARK -- In the hopes of reducing crime in the city's South and West Wards, officials are turning to nontraditional leaders to bring change. 

During a press conference Thursday afternoon at City Hall, Mayor Ras Baraka said he hopes to continue expanding a small pilot program brought to the city last year by Aqeela Sherrills, who in the early 1990s helped arrange a peace treaty between the Bloods and the Crips, prominent rival gangs. 

The program is a simple concept, really: As of now, nine community members in the South Ward and eight in the West Ward work as "mediators and interrupters" to reduce crime before violence occurs, Sherrills said. The 17 people are expected to build relationships with their area's youth and assure families crime victims know about resources available to them. 

The city is calling the group the "Newark Community Street Team," and Sherrills is its director. 

Traditionally, "we deploy police officers, but not therapists or social workers" who are trained in assisting those who have experienced "deep rooted trauma," Sherrills said. This program works differently.

Sherrills said members of the street team are on call 24 hours a day and aid in preventing criminal retaliation. They meet with the Safer Newark Council to identify "hot spots," or areas that see more crime, such as shootings, robberies and assaults. 

Feds charge longtime gang kingpin

Jessica "Jayda" Jacques, a 32-year-old who mentors youth in the city's South Ward, described the group of workers as "interventionists and activists," who are well respected within their communities. 

She said the workers help young students get to and from school through "safe passages," walking with them to prevent robberies and other potential danger. The workers frequently carry bus cards in case kids need a ride home and money in case they don't have food. 

"These kids don't want to rob," she said during an interview before the press conference. "They don't have money and they have empty refrigerators, so they steal so they can eat at night."

She said she starts working the passage at University High School on Clinton Place about 9 a.m., spends time with various clients throughout the day and is back at the school from about 2 to 4 p.m. 

"The kids see us and know us," she said, adding that the group worked with more than 50 youths last year. "And ultimately we become family."

Jacques, who worked with documentary star Darel "Creep" Evans to help at-risk youth before his shooting death in December 2015, pleaded for others to follow in the workers' footsteps to bring the city together -- whether it be city officials, police or those from rival gangs. 

"We used our relationship to bring the gangs together," Jacques, a known Blood, said of Evans, a former Crip who was featured in the 2009 Sundance documentary series "Brick City," about gang life in Newark.

"My kids don't have a dad right now because of this violence," Jacques said of her 7-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son.

Slain documentary star remembered 

The workers are paid $15 an hour and generally log 25 hours a week, said Sherrills, whose 18-year-old son Terrell was fatally shot in 2004 when a stranger "mistook the young man's Mickey Mouse sweater for representing gang colors," according to his Californians for Safety and Justice profile. 

The Victoria Foundation and Prudential Financial are the program's primary donors, Sherrills said. He said he is glad the companies took risks in investing in the program. 

"With all that is happening across the country, it is easy for us to direct more resources towards law enforcement, but it takes someone to have really significant insight to understand that we can't arrest our way out of this problem," Sherrills, who lives in Watts, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, said. "We have to have a joint strategy that engages residents -- especially if you want it to be sustainable -- that it engages residents as well as law enforcement."

Baraka said the social workers are resourceful in reducing crime, considering about 60 percent of the city's violent crimes stem from personal disputes. 

"If there (are) personal disputes, there has to be a group of people that get between the personal disputes and begin to mediate or interrupt the type of conflicts that are going on in our communities," he said, noting that just four percent of the city's population commits more than a majority of its violent crime. "This is an incredible program ... and I believe it will be successful."

The growth of this program comes after several initiatives aimed at involving the public in reducing violence, including the Baraka administration's announcement last month it would be tapping civilians to assist the police department in monitoring the city's surveillance cameras.

As for Jacques, she said the group can "literally" decrease the crime rate by helping youth get jobs and placing drug addicts in treatment programs, among other grassroots initiatives. 

"It's not a game," she said. "It's not Monopoly, it's not Uno -- it is real. We can do it."

Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

No arrests or suspects, authorities say

ORANGE -- The Essex County Prosecutor's Office on Thursday identified the 39-year-old man killed in a Central Avenue shooting that also injured two others.

Ahmad Cauthen, of Orange, was pronounced dead around 9 p.m. Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the prosecutor's office. The shooting occurred on the 300 block of Central Avenue, near Carteret Place.

"The investigation is active and ongoing," the statement said. "No arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified."

A 36-year-old man and a 37-year-old man were wounded in the shooting, but expected to survive, according to prosecutor's office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

1 dead, 2 wounded in Orange shooting

A spokesman for the city referred questions to the county prosecutor's office.

Investigators placed more than a dozen evidence markers at the crime scene late Wednesday, including on the sidewalk in front of an apartment complex and street near a playground.

Orange police and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force were handling the case.

Last week, three men were wounded in a separate shooting on Taylor Street in the city.

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

Duo is accused of dragging a would-be Craigslist seller with their car, and stealing the merchandise he was planning to sell them.

WEST ORANGE -- The township police department is asking for the public's help in identifying two people who they say stole jewelry and injured a seller during a Craigslist exchange gone bad.

According to police, the people captured in the surveillance images met in the Essex Green Shopping Center in West Orange on July 12 with a 42-year-old Pennsylvania man who had arranged on Craigslist to sell them jewelry. The duo inspected the jewelry, refused to pay, and then struggled with the would-be seller, police said.

The woman allegedly dragged the seller through the parking lot with her car before the two grabbed the jewelry and fled in a Lincoln MKS that was later reported stolen by Newark police, authorities said.

Anyone who can identify the suspects is asked to call the West Orange Police at 973-325-4020.

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

This feels like the week you're finally going to get that perfect score.

Time to see how well you recall this week's top local news stories. Take the quiz below, and then tell us how well you did in comments. If you need a little help this week, all of the quiz questions are based on the stories below.

• Cruz camp blasts Christie
• Cape May Ferry fleet back to full strength
• This ice cream shop is the best in New Jersey
• Christie defends Melania Trump
• Have you seen Wawa's notorious thief?
• Is it illegal for motorcycles to ride between lanes of traffic?
• A zoo in N.J. was rated among the best in the world

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.

The men had 4 victims between them, police said.

NEWARK -- A pair of East Orange men were captured Thursday and charged in unrelated shootings that left four people wounded, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

Authorities say Marquis Belnavis. 22, shot three people at Georgia King Village July 18. Earlier, on June 27, Kazimir Jones, 20, allegedly shot a man on Goodwin Avenue. The 22-year-old victim in that shooting was treated at Beth Israel Hospital and released.

Following an investigation, warrants for the men were obtained by detectives with the city police Criminal Investigative Bureau. Fugitive-unit detectives, with the help of US Marshals, found Belnavis in Toms River. Jones was picked up at Integrity House on Longworth Avenue by fugitive unit detectives and state parole officers.  

Belnavis has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault, possession of a handgun, and possession of the handgun for unlawful purposes.  Jones was charged with possession of a handgun, aggravated assault and possession of a handgun for unlawful purposes.

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

The Irvington and Jersey City police departments take on the Running Man challenge, so communities can see they are regular people, too. Watch video

Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss didn't know anything about a worldwide dance trend that has gone viral on the Internet.

He kept reading posts on his Facebook page last month from people asking if Irvington was going to get involved in the "Running Man Challenge.''

"What the heck is the Running Man Challenge?'' he asked, laughing. "What are they talking about?''

Once he did a YouTube check, there it was. Police officers from around the globe were dancing, letting their hair down and having fun with residents.

They were doing their own versions of the running man to the 1995 hit song, "My Boo,'' by Ghost Town DJ's. The trend was started earlier this year by two Hillside High School students - Kevin Vincent and Jeremiah Hall - and made popular by three University of Maryland basketball players.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns    

Well, add Irvington and Jersey City police to the list of Running Man Challenge dancers.

The Jersey City department created its video a week or two before Irvington officers, which makes them the only two known law enforcement communities in New Jersey unabashed about shaking a leg.

"It gives the public the opportunity to share and interact with law enforcement, and you get to see the lighter side of law enforcement instead of all of the confrontational part,'' Vauss said.

Irvington took full advantage of the opportunity. Vauss wrote and directed the video, which is sure to make you laugh.

The country, more than anything right now, needs moments like this.

Tension has erupted between police and communities after black men were fatally shot by officers in Louisiana and Minnesota. Within days of their deaths, two black men seeking revenge killed five Dallas police officers and three officers in Baton Rouge.

"We wanted to show the unity that we have here in the township,'' Vauss said.

Man, did they ever. And so did Jersey City.

Each town's video has plots, dialogue and, most of all, big fun.

Every township department in Irvington was involved. The production, which has 16,000 views on YouTube, shows Vauss going through town hall and questioning everyone from a young woman sitting at a desk to a group of police officers to folks in municipal court about the challenge. They play dumb, but after he leaves the room, all of them break out in dance.

"I've been here 26 years and we never had a collaborative effort like that,'' said Police Director Tracy Bowers. "You could see the excitement on the employees faces. Everyone was into it.''

Scenes were shot in different areas of the municipality, including the football field, where officers, firefighters and high school students danced together.

For 18-year-old Giovana Burgess-Humes, the mayor's inclusion of young people illustrates how Irvington wants to build a relationship with her generation.  Government and the police department, she said, are not as intimidating as some may think.

"We took the time out to embrace each other,'' said Burgess, who sings in the video. "We're just so caught up in our struggles and what we're going through that we don't always take the time out to breathe.''

In Jersey City, the municipality wasted no time showing off the ethnic diversity throughout each ward. Officers danced with women in India Square and jumped rope with the Honey Bees, a double-dutch team.

Takeria Clark, founder of the jump rope squad, said a greater rapport with police officers has come about after the kids were in the video.

"They know some of the police officers by name and by sight now. Some of them say 'Thank you for your service,' '' Clark said. "It was amazing.''

The payoff for Jersey City officer Matthew Ramos happened as the video was being filmed. He said a little girl - maybe 7 years old - was "standoff-ish'' and didn't think cops were "good guys,'' from a conversation he had with the girl's mother.

After he started dancing with her younger sister, Ramos said the big sister came around and joined in.  

"That's my favorite part,''' Ramos said. "That alone was worth being in the video.''

MORE CARTER: A sisters' circle of hope rises from heartbreak

During the filming, residents stopped to record the scene with their phones and applaud the officers. On YouTube, 52,000 people have viewed the video, which shows officers looking for the running man. But while on assignment, they start dancing.

"This was an opportunity for the community to see a different side of police, to see that they have fun, even embarrass themselves with dancing, and really enjoying the people they work with,'' said Jennifer Morrill, the city's press secretary.

At the end of the video, Jersey City officers challenge Newark, the Hudson County Sheriff Department, the Port Authority Police and their canine unit to join the craze.

Vauss was a little more dramatic, dropping a bullhorn - mimicking an artist dropping the microphone after a performance - when he called out East Orange, Orange and Newark.

East Orange is up for the challenge.

"Look out for our video to have some special EO flavor,'' said Connie Jackson, the city's public information officer.

That leaves Orange and Newark.

 What-cha gonna do?

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

For about five years, this 60-year-old special education teacher has created and placed miniature fairy homes along a trail in Millburn. Watch video

MILLBURN -- Therese Ojibway laced up her boots and threw on her backpack. It was time to tend to the fairy trail. 

The 60-year-old special education teacher pulled out of her driveway at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday after a full day of work. She had tiny, magical homes she had

been meaning to refurbish. 

Cruising in her Toyota Camry, which displays stickers at the rear calling for autism awareness, Ojibway made two lefts and two rights -- hitting three red lights -- before arriving at her final destination: the Rahway Trail in Locust Grove, near the intersection of Glen Avenue and Lackawanna Place. 

Or the South Mountain Fairy Trail, as it's known to some.

At least once a week for about five years, Ojibway has put out, fixed up and replaced about 20 to 30 little pieces of furniture she has created for the local fairies. She sets ladders near roots that stretch up tree trunks, nudges doors into cracks and constructs swings that hang from branches. 

And until earlier this week, when she was outed in a story by The New York Times, very few people knew Ojibway was behind the artwork.

"As a child I was enthralled by stories about fairies," said Ojibway, who lives on Meeker Place with her 25-year-old son Clinton, who has autism. "So I started making little fairy houses ... and I think it's great when I see kids out here that still have that sense of wonder."

To design the miniature living spaces and accessories scattered along the trail, Ojibway uses natural and biodegradable materials, such as wood, twigs, pebbles and even fungi. If it's found on the ground of the reservation, it's fair game. 

How a dose of nature can keep us healthy in mind and body 

Ojibway pointed out her creations as she hiked through the woods Wednesday, adjusting some that had fallen and replacing those that had become old.

She remembered items people have left for the fairies over the years. There was the child that put out a pink shell, so Ojibway made it into a bed. Another left little boots, so she glued them down inside one of the homes. One little girl even left her tooth with a note.

"'Here's my tooth. I really hope to see you around,'" Ojibway recalled the girl writing, explaining that she then wrote a note back, though the girl never returned to see it. "I said, 'As a forest fairy, I'm honored. Only tooth fairies usually get teeth.'"

Donning a light green and blue tie dye shirt, Ojibway briefly stopped to listen as a woodpecker drilled into a tree. She halted in her tracks to admire deer crossing the path.

She also noted left behind trash, and rocks now tainted with graffiti.

"It's just a shame," Ojibway said of the spray paint as she dusted off a little chair, realizing that someone must have stolen a teacup that was no longer at the scene.

Within the last several months, more people have contributed to the fairy trail by adding their own decorations, such as dolls and toy Smurfs. The problem, according to Ojibway: They're not biodegradable. 

"I'm sorry kids, but nice try," she said, picking up toys left off the trail, which she places at the front of the path so children can reclaim them. "We really discourage people from using plastic toys [or] plastic furniture because this isn't a doll house. This really is nature."

Some structures made by others are not as visually appealing either, said Dennis Percher, chairman of the South Mountain Conservancy's board of trustees. Percher described Ojibway as having "great craftsmanship and creativity," which is not even comparable to the recent "copycats."

A fun and relaxing project -- flower fairy garden 

Still, Percher said he is pleased people are enjoying the trail. 

"If you can get people outside, especially young children, it's a wonderful thing," Percher said. "And if it happens to be under the pretense of an imaginative thing, that is just fine."

When she isn't managing the tiny buildings, Ojibway spends her days traveling the Garden State, visiting the homes of children who need early intervention for development disabilities. She's worked as a teacher for Rutger's Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center for nearly 20 years. 

Ojibway first came to the woods when her now adult son was just 3 years old "to let him roam." It was therapeutic for him, as it's therapeutic for her to work with her hands on the peewee homes. 

One of 11 siblings, Ojibway recalled how her mother used to tell them stories and poems of "little people in little places." She said she is thrilled when others feel that same sense of magic. 

"Mommy, come here," 6-year-old Mia Lambert shouted to her mother Jen as they ventured the trail Tuesday afternoon. "Follow me, I want to show you the fairy house. Look! There are three over here."

The 40-year-old mother from Elmwood Park took cell phone photographs while Mia and Jen's niece, 5-year-old Amanda, posed in front of one of the pocket-sized structures. They "came equipped with notes" to leave for the minuscule, imaginary human beings. 

"It's just so adorable," Jen Lambert said of what Ojibway has created. "This is just really, really great fun." 

Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka. Find NJ.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Layla was rescued from a motel parking lot, going from door to door looking for attention.

Layla 

BELLEVILLE -- Layla is a young cat in the care of Dap's Animals.

She was rescued from a motel parking lot where the manager said she was going from door to door looking for attention.

Layla has been described by rescue volunteers as "sweet and friendly," but she likes to be the center of attention so she should be in a household with no other pets.

She is FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Layla and other adoptable pets, call 973-902-4763 or email dapsanimals@gmail.com. Dap's Animals is a volunteer foster/rescue organization currently caring for 45 animals. For information on other animals adoptable through Dap's, go to petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=NJ694.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email essex@starledger.com.

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

 

Forecasters say the heat wave that's currently underway could stretch as long as five to seven days.

If you're drenched with sweat when you're walking or working outside on Friday, just remember how bad it was exactly five years ago.

That's when New Jersey was sweltering through a brutal summer heat wave, and the mercury on July 22 climbed to a record-shattering 108 degrees at Newark Liberty International Airport.

That was, and still is, the hottest temperature on record in Newark and just two degrees shy of the highest temperature ever recorded anywhere in the Garden State -- 110 degrees, according to New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson at Rutgers University.

The blistering 110-degree reading was recorded in the Runyon section of Old Bridge on July 10, 1936, Robinson said. And we're not talking about the heat index. This was the actual air temperature.

Another steamy heat wave on the way

As for this weekend, New Jersey is heating up once again, with the mercury climbing into the low to mid-90s Friday and the mid- to upper 90s on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The hottest regions of the state are expected to be the counties closest to Philadelphia: Burlington, Camden and Mercer.

"We're definitely looking at the high 90s for the hottest temperatures here," said Mitchell Gaines, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's regional office in Mount Holly. "Maybe we could push 100 for one day" in the Philly suburbs.

On Friday, highs around the state are likely going to top out in the mid-90s, so it's doubtful any daily temperature records will be matched or broken. Newark would have to hit 108, Trenton would have to hit 106, Atlantic City would have to hit 105 and Flemington would have to reach 104, according to climate data from the weather service.

New Jersey has a slight risk of getting isolated thunderstorms on Friday and again on Monday, but Gaines said the rain would only be "a temporary reprieve" from the intense heat that's expected to linger for a while.  

"It's going to be a five- to seven-day stretch of hot and humid conditions," he said.

The longest heat wave in New Jersey so far this summer was a five-day string of 90-plus temperatures from July 14 to July 18.

Elsewhere in the region, the hottest temperature ever recorded on July 22 in Central Park in New York City was 104, and the hottest in Philadelphia on July 22 was 103. Both of those marks were hit exactly five years ago, in 2011.

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

Which schools were the all-around best last year?

Walter Siguencia, Wilber Mejia Hernandez, and Jose A. Tavares are facing charges, police said.

SOUTH HACKENSACK - Three men have been arrested and a handgun was recovered in connection with the shooting and attempted murder of a bouncer at a Huyler Street go-go bar last weekend, police said Friday.

Walter Siguencia, 20, of Ridgefield Park, Wilber Mejia Hernandez, 25, of The Bronx, N.Y., and Jose A. Tavares, 27, of Paterson, are facing charges in the shooting, which occurred about 10:20 p.m. Saturday outside Players Club & Grill, said Captain Robert Kaiser of the Hackensack Police Department.

Roy Rommeihs Jr., a part-time bouncer, was shot in the back after he threw out two intoxicated customers for not paying an $80 tab, according reports.

The customers allegedly returned to the parking lot 30-40 minutes later and shots were fired.

Rommeihs, who lives in Bloomfield, was struck multiple times.

Go-go club bouncer shot in S. Hackensack

"Roy has a bullet that is stuck in his spine and cannot be operated because it might paralyze him," a friend states on his GoFundMe page. "He also has a damaged shoulder and a punctured lung. He is not in a good shape."

South Hackensack Police, working with investigators from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, arrested the suspects after several days of investigation.

Police said they seized a .38-caliber handgun while making the arrests.

Siguencia is charged with attempted murder and firearms charges. He was held on $250,000 bail.

Hernandez is charged with attempted murder and firearms charges. He was held on $250,000 bail.

Tavares is charged with possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose. He was held on $350,000 bail.

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

The recent killings over the past few weeks highlights the importance to fundamentally transform the relationship between law enforcement and the community here in New Jersey.

By Ryan P. Haygood 

Like me, I am sure you are still catching your breath from the tragic killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Minnesota -- and from the heartbreaking deaths of police officers in Dallas, and just this week in Baton Rouge.  

Castile's death marks the 123rd black person shot by law enforcement this year.

The killings of Castile, Sterling, Laquan McDonald, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Akai Gurley, Walter Scott, and so many others underscore the necessity of ensuring that police officers serve and protect all of us.

Here in Newark, the recent FRONTLINE documentary, "Policing the Police," on the Newark Police Department cements the reality that the issues of Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, Chicago, North Charleston, New York City, Ferguson, Baltimore, and more, are our issues too.

As a recent Department of Justice report found, law enforcement abuses in Newark are every bit as troubling as those that took place in Ferguson and Baltimore. The DOJ ultimately determined that, incredibly, Newark's police officers had no legal basis for the 75 percent of their pedestrian stops.

These findings, and the recent killings over the past few weeks, present an important moment for us to fundamentally transform the relationship between law enforcement and the community here in New Jersey in a way that serves as a national model for police reform.

July 12 marked the 49th anniversary of Newark Rebellion, which was sparked by police abuse of John Weerd Smith, a black cabdriver.  

On that same day, a federal court approved former Attorney General Peter Harvey and a panel of experts he formed to serve as an independent monitor for the settlement reached by the Department of Justice and the city of Newark. The settlement is intended to bring wide-ranging reforms and changes to the Newark Police Department.  

In a very real sense, this consent decree followed at least 49 years of consistent calls by Newark residents for real police reform.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his last book, "Where Do We Go From Here," the same year as the 1967 Newark rebellion. In it, King posits that, given the challenges, we have only two options: to embrace chaos or community.

Consistent with King's vision for the beloved community, the New Jersey Institute for Social Institute launched New Jersey Communities Forward, a cutting-edge initiative that seeks to empower stronger, safer communities through facilitated community forums and trainings with law enforcement.

By drawing upon lessons learned from effective policing models in New Jersey and across the country, and creating a safe space for honest and difficult discussions between community stakeholders and law enforcement, this effort, which has reached more than 1,000 people in the last year, is encouraging a much-needed paradigm shift in the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve. 

This initiative led former acting Attorney General John Hoffman to require every state trooper (currently numbering more than 1,000) to wear body-worn cameras this year. New Jersey is one of the first states to make this commitment to police reform. In addition, Hoffman issued directives to police agencies statewide addressing procedures and best practices for conducting use-of-force investigations.  

We are now working to ensure proper implementation of these directives, and access to footage captured by body cameras. We look forward to continuing this important work with Attorney General Christopher Porrino.   

Law enforcement must respect and honor the humanity of the people they serve. They must seek first to build community, and then join with the communities they serve to be both peacemakers and peacekeepers. Building on this sense of community, law enforcement officers should not fear being targeted simply for doing their job.

And that's what this moment requires of us: that we each embrace  King's vision of social justice, commit to bending our neighborhoods toward the beloved community, and that we remember that "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." 

Ryan P. Haygood is CEO and president of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, a leading social justice legal organization on behalf New Jersey's urban communities. He lives in Newark's South Ward, and formerly served as deputy director of litigation of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. Follow him on twitter @RyanPHaygood.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. 

Police searching for suspect in one shooting, authorities say

Newark police investigate a shooting on Chadwick Avenue July 21, 2016 (Photo: State News Service) 

A 38-year-old East Orange man was shot near Ridgewood Avenue and West Alpine Street after a dispute, according to Capt. Derek Glenn. The injured man was treated and released from University Hospital.

Detectives identified a suspect in that attack and the city's Fugitive Apprehension Team was searching for the shooter, the captain said.

A 24-year-old Newark man was shot shortly after midnight on Chadwick Avenue and listed in critical condition at University Hospital, authorities said. A motive in that shooting was unclear and there were no suspects.

Man ID'ed as victim of deadly triple shooting in Orange

Authorities confirmed a third person was fatally shot around 1 a.m. on Hanford Street. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office, which was investigating the homicide case, not did immediately release further details.

The Newark Cease Fire Shooting Response Team was in the early stages of its investigation into the non-fatal shootings, according to police.

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

Station wagons introduced after 1954 featured wood veneers and plastic to create the "woodie" appearance.

NEWARK -- This photo from the 1950s shows a station wagon used by members of the women's auxiliary of Columbus Hospital in Newark.

Based on information available from boldride.com, the pictured vehicle is possibly a 1953 Buick Super Estate Wagon or Roadmaster Estate Wagon.

The models were the last American station wagons to be built with wood; wagons introduced afterward featured wood veneers and plastic to create the "woodie" appearance.

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

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

 

The Hillary Clinton VP pick is down to a short list of potential running mates, including N.J. Sen. Cory Booker, the former mayor of Newark, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine and Tom Vilsack. Clinton's pick for vice president is expected to come ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia next week.

CLEVELAND --Who will be Hillary Clinton's pick for VP? Cory Booker, a New Jersey senator, former Newark mayor and one-time college football player, is among the final contenders as Clinton's running mate.  

We took a look at Booker and his chances to be vice president. Here are seven things you should know about Booker.

1. He attended Stanford University on a football scholarship.

He played tight end and caught one touchdown pass in his career.

Asked about his role in the 2016 presidential campaign, he referred to his football career.

"I'm happy to do what the coach wants me to do," he said.

Booker calls out Christie in Cleveland

2. He was the first black elected to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey.

Booker won a special election in 2013 to succeed the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a fellow Democrat, and then won a full six-year term the following November.

3. He has made overhauling the criminal justice system his signature issue.

President Barack Obama's visit to Newark last November to talk about Booker's pet issue was a tribute the former mayor's tenacity on the issue. As a senator, Booker has sought to pass legislation providing alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders, who often are black men arrested for drug use.

In an interview to discuss his book "United," Booker said drug use was rampant at Stanford University and Yale Law School with "very little consequences." But in inner-city Newark, the "criminal justice system was coming down on these folks for the same crimes with a fury, incarcerating at rates never before seen in humanity."

4. Booker has sought to make common cause with the most unlikely of senators.

Especially on criminal justice issues, he has sponsored legislation with Tea Party Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, and has appeared at forums with former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

He played a major role in crafting a bipartisan criminal justice bill that has drawn the support of the No. 2 Senate Democrat, Richard Durbin of Illinois, and the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles Grassley of Iowa.

5. His biggest financial supporters are pro-Israel groups and Wall Street employees.

For his Senate career, Booker's top individual source of campaign contributions was NORPAC, the giant pro-Israel political action committee based in Englewood Cliffs, which brought in $158,871, according to Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research firm.

Even so, he spurned entreaties from its president, Ben Chouake, and supported the Iran nuclear deal.

Booker's largest industry source of donations are securities and investment employees, who have donated $2.3 million. 

6. He was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

In 2008, Booker was one of the few prominent New Jersey Democrats to shun Clinton, then a U.S. senator from neighboring New York, and endorse Obama. This time around, he announced his support for Clinton more than a year ago and since has campaigned around the country for her.

7. He has 1.7 million Twitter followers.

Booker is the closest thing the New Jersey delegation has to a celebrity. He was on stage for Stephen Colbert's final show on Comedy Central, joining in singing, "We'll Meet Again" from the movie "Dr. Strangelove," and made a guest appearance on NBC's "Parks and Recreation."

When he came to Washington, Booker said he was told to "put your head down, work hard, earn the respect of your colleagues," just like another senator who had a national reputation before arriving at the Capitol. His role model, he was told, should be Hillary Clinton.

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

Investigation ongoing on North 12th Street late Friday morning

NEWARK -- A 17-year-old boy was listed in critical condition after he was shot on North 12th Street late Friday morning, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. 

Police were investigating the shooting near North 12th Street and 4th Avenue around 11 a.m., Ambrose confirmed. The teen was shot multiple times. 

The motive for the shooting was not immediately known.

Police blocked North 12th Street between Park and 4th avenues. City detectives and the crime scene unit were working at the scene.

1 killed, 2 injured in Newark shootings

The gunfire came hours after a person was shot to death on Hanford Street around 1 a.m. Friday. Police said a suspect was also being sought in a separate shooting shortly after midnight.

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

He is charged with robbery in connection to bank robberies in Jersey City, Maplewood and Summit, Jersey City.

Jersey City police, State Police and members of the FBI responded to 98 Bright St. in Jersey City where a 37-year-old man was arrested on robbery charges, cops said. Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal 

Law enforcement arrested a 37-year-old Jersey City man they say carried out three bank robberies throughout North Jersey, police said.

John Walsh, of Bright Street, was charged with robbery in connection to bank robberies in Jersey City, Maplewood and Summit, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. 

Just after 12:30 p.m. July 15, Walsh entered the Wells Fargo Bank on Central Avenue wearing sunglasses and a black tee shirt, and approached the teller window. He passed a note that read "give me all your $50 and $100 bills and don't press the alarm." The teller gave him $250, Morrill said. 

The robber then left the bank with the money and the note. The Jersey City Major Case Squad was notified and responded to handle the investigation, the city spokeswoman said. 

On Wednesday, Violent Crimes Commander Capt. Michael Gajewski was notified by the FBI that a male matching the description from the Wells Fargo robbery had just robbed a bank in Summit, as well as one in Maplewood. Further investigation by Major Case Detectives led to a positive identification of Walsh as the suspect, Morrill added.

Gajewski, Jersey City Police Lt. Mark Conroy and detectives from the Major Case Squad responded to 98 Bright St. with FBI agents  and State Police, and placed Walsh under arrest. A search of Walsh's residence and vehicle led to the recovery of evidence further linking the actor to the three bank robberies, Morrill said. 

Three others shot in Newark

A Newark man was shot and killed on Hanford Street July 21, 2016 (Google Maps) 

Steve Walker was pronounced dead around 12:30 a.m. Friday at University Hospital approximately 40 minutes after he was shot multiple times on a dead end section of Hanford Street, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced in a joint statement.

An investigation by city police and the prosecutor's office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force was ongoing. Authorities said there were no arrests and no suspects have been identified.

Teen in critical condition after late morning shooting

The killing was one of four shootings within less than 24 hours in the state's largest city, beginning Thursday night.

Anyone with information on the slaying is asked to call Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432

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

The mobile app, dubbed "Macy's On Call," will utilize Watson, IBM's counterpart to Apple's Siri

Macy's has announced it's teaming up with IBM to test an artificial-intelligence powered app in 10 of its retail locations, including two New Jersey stores. 

The mobile app, dubbed "Macy's On Call," will utilize Watson, IBM's counterpart to Apple's Siri, to allow shoppers to quickly search for customized information and help customers navigate through its stores. 

Shoppers will be able to type in questions in the mobile app like, "Where are women's shoes?" and the customer would be given directions to the correct department. 

Fastest shrinking retailers in U.S.

The retailer will test the in-store companion at its locations in The Mall at Short Hills and Woodbridge Center. It is also incorporating a Spanish language setting.

"This program, in partnership with Satisfi and leveraging the power of IBM Watson, will help us explore new ways to engage one-on-one with customers in-store, providing them another level of service right at their fingertips," Macy's chief growth officer Peter Sachse said in a release. 

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

The rapper has had his license suspended numerous times since 2010, according to DMV officials.

CEDAR GROVE -- Paterson rapper Fetty Wap was arrested earlier this month for driving with a suspended license, police said. 

Police pulled over Wap, whose real name is Willie Maxwell II, on Wednesday July 6 at around 8:20 p.m. for an observed violation, according to the Cedar Grove Police Department blotter. 

Police did not specify what the observed violation was.

A check into the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission database revealed that Maxwell's driving privileges were under suspension during the stop, police said.

Maxwell's license was indefinitely suspended after he failed to appear at a June 3, court hearing, according to MVC spokeswoman Sandy Grossman.

Since 2010, the 25-year-old rapper has had his license suspended numerous times for driving while suspended, failure to appear, and non-payment of child support.

On Dec. 27, 2015, Maxwell's license was suspended for operating a motor vehicle during a suspension period. 

The multi-platinum selling rap star recently made headlines after he filmed a music video with numerous drug references and a stripper inside a city high school, unbeknownst to the school board. 

After the July 6 arrest, Maxwell was processed and released pending a future court appearance. 

Fausto Giovanny Pinto may be reached at fpinto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @FGPreporting. Find NJ.com on Facebook.