It's important to remember our pets during periods of excessive heat.

There's summer heat, and then there's oppressive summer heat.

We've experienced some of the latter recently, and while we do everything we can to keep ourselves cool, it's important to remember our pets as well.

Evan has it all figured out.Courtesy of Sammy's Hope 

"If it's hot to you it's just as hot for your dog or cat, and probably even worse," said John Gickling, a board certified veterinarian in emergency and critical care. "We're better equipped to handle the heat because we perspire."

Some tips on making sure your pets can deal with excessive heat:

*  If you walk your dog, pick the coolest time of the day, follow a shady route and bring water for your pet.

* Older pets, overweight animals and dogs with short snouts suffer more in high heat.

* If your pet is outdoors, make sure it has a cool place to lay and that water is always available. Avoid taking your pets anywhere that has concrete or blacktop until temperatures normalize.

*  Dogs may be overheating if they can't get up, aren't alert or can't stop panting. If you suspect overheating, hose your dog off but never use ice water, which worsens the situation. If this doesn't work, a visit to a veterinarian is important.

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

Keith Isaac says Mayor Ras Baraka fired him for political reasons

NEWARK -- A former Newark official who says he was fired for "purely political reasons" settled his lawsuit against the city for $380,000.

Keith Isaac worked as Newark's Emergency Management Coordinator from Aug. 17, 2007 until Mayor Ras J. Baraka ordered him to be let go on July 11, 2014. Isaac was serving his second full three-year term at the time.

A mayor can't remove an emergency management coordinator, according to state law. Only a governor is authorized to fire someone in that position. Isaac was hired when Cory Booker was Newark's mayor.

The news was first reported by NJ Civil Settlements, which provides a partial list of settlements paid by New Jersey government agencies and their insurers to those who have sued them.

The lawsuit asserts that immediately after a staff meeting on July 11 2014, Kecia Daniels, the city's personnel director, asked Isaac to come to her office. Daniels then gave him a letter dated that day, "advising him that his services as EMC were 'no longer required,'" the lawsuit states.

"Daniels failed to provide any reasons for plaintiff's termination," the lawsuit states. "When plaintiff asked the reasons for his termination, Daniels responded, 'I don't know. They just told me to serve you this letter and let you go.'"

Newark agreed to the settlement on April 16, but failed to pay Isaac the first installment of $190,000 due to him 60 days later, according to a motion he filed. Isaac later withdrew the motion.

He is owed the rest of the money on Jan. 31, 2017. 

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

The state Appellate Court ordered the re-sentencing in the 2010 Christmas Eve murder of a Newark grocer.

NEWARK -- After Jaworski Sneed was convicted of a 2010 Christmas Eve murder - committed when he was 17 years old - a judge sentenced him to life in prison, ordering that Sneed not be eligible for release until he was 83.

Now a state Appellate Court has ordered that Sneed receive a new sentence, one that is not "a life sentence without parole."

A jury convicted Sneed of murder for the Dec. 24, 2010 killing of Darryl Logan, 47, a Newark grocer who left his store to break-up a fight. Logan was knocked to the ground and shot in the back. Sneed was also convicted of two weapons offenses.

Sneed, who lived in East Orange, had several prior arrests as a juvenile but no convictions.

In May 2013, Superior Court Judge Peter Ryan imposed a life sentence, ordering that the then 20-year-old Sneed not be eligible for parole for 633/4 years, or until he was in his 80s.

Last week, a three-judge state appeals court panel ruled Sneed should be re-sentenced.

"Based on defendant's age when he committed his crime, the trial court must insure that his sentence does not amount to a life sentence without parole, even if a period of parole ineligibility is imposed," Judge Clarkson S. Fisher, Garry S. Rothstadt and Heidi Willis Currier ruled in a 27-page decision released Aug. 5.

The appeals court judges said Ryan "failed to provide a qualitative analysis of the relevant sentencing factors."

The Appellate Court rejected arguments from Sneed's lawyers that Ryan failed to instruct the jury about considering the less serious charge of passion-provocation manslaughter. The panel also rejected arguments that prosecutors' openings and closing statements in the trial amounted to misconduct by appealing to the jurors sympathy for the victim.

The day of the fatal shooting, Sneed had been drinking with friends near Logan's store when a fight broke out, according to prosecutors, who said the grocer was punched in the face and knocked down. They said Sneed pulled out a handgun and shot Logan, then ran off as the victim lay dying.

One of Logan's daughter's witnessed the shooting from a third floor apartment window.

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

Three couples say the wording in a New Jersey mandate allows insurance companies to deny coverage to gay women.

The couples filed suit last week. (AFP file photo/Karen Bleier/Getty Images)
 

NEWARK -- Four women are challenging a New Jersey law that they say unfairly targets same-sex couples hoping to conceive a child through fertility treatments.

Erin and Marianne Krupa of Montclair, Sol Mejias of North Bergen, and Sarah Mills of Union City, filed suit on August 1 against Richard J. Badolato, the commissioner of the state Department of Banking and Insurance.

According to the suit, the women were denied insurance coverage for their fertility treatments because of the wording of an N.J. law that requires women to prove their infertility not only through medical diagnosis, but through unprotected heterosexual sex. The law, the four women argue in the suit, discriminates against infertile gay couples trying to conceive.

According to the civil suit, the Krupas have been trying to conceive a child since 2013. Fertility doctors found several benign cysts on Erin Krupas' uterus, and found that she suffered from endometriosis, making her infertile, the suit says.

State law requires large insurance providers to cover costly fertility treatments for patients medically unable to have children. The couples take issue with how the law defines infertility, which includes the inability to become pregnant after one or two years of unprotected sex, depending on a woman's age. Insurance companies have been able to deny coverage to gay patients who, although they have been medically diagnosed infertile, do not fit the definition, the suit says.

"Despite having a medical diagnosis of infertility, because, as a lesbian in a committed relationship, Erin could not show that she had unprotected sexual intercourse with a man for the requisite period, the Krupas were not protected by the mandate," the suit reads.

Director: LGBT group's HQ wasn't inclusive

The Krupas, and Mejias and Mills -- who are attempting to start families with their respective partners -- are coincidentally all clients of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. All of the women were initially denied coverage, and paid for the costly procedures out of pocket, the suit claims.

After the Krupas spent more than $25,000 on failed infertility treatments, the suit says, the insurance company did agree to pay for their continued treatments. It has denied to pay for Meijas' and Mills' treatments, under the definition in the state statute, the suit said.

"Horizon covers infertility services equally regardless of sexual orientation. We interpret the 2001 New Jersey law defining infertility in a gender and orientation neutral manner and our coverage standard complies with federal non-discrimination requirements," a Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield spokesman said in a statement to NJ Advance Media Monday morning.

"Members unable to conceive due to medical or biological reasons are covered for the specific infertility benefits included in their policy. Horizon is committed to equality, values our LGBTQ members, and is sensitive to their unique healthcare challenges and needs. We regularly review our standards and procedures to ensure parity and fairness for all of our members."

The suit does not take issue with Horizon's denials, but rather the state law that inspired them, it says. The state Department of Banking and Insurance acknowledged, but did not respond, to a request for comment on the suit Monday.

Grace Cretcher, an attorney representing the women, said the suit is both personal for the plaintiffs attempting to have children, and political, working against a mandate that she called "so narrowly and specifically worded."

Given the passage of marriage equality laws and advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ rights in recent years, Cretcher said she finds that many New Jersey residents are surprised that the wording in the mandate has not been changed.

"The status quo is very powerful," she said. "Things have been this way for so long, they feel normal to us...(but if something) feels unfair, I always encourage people to question it." 

As originally reported in the New York Times, New Jersey is one of 15 states that requires insurance companies to cover fertility treatments. Of those, California and Maryland have updated the definitions of infertility in those laws to be inclusive of same sex couples, the article says.

Though none of the women who filed the suit have been able to conceive yet, and all are continuing to try via various fertility methods, they say in the suit that they are hoping not only to recoup money they have spent on treatments, but change the law for future lesbian couples trying to have children.

"Every day that New Jersey law continues to exclude women in same-sex relationships from the protections of the infertility mandate, these women must either wait for the law to change as their childbearing years continue to slip away or, if they have any available resources, bankrupting themselves and their families in order to pay for fertility care that is automatically covered for straight women," it says.

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

Robert E. Wallace will also serve as executive director of the VFW's Washington, D.C. office.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A New Jersey native was recently appointed as the adjutant general of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States during the 117th VFW National Convention in North Carolina on July 27.

Robert E. WallaceVeterans of Foreign Wars of the United States 

Robert E. Wallace, who was raised in Newark but lived for many years in Jefferson, will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of administration of the VFW and its activities in Washington D.C., the VFW said in a news release.

Wallace, who first joined the staff of the VFW in 1996, is the first VFW adjutant general to concurrently hold position of executive director of the VFW's Washington office. 

Wallace worked as a banker for 24 years before he joined the administration of former Gov. Thomas Kean as deputy commissioner/administrator of veterans affairs. He also previously served as executive director of the New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission.

Wallace, a three-time recipient of the Purple Heart, served as a lance corporal with the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division during Vietnam.

Wallace's tenure as executive director has been focused on quality of life programs for veterans, service members and their families such as the passage of the post-9/11 GI Bill and the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act, the VFW said in the news release.

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

Six people were killed in car crashes and a bicyclist was killed riding in Mercer County over the weekend.

Six people died in car crashes over the weekend, and an avid bicyclist was struck and killed riding through Mercer County.

The 36-year-old bicyclist, Joseph Harvie, of Monroe Township, was fatally hit Saturday by an oncoming car at about noon Saturday. Harvie was turning onto Airport Road in East Windsor.

Two of the fatal accidents this past weekend involved box trucks. 

On Friday morning, a small box truck smashed into the rear of a dump truck on Route 9 northbound in Old Bridge, police said. One person died and two others were injured.

Fatalities on N.J. roadways peak on July weekends

The second fatal accident involving a box truck was reported Saturday. According to police, a Ford F-550 crashed into a Toyota Rav-4 in Franklin Township just after 12:30 p.m. One person was killed.

A vehicle overturned on the New Jersey Turnpike Sunday, killing the driver and injuring the only passenger, police said. 8/7/2016. (Photo courtesy of Brad Seigal) 

On Sunday evening, a Maryland man lost control his car on the New Jersey Turnpike and crashed near milepost 72.7, according to State Police. The 30-year-old died from his injuries. 

Just a few hours earlier, a fatal two-vehicle crash was reported in Howell. The driver of a pickup truck involved in the accident was pronounced dead at the scene. The man was identified as an Eatontown resident Monday. 

On Saturday, a Newark man died after crashing his motorcycle into a car on a Route 280 exit ramp, police said.

Another fatal motorcycle crash occurred on Friday night when a 19-year-old man was thrown from his motorcycle in a Howell Township accident, according to police.

This was one of three serious motorcycle accidents at the Shore in four days.

A motorcyclist was seriously injured Sunday after a minivan turned in front of the bike on Indian Head Road in Toms River. Another motorcycle crash happened on Thursday night in Toms River. The 26-year-old died Friday morning. 

A Maplewood woman was also in critical but stable condition Saturday after she was hit riding her bicycle in Livingston. 

State Police data from the first five months of the year shows that the death toll from car crashes was up almost 10 percent from the same time in 2015. 

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

Police say they are continuing to investigate the incident.

NEWARK -- Bullets, drugs, and money. That's what Newark police officers say they found in the bust of an alleged storefront drug operation.

According to a release from the Newark police department, a tip about drug trafficking in the area led Special Enforcement Bureau detectives to a business at 103 Maple Avenue in Newark. While investigating, they found 255 glassine envelopes of heroin, a bag of marijuana, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, and more than $10,500, police said in the release Sunday. Police also witnessed a drug deal outside the store, they said.

Police said they arrested four people in connection to the bust: Furqar Ross, 29, Tanya Jones, 45, and Aljaneer Waller, 38, all of Newark, on possession charges, and Edward Ward, 30, of Newark, who was allegedly seen buying marijuana.

Authorities did not specify which storefront the drug business allegedly operated out of.

An investigation into the incident is continuing, police said.

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

A 60-year-old Orange man has been charged with breaking a man's tooth during an attack with a wooden tire thumper in North Bergen yesterday.

An Orange man is accused of assaulting another man with a tire thumper -- one likely similar to the device pictured here.
 

JERSEY CITY -- A 60-year-old Orange man has been charged with attacking a man with a wooden tire thumper in North Bergen yesterday.

Robert George is charged with aggravated assault for allegedly striking the man in the face with the device, causing his lip to bleed and breaking a tooth off, the criminal complaint states.

He is also charged with weapons offenses related to the device which looks like a shortened baseball bat and is used by truck drivers to strike their tires in order to determine if they are sufficiently inflated.

Probable cause for the charges is listed as the statement of the victim, and George's "admission to police that he struck the victim in the face with the wooden tire thumper," the complaint says.

George's bail was set at $50,000 with a 10 percent cash option. He is expected to make his first appearance on the charges tomorrow in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City. 

The East Orange fire broke out at around 9 a.m., officials said.

EAST ORANGE -- No one was injured, but at least one unit was damaged during a fire inside a 16-story condominium building Monday morning, authorities confirmed.

East Orange firefighters responded to the scene of the fire, which broke out in a fifth floor unit in the Prospect Street complex, at around 9 a.m., a city spokeswoman said Monday. The fire was quickly put out, and the fire was contained to that unit, she said. No residents outside that unit were displaced, she said.

The floors below the fire sustained water damage, authorities said. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it may have started in the kitchen, officials said.

Scorch marks could be seen from the outside of several windows on the condo tower.

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

The two were arrested last week, police said

NEWARK  -- Two brothers suspected of a burglary in the 200 block of Renner Avenue were arrested last week, police said.

Rashid Spates, 26, was picked up by members of the department's Fugitive Apprehension Team Friday and charged with burglary, conspiracy and unlawful possession of a handgun in connection with the July 28 incident.

His brother Rashad, believed to be a co-conspirator, was arrested Thursday. Rashad Spates, also 26, was arrested after police received a Crime Stoppers tip and charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and being in possession of a handgun while prohibited.

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

Each tanker carries 30,000 gallons of Bakken crude. That makes it a potential rolling bomb. Watch video

Oil must travel, this much we can all agree on, because if it doesn't reach the refineries, we couldn't fuel our transportation system.

But every day, train loads of highly-combustible Bakken crude oil roll past our town centers, backyards and elementary schools - it is not even uncommon for a dozen tankers to be parked 75 feet from the back door of a city police department, as we spotted in Englewood Friday. Yet there is a disconnect between the rail operator and the public it both serves and alarms.

Each of these trains can carry millions of gallons of crude oil, in a fleet that includes outdated tankers that puncture too easily, over antiquated railways and bridges. Their contents and schedules are shared on a need-to-know basis.

But that is where rail operator CSX and Gov. Christie must concede a point: There can be no secrets when first responders must respond to everything from environmental disaster to human tragedy, which are common outcomes from the 10 oil train derailments the U.S. has each year.

A bipartisan bill requiring greater transparency of the routes and volume of high-hazard cargo has been making its way through our Legislature, and in the end, it will likely be met by the governor's objection that any public disclosure of content, schedules, and structural integrity of the cars would pose a terror risk.

That argument was soundly rejected by the Senate, which passed the bill in a 33-5 landslide, because as bill sponsor Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) puts it, "You don't have to be an expert to know what they're carrying. These tankers don't move under a shroud; they have chemical symbols on them, and you just have to open your eyes to see how often they go by. That's a false argument."

It should pass by a similar majority in the Assembly, because lawmakers from Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Somerset, and Mercer have constituents and emergency personnel who live near these rolling powder kegs, and want assurance that the operator has filed proof that it can pay for any cleanup, another key element of the bill. They also need to know.

The public needs to know more about N.J.'s oil trains | Editorial

CSX claims it is in compliance with regulations spelled out by the Department of Transportation and two federal agencies. One agency, the Federal Railroad Association, last week threatened unnamed operators that don't provide "timely" info to states and locals with "enforcement actions." The FRA must have had a good reason for that.

A meeting hosted by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5^th) for CSX and municipal officials - it was closed to the public, strike two - did little to assuage anxiety.

CSX's revelation that lower oil prices have reduced shipments to "only" 5-to-15 trains per week was met with a group shrug from mayors, because each train still pulls dozens of 90-ton tank cars past their playgrounds and churches each day.

CSX also says it has provided emergency training for 460 officials since 2014, but you won't convince the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey that this manpower is sufficient to respond to a catastrophic event.

"Look what happens despite these federal standards," says Weinberg, alluding to the frequency of derailments. "We're not waiting for them" to enforce better regulations.

Some states have drafted their own transparency laws, and cities from the Bay Area to the Gulf of Maine banned crude shipments entirely. Spokane put it on the ballot last month, after a derailment of a mile-long train near the Columbia River Gorge released 42,000 gallons of Bakken crude, with four tankers putting on a 14-hour display that resembled something not unlike hell.

Yes, oil must move. But our rail system was never built for this cargo, the increase in crude oil transport has not been matched with increased regulatory scrutiny, and dozens of New Jersey's communities feel an ominous rumble each day. As a major hub for this transport, we must take a more active role in its regulation.

More: Recent Star-Ledger editorials.

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

Melissa Stevens, a veterinary technician, said it was "love at first sight" when she meet the black pit bull.

NEWARK -- One of the dogs found covered in tar, abandoned on a bubbling rooftop during the recent heatwave has found a new home.

Melissa Stevens and her dog Lexi.Photo courtesy of Melissa Stevens 

Melissa Stevens, a veterinary technician from Saddle Brook, said it was "love at first sight" when she met the black pit bull.

"My coworkers warned me that Ginger was a little cage aggressive and fearful," Stevens said. "I opened her cage and was greeted with hugs and kisses."

This week, Stevens adopted the rescue dog, who she described as "very petite and gentle," despite the recent incident and renamed her Lexi. 

The adopted pit bull and a Yorkshire terrier named Simon were hospitalized last month. The Newark's Associated Humane Societies found the pair with tar-matted hair, and exhausted from constantly moving on a bubbling roof to avoid burning their paws. 

"When I heard what happened to Ginger - now Lexi - and Simon, I was heart broken and immediately took to them," Stevens said. 

Stevens told NJ Advance Media that she has fostered a number of animals over the years, but she's never been able to adopt them.

"Everything just fell into place," she said. "Now Lexi is adjusting to her new life perfectly and everyone just loves her."

The Newark's Associated Humane Societies found a pair of dogs with tar-matted hair, and exhausted from constantly moving on a bubbling roof to avoid burning their paws. (Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter) 

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

A Newark vice principal uses the gym at his school as a community haven to keep kids off the street and out of trouble.

Akbar Cook doesn't want this story to be about him.

Sorry, Mr. Cook. I can't do that.

You're hard to ignore when you've managed to keep 80 to 100 young people off the streets on which you grew up in Newark's West Ward.

"I don't do it for kudos,'' Cook said. "This is what I signed up for."

And he does it without much sleep, raising the eyebrows of those who know him, hoping the 40-year-old doesn't burn out.

 MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns 

Cook, a family man who has been married 14 years and has three children, leaves his home in the Poconos early in the morning and drives more than an hour to Hunterdon County's Pottersville, where he works as a program coordinator at a summer day camp for city kids.

By 4 p.m., Cook is on his way to West Side High School in Newark, where he serves as vice principal. He's there with a small staff to open the gym - that's where all of those kids who Cook saves from the streets go three nights a week. 

From 6 to 11 p.m., the joint is filled, mostly with boys and young men, ages 10 to 25, with younger players competing on separate courts. Some he knows, some he doesn't, but they come from all over the city to stay out of trouble.

"If I wasn't doing this, I'd probably be on the block,'' said Davon Nelson, 21.

The time period is crucial. That five-hour window is when idle young people can find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Too much of that happened last summer.

Each time that something happened involving a West Side kid, Cook said it was probably someone he knew or had counseled.

This summer, though, Cook made it his business to be sure that things would be different. He called on the West Side Alumni Group and the MCJ Amelior Foundation, which has adopted the school and funds some of its academic and enrichment programs.

Cook's idea is simple - give kids something to do in a safe place, particularly at night. The concept comes from his childhood, when he was always at the West Side Boys and Girls Club.

"I wanted to create the same type of feeling,'' Cook said.

With only one Boys and Girls Club left in the city, Cook figured the gym could be his own version of a community haven.

He calls it the Lights On Program, which started on July 5. The word spread from one ear to another that the gym would be open for activities through Aug 29. The next thing Cook knew, the gym was averaging 80 kids.

Inside, they play basketball, ping-pong, board games and card games. Those waiting their turn sip on water and eat free meals provided by the Amelior Foundation. Out front, there's a knock hockey table and a medical van. The girls who come to the gym dance to Jersey club music pumping through a speaker. Some play games, too. At dusk, Cook sets up X-Box and PlayStation systems that project sports video games onto the school's walls. It looks like a movie from a distance, but that's Lebron James dunking on someone.

The gym is more than a magnet for kids. Adults come, too. While his two sons are shooting hoops, Abdul Cameron is in the weight room working out.

"It keeps my mind off the negative energy,'' he said.

Without the gym, many of the fellas said they're not sure what they'd be doing, heaping credit on Cook, who shies away from the limelight.

Mr. Cook, it's okay to wear the community honor badge. You've earned it.

Alfonzo Anderson, who  graduated from West Side last year, said you saved his life. Remember when you spent five hours talking to him, making him see the dead-end track he was on. The 19-year-old hasn't forgotten that. He stopped fighting, getting in trouble and getting high.

Because of you, he gave up the street corner for a community college in Cheyenne, Wyo. He's on the basketball team and getting good grades, an achievement he didn't think was possible in high school.

"I look at him as a father figure,'' Anderson said. "He showed me a different way.''

His athletes get it, too. They are members of the West Side High School basketball team, which he led to its first championship this year.

Yup, Cook, is the head basketball coach, too.  And when he's not at the gym program on those three nights, he's coaching teams on Tuesday and Thursday nights as part of a Newark summer league.

His guys see the time he puts in with them, but they say it's more about life than basketball.  Cook's message of manhood and personal responsibility sticks with them.

"He knows how to vibe with kids,'' said Yasim Hooker, 17. "I've never met a hard-working man like (him) at his age.''

 MORE CARTER: No distance is too far N.J. Big Sister of The Year

His example commands their attention, compels kids to listen to this role model.

"Plus he's a big guy, so people are kind of scared of him,'' said Quayon Williams, 17.

We laughed at that one. Yes, he's 6 feet 7 inches tall, carrying 300 pounds. He can be strict, but Cook is fun and downright silly as he empties his heart into these kids.

It's 11 p.m. Time to go home, but Cook has one more stop.  There's always extra food left over, unopened meals the kids haven't eaten. Cook drives to Newark Penn Station and gives it to the homeless. 

Now, he can leave.

Sheridan, his wife, calls him on the road to make sure Cook is awake, knowing he's tired but understanding that's he's deeply committed to what he's started, making it hard to see the family. His sons are 7, 9 and 18. They come to the gym, too, sometimes and his wife works with him at the summer camp.

"We have a jewel in the heart of the city and nobody knows about it,'' he said, talking about the open gym.

You got that right, Mr.Cook.

That jewel would be - you.

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

The Bloomfield beating is still being investigated.

BLOOMFIELD -- A 62-year-old man was beaten with a crowbar by a complete stranger who allegedly took issue with the man's Donald Trump T-shirt, police said Tuesday.

The man was walking on West Passaic Avenue at about 5:41 p.m. last Wednesday when a man he did not know pulled up in an older gray compact car, Bloomfield police said.

The driver questioned the 62-year-old about the Donald Trump shirt he was wearing, and then followed him into the parking lot of the Friendly's restaurant on Broad Street, police said.

"The motorist inquired why (the man) was wearing the shirt, directing profanities at him," Bloomfield Police spokesman Ralph Marotti said. "The (victim) continued to walk away as (the) motorist followed him."

The man then got out of his car with a crowbar, and during an altercation, struck the older man several times, authorities said.

50 GOP leaders come out against Trump

The man suffered injuries to his arms, hands, and thighs, police said. He was treated at the scene, police said. The attacker fled the scene before police arrived, officials said.

Witnesses in the parking lot told police they saw the alleged attack, as well, authorities said. The description of the attacker, however, was vague.

Police said the man believes the T-shirt sparked the initial contact and prompted the altercation. Authorities are investigating.

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

The man was struck shortly after midnight while walking across the highway after his car was involved in a crash, authorities said.

Police are continuing to investigate the fatal crash. (File photo)
 

UPDATE: Man killed early Tuesday ID'd. 

NEWARK -- A Jersey City man was struck and killed by a car on the New Jersey Turnpike early Tuesday after getting out of his car and attempting to cross the highway, police said.

The man, whose name was not released pending notification of his family, was driving a 2013 Honda Accord that was involved in a crash that prompted him to get out of his car and attempt to cross the roadway, State Police Sgt. Jeff Flynn said Tuesday.

While crossing the southbound Turnpike near Exit 15E in Newark, he was hit by a 2016 Kia Forte at about 12:36 a.m., Flynn said.

7 killed in weekend car crashes

The man was pronounced dead at 1:18 a.m., police said.

The driver of the Kia was not injured, authorities said. No charges have been filed against him, but an investigation into the crash is continuing, police said.

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

Anastasia Bogdanovski, a swimmer from Fanwood, set a national record for Macedonia at the Rio Olympics.

FANWOOD-- Rutgers University medical student Anastasia Bogdanovski knew she was a long shot to win a gold medal at the Olympics in Rio.

But the Fanwood resident, who was swimming for her parents' home country of Macedonia, hoped she would be able to set a national record for the country in the women's 200-meter freestyle when she competed on the international stage Monday.

Bogdanovski came in third in her heat, a fraction of a second behind the winner, and did not advance to the semi-finals. But her time, 2:00.52, set a new national record for Macedonia.

Rutgers student headed to Rio Olympics

The 23-year-old swimmer dedicated her record to the victims of a violent storm in Macedonia that killed at least 21 people in flash flooding over the weekend.

"Even in this time of excitement and happiness, my heart and my thoughts go to the victims of the floods in Skopje, and their families. Their tragedy is bigger than my success. That's why I am dedicating my new national record to the victims and their families," Bogdanovski said on her Facebook page in English and Macedonian.

The fierce rainstorm hit the capital of the Balkan nation Saturday night, according to news reports. At least 1,000 people had to be rescued, many of them trapped in their cars. Officials expect the death toll to rise as the clean-up continues.

Bogdanovski, a dual U.S. and Macedonian citizen, grew up in Union County, but spent her summers in small Balkan nation in the former Yugoslavia where her parents were born. She joined the Macedonian national team after her uncle contacted the coach looking for a swim cap with the country's flag for his niece.

The coach learned of the teenager's swim times, which were good enough to set records in Macedonia.

Bogdanovski was selected to carry Macedonia's flag in opening ceremony of the Rio games.

Rutgers officials granted her special permission to skip the mandatory orientation for new students at New Jersey Medical School so she could compete in the Olympic.

Bogdanovski is expected to return to New Jersey next week in time for the first day of medical school classes on the Rutgers-Newark campus. She hopes to specialize in sports medicine, she said.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.

The crash temporarily closed a lane just south of Newark Liberty International Airport.

An overturned tractor-trailer just south of Newark Liberty International Airport briefly closed a lane of Earhart Drive to traffic Tuesday morning. 8/9/2016 (Courtesy of Port Authority)

ELIZABETH -- An overturned tractor-trailer just south of Newark Liberty International Airport caused traffic to be briefly redirected Tuesday, authorities said.

The vehicle rolled over and hit a light pole at Earhart Drive and North Avenue around 9 a.m., according to a Port Authority spokesman. The intersection lies just west of the NJ Turnpike's exit 13A. 

The spokesman said cars were slowly passing the scene by 10:35 a.m., and Port Authority officers were directing traffic. The tractor-trailer was removed by noon, he said.

The driver of the tractor-trailer reported an injury and is being transported to University Hospital in Newark, the spokesman said. 

The cause of the crash was undetermined Tuesday morning. 

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

Men accused of shooting at each other July 27

NEWARK -- Authorities say one of the two men wanted for shooting at each other on a city street was arrested Monday.

Braulio Lopez, 19, of Newark, faces charges of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Detectives with the Newark police division's Fugitive Apprehension Team and members of the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Lopez at Broad and Clay streets, according to the Newark Department of Public Safety.

Lopez is accused of shooting at 20-year-old Joshua Garcia, also of Newark, July 27 on Carteret Street, authorities said in a statement. Garcia is also accused of shooting at Lopez in the same incident and remains at large.

2 men wanted for shooting at each other, police say

Both men missed each other in the shootout, police previously said. The motive was not immediately clear.

Authorities urged anyone with information about the incident or Garcia's whereabouts to call the Newark Crime Stoppers tip line at 877-NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867). Police said all anonymous tips are kept confidential and could lead to a reward.

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

A lawsuit filed in federal court says the city's agreement with Uber violates cab drivers' constitutional rights.

NEWARK -- Several Newark cab and limousine companies have filed a federal lawsuit against the city arguing that a $10 million deal cut with online ride-hailing company Uber violates constitutional rights of taxi drivers.

The lawsuit filed last week is the latest move by taxi groups to protest the deal they say unfairly tips the competitive scales in favor of Uber and similar companies.

Newark's cab associations have opposed the $10 million deal since it was announced in April.

The cab associations argue in the suit that Newark forces them to buy $500,000 licenses, while devaluing those licenses by letting online ride-hailing companies operate without them. 

The plaintiffs, which include Newark Cab Association and Newark Taxi Owner Association, wrote that Uber's use of a mobile app to connect drivers and riders should not exempt the company from municipal regulations.

"Because cars, drivers and passengers exist and travel in the real world, not the virtual world, the same public safety concerns exist regardless of how passenger and driver connect," the lawsuit states. "Therefore, the rules governing the activity should be substantially the same for all."

Taxi and limo companies face more costly safety regulations than businesses like Uber, the lawsuit states. Policies governing drivers' qualifications, background checks, application fees, inspections, rates and insurance differ between cab companies and ride-hailing businesses, according to the lawsuit. 

In a statement, a spokesman for Uber defended the company's deal with Newark and noted that several state legislatures have passed laws governing ride-hailing companies differently than taxis.

"Our agreement with the City of Newark helps meet the overwhelming demand for affordable, reliable rides and provides expanded economic opportunity for thousands of Newark residents," he said.

A spokeswoman for Newark declined to comment on the lawsuit. Richard Wedinger, who represents the taxi associations, did not respond to a request for comment. 

The city's deal with Uber requires the company to pay $10 million for the right to operate at Newark Liberty International Airport for the next 10 years. Uber also agreed to provide $1.5 million in liability coverage, conduct background checks of each driver and enforce a no-tolerance drug and alcohol abuse policy. 

Newark joins several other regions across the country facing legal action from taxi operators angered by disparate regulations affecting cabs and ride-hailing companies.

Chicago, New York, Miami-Dade County and Boston are also currently embroiled in Uber-related lawsuits. 

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

A 40-year-old man was charged with DWI after police say he caused a nine car crash on Routes 1&9 during yesterday afternoon's rush hour commute.

JERSEY CITY -- A 40-year-old man was charged with DWI after police say he caused a nine-car crash on Routes 1&9 during yesterday afternoon's rush hour. 

Michael Polite of Newark was driving a tan SUV on Routes 1&9 north near Communipaw Avenue, according to a crash report from the incident. 

The 40-year-old first rear-ended a black Ford Explorer, causing the 35-year-old driver to lose control of his SUV and "spin out of control." The Explorer crashed into a van carrying six toddlers -- all ages 2 and 3 -- and then struck a blue Honda Accord, police said. 

Polite's vehicle then jumped the median in the roadway, which set off a series of crashes that involved another five cars, according to the report. 

Police said Polite "appeared to be under the influence when officers arrived at the scene," but he refused to take a field sobriety test and breathalyzer, the report states.

All eight passengers taken to Jersey City Medical Center -- which included the six toddlers -- have been released from the hospital, spokesman Mark Rabson said. The other three patients were brought to Christ Hospital and their conditions were not immediately known. 

Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said Polite was charged with driving while intoxicated.

The crash snarled traffic on the heavily traveled roadway yesterday afternoon.