While exceptionally hot, dry stretch is becoming a concern, state officials say we're not in dire straits just yet.

On paper, a tally of New Jersey's recent run of dry weather sounds troubling.

The entire state has incurred significant precipitation deficits in July and August, and most have not seen a drop of rain in two weeks. Reservoir levels crashed last month, leading United Water to call for voluntary restrictions on water usage. And today, the U.S. Drought Monitor placed much of northeastern New Jersey -- and 4.1 million people -- under a "moderate drought" designation.

Cause for concern? Absolutely. But are state officials panicking? Hardly.

"In the past two months, the trend has clearly been drier," said Dan Kennedy, the state Department of Environmental Protection's Commissioner for Water Resources. "But the bottom line is many summers are dry. That's why we have reservoirs. The reservoirs are doing their jobs and water purveyors are well set up to deal with these high demands."

"Are we monitoring it closely? Yes. We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we weren't."

By all indications, New Jersey is headed in the wrong direction when it comes to water. In addition to reservoirs operating below average levels, streamflows and ground water levels are also low, particularly in the northeast quadrant of the state.

As a result, the U.S. Drought Monitor placed parts of Somerset, Middlesex, Union, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Bergen Counties in a "moderate drought" designation, the nationwide research organization's label for regions in the earliest stages of drought conditions. 

"In the past few weeks, everyone has had their eyes slowly opened and realized there is a problem brewing," said David Robinson, the state climatologist at Rutgers University, who is part of a panel that issues the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor reports. "Because if this persists much longer we're going to be in a deeper hole as we finish the water consumption season, and that's not good as we look toward 2016."

But the DEP is the only agency that can formally issue a drought watch, warning or emergency in New Jersey -- designations that can trigger statewide actions such as water restrictions and rationing. Kennedy said the DEP not only considers climatological conditions, but the relative health of the overall water supply and how it projects to fluctuate over the next six months.

"We learned a lot of lessons from the droughts in the 60s and 80s," Kennedy said. "In New Jersey, our high quality and well integrated water systems and reservoirs help us out a great deal. As a result a lack a precipitation doesn't hit us as hard."

RELATED: N.J. reservoir levels dip after a dry August.

Officials within the DEP currently meet several times a week to assess the situation Kennedy said. He conceded that if conditions continue to worsen, the state could be pressed toward taking more significant action.

Robinson said while the fall and winter are typically the time that reservoirs are replenished, the danger is falling too far below normal levels by spring, when water usage ticks upwards sharply. 

"That's when things can really sneak up on you," he said.

The long term forecast does offer some hope.

The National Weather Service's six to 10 day forecast indicates the eastern half of the country is at a higher probability for precipitation. National Weather Service 

While dry and warm conditions are expected to persist through next week, the National Weather Service's forecast for the following week indicates an above average chance for significant precipitation.

"There is something in the models that suggests to the (National Weather Service) that there's going to be a rain event sometime later next week. Whether it occurs and what occurs, obviously, is the question."

Robinson said state residents should be grateful for what happened in June, when the state received more than twice its normal rainfall after drought concerns had mounted in previous months. 

"I will say this, I'm less concerned than I was on Memorial Day," he said. "If it weren't for June being the fourth wettest on record, we'd be in deep trouble. We dodged a bullet but now we're back where we were three months ago."

Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.

Music teacher allegedly uploaded child pornography from work and home, authorities said.

Music teacher allegedly uploaded child pornography from work and home, authorities said. 

BLOOMFIELD -- The township public school district has reportedly fired a teacher who was arrested over the summer on child pornography charges.

According to a NorthJersey.com report, school officials announced at a board of education meeting that Nicholas K. Schumacher, 29, has been suspended without pay.

The Randolph man, a Berkeley Elementary School music teacher, was arrested Aug. 24 on charges stemming from allegations that he uploaded child pornography from his home and work computers, the office of Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp announced last month.

At the meeting, Superintendent Sal Goncalves said there has been no indication that Schumacher had inappropriate contact with students, NorthJersey.com reported.

The teacher had worked in the district for one year, the report said.

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

 

Brian Love, 42, is facing murder and weapons charges in the killing of Denise Ramsey

Brian Love, 42, of Riverdale, Georgia, is scheduled to go on trial next month on murder and weapons charges in the stabbing death of Denise Ramsey, who was found on Jan. 25, 2012 in East Orange.Essex County Correctional Facility 

NEWARK -- With his co-defendant still at large, a Georgia man is scheduled to go on trial next month on charges of stabbing a "go-go" dancer to death and leaving her body in an empty lot in East Orange.

Brian Love, 42, of Riverdale, Georgia, is facing murder and weapons charges in the killing of Denise Ramsey, who was discovered under a mattress on Jan. 25, 2012 after her sister had reported her missing.

Love is set to return to court on Oct. 16 for a pre-trial hearing, and jury selection in the trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 19.

His co-defendant, Johnny Jones III, is also charged in Ramsey's murder, but he remains a fugitive, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Love remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail.

The upcoming trial comes as another Georgia resident, Corey Fallen, pursues a federal lawsuit over the case, claiming he was falsely arrested and unlawfully imprisoned in connection with Ramsey's murder.

Witnesses had identified Fallen as being with Ramsey when she went missing in December 2011, but his DNA was not found on her body and detectives ultimately confirmed that Fallen was not in New Jersey at the time of Ramsey's disappearance, court documents state.

Fallen spent nearly six months in custody, before he was released on his own recognizance in April 2013. About a month later, an Essex County grand jury decided to not indict Fallen in Ramsey's death.

In May 2014, Love and Jones were indicted in the murder.

Authorities have said Ramsey, 33, was last seen in the early morning hours of Dec. 3, 2011, when she was working at the Doll House in Irvington.

At the time, two male suspects at the club became angry when they gave Ramsey three one-hundred-dollar bills and asked her for change in the form of singles, but then only received change for one hundred-dollar bill, according to eyewitnesses, court documents state.

The witnesses recalled one of the suspects saying, "if we don't get the money, then we gonna go outside, pop the trunk and kill everybody in here," court documents state. Ramsey was last seen by witnesses leaving the Doll House that evening and getting into a vehicle with the male suspects, court documents state.

At a hearing for Love on Tuesday, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Naazneen Khan indicated that Jones and Love were the male suspects with Ramsey on the night of her disappearance.

Investigators later found Love's DNA under Ramsey's fingernails, Khan said. Jones's DNA was linked to DNA found in a sweatshirt that was wrapped around Ramsey's body and DNA found under Ramsey's fingernails, according to court documents.

During Tuesday's hearing, Khan also said that, after detectives arrested Love in Atlanta, he gave a statement in which "he indicates his presence at the scene at the time that the victim is being stabbed to death and indicates that he did assist in disposing of the victim's body," according to an audio recording of the proceeding.

The empty lot where Ramsey was discovered is less than a mile from where Jones and Love were residing at the time, Khan said.

Essex County prosecutors have offered a plea deal to Love in which they would recommend a sentence of seven years in state prison. Under that offer, Love would have to serve nearly six years before becoming eligible for parole.

Love's attorney, Olubukola Adetula, indicated on Tuesday that he has been looking for a plea deal that includes a seven-year prison sentence with no period of parole ineligibility.

But when Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler questioned Love on Tuesday about whether he wanted to proceed to trial, Love said he had not decided yet, according to the audio recording.

Wigler then asked Love if he had an opportunity to speak with Adetula, but Adetula interjected, saying he had discussed the matter with Love and that he "fully understands what the state's position is."

"I think he's very clear on that and, if anything changes, of course, I will notify the court and the prosecutor, but for now, we're where we are," Adetula said.

The judge said he wanted to avoid having the case resolved on the "eve of trial if it doesn't have to be," and asked Adetula whether it would be beneficial to return to court in September to ensure Love has "everything he needs to make that informed and intelligent decision."

But Adetula said such a court hearing was not necessary, saying he will make sure Love has everything he needs and that he will continue to have discussions with Love. If anything changes, Adetula said he will notify the court.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Police said they seized more than 600 envelopes of heroin, along with crack cocaine, codeine syrup, Oxycodone and other prescription pills

BLOOMFIELD - Three men were arrested Wednesday night after police found more than $10,000 in drugs and a loaded handgun in their vehicle, authorities said.

According to Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura and Bloomfield Police Director Sam Demaio, a task force comprised of officers from their departments was called to the area of Bloomfield Avenue and Grove Street after receiving complaints about drug transactions at a nearby Wendy's.

Shortly after arriving, officers watched as 26-year-old Irvington resident Bernardo Coleman exited a 2015 Toyota Camry and walked inside. After setting up at a table next to a window, he pulled out a black plastic bag.

Police stationed inside immediately announced their presence, and Coleman, a purported member of the Blood street gang, threw the bag to the floor to reveal approximately 600 glassine envelopes of heroin, Fontoura and Demaio said.

A subsequent patdown led to the discovery of Xanax and Suboxone tablets, police said.

After Coleman was taken into custody, officers ventured to the Toyota Camry still in the restaurant parking lot, where they found Newark residents Zakee Strickland and Hamid Patterson.

Fontoura and Demaio said both appeared to be hiding items inside the car, and later discovered a loaded .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun, along with various amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, a bottle of codeine syrup, Oxycodone and other prescription pills.

Authorities said the estimated street value of the drugs exceeded $10,000.

All three men were charged with multiple drug offenses, and Strickland was also booked on weapons offenses.

Strickland was ordered held on $250,000 bail, while Patterson and Coleman were issued $150,000 bonds.

Demaio attributed the arrests to his department's partnership with the sheriff's office, which he said regularly pays "huge dividends."

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

The live show in April attracted 2,800 fans Watch video

"Price is Right Live!" has added a second fall show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. 

On Oct. 31, contestants will have the chance to play some of the show's classic games, including Plinko and Cliffhanger, and to participate in spinning The Big Wheel to get into the Showcase Showdown. 

The live production is based on the Emmy Award-winning daytime game show hosted by comedian Drew Carey. 

Contestants will be selected at random for the live edition. A celebrity host will emcee the show. Prizes range from appliances and vacations to cars and cash. 

More than 2,800 people descended on Newark for "Price is Right Live!" in April.

"Price Is Right Live!" has given away more than $10 million in cash and prizes since its inception nine years ago. 

For more information or to purchase tickets visit NJPAC.org or call (888) 466-5722.

"Price is Right" is one of the longest-running network shows in television history.

Janelle Griffith may be reached at jgriffith@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @janellefiona. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Finish off the summer season with a perfect score this week

Time to see where you stack up with other NJ.commers. Take this week's NJ.com News Quiz to see how well you know New Jersey news. Post your score in comments to see how you compare to other NJ.com users. Do you know local news? Prove it now.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka wants men in every city ward to walk kids to school once a month this school year

The SOS went out nine years ago to Newark men in the city's South Ward.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, then a councilman and vice principal at Weequahic High School, needed their help. There had been a rash of fights after school and he wanted men from the neighborhood to be a presence when classes let out.

Thirty showed up one day. Twenty stepped up on another. It was impressive. I was there as they stood at the corner, steadfast and determined to make sure nothing happened.

Baraka needs the men again - but this time, men in every ward - to help him reach young people and instill a sense of community that has been lost. Brothers, the mayor wants you to walk kids to school once a month this year and tell them that you care about them. 

"I think that engaging these kids helps us to begin to change the culture, where kids are not just focused on violence and crime and illegal activity," Baraka says.  "They begin to see that there's hope, that people care about them, so they can begin to help change the neighborhood."

He was telling this to residents during a community meeting this week at St. John's Community Baptist Church. They gathered there to discuss neighborhood issues and to build on momentum from "Occupy the City," an antiviolence march held this summer in downtown Newark.

 The movement has now shifted to become "Occupy the Schools," and Baraka wants men to man up for something other than Sunday football games. It may mean that you're late for work, but he wants you there when his administration identifies city corridors for men to be at when he calls on you the first week of next month.

  "We say it takes a village," says Baraka, meaning that everyone in a community is needed to raise a child. "But the village is broken."

The mayor is trying to fix it and he needs help - help from men. Women are welcome, but this roll call is strictly for the fellas.

The idea developed last month after Baraka met with Chris Broussard, an ESPN sports analyst, who is also president of a national Christian mens' organization known as KING - Knowledge Inspiration Nurture Through God. Broussard and Al Hardy, vice president of the New Jersey chapter, talked with the mayor about getting men from their organization to escort kids to school.

Baraka embraced the idea and wanted to promote it all over the city, knowing the impact on kids if they see a contingent of men encouraging them with positive messages.

"To have men be a presence in the community shows that there are men who love their community and their family," Hardy says.

Men in Newark must have been thinking the same thing. Two separate groups did their own thing yesterday to welcome kids back to school.

Jeff Gay, president of "JusDoSumthin" in Orange, responded to a Facebook request from Eagle Academy for Young Men of Newark on Chancellor Avenue. He sent some of his guys over for support following the query from Thomas Owens, the school's director of operations, who coordinated the meet-and-greet with 50 men cheering for the students. 

"I tried to get as many as I could to go out there," Gay says.

Two miles away, about 10 men were high-fiving kids walking into Brick Avon Academy. They greeted parents, especially fathers, telling them they were proud of them. Among them were former Mayor Sharpe James and Rev. Phillip Gilmore of St. John's Community Baptist Church.

Ryan Haygood, a Newark resident and president of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, also used Facebook to organize that effort, just a day earlier. On Tuesday, the group will be at Central High School. 

Next month, it's the city's turn and Baraka wants men to turn out in droves. He's already talked with 300 pastors to spread the word and he plans to do an email blast to fraternal and masonic organizations, rite-of-passage groups and anyone connected to mentorship. You don't have to be affiliated. Just come when you hear about it.

Count on Hilton Hall and David Carter to be there. They agree with the mayor when he says social change has to start with the people.

"One block at a time, one community at a time and then it will be the whole city," Carter says.

These gentlemen, who are members of the Homestead Park Block Association, do it in their own way, because they see the fractured respect between young people and adults, a trust that has been gone for some time now.

"I try to do whatever I can, from tutoring some younger guys to being the guy they can talk to," Hilton says.

Ramon Melendez, 18, hopes to see the man brigade near American History High School.

It's sense of security, he says, a feeling that lets them know somebody has your back.

Just like the men who responded when Baraka called on them nine years ago.

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

More than 150 backpacks stuffed with brand new, notebooks, crayons and other essentials were donated to the John F. Kennedy interdisciplinary special education school in Newark on the first day of school. Watch video

NEWARK -- For their first day of school Thursday, students at John F. Kennedy School were surprised with brand new school supplies for the upcoming year.

More than 150 backpacks stuffed with notebooks, crayons and other essentials were donated to the interdisciplinary special education school in Newark.

The New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center employees -- with additional help from the non-profit Pass It Along -- helped put a smile on the students' and teachers' faces as they handed out the donated gear.

The John F. Kennedy school caters to students aged 10 to 21 who are disabled, medically involved, and autistic.

"Anything that anyone does for this population, for these children, it is always welcoming," said Principal Glenda Johnson-Green.

All of the backpacks were stuffed by Prudential Center employees. Each bag even included a hand written message in their notebook to help kickoff the school year.

Related: Devils surprise fire victim with new hockey gear

Thousands of pieces of school supplies, such as pencils, notebooks, crayons, index cards and glue sticks, were donated. Additional backpacks and supplies were handed out to the South 17^th Street Elementary School in Newark.

"We would like this to become the first of a number of opportunities that we have to work with you and your students," Jim Leonard, Senior Vice President of Community Investment at New Jersey Devils/Prudential Center, told school officials Thursday. "At the end of the day it's about them and that's why we are here."

The students got to create custom bedazzled backpack tags as well as meet, greet and even dance with NJ Devil the New Jersey Devils mascot.

Mr. Roberto, a middle school language arts teacher at the school, said he was honored to have the donation for his students.

"We appreciate everything we get," he said. "It's a nice little way to start off the year."

Amanda Marzullo may be reached at amarzullo@njadvancemedia.com . Follow her on Twitter @amanda_marzullo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

BELLEVILLE — Lena-Dee is a 3-year-old longhair calico cat in the care of Dap's Animals. A spokeswoman with the rescue group said she was saved from the streets of Newark where teens were throwing things at her. This feline has had a run of bad luck; she was adopted twice but returned both times due to "family emergencies." Lena-Dee is...

Lena-Dee 

BELLEVILLE -- Lena-Dee is a 3-year-old longhair calico cat in the care of Dap's Animals.

A spokeswoman with the rescue group said she was saved from the streets of Newark where teens were throwing things at her.

This feline has had a run of bad luck; she was adopted twice but returned both times due to "family emergencies."

Lena-Dee is described as calm and quiet, a "loving cat" who should be an only-pet. Lena-Dee has been spayed, is FIV/FeLV negative and is up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Lena-Dee, call 973-902-4763 or email dapsanimals@gmail.com. Dap's Animals is a volunteer foster/rescue organization currently caring for 47 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.

On the fifth day of a heat wave Thursday, the temperature soared into the mid-90s inside a Hawthorne Avenue boarding house, a home of last-resort for 22 people discharged from psychiatric care.

NEWARK -- On the fifth day of a heat wave Thursday, the temperature soared into the mid-90s inside a Hawthorne Avenue boarding house, a home of last-resort for 22 people discharged from psychiatric care.

Tucked away in the corner of a fetid, cluttered basement, inspectors found a small stack of unplugged but functional air conditioners. They demanded an explanation: why weren't these window units in use?

"They'll go out the door," house manager Michael Bullock told city health, fire and building code officials and a city police officer, led on a surprise tour by state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex). Anything of value -- from small appliances to towels and toilet paper -- residents will sell, Bullock said. Fans were removed from the rooms for same reason, he said.

"Well, then you supervise this place," Codey replied. "No human being should have to live like this."

Codey made nearly the same remarks when he last visited 383 Hawthorne Avenue 4-1/2 years ago and found an open sewer line jutting out of the basement floor and an unlocked cart full of psychiatric medication. The former governor, who has made his legislative mark by highlighting the deficiencies in care for people with mental illness, said the unannounced visits improve living conditions, at least temporarily.

RELATED: Codey criticizes boarding home where psych patients could go

"Unfortunately some of the worst are in urban areas. Does that mean they are acceptable here? No, and they are not acceptable to the mayor either," Codey said, referring to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka who joined the senator on a surprise raid of another boarding home with no working toilets or heat in February.

Robert Davison, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Essex County who accompanied Codey, said he sees progress since the senator began conducting these raids about a decade ago.

"There are less of these ... facilities, and believe it or not, they are in better shape than they used to be -- unbelievable as that may sound based on what we just looked at," Davison said. "And the (state) Department of Human Services and state psychiatric hospitals do appear to be doing a better job of not discharging people into those facilities, unless (the patients) insist."

More pressure is needed to demand the boarding home operators invest some of the profits back into the properties, Davison added. Based on conversations with a handful of tenants, they are paying through their disability checks anywhere from $654 to $800 a month in rent. 

"If he is charging $700 for a shared room, you can pay for the supervision so the air conditioners aren't stolen," Davison said. 

Before they left Hills Boarding House Thursday night, the entourage of city officials cited boarding home owner Charles Hill with more than a dozen violations ranging from illegal electrical wiring, to unsanitary conditions, to the oppressive heat that exceed a federal limit of 81 degrees. They promised to return on Friday to check whether the most serious problems had been corrected, Codey's aide Justin Davis said.

Code officials reluctantly agreed among themselves the violations were not serious enough to shut the home, which had passed a state inspection in June, according to a certificate hanging on the wall.

The city was also out of housing relocation money, Health Officer Michael Wilson said. "If we shut it down, where are they going to go?" 

Reached by telephone Thursday night, Bullock declined to discuss the violations or react to the surprise inspection. "They are just doing their job like we are just trying to do ours," he said.

Codey also made an unannounced visit to the Pine Acres Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Madison, an affluent community in Morris County. He said he had gotten a tip the air conditioning wasn't working on the second floor of the nursing home, where many of the patients with dementia and alzheimer disease live.

When Codey arrived, accompanied by Mayor Bob Conley and mental health association employees, including a nurse, they found conditions to be not as serious as they had expected.

Using two handheld thermometers, Davis found temperatures in some rooms hovering between 82 degrees and 86 degrees, above the legal limit of 81 degrees. But hall fans and individual air conditioning units minimized the discomfort.

"We monitor each patient to see what their needs are," said Labiel Gerson, the facility administrator.

"You are not hearing me. Some of these people are not capable of saying it is hot in here," Codey replied. "We'd like to see it at a lower level."

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Annual ceremony is set to include family members of 9/11 victims.

WEST ORANGE -- For the fourteenth year in a row, Eagle Rock Reservation will host the county's September 11 commemoration ceremony, "Essex County Remembers."

The county this week announced the details of the solemn ceremony, which will include family members of locals who died in the terrorist attacks. The ceremony, which begins at 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, will include a wreath laying at the memorial and raising of a new American flag, officials said.

For those who visit the site after the ceremony, a string quartet will remain at the memorial until 2 p.m., officials said.

"After the attacks, people spontaneously came to Eagle Rock Reservation to view the tragedy unfold at the Twin Towers and leave cards, letters, photos and flowers in an impromptu memorial in honor of their loved ones," County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said in a statement about the event.

"Our September 11th Memorial is a special place for people to come for solace and comfort because of its unique location and its powerful message of peace and hope."

At last year's event, victims' families spoke of the hope remembrance ceremonies give them.

"Every year I leave (the Essex County 9/11 ceremony) with the hope that instead of the hatred that killed my husband... that peace one day will prevail," Mary Ellen Salamon said at last year's ceremony.

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

Officials are holding out hope that state legislators can authorize a referendum to approve gaming in North Jersey next year

NEWARK - City officials are doubling down on their hopes for a casino downtown, though it will likely be some time before they know if their bet pays off.

The Municipal Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve a number of amendments to the Newark Downtown Core District Redevelopment Plan, including a clause that allows for "licensed casino or gaming."

Officials such as County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo and Mayor Ras Baraka have come out strongly in favor of a casino, which they envision as a centerpiece of a busy downtown that could one day include a convention center as well as entertainment and shopping venues.

Whether that ever comes to fruition, however, is largely out their hands.

The amendments to the downtown plan allow for the gaming only if state legislators approve a constitutional amendment that would allow for a referendum on whether to allow casinos in Essex, Hudson and Bergen counties. State law currently only allows for the operation of casinos in Atlantic City.

Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Essex) proposed the amendment earlier this year in hopes of getting the question on the ballot this year. Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), however, led a group of South Jersey legislators that scuttled the effort over concerns about the casinos' potential impact on Atlantic City's floundering gaming industry.

On Thursday, Caputo said he intended to resume the effort after this year's elections, in hopes of putting it to residents who head to the polls for the 2016 presidential election.

"Some people in South Jersey believed this was not the right year. The issue is still valid," he said. "Our job here is to save the gaming business. We're not out to hurt anyone, we're out to save the industry."

While Newark's move will have little effect in the short term, it could help as it negotiates with developers who may also be considering gaming investments in Jersey City or the Meadowlands.

Proponents of the plan say the North Jersey casinos could help draw gamblers who may now be heading to New York, Pennsylvania or Connecticut. Still, many acknowledge three casinos could potentially oversaturate the market, and that one or more of Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties could eventually come up empty.

"It just puts (Newark) in the position that in the event we approve it, and the voters approve it, they'll be in a position to compete," Caputo said.

Earlier this year, Newark and Essex County officials said they had already been in contact with developers, floating locations such as the currently vacant Riverfront Stadium as potential gaming sites.

Newark Deputy Mayor for Economic and Housing Development Baye Adofo-Wilson said that the allowance for a casino is only a small piece of the new development plans, which also clears a path for the 120,000-square foot Triangle Park and capacity for over 2 million square feet of development.

"The purpose of the amendment to the redevelopment plan is to encourage dense, pedestrian-oriented development, which may include commercial, residential, mixed-use, and retail," he said in an email.

Initially adopted in 2004, the plan has gone through multiple changes this year as the city hopes to capitalize on growing investment in the downtown area.

In February, the council voted to transfer a number of properties to the Newark Housing Authority in order to clear the way for the creation of the long-awaited Triangle Park.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Tenant groups have been lobbying Mayor Ras Baraka and city councilors to avoid changes to the city's standing rent control policy

NEWARK - As the city's rent control policy lingers in a state of limbo, Newark leaders are looking to calm tenant groups' fears that they may soon be forced or priced out of their homes.

On Wednesday, the Municipal Council honored a request from Mayor Ras Baraka's administration to defer a proposal that would have made it slightly easier for landlords to increase payments on rent-controlled apartments upon vacancy, provided they make specific investments in the property.

Before the vote, however, Baraka approached a podium at City Hall, and sought to reassure residents that the proposed revisions were aimed at encouraging landlords to repair their buildings.

"There are landlords who are not owners of huge buildings like the ones in Forest Hill. There are landlords who have 3 apartments, and they're living in one...there are landlords who have 20 apartments," he said. "There are buildings that need significant rehabilitation."

The statement was prompted by an escalating push from tenants and their supporters to maintain a policy the city adopted last year, soon after the mayoral and council election.

Since then, however, officials have expressed a desire to loosen some of those restrictions by reducing the amount of investment required of landlords to earn up to a 20 percent increase in rent, from $5,000 per room to $2,500 per apartment, plus $500 for each bedroom.

An organization of landlords filed a lawsuit last year claiming the existing law is unenforceable, and the subsequent shift has given many tenants the feeling as though they are fighting against political forces greater than themselves, according to Matt Shapiro, president of the New Jersey Tenants Organization.

"Those are the people who elected (the mayor and council) to office, and those are the people they owe their allegiance to. Not to landlords who don't live in Newark, and are just taking money out of Newark," he said.

Derek Reed, an attorney for the Newark Apartment Owners Association, dismissed the allegations of any backroom dealing, saying any adjustments to the policy would be won on their own merits.

Eric Martindale stands outside his apartment building on Mount Prospect Avenue in the city's North Ward. Martindale is an organizer for Newark Tenants United, one of the tenant groups that have been lobbying city officials to maintain a rent control policy they passed in 2014. (Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

"I think those are reckless allegations that seem to impugn the very elected officials that have given the tenants the most restrictive rent control ordinance Newark has ever seen, and maybe the state has ever seen," he said. "We don't know what else they're being offered by the landlords."

Baraka and other council members maintain that their new proposals continue to protect tenants rights by tying automatic annual increases in rent-controlled properties to the consumer price index, which they say is likely to be only around 1 percent, and by requiring landlords to be free of major code violations in order to qualify for larger increases upon vacancy. The most recent proposal would also allow landlords and tenants to appeal rent control decision to the municipal court, rather than the council itself.

Many council members also claim the existing law actually discourages significant improvements to the city's housing stock by limiting owners' ability to recover their overhead cost within a reasonable time frame.

"If you want to put granite top counters in, as a landlord you have the right to recoup some of that investment. At $5,000 per room, you weren't going to get landlords making investments," said North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr.

Tenants have also expressed fears that the changes would allow landlords to purposefully neglect their properties in hopes of forcing tenants out, creating a vacancy that would allow them to drastically increase rent.

"We call that a passive eviction, because the tenants get fed up with the way it looks," said Elaine Ellsbury, interim president of a coalition of residents at the Colonnade, a 560-unit building in the city's North Ward.

Baraka addressed those concerns on Wednesday, however, saying ousting tenants evictions with the goal of raising profits was a near "impossibility" under state law. He told the council he had formed a committee to help craft a new ordinance, and would consult with both landlord and tenant groups, after which he expected to present them with a final proposal.

"Ultimately what we need to do is come to what a reasonable number is for landlords. We're going to bring it back and give people the opportunity to have that discussion one last time," he said.

Council President Mildred Crump also attempted to clear the air, cautioning against spreading "misinformation" and assuring tenants that their concerns would be carry equal weight to those of city landlords.

"Most of us sitting up here have been tenants at one time or another. We didn't always own homes," she said. "We can empathize with those who are current rents about how this should be handled."

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Shavar Jeffries will take over as the head of Democrats for Education Reform, according to multiple media reports

In an interview with NJ Advance Media on Friday, the 40-year-old Jeffries said he will take over as national president of Democrats For Education Reform later this month. The organization pushes members of the party to support charter schools, merit-based teacher pay, expansion of school choice programs and other changes to public education.

A city native raised by his grandmother after his single mother's murder, he spent time in Newark schools before earning a scholarship to Seton Hall Prep, he graduated from Columbia University's law school, and served as assistant state attorney under Attorney General Anne Milgram from 2008 to 2010.

The first member of his family to graduate college, he said his path toward higher education helped shape his views on providing greater opportunities for children in Newark and other poor, urban communities.

"It is disproportionately poor people of color who have been stuck with whatever school is up the bock, regardless of whether it's preparing kids for a global economy," he said.

"If schools year after year, decade after decade, don't perform, there has to be accountability."

As he hopes to advance education reforms, Jeffries need not look any further than his own city to see many of the pitfalls those who share his vision often face.

A former president of Newark's TEAM Academy, a charter school. He won a seat on the city's School Advisory Board and took over as chair in 2010, but often clashed with other members who opposed the proliferation of charters.

In 2011, he had a public falling out with Newark North Ward power broker Steve Adubato, after he accused his former ally of manipulating other board members into voting against the creation of alternative schools.

Reforms backed by the state have drawn a mixed response from the community. Nearly 40 percent of all Newark students now attend charters, but declining enrollment in district schools has forced closures, layoffs and budget cuts, spurring criticism and widespread mistrust of those implementing the systemic changes.

Jeffries said he agrees with other reform proponents that better outreach and communications strategies can help inner-city parents the benefits of breaking away from tradition, but also said he hopes to work with teachers unions and other groups that have historically opposed reforms.

"We have to be clear, and we have to change things. And change isn't easy," he said. "We have to be smarter and more effective."

Jeffries' stance on education often took center stage during his heated race against current Mayor Ras Baraka, a noted opponent of the state's moves to encourage charters, an open enrollment system and other reforms in Newark.

However, Jeffries said he believes the Democratic party as a whole has begun to embrace changes to public education, citing President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's competitive grant program, Race to the Top, introduced in 2009.

"We're optimistic that the next, hopefully Democratic administration, will continue and build upon the legacy of the president," he said.

In a statement issued by DFER, former U.S. Senator from Louisiana Mary Landrieu said she believed Jeffries had the "vision, drive and limitless potential" to help the organization advance its mission nationwide.

"His commitment to the students of Newark and his genuine passion for helping all kids get the educational opportunities that allow them the chance to succeed is infectious," she said.

Along with his work at DFER, Jeffries is working with the New Jersey law firm Lowenstein Sandler, where he was hired as a partner in November.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Durrell Hearn, 24, and Leon Trent, 27, both of Newark, were indicted on Aug. 28 in connection with the Jan. 8 killing of 20-year-old Tykwan Crenshaw

NEWARK -- Two men have been indicted in the fatal shooting of a Newark man during a robbery in January at a city restaurant.

Durrell Hearn, 24, and Leon Trent, 27, both of Newark, were indicted on Aug. 28 in connection with the Jan. 8 killing of 20-year-old Tykwan Crenshaw.

Hearn was indicted on murder, felony murder, robbery and weapons charges, and Trent was indicted on robbery and felony murder charges. They are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Sept. 22 before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler.

Hearn is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in an unrelated theft case. Trent remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $350,000 bail.

The shooting occurred shortly before 5 p.m. at Royal Chicken and Biscuit, located at 402 Springfield Avenue in Newark, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Police officers responded to the restaurant at about 4:51 p.m. on reports of a shooting, and discovered Crenshaw laying on his back with a gunshot wound to his upper torso, Carter said.

Crenshaw was transported to University Hospital and pronounced dead at 5:21 p.m.

Witnesses told police that after Hearn and Trent entered the restaurant, Hearn pulled out a gun and announced they were committing a robbery, Carter said. Crenshaw and two other individuals turned over money and/or cell phones to Hearn and Trent, Carter said.

Hearn then shot and killed Crenshaw, Carter said.

The incident marks at least the second fatal shooting on the restaurant's block in recent years.

In January 2014, two people were killed and three others were injured during a shooting at 408 Springfield Ave., near the intersection of Fairmount Avenue, authorities said.

After Crenshaw's killing, Sebastian Lopez, who works at New Owl Liquors on Springfield Avenue, indicated that violence in the neighborhood was "out of control."

"I remember the shooting last year, too. That one was in front of the store, and this one happened (in the restaurant) next door," Lopez said in January. "It's getting out of control."

Below is a photo Crenshaw tweeted of himself last year:

I be cooler than a Cooler [?] pic.twitter.com/DHWhJLYk0m

-- King Swift-Free Snap (@LawBoy_Swift) September 11, 2014

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

A recent court ruling has set an 18-year-old figure skater free from an agreement with the Israeli Ice Skating Federation that her attorney compared to being held "hostage."

A recent court ruling could pave the way for figure skater Andrea "Anya" Davidovich to skate for the U.S., according to her attorney. Courtesy of the Davidovich family

HACKENSACK — A recent court ruling has set an 18-year-old Olympic figure skater free from an agreement that, according to her attorney, held her career "hostage" and prevented her from skating for the United States.

Andrea "Anya" Davidovich, who along with her skating partner finished in 15th place at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, first agreed to skate for the Israel Ice Skating Federation in 2012, when she was 15 years old, after entering into an agreement with its parent organization, the International Skating Union, according to the court ruling.

When her skating partnership with Evgeni Krasnopolski ended in April 2014, Davidovich, who holds dual citizenship to the U.S. and Israel, sought a release from the IISF so that she could compete internationally with the United States Figure Skating Association. According to the ruling, Boris Chait, president of the IISF, denied her request and refused to release her.

Davidovich's attorney, Stuart Slotnick, said his client was in an untenable position as the IISF wouldn't release her to skate for the U.S. but it also didn't want Davidovich skating for the Israeli team.

Effectively, he said, the IISF was holding her career "hostage" as "young ice skaters have a very short career life to compete in the highest levels."

Davidovich, a Livingston resident, filed suit in Bergen County Superior Court last September seeking a release from the IISF and damages for alleged "tortious interference with prospective economic advantage."

On Aug. 28, Judge Robert Wilson issued a summary judgment compelling the IISF to release Davidovich from the agreement. Wilson said certain elements of the IISF's provision with Davidovich were "impermissible" due in part to the waiving of various constitutional and statutory rights.

Wilson, however, did not rule on whether the group interfered with her economic prospects. That issue has been remanded for trial.

"I am so grateful for the support of my family and attorneys, and, most importantly, the judge's decision which frees me to pursue skating for the USA," Davidovich said in a statement. "It would be the greatest honor to represent the U.S. in international competitions. I hope to put this unfortunate chapter of my life behind and focus on the future."

Attorney Brian Spector, who represented the IISF, declined comment.

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

Jahmir Cain, 23, and Tarell Thomas, 27, received prison sentences of ten and seven years, respectively

NEWARK -- Two Newark men were sentenced on Friday to state prison terms for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl at an abandoned house in Irvington after the teenager had met one of the men on Facebook, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced.

Jahmir Cain, 23, and Tarell Thomas, 27, received prison sentences of ten and seven years, respectively, after pleading guilty on May 28 to charges of aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a news release from the prosecutor's office.

The victim had met Cain on Facebook in September 2013, the release states. The two men were initially charged in March 2014, court records show.

Additional details on the case were not immediately available.

"This case illustrates precisely why these laws were enacted - to protect children from the predatory behavior engaged in by these defendants,'' Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Lyons-Boswick, who handled the case, said in the news release.

MORE: A look back at the week in N.J. crime: Aug. 27-Sept. 3

Under the sentences handed down by Superior Court Judge Martin Cronin, Cain and Thomas must each serve 85 percent of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole, meaning Cain must serve eight and a half years and Thomas must serve nearly six years, court records show.

Each man also will receive credit for nearly a year and a half of time served, records show.

Cain and Thomas must register as sex offenders under the state's Megan's Law, authorities said. They also will be subject to parole supervision for life and they must stay away from the victim when they are released from custody, authorities said.

As an adult, Cain has four prior arrests and two disorderly persons convictions, authorities said. He lived in Glassboro before coming to Newark, authorities said.

Thomas has been arrested six times as an adult, authorities said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

City man charged after allegedly being found with gun containing hollow-point bullets

NEWARK-- A 22-year-old city man was arrested Thursday night after patrolling members of a joint law-enforcement task force spotted him with a gun, Newark Police Department spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.

File photo 

Task force members were dispatched to Riverview Court around 11:30 p.m. as part of an investigation. When detectives left their vehicles they saw Raheem Rudd, 22, attempting to hide a weapon, Glover said Rudd was unaware he had been seen. He was arrested after police recovered a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with hollow point bullets, Glover said.

"I commend the members of the Newark Violence Reduction Initiative for removing yet another weapon from our streets," said Police Director Eugene Venable

The units and agencies taking part in Thursday's arrest are the city's Cease Fire and Gang Enforcement units, along with the Violence Reduction Initiative, which consists of personnel from the FBI, State Police, New Jersey State Parole, and the Essex County prosecutor's and sheriff's offices.  

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

 

A ranking of the top 10 Essex towns based on median household income estimates.

ESSEX COUNTY -- When it comes to economic diversity in New Jersey, you can't beat Essex County.

In a recent NJ Advance Media ranking, Essex County ranked number one of all counties in New Jersey for having the greatest income gap between its richest and poorest residents.

According to 2013 Census estimates, Newark is on the low end of the gap. The median household income in the county's largest municipality is $33,960.

Click through the gallery above to see the top 10 towns in Essex, ranked according to median household income estimates.

(Note: The ranking does not include Short Hills, an unincorporated community within Millburn, as its own entity. When considered on its own, the Census estimates the median household income in Short Hills to be $224,524).

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

School officials announced the agreement Friday.

School officials announced the agreement Friday. Chris Cerf in a file photo. (Cie Stroud | For The Star-Ledger)
 

NEWARK -- The city public school district has reached what it is calling an historic agreement with the union representing 900 of its employees.

Newark Public Schools and SEIU 617 - which represents custodial workers, nurses' aides, clerks, program analysts, security personnel, and other employees - have reached an agreement on a performance-based contract, the district announced in a release Friday afternoon.

The contract is the first of its kind in the state, school officials said in the release.

"Newark Public Schools continue to lead the way in improving its relationship with its workforce," new district Superintendent Chris Cerf said in a statement.

"We recognize that the work done by support staff represented by the Local 617 helps lay the foundation for better educational opportunities for all of our students."

The new contract eliminates an old step-up pay scale, and replaces it with a performance-based evaluation system. The employees will be evaluated each June. The reviews will be used to determine their salary increases and promotions, officials said.

A union representative did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

The contract is one of several changes that have taken place in the state-controlled school system since Cerf took over for previous Superintendent Cami Anderson. With the leadership switch also came an announcement from state and city officials that Newark schools would begin transitioning back to local control.

The new contract goes into effect this school year, which began Thursday.

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