Attack occurred early Sunday, according to city spokesman.

Level 10 club in Orange (Photo: Google Maps) 

ORANGE -- One person was recovering after he was attacked inside a club on North Center Street in the city, officials said Tuesday.

City spokesman Keith Royster described the incident as a "serious aggravated assault" that occurred early Sunday at Level 10 nightclub.

The victim, who was not publicly identified, was in stable condition after initially being hospitalized in critical condition, the spokesman said. There were no arrests and no witnesses.

City officials did not immediately provide further details on the assault.

Last November, two people were shot outside the same club after an apparent dispute.

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

The Patriots have long been considered one of the top programs in New Jersey and were favored this year to win their ninth state title.

The Wayne Hills High School football team has been disqualified from the state playoffs, according to a report by NorthJersey.com. The report cites "sources" and does not indicate why Wayne Hills has been removed.

The decision means the top seed in the North 1, Group 4 sectional bracket — and the favorite to capture the school’s ninth overall championship — is out of the postseason.

The team is 8-1 on the season after winning it's last eight games in a row.

Wayne Hill’s departure means Northern Highlands moves into the bracket to take the place of the Patriots, according to NorthJersey.com.

Wayne public schools superintendent Mark Toback and Wayne Hills athletic director Rich Porfido did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment.

Check back to NJ.com for more on this developing story.

Police seek suspects in separate armed robberies

NEWARK -- Police this week issued a plea for information from the public to bring to arrests in two separate gunpoint robberies in the city.

According to authorities, a 21-year-old woman was robbed by two assailants around midnight Monday near Salem Street and Rockland Terrace. The woman was with a friend when a male attacker pulled her into a backyard, pointed a gun at her and demanded she hand over various items.

The other person with the woman assaulted her and joined in the robbery, police said in a statement. Both attackers fled with the woman's cash, cell phone and other items. Police released a photo of a man they were seeking to identify in the robbery. 

In a separate holdup, police said an arrest warrant was issued for a suspect, identified as Paul Ribau, 20, of Belleville.

A 24-year-old man was walking near Heller Parkway and Summer Avenue around 1:10 a.m. Nov. 3 when two assailants approached, including one who pulled a gun on the man, according to authorities. Both robbers stole his cell phone and a shoulder bag.

Anyone with information about Ribau or the Monday robbery was urged to call the Newark police division Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). Anonymous tips would be kept confidential and could lead to a reward, authorities added.

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

Police in the early stages of an investigation

NEWARK -- Two people were shot and another suffered a graze wound when gunfire rang out near the Newark-East Orange line Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

There were no fatalities in the shooting, which occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on 6th Avenue between North 14th and North 13th streets, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

The injuries were not considered life threatening.

City police were in the early stages of an investigation at the scene. Additional details were not immediately available.

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

'Have you made your voice heard yet?' the actress asked her followers on social media

"Today is #ElectionDay!" Anne Hathaway posted to Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a picture of herself smiling, wearing sunglasses and sporting one of those sought-after "I Voted" stickers. "Have you made your voice heard yet? Check the link in my bio to find out where to vote"

That's all Hathaway, 33, who grew up in Millburn, had to do to get 331,000 likes on Instagram, which is apparently, as Entertainment Weekly notes, the most likes of any post on Election Day -- more than the White House and NASA to boot. Take that, Nick Jonas (also Jersey).

The lesson -- people do like Anne Hathaway: they really, really like Anne Hathaway(?)

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.

Poole, the NJ.com Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year last spring, will take one more visit before signing

Cory Poole of East Orange, the NJ.com Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year last spring and one of the top recruits in the nation, said on Tuesday night that he decommitted to Syracuse two weeks ago.

Poole also said that he will take a visit to the University of Florida this weekend and will sign with either Florida or Syracuse this Monday.  

"I was so quick to commit, but everyone wanted me to take at least one more visit,'' said Poole, whose only visit so far has been to Syracuse. "So after thinking about it for a month and talking with my dad and coaches, I decided to decommit and take the visit (to Florida).''     

This past spring, Poole became just the third boy in Meet of Champions history to win both the 400-meter hurdles (52.50), and the 110 hurdles in an Essex County record 13.71, which is No. 9 in state history. And he nearly won a third gold medal when he threw down a sizzling anchor PR of 47.0 and almost brought East Orange across first in a thrilling 4x400 as East Orange and Old Tappan each ran 3:15.43. Old Tappan was declared the winner. 

Poole followed that up with a great quadruple at the New Balance National Championships in Greensboro, N.C.

Poole ran a 33.1 300 leg on East Orange's winning Swedish Relay in 1:54.88, led off the second place shuttle hurdles team (58.82), placed second in the 400 hurdles in 51.56, the 7th fastest time in state history, and split 47.49 to bring EO across the line third in the 4x400 in an Essex County record 3:12.83, No. 10 in state history.

See who won in local council, school board, and mayoral elections across the county.

Results will be added as soon as they are available. Refresh often throughout the night to get the latest results.

ESSEX COUNTY -- Residents went to the polls Tuesday to vote not only for the next U.S. president, but also for handfuls of town council members, school board trustees, and one mayor.

Check the unofficial local election results below, as counted by the Essex County Clerk's Office. You can find other county results here, statewide presidential numbers here and congressional numbers here.

Find all of our election coverage here.

A check mark "" denotes a winner. 

Surrogate

One five-year term 

Theodore N. Stevens, II (D)

John J. Piserchia (R)

Board of Education

Three three-year term

Lisa M. Lopez -- 5,633 votes (30.37%)

John R. Rivera -- 1,724 (9.29%)

Homiera Adibzadeh -- 697 votes (3.76%)

Thomas D. Grolimond -- 2,089 votes (11.26%)

Anthony Svehla -- 924 votes (4.98 %)

Thomas Graziano -- 2,984 votes (16.09%)

Marcos Vargas -- 795 votes (4.29%)

Michael Sheldon -- 2,022 votes (10.90%)

Erika V. Jacho -- 754 votes (4.07%)

Raymond Kuebler -- 900 votes (4.85%)

Mayor

One three-year term

Michael Venezia (D) -- 12,115 votes (72.62%)

David G. Tucker (R) -- 4,024 votes (24.12%)

Richard J. Galioto, Sr. (I) -- 525 votes (3.15%)

Township Council

Three three-year terms

Wartyna Nina Davis (D) -- 10,737 votes (23.80%)

Theodore Ted Gamble (D) -- 10,563 votes (23.41%)

Carlos Pomares (D) -- 10,567 votes (23.42%)

Cira A. Spina, III (R) -- 4,470 votes (9.91%)

Caeser Mazzeo, Sr. (R) -- 4,382 votes (9.71%)

Hector A. Correa (R) -- 4,377 votes (9.70%)

Board of Education

Three three-year terms

Jill Fischman -- 5,787 votes (23.83%)

Lillian Mancheno -- 3,540 votes (14.58%)

Gladys Rivera -- 4,258 votes (17.54%)

Benjamin Morse -- 1,789 votes (7.37%)

Shane Berger -- 2,670 votes (11.00%)

Catherine Catzel Bumpus -- 1,795 votes (7.39%)

Eileen Murray -- 1,851 votes (7.62%)

Laura Izurieta -- 1,134 votes (4.67%)

Djanna Hill-Tall -- 1,399 votes (5.76%)

One one-year unexpired term

Linda M. Lo -- 3,545 votes (99.41%)

Town Council

Two three-year terms

Stephen J. Flack (D)

Henderson Cole (D)

Thomas O'Donnell (R)

Pasquale Capozzoli (R)

Caldwell/West Caldwell Board of Education

Two three-year terms

Marie Lanfrank

Daniel Cipoletti

Ronald F. Goltsch, Jr.

Town Council

One unexpired term

John E. Martinelli

Joseph Cicala

Board of Education

Two three-year terms

David W. Schoner, Jr.

Vincent Vollero

Borough Council

Two three-year terms

Gregory J. Hindy (R) -- 654 votes (40.93%)

Patricia H Wahl (R) -- 682 votes (42.68%)

Christopher J. Boeckel (I) -- 256 votes (16.02%)

One-year unexpired term

No nomination made

Board of Education

Two three-year terms

Kris N. Huegel -- 626 votes (50.48%)

Shani Drogin -- 609 votes (49.11%)

One two-year unexpired term

Debra D. Tedesco -- 599 votes (99.17%)

Town Council

Two three-year terms 

Joseph Cifelli (R) -- 2,140 votes (49.80%)

Michael B. McGlynn (R) -- 2,134 votes (49.66%)

Board of Education

One three-year term

No petitions filed

Borough Council

Two three-year terms

David Lefkovits (I) -- 1,285 votes (49.77%)

Peter Hughes (I) -- 1,283 votes (49.69%)

Board of Education

Three three-year terms

Heather D. Yaros-Ramos -- 1,677 votes (25.15%)

Michael DeLeeuw -- 1,534 votes (23.01%)

Elisabeth Ginsburg -- 2,065 votes (30.97%)

Teresa Boyle-Vellucci -- 1,367 votes (20.50%)

Township Council

Two four-year terms

Michael M. Silverman (D) -- 7,075 votes (50.56%)

Alfred M. Anthony (D) -- 6,863 votes (49.05%)

Board of Education

Two three-year terms

Samantha Messer -- 6,821 votes (40.04%)

Michael Ramer -- 3,793 votes (22.26%)

Barry Funt -- 2,484 votes (14.58%)

George Shen -- 3,894 votes (22.86%)

Township Committee

One three-year term

Frank E. McGehee (D) -- 7,923 votes (80.14%)

Michael Summersgill (R) -- 1,957 votes (19.80%)

South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education

Three three-year terms

Johanna L. Wright -- 8,366 votes (23.43%)

Susie S. Adamson -- 7,485 votes (20.96%)

Stephanie M. Lawson-Muhammad -- 8,660 votes (24.25%)

James Henry Davis, III -- 4,687 votes (13.13%)

Anthony Mazzocchi -- 6,451 votes (18.06%)

Township Committee

Two three-year terms

Dianne T. Eglow (D) -- 4,124 votes (27.72%)

Samuel D. Levy (D) -- 4,074 votes (27.38%)

W. Theodore Bourke (R) -- 3,416 votes (22.96%)

Ian J. Mount (R) -- 3,253 votes (21.87%)

Board of Education

Three three-year terms

Jennifer Woodhouse Thielen -- 4,493 votes (31.53%)

Michael King -- 4,570 votes (32.07%)

Emily Jaffe -- 5,055 votes (35.48%)

Borough Council

Two three-year terms

Joshua H. Raymond (R) -- 1,746 votes (50.20%)

Arthur J. Rees (R) -- 1,723 votes (49.54%)

West Essex Regional Board of Education

Two three-year terms

Judith Amorim Dias -- 1,531 votes (50.54%)

Anthony Prinzo -- 1,491 votes (49.22%)

North Caldwell Board of Education

One three-year term

Robert M. Projansky -- 1,600 votes (99.63%)

Board of Education

Three three-year terms

Charles W. Kucinski -- 5,843 votes (35.11 %)

Daniel A. Carnicella -- 5,424 votes (32.59%)

Brenda Sherman -- 5,271 votes (31.67%)

Borough Council

Two three-year terms

Christopher Bardi (D) -- 1,368 votes (26.87%)

David B. Jacobs (R) -- 1,718 votes (33.74%)

Richard N. Leonard (R) -- 2,001 votes (39.30%)

West Essex Regional Board of Education

One three-year term

Deborah Jacco-Calderone -- 1,534 votes (99.42%)

Roseland Board of Education

One three-year term

Anna K. Gordon -- 1,432 votes (62.02%)

Toni Bimbo Vardman -- 873 votes (37.81%)

South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education

Three three-year terms

Johanna L. Wright

Susie S. Adamson

Stephanie M. Lawson-Muhammad

James Henry Davis, III

Anthony Mazzocchi

Board of Education

Two three-year terms

James A. Day -- 3,643 votes (53.46%)

Glenn Elliott -- 3,123 votes  (45.83%)

Township Council

Two three-year terms

Joseph P. Cecere (R) -- 3,183 votes (51.45%)

Stephen P. Wolsky (R) -- 2,975 votes (48.09%)

Caldwell/West Caldwell Board of Education

Two three-year terms

Marie Lanfrank

Daniel Cipoletti

Ronald F. Goltsch, Jr.

Town Council

Three four-year terms

Jerry Guarino

Joe Krakoviak

Susan Scarpa

Akil Khalfani

Monica Perkowski

Michelle Casalino

Board of Education

Two three-year terms

Mark A. Robertson

Tanya Atterberry

Sandra M. Mordecai

Sharon Sherman

Christopher Diaz

Stephen Christiano

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

In one case, a printing error discovered early in the day in Burlington County forced workers to count 9,000 ballots by hand.

Long lines, faulty equipment and apparently misinformed poll workers didn't stop New Jersey residents from turning out in massive numbers to vote Tuesday.

In Hudson County, increased voter turnout was attributed as the cause of long lines that in some cases resulted in hour-long delays. 

One election official told The Jersey Journal that lines had already formed when she arrived at her polling location at 5:30 a.m.

In another location, poll workers also reportedly didn't bring the correct keys for the voting machines.

Long lines were also reported in Hoboken and communities throughout the state.

In Burlington County, a printing error discovered early in the day held up machine counting of more than 9,000 ballots, forcing election workers to count them by hand.

Board of Elections Chairman Joe Dugan told NJ Advance Media additional workers had to be added to accomplish the task.

Some voters in Montclair had to cast provisional ballots when their names did not appear in registration books.

Michelle DeCastro said she went to her regular polling place at the Buzz Aldrin Middle School on Lorraine Avenue just after 8 a.m., and was told her name did not appear in the book for her election district.

DeCastro said poll workers gave her a provisional ballot, which she cast. But the situation was disconcerting, she said, and writing out her choices on a piece of paper rather than pressing a button for her candidate in the privacy of a voting booth was uncomfortable.

"My right to vote was taken away from me," DeCastro said, meaning her right to vote in the booth.

DeCastro said she was also alarmed to be told that her vote "might" still count, if election officials eventually concluded she was, in fact, legally registered.

Castro added that there was a long line of voters at the school, formerly known as Mt. Hebron Middle School, also waiting to cast provisional ballots because their names did not appear in registration books.

A spokeswoman for Montclair Township, Katya Wowk, said the township clerk was aware of the situation and had been in contact with Essex County elections officials and with workers at local polling places.

"They're making sure they have sufficient numbers of provisional ballots," Wowk said.

Wowk said officials suspected much of the problem might involve residents who registered under the state motor-voter law, which allows citizens who live in New Jersey to register at state Motor Vehicle Commission offices when renewing their vehicle registration.

For some reason, Wowk said, the voter information was not transmitted in a timely manner from the MVC to election officials.

"It's mainly the motor-voter," Wowk said.

But DeCastro said she did not register through the MVC, and that she had not changed her address, her registration information or anything else in years.

"It's really very troubling," DeCastro said.

In Morris County, some voters who arrived at polling locations in Boonton and Wharton earlier in the day were unable to vote by machine or provisional ballot.

Polling locations in Morris Township and Rockaway Township also experienced machine breakdowns.

Voter ID reared its head as an issue in at least two counties.

In Middlesex County, people voting at the Metuchen Moss School polling location encountered signs directing them to have ID ready for inspection by a poll worker.

County officials said the signs were taken down as soon as they were made aware of them.

In Hudson County, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer took to Twitter to say she had been asked for her ID at a polling location.

I just got asked for ID to vote in my polling location at Boys & Girls Club. This is not ok Hudson County Board of Elections!

-- Dawn Zimmer (@dawnzimmernj) November 8, 2016

Under New Jersey law, voters may only be required to show ID under specific circumstances, including when voting for the first time.

Judge turns down voter intimidation claims

Despite widespread fears of voter fraud and intimidation prior to the election, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Matt Reilly said he wasn't aware of any specific complaints.

Lee Moore, a spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, said there was "nothing to report" as of Tuesday afternoon.

The agencies previously had announced they'd be working cooperatively with county election boards to respond to reports of any such activity.

Staff reporters Kevin Shea, Alex Napoliello and Justin Zaremba contributed to this report.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The talent in New Jersey will reach the college level soon.

The 8 and 11-year-old were killed in a brutal stabbing spree Saturday.

NEWARK -- Last week, students and teachers at the BRICK Peshine Academy and KIPP Seek Academy said goodbye to two of their classmates, not realizing that they would never see them again.

Al-Jahon Whitehurst, an 11-year-old fifth grader at BRICK, and his 8-year-old sister, Ariel, a second grader at KIPP, were two of the three victims killed in a brutal stabbing at their grandmother's city home Saturday.

"Ariel had so many close friends and she was extremely loved by the entire Seek community," her teacher, Marya Tambawala, said in a statement to NJ Advance Media.

"Teachers and students will work harder every day to make her proud, as Ariel always made us proud."

The vigil in memory of the students. (Submitted photo)
 

More than 200 residents, along with school and local elected officials, gathered at a vigil held at the KIPP Seek Academy/George Washington Carver Elementary School Monday night to remember the children.

The schools have also set up an online fundraising campaign to raise money to help pay for the children's funerals.

"Ariel and Al-Jahon were beloved children who will be dearly missed by their family, friends, and teachers in the Newark community," the GoFundMe posting reads.

"After the tragic loss of Ariel and Al-Jahon, we do not want their family to worry about financial matters."

As of Wednesday morning, the site had raised almost $11,000, nearly half of its $25,000 goal.

The violent past of the accused killer

The kids' mother, Asia, was also injured in the stabbing attack. School officials identified her as a food service worker at BRICK Peshine.

Authorities Monday announced the arrest of 26-year-old Newark resident Jeremy Arrington in the triple homicide.

Officials said Arrington, upset by a post one of the victims made on Facebook, went to the family home Saturday to confront the nine people inside. He is accused of stabbing six of them, four children and two adult women.

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

Police say the man attempted to lift the personal hygiene products from the Millburn Walgreens.

MILLBURN -- Police have arrested a man who they say attempted to steal 49 items from a New Jersey Walgreens by stuffing them into his pants.

Millburn police arrested the man Monday. (Jessica Mazzola | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

Frank Wiley, 43, of Irvington, tried to leave the store Monday with 49 personal hygiene products - including deodorants, Visine dry eye drops, and bottles of body wash - in his pants, Millburn Police said in a release Tuesday.

"He was spotted by an employee, probably walking in a strange way with all (of) that hidden," Captain Michael Mulligan said.

Altogether, police said the items were valued at $333.56.

Wiley was arrested on shoplifting charges, and released with a summons, police said.

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

Take a look at all the teams and runners picked to win

Is it us, or do they talk funny down there? And drive too slow.

"...keep walking everything will be fine" robber reportedly told manager

BLOOMFIELD -- A CVS store manager was robbed and pepper-sprayed as he walked to the bank Tuesday afternoon in the township, police said.

An assailant put an "unknown object" to the manager's waist, told him to shut up and "...keep walking everything will be fine," near the stairwell to the Lackawanna Train station as the victim headed to a PNC Bank with about $25,000 in deposit money, according to Bloomfield police spokesman Ralph Marotti.

The robber asked the manager if there were any cameras in the area and made the victim walk through a nearby parking lot to a driveway on Henry Street, police added.

The robber had the store manager empty his pockets and take off a backpack holding bank bags containing $3,000 to $4,000 in cash. The attacker also pepper-sprayed the victim in the face and fled.

Police described the robber as a black man, in his 20s, wearing a black hat, dark sunglasses, with a navy blue hoodie, black jeans, a light full beard and a raspy voice.

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

Critics have compared the singer to Bruce Springsteen and recent Nobel Prize for Literature honoree Bob Dylan.

Josh Ritter is almost always referred to as a "singer/songwriter," a way of emphasizing that the performer's lyrics are thoughtful, insightful, even funny narratives. Critics have compared him to Bruce Springsteen and recent Nobel Prize for Literature honoree Bob Dylan.

That's obviously a " huge compliment, an amazing compliment," Ritter said. But he wants his work to speak for itself.

"The only way to judge a career is by having a career, and that's my goal," Ritter said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. "I'm going to try to keep on going like this as long as I'm standing. It's a wonderful time to stand on my own two feet."

He'll do just that when he takes the stage Nov 9. at the South Orange Performing Arts Center and again Nov. 10 at Princeton's McCarter Theatre. The McCarter show includes a 21+ after-party sponsored by WXPN. The additional $10 ticket includes "Josh Ritter's favorite things: beer, bourbon, food, and friends!"

Ritter is touring in support of his eighth studio album, "Sermon on the Rocks." A track from that "Getting Ready To Get Down" was included on NPR Music's list of "Best Songs of 2015." Ritter has described the music as "messianic oracular honky-tonk." Concert goers can expect Ritter classics, like "Golden Age of Radio," "To the Dogs of Whoever," and "Girl in the War."

"I like to play stuff from all over the catalogue," he said. "I hope to be making records 20 years from now." 

Born in Idaho, Ritter said his first "audience" was a potato sack in his parents' basement. It was a way to practice and allay any stage fright.

"I did play for anything or anyone that would listen. Potatoes have more eyes than ears. 

He doesn't need that practice now. He feels comfortable on stage, he said, and looks forward to every show.

"I don't see the relationship with the audience as contentious or judgmental," he said. "From night to night, you look for that good feeling that you find when you play for people ... Nothing has a hold on you except those moments, those nights. 

"I don't like nights off. I like to play every night as much as I can."

This article went to press before the winner of the 2016 was finalized. Whatever the outcome, fans might hear Ritter perform "The Temptation of Adam," which he contributed to the 30-song  collection "Artists for a Trump-Free America."  The lovers described in the song meet while climbing through a missile silo door on the even of World War III. 

While written during the second Gulf War and the administration of George W. Bush, the lyrics were not "inspired in a visceral way by politics itself," said Ritter. Instead,  "Temptation" was influenced how unsettled he felt at the time, That feeling has returned, he said. 

"There's a general feeling that the world is so strange and there's a  rumbling that you pick up in song writing," he said. "Those trust issues ... are exemplified in high relief when you consider a politician like Donald Trump."

Ritter predicts future song lyrics will be inspired by his daughter Beatrix, who turns 4 Nov. 11. Still, he probably won't use her name.

"I don't want to embarrass her," he said. "But I know she's in there some ways. Everything that happens in life leads to something in writing and her spirit is in the songs for sure."

As if being featured in a Josh Ritter song could embarrass anyone.

Josh Ritter

November 9, 7:30 pm, South Orange Performing Arts Center, 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ

Tickets: $38-55, available via SOPAC box office 973-313-2787 or online.

November 10, 7:30 pm, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Pl., Princeton, NJ. 

Tickets: $25-42 with student discounts available. Available via McCarter box office 609-258-2787 or online.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

New Jersey's state university turns 250-years old on Thursday. Here's how you can join the party, complete with cupcakes and fireworks.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University was founded without much fanfare.

William Franklin, the Colonial governor of New Jersey and son of Ben Franklin, signed a charter on Nov. 10, 1766, establishing Queens College, which held its first classes in a local tavern. The modest school eventually enrolled a handful of students in New Brunswick and struggled to stay afloat.

Two hundred and fifty years later, Rutgers is still around and has grown into one of the largest universities in the nation. It is celebrating its sestercentennial on Thursday with plenty of fanfare.

After a year-long celebration of its 250th anniversary, Rutgers will mark the actual date of its founding with a birthday blowout spanning the state.

Empire State Building to glow scarlet

"There is a great sense of pride that comes with recognizing that your institution is one of the oldest in the country and one of only a handful that predate our nation," Rutgers President Robert Barchi said.

Here are some of the highlights of Thursday's celebration that are open to the public:

"A Day of Revolutionary Thinking"

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The "Rutgers 250 Fellows" - more than 80 notable graduates from various fields - will return to the New Brunswick, Newark and Camden campuses for lectures, speeches and panels. The "Day of Revolutionary Thinking" events include speeches and panels with motivational speaker Eric LeGrand, musician Lenny Kaye and political consultant Michael DuHaime. 

Rutgers cupcake distribution

12 p.m. to 3 p.m. More than 25,000 free cupcakes will be distributed in various Rutgers locations in New Brunswick, Piscataway, Newark, Scotch Plains and Stratford. The sites include:

• Rutgers-Newark: 1 Washington Street, Paul Robeson Campus Center and Stonsby Commons.
• Rutgers University-New Brunswick locations include all dining facilities and student centers in New Brunswick and Piscataway.
• Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences locations include Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Teaching Labs in Piscataway, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, New Jersey Medical School and Stanley Bergen buildings in Newark and School of Health Professions facilities in Scotch Plains and Stratford.

Camden Charter Day celebration

12:45 p.m. Rutgers-Camden Chancellor Phoebe Haddon will lead a celebration with birthday cake and refreshments during annual Charter Day festivities in the Camden Campus Center's Main Lounge. The celebration will continue until 8 p.m.

Birthday celebration at Old Queens

2:50 p.m. President Robert Barchi and other Rutgers officials and students will ring the Old Queens Bell on the College Avenue campus for 250 seconds.

3:10 p.m.

• Rutgers ROTC cadets will raise a commemorative American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol and was given to Rutgers by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen.
• Firing of the Rutgers cannon.
• President Barchi will deliver brief remarks. 

3:25 p.m.

• Planting of Rutgers 250 All-Star Variety Dogwood tree on the Old Queens lawn and plaque presentation.
• Robert M. Goodman, executive dean of agriculture and natural resources, at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, will deliver brief remarks while presenting the new tree to Old Queens.

Evening birthday celebrations

4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Music, entertainment, food and giveaways in Deiner Park in New Brunswick. Guests will be invited to sign commemorative mural.

Sunset Key Rutgers buildings will be lit in scarlet, including Old Queens in New Brunswick, Kirkpatrick Chapel Charter Window, Wellness Plaza, the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center in Piscataway, Rutgers Business School (Livingston Campus), Douglass Student Center and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Camden.

5 p.m. Rutgers-Newark holds a birthday celebrations at the Golden Dome Athletic Center and tennis courts in Newark, with music, refreshments, and giveaways.

6 p.m. Fireworks

Best viewing locations:

• Camden: Gateway and quad across from 330 Cooper Street
• Newark: Golden Dome Athletic Center and tennis courts in view of Bradley Hall; upper floors of Stanley Bergen Building
• New Brunswick: Deiner Park, accessible via George Street; points with a view of the skyline above the Raritan; on the big screen at The Yard on College Avenue.

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

Mayor Ras Baraka, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and other officials to detail program at Rutgers news conference Thursday.

NEWARK -- Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker on Thursday are set to announce a $1 million grant to fund a prisoner reentry program that targets offenders most likely to be victims or perpetrators in homicides.

Mayor Ras Baraka and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker are set to announce to a new prisoner reentry program in Newark Nov. 10, 2016 (File photo)

The three-year program, called the Newark Reentry Initiative, will use data and other strategies to focus on people recently released from prison who are at the highest risk for being involved in killings, city officials said in a statement.

The program is a partnership between Newark and the Rutgers University - Newark School of Criminal Justice.

"In addition to decreasing recidivism, this program will positively impact violent crime in the City of Newark," the city's statement added.

U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., Newark Office of Reentry Director Fred Murphy and Rutgers officials will announce details of the plan at a news conference scheduled for Thursday morning at the university.

The announcement came as city residents continued to mourn two children and a woman who were killed in a brutal stabbing Saturday. A popular street performer was shot to death in the city late Monday in another killing that has outraged residents.

A previous report authored by Rutgers School of Criminal Justice Professor Todd Clear found a large amount of the city's murder victims are those recently released from prison and most involve gangs.

Murders remain down slightly in Newark, according to law enforcement records. The city reported 77 killings as of Oct. 30 this year compared to 83 during the same time span last year.

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

Parents asked Superintendent Toback to "fight for their kids like they were his own"

Editor's note, 3 p.m.: This post has been updated to indicate that Wayne Twp. Public Schools intends to join parents' and players' legal action to reverse the disqualification.

Wayne Township Public schools superintendent Mark Toback presided over a contentious meeting to deal with the fallout from Wayne Hills' postseason ban, but parents said they left the meeting with more questions than answers.

A video shot by one of the parents, which was provided to NJ Advance Media on the condition of anonymity, showed outrage in the closed-door meeting.  

When Toback was asked by a parent in the video if he was going to appeal the decision, Toback said, "I'm going to work with our attorney and determine the best course of action." 

Wednesday afternoon, Toback confirmed to NJ Advance Media that the district would join with parents' and players' legal action to try to overturn the disqualification.

RELATED: School district challenging Wayne Hills’ tourney disqualification

In the meeting, however, that answer sparked several responses from the audience, including one parent who said "all we're asking for you to do is to go and represent us because silence didn't get us anywhere. The (Wayne) Valley parents, they chirped, and they got what they wanted. You know what, we want what we want - give us an answer before we leave." 

News broke Tuesday that the Wayne Township School District self-reported eligibility violations about three players that transferred from St. Joseph (Mont.) to Wayne Hills in October of 2015.

The father of those three players, Vic Hayek, said he had “mixed emotions” walking out of Wednesday’s meeting.

“I’m angry. I’m upset. I’m hurt,” Hayek said. “If my kids weren’t good and weren’t winning games, this wouldn’t be happening.”

On Tuesday, the NJSIAA ruled that Wayne Hills was disqualified from the state playoffs and stripped of its eight victories because "(the ineligible players) didn't have a bona fide change of address, and they didn't sit out 30 days," according to NJSIAA assistant director Jack DuBois. 

"(Toback) said he wanted to get ahead of any issues, but he didn't come prepared with anything he had to do," said Dawn Dellechiai, a mother of two Wayne Hills players. "Toback started the meeting by saying that the Wayne Hills-Wayne Valley game started all of this, and that's very unfair." 

Gene Costello, whose son, Tyler, is a senior, said that he asked Toback to "fight for their kids like they were his own," but thinks that the school's administration is working against the team. 

RELATED: Father of ineligible Wayne Hills parents vows to fight postseason ban

"It's absolutely deplorable that people that are supposed to have our children's best interest at the highest-ranking positions would use our children in a disgusting way to gain political ground or for a personal vendetta," Costello said. 

“Most importantly, we want to see our kids finish the season,” he added. “Our kids found out over social media that their season was over and were called cheaters. For that to happen without any due process is unfair.”

Sunil Modak, whose son, Jason, is a two-way starter, agreed.

“I have no faith in this administration whatsoever,” Modak said. “They’ve done nothing for us. They claim they’re going to appeal, but I feel like we’re on our own.”

RELATED: No. 1 seed Wayne Hills disqualified from playoffs

Inside the school, students and players banded together in solidarity. They wore black shirts to protest the decision and a group of more than 100 took part in an organized sit-in.

Junior Tyler Hayek said the Wayne Hills coaching staff will hold a team meeting at 2:30 to address the team's future and any decisions that may or may not be made this afternoon at the NJSIAA. 

"We're just waiting and seeing what happens," Hayek said, "We just want to get back on the field. We were undefeated in New Jersey, and to have this happen right before the playoffs is unfair."

Toback was alerted that NJ Advance Media and other media outlets were seeking comment Wednesday morning but was never made available. Later, media members were asked to leave school property. 

Pat Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

Police said they found the 68-year-old man unresponsive in a parking lot after a dispute

NEWARK -- Police are seeking the public's help to identify two people after they scuffled with a 68-year-old man who died after he was knocked down in the dispute and hit his head, authorities said.

Antonio Garcia, 68, of Newark, died after he was assaulted Oct. 8, 2016 (Photo: ECPO) 

The assault occurred around 1:10 a.m. Oct. 8 after a dark green Honda Pilot was driving carelessly and nearly hit the victim and his friend at a Walgreens store parking lot at 561 Irvington Avenue, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

"A quarrel and scuffle ensued between the two groups during which time, the victim was struck, fell backward and hit his head on the sidewalk," authorities said in a statement.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office identified the victim as Antonio Garcia, of Newark. Sheriff Armando Fontoura's Crime Stoppers program has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the homicide.

Garcia was left unresponsive and unable to speak after the attack, according to the prosecutor's office.

Newark prisoner reentry program to focus on risk of homicides

A male suspect was described as wearing a long green coat, blue jeans, black shoes and had dreadlocks, according to police. The female suspect was described as wearing white pants, black heels and a short black coat. Investigators also released still images of a car wanted in the attack. 

Anyone with information was to call Newark's Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867) or contact the prosecutor's office tip line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

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