More than 200 decks of heroin seized after surveillance operation, according to authorities.

NEWARK -- Essex County Sheriff's detectives arrested two alleged drug dealers and seized various narcotics after a surveillance operation in the city's West Ward, authorities said Tuesday.

After complaints of open-air drug sales, detectives started watching the area around South 18th Street and 14th Avenue when they saw Johnal Andrews, 35, and Alonzo McMiller, 30, loitering  around noon Monday, according to Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

Tommie Montford, 52, of East Orange, arrived in a Jeep and had a conversation with Andrews, a statement from the sheriff's office said. Andrews removed several items from the center console from a parked Oldsmobile Alero and exchanged them for cash with Montford, Fontoura said.

Sheriff's detectives followed Montford and pulled over the Jeep, Fontoura said. The stop led Montford to give up four heroin-filled packets, stamped with "Passion" in red ink.

Police seek alleged attacker in Newark stabbing

"When our detectives moved in to further investigate Andrews and McMiller, Andrews attempted to run from the scene on foot," Fontoura said. "After a brief foot chase through a few backyards, Andrews was apprehended."

Police found 223 decks of heroin with the same markings, 151 glass vials of crack cocaine and 132 Alprazolam tablets in a search of the Oldsmobile, according to the sheriff. McMiller had 13 vials of crack cocaine and 15 plastic bags of marijuana, Fontoura said.

Andrews was charged with 16 offenses, including the sale and distribution of heroin along with resisting arrest. He was sent to the Essex County jail.

McMiller was charged with wandering with the intent to sell drugs and other narcotics-related offenses. Montford was charged with drug possession.

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

The airline announced special, one-way fares as low as $49 to celebrate the new flights, starting in June

NEWARK -- Allegiant Air is adding a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport this summer, the low-cost carrier announced Tuesday.

The airline announced special, one-way fares as low as $49 to celebrate the new flights, which will be twice weekly starting June 2. (The special ares must be purchased by Jan. 13.)

The airport - which shares runways with Elgin Air Force Base - is between Pensacola to the west and Panama City to the east.

"We're happy to provide local travelers with the opportunity to conveniently and affordably get away to the Emerald Coast this summer," Allegiant chief operating officer Jude Bricker said in a statement.

Allegiant, based in Las Vegas, started flying out of Newark last fall. The Fort Walton/Destin flight is their fifth from the airport.

The airline also flies from Trenton-Mercer Airport to three South Florida cities.

More information is available at Allegiant.com.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Rufus L. Jackson was sworn in as the 35th fire chief of Newark Fire Department. He's the second ever African-American to hold the position.

NEWARK -- He grew up on the streets of the South Ward, bought toy firetrucks as a kid at the supermarket with his mother and played little league at St. Peter's Park on Lyons Ave.

One of South Ward's own, Rufus L. Jackson, became the second African-American sworn-in as Newark's Fire Chief on Tuesday. Jackson, 45, will lead a department of more than 600 uniformed members as the fire division's 35th chief. 

"This is a moment (when) a true product of Newark, a native son, achieves his dream of leading the great men and women of the Newark Fire Division," said assistant public safety director Raul Malave, who attended the fire academy with Jackson.

Jackson replaces former Fire Chief John Centanni, who retired last fall after more than 30 years of service. 

"This is a special moment in my life," Jackson told a gathering of top fire officials across the state and city at Clearview Baptist Church. 

He thanked now-retired firefighter Luther Allen for convincing him to join the department in 1995. Allen came to his home trying to recruit inner city kids and helped Jackson, then 21, fill out the application.

"I grew up in this community ... losing friends and family to street violence. My life could have went either way, either I could have been somebody or I was going to be a statistic," Jackson said.

He urged his ranks to "never waste an opportunity to make a good impression on a kid. He or she could one day wind up being the fire chief."

Jackson quickly moved up the ranks after joining the fire division. He was promoted to captain in 2004, battalion fire chief in 2009 and deputy fire chief in 2012. He also earned the highest score in the state on his civil service exam. 

"I was a little reluctant of him being a firefighter," said Jackson's mother Arnelia Simpson. But after Jackson responded to his first fire, he called her and said: "I went in, I did what I had to do and came out."

"From that moment, he's been moving ever since," Simpson said, as she clutched a box of tissues.

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose described Jackson as calm, soft spoken and a "true leader."

"He's the kind of individual who doesn't blame, he takes responsibility," he said. 

Mayor Ras Baraka said he hoped Jackson would diversify the ranks and serve as a role model for young people to get involved. 

"I am proud of this moment," Baraka said. "That you are from our town, our city, this community, this neighborhood, these people, you are from here and it makes me feel good and warms my heart to know that we're able to do this." 

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

The governor's wife called out for medical help.

TRENTON -- A prominent New Jersey pastor sitting in the front row as Gov. Chris Christie delivered his State of the State speech Tuesday collapsed about 10 minutes into the address and was carried out of the room for medical attention.

Pastor Joe Carter of the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark suddenly fainted as he watched Christie speak in the state Assembly Chambers at the Statehouse in Trenton. 

The governor's wife, Mary Pat Christie, who was seated next to Carter, called out for medical help. Numerous people rushed over, and Carter was lifted into a back room. 

WATCH: Christie's State of the State address

Christie then asked for "a moment of silence and prayer" before returning to his speech. 

It is unclear what happened or what Carter's condition is. 

Carter, 46, has worked with Christie over the years on fighting drug addiction -- a key focus of his seventh State of the State address. 

"We can no longer afford to ignore it," the Republican governor said during the speech.

Carter has been pastor of the well-known church in New Jersey's largest city since 2000.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

A Newark man put a recording of his sexual assault of a teenage girl on the internet, according to criminal records.

ELIZABETH -- A 19-year-old man has been indicted after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl who was physically and mentally incapacitated, recorded the assault and put the recording on the internet, according to papers filed in court.

A Union County grand jury last week indicted Renan Freitas, of Newark, on charges of aggravated sexual assault, video recording the assault and distributing the recording of a sexual act involving a juvenile, the criminal complaint filed in Superior Court states.

During the assault the girl, who is only identified by initials, was incapacitated and incapable of giving consent, the court papers state.

Details of how the victim was incapacitated were not disclosed.

The assault occurred in Union Township last July and Freitas was arrested that same month, according to court records.

Freitas is being held in the Union County jail in $175,000 bail.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office declined to release any additional details about  the case.

Freitas also faces indictment in Essex County on charges of attempted aggravated assault and illegal possession of a weapon, according to court records. He was arrested on those charges last July, the records state.

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

A Newark man was ordered to be held in jail for allegedly breaking into a Kearny home over the weekend.

JERSEY CITY -- A Newark man was ordered to be held in jail without bail for allegedly breaking into a Kearny home over the weekend. 

Wendell Pitman, 59, was arrested Saturday after a woman found him inside her Belleville Turnpike home stealing her laptop and cellphone, according to court records. 

The victim said Pitman ran out of the home with her $700 Toshiba laptop and her $100 LG smartphone. When police arrested Pitman, he was carrying a pair of pliers, heroin, liquid methadone, and 39 Oxycodone pills, the documents state. 

Pitman made his first appearance in Criminal Justice Reform Court on Monday afternoon and the state recommended he be held without bail until his trial begins. A detention hearing is scheduled before Judge Paul DePascale on Thursday. 

He was charged with burglary, theft, possession of burglary tools, and a slew of drug charges. 

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

Man treated for his injuries and released from Newark hospital.

NEWARK -- A 38-year-old Newark man was shot Tuesday afternoon in the city's Central Ward, authorities said.

Police responded to reports of gunfire around 12:30 p.m. on the 300 block of South 6th Street, where officers found the man wounded, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

The man, a Newark resident, was treated for his injuries at University Hospital and later released, Ambrose added. A possible motive for the shooting remained unclear while an investigation by city major crimes detectives was ongoing.

Anyone with information about the attack was urged to contact the Newark police division at 1 877 NWK-TIPS of 1 877-NWK-GUNS. Authorities said all calls would be kept confidential.

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

One of the man's two co-defendants previously was convicted and sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in the killing

NEWARK -- Opening statements are expected to begin Wednesday in the murder trial of a city man charged with fatally shooting a 16-year-old in the back during a robbery in Irvington nearly five years ago.

Azim Brogsdale. (Essex County Correctional Facility)

Azim Brogsdale is one of three men charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Khalil Williams on Feb. 17, 2012.

He is being tried before Judge Alfonse J. Cifelli, who previously sentenced one Brogsdale's co-defendants to more than 50 years in prison for the killing.

Prosecutors have said Brogsdale, Marquise Hawkins and Haroon Perry were driving around Irvington looking for people to rob when they spotted Williams and three other teenagers walking on Orange Avenue near its intersection with Orange Place.

Prosecutors said Hawkins, who was convicted at trial in March 2015 and sentenced to 55 years in prison, saw one of the teens backing away as Brogsdale and Perry ordered them to empty their pockets.

After Hawkins yelled at the men to "get the one in yellow jacket," Brogsdale and Perry allegedly opened fire, with one shot striking Williams in the back.

A week after the killings, Hawkins -- accompanied by his mother -- admitted his role to police detectives in a videotaped statement his attorney later said likely sealed his fate at trial.

Prosecutors believe there also was a fourth co-conspirator who was never identified and charged, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

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

A 27-year-old Newark man was arrested following a lengthy investigation into his alleged manufacturing and distribution of heroin.

TOMS RIVER - A Newark man was arrested following a month-long investigation into his alleged manufacturing and distribution of heroin.

Kevin Porter, 27, of Newark, was arrested Dec. 22 and charged with multiple drug offenses following a investigation, Toms River Police Department spokesman Ralph Stocco said in a Wednesday press release.

Kevin Porter, 27, of Newark, was charged with the manufacturing and distribution of heroin. (Toms River Police Department)

The initial arrest of Porter led to the seizure of 250 wax folds of heroin, 50 grams of powder heroin, and $750, Stocco said.

Investigators searched residences in Winteringham Village in Toms River, on the 100 block of Philadelphia Avenue in Lavallette. 

Police found a full manufacturing facility where heroin was being mixed, packaged and stamped by Porter for resale, Stocco said. 

Items in the facility included empty wax folds ready to be packaged, stamps, sifters, and several other items used to package and distribute heroin, police said.

Porter was charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin over one half ounce with the intent to distribute and maintaining a heroin manufacturing facility.

His bail was set at $75,000 with no 10-percent option.  

The investigation involved the Toms River Police Department's Special Enforcement Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Special Operations Group and the Lavallette Police Department.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A similar raid by federal authorities was conducted at the Orange library in July.

ORANGE -- FBI agents raided Orange City Hall on Wednesday morning and the building was shut down as the investigation into alleged fraud and money laundering continues to unfold.

A sign on the front door said the building would be closed temporarily "due to unforeseen circumstances." A federal agent was guarding the doorway and would not let reporters enter the building.

This morning, a search warrant executed by the FBI in the City of Orange Township. City Hall is closed Wednesday, but will be open tomorrow morning, January 12 at 8:30 a.m. The City is cooperating with authorities, according to city spokesman Keith Royster.

The FBI confirmed it is conducting official business at city hall, but would not provide any further details.

An FBI official was seen taking photographs of the municipal building's exterior.

At least four unmarked federal law enforcement vehicles were in the city hall employee parking lot. It was not immediately clear what documents the agents were seeking.

Orange mayor: 'Fairness' will triumph after FBI fraud investigation

The raid follows a similar one in July at the city's library.

In two past search warrants obtained by NJ Advance Media, the FBI seized documents relating to the library's hiring of certain contractors, use of grant money and the city's purchase of a YWCA building on Main Street, among other things.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) spoke with five mayors ahead of Dr. Ben Carson's Senate confirmation hearing.

NEWARK -- Mayor Ras Baraka told Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) during a conference call Tuesday that Newark needed federal housing authorities to continue prioritizing its most vulnerable citizens. 

In Newark, the need is dire: The city has about 20,000 residents on a waiting list for affordable housing and the highest number of residents living in public housing, Baraka said.

"It's extremely important that we have somebody that is competent and connected to what's happening in these cities," he added. 

Menendez spoke with five mayors from urban and suburban parts of the state ahead of the Senate's Thursday confirmation hearing of President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Dr. Ben Carson. 

"I want to see if (Carson's) view of his mission and the priorities are in line with some of the very essence of what the mayors have just talked about about," Menendez said. "Specifically, how is he going to lead an agency after making comments while running for president that are diametrically opposed to HUD's core mission?"

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, unsuccessfully sought the GOP presidential nomination. He's previously been critical of federal housing programs and called some "social engineering." If Carson is confirmed, he'll lead a department with more than 8,000 employees. 

Other mayors talked about the need to continue programs that have helped residents repair and elevate their homes after Superstorm Sandy.

"We have to have a serious relationship with the person that's in charge of HUD and they have to have a very laser-like focus that we're housing the most vulnerable population," Baraka said.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

Florida man was found fatally shot Dec. 30.

Raheem Henry (Photo: Essex County Prosecutor's Office) 

Raheem Henry was also charged with robbery, felony murder, kidnapping and weapons offenses, according to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

City police and the FBI Fugitive Task Force arrested Henry Tuesday for the early Dec. 30 deadly shooting of Anthony Polite, 28, of Sunrise, Florida, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Officers were called to the 300 block of South 11th Street for what was first reported as a man passed out, but discovered Polite fatally shot on the street, according to law enforcement documents. He was declared dead at the scene.

Authorities did not immediately release details on what led to the robbery and kidnapping charges.

Henry was being held at the Essex County Jail, according to county records. 

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

A warrant obtained by NJ Advance Media revealed what federal investigators were seizing during a raid on City Hall.

ORANGE -- A continuing federal probe into the alleged misuse of government funds has expanded to include employees at city hall, and the possible destruction of electronic evidence of the purported crimes.

A copy of a search warrant executed in a city hall raid Wednesday obtained by NJ Advance Media indicates that the investigation expands upon two other warrants the FBI carried out at the city's public library last summer. According to the new warrant, investigators were seeking evidence of alleged theft and accepting corrupt payments, theft of federal government funds, wire fraud, extortion, money laundering, conspiracy to commit the crimes, and aiding and abetting the alleged crimes, at city hall.

The investigators were seeking documents, including emails, texts, and other electronic correspondences, related to a laundry list of agencies and people who work for or have had dealings in the city, including the public library and several of its programs, the YWCA - which the city purchased last year, and the city's water supply, the warrant says.

FBI raids city hall in ongoing probe

It also indicates that agents were searching for computers and other electronic devices used by the mayor, business administrator, compliance officers, the director of planning and development, the department of public works, and their administrative assistants. The warrant also said agents were seeking the computers of three specific city employees - Anthony Carey, who oversees the water department, and two of the mayor's appointees, former Deputy Business Administrator Willis Edwards and Chief of Staff Tyshammie Cooper, who were all named in the previous FBI warrants.

The warrant seemed to focus on electronic communications, requesting proof of who used which computers at what times, evidence of malicious software or viruses that would allow people to control others' computers, and of "counter-forensic programs...designed to eliminate data from the computer or storage medium."

In a statement Wednesday, city spokesman Keith Royster confirmed the raid, and said "the city is cooperating with authorities."

Carey and Cooper could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. In a past interview with NJ Advance Media about the ongoing investigation, Edwards said his work in the city consisted of "nothing improper on my part."

Plainclothes agents from the FBI, Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General, and the IRS could be seen Wednesday going in and out of city hall, and a sign on all of the doors indicated the building was closed "due to unforeseen circumstances." Royster said it will reopen Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

The raid is the latest in a sweeping FBI investigation that began with a raid of the public library last July. Federal agents have also met with county officials in connection to the investigation, questioning a federal grant to Orange that the county asked be returned after suspected misuse.

Staff reporter Noah Cohen contributed to this report.

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

The new rule would implement more penalties for athletes who switch schools and eliminate a key loophole athletic officials say is currently being exploited

ROBBINSVILLE — A new statewide transfer rule that would shake up New Jersey high school sports is one step closer to reality.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Executive Committee, after nearly an hour of intense debate Wednesday morning, approved a proposal from its public/non-public committee to significantly strengthen and simplify the state’s controversial transfer rule.

RELATED: Groundbreaking transfers proposal could shake up H.S. sports

The new three-pronged proposal would require all athletes that transfer schools to sit out 30 days or half the games allowed for each sport in which they participated the previous year at the prior school; call for athletes who transfer on or after the first scrimmage or after the regular season start date to be barred from state tournament play, in addition to incurring the mandatory 30-day or half the season sitting out period; and force all athletes who transfer more than once to be barred from state tournament play, while also incurring the mandatory 30-day or half the season sitting out period.

The rule would cover athletes across all levels of play — freshman, junior varsity and varsity — and it would not allow for appeals.

The measure passed by a vote of 27-7. If it’s approved over a second reading at the Feb. 4 Executive Committee meeting, the new rule will go into effect July 1, in time for the 2017-18 school year.

“It’s been a problem,” NJSIAA Executive Director Steve Timko said regarding transfers. “We needed to address the situation, and I think the committee did an outstanding job of doing that.”

RELATED: H.S. hoops transfers now at 'alarming' level

The current transfer rule requires athletes who switch schools without a “bona fide change of residence” to sit out of competition 30 days. The new proposal would eliminate the “bona fide change of residence” loophole that coaches and athletic officials say has been exploited by families who use inauthentic addresses that schools have neither the means nor expertise to verify on their own.

Although the proposal passed, several athletic officials on the Executive Committee raised concerns about the new rule and whether or not it would penalize too many innocent athletes. Some felt it would hurt athletes who moved for legitimate reasons, including inner city athletes from unstable family situations. Others questioned why the rule needed to cover freshman and junior varsity athletes.

“If students transfer because of family issues, I don’t want to hurt that kid any more from whatever personal issues they have at home,” said Memorial principal Scott Wohlrab, who voted “no” to the proposal.

NJSIAA project manager Mike Zapicchi, who co-chairs the special committee, said his group considered all options, including an open transfer policy that would have allowed athletes to switch schools without penalty.

RELATED: Everything you need to know about the transfer rule

He also cited three recent high-profile cases from this school year involving transfers — Timber Creek football, Wayne Hills football and Barnegat pitcher Jason Groome — as reasons why a new rule is necessary.

“This cuts out a lot of the gray area,” Zapicchi said. “It will make it cleaner.”

Zapicchi said the proposal was sent to athletic officials across the state last week and that he received 98 total responses, adding 56 percent were in favor of the new rule and 44 percent opposed. He said the biggest concerns cited in the survey were from officials who thought the new rule was unfair to students who move legitimately and that sub-varsity athletes should not be affected.

“We needed to get off the dime and do something,” Timko said. “It’s been such an issue across the board.”

Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Man allegedly stole electronics and religious items.

Glen Copeland (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

Glen Copeland, 55, of Newark, is accused of stealing various unspecified electronics and religious items from St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church on Sanford Avenue Aug. 11, 2011, according to authorities. Police responded to a burglary call at the house of worship and found a broken window.

City detectives identified Copeland, who also goes by Glen Roberts, as a suspect and a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to the city's Department of Public Safety. It was not immediately clear exactly when the warrant was issued. 

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose urged anyone with information about Copeland's whereabouts to call the city's 24-hour tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). Police said all tips would be kept confidential.

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

Gunfire reported at public housing complex.

NEWARK -- Four people were injured -- including one seriously -- in a shooting late Wednesday afternoon in the city's East Ward, law enforcement sources confirmed.

Shots rang out at a public housing complex near Hawkins and Christie streets. Numerous Newark police units converged on the area around 5 p.m.

Additional details were not immediately available as authorities responded to the scene.

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

The man's co-defendant already admitted to the crime, authorities said.

NEWARK -- A 21-year-old man was convicted Wednesday on charges stemming from the 2014 robbery of a teenage boy who had just visited his grandmother on Mother's Day, officials announced.

According to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray, a jury convicted Mario Lyn, of East Orange, of second-degree robbery and conspiracy in connection with the incident.

Lyn and another man, Elijah Jordan, also 21, approached a 14-year-old boy who had just left his grandmother's house, and was on his way to see his mother for the holiday, said Assistant Prosecutor Meredith Mona, who tried the case. After the young boy agreed to let the two use his cell phone, prosecutors said they led him to the side of a house, and stole his jacket, sneakers, and cell phone.

"The jury considered all of the evidence in this case and reached a fair verdict guaranteeing justice for the victim," Mona said in a statement.

The other defendant, Jordan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery on June 8, 2016, authorities said. He has also pleaded guilty in two other, unrelated cases, and is expected to get 10 years in prison for his roles in all three cases when he is sentenced on Jan. 27, prosecutors said.

Lyn will be sentenced on Feb. 24, officials said.

Both men will have to serve 85 percent of their respective sentences before they are eligible for parole, officials said.

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

No charges filed against driver.

NEWARK -- A 65-year-old Elizabeth woman was struck and killed by a pickup truck in the city's South Ward Wednesday, authorities said.

Srogi B. Grazyna was hit by a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck near Frelinghuysen Avenue and Virginia Street, near the Elizabeth line, around 6 a.m., according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. The driver stopped and called for help.

Grazyna was pronounced dead at University Hospital around 6:30 a.m., according to the prosecutor's office.

An investigation was ongoing and no charges have been filed against the motorist.

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

We've all enjoyed what winter has to offer at some point in our lives.

I have been going through photos for these galleries for a long time and it only now has occurred to me what makes vintage winter photos particularly special.

Look at pictures from other times of the year and you'll see people involved in a multitude of different activities in a variety of places with an equally diverse number of "toys."

Samuel Leeds Allen of Cinnaminson invented and patented the Flexible Flyer sled in 1889.Courtesy of Distejon 

But with the snow scene photos, there is a certain commonality; snow delivers a quiet sameness regardless of the locale.

People building a snowman? Looks pretty much the same everywhere. Sledding? Well, other than the fact that it's called sleigh riding in north Jersey, it looks the same.

Ice skating, shoveling, whatever activity goes with snow and ice, anyone looking at these photos would have little difficulty placing themselves in the picture. And, so many experiences were shared; plastic bags in boots to try to keep feet warm, adapting to fingerless mittens or the snow caked on winter clothes at the end of the day

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

In fact, we want to see you in your photos and hear from you as well. What was the best sledding hill in your town? Best lake or pond for ice skating? If you have photos taken before 1987, attach them as .jpgs and send them to the email address shown below, and we'll use them in the Part Two of this gallery next month.

Here's a gallery of vintage photos of wintertime in New Jersey. Want more? Click here and here for a couple of galleries from previous years.

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

Legal experts said the state Supreme Court's decision was an important one.

TRENTON -- In what legal experts are calling an important decision, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday to overhaul the way New Jersey judges sentence juveniles convicted in violent crimes that could keep them in prison until they are elderly or dead.

The state's highest court ruled 7-0 that judges must consider a number of factors -- including age, family environment, and peer pressure -- before issuing lengthy sentences to youths in serious cases.

Peter Verniero, a former state Supreme Court justice and state attorney general, said this is "one of the most significant sentencing decisions" the court has made in "many years."

Minors get longer sentences in N.J. than in N.Y.

And in a rare move, the court also urged the New Jersey Legislature to revise the state's current law on juvenile sentencing to "avoid a potential constitutional challenge in the future," according to the decision, written by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.

The decision is the result of appeals filed by a pair of men who were convicted separately of violent crimes years ago in Essex County when they were 17 and were sentenced to decades in prison.  

Ricky Zuber was convicted for his role in two gang rapes in 1981 and was sentenced to 110 years in prison. He would not have been eligible for parole for 55 years -- a time when he would be 72.

James Comer was convicted of four armed robberies in 2000, including one where an accomplice shot and killed a victim. He would have become eligible for parole when he was 85 -- after having served 68 years. 

Rabner wrote that judges in both cases did not take "age or related circumstances" into account when issuing the sentences.

But, Rabner said, the U.S. Supreme Court has since "sent a clear message" that "children are different" from adults and that "youth and its attendant characteristics" must be considered when sentencing a juvenile to life in prison without parole.

"Because of their young age at the time of their crimes, both defendants can expect to spend more than a half century in jail before they may be released -- longer than the time served by some adults convicted of first-degree murder," Rabner wrote.

Rabner cited how in a 2012 decision called Miller v. Alabama, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that judges presiding over cases involving juveniles facing life sentences without parole must consider a number of factors before sentencing. Those include  immaturity; family and home environment; family and peer pressures; an"inability to deal with police officers or prosecutors" or their own attorney; and "the possibility of rehabilitation."

But New Jersey's Supreme Court went further, saying those standards must be applied not only to sentences of life without parole but also to youths who face lengthy sentences.

The court also cited a the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects defendants from "cruel and unusual punishment."

"Youth matters under the constitution," Rabner wrote.

Zuber and Comer must now be re-sentenced under the new standards.

Verniero said the ruling is significant for a few reasons.

"In addition to the substance of it, the decision is notable because it was written by the chief justice, which usually signals that the underlying issue is of particular importance, and it was unanimous," said Verniero, who is now an attorney with Newark law firm Sills Cummis & Gross.

Plus, he added, "it is not every day that the court asks the Legislature to consider adopting a new statute."

"In essence, the court is affording the Legislature the opportunity to act rather than have the court impose a system-wide mandate," Verniero said. "The court is deferring at this juncture to lawmakers, while retaining the authority to act itself in some future case if the constitution so requires.

Alexander Shalom, a senior staff attorney with the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union who represented one of the defendants, praised the ruling.

"This decision is a watershed moment for the rights of juveniles nationally and an important step in ending mass incarceration in New Jersey," Shalom said. "These two men who were sentenced as teenagers will now be able to go before a judge and argue for their release before they've become old men."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.