Smoke seen coming from upper floors of building.

NEWARK -- Crews battled a fire at a house in Newark's West Ward Thursday afternoon.

City firefighters were at the scene of the blaze on Brookdale Avenue, near Lindsley Avenue around 12:40 p.m. Smoke was seen coming from the roof area and firefighters moved a ladder truck to a second-floor window.

It was not immediately clear if the building was occupied when the flames broke out or if there were any injuries reported.

Additional details were not immediately available. 

Early Thursday, city firefighters rescued a man from a high-rise blaze on Irvine Turner Boulevard. 

Robert Sciarrino contributed to this report. 

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

Here's what different groundhogs across New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania predicted about how long winter will linger.

Is it safe to pack away those snow shovels until next winter?

Well, if you believe the folklore that surrounds Punxsutawney Phil and Essex Ed, you'll need your winter gear for six more weeks, because they each saw their shadow Thursday morning on Groundhog Day 2017.

But other groundhogs taking part in this longtime tradition, including Milltown Mel and Malverne Mel, did not see their shadow, so folklore holds that winter will be short and spring will arrive early.

What real forecasters say about this winter

Here's a rodent roundup of the predictions made by furry forecasters from towns across New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania -- with the results certified by men in top hats.

• Dunkirk Dave (New York): Long winter 
• Essex Ed (New Jersey): Long winter
• Holtsville Hal (New York): Long winter 
• Malverne Mel (New York): Early spring 
• Milltown Mel (New Jersey): Early spring  
• Punxsutawney Phil (Pennsylvania): Long winter 
• Staten Island Chuck (New York): Early spring 
• Stonewall Jackson V (New Jersey): Early spring

Groundhog predictions from other states:

• Buckeye Chuck (Ohio): Long winter 
• Chattanooga Chuck (Tennessee): Early spring 
• Chesapeake Chuck (Virginia): Early spring
• French Creek Freddie (West Virginia): Long winter
• General Beauregard Lee (Georgia): Early spring 
• Sir Walter Wally (North Carolina): Early spring
• Woodburn Wild Charles Winchester (Indiana): Long winter 

By the way, Essex Ed did not oversleep this year. On Groundhog Day 2016, the resident groundhog at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange missed his big event and had to be replaced by a hedgehog.

In addition to predicting a long winter Thursday morning, Essex Ed weighed in on Super Bowl 2017, predicting that the Atlanta Falcons would defeat the New England Patriots in Sunday's big game.

Other critters weigh in

Groundhogs aren't the only creatures predicting the weather these days. Down in Cumberland County, at the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton, three coatimundis (which look like raccoons) are calling for six more weeks of winter. 

If you're wondering what human forecasters think about how long winter will last, here's a look at their weather predictions for February and March. 

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

The City Council Wednesday agreed to require developers to provide affordable housing units for residents if they want to build in Newark.

NEWARK -- Future developers looking to build new homes in Newark might have to set aside some units for low- and moderate-income residents. 

The Newark City Council moved one step closer toward approving New Jersey's second ever inclusionary zoning ordinance, that requires new developments to include affordable housing. Hoboken has a similar ordinance. 

"Development in the city is happening very rapidly and so we need this opportunity to have affordable housing in these projects," Mayor Ras Baraka told the council on Wednesday. "Obviously, we're not trying to stop people from developing but we have to have a policy that if you're going to develop in the city, you can't chase everyone away."

Under the ordinance, new projects with 30 or more residential units will have to set aside 20 percent as affordable. Developers can also negotiate to pay the city $100,000 for every affordable unit they do not build. Those dollars will help build affordable housing elsewhere in the city. 

Residents making less than 80 percent of the median income in the region qualify for affordable housing. 

In Essex County, one person needs to earn between $19,000 and $50,000 to qualify, according the last available income limits released by the Council on Affordable Housing.

East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador raised concerns that the ordinance did not mandate payments made by developers in lieu of low-income housing be used in the ward where the project is being built. 

"Nothing that suggests that the percentage of contribution ... go to a particular ward," he said. The ordinance will primarily affect the Central and East wards which are seeing the most development, city officials said.

The Ironbound Community Corporation, which helped shape the ordinance, has been pushing the council to go further with its affordability requirements. 

But Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins said the city had to make sure it wasn't stifling development. "We've gone to the line as close as can and not hurt development," she said. 

Baraka said it was up to the council to decide how far to take it but he urged expediency. 

"The longer we wait, the more difficult it's going to to be, because we're going to miss the boat," he said. "We need to move forward fast."

Unlike suburban municipalities, Newark does not have state-mandated affordable housing requirements.

"This is them proactively going out and making sure that everybody has an opportunity," said Anthony Campisi, a spokesperson for Fair Share Housing Center, a nonprofit that has waged several legal battles to force towns to build more low- and moderate-income homes.

The ordinance passed on first reading Wednesday; a vote on its adoption will take place Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. 

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

Authorities claim they found a pot farm when they busted Justin Bozinta on child porn charges.

TRENTON -- A former Essex County gym teacher and wrestling coach has been indicted on child pornography and drug charges, authorities said.

Justin W. Bozinta, 39, was arrested in 2015 after authorities accused him of uploading illicit images of children to an internet photo-sharing service using a school computer.

Later, when police received a warrant and raided his home, they discovered "a major indoor marijuana growing operation," according to officials from the state Attorney General's Office.

He was indicted Tuesday on charges of child pornography possession and marijuana production, distribution and possession. His attorney did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Gym teacher had child porn, pot farm, cops say

According to state authorities, Bozinta worked as a physical education teacher at Costley Middle School in East Orange and was the head wrestling coach at East Orange Campus High School.

The school district, which hired him in 2000, suspended him after his arrest and has since filed papers to fire him, authorities said. 

Elie Honig, director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, said in a statement Bozinta was "living a double life, secretly trafficking drugs and child pornography."

"The fact that he was a teacher engaging in these alleged crimes, which cause so much harm to children, makes this case particularly egregious," he said.

Bozinta, of Roselle, was released on $275,000 bail after his 2015 arrest. He could not be reached for comment. 

An arraignment in Superior Court in Essex County has not yet been scheduled, authorities said. 

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Lester Taylor III beat a 16-year mayor to earn the city's top job four years ago.

EAST ORANGE -- After serving one term in office, Mayor Lester Taylor will not seek reelection this year, he announced at a press conference Thursday.

Taylor, who beat out four-term Mayor Robert Bowser in the city's Democratic primary in 2013, cited family obligations in announcing his decision not to run again.

"Over the past four years, there hasn't been a night that my children didn't ask Daddy will you be home before we go to bed; Daddy can you take us ice skating or to the park; or Daddy can you go on my field trip," Taylor said in a statement to NJ Advance Media.

N.J.'s 1st Huddle House opens

"Too often I let them down as my staff and I worked long hours to ensure we were getting our city back on the right track. After some soul-searching and many conversations with my wife, I decided nothing should come before my family."

Taylor won the office in the heavily Democratic city four years ago after a heated primary campaign season that saw the ouster of a 16-year mayor.

In announcing his decision not to stay in public office, Taylor touted accomplishments of his time in office, including a recorded drop in violent crime rates and an initiative to clean up more than 700 abandoned and blighted properties across the city.

Essex County Democratic Chair Leroy Jones, who backed Taylor in 2013, and members of the city council, joined him in making the announcement Thursday. 

"Family should and must always come first," Jones said in a statement. "Lester and his family have made great sacrifice to help move the City of East Orange forward."

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

Few details immediately released.

NEWARK -- Detectives were investigating a homicide on Norwood Street in Newark's West Ward Thursday morning, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed.

A prosecutor's office spokeswoman said more information would be released later in the day.

City police and detectives with the prosecutor's office were working at the crime scene around noon Thursday. Officials from the state Regional Medical Examiner's Office also arrived on the block.

Cops interrupt deadly shooting, wound suspect, sources say

Thursday's killing was Newark's fifth homicide of the year compared to 12 murders through Jan. 29 last year, according to police records.

On Wednesday night, a man was shot to death near Bloomfield Avenue and Garside Street in the city's North Ward.

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

Recent events need to spark a conversation

Recent developments, which sparked an insightful column by The Star-Ledger’s Mark DiIonno, have made us re-think whether the timing is right for celebrating student sections.

While the actions in one student section – more accurately, the actions of a handful of students in that one student section – don’t come anywhere near indicting student sections all over New Jersey, the timing seems more appropriate for having a conversation about sportsmanship in the bleachers and elsewhere. 

We were interested in celebrating the rowdy, loud, school-spirited groups we know are out there making noise while being respectful and positive. We see in the video from the Jefferson-Dover basketball game that that's not always the case, and DiIonno's column and our own observations, frankly, show there may be reason for soul-searching - or at least a conversation.

RELATED: Jefferson student antics more common than you think | Di Ionno

DiIonno writes, “Student sections have become increasingly mean-spirited, at times even cruel. All in the name of good clean fun.” After listing some of the nasty types of behavior we’ve all seen in one form or another, he continues, “Sitting in the stands these days is taken by some kids as a license to be insulting, cutting, and yell things to players they would never say to their faces.”

With these thoughts in mind, we’ve decided to suspend our best-student-section contest this season and instead work on having that conversation.

Let’s start right here. Please answer these poll questions, and use the comment section below to tell us about what you’ve witnessed in the stands at HS sporting events.

For those of you who spent time nominating your school, we're sorry to disappoint you. We'll probably come back for another try down the road.

Question 1

Question 2

Please expand on your answers and offer other observations in the comments below.

Police still need a warrant, but court ruling could change how authorities access private messages online.

TRENTON -- Police in New Jersey can sift through a suspect's private social media messages without applying for an order under the state's wiretapping laws, according to a state appeals court decision published Thursday.

The three-judge panel ruled communications such as direct messages and protected posts on platforms like Twitter aren't subject to the tighter privacy rules that apply to telephone calls.

The court held that authorities still need a communications data warrant before they can compel social media companies to produce private user data.

But experts say such warrants typically put a lower burden on police than wiretap orders, which only apply to certain serious crimes and require police show they can't obtain the information they're looking for any other way. 

Court makes it easier for cops to get your phone records

Lawrence Lustberg, a prominent New Jersey defense lawyer who was asked by the court to weigh in on the matter, said the ruling raises questions about how to apply long-held privacy principles to the digital age.

"People tweet at each other, and they post things on Facebook and they email and text," said . "The way we communicate in the 21st century is being given less protection than the way we communicated in the 20th."

In making their ruling, the appellate judges entered an argument playing out in courts around the country, as the ways in which people talk to each other rapidly shift. The court acknowledged that as communication methods change, law enforcement -- and state law -- has struggled to keep up. 

There's little known about the New Jersey case that prompted the ruling. Because it involves a dispute over a warrant requested by prosecutors in Essex County, the record in the case was impounded.

According to court documents, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office sought warrants for "an extensive list of information and data" from two unidentified Twitter accounts. A judge granted the warrants, but edited them to include only the "visual but not oral component" of any video content shared between the accounts.

The judge found the audio of such videos fell under New Jersey's Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, which would require a separate wiretap order.

Prosecutors appealed the restriction, and the appeals panel asked Lustberg to provide his thoughts in friend of the court briefs.

In a phone interview on Thursday, Lustberg said the "fundamental issue" at play in the case is whether social media chat amounts to an "ongoing conversation" that can be intercepted by police or communications records that are "in storage" and can be accessed later.  

In 1990s terms, Lustberg said, police need only a warrant to get your voicemails, but they need a wiretap order to listen in on your private phone calls. The attorney argued that a private Twitter conversation is more like a phone call than a voicemail because it's ongoing. 

Prosecutors contended that accessing Twitter posts or videos did not amount to an "interception" of data under the wiretap law because the posts are "stored" on the company's servers and typically accessed afterward by police. 

The appeals court sided with prosecutors, reversing the judge's decision to limit access to the audio from the Twitter posts. 

In a statement, Assistant Prosecutor Camila Garces, who argued the case for prosecutors, said communications data warrants "are the appropriate means for gaining access to any post-transmission electronic communication."

Garces said such warrants ensure authorities "can access electronic footprints when conducting a criminal investigation.''

A spokesman for Twitter declined to comment on the decision, referring a reporter to the company's guidelines for law enforcement, which say that it refuses to provide private data to law enforcement "except in response to appropriate legal process such as a subpoena, court order, or other valid legal process."

Data released by the company shows that over a recent six-month period, it received 2,520 legal requests for information in the United States, mostly as part of criminal investigations. Of those, just 76 were in New Jersey. 

Lustberg said because he wasn't technically a party in the case, it was unclear whether he could seek to bring the matter before the state Supreme Court. 

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Man faces murder, weapons charges

Joan Aguiree (Photo: ECPO) 

The gunfire erupted around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday near Bloomfield Avenue and Garside Street, where 26-year-old Victor A. Brantley, of Newark, was shot to death, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a joint statement.

"A second male, who just happened to be in the area, sustained non-life threatening gunshot wounds," the officials added.

Law enforcement officers spotted someone flee from that shooting scene, according to authorities. An Essex County Sheriff's officer paired with a member of the Newark police division tried to arrest the suspected shooter and officers fired an unspecified number of shots near Broadway and Kearny Street, about three blocks from the original homicide scene.

Another shooting rocks neighborhood Wednesday

The alleged killer, Joan Aguiree, 23, of Newark, was arrested hiding in a dumpster near Kearny Street and Broadway, behind a high school, the prosecutor's office said. Aguiree was charged with murder and weapons offenses in Brantley's shooting death.

The prosecutor's statement said there were no injuries from the police gunfire, though multiple law enforcement sources said police first believed a suspect was shot in the chaotic scene and at least one other suspect was at large after authorities chased a stolen sport utility vehicle from the homicide scene.

The prosecutor's office statement did not specify if any other suspects were being sought for the initial killing, which witnesses said occurred near a corner market.

A woman interviewed on Bloomfield Avenue Wednesday night who said she saw the shooting, but declined to be named, described men get out a vehicle near Bloomfield Avenue and Garside Street and at least one opened fire. She said the shooter fled in the vehicle as officers rushed to the area.

Sheriff's officers with a police dog and a New Jersey State Police helicopter appeared to be searching the area Wednesday night. The helicopter made several low passes around the crime scene.

It was unclear if the Bloomfield Avenue killing was linked to two other North Ward shootings Wednesday night. One shooting left a man wounded on 3rd Avenue West, near North 10th Street around 7:30 p.m., authorities said.

In a second incident, a shooting left a man in critical condition after he was shot at Bloomfield Avenue and Mt Prospect Street, a block from the homicide, around 10 p.m., according to police.

Aguiree was being held at the Essex County jail. Authorities did not disclose a possible motive for the shootings.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office was continuing to investigate the killing. Detectives with the Newark police division's Major Crimes Bureau were handling the non-fatal shooting cases.

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

Quotes are at the heart of all of this week's questions. Think you've, "got what it takes?"

Devotees of NJ.com's Local News Quiz (I know there's a couple of you), we've got a different format this week. All seven quiz questions are quote-based: We pulled a quote from some of our biggest stories of the week and built the question from there. Some questions have a blank in them, so just pick the name that you think fills in the blank. When you're done, share your score in comments.

Remember, there's a fresh NJ.com Local News Quiz every Thursday evening.

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

A dispute involving Sadot Council in 2015 ultimately turned deadly

NEWARK -- A jury in Essex County Thursday convicted a 32-year-old city man of the murder of another city man almost two years ago, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said.

Sadot Council (Essex County Prosecutor's Office)  

Sadot Council, 32, who has four prior felony convictions, was also found guilty of weapons offenses and is scheduled to be sentenced March 20. He faces up to life in prison.

On April 27, 2015, Council got into a dispute with Anthony Mayse, 33. Council, who had known Mayse for much of his life and had been friends with him, threatened to kill Mayse.

The next day Council confronted Mayse at the Stephen Crane housing complex and the two had a fistfight. When a bystander broke it up, Council rode off on a bicycle, returning moments later with a gun. Council shot Mayse in the chest and killed him.

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

Toy guns are painted black to make them look like the real thing. East Orange, Irvington and Orange have ordinances to stop stores from selling them.

Juan Rodriguez did not know about the ordinance in East Orange that bans the sale of toy guns and imitation firearms.

Three fake pistols were hanging on the wall in the bodega where he works on the corner of North Clinton Street and Park Avenue. They were green and yellow, with an orange tip at the end of the barrel, a safety feature required by federal law so people will know that they are not real guns.

But the colors don't stop kids from spray painting them black to make the guns look authentic, said Councilman Ted Green, who sponsored the toy-gun ban ordinance in 2015. Thieves do it too, he says, to rob banks, homes and people.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

"Although these are toy guns, we're saying we don't want imitation guns that look like real guns in our cities,'' Green said.

After I explained this to Rodriguez, he removed the items.

"I'm going to tell the guy who sells them not to bring them no more,'' Rodriguez said. "I don't like them.''

Green is pleased about that, but he knows more work needs to be done even though he has gone to stores to tell owners about the law.

"I went to local stores and showed them what we were doing, but we're not 100 percent,'' he said. "It's still a work in progress.''

A few blocks from City Hall on Main Street, a discount store had plenty of toy cap guns, but they were not colorful. These guns were black with the orange tip, but they came with a pair of handcuffs and were in a package that read: Police Action Team.

Store manager Abdul Ali, also was surprised to learn about the ordinance as he showed me the merchandise.

"Since it's the law, I will take them out,'' he said. "I don't like them. I don't buy it for my kids.''

Green said the law was crafted following the death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who had an Airsoft gun when he was shot and killed by a Cleveland police officer in 2014. 

"That type of incident can happen here,'' Green said.  "We want to protect our police department, our citizens, especially our young people who maybe out there playing around.''

But after the Tamir Rice tragedy, the inexpensive toy gun that cost a couple of bucks started popping up in East Orange schools. Students were bringing them to class and getting expelled.

"We have a no-weapons policy in the district,'' said Terry Swanson-Tucker, a board of education member, who was part of the board's disciplinary committee last year. "Since the ordinance, we haven't hand any incidents in our district with toy guns,'' she said.

East Orange Police Director Sheilah Coley said at one point in time, almost every corner store in the city was selling realistic looking toy guns.

"Of course, it's only natural for children to role play, but what we found is that older children, and in some cases, adults were brandishing these toys as real weapons," Coley said. "Banning the sale of realistic-looking toy guns has helped to eliminate the threat of people using the guns to commit crimes and also has allowed us to protect our citizens - especially our young people - from what could be a matter of life or death.

Green has been calling on neighboring towns to get on board and approve a similar ban. The city of Orange and Irvington Township have done so. Orange Council President Donna Williams said she believes most stores are in compliance.

"When I explain it to them they are very apologetic,'' Williams said.

Irvington Council Vice President Sandra Jones said she plans to visit store owners in her ward to see if they have been following the rules.

"I'm going to do it myself and have a copy of the ordinance,'' Jones said.

The Newark City Council hasn't discussed joining the ban yet, but President Mildred Crump said she would raise the issue with her colleagues.

Meanwhile, a state Assembly bill that would ban the sale of toy guns and imitation firearms was approved by the law and public safety committee in September, and is now pending in the appropriations committee. Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) said Green was on the right track when he raised the issue in East Orange and during a hearing before the law and public safety committee last year.

MORE CARTER: N.J. woman is on a mission to mentor moms of premature babies

In his presentation, Green had several painted black toy guns and a large display board of real and fake weapons to show how difficult it is to tell them apart.

"A month doesn't go by that I do not cut an article out of some paper in New Jersey, where someone has been engaged in some activity and a toy gun was involved,'' Oliver said. "I think it's something we need to get off the street. With the death of Tamir Rice, that just haunted me.''

The state Senate also has a toy gun ban bill pending in the law and public safety committee. Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Camden/Gloucester), who is the sponsor with Sen. James Beach, said she is concerned about the safety of residents.

"That is why I am working to make sure this legislation addresses those items which can be made to look like guns while not hampering those which do not."

It's just common sense to end the sale of toy guns. Kids should be allowed to have fun. But this is about keeping them safe - keeping them alive.

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

The 37-year-old Mexican was previously convicted of sexually assaulting a minor

A fugitive previously convicted of sexual assault was arrested by immigration officials on Tuesday in New Jersey.

Javier Atlixqueno-VaqueroICE 

Mexican citizen Javier Atlixqueno-Vaquero, 37, had been removed from the United States in May 2004 but managed to sneak back in at some point, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Atlixqueno-Vaquero has previously been convicted of sexual assault of a minor, felony sale of a controlled substance and felony failure to appear. It's not clear when or where the crimes took place, though ICE previously said they believed he was living in Connecticut at some point. 

Atlixqueno-Vaquero is on a list of ICE's 10 most wanted fugitives. 

ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark Fugitive Operations took him into custody.

ICE didn't immediately return a message from NJ Advance Media seeking additional information about where he was captured in New Jersey.

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

NEWARK -- Betty is a young pit bull terrier mix at the Associated Humane Societies Newark shelter. Shelter workers say she is a very people-oriented dog who gets along with some other canines, but not others. Prospective adopters with dogs at home should arrange a meet-and-greet with Betty, who is well-mannered with food, spayed and up-to-date on shots. To meet...

Betty 

NEWARK -- Betty is a young pit bull terrier mix at the Associated Humane Societies Newark shelter.

Shelter workers say she is a very people-oriented dog who gets along with some other canines, but not others.

Prospective adopters with dogs at home should arrange a meet-and-greet with Betty, who is well-mannered with food, spayed and up-to-date on shots.

To meet Betty and other adoptable pets, visit the Associated Humane Society at 124 Evergreen Ave. in Newark. The shelter is open Monday through Friday from noon to 5:30 p.m. and weekends from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call 973-824-7080 or go to petfinder.com//pet-search?shelter_id=NJ01.

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

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

 

Two 28-year-olds were arrested: one from Nutley, the other from North Carolina, according to the report.

CLIFTON - Two men face lewdness and other charges after they were caught in an alleged sex act on a display bed at Bed Bath & Beyond, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.

Police were called to the store on Route 3 during business hours on Jan. 30 after an employee said the men were engaged in a sex act on the display, according to the report.

Two 28-year-olds were arrested: one from Nutley, the other from North Carolina, according to the report.

The men are charged with lewdness, criminal mischief and possession of marijuana, according to the report.

Police did not release the men's names because both are suffering from a health condition known as scabies and that releasing their names would violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

A store spokeswoman told NorthJersey.com that the display bed had been removed from the store as a precaution.

Officers were exposed to the scabies parasite and were treated at a local hospital, the report said.

The booking area of the Clifton Police Department had to be fumigated to prevent the spread of the parasite, cops told NorthJersey.com

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

Narcotics task force carried out raids this week, according to prosecutor's office.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray (center) and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose (right) speak at an unrelated press conference. The two officials announced recent drug arrests in Newark Feb. 2, 2017Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger 

NEWARK -- A long-running investigation into drug activity at a housing complex in Newark's Central Ward led authorities to charge more than 40 people as well as seize heroin, guns and cash, authorities said Thursday.

In the latest phase of the investigation, a team of law enforcement officers carried out raids Wednesday at the Oscar Myles Housing Complex, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in an announcement. Seventeen people were arrested in the most recent police operation.

The arrests -- which ranged from drug possession to active warrants and narcotics distribution-related offenses -- were the result of an investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Narcotics Task Force, which includes Newark police detectives.

Accused killer found hiding in dumpster, authorities say

The latest round of arrests included 29-year-old Zaid Williams, of Newark, according to authorities. Williams was charged with various drug offenses, including possession with the intent to distribute drugs within 1,000 feet of a school and 500 feet of public housing. Williams was also charged unlawful possession of a handgun and other weapons offenses.

Task force detectives seized two additional handguns, heroin, cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs in earlier stages of the investigation, according to the prosecutor's office.

In all, the heroin carried a street value of approximately $10,600 and detectives recovered more than $11,000, authorities added. Before the raids Wednesday, another 29 people were arrested on various drug charges and for active warrants.

In announcing the arrests, Murray and Ambrose also said four men were wanted in the investigation. The four were identified as Kenyah Carney, Omar Glenn, Rasheem King and Ikaim McSwain.

Officers from the Essex County Sheriff's Office, Montclair and Bloomfield police assisted in the raids.

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

Visitors will find a totally different experience when checking out the zoo during the winter Watch video

Even though the sky may be gray and the air chilly, the winter months can be the perfect time to visit the many zoos in and around New Jersey.

Most zoos remain open throughout the year, and offer a much different experience during the more frigid months than they do during the heat of the summer.

From smaller crowds to seeing the animals frolic in the snow, visiting the zoo in the winter can be an amazing experience.

1. Chilly temps bring out the fun

Many of the animals who live at the zoo enjoy the cooler temperatures and are much more active when the winter months arrive. Gorillas, big cats, and polar bears are just a few zoo residents who love the winter time. At Philadelphia Zoo, Coldilocks, a 36-year-old polar bear, lives for the days she can roll around in the snow. At the Cape May County Zoo, the Siberian tigers, otters, snow leopards, and red pandas all look forward to snowy days. Alexander Ernst, associate veterinarian at the Cape May Zoo, said even the lions, cheetahs, zebras, and antelope enjoy the chilly temperatures, as long as it's not bitter cold or too windy outside.

2. Get up close and personal in the cold

Amur tiger brothers Wiz and Dimitri, who live in Big Cat Falls at the Philadelphia Zoo, can often be seen wandering through the Zoo360 trails, exploring the area around their enclosure. Also, this winter, guests can see the red pandas exploring the Tree Top Trail section of the Zoo360 trail. Zoo360 is a first-in-the-world system of mesh trails that pass through the treetops, cross over visitor walkways, and connect habitats, that gives the animals exciting opportunities to travel and explore the zoo.

A tiger rests in Big Cat Crossing, looking down on visitors as he cleans his paw. Big Cat Crossing is an extension of Philadelphia Zoo's Zoo360 animal trail system which offers more opportunities for long-distance travel, greater variety in their environments, and an increased ability to determine their own experiences while creating a more dynamic visitor experience. May 2014. (Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com)
 

3. Take a break from the cold

Most zoos have various indoor exhibits where guests can warm up during their visit. Popcorn Park Zoo in Forked River has a monkey house where guests can visit Buster and Kay Leigh, two White-faced Capuchin monkeys who were bought as pets, but surrendered to the zoo due to New Jersey laws. Now the silly pair can be seen jumping and playing together, always trying to get the attention of visitors. Mango the Iguana and Spikette the spiny lizard can be seen in Popcorn Park Zoo's reptile house where the weather inside is always warm and cozy. At the Cape May Zoo, the Reptile House and World of Birds Aviary are open year round. Ernst said it always feels like summertime inside those buildings.

The Mertens' water monitor in the Reptile and Amphibian House at the Cape May County Zoo in Cape May Court House, July 2015. (Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com)Lori M. Nichols 

4. No need to fight the crowd

In the warmer months, the biggest headache associated with zoos is the mobs of animal lovers flooding the place on weekends. But Ernst said the Cape May Zoo is very quiet during the winter. "Instead of crowds in the thousands during a typical summer day, the winter crowds can be just dozens," Ernst said. Smaller crowds at zoos in the winter allow for more time to observe the animals, read about them and learn from the informational signage that surrounds the enclosures, and possibly even chat with a zoo keeper. Plus, it's quieter for the animals, too: "any animals that may be shy during the summer are more active when there aren't as many people here," Ernst said.

Foster, aka Buster, a Red Kangaroo at the Popcorn Park Zoo in Forked River. (File photo)File photo 

5. Enjoy a chilly but cheaper visit

Several New Jersey zoos are free of charge all year round, but some of those that do charge admission lower the cost during the winter. Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange has reduced admission costs to $12 for adults and $10 for children and seniors until March 31. It's free to visit the Bergen County Zoo during the winter season, and anyone can visit the Philadelphia Zoo for $16 through Feb. 28.

Bengal tiger cub brothers, Mahesha and Rishi, play at the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton on Jan. 11, 2017. (Tim Hawk | For NJ.com)Tim Hawk

Here are 8 zoos in and around New Jersey to visit during the winter.

Cohanzick Zoo is located at 99 Mayor Aitken Drive in Bridgeton. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during the winter. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. For more information, call 856-453-1658, visit cohanzickzoo.org or Facebook.

Cape May County Park and Zoo is located at 707 North Route 9 in Cape May Court House. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily during the winter. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. For more information, call 609-465-9300 or visit cmczoo.com.

Turtle Back Zoo is located at 560 Northfield Avenue in West Orange. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily during the winter. Winter admission through March 31 for adults is $12, children 2 to 12 and seniors older than 62 is $10, and children 23 months and younger are free. For more information, call 973-731-5800 or visit turtlebackzoo.com.

Popcorn Park Zoo is located at 1 Humane Way in Forked River. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and children 12 and younger, and children under 3 are free. For more information, call 609-693-1900 or visit ahscares.org.

Bergen County Zoo is located at 216 Forest Avenue in Paramus. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Admission is currently free for the winter season. For more information, call 201-262-3771 or visit co.bergen.nj.us. 

Philadelphia Zoo is located at 3400 West Girard Avenue in Philadelphia. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Winter admission through Feb. 28 is $16 for adults, $16 for children between 2 and 11, and kids younger than 2 are free. For more information, call 215-243-1100 or visit philadelphiazoo.org.

Central Park Zoo is located at 64th Street and 5th Avenue in New York City. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily during the winter. General admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children, and $9 for seniors. For more information, call 212-439-6500 or visit centralparkzoo.com.

Brandywine Zoo is located at 1001 North Park Drive in Brandywine Park, Wilmington, Delaware. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. The zoo is closed Monday and Tuesday during the winter. Admission is free through February. For more information, call 302-571-7747 or visit brandywinezoo.org.

NEWARK -- On Feb. 22, 1922, those people who owned a radio receiver could begin listening to WOR, a radio station broadcasting from a studio in Bamberger's department store in Newark. The first song played was "April Showers" by Al Jolson. The station, the first member of the CBS Radio Network, moved all of its broadcasting to New York City...

NEWARK -- On Feb. 22, 1922, those people who owned a radio receiver could begin listening to WOR, a radio station broadcasting from a studio in Bamberger's department store in Newark.

The first song played was "April Showers" by Al Jolson.

The station, the first member of the CBS Radio Network, moved all of its broadcasting to New York City in 1941.

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

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

 

National Signing Day took place on Wednesday. Now, NJ.com takes a look at what to look for next year from the state's top recruits from the Class of 2018.

Disgraced coach admitted stealing money using school-issued ATM card.

TRENTON -- A former head track and field coach implicated in a scandal at Essex County College is headed to prison after admitting he stole $150,000 from his team.

Michael Smart, 62, was sentenced to three years in state prison after pleading guilty in December to a charge of second-degree theft by unlawful taking, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

Former Essex County College coach Michael Smart.File photo/NJOAG 

A celebrated coach who led the public school's teams to numerous championships and sent several athletes to the U.S. Olympics, his questionable spending using a college-issued debit card raised flags within the college in 2015, prompting a state investigation.

Authorities from the state Division of Criminal Justice say Smart admitted stealing money using the card between 2012 and 2015, often withdrawing cash at ATMs and depositing it into his personal bank account.

"For him to steal from that budget - which amounted to stealing from his athletes - was a terrible betrayal," Attorney General Christopher Porrino said in a statement following the sentencing.

Essex County College mired in scandal

Smart's attorney did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

The veteran coach had been charged after the State Comptroller and the Essex County Office of Inspector General referred the case to the attorney general following a probe into questionable financial practices at the public two-year institution.

An internal report from the college obtained by NJ Advance Media last year showed Smart could not account for "tens of thousands" in spending using the card.

The state investigation later found Smart would often draw the per-ATM-machine maximum of $700 several times in a given day. Other times, authorities said, he "either inflated the costs of an event or requested money for events that the track team did not attend."

For example, according to authorities, he would request between $1,000 and $1,500 from the school to cover entry fees for events that charged far less than that, or even charged no entry fee at all.

He has since been permanently barred from public employment and must pay restitution, according to state authorities.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.