Threat not believed to be linked to nationwide spree.

LIVINGSTON -- A telephone bomb threat that forced an evacuation at Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston Tuesday was unfounded, police said.

The Mount Pleasant Avenue congregation received the threat around 11 a.m., according to Livingston police Detective Sgt. Jack Hickey.

Officials with the Essex County Sheriff's Office conducted a sweep of the building and found nothing harmful after about an hour, Hickey added.

Lawmakers call for increased police at Jewish centers after bomb threats

The hoax call was not believed to be related to the string of threats made to Jewish Community centers across the country, the sergeant said. Unlike those threats, the Livingston incident did not use a robocall.

Police would maintain a presence at the facility, he added. There were no immediate arrests reported.

The scare came after a wave of threats targeting Jewish facilities, including in West Orange and Tenafly.

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

Highlighting the top girls basketball teams in the state of New Jersey from the 2016-17 season.

New York man caught with a crowbar after Newark arrest, according to police.

NEWARK -- A New York man is accused of burglarizing three homes in Newark's West Ward within about 30 minutes, authorities said Tuesday.

Rickey Jones (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety)

Rickey Jones, 54, of Syracuse, was charged with three counts of burglary, criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

City police responded to a burglary call around 12:30 p.m. Monday on Richelieu Place, according to authorities. At approximately 1 p.m., police responded to another burglary a block away on Oakland Terrace, where officers found a room ransacked.

Minutes later, another resident told three Newark police officers and a city special police officer who were working in the area that Jones just fled from the house, authorities said. The officers arrested Jones near Marion and Poe avenues, police said.

"At the time of his arrest, Jones was in possession of a crowbar, which had apparently been used to gain entry into the residences," Ambrose said in a statement. "Jones was also in possession of items taken during the burglary."

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

The top players on attack entering 2017

Recent storms have been beneficial, but state says serious drought conditions linger and water usage will soon be increasing. Watch video

Not every cloud has a silver lining.

Despite all the snow and rain that fell from the sky during the March 14 nor'easter and steady improvements in reservoir storage levels during the past few months, 14 counties in New Jersey remain under a drought warning and four others are under a drought watch. 

And don't expect those warnings and watches to be lifted anytime soon, according to state environmental officials. Although some aspects of the drought situation have gotten better in recent weeks, other key indicators are not faring so well.

Among the troubling factors, according to Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection:

• New Jersey did not get as much snow and rain as it needed during the winter season. As a result, most regions of the state are currently rated as moderately dry, and the northern coastal region -- Monmouth County and northern Ocean County -- is classified as severely dry. 
• Stream flows in the state's northeastern and southern coastal regions have been extremely dry during the past 90 days.
• Shallow groundwater is rated as extremely dry in the state's southwestern region, the area along the Delaware River from Hunterdon County down to Salem County.

Some good news

Not all the news on the drought front is bad. The rain and snow that fell in New Jersey during the winter, coupled with what Hajna described as "sound management practices" by the state's four major water suppliers, helped boost the overall water storage levels to nearly 90 percent capacity, according to state data. Back in November 2016, the overall reservoir storage was only at about 52 percent.

Here's a breakdown of the latest storage capacity reported at each of the four major water suppliers:

• The Suez-NJ System, which has three reservoirs in Bergen County, has been at about 85 percent of its capacity during the past week, after being down to about 60 percent in January and February.
• Five reservoirs operated by the Newark Water Department have been at about 85 percent of their capacity, after being down as low as 52 percent on Nov. 30, 2016. 
• Two reservoirs operated by the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, are at about 90 percent of their capacity, after dropping to less than 50 percent in September, October and November last year.  
• Two reservoirs operated by the Jersey City Water Department are slightly above 90 percent of their capacity, after dropping to less than 60 percent in November 2016.  

Water demand going up

Still, despite all the progress that has been made in filling up the reservoirs, the timing has the state DEP a bit concerned. 

"We have to be mindful of the fact that (water) demand is going to increase in the spring," Hajna noted. As the weather gets warmer in April and May, more people water their lawns, wash their cars and fill up their swimming pools, putting a bigger strain on drinking water supplies.

Although no mandatory water restrictions are in place, the DEP continues to urge New Jersey homeowners and businesses to conserve as much water as possible until the drought warnings and watches are lifted.

A drought warning has been active since late October in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.

A drought watch is still active in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties.

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

Prosecutor allege bribery scheme tied to work at New Jersey military bases.

(Photo: Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media) 

NEWARK -- A U.S. Army employee was accused Wednesday of taking bribes linked to renovation work at Picatinny Arsenal and Joint Base McGuire- Dix Lakehurst, federal prosecutors announced.

Kevin Leondi, 56, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was arrested at Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to accept bribes, Acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said in a news release. He is set to appear in Newark federal court Wednesday afternoon.

Prosecutors allege Leondi abused his position as a liaison with contractors working on renovations at the New Jersey military bases to demand and accept bribes.

The investigation found an unnamed contractor that owned a Pennsylvania construction company that had subcontracts with a business linked to various work at Picatinny Arsenal and Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst, according to federal court papers.

Between December 2010 and August 2015, Leondi demanded and received more than $125,000 in bribes from the contractor in return for helping secure and retain subcontracts along with "other favorable assistance" from both bases, a criminal complaint alleges.

The bribes included direct payments from the contractor to Leondi, the contractor buying unnecessary equipment from Leondi at inflated prices and payment for work by another contractor at Leondi's property, according to the compliant.

He is also accused of taking more than $30,000 in bribes from an unnamed person who managed large construction projects for the contractor. The payoffs came in cash and a deeply discounted truck that Leondi bought from the contractor, the complaint said.

Prosecutors said Leondi faces a maximum possible five year prison term and $250,000 in fines.

A defense attorney for Leondi was not immediately available to comment on the allegations. 

Picatinny spokeswoman Audra Calloway said base officials were cooperating with the investigation. 

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

Who from New Jersey is playing in the NCAA Tournament?

A media mogul and financial industry titans are members of the Garden State's most exclusive club

In a videotaped statement played for the jury Wednesday morning, Basim Henry admitted driving three other men to the scene of the carjacking where Dustin Friedland was shot. Watch video

NEWARK -- In a cramped interview room following his December 2013 arrest, Basim Henry told detectives he remembered hearing shots fired as his alleged co-conspirators struggled with Dustin Friedland in a parking deck at The Mall at Short Hills.

"This (expletive) wasn't supposed to happen," said Henry, clad in a Tyvek suit investigators had given him in place of clothes they'd seized as evidence. 

Video of Henry's statement to detectives at the Essex County Prosecutor's office was introduced Wednesday morning in his fourth day of trial in the killing of Friedland, 30, of Hoboken. 

Friedland was shot to death during a Dec. 15, 2013 carjacking at the upscale mall in Millburn.

Henry, 36, of South Orange, was indicted in September 2014 -- along with Kevin Roberts, Hanif Thompson and Karif Ford -- on charges of murder, felony murder, carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking and weapons offenses.

In the taped interview, Henry -- the alleged getaway driver -- can be seen telling two detectives from the Essex County Homicide Task Force that the men had gone to the mall because "they just wanted a truck."

After they spotted the Range Rover in the mall's parking deck, Henry said, Thompson and Roberts got out of the Suburban and approached the SUV on foot.

Friedland's wife, Jamie Schare Friedland, who testified last week that the couple had just finished shopping at the mall when they were confronted by two of the men. The Range Rover they had driven to the mall belonged to Dustin's father, according to prosecutors.

Pressed by the detectives, Henry admitted he wasn't certain at the time whether the men intended to take a vehicle via strong-arm robbery or other means, but did say he had seen Thompson with a handgun earlier in the evening.

Henry told detectives he watched the men "wrestling, tussling" with Friedland for about four seconds before he started the SUV and began to drive off.

"It was at that time I heard a shot," he said. "I want to say two."

One of the two detectives -- Prosecutor's Office Sgt. Luigi Corino, then with Newark police -- testified Wednesday that investigators had arrested Henry in the early morning hours of Dec. 21, 2013 at a motel in Easton, Pa., after the U.S. Marshals Service learned he was staying there.

Investigators had linked Henry to the crime after finding the alleged getaway vehicle, a two-tone GMC Suburban, was registered to his address in South Orange.

As Henry drove out of the parking structure with Ford, he said he saw the Range Rover pass him.

Short Hills mall trial: What you need to know

Henry said Thompson later called asking them to pick him up at an abandoned house on Renner Avenue in Newark, where he had stowed the Range Rover, telling Henry only that he had struck Friedland with the gun.

Henry said Roberts later told him Thompson had shot Friedland.

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

Here's when we'll visit the eight semifinalists in our search for N.J.'s best craft brewery.

The semifinalists have been named in our search for N.J.'s best craft brewery.

And now the fun begins, as I visit all eight breweries this week - with a designated driver, of course.

We will announce our Final Four next week, and I re-visit those four next weekend. I will pick the winner, to be revealed live on nj.com.

Here's the day-by-day itinerary; times are approximate.

Thursday, March 23:

2 p.m.: Cape May Brewing Co., Lower Township

5 p.m.: Eight & Sand Beer Co., Woodbury

7 p.m.: Village Idiot Brewing, Mount Holly 

Saturday, March 25:

2 p.m.: Demented Brewing Co., Middesex

4 p.m.: Twin Elephant Brewing Co., Chatham Borough

6 p.m.: Magnify Brewing Co., Fairfield

Sunday, March 26:

noon: Kane Brewing Co., Ocean Township

1:30 p.m.: Carton Brewing, Atlantic Highlands 

Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile. Find the Munchmobile on Facebook and Instagram.

New York man faces possible 10 year prison term.

NEWARK -- A convicted sex offender admitted Wednesday that he assaulted a sleeping woman on a flight from Israel to Newark Liberty International Airport last year, federal authorities said.

Yoel Oberlander, 36, of Monsey, N.Y., pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to assault with intent to commit stalking, acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said.

Oberlander was seated next to the woman on the El Al flight on May 29 when he "touched her in the area of her chest, upper thigh, and hand without her consent," according to prosecutors.

Authorities previously identified Oberlander as a registered sex offender stemming from a 2002 conviction in New York for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl.

Oberlander faces a maximum 10-year prison term and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled for sentencing June 28.

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

The robbery occurred on July 18, 2014

MORRISTOWN -- An Essex County man was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison for robbing the Babies-R-Us in East Hanover at gunpoint three years ago, authorities said.

Jamal C. Nurse, 24, of East Orange, was convicted of two counts of robbery along with burglary, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp said in a news release.

Nurse, who was also convicted of two counts of disorderly persons false imprisonment, robbed the Babies-R-Us on Route 10 on July 19, 2014 while dressed in black and wearing a face mask, Knapp said.

Nurse approached two employees as they walked to their cars after closing up the store for the evening, pointed a black handgun at them and ordered them to re-open the store and bring him into the safe room, the prosecutor said.

Nurse continued to point the gun at the employees as they opened the safe and loaded about $5,000 into a black duffel bag Nurse brought with him before fleeing the scene, Knapp said. 

Nurse was arrested following a four-month investigation involving the review of surveillance video in the area along with text message and cell phone records, Knapp hsaid.

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

Intruder escapes after getting hit in the head, according to police.

BLOOMFIELD -- A homeowner fended off an intruder using a chair Tuesday night at his Broad Street residence in Bloomfield, authorities said.

The resident was sitting on his couch when a man came in through an open door, according to police spokesman Ralph Marotti. The homeowner struck the intruder in the head with a chair.

The suspect fled on foot, according to the police spokesman. Officers searched the area, but did not locate the man.

Escapee accused in violent crime spree caught after 5 town chase, cops say

Nothing was stolen in the confrontation, police said. A detailed description of the intruder was not immediately available.

Anyone with information about the incident can call township police at 973-680-4141.

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

Boys, ages 3, 4 and 8, taken to area hospital, according to police.

NEWARK -- Three young boys were hit by a car Wednesday morning in Newark's Central Ward as they walked in a crosswalk, officials said.

The siblings -- ages 3, 4, and 8 -- were all listed in stable condition at University Hospital, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, who said the trio were struck at Howard and West Kinney streets around 7:50 a.m.

The driver remained at the scene, Ambrose said. Police later issued the motorist a summons for failure to yield to the pedestrians, a department spokesman said.

Anyone with information was asked to call authorities at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). Police said anonymous tips would be kept confidential and could lead to a reward. 

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

Dr. Jan Huston-Pryor was killed Tuesday when a car struck her near her Essex Fells home.

ESSEX FELLS -- Their tributes are a heartbreaking goodbye to a mother and doctor whose unexpected death Tuesday sent shockwaves through her large family and entire community.

"I love you mom. I love you so much," one of Dr. Jan Huston-Pryor's daughters wrote on Facebook. "My rock, my everything. I just can't believe you're gone."

Dr. Jan Huston-Pryor. (Courtesy of HackensackUMC Mountainside)
 

Another daughter wrote that the 66-year-old was an "amazing, strong, confident woman" who she was "so proud" to call mother.

Huston-Pryor, a mother of 12, grandmother of three, and prominent vascular and breast cancer surgeon, died Tuesday after being struck by a car while walking in her Essex Fells neighborhood.

The story of Huston-Pryor's family reads almost like a movie script.

She was 40 and single when she decided she wanted to become a mom, and gave birth to her first two sons via in vitro fertilization.

She was in the midst of adopting a daughter from China when she met and married Jonathan Pryor, who friends say shared her passion for helping children. In total, the couple adopted 10 children, many of whom were older and from troubling situations when they joined the family. The kids, who now range in age from 10 to 28, are from other parts of the United States, Mexico, Russia, China, Guatemala, and Ethiopia.

The kids, who now range in age from 10 to 28, are from other parts of the United States, as well as Mexico, Russia, China, Guatemala and Ethiopia.

"Jonathan was her soul mate," Susan Viviano, a longtime friend who met Pryor at church more than 20 years ago, said in a phone interview Wednesday. "He just matched her, and her zest for life."  

Driver was high in crash that killed pregnant Verona woman, authorities say

Susan Hale, who described Huston-Pryor as her best friend of 27 years, called her death "just tragic and awful."

"Her voicemail said, 'you've reached Jan, mother, wife and doctor.' ... She was so humble. She was a wonderful surgeon, but she was just such a phenomenal mother and an incredible human being," Hale said.

Huston-Pryor has held prominent positions, most recently as a surgeon at HackensackUMC Mountainside. In the late 1990s, she opened the Summit Breast Care center, which offered affordable breast care for women.

She became known for treating women, whether or not they were insured or could pay, and for giving out her home and cell phone numbers to patients.

"We would be at their house on a Sunday afternoon, and a patient would call, and she would just sit there and talk," Viviano said. "She would just take as long as they needed."

Connie Dwyer, who worked with Huston-Pryor at the Connie Dwyer Breast Center at Saint Michael's Medical Center, called the late doctor a "generous and compassionate person."

"We have all lost a hero in the fight against breast cancer," she said.

"We're shaken to the core," said Pastor Rick Somers of the First Presbyterian Church in Caldwell, where Pryor's family is active.

Friends and other members of the congregation on Wednesday remembered Pryor's unique life path, one they said should be revered, admired, and missed.

"She was just over and above," Viviano said. "She was amazing. Amazing and inspiring."

Authorities said Tuesday the unidentified driver of the car that struck Huston-Pryor stayed at the scene of the crash and was not charged.

Somers said the family has not yet finalized funeral arrangements. Though he called her death an "incredibly difficult" time for her family, congregation, and the community, he said her spirit has left a lasting impact.

"Her passion was helping the most vulnerable among us," he said. "That is the legacy that she will leave."

Store left with more than $20,000 in damage, according to police.

BLOOMFIELD -- A Newark man stole a safe from a Bloomfield store and left food thrown around the eatery, causing more than $20,000 in damages to the business, authorities said Wednesday.

Jason Henriques, 23, was arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary and theft after an investigation by Bloomfield detectives, according to a police department news release.

Security camera footage captured Henriques enter the Subway store, in a shopping plaza off Grove Street, through an unlocked back door early March 8, police said.

The burglar ransacked the business, leaving food thrown around inside, according to a department spokesman. He stole cash from the register and fled with a safe in a rolling construction container.

'Selfless' cop thanked by suspect after frigid river rescue (VIDEO)

Based on security camera video in the area and information from nearby residents, detectives managed to track the thief's path back to North 5th Street in Newark's North Ward, police said.

Witnesses identified the burglar as someone they knew lived in the neighborhood, leading investigators to set up surveillance and spot the suspect, according to authorities. Police also recovered the safe nearby in an abandoned house.

Township Police Director Samuel DeMaio credited township detectives along with the "overwhelming support" from residents in Newark and Bloomfield, who provided information to investigators. 

Henriques was being held without bail at the Essex County jail, according to police.

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

Man arrested by fugitive detectives, police say.

Lorenzo Piar (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

NEWARK -- Police arrested an Elizabeth man on charges he attacked a relative with a baseball bat in Newark's North Ward and were seeking two accomplices in the assault, officials said Wednesday.

Detectives with the Newark fugitive squad on Tuesday arrested Lorenzo Piar, 30, in Elizabeth without incident, according to Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. He is charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses in the alleged March 11 attack.

Piar got out of a Honda Odyssey on North 6th Street and pointed a handgun at a 35-year-old man before a fight ensued, police added. Piar and one of the accomplices beat the man with a baseball bat before they fled in the Honda.

The victim was treated for his injuries at University Hospital and released, according to authorities. The specific relationship between Piar and the victim was not immediately known.

In a statement, Ambrose urged anyone with information to call the city's tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). Police said all anonymous tips would be kept confidential and could lead to a reward.

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

The break-in occurred in early March

NEWARK -- An arrest warrant has been issued for an Avenel man wanted for a March 6 burglary, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement. 

Mark Jackson, 47, allegedly broke into a home on Pennsylvania Avenue, leaving the door frame and locks damaged. 

Mark Jackson (Newark police)  

Ambrose asks anyone with information about this suspect to call the department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877- NWK-TIPS (1-877- 695-8477) or 1-877- NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867).  All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

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

"Oh, the games people play, every night and every day" -- Joe South

I have no clue what possessed us to do it, but one year when I was a lad, my brother, sister and I played Monopoly every night for an entire summer.

So some pieces got changed - ask me if I care.courtesy of manchestereveningnews.co.uk 

If I recall correctly, my brother won about 98 percent of the games, and my sister took a couple while I lost every single one. This is the reason I decline all invitations to play Monopoly today.

Scrabble - now there's a game I love and can say with intended braggadocio that I have never been defeated as an adult (let the challenges begin).

Games -- all kinds of games -- have always intrigued me.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

I have always been lousy at chess, passable at checkers and rather good at cribbage. I have tried to learn mah jongg, but failed miserably. When I was in college, I, like my contemporaries, became a whiz at backgammon. I am fascinated by the game Go, but no one I know plays it.

While I'm only mentioning board, card and tile games here, in this gallery we also offer snapshots of outdoor pastimes as well as activities that needed a little larger playing surface, like pool, ping pong (all right, table tennis) and bowling. And, I can say with pride that I have participated in every single activity in this gallery ... although some, like skateboarding, are better left forgotten.

Here's a gallery of New Jersey people at play throughout the years. Be sure to have captions enabled to read about each picture. And here are links to previous years' galleries Click here for one  Click here for another

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

The Environmental Protection Agency has cleaned up a lot of the Garden State. Here's what it looked like in the early days of the EPA.