Rutgers is the top-ranked team in the nation with 19 NJ alums on its roster.

The average full professor at New Jersey colleges made $127,696 in 2015-16, according to new data from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Magdy Elamir, a Saddle River resident who ran a practice in Jersey City, had his license revoked in 2014.

SADDLE RIVER - A doctor who had his license revoked for allegedly prescribing addictive drugs like Percocet and Xanax without performing medical evaluations is being sued by his former lawyers, according to court documents.

Magdy Elamir, a Saddle River resident who ran a neurology practice in Jersey City, owes $131,060.29 to the Brach Eichler law firm of Roseland, according to a lawsuit filed March 10 in Bergen County Superior Court.

Elamir, now 63, retained the Essex County lawyers to defend him after the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners filed a complaint against him in 2008, according to the suit.

The board noted nine occasions on which Elamir prescribed controlled dangerous substances to patients who, unknown to him, were cooperating with authorities. On each occasion, Elamir was accused of writing the prescriptions based only on the patient's verbal request for the drugs, according to previous reporting in the case.

In 2014, an administrative judge found that Elamir "acted solely as a drug dealer (and) did not even go through the motions of performing a physical evaluation" when seeing patients who asked for drugs, including Advair, an asthma medication with a high street value.

Man got credit in dead people's names: cops

The board ordered Elamir to pay $100,000 in civil penalties and $169,009.40 to reimburse the state's investigative costs.

Elamir was arrested in 2009 and indicted on multiple drug offenses. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and received a suspended sentence, according to previous reporting.

The Roseland law firm claims the money owed them is for work performed from Feb. 1, 2014 to January 2015, according to the suit.

"The firm has repeatedly submitted invoices to (Elamir) requesting payment for all sums due and owing," the suit states.

In December 2015, the firm requested an arbitration hearing with Elamir to settle the account, but Elaimir failed to cooperate, the suit states.

The attorneys are suing Elamir for breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

Elamir could not be reached for comment. A home phone number and two cellphone numbers listed in his name have been disconnected.

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

Mary Meehan, an alum of the university, starts April 11.

SOUTH ORANGE -- Seton Hall University has a new interim president.

The college's Board of Trustees announced Thursday it voted unanimously to appoint Mary Meehan to the role. Seton Hall, a Catholic institution, has never had a woman in its top position.

"Promoting women in the workplace has always been really important to me," Meehan, who was a part of Seton Hall's first co-ed graduating class, said in a phone interview.

Meehan, who spent the first half of her career as a healthcare administrator, also served as the first female executive vice president of administration at the university. She left the role in 2004 to take a job as president of Alverno College, a women's Catholic school in Milwaukee, Wis.

Meehan. (Courtesy Seton Hall University)
 

Meehan, a native of Orange, retired last summer and moved back to New Jersey.

"The faculty, staff, students and alumni make this a special place, and I am confident that, working together, we will continue to advance this great university and its Catholic mission," Meehan said.

Meehan will take over for current President A. Gabriel Esteban, who announced last month he is leaving to take the top job at DePaul University. Meehan's interim position will begin April 11. Esteban, who has headed the school since 2011, starts his new job in Chicago on July 1.

"Dr. Meehan is an excellent choice to lead Seton Hall forward," Esteban said in the release.

"She is a strong and talented executive who knows this university well and is prepared to lead on day one." Esteban will spend the next several months focusing on his transition to DePaul, he said.

Seton Hall prez headed to DePaul

Meehan, who has a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from Seton Hall and an M.S. from New York Medical College, worked as a healthcare executive with St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic and St. Vincent's Medical Center in Harrison, N.Y. before moving into education.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the Archbishop of Newark, and Chair of the school's Board of Trustees and President of the Board of Regents, commended the choice.

"I am delighted to welcome Dr. Meehan back to Seton Hall and thank her for agreeing to serve in this important role to help ensure a seamless transition to the next chapter of leadership for the university," he said in the release.

In its vote, the board also authorized the start of a nationwide search for a permanent replacement. Of the vote, Board of Regents Chairman Patrick M. Murray said, "we are excited to begin the process of identifying the next talented leader for this great institution." 

Fire crews battle two large fires Wednesday night.

NEWARK -- A mother of three young children escaped a fast-moving blaze with her kids before the flames destroyed her apartment, burned through an adjacent building and scorched another house in Newark's East Ward late Wednesday.

The Red Cross is assisting 15 people in six families impacted by the Wright Street fire, according to spokeswoman Diane Concannon. The agency would provide temporary lodging as needed.

In an interview Thursday afternoon, Maria Benero said she lived in an apartment adjacent to the building that initially burned and her home was also destroyed by the blaze.

Benero, a mother of three, said her oldest son, Bruno, first warned her about the fire next door around 8:15 p.m.

"Mom, mom, there's a fire," the 9-year-old told his mother.

As the flames spread, Benero said she escaped with Bruno, her other son Santiago, 7, and daughter, Victoria, 5.

"[The fire] was going very quickly because the wind was extremely strong last night," Benero said from the scene. "It happened in maybe 1 or 2 minutes. It was very fast." 

In the chaos, Benero said realized she needed coats for the children and rushed back inside.

"I didn't think I was putting my life at risk," she said.

Bruno also took the family dog, a Shih Tzu named Dudu, she added.

Outside in the bitter cold, Benero said two women helped comfort the children, offering them gloves to keep warm in the bitter weather.

"That melted my heart after all this," Benero said, added she hoped to find the good Samaritans to give them a gift.

The children were temporarily staying with their father and Benero was able to use a friend's house while she hunts for a new apartment.

"It's all lost," she said. "My car is also lost."

Still, Benero added she was thankful the fast-moving blaze didn't start when she and the children were asleep overnight. The children were most worried about losing their toys and a collection of costumes, she said. 

One side of a taller multi-family home was badly burned. There was severe damage in Benero's apartment, including part of a ceiling that appeared to be ripped open and charred debris in the living room. Her burned car was in the driveway.

The aluminum siding on a third house was also melted.

The Wright Street fire was one of two blazes controlled by Newark crews late Wednesday.

Crews doused another fire at the Lemcor waste transfer station on Frelinghuysen Avenue in an industrial section of the South Ward. Video posted YouTube showed smoke pouring from a large warehouse complex.

A company representative said the fire caused minimal damage to the facility and there were no injuries.

Authorities did not immediately release more information on the fires.

Newark 174 Frelinghuysen Ave Fire 1 story warehouse transfer station. It's cold out tonight. Hot in the Bricks. (c)2017 NorthJersey FireNews pic.twitter.com/d8cjstoa2d

-- NorthJersey FireNews (@NJFires) March 23, 2017

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

Detectives seized heroin, crack cocaine and loaded gun, according to sheriff.

NEWARK -- Essex County sheriff detectives seized a loaded gun, crack cocaine and heroin after they arrested five men in Newark's Vailsburg section, officials said Thursday.

In response to neighborhood complaints about open-air drug sales, narcotics investigators conducted surveillance near South Orange and Columbia avenues Wednesday morning, according to Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

Detectives spotted Keith Jones, 24, of Orange, Abdur Raqib Ali, 20, of Newark, and Tyree Jefferson, 28, of Irvington, apparently beckoning to passing motorists "which is consistent behavior for drug dealers," the sheriff added.

Mom, kids escape fast-moving blaze that damaged 3 homes

Within minutes, Julius Higgins, 64, of Newark, and his passenger, Bruce Rogers, 48, of Irvington, parked and talked with Ali and Jefferson, authorities said.

"Jefferson and Ali then entered a nearby unoccupied vehicle, removed items from the car and exchanged them with Higgins and Rogers for cash," Fontoura said in a statement. "Higgins and Rogers were followed from the scene and were each found to be in possession of a heroin-filled glassine envelop."

Detectives found a loaded .40-caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun that was stolen from North Carolina, 19 decks of heroin and 28 vials of crack cocaine, according to Fontoura.

Jones also had 11 plastic bags of marijuana while Jefferson was carrying three decks of heroin, the sheriff added.

Jones and Ali were charged with various drug distribution and weapons offenses. The other three men face drug possession charges.

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

Columbia High School is responding to back-to-back incidents, administrators said.

File photo of Columbia High School.
 

MAPLEWOOD -- For the second time this month, and while administrators are in the midst of debating how to educate students about slavery in a culturally sensitive way, the South Orange Maplewood School District is dealing with two more alleged hate-based incidents at its high school.

In one incident Wednesday, students used racist and derogatory language in class, calling each other the n-word, the b-word, and "hoes," according to a note home from Superintendent John Ramos and Columbia High School Principal Elizabeth Aaron.

While addressing students' use of the words, the note said, the teacher allegedly reiterated them.

"If true, this was clearly unacceptable and will be addressed according (sic)," the two wrote in the note. A school district spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday on administrators' follow up investigation into the incident.

Student hold mock slave auction in class

In the note, Ramos and Aaron addressed an ongoing struggle in the district, which teaches about 6,800 students, to address cultural insensitivity.

"Recent meetings between CHS leaders, staff and Black Student Union members have focused on how to build student and teacher competencies around the use of the 'N' word in particular, since it is widely accepted by many students for a variety of reasons," they said in the letter.

"We ask for families' support in helping students understand the pain that this word causes, and that it is not accepted at CHS, regardless of who is using it or their intent."

Also Wednesday, the district discovered racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic graffiti in a student bathroom that included a swastika and the words "KKK for Nazis," the note said. The graffiti has been reported to the Maplewood police to investigate, the administrators said.

The incidents follow a controversial assignment at the South Mountain Elementary School in which students were given the option of creating slave auction posters as part of a colonial America project, and an incident at the Jefferson Elementary School in which students held an uncondoned mock slave auction in class as part of a project, while under the supervision of a substitute teacher.

The district has also dealt with similar issues in recent months, including graffiti found earlier this month in a bathroom at South Orange Middle School.

In the note home Wednesday, the administrators asked for parent participation in addressing the issues with their kids.

"Hate speech and images do not happen in a vacuum, and are not confined to our school buildings. This is a family issue, a community issue, and a national issue, in addition to most certainly being a school issue," they said.

"We once again ask for the partnership of all parents, guardians and community members in helping students understand the impact their words, images and actions can have on other individuals and on our communities."

William Lowther is charged with assaulting a detective who questioned him after his 10-year-old son was killed.

NEWARK -- A man being questioned just hours after his 10-year-old son was accidentally shot to death by another child Saturday tried to punch a detective, prosecutors said Thursday. 

As the detective from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office questioned William Lowther at the county courthouse, Lowther angrily pushed a table away, stood up from his chair and approached the detective with his fists raised, Assistant Prosecutor Frederick Elflein told a judge. 

Lowther repeatedly refused to sit down, Elflein said at Lowther's detention hearing in state Superior Court in Essex County. 

"I'm not sitting any (expletive) where," Lowther said, according to Elflein. 

Lowther then threw a punch at the detective and missed, Elflein said. He said after detectives handcuffed Lowther and put shackles on this legs, Lowther unzipped his pants and urinated on the floor. It's not clear if Lowther had asked to go to the restroom.

Josiah Coleman died in Newark on Saturday, when authorities say another child accidentally shot him. (Courtesy of Clarence Jamaal Coleman) 

Lowther faces assault and criminal mischief charges for the incident that followed his son, Josiah Coleman, dying in a shooting at a home on the 800 block of South 19th Street in Newark.

Defense attorney Susan Friedman on Thursday asked Judge Alfonse J. Cifelli for Lowther to be released so he could attend his son's funeral. She denied all allegations that Lowther had assaulted the detective.

An 11-year-old was holding the gun when it fired, Mayor Ras Baraka said. Authorities have declined to say how they think the child gained access to the weapon. 

Elflein asked the judge to detain Lowther as his case proceeds. Lowther has previous convictions on charges of receiving stolen property and aggravated assault, and he failed to appear in court twice in the past two years, Elflein said.

Friedman said there was no video evidence the attack had occurred. She also said it was understandable that Lowther had been distraught during the probing. 

"You can imagine that Mr. Lowther would be upset because his child had just been killed," she said. 

Friedman added that Lowther was not under arrest when he was being questioned and should have been able to walk out of the room if he wanted to do so. 

"There was no reason to assault the officer if he wanted to leave," Elflein said in response. 

Cifelli deferred making a decision on Lowther's detention until Tuesday, keeping him in custody until then. Cifelli said he was concerned there were errors in prosecutors' assessment of Lowther's level of risk to public safety. 

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The illegal operation of J&L Parking lot in Newark continues to frustrate residents.

The J&L Parking lot issue in Newark keeps dragging on when it shouldn't.

Last week there should have been some resolution from the zoning board of adjustment on whether or not owners of the surface parking lot at 28 McWhorter St. would be given permission to continue operating.

About 20 members of PLANewark, a community group of residents, architects and planners, showed up to oppose the lot that should not be in business.

Lisa Scorsolini, an attorney with New Jersey Appleseed, a nonprofit legal advocacy center, was prepared to argue on the group's behalf. Earlier in the day, she submitted a legal brief to the zoning board, confident the board would rule in PLANewark's favor at the meeting.

That's about as far as it got.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns   

The attorney for McWhorter LLC, which is owned by Jose Lopez Jr., was granted a postponement.

Jennifer Carrillo-Perez, the attorney, said new circumstances had surfaced and more time was needed to prepare.  She said the parking lot, located behind Penn Station in the Ironbound, is part of the city's Mulberry Commons redevelopment project.

The project, under developed by Edison Properties, of which Lopez is partner, calls for a 22-acre public park with retail space and a pedestrian bridge to connect the Ironbound to downtown Newark.

The parking lot is two blocks from Penn Station, but Baye Adofo-Wilson, the city's director of housing and community development, said the parking lot it is not part of the Mulberry Common's project.

Carrillo-Perez, the attorney for McWhorter LLC, has not responded to numerous phone calls to explain how the parking lot is connected to the project.

But Scorsolini, residents, and Renee Steinhagen, the executive director of the legal advocacy center, have a pretty good idea about what's going on.

"They are trying to bide time,'' said Steinhagen, an attorney for PLANewark and executive director of NJ Appleseed. "It just makes no sense.''

She speculated that McWhorter LLC introduced the Mulberry Commons project into the case as a new tactic because it could not convince the zoning board to approve its application for the current parking lot.

Adofo-Wilson said McWhorter LLC has a constitutional right to file a new application with the zoning board for a parking lot, but Scorsolini and Steinhagen have good reason to disagree.

Last August, the state Appellate Division sided with the residents against McWhorter LLC. In its decision the three-member panel said McWhorter LLC failed to prove that the parking lot would benefit the community, that it would not adversely impact the neighborhood, or that it would go against the city's master plan.  Surface parking lots are not compatible with the city's master plan, which calls for underground parking and a mix of commercial and residential developments.

The three-member panel also said that the zoning board should not have approved a variance in 2012 to allow the parking lot to operate. Attorney's for Lopez sought to appeal the decision, but the Supreme Court denied the request in December.

All of this means is that the parking lot should not be in business, but the city has not yet shut it down, despite a request from Steinhagen.

"If J&L wishes to continue the parking lot operation, they must convince the board that their proposed changes are sufficient to be a new application,'' Adofo-Wilson said. "If they fail in that regard, the decision of the Appellate Division can be enforced by the city.''

Steinhagen and Scorsolini said the city doesn't have to wait for the zoning board to enforce its laws and that McWhorter LLC should not have been permitted to come before the board with a request to operate as a parking lot.

"You don't get a second bite at the apple,'' Scorsolini said. "The law says you can't submit a second application for the same property by the same owner for the same project.''

It's already a parking lot and there wasn't anything in last week's application to suggest that the use of the land as a parking lot would be different.

McWhorter LLC proposed cosmetic changes, such as enhanced lighting, additional trees, a few more parking spaces. None of it changes the lot's use.

 MORE CARTER: From Brazil to Newark with love 

However, Lopez, has said the goal is to develop the property and that the lot is not intended to be permanent.

Unfortunately, residents remain frustrated. They've been fighting this for five years.

Lenny Thomas said surface parking lots detract from the neighborhood, because motorists who use them during the day leave for the evening, without bringing their business into the Ironbound.

"They (McWhorter LLC) said it helps the neighborhood, but nobody comes into the neighborhood,'' Thomas said "They don't give anything to the neighborhood.''

Zemin Zhang, another resident, said the city's zoning has not changed to allow for McWhorter LLC's latest claim that the lot is somehow part of the Mulberry Common project

"We can't take their plan seriously,'' he said.

The zoning board will hold another hearing on the parking lot controversy on May 11. Time to finally settle this one.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or http://connect.nj.com/user/bcarter/posts.html or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

BELLEVILLE -- Layla is a kitten in the care of Dap's Animals who was rescued from a motel parking lot in Belleville. She is FIV-positive, but veterinary professionals point out that FIV cats typically live long lives with few symptoms and can only infect other cats through a deep wound, and cannot infect dogs or humans. Layla, who has been...

Layla 

BELLEVILLE -- Layla is a kitten in the care of Dap's Animals who was rescued from a motel parking lot in Belleville.

She is FIV-positive, but veterinary professionals point out that FIV cats typically live long lives with few symptoms and can only infect other cats through a deep wound, and cannot infect dogs or humans.

Layla, who has been described as sweet and playful, needs to be an only-cat in the home. She had been declawed; she has been spayed and is up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Layla and other adoptable pets, call 973-902-4763 or email dapsanimals@gmail.com. Dap's Animals is a volunteer foster/rescue organization currently caring for 45 animals. For information on other animals adoptable through Dap's, go to petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=NJ694.

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

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

 

Three families were left homeless after the fire destroyed their apartments Watch video

NEWARK -- At least one firefighter was injured battling a large fire in Newark overnight into Friday morning, according to a report.

NBCNewYork.com said one firefighter was hurt, though News 12 New Jersey put the number of injuries at four.

Three families -- eight people in all --  were displaced following the overnight fire on the 800 block of Summer Avenue near the corner of Verona Avenue in the city's North Ward.

Multiple businesses on the first floor and apartments above were destroyed in the fire, which broke out at 11 p.m. Thursday, NBCNewYork.com said. The businesses include a grocery store and several restaurants. 

Firefighters contained the fire by 5 a.m. and were packing up their gear at 6:30 a.m.

The cause of the fire hasn't been determined, CBS-2 said. CBS said three people were hurt, including one firefighter. 

Officials didn't immediately respond to a request from NJ Advance Media for additional information.

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

With the start of the high school baseball season a little over a week away, NJ.com begins its preview of the 2017 season. Now up, the returning All-State players from 2016.

The top goalies to watch entering the 2017 boys lacrosse season

President Bill Clinton, journalist Jeffrey Toobin, travel writer Rick Steves and Prime Minister David Cameron

There are some big names on the just-released line-up of Fairleigh Dickinson University's 2017-18 New Jersey Speakers Series at the N.J. Performing Arts Center: President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister David Cameron, journalist Cokie Roberts.

But Bill Conrow, president of the event's organizing company, promises even the lesser-known names on the bill -- like "National Geographic" photographer Paul Nicklen and travel expert Rick Steves -- will dazzle series subscribers.

"So often, our subscribers say, 'I wasn't looking forward to hearing so-and-so but he or she was fantastic,'" Conrow said. "We are so selective as to whom we book... We're careful to have really outstanding speakers."

Now in its fourth year, the series is held on seven Thursday evenings from October through April. Each event at NJPAC features one speaker sharing behind-the-scenes stories, personal thoughts and usually never-heard anecdotes for about one hour followed by a 30-minute question and answer period.  Tickets are only sold as a package, not individually. Those who buy into the series after it's started pay a pro-rated price.

The series is modeled after similar events in Boston and Philadelphia, where they've been sold out for years and have long waiting lists. The 2016-2017 series included former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, actor/comedian John Cleese and journalist Ted Koppel.  The series will end April 20 with presidential historian Jon Meacham. 

Rick Reiss, Fairleigh Dickinson's senior vice-president for university advancement, said the school takes pride in bringing this cultural opportunity to the state.

"We're committed to sticking with it for years to come," said Reiss, who said the university even uses the series as a student recruitment tool and in many cases the speaker also stops to make an appearance on campus. "These are remarkable speakers. The people you expect to be great are great and then you  have wonderful surprises."

Asked to name a few of those surprises, both Reiss and Conrow immediately chose Frank Abagnale Jr. and Diana Nyad. Abagnale's life was the inspiration for the 2002 movie "Catch Me If You Can." He currently runs a financial fraud consulting company and is an FBI advisor. Nyad holds long-distance swimming records and was most recently in the news when she attempted to swim the 110-miles between Florida to Cuba in 2013.  

Abagnale "was so interesting, people will be talking about that (talk) 10 years from now," Conrow said. His company conducts post-talk surveys with subscribers and Nyad, "a name a lot of people weren't familiar with," got one of the highest approval ratings ever seen, he said.

Of travel writer Steves, Conrow noted that "many subscribers have probably traveled the world with the help of one of his books. Photographer Nicklen, he said, "lives under the ice a good part of the time. You wonder how it's even possible to survive. He has a lot to talk about in terms of what's happening with our planet."

"These are people who are smart and think differently from you and if you open your mind, you'll have those moments when you'll go, 'Wow. That's a really good point I never considered that," Conrow said. "This is an opportunity to expose people to new ideas."

New Jersey Speakers Series

NJPAC, One Center St., Newark, N.J. 

Tickets: $275-475, available online at www.njspeakersseries.org.

October 12, 2017 -- David Cameron, former Prime Minster of the United Kingdom (2010-2016)

November 2, 2017 -- Jeffrey Toobin, Supreme Court expert and legal analyst

November 30, 2017 -- Cokie Roberts, journalist/author and political activist

February 1, 2018 -- Robin Wright, award-winning journalist/author and Middle East expert

February 22, 2018 -- Rick Steves, European travel authority

March 22, 2018 -- Paul Nicklen, award-winning photographer for "National Geographic" magazine

April 12, 2018 -- President Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States (1993-2001)

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

SOUTH ORANGE -- A pick-up football game in South Orange in the 1930s. Individuals identified in the photo are Pat Lagravenese, the fellow about to receive the snap from center, Lou Magliaro, crouching on the left and Gerry Polcaro in a three-point stance on the right. If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history...

SOUTH ORANGE -- A pick-up football game in South Orange in the 1930s.

Individuals identified in the photo are Pat Lagravenese, the fellow about to receive the snap from center, Lou Magliaro, crouching on the left and Gerry Polcaro in a three-point stance on the right.

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.

 

Keith Kinard, executive director of the Newark Housing Authority, will leave in six months, after NHA Commissioners voted to not renew his contract Thursday.

NEWARK -- The longtime executive director of the Newark Housing Authority will soon be out of a job.

The Board of Commissioners Thursday voted not to renew Keith Kinard's contract, which expires in September. 

"We're moving in a new direction," board chairman Charles Bell told NJ Advance Media. "This is the second most difficult job in the city of Newark and we need to be able to move forward." 

Kinard, 48, has headed the largest public housing authority in the state since June 2006. The NHA is an autonomous city agency that receives federal funding to manage public housing.

"We've accomplished and exceeded all my goals, now it's time for someone else to take the baton and push it forward," Kinard said. "There's very little else I can do."

Kinard said during his nearly 11-year tenure, the authority has built 1,000 new units of housing and refurbished hundreds of homes. 

"We went from one of the worst to one of the best" according how the federal government rates housing authorities, Kinard said.

Kinard previously served as the director of the Pittsburg Housing Authority for 11 years. He earns an annual salary of $222,721, public records show. 

Per his contract, Kinard needs a six-month notice of nonrenewal.

The board vote Thursday came amid little discussion.

"Mr. Kinard, under the circumstances, has done a good job here at the Newark Housing Authority and we really appreciate the time and effort that has served us very well," Bell said during the public meeting.

Kinard said he was advised by the chairman prior to the meeting that "the mayor decided to go in a different direction." Commissioners are appointed by the mayor but are responsible for hiring and firing the agency director. 

Bell said the board would begin searching for a replacement soon. Kinard's contract ends Sept. 26. 

"It is imperative for NHA to get the hire right," said Drew Curtis, director of community development and environmental justice with the Ironbound Community Corporation, a group that advocates for tenant rights. "NHA needs a visionary and creative leader given the challenging times we live in and the need to provide housing for all." 

Curtis said tenant association leaders should be involved in the selection process.

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

Edward Pasucci, 29, suffers from mental health issues and was last seen in Newark on Thursday.

UPDATE: Pasucci was located Friday afternoon, March 24, 2017, Hightstown police said.

HIGHTSTOWN -- A borough man reported missing Thursday was last seen in Newark, Hightstown police said Friday.

Edward Pasucci, 29, suffers from mental health issues, police said.

He was last seen in Newark on Thursday. He's 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Hightstown Police Department at 609-448-1234.

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

The teacher was suspended after 6 and 7-year-old students allegedly told a substitute they had touched and kissed each other's genitals.

NEWARK -- A first grade teacher who was suspended after her students allegedly touched and kissed each others' genitals in class should be reinstated with back pay due to a lack of reliable evidence, an arbitrator ruled last month.

A file photo of the Quitman Street school.
 

Lydia Wilson was out on medical leave in September of 2015 when some of her 6 and 7-year-old Quitman Street Elementary School students allegedly told a substitute teacher they had played what they called the, "nasty game" while at recess and in the classroom, according to the decision.

The substitute told school administrators that the group of six students told her about the game - in which they exposed, touched, and put their mouths on each other's genitals - during a class share time, according to the decision.

The kids, she said, told her they played the game at recess, and under their desks in the classroom while Wilson was present, the decision states.

Wilson, who had taught in the district for 12 years, had taught the class for 12 days before going on leave.

The six students allegedly involved elaborated on the game during individual interviews with the school social worker, the decision said. A school investigation into the allegations was based largely on the substitute's and social worker's reports, the decision said.

Though a state Division of Children and Families investigation found there was no evidence of criminal conduct, it said it was possible that children may have been harmed in the situation. Newark Public Schools suspended Wilson without pay shortly after she returned to the school from leave in November 2015, the decision said.  

In his decision, arbitrator Timothy Brown said the information from the substitute and the social worker was hearsay and ruled their questionings of the students were not conducted properly.

Teacher accused of 'interactive praying' wins in dispute with district

For example, Brown stated in the decision, the substitute teacher was overly preoccupied in her testimony with proving that she wasn't present during the alleged game, making her assertion that students spontaneously said Wilson was present suspect, he said.

Brown also agreed with an expert who testified on Wilson's behalf that the reports suggested they asked the children leading questions. Talking to all of the children in a group initially allowed them to play off each other, he said. The social worker also didn't take enough time with each student individually, or record the exact questions she asked, or exactly how each different student responded, he said.

There was no proof, Brown said, that the game occurred, or that Wilson was present, if it did.

Brown ordered Wilson be reinstated with the pay she missed over the past two school years and the record of suspension expunged.

"We move forward with cases like this one in order to do what we think is in the best interest of our students," district Chief Talent Officer Larisa Shambaugh said in a statement to NJ Advance Media.

"We were disappointed to hear that the arbitrator did not agree with the district in this situation, but we will continue to use the legal process when, on the rare occasion, we believe a teacher has engaged in inappropriate conduct towards children. Our main goal is always first and foremost to create a safe, supportive, and rigorous learning environment for our students."

Attorneys who represented Wilson did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.

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

Guess who's coming to dinner...in Newark? Watch video

After U.S. Sen. Cory Booker took to Twitter to gently scold "The Mindy Project" for throwing shade at his beloved hometown of Newark on Wednesday, he got an apology from its star and creator Mindy Kaling, and possibly, a dinner date.

Ouch! [?] @MindyKaling, heard Dr. Lahiri dissed Newark last night [?] ... @VogueMagazine & I disagree [?] : https://t.co/2wP7ZqJKQd (I still [?]U!) pic.twitter.com/FSwfkxenQJ

-- Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 23, 2017

Kaling's alter ego had expressed surprise in a recent episode of "The Mindy Project" that the junior U.S. senator from New Jersey attended her colleague's event, remarking, "Cory Booker? I can't believe he came...I guess anything to get out of Newark, huh?"

On Twitter, Booker then pointed to a Vogue article from February highlighting Newark's rebirth thanks to new fusion restaurants -- like Halsey Street's  Burger Walla, praised as offering "a fusion of American comfort food with an Indian twist" -- and asked Kaling to dinner.

Kaling, who portrays a frequently foot-in-mouth obstetrician on the Fox/Hulu series as Dr. Mindy Lahiri, quickly delivered...an apology.

Senator, if Mindy Lahiri shades it, it means we know it's cool. Thanks for the . It's mutual! https://t.co/KW2ibviREc

-- Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) March 23, 2017

Booker then set the table for a rapprochement.

You are making my day! Thanks for the clarification. And If the [?]is really mutual... Come have dinner with me in Newark? #PleaseSayYes [?] [?] https://t.co/fI9IYJYZEX

-- Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 23, 2017

This has left fans on Twitter on tenterhooks about whether the two will break bread.

@mindykaling he asked you to dinner. Don't keep us hanging like this. Answer the man!!

-- kristi (@austrya) March 23, 2017

Sure enough, Kaling accepted...

 

@CoryBooker yes. Now let me get the PATH train schedule.

-- Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) March 23, 2017

Booker even agreed to send a car for her.

[?] [?] Thank you! PATH train is awesome when you are Jersey bound. But you are @Lyft worthy! I will send one to you for the door to door. https://t.co/hTHqqyXLZn

-- Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 23, 2017

No word on when or where the two will dine out , but The Auditor will seek to deliver the news when it breaks...likely via Twitter.

Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Arrests came in response to reports of drug dealing in the neighborhood, the Essex County sheriff said.

Cedric Lewis, 26 (Photo: Essex County jail) 

NEWARK -- Essex County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested four people, and seized a loaded gun, heroin and marijuana in Newark's South Ward, officials said Friday.

The arrests came Thursday after narcotics detectives conducted surveillance near Ridgewood and Avon avenues based on complaints about drug activity in the area, according to Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

Detectives spotted Cedric Lewis, 26, of East Orange, and James Holmes, 43, of Newark, pacing in a backyard on Ridgewood Avenue, the sheriff said in a statement. A woman approached Lewis, who took items from a car in the driveway and exchanged it for cash with the suspected drug buyer.

Raymond Miller, 57, also had a similar exchange, according to Fontoura, who said detectives stopped him and recovered five glassine envelopes of heroin stamped with "100" in red ink. Police did not locate the woman.

Mom, kids escape fast-moving blaze that damaged 3 homes

Authorities also found a loaded .45-caliber Taurus semi-automatic handgun reported stolen from North Carolina on the floorboard of Lewis's car, Fontoura added. Holmes was allegedly holding 17 decks of heroin with similar markings in his waistband.

A woman with Lewis and Holmes, identified as Jahni Daniels, 23, of Newark, admitted she had 50 plastic bags of marijuana, according to the sheriff.

Lewis was charged with weapons and drug distribution offenses, authorities said. He was taken to the Essex County jail ahead of a court hearing. The other three people face drug-related charges.

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