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Heavy rain has trapped some drivers on flooded roads, caused major flight delays at Newark Liberty International Airport and reduced speed limits on the Garden State Parkway.

Heavy downpours associated with a moisture-packed storm system have triggered flash flood warnings in several counties across New Jersey and New York City, and water rescues on flooded streets in Hudson County.

Areas shaded in red are under a flash flood warning Friday afternoon, and areas shaded in green are under a flood advisory. This map was updated at 2 p.m. Friday. (National Weather Service) 

The warnings, issued by the National Weather Service, are effective until 4:30 p.m. Friday in northeastern sections of New Jersey and through 4:45 p.m. in parts of Monmouth and Ocean counties.

More than 2 inches of rain have already fallen in many places on Friday, and some areas of the region could get drenched with another 1 to 2 inches in the afternoon, the weather service said.

The weather service reported several motorists trapped in cars on flooded streets in Kearny in Hudson County at about 1:30 p.m., at least one car stuck in 2 feet of water in Union Beach in Monmouth County.

Water rescues were taking place Friday afternoon on Harrison Avenue, Johnson Avenue and Route 7 in Kearny, as well as on flooded streets in Hackensack, Jersey City, Newark and East Newark, according to the weather service. And some streets were turned into virtual canals, the Jersey Journal reported.

"Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage areas and low-lying spots," the weather service's New York regional office said in its warning.

Flooding on Essex Street in Hackensack pic.twitter.com/75Dh3UlRXl

-- Katie Kyros (@KatieKyros) May 5, 2017

The specific locations included in the flash flood warning are:

• Bergen County
• Hudson County
• Essex County
• Passaic County (eastern sections)
• Monmouth County (eastern sections)
• Ocean County (northern and central sections)
• Union County
• Bronx County
• New York County
• Rockland County
• Westchester County (southern sections)

My Aunt took these pictures of flooding on Route 66 in Neptune, NJ. @JimCantore @StephanieAbrams @mikebettes @StormHour @NWS_MountHolly pic.twitter.com/sxTbeJv3HE

-- Collin Gross (@CollinGrossWx) May 5, 2017

Almost every area of New Jersey that's not under a flash flood warning has a flood advisory in effect through the afternoon. Advisories are less urgent than warnings.

Flight delays and speed reductions

Flooding, heavy rain and poor visibility on the Garden State Parkway has led officials to put a 45 mph speed limit in place from exit 130 in Woodbridge to exit 89 in Lakewood.

The heavy rain that has been pounding the region on Friday has also caused major flight delays at Newark Liberty International Airport, the Port Authority reported. 

Local street flooding has been reported in Jersey City and Hoboken, and flooding has closed all lanes of Route 7 at the Charlotte circle in Jersey City.

Once the heavy stuff pushes North, rain sort of cuts off like you turn off your faucet. pic.twitter.com/2Bzp4iY7qj

-- Marc Franz Jr [?][?][?][?] (@WxmanFranz) May 5, 2017

Flooding has also been reported on the New Jersey Turnpike car lanes north of Exit 14 in Newark in both directions, and on the lower roadway of Route 139 West.

Mass transit problems

As of 2:30 p.m. Friday, PATH service to 33rd Street from Hoboken and Journal Square is suspended, however the World Trade Center lines are operating. NJ Transit rail is cross-honoring PATH tickets at Newark and New York Penn Station and Hoboken.

The entrance to NJ Transit's Penn Station New York concourse at 31st Street and Seventh Avenue was briefly closed Friday afternoon due to flooding, and flooding has closed the entrance to tracks 7 and 8 from NJ Transit's concourse, according to agency alerts.

Some NJ Transit buses have had to be rerouted because of flooding.

All of 9th St under water. Yikes. #flooding #hoboken pic.twitter.com/eVn2FjXWqo

-- Emily J (@HobokenEmily) May 5, 2017

Top rainfall totals

Friday's storm has dumped massive amounts of rain on parts of the region. Among the highest rainfall totals reported as of 3 p.m. Friday are:

• Howell: 3.73 inches
• Jersey City: 3.37 inches
• Holmdel: 3.32 inches
• Lyndhurst: 3.21 inches
• Jackson Twp.: 3.16 inches
• Berkeley Twp.: 3.00 inches
• Oswego Lake: 2.68 inches
• Newark: 2.65 inches
• Haworth: 2.49 inches
• Mullica Twp. 2.29 inches
• Hammonton: 2.27 inches
• Toms River: 2.26 inches
• Oceanport: 2.17 inches
• Wall Twp.: 2.06 inches
• West Creek: 1.87 inches
• Egg Harbor Twp.: 1.82 inches
• Woodbine: 1.70 inches

Flooding scenes from around the region

Major parking lot flooding leaves car in the middle of flash flood lake in Hackensack. pic.twitter.com/RetDqTtkji

-- Anthony Johnson (@AJohnsonwabc7) May 5, 2017

Someone's car isn't having a good day[?] #urbanflooding #flooding #rain #northbergen #nj @leegoldbergabc7 @abc7ny

A post shared by MrsCKAL (@indialord) on May 5, 2017 at 10:59am PDT

Urban flooding.. North Bergen NJ #flooding #urbanflooding #nj @leegoldbergabc7 @abc7ny

A post shared by MrsCKAL (@indialord) on May 5, 2017 at 10:49am PDT

Waterlogged slog into #Hoboken #Flooding
(*Filmed by passenger, not driver...) pic.twitter.com/A9Bl18prxb

-- hMAG (@hMAG) May 5, 2017

#Flooding in #Hoboken pic.twitter.com/XzL7xiIaV1

-- hMAG (@hMAG) May 5, 2017

Here's a video clip of a virtual waterfall on a street in Hasbrouck Heights, courtesy of Instagram user @dellalann_cbs. 

NJ Advance Media staff writers Larry Higgs and Jeff Goldman contributed to this report. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Officials say app part of effort to boost trust between cops and community. Watch video

NEWARK -- Smartphone users can now file police reports, browse crime statistics and access other law enforcement services through Newark's new police division app.

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose and Mayor Ras Baraka announced the app and online police reports this week.

The app, available for iPhone and Android devices, also allows users to report wrongdoing by officers, submit crime tips and includes a section about what to do if someone is stopped by police.

Ambrose said the app is part of ongoing efforts to improve trust between officers and the community, and offer new ways to communicate with residents. By accepting reports for some minor crimes through an app and the police's division website, officials hope to avoid tying up officers simply on taking reports.

"Our citizens will greatly benefit from this app by being able to file reports from their telephones, provide crime tips and even make an internal affairs complaint," the public safety director said. "This enables our residents to perform functions that would have previously required them to make a visit to a police facility."

"That's resources that we don't have to send out...we can do through computerization and have a follow-up investigation within 24 hours," he added.

Officials stressed the app and online reporting was not meant to replace 9-1-1 for emergencies or in-progress crimes.

In addition to making various reports, the app provides users with precinct-specific crime data, arrest information and statistics on stops by police.

"We are letting the people know, we have no secrets here," Ambrose said. "Everything is transparent. Just hit your phone and you can find out what's happening."

To download the app, search for "Newark Police" on iTunes or "Newark Police Division" on GooglePlay.

A host of features available on the Newark police division website are available using the smartphone app.

Bloomfield police also recently announced a phone app for the department in hopes of connecting with residents.

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

Cops make arrest shortly after picking wanted flyers, according to authorities.

(Photos: Dept. of Public Safety) 

NEWARK -- A man being sought on a gun offense was arrested shortly after officers picked up wanted flyers featuring the fugitive and spotted him in Newark's Vailsburg-section Thursday, authorities said.

Keith Jones, 24, of East Orange, was charged with weapons possession and resisting arrest after police said he tossed a loaded 9mm handgun and ran from officers near South Orange and Vermont avenues Tuesday afternoon.

Officers assigned to foot patrols with the police community focus division had just picked up wanted flyers identifying Jones when they spotted him leave a store, according to authorities.

Jones ran to a residence on West End Avenue, but was taken into custody, police said. He was caught with another man wanted on the flyer, Joshua Yearwood, 23, of Newark.

Police said Yearwood was wanted for an unspecified active warrant. Essex County jail records show he was being held on drug charges.

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

A pre-celebration of the May 5 Mexican holiday on Halsey Street featured soul music, ping pong and hockey, as well as a mariachi band and guacamole

NEWARK -- It was a rainy start to Cinco de Mayo, but that didn't stop dozens of people decending on Halsey Street in downtown Newark for culturally eclectic pre-celebration Friday night that included mariachi and soul music, ping pong and a bean bag toss, and burgers with salsa and chips.

"Live music, you don't get this every day. So it's great," said Michael De'Von, manager of Cut Creators, a Halsey Street hair salon, who was swaying to a soulful groove laid down by The Jack Moves as he surveyed the street party from the shop's stoop.

Some people mistake Cinco de Mayo as Mexican Independence Day, and to a large degree the U.S. observance of the May 5 occasion has morphed into an excuse to drink Mexican beer with lime or down margaritas and guacamole.

But the occasion commemorates Mexico's Battle of Puebla in 1862, an important victory for Mexican nationalist forces resisting French troops trying to topple the regime of President Benito Juarez.

Friday night's celebration was sponsored by Hahne & Co and the Halsey Street Merchants Association, to celebrate the first Cinco de Mayo since Hahne's long-awaited redevelopment into apartments and a retail space with a public atrium.

There were performances by the Mariachi Oro de Mexico band and the Esperanza Azteca Dance Group, though other attractions' connection to Mexican culture was tenuous at best.

Food included fried chicken, burgers and guacamole and salsa from Shop-Rite. There was a was a ping pong table. And a New Jersey Devils booth offered souvenir Nerf-type hockey pucks and an inflatable play area and sticks for kids.

Attendance at the block-long celebration was lucky to break 100 at any given time, a modest head count attributed to the threat if rain.

"It's pretty cloudy," said Jose Guadalupe of Union City, a violin player with the mariachi band. "Maybe they thought it was going to rain."

But that didn't damper the spirits of those who did turn out.

"Talk that sh-- Zack!" yelled an enthusiastic fan of Jack Moves front man Zee Desmondes. Children ran around, while adults gathered around stand-up tables to chat and take in the scene. Unlike many Cinco de Mayo celebrations, this one did not serve any alcohol.

Isabel Uspango, a 10-year-old fourth grader from Union City, whose father, Rafael, plays trumpet with the mariachi band, did not know the origins of Cinco de Mayo.

"All I know is there was a fight," Uspango said. Between? "Mexico and I have no idea who else." 

France, actually.

Heavily outnumbered Mexican army forces defeated French troops sent by France's Napolean III to oust the Juarez regime and install a government friendly regime. And despite the Mexican forces' victory at Puebla, the French campaign was ultimately a success, at least temporarily, resulting in the short-lived Second Mexican Empire headed by Emperor Maximilian I.

But historians consider the May 5 Battle of Puebla a key rallying point that helped coalesce and sustain a Mexican resistance movement that eventually ousted and executed Maximilian after just three years in power, in 1867.

Some historians have suggested that, had the Mexican resistance not persisted, the French might have felt free to back the Confederacy in the U.S. Civil War playing out at roughly the same time, and possibly altered the course of U.S. history.

It was news to De'Von, the salon manager.

"I never knew that," he said.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Highway closures reported Friday afternoon.

NEWARK -- Flooding brought on by heavy rains snarled traffic and closed roads in Newark Friday.

Most of the major flooding was reported in the city's East Ward. Photos and video shared on social media showed some vehicles apparently stuck in the high waters.

Traffic delays were reported on local roads and highways in the city Friday afternoon.

The truck route on Route 1&9 northbound was closed because of flooding near the New Jersey Turnpike, the Port Authority said on Twitter. One to two hour delays were reported in the area.

The right lane was closed on Route 22 heading eastbound, west of Meeker Avenue, in the city, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Newark officials issued an alert Friday morning warning of flooding and urged motorists to use other routes.

Going for a swim [?] [?] [?] [?]. It's flooded everywhere smh.

A post shared by Jose Gonzalez Jr. (@mr__389) on May 5, 2017 at 9:21am PDT

Happening now MAJOR! flooding on the intersection of South Street and Pacific street in Newark. pic.twitter.com/vBQBxFNovh

-- Will Caldwell (@willbcaldwell) May 5, 2017

Flooding on Routes 1&9 Truck Route northbound at New Jersey Turnpike (Newark) All lanes closed. Use alternate routes, expect delays.

-- NJDOT (@NJDOT_info) May 5, 2017

President Donald Trump signed legislation funding the federal government through Sept. 30.

WASHINGTON -- Legislation funding the federal government through Sept. 30 blocks heavier planes from landing at Teterboro Airport and prevents a new round of military base closings that could threaten Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

President Donald Trump, spending the weekend in Bedminster, on Friday signed the measure, which Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) played a major role in drafting as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

There's $41 million in reimbursements that localities, like Bedminster, can request for costs incurred after Jan. 20 through the end of the fiscal year to help defray the costs of the extra security required during a presidential visit.

N.J. benefits from federal spending bill

The legislation prevents the Federal Aviation Administration from increasing the weight limits at Teterboro, an issue that goes back to President George W. Bush.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) has led the effort to prevent heavier planes from Teterboro, which he said would cause more noise pollution and add more wear and tear to the airport's runways and taxiways.

The Defense Department would be blocked from considering shutting down military bases. Local officials, who have expressed concern that Joint Base operations could be scaled back in any new round of cutbacks the way McGuire Air Force Base initially was targeted two decades earlier.

Funding for the Transportation Department's New Starts program for rail projects would increase to $2.5 billion from $2.2 billion. This is the program that would cover part of the share of the Gateway Tunnel project to build new tubes under the Hudson River. Amtrak funding would rise to $1.5 billion from $1.4 billion.

Trump has proposed imposing new restrictions on the New Starts program for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 that could jeopardize federal funding for Gateway.

The law includes $68 million are available for railroad safety improvements, including the installation of automatic train control systems that had not been installed when a NJ Transit train crashed into Hoboken Station. One person was killed.

The budget also contains funding to address the opioid addiction crisis, to help low-income residents pay winter heating bills, and for the Community Oriented Policing Services program. Ten New Jersey municipalities, including Jersey City and East Orange, received COPS grants last year.

There's also $10 million to buy property to preserve open space in the Highlands region, which encompasses parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut; and funds for the Armaments Research Development Engineering Center at Picatinny Arsenal in Jefferson and Rockaway townships, which studies ways of improving conventional weapon systems and ammunition. 

The Army Corps of Engineers received $10 million to continue work on flood reduction efforts in the Green Brook Sub Basin to help communities in Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties; $575,000 to continue a study on how to address tidal flooding in back bays along the Jersey Shore; and $379,000 for the ongoing study on reducing flooding in the Rahway River Basin, which flows through Union, Essex and Middlesex counties.

Major maintenance and dredging projects include $15 million for the New York-New Jersey harbor, $3.6 million for the Newark Bay, Hackensack and Passaic rivers; and $28.5 million for the Delaware River.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

A man was seen fleeing the apartment by responding firefighters, police said

NEWARK-- A 27-year-old city man was arrested after firefighters responded to a report of a strong gas odor at an apartment early Friday morning.

The odor was reported at a home in the 100 block of Lafayette Avenue around 1:40 a.m. Firefighters entering the apartment noticed that all the burners of a stove had been left on and also saw a man leave down the fire escape, police said.

Police searching the area arrested Oscar Gonzalez-Evangelista a short time later. He has been charged with criminal mischief.

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

Prom season is starting. See a run down of where and when high school seniors from Essex County will be at prom!

The Mildred E. Terrell Homes, a public housing complex run by the Newark Housing Authority, has been targeted for demolition but Councilman Augusto Amador is proposing an alternative.

NEWARK -- East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador is pitching a plan to save a public housing complex in disrepair and help residents who have lived there for decades stay put. 

Amador on Wednesday proposed a resolution to save the Mildred E. Terrell Homes, a 275-unit complex that the Newark Housing Authority has tried to shutter over environmental and structural concerns.

The housing authority has said it can't afford to make more than $60 million in needed repairs.

But amid despair from residents, the Board of Commissioners at the Newark Housing Authority declined to vote on an application to demolish the buildings last month, leaving the proposed closure in limbo.

"We have a problem right now. We have residents who have come before us indicating they don't want to leave," Amador told the council this week. "It's our responsibility to find a solution to that problem."

Under his plan, 65 three-bedroom units and 50 two-bedroom units would no longer house residents resulting in a smaller complex "that would be more manageable," Amador said.

Cost estimates to fix the smaller complex are not yet known. 

Terrell Homes is about 80 percent occupied. Amador said residents who want to leave would be transitioned out and helped with moving expenses. Those who have lived in the complex for more than 25 years and want to stay would be identified and money from new developers used to maintain those apartments.

Amador said that with all the development happening in the East Ward, developers who do not want to build affordable housing can instead contribute money to rehabilitate Terrell Homes. Amador said he plans to introduce an ordinance that would provide a funding source for Terrell Homes.

Though council members unanimously approved the plan to save Terrell Homes, some raised questions about how much it would cost to maintain the remaining units and where the money would come from. 

"I agree that the individuals who want to stay there should be able to stay there but at what cost?" asked At-Large Councilman Carlos Gonzalez. "We have to determine what the cost is going to be to the city."

"We all stand in solidarity and support of the families that are affected by the proposed changes at Terrell Homes," added North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos. But he said details of the plan still needed to be ironed out.

"This makes certain assumptions on pieces of legislation we haven't agreed on. We really can't project out how much additional money may be available for supporting some of the initiatives such as Terrell Homes ... a lot of this is contingent on what happens with inclusionary zoning."

The city is still tweaking an inclusionary zoning ordinance that would require new housing developers with 30 or more units to provide 20 percent affordable housing. The council deferred the ordinance in February after housing advocates and council members raised concerns.  

Council President Mildred Crump said details of Amador's plan will be worked out in committee meetings. 

"This is a concept about human beings living, that's all it is," Amador said. "No one stepped up and said I have a solution to the problem."

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

Best freshman pitcher and best freshman hitter.

Yanafi Mojica previously admitted to shooting a man in the back as he ran away.

NEWARK -- A judge on Friday sentenced a man who fatally shot someone in front of a Belleville strip club to 20 years in prison after he apologized to about a dozen members of the victim's family.

Yanafi Mojica, 33, turned to the relatives of Michael Williams II and said he was sorry "for what went down" in the early morning hours of Oct. 8, 2015.

"If I could rewind time and go back, I would definitely change it," Mojica, of Elizabeth, said in state Superior Court in Essex County. 

Under the sentence imposed by Judge Michael L. Ravin, Mojica must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. He will receive credit for 561 days he spent in Essex County jail.

Mojica pled guilty Feb. 23 to aggravated manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Williams, 28, outside Wet Gentlemen's Club. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to recommend a 20-year sentence.

Mojica admitted to shooting Williams, of Newark, in the back while he ran away after getting into an argument with Mojica and two other men, prosecutors said. He was originally accused of murder and weapons offenses, but authorities dropped those charges. 

Before Ravin sentenced Mojica, he read several letters from Mojica's family members requesting leniency and stating Mojica had unaddressed mental health issues stemming from his father's death when he was a child.

His lawyer, James Lisa, told Ravin that Mojica's abuse of drugs and alcohol had caused the shooting, and he asked for a shorter sentence than the 20 recommended years. 

Williams' mother, Debbie Williams, told the court she did not believe Mojica's claims of remorse. She said her son had a 7-year-old daughter, and she asked Ravin to impose the longest possible sentence.

"That's who Mr. Mojica is, a coward, because he shot my son in the back," Debbie Williams said. 

Assistant Prosecutor Adam Wells told Ravin that Mojica was likely to be violent toward someone else in the future if he were not imprisoned. 

"This was a killing by this defendant that, I submit, he still has not taken full responsibility for," Wells said. 

Ravin sided with Wells and noted Mojica's two prior drug convictions and one eluding conviction. He said Mojica has failed to stay out of the legal system for any length of time and is at risk of committing another crime. 

Nathaniel Garcia, 23, of Elizabeth, who also had been charged in connection with Williams' killing, was sentenced to three years of probation on a charge of hindering apprehension.  

A third man, Armand Padron, 30, also of Elizabeth, is scheduled to be sentenced Monday on a charge of hindering apprehension.

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

This year's Essex County 200 Club Valor Awards were given out to seven law enforcement officers and 39 firefighters.

BELLEVILLE -- A daring river rescue, life-saving firefighting, and the capture of an armed murder suspect. It may all be in a day's work for law enforcement officers around Essex County, but officials took time out this week to honor and thank those who have carried out everyday acts of heroism during 2016.

At the 51st Annual Valor Awards, held Thursday at Nanina's in the Park, the nonprofit 200 Club of Essex County thanked dozens of local officers who have put others' lives before their own.

"The job of a police officer or firefighter is tougher today than ever before," Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, a member of the 200 Club's Board of Trustees, said in a release about the awards ceremony.

"Law enforcement and firefighting are extremely hazardous professions which are performed at tremendous personal risk."

This year's honorees included:

• East Orange Police Officers Christopher Kyer and Segundo Marquez. Responding to a Nov. 22 report of a man with a gun, the Club said the officers chased after the man in an attempt to recover his weapon. The man shot at officers, who instead of returning fire, convinced the man to drop the gun. "Throughout this incident, the officers displayed courage, restraint, and professionalism in making the East Orange community safer and more secure," the Club said.
• Millburn Police Det. Lt. David Bonney. According to the Club, an 8-year-old Autistic boy ran away from a family gathering on July 4 and fell into the Rahway River. Bonney waded into the river where the boy had last been seen, moved about 200 feet with the river's current, found the boy, and carried him to safety. "The officer's courage, skill, and professionalism (undoubtedly) saved the life of this child," the Club said in a statement.
• Newark Police Lt. Darrell White and Essex County Sheriff's Detective Abdullah Holmes. On Feb. 1, the two saw a man firing a gun outside a grocery store on Bloomfield Avenue in Newark. The gunman, who had already killed one person and injured another, ran from police. After a car chase and crashes, as well as an exchange of gunfire, the officers arrested the gunman.
• Essex County Prosecutor's Detectives Rashaan Johnson and Phillip Reed. When the two pulled over two men on Dec. 6 on West End Avenue in Newark, the men began fighting with the officers. A long struggle ensued over an armed 9mm handgun the two had in the car. The detectives were eventually able to arrest the men, and recover the gun.
• Millburn Fire Department Captain Christopher Beady and Firefighter Edgar Echavarria. The two were honored for their efforts in the May 4 rescue of an 8-year-old developmentally disabled boy who ran onto the roof of his house during a rainy day. The two climbed ladders onto the roof, combatting the slippery conditions and keeping the boy calm while getting him safely down.
• Newark Firefighter Jeremy Larena. This firefighter was honored for his swift actions during a Feb. 10 fire in an apartment building on South 17th Street. The officer, the Club said, was able to gain access to a burning apartment, and carry out a semi-conscious man who he found laying on the living room floor.
• Newark Fire Captains Carl Carpenter and Helder Fonseca, and Firefighters Kevin Daniel, Ivan Encarnacion, Jerome Fernandes, Louis Maisonave, Carlos Martinez and Hilton Reynolds. While responding to a Market Street fire on Sept. 11, 2016, the firefighters saved three adults, an infant, and a dog who were trapped in the upper levels of the building. The group, the Club said, was able to save lives while battling "extremely heavy fire and smoke conditions."
• Montclair Fire Chief John Herrmann, Battalion Chief Greg Murray, Captain Chris Russo, Lieutenants Anthony Acocella, John Grapes, Dave Hill, Bill Morrison and Kevin Sweeney and Firefighters Scott Bowman, Sebastian Covello, Adam Duchinsky, Keith Ferenz, John Fierro, Chris Herrmann, Dave Jones, Artie Karydes, C. J. Miller, Kevin Palek, Kurt Reinhardt, Bill Roth, Jeffrey Testa and Levar Washington, and Millburn Fire Battalion Chief James Boyle. On Dec. 3, a man who had been dismantling a 330-gallon empty fuel oil tank got buried underneath it when soil near the tank fell through, and the large metal object collapsed. A side metal wall folded in, trapping the man inside the tank. According to the Club, the man was buried in dirt up to his chest, and was trapped about five feet below ground. It took about an hour and 30 minutes to free him, said the Club, which called the rescue, "truly a group effort."

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

Gethard, of West Orange, talks honestly about depression in HBO comedy special Watch video

Comedian Chris Gethard has an unconventional disclaimer at the beginning of his HBO special "Career Suicide": "I see a shrink. We're good."

That's because "Career Suicide" isn't hyperbole. Gethard, the West Orange-raised comedian known for his cult comedy TV series "The Chris Gethard Show," built the special around his real-life and lifelong struggle with anxiety and depression and his own suicide attempt at 21.

Comedy gold. 

Gethard's depression is now managed by a finely-tuned drug cocktail and Skype sessions with his boundary-challenged therapist Barb, whose often terrible but somehow effective advice punctuates the show, which, by the way, is actually very funny: "I just thought everybody in fifth grade had an internal monologue like the guy from 'Taxi Driver.'"

I am hesitant to quote further from the special, which was filmed during its off-Broadway run last year, because it is constructed so thoughtfully and fearlessly, with what seems like throwaway details resurfacing later in sometimes devastating, sometimes heartening ways. Let's just say that the show touches on love, loneliness, fear, hope, Jersey housewives, the Smiths and appalling prescription drug side effects. Two words: beefy hemorrhoids. (Unlike Netflix's recent "13 Reasons Why," Gethard's special cannot be accused of glamorizing suicide.)  

"Career Suicide" is steeped in Gethard's North Jersey, and that's deliberate, he says, because he wants to break down the stigma around mental illness that may exist outside the big cities. As he says plaintively in the special, "sometimes people just break."

"I'm based out of New York City, it's very artsy, and everybody is in therapy here," he says in an interview with NJ.com. "But I'm not from there. I'm from New Jersey, which I think is just a bit of a tougher place. It's a bit grittier. There's a bit of a chip on the shoulder that we all have. I wanted to make sure I got really specific, especially if someone wanted to write me off as some artsy guy from New York." 

Gethard, 36, grew up West Orange, a nerdy kid who idolized Andy Kaufman and "Saturday Night Live," and started doing stand-up in New York City while studying at Rutgers University. He joined New York's legendary Upright Citizens Brigade, and appeared in "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation" and even starred in the short-lived Comedy Central sitcom "Big Lake." 

But he was plagued by depression, and only after his suicide attempt in 2001 -- he deliberately let his car plow into a pickup on Valley Road in Clifton -- did he open up to his parents, who found him help. "My great regret is I didn't talk to them sooner," he says. "It would be really cool if kids saw this show. It would be even cooler if parents saw it and started that conversation." 

Gethard only started talking more openly about his depression in 2012, when a fan left him an anonymous message on his Tumblr page about suicide. Gethard wrote an open letter about his own struggles, and it went viral. He started slipping bits of this darker material into his own stand-up, and for three years he painstakingly worked on the show that would become "Career Suicide." "You can't mess around," he says. "You can't improvise. You can't keep it loose."

Did performing the show night after night ever get to be too much? "All the time" he says. "I would say the first 10 times that I did the show, I got offstage, I was shaking. I got offstage and I was crying. I don't want all these people to know all this stuff about me, and then someone would wait for me after the show and tell me something that was very motivating."

His therapist has seen the show, and approves. His mom saw it twice. He apologized to her afterward: " 'You had to deal with it when it was not a comedy show at all. This was not a joke. I'm so sorry.' She said it was very hard to see. After the first time, she just quietly said, 'We got through it, and you're using it to help people.' That made me cry."

"Career Suicide" may be the ultimate proof that comedy is tragedy plus time, and Gethard does have mixed emotions about minting his biggest success from his most desperate moments.

"That's a kind of a weird feeling," he says. "There's probably something to said for someone who is a better strategist for their career. Really, I don't think strategically. I think emotionally. Am I going to be the depression guy forever? I might be. I might be, and I have to be okay with that."

"Career Suicide" airs Saturday at 10 p.m. on HBO. "The Chris Gethard Show" just got picked up for a third season by truTV, which will air the 16 hour-long episodes live from New York. A premiere date has not been set yet. He also hosts the podcast "Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People."

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. 

The suspect led police on a brief chase across three sets of railroad tracks and three parking lots, authorities said

Jonathan Villarreal 

NEWARK -- A Newark man was arrested outside the Newark PATH station Friday morning after he stole a woman's cell phone and led police on a brief chase, authorities said Saturday.

Jonathan Villarreal, 26, was taken to East Orange General Hospital for evaluation after the 9 a.m. incident that involved a chase across railroad tracks and through three parking lots, according to Joseph Pentangelo, spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department.

He was charged with robbery, resisting arrest, bail jumping, interference with transportation, criminal mischief and theft of service, Pentangelo said.

Port Authority police officers were first alerted to the situation when they heard a woman scream and saw her chasing a man on the eastbound train platform, Pentangelo.

The woman, a 31-year-old Union resident, told the officers that the man had stolen her phone, he said.

The officers chased Villarreal, who ran to the end of the platform and leaped onto the track area, where he dashed across tracks 3, 4 and 5 with police still behind him, Pentangelo said.

Villarreal then jumped down into the Dock Bridge parking lot where he landed on top of and damaged an unmarked NJ Transit police vehicle, Pentangelo said.

Still running, Villarreal passed under an Amtrak employee parking lot and into an Edison Parkfast parking lot, where police apprehended him, Pentangelo said.

Authorities recovered the woman's cell phone and returned it to her, he said.

While in custody, Villarreal resisted police and tried to bite officers, Pentangelo said.

An investigation by Port Authority police showed Villarreal, who had active warrants from Elizabeth and Linden, had jumped the turnstile to get to the platform.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Torrential rain caused flash flood warnings in parts of seven New Jersey counties.

Heavy rainfall that pounded much of New Jersey on Friday flooded several towns, caused major flight delays at Newark Liberty International Airport and temporarily suspended the 33rd Street PATH line. 

Authorities rescued people from cars trapped in flooded streets in Kearny, Hackensack, Jersey City, Newark and East Newark, according to the National Weather Service. Many streets in Hudson County were completely overcome by water, and Hoboken police asked motorists not to drive during the storm. 

NBC New York reported people pushing their cars through the water and one man canoeing across a flooded street. 

Heavy downpours associated with a moisture-packed storm system triggered flooding in several counties across New Jersey yesterday. #NJwx pic.twitter.com/T3YAn10bKz

-- WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) May 6, 2017

In Hoboken, water flowed into stores and blocked off intersections, CBS New York reported.

Rain leaked into the World Trade Center's Oculus, and people used umbrellas in Grand Central Terminal as water poured down, NBC New York reported. Some subway stations also flooded, the report says. 

Here are the 15 locations that got the most rainfall, according to totals released by the National Weather Service and the New Jersey Weather & Climate Network at Rutgers on Saturday:

1. Manchester Twp.: 4.38 inches
2. Jackson Twp.: 3.78 inches
3. Howell: 3.73 inches
4. Jersey City: 3.37 inches
5. Holmdel: 3.32 inches
6. Toms River: 3.27 inches
7. Lyndhurst: 3.21 inches
8. Newark Airport: 3.05 inches
9. Colts Neck: 3.04 inches
10. South Brunswick: 3.02 inches
11. Berkeley Twp.: 3.01 inches
12. Harrison: 2.86 inches
13. Westwood: 2.71 inches
14. Oswego Lake: 2.68 inches
15. Lakehurst: 2.99 inches

Staff writer Lenny Melisurgo contributed to this post.

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

Gun was reported stolen from Florida, according to authorities.

NEWARK -- Police seized a loaded gun, various drugs and arrested three men on robbery charges in Newark, authorities said Saturday.

A man and a woman flagged down a patrol car late Thursday and reported they were just robbed by two gunmen as they walked near Chestnut and Oliver streets in the city's Ironbound-area, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

Officers also learned that assailants fitting the same description committed another holdup minutes later at Chestnut and Adams streets. In both robberies, the suspects fled in a Ford Expedition SUV.

Police later spotted the SUV and arrested three men inside without incident, authorities said. The trio -- Abdullah Stewart, 19, Tyrese Harris, 18, and Nathan Fluitt, 45, all from Newark -- were charged with robbery, conspiracy and drug offenses.

Officers also reported they found a .9mm handgun that was stolen from South Orlando, Florida, in the vehicle along with 14 zip-lock baggies of marijuana, 13 vials of crack cocaine and 15 glassine envelopes of heroin.

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

Boat, amphibious vehicle used to reach stuck motorists.

Newark firefighters rescued several people from flood waters in the city May 5, 2017 (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety)  

NEWARK -- Emergency responders -- some using a boat and amphibious vehicle -- rescued 29 people stranded by flood waters in Newark Friday, officials said.

The flooding, brought on by torrential downpours, was mostly reported in the city's East Ward. Newark firefighters used a Zodiac boat to reach some stuck motorists while the Office of Emergency Management deployed its amphibious vehicle to aid in the rescues.

City emergency crews plucked two women, a man and an infant from three vehicles stuck at Roanoke and Foundry streets, near Avenue P, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

These 15 N.J. towns got the most rain in Friday's storm

Other rescues occurred at Raymond Boulevard and Doremus Avenue, where emergency services retrieved four men and two women from three vehicles, and in the 300 block of Wilson Avenue, where crews brought six men and two women to safety from five stuck vehicles.

Officials found stuck motorists near Avenue I and Backus Street as well as other areas of the East Ward. Firefighters also searched several abandoned vehicles found submerged in the high waters.

The National Weather Service reported 3.05 inches of rain at Newark Airport Friday.

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

Carjacked vehicle was pursued by police before wreck, prosecutor says.

NEWARK -- A suspect in a carjacked vehicle that fled police died after the car crashed in Newark's Central Ward Saturday night, officials confirmed.

Newark police were in pursuit of the vehicle when it crashed near 45 Holland Street around 7 p.m., according to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray, who identified the deceased only as a male before next of kin could be informed.

The male who died was ejected after the stolen car hit a pole, law enforcement sources told NJ Advance Media. Police chased the car after it was stolen at gunpoint in the city.

At least one other suspect in the stolen car was arrested, a law enforcement source said. The stolen car hit another vehicle on South 16th Avenue. 

A Newark police officer suffered unspecified injuries in a foot chase stemming from the wreck, authorities said. 

In a statement, Murray said more information would be released as it becomes available.

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

The 12-term congressman has been criticized for not holding in-person town halls

MORRISTOWN -- U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen will hold a telephone town hall on Tuesday, five days after switching positions and voting to replace the Affordable Care Act.

Frelinghuysen (R-11th District) opposed the prior Republican replacement bill in March and has been criticized for not holding in-person town halls or showing up at weekly protests outside his district office in Morristown.

Demonstrators gathered on Thursday as the House voted, 217 to 213, to pass the American Health Care Act. The bill awaits action in the Senate.

Frelinghuysen's telephone town hall on Tuesday will be his fourth this year and first since March 21.

It will begin at 5 p.m. and is open to all constituents, his office said.

In a statement from his office, Frelinghuysen said, "I am looking forward to using this forum to listen to concerns and answer the questions from constituents on a wide-range of topics including health care, proposed budget cuts, our national security and immigration, to name a few."

His office said anyone interested in participating may register via his website, https://frelinghuysen.house.gov, or by contacting his offices in Morristown (973-984-0711) or in Washington (202) 225-5034).

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook