Knife, gun used in late night robbery, according to town officials.

WEST ORANGE -- Four Jersey City men were arrested in a stop on Interstate 280 after they carried out an armed home robbery at a West Orange residence late Wednesday, officials said.

Yodelin Diaz, 25, Jesus Quinones, 38, Eduard Bentura, 33 and Lidio Martinez- Mieses, 30, face charges including armed burglary, armed robbery, conspiracy and weapons offenses, according to a township news release. The group allegedly robbed a Rutgers Street home shortly after 10 p.m.

The men were also charged with criminal restrain because they allegedly held three family members in a bedroom, according to a township spokeswoman. Handguns and a kitchen knife were used in the home invasion.

Officers stopped the group in a car on Interstate 280 and recovered an undetermined amount of cash, two handguns and ammunition, the news release said.

Police determined the robbery was an "isolated incident" and not a random crime, according to spokeswoman Susan Anderson.

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

The assistant prosecutor said he intends to seek life in prison at sentencing

NEWARK -- An Essex County jury on Thursday found a 33-year-old man guilty of luring another man to his death in Irvington almost two years ago.

Lamar Hunt. (Essex County Correctional Facility)

Following a three-week trial before Superior Court Judge James W. Donohue, the jury found Lamar Hunt guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the June 22, 2015 death of Tavaris Payne, 39, according to Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper.

Authorities said Payne, of Newark, was shot shortly after midnight in the area of 485 Lyons Ave., and pronounced dead at the scene at 12:46 a.m. after being found unresponsive.

The prosecutor told NJ Advance Media on Thursday that Hunt was motivated by jealously over his girlfriend, with whom he had an argument shortly before Payne's death regarding her conversations with another man.

After taking her phone and going through the contacts, Semper said, Hunt determined his girlfriend had been communicating with Payne.

The prosecutor said Hunt then lured the man to a White Castle near the scene, and fatally shot him after determining his identity.

Hunt gave a statement to investigators in which he admitted being at the scene of Payne's shooting, "but said he went there to purchase narcotics from a third party," according to the prosecutor.

"This was a senseless loss of life, and we are happy with this verdict that the family can get some closure and attempt to move on with their lives," Semper said.

Hunt, who has at least two prior convictions on indictable offenses, is exposed to a potential sentence of life in prison on the murder charge.

"It is our intention to seek the maximum sentence in this case, because of the heinous nature of this violence," Semper said.

Hunt's sentencing has been scheduled for July 24.

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

Man allegedly threatened woman with gun on Newark street.

NEWARK -- Police seized two loaded handguns and arrested three Newark men in separate incidents Tuesday, including one man who was accused of threatening a woman with a gun, authorities said.

Newark detectives with the Special Enforcement Bureau saw Laquan Jackson, 33, with a loaded 9mm handgun around 7 a.m. at the Riverview Court housing complex, according to city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. Jackson, a Newark resident, also allegedly had a Ziplock bag of marijuana.

Police arrested Jackson without incident on weapons and drug offenses, authorities said.

In another arrest, a tipster reported seeing a man with a gun inside a van near Johnson and Clinton Avenue around 12:40 p.m., Ambrose said in a statement. 

Officers stopped the van and saw a loaded .40 caliber handgun in the vehicle, police said. The men in the vehicle, Yasin Calloway and Jamal Johnson, both 36-year-old Newark residents, were each charged with weapons offenses.

Calloway was also accused of pointing a gun at a woman near Madison and Shanley avenues during an argument earlier that day, authorities said. He was charged with aggravated assault and terroristic threats charges in that incident.

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

The men admitted to stealing personal information and filing fake tax returns, then collecting real refunds.

NEWARK -- Two New York men will spend more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to an identity theft scheme.

Jhan Luis Mejia Marcelino, 27, and Odanys Orlando Rojas, known as "El Fuerte," 39, both of the Bronx, N.Y., were sentenced Thursday to 61 months each for their roles in the scheme, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick.

The two had previously admitted to stealing personal information like names, Social Security numbers, and other information from people in New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere, between January 2013 and May 2014, authorities said.

Woman killed crossing Montclair street

The duo used the information to file phony federal tax returns, and receive fraudulent tax return checks, officials said. They pleaded guilty to theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy, authorities said.

The scam cost the government about $1 million, Fitzpatrick said.

In addition to the prison time, the two were also each sentenced to three years of supervised release, and were ordered to pay back $1,109,938 in restitution, officials said.

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

The 73-year-old woman was hit by a car while walking on Grove Street.

MONTCLAIR -- The woman killed while walking on Grove Street Wednesday night was an academic advisor in the Feliciano School of Business's MBA program at Montclair State University, the school confirmed Thursday.

Mary DeFilippis, 73, who died after being hit by a car Wednesday night, had worked for the school for 24 years, a university spokeswoman said. She was hit while on her usual evening walk, school officials said.

"Throughout her career Mary has been a tremendous contributor to MSU," Feliciano Dean Greg Cant said in a statement about DeFilippis.

"We could always rely on her to come to events, take on the extra responsibility, make thoughtful contributions, stay until the job is finished, maintain the highest standards...she exemplified the caring professional. Mary has had a rich and full life and would have turned 74 this December."

Before moving to the business school in 2002, DeFilippis worked in various other roles at the school, including serving as the Secretary of the Hispanic Institute for Applied Psychology and in the Psychoeducational Center and the Educational Opportunity Fund Programs.

Authorities said the driver of the car that hit DeFilippis stayed on the scene of the strike. The incident is still under investigation, but no charges have been filed against the driver, authorities said.

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

Fire departments belonging to a security and safety task force around the New York Harbor region conduct a water flow drill employing enough water volume to fill 7 swimming pools per minute Watch video

NEWARK -- In a spectacular display of firefighting capacity along a shore lined with tank farms, refineries and chemical plants, a team of firefighters on land and sea produced a flow of water on Thursday that officials said could fill seven swimming pools per minute, or, more critically, dowse an inferno triggered by a terror attack.

The display was actually a training operation by the New Jersey Urban Area Security Initiative Neptune Task Force, a consortium of more than a dozen firefighting agencies and organizations in and around the New York Harbor region.

Held at Berth 25 at Port Newark, ten fire hoses up to 12 inches in diameter shot a volume totaling 49,000 gallons of water per minute at an imaginary inferno from a distance of 500 feet.

While the event was only a drill, officials said it was meant to hone skills and test water volumes critical in fighting high-temperature fuel or chemical blazes that could occur accidentally or as a result of terror attacks along New Jersey's so-called Chemical Coast of Middlesex and Union Counties and industrial waterfronts of Hudson and Essex. 

"Just like sports teams, it's critical that they practice so they can perform at a high level should an emergency situation occur in or around the port community," Aaron Sherburne, general manager of New Jersey marine terminals for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, stated in an announcement of the event. The Port Authority is a member of the Neptune task force, and provided the space for Thursday's drill.

Union County Fire Coordinator Fred Fretz, who helped coordinate Thursday's drill, said the water volume was the equivalent of 10,000 garden hoses on full blast. That kind of capacity can be critical, Fretz said, in fighting fires that are so large and so hot they could evaporate a smaller volume of water as fast as it's pumped onto the blaze.

Fretz, a retired Union Township fire chief, said the water used in the demonstration was extracted from the Arthur Kill by five separate pumps working simultaneously to feed the hoses: two belonging to the Neptune task force; one from International Matrix Tank Terminals, a facility in Bayonne; one from Ferrara Fire Apparatus, a private company that sought to take part in the record-breaking event; and one on board Fire Boat 343 of the Fire Department of New York, the only boat taking part.

In addition to the FDNY, the Port Authority, other entities belonging to the task force include the Phillips 66 Refinery, the NJ Division of Fire Safety, and fire departments from Elizabeth, Union Township, Linden, Roselle, Rahway, Milburn, Kearny and Kenilworth.

Thursday's announcement quoted the Elizabeth Fire Department as saying the  event achieved a world record for combined water flow by firefighting apparatus, beating the previous high of 41,000 gallons per minute.

It is a Ferrara fire truck, the Inundator Super Pumper, that holds the record for water flow from a single pumper, at 5,492 gallons per minute, according to the Guinness World Records folks.

Some of the 10 streams of water on Thursday were died red and blue, lending a patriotic hue to the event. But it was not deliberate, Fretz said, noting that the died streams were used to indicate foam fire suppressants that would be used in cases of real emergency.

But for a veteran firefighter concerned with pumping as much water as possible onto a blaze, the display was inspiring nonetheless.

"It was a very impressive sight for all the water being discharged," Fretz said.

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

What to watch for at Northern Burlington.

The lead detective investigating Latrena May's death took the stand Thursday.

NEWARK -- When Detective Kevin Green approached Latrena May's apartment in East Orange after her May 1, 2015 killing, the signs of violence were clear, he testified Thursday before an Essex County jury.

Latrena May. (Facebook)
 

"As I approached the crime scene, I could clearly see what I believed was a body, beneath a blanket," he told Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, describing a trail of blood that led up the steps of 164 Tremont Ave. and into May's residence. "There was a lot of blood leading into a child's room."

Andre Higgs, 45, of Watchung, is on trial before Superior Court Judge Ronald D. Wigler on charges of murder and other offenses in the death of 27-year-old May, a teacher at Pride Academy Charter School and the mother of Higgs' daughter.

Higgs is accused of fatally shooting May on the steps of her East Orange apartment building after she flagged down a passing police officer, Detective Kemon Lee, who subsequently shot Higgs. Authorities allege that following the shooting, Higgs barricaded himself inside May's home, where he was arrested by a police tactical team.

Higgs' attorneys, Remi Spencer and Joseph P. Rem Jr., are attempting to show Lee shot first, causing Higgs to inadvertently shoot May.

The couple's then 4-year-old daughter was unharmed during the incident, and was sheltered by May's upstairs neighbors during what police described as a standoff.

Green, the lead homicide detective on the case for the Prosecutor's Office, said he conducted his investigation jointly with a detective from the agency's Professional Standards Bureau, which was looking into Lee's shooting of Higgs. Lee's actions were later ruled justifiable by the state Attorney General's Office.

Asked whether rules required officers to radio dispatch when they got out of their patrol vehicle -- which Lee did not do -- Green, a former member of the East Orange Police Department, told Edwab there was no "standard operating procedure" that would require that action.

Detective Nicholas Rizzitello, a member of the Prosecutor's Office crime scene unit, testified Wednesday that investigators recovered nine .40-caliber cartridge casings and three .45-caliber casings at the scene.

Bullets of the latter caliber were recovered from May's body.

Green said a .45-caliber Astra handgun recovered from inside the home was stolen in 2012, although it was not determined to have been stolen by Higgs.

Higgs, he said, did not have a permit to possess a gun, according to state records.

Neighbors describe scene of teacher's killing

In surveillance video played for the jury, Green pointed out what he said looked like a gun in the waistband of Higgs' pants as he faced away from the camera prior to the shooting.

Dashcam video from Lee's patrol car shows the officer firing at Higgs, but not Higgs shooting May, while surveillance footage from a nearby building showed only Higgs parking his pickup across the street from May's apartment.

Spencer objected to Green's identification of the object as a gun, arguing it was only the detective's opinion.

Wigler said he would allow the detective to offer his opinion, as the jury will be able to review the video evidence themselves during deliberations.

The trial is expected to resume Tuesday.

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

Residents of an East Orange apartment building are upset that the new owners do not plan on reinstating a security guard, a safety feature that was the main reason why many of them moved into the building.

Residents of a stately apartment building in East Orange knew something was wrong when they didn't see the security guard on post last month.

Jerry Wadowski, they said, never missed a day at 75 Prospect St., an Italianate-style edifice that is reminiscent of a grand Venetian palace.

The man worked seven days a week from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., including holidays, for about seven years.

Residents, unfortunately, figured out that his dedication to them had come to an end when they learned from city hall that Chris Chiapparelli, owner of 75 Prospect LLC, sold the 44-unit building for $11.5 million to 75 Prospect Holding Company LLC.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

"We had no idea where our security guard was,'' said Mary Moore, a 16-year resident.  "We didn't know the building had been sold.''

The prized amenity they had was gone, and so was Chiapparelli, who didn't even give residents a courtesy call to say that he was no longer owner of the 10-story building that was constructed in 1928.

They want the new owner to reinstate security - preferably Wadowski, who didn't want to talk about his employment, except to say that residents in the building had become his friend.

Based on a letter dated May 23 to residents, it doesn't look like a security guard is in their future.

The property management company - One Wall Management of Newark - informed residents that it will conduct a comprehensive security review and provide an update in three months.

"While our security assessment of the building is ongoing, we do not believe there is a need for a security guard at this time,'' the statement read.

Beyond the letter, the company has not commented further about the issue.

Not exactly what the residents wanted to hear after meeting with company representatives about security and other conditions in the building.

They say the security guard is the reason why many of them moved into the building.

"We're definitely going to belabor this point,'' said Veronica Thomas, vice president of the building's tenant association.

While she understands that a guard is an added expense, resident Melody Gordon, who moved into the building in December, said she is disappointed the extra security was removed.

"I felt good knowing there was a guard there,'' Gordon said.

Considering the amount of rent that they pay, residents said you'd think security would be provided. Some of them are shelling out as much as $3,000 a month for a huge four-bedroom apartment with high ceilings.

To the residents' frustration, history is repeating itself. The building has had several owners -- five or six in 15 years -- who have tried to take away the safety feature but changed their position when residents explained why a guard is needed.

"With every change (new owner) comes more handwringing,'' Moore said. "It's getting tiring.''

As for rehiring Wadowski, the company said in the letter that it was unaware of his employment or his role prior to assuming ownership. One Wall Management also told residents in the letter that Wadowski had been terminated before they arrived and that he wasn't qualified to be a security guard because he wasn't licensed as one under the Security Officer Registration Act (SORA).

Until it makes a final decision, the management company tried to reassure residents that they live in a safe community. In the letter, it pointed out that the city's crime index has gone down 73.5 percent since 2003. Should residents see criminal activity, management encouraged them to call the police department or dial 911.

In the meantime, Dwight Saunders, director of the Property Maintenance Department for East Orange, said he plans talk to the owner about the possibility of security.

East Orange's city ordinance only requires security for senior citizen buildings, but Saunders said owners of many other large apartment buildings in the city have a security guard. He understands the residents plight and he promised to take care of other issues they raised after meeting with them recently.

By now, the smoke alarm that chirped for three weeks should be fixed.

Peeling ceiling plaster in the lobby is a violation, too, but Saunders said it's an expensive problem to fix, one that developed over time because rain water seeped between the bricks that need to be reset.

"We'll do a quality-of-life assessment in the building,'' Saunders said. "It's on my radar now. I will make sure everything that's wrong with that building will get fixed.''

Residents were pleased to hear that, but their main concern is overnight security. They say Wadowski was a comforting presence, even though he didn't have license.

They miss the guy. He was their friend, whom they looked forward to seeing every day. He held the door, greeted them and their guests.

From behind his makeshift security booth in the building, he'd monitor the surveillance cameras, leaving his station to walk the halls and the grounds.

MORE CARTER: The legacy of Millard E. Terrell in Newark burns bright

If he smelled something odd, residents said, he'd knock on their doors to make sure everything was okay. He escorted them to their cars, carried their packages.

Wadowski took care of them.

Wendy Castillo remembers how he help her dad into the building, which is not handicap-accessible, with his motorized scooter.

The extra mile he gave often led to tips from residents, who had no problem offering the monetary gift.

"He was just wonderful,'' Thomas said.

And, you never caught him sleeping.

In three months, residents are expecting an answer from management. Hopefully, it's to their liking.

If not, they'll continue to look out for each other in the evening to make sure neighbors get home safe.

"Or they'll look for a new place to live."

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

The president plans to spend the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster

President Donald Trump is expected to spend the weekend at his property in Bedminster, arriving late Friday afternoon and departing around dinnertime Sunday, according to FAA advisories on flight restrictions.

The VIP flight restriction notices are focused on Newark, Teterboro and Bedminster, which signals the president is currently not scheduled to leave the Trump National Golf Club for any extensive trip within the state. The "no fly" security zone typically shifts to follow major presidential movement.

An FAA spokeswoman declined to spell out what precautions are taken whenever Air Force One lands at an airport. Presidential visits in the past have involved a "freeze" of all flights for roughly a half-hour before and after a presidential arrival or departure.

On tap for Trump's visit this weekend is a Sunday afternoon fundraiser held at the club for Congressman Tom MacArthur, the Republican who helped broker revisions that secured passage of the American Health Care Act in the House. Trump is expected to be a guest of the event.

Those revisions were made after Trump's first attempt at replacing Obama-era health insurance policies failed.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

WEST CALDWELL -- Peaches is a 6-year-old Chihuahua mix in the care of Orphaned Pets. Volunteers describe her as "a very affectionate dog who loves to cuddle." Peaches needs a home without small children, but she would do well in a home that has another dog; she is crate-trained, housetrained, microchipped, spayed and up-to-date on shots. For more information on...

Peaches 

WEST CALDWELL -- Peaches is a 6-year-old Chihuahua mix in the care of Orphaned Pets. Volunteers describe her as "a very affectionate dog who loves to cuddle."

Peaches needs a home without small children, but she would do well in a home that has another dog; she is crate-trained, housetrained, microchipped, spayed and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Peaches, call 973-882-8363 or email her at smattbutler814@aol.com. Information is also available by going to orphanedpetsinc.com. Orphaned Pets is an all-volunteer fostering group serving the Essex County area for 25 years.

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.

Check out photos from Thursday night's prom in Verona.

VERONA -- The Class of 2017 at Bard High School Early College celebrated its prom Thursday night at the Richfield Regency in Verona. 

Students came dressed in their best -- and their shiniest to dance the night away. 

Check back at nj.com/essex for other local high school prom coverage from schools in Essex County. And be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Let's see your prom photos. Post your pictures on Twitter and Instagram with #njprom. We'll retweet and repost our favorites on Twitter @njdotcom and Instagram @njdotcompix.

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

NJ Transit officials released details about it's rail schedule during Amtrak's summer track work at Penn Station that will displace about 25 percent of daily commuters.

NJ Transit released the final details of its schedule for most of the summer, which will send Morris & Essex Lines riders to Hoboken, but spares 75 percent of rail commuters from major disruption.

It's the news commuters have been both waiting for and dreading, as they find out what their traveling options are for when Amtrak's Penn Station New York track replacement project closes at least three tracks during weekdays.

While specific weekday train schedules will be released at noon Friday, the agency revealed the details of their service plan late Thursday.

While there will be minor schedule adjustments for all rail riders, the biggest impact is on M&E commuters, whose trains will be sent to Hoboken from July 10 to Sept. 1.

Four M&E trains that arrive in New York before 7 a.m., the 6602, 6604, 6696 and 6306 will continue to run directly to Penn Station. Weekend service will run on a normal schedule.

Gladstone branch MidTown direct trains will also be diverted to Hoboken, but Montclair-Boonton line MidTown direct trains will continue to run to New York. North Jersey Coast Line trains, which normally go to Hoboken, will terminate at Newark Penn Station.

PATH and Ferry:

PATH will cross-honor NJ Transit Hoboken tickets at 33rd Street, Hoboken and World Trade Center. All NY Waterway ferries will cross-honor NJ Transit tickets at all routes terminating in Hoboken Terminal. A special ferry will run between Hoboken and West 39th street every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Bus:

All NJ Transit buses will cross-honor Hoboken rail tickets. Private carrier buses will only cross-honor tickets with Hoboken as the destination. The 126 bus will also honor Hoboken rail tickets. NJ Transit will add service on the 126, 107 and 108 bus routes.

Supplemental express bus service to the Port Authority Bus terminal will be available from the South Orange station, at the Sloan Street stop for the 107 bus located between Second and Third Street. Extra buses will be on stand-by for the 108 bus from Newark Penn Station.

Private buses will be hired to shuttle riders from Newark Broad Street station to the Port Authority Bus terminal in the morning, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Light Rail:

Newark light rail trains will cross-honor Hoboken rail tickets between Newark Penn Station and Broad Street. Service will be added so trains run every 10 minutes, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m and from 3:30 to 8 p.m. However, a Newark to New York Penn Station train ticket will be required for transportation between those stations.

M&E discount tickets:

M&E fares will be discounted between July 10 and Sept. 1 and MidTown Direct commuters should purchase a Hoboken monthly pass for July and August.

Riders who buy those monthlies will be able to use them between July 1 and 9 to travel to Penn Station New York. Monthly passes go on sale on June 19,  Weekly passes on June 29, and discounted one way tickets will be available starting July 9.

Tickets can be purchased at station ticket offices, at Ticket Machines and using the MyTix on the NJ Transit app. Discounted M&E tickets will not be valid for travel on other rail lines. 

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The pop sensation was seen at several spots in Montclair on three separate occasions

Residents in Montclair are no strangers to random celebrity sightings, but one superstar in particular has become quite familiar with the town.

In the past two weeks alone, pop singer Justin Bieber has been sighted multiple times around Montclair. Here is a list of sightings so far:

- May 19: Bieber was spotted at multiple stores along South Park Street.

- May 26: Bieber was seen playing basketball with a few kids in a Montclair neighborhood.

- May 31: Bieber visited Buzz Aldrin Middle School in Montclair.

The 23-year-old singer was first spotted cheering on a fan who was performing outside of Bluemercury on South Park Street. The pop star can be seen putting his arms around two other fans while they swayed together to Colbie Caillat's "Brighter Than the Sun."

Fans in the area quickly noticed JB and took to social media with sightings around the town.

Just ran into Justin Bieber at Urban Outfitters in Montclair. [?]

-- Brains & Beaute (@OndreaLee) May 19, 2017

Later that same day, the "Sorry" singer emerged again and was seen posing with two teenagers at a local neighborhood pool in Montclair.

Justin Bieber with fans in Montclair, New Jersey. (May 19)#JustinBBMAs pic.twitter.com/riQPLlMtmU

-- Justin Bieber (@justinbie8er94) May 19, 2017

Nearly a week later the pop star, who's set to release new music Friday, was also seen playing basketball with a few kids in a Montclair neighborhood.

Students at Buzz Aldrin Middle School were treated to a surprise visit from the singer just a few days later on May 30.

Justin Bieber Sighting: Montclair, New Jersey/ Buzz Aldrin Middle School https://t.co/wSMMpyxYOP

-- StarSightings (@ssbot) May 31, 2017

So why is Biebz hanging around Essex County? The most sensible rumor is that the singer is staying with Carl Lentz, a pastor with the Evangelical organization Hillsong New York. According to the New York Post, the pair have been close since 2008 when Bieber was just 14. Bieber has stayed with Lentz before.

"I have a special role in Justin's life, spiritually, but ... I'm not a life-motivational guy," Lentz told the Post. 

Whether Bieber is in fact staying with his church leader or doing something more -- more rumors are circulating on Twitter that he's bought a house in Montclair -- his fans Montclair surely hope he'll keep popping up. 

Hunter Hulbert may be reached at hhulbert@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Livingston High School students celebrated their prom at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel.

PARSIPPANY -- It was a night to remember for Livingston High School students as they celebrated their prom on Thursday at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel.

Dressed in elegant gowns and stylish tuxedos prom-goers socialized, posed for photos and danced the night away.

Check back at nj.com/essex for other local high school prom coverage. And be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

Prom photos from 2016

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Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for a link below the photo caption to purchase the picture. You'll have the ability to order prints in a variety of sizes, or products like magnets, keychains, coffee mugs and more.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Let's see your prom photos. Post your pictures on Twitter and Instragram with #njprom. We'll retweet and repost our favorites on Twitter @njdotcom and Instagram @njdotcompix.

Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Instagram @psapo,  Twitter @psapone.  Find NJ.com on Facebook.

NJ.com looks at New Jersey players with the best chance of being taken in Monday's MLB Draft.

Service was restored just before 9:50 a.m., the spokesman added.

PATH service between Newark and Journal Square was briefly suspended this morning after a man had a medical emergency and fell onto the tracks at Newark Penn Station, Port Authority police said. 

The man, who is in his 40s, was taken to University Hospital in Newark following medical episode, Port Authority police spokesman Joe Pentangelo said. His current condition was unavailable. 

Service on the line was suspended at 9:21 a.m. after the man fell onto the tracks and had to be retrieved by police officers, Pentangelo said.

Service was restored just before 9:50 a.m., the spokesman added.

The incident followed an earlier suspension on the same line. Service on the Journal Square-Newark line was disrupted after a "public service power problem" was reported just before 7 a.m. NJ Transit cross-honored PATH customers at Newark Penn Station, New York Penn Station and Hoboken during the outage, Port Authority said. 

The hottest stories of the postseason.

NEWARK -- Amelia Earhart is shown shortly after landing at Newark Airport on completion of her nonstop cross-country flight on Aug. 25, 1932, the first by a female aviator. Her husband, publisher George Putnam, stands to the right while the man kneeling is unidentified. If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your...

NEWARK -- Amelia Earhart is shown shortly after landing at Newark Airport on completion of her nonstop cross-country flight on Aug. 25, 1932, the first by a female aviator.

Her husband, publisher George Putnam, stands to the right while the man kneeling is unidentified.

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 on nj.com.

Vintage photos of famous folks spotted in New Jersey - GALLERY CLICK HERE

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

'A desirable place for artists to live.'

There is no shortage of creativity and culture in the state's largest city.

There is the Newark Museum, which houses art from all over the world and puts on events like the Newark Black Film Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District and over 60 arts organizations, as well as independent artists scattered throughout the city.

Because of that collection, Newark -- as part of the Newark, NJ-PA Metro division, was recently named the ninth most vibrant arts community in the entire country -- according to the SMU National Center for Arts Research and their Arts Vibrancy Index.

"Just a quick train ride away from New York and with affordable housing, Newark is a desirable place for artists to live, as evidenced by the ranking on independent artists per capita in the top 3% of communities," the research concluded.

The research credited organizations such as Newark Arts and the Newark Arts Education Roundtable for creating a welcoming atmosphere for the arts and maintaining a creative culture.

"Newark Arts is dedicated to bringing the transformative power of the arts into the lives of those who live in, work in, and visit Newark through programs, advocacy, promotion, education, and coordination," according to the Arts Vibrancy Index.

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The Index examined over 900 communities across the country and looked at how artists and arts organizations, their communities and government funding influences the production and consumption of arts and culture in the community.

"We couldn't be more gratified that the city of Newark is being recognized as a hotbed of America's arts and culture, and that Newark Arts is a driving force behind that recognition," said Newark Arts executive director, Jeremy Johnson, in a blog post.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jatmonavageNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook