Meet the players who received calls from big league teams.

Students celebrated at the Westmount Country Club.

WOODLAND PARK -- University High School seniors celebrated their prom night in style. Hundreds of Newark students packed the Westmount Country Club on June 14, donning snazzy tuxedos and full-length gowns.

Check out the gallery above to see moments from the University High School Class of 2017's prom. And, see where and when other seniors from Essex County high schools will be celebrating here.

MORE PHOTOS

Prom season is in full swing and NJ.com is capturing the moments for many New Jersey high schools. Check back at nj.com/essex for other local high school prom coverage in the coming weeks.

Be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for a link in the photo caption. 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.

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

Which schools were the all-around best last year?

Avery Schiffman of Pingry hits a shot in the second singles match of the Non-public A tennis finals at Mercer County Park in West Windsor, NJ on 10-20-16. (Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media)Scott Faytok * 

Anishalee Cortes alleged Dominick Richards assaulted her at gunpoint in April

NEWARK -- The woman killed in a murder-suicide in Roselle on Tuesday had a restraining order out against her killer when he fatally shot her in the driveway of his home, officials said Thursday.

Anishalee Cortes, 22, got a final restraining order against Dominick Richards, 49, on May 2, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. She obtained a temporary restraining order against him on April 17, prosecutors said.

Cortes reported to police on April 8 that Richards had broken into her home on Summer Avenue in Newark and assaulted her at gunpoint. Detectives arrested Richards at his home on Chestnut Street in Roselle later that day and seized a Glock handgun from the house, Newark police previously said. 

Richards was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal restraint risking serious bodily injury to the victim, court records show. 

He was also charged with criminal trespass, a disorderly persons offense. 

Essex County prosecutors on April 10 filed a motion asking a judge to order Richards held in jail before trial. 

Judge Alfonse Cifelli on April 13 denied the request and released Richards on the conditions that he not commit any new offenses and avoid contact with the victim, the prosecutor's office said.

Cifelli also ordered Richards to report to Pretrial Services every other week by phone and in person once every other week, refrain from possessing a firearm or other weapons, avoid excessive use of alcohol or narcotics, appear for court proceedings and notify Pretrial Services of any change in his contact information. 

Police found Richards' and Cortes' bodies outside Richards' home on Chestnut Street in Roselle at about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, authorities said. They were pronounced dead at the scene. 

Acting First Assistant Prosecutor Robert Laurino said in a statement that prosecutors' thoughts were with Cortes' family.

"Working with our partners at the Newark Police Department, we did everything legally possible to protect Ms. Cortes, including filing for the detention of her abuser, assisting the victim to obtain a restraining order, and preparing her case for a grand jury hearing," Laurino said. "We will continue to tirelessly advocate for all victims of crime that we serve."

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips 

The two men allegedly threatened a victim with physical harm.

NEWARK -- A Middlesex Borough fire inspector and another man have been charged with conspiracy to commit extortion using threats of force and violence, authorities said.

Billy A. Donnerstag, 49, of Hackettstown, and Joseph P. Martinelli, 64, of Kenvil, were charged with conspiracy to commit extortion, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said Thursday in a statement.

Donnerstag and Martinelli allegedly threatened a victim, who authorities did not identify, with physical harm if he or she did not pay them thousands of dollars, according to a complaint. The two men told the victim they had connections to organized crime, the complaint said.

During two meetings that authorities say were legally recorded, Donnerstag and Martinelli obtained $15,000 in cash from the victim. The men wanted the victim, who authorities described as the owner of a real estate development and construction company, to pay up because he or she had not paid Martinelli enough money for the sale of a property a decade earlier, according to the statement.

In telephone and in-person conversations with the victim, the men said Donnerstag was a fire inspector for Middlesex Borough and collected debts, authorities said. Donnerstag told the victim he was a collector of debts who operated outside of the legal system. 

I'm "not somebody who's in the yellow pages," Donnerstag told the victim, authorities claim. He also described himself to the victim as "the guy that you don't want to see" and "a problem for you right now," according to the complaint. 

The acting U.S. attorney said Donnerstag also told the victim his father is Gerald Donnerstag, who went by "Jerry the Jew" and had ties to organized crime. The elder Donnerstag was convicted in the 1970s of murder in Scranton, Penn., and theft in Essex County, authorities said. 

Donnerstag was hired in Middlesex Borough's construction department in April 2016 and makes $83,200 a year, according to borough data. Borough officials could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. 

If found guilty, the two men face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, Fitzpatrick said. 

Donnerstag made his initial appearance Thursday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III and Martinelli is expected to make his initial appearance Friday before the same judge.

Carol Gillen, an assistant federal public defender who is representing Donnerstag, and Brian DiGiacomo, an attorney with Chiarolanza & DeAngelis law firm who is representing Martinelli, could not be reached for comment.  

Luke Nozicka can be reached at 732-428-6958, lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @lukenozicka.

Find NJ.com on Facebook and Twitter. 

The victim was a 65-year-old resident

SOUTH ORANGE-- A 65-year-old man died after he was hit by a car near the Mountain train station Thursday afternoon, police said.

The victim, a South Orange resident, was on the sidewalk around 3:15 p.m. when a 2012 Nissan traveling east on West Montrose Avenue apparently left the roadway near the top of a hill, striking him, police said. The driver was identified only as a 55-year-old woman.

The man was taken to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead.

South Orange police and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office are investigating the incident.

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

Prom season continues

Central High school students turned out in their finest for their prom night held at The West Orange Manor in West Orange on Thursday night.

Prom season is in full swing and NJ.com is capturing the moments for many New Jersey high schools. Check back at nj.com/essex for other local high school prom coverage in the coming weeks.

Be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for a link in 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.

Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Find NJ.COM on Facebook.

Thursday saw the first defense witnesses called in Andre Higgs' murder trial.

NEWARK -- One of Andre Higgs' friends on Thursday testified that before Latrena May's killing, she showed him a black handgun at her East Orange home similar to the one prosecutors allege Higgs later used to shoot her.

Latrena May. (Facebook)
 

That friend, Rashid Sanders, told defense attorney Joseph P. Rem Jr. that he subsequently gave May a nickname: "Strapped-up shorty." But he told Rem he couldn't be certain whether that gun was or was not the Astra .45-caliber pistol ballistics expert identified as the gun that killed May.

Sanders was one of first three defense witnesses called in Higgs' trial before Superior Court Judge Ronald D. Wigler on charges of murder and other offenses in the May 1, 2015 death of May, 27, a teacher at Pride Academy Charter School and the mother of one of Higgs' children.

Their then 4-year-old daughter was inside May's home at the time of her death, but was unharmed.

Under cross-examination by Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, Sanders, who described himself as a "good friend" of Higgs, said he couldn't recall exactly when he saw May with the gun, which he said she first showed to him as a picture on her phone.

With the jury out of the courtroom, the assistant prosecutor asked Sanders about a prior felony conviction from 2002, and indicated he wanted to use that criminal incident to impeach Sanders' testimony. After Rem argued the conviction was more than 10 years old and not relevant to his credibility, Wigler ruled it was "more prejudicial than probative" to the case and barred the prosecutor from introducing it.

The state, represented by Edwab, alleges Higgs, 45, of Watchung, shot a partially dressed May three times in front of Detective Kemon Lee -- who subsequently shot Higgs -- after she flagged down the passing East Orange police officer in front of her Tremont Avenue building.

Rem and co-counsel Remi Spencer are seeking to show Higgs' shot May involuntarily after being shot first by Lee. Spencer previously indicated the defense is pursuing a theory that Higgs had taken the gun from May only moments before Lee arrived on scene.

Lee's shooting of May was found justifiable by the state Attorney General's Office after a review of the county prosecutor's investigation, Capt. Michael Recktenwald testified Thursday. Recktenwald, a detective with the Prosecutor's Office Professional Standards Bureau, investigated the shootings of May and Higgs jointly with Detective Kevin Green of the county's Homicide Task Force.

The detective, who was subpoenaed by the defense, told Spencer under direct examination that his investigation of Lee's actions determined they were justified based on "the totality of the circumstances," although he did say the officer seemed surprised to see his gun in his hand when he reviewed dash cam video of the shooting with investigators.

Trial for teacher's killing may hear choking evidence

At the beginning of Thursday's proceedings, Wigler denied a motion from Higgs for a mistrial, which the man argued was warranted because of "inflammatory" crime scene photos shown to the jury.

"We got photographs of the victim in a body bag," Higgs argued. "No positive value at all -- no probative value at all."

Wigler said that while the photos were prejudicial to the defense, they helped established how May's death occurred.

"In this court's estimation, they are relevant," he said.

Higgs' fiance began testifying Thursday afternoon under direct examination, which is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning.

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

BELLEVILLE -- Marnie is a 4-year-old cat in the care of Dap's Animals. She was rescued from a backyard in Newark with her litter; the kittens were adopted quickly but Marnie has been waiting for a home for more than a year. Volunteers describe her as "a total lap cat, very sweet, playful, loving and not shy at all." Marnie...

Marnie 

BELLEVILLE -- Marnie is a 4-year-old cat in the care of Dap's Animals.

She was rescued from a backyard in Newark with her litter; the kittens were adopted quickly but Marnie has been waiting for a home for more than a year.

Volunteers describe her as "a total lap cat, very sweet, playful, loving and not shy at all." Marnie is FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Marnie 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.

The state Department of Human Services' new payment system, which reimburses an agency after a patient has received treatment instead of getting the same amount of money every month, take effect July 1.

PARSIPPANY -- An outpatient program that serves 150 people with mental illness in Essex County is running a $60,000 deficit.

A mental health agency in Bergen County projects it could lose $6 million it needs to operate its 4 outpatient centers, which would jeopardize services for as many as 4,000 people.

And in Morris County, one agency has merged while another has cut staff.

The state Department of Human Services' new payment system, which reimburses an agency after a patient has received treatment instead of the agency getting the same amount of money every month, was the focus of the monthly board meeting at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital Thursday. 

The discussion was triggered by the board's letter last month to state Human Services Commissioner Elizabeth Connolly saying it had "grave reservations" the new system will disrupt treatment for thousands of low-income and mentally fragile patients because some agencies won't have enough money to maintain their programs.

Patients who leave hospitals like Greystone could cycle back sooner without viable community programs to support them, the letter said.

A handful of the private mental health agencies which adopted the new payment structure in January rather than the official kick-off date of July 1, came to the meeting at the state's largest public psychiatric hospital to describe the perks and some of the problems they've encountered so far.

Psych hospital board worried new billing system could hurt patients

There was universal praise for Assistant Human Services Commissioner Valerie Mielke and her staff for holding multiple training sessions and working closely with the 16 agencies that moved to the new payment system six months ago. She's also agreed to boost the rates for nearly a dozen services at the request of the provider agencies.

"You've been very attentive to every agency who has called," said Robert Parker, CEO of NewBridge Services in Morris County.

But despite cooperation and payment for many services increasing -- some dramatically -- paying only after services rendered is difficult when it comes to people with serious mental illnesses and addictions. 

Many fight treatment or miss sessions because they are sick, the agency directors said. These agencies need money to make payroll and pay the rent and utilities, they've said.

With the outpatient program running $60,000 short from January through April, "I don't know how long we will be able to keep that going," said Robert Davison, the longtime executive director of the Mental Health Association of Essex County who recently took on the Mental Health Association of Morris County. The merger that was partly driven by the new "fee-for-service" payment structure to allow the agencies to shed some administrative costs, he said. 

"At that rate, eventually we are going to have to close that service," Davison said. "What would what happen to these 150 people we serve, 125 of whom have a major psychiatric diagnosis?"

Peter Scerbo, executive director of Comprehensive Behavioral Healthcare in Bergen County, said he arrived at the projected $6 million deficit by crunching the numbers using the new department new fee schedule.

"We are not going to go out of business but we will ration the care," Scerbo said. The agency will limit clients to "12 sessions across the board and then terminate them. That's the only way we can make it work and survive."

Mielke explained the state is doing away with its old system of contracts because the federal Medicaid program will pick up more of the costs under the fee-for-service business model. More money means more people can be served, she said.

The department is willing to give agencies in good standing that are concerned about their cash flow two months of payments up-front, to be paid back over 10 months, Mielke said. But the agencies want a larger safety net of 12 months so they do patients don't lose out on the services they depend on.

Greystone Board Chairman Eric Marcy asked Mielke whether she has considered the impact of President Trump's budget and proposed changes to the Medicaid program which would likely reduce state funding over the long term. Those cuts would likely translate into increase in patients going to the emergency room, winding up in jail or homeless.

"I am concerned the political short-term perspective of politicians that perhaps this is a great way to reduce state costs," Marcy said. "Can we rely on CMS (the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) to be a long-term source of funding?" 

Following the meeting, department spokeswoman Nicole Brossoie said the impact ion the new system would be closely monitored.

"We take very seriously the experience of providers during this process. In fact, since January, based  on data from providers we've raised 10 mental health rates over what had been originally proposed," Brossoie said. "The department will continue to monitor provider feedback and data to determine if any further adjustments are needed."  

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Twenty-eight contestants compete during the first preliminary night of the Miss New Jersey Pageant.

OCEAN CITY -- Miss Seashore Line, Amanda Rae Ross of Galloway, and Miss Coastal Shores, Krystle Tomlinson of Scotch Plains, were the big winners during the first night of preliminary competition for the 2017 Miss New Jersey Pageant. 

Ross, 22, took home the swimsuit award wearing a brown bikini while Tomlinson, 20, impressed the judges with her singing.

The 28 contestants began the night taking the stage for the opening number wearing green Sherri Hill dresses. 

Other awards included the Community Service award given to Ashley Kulikowski, Miss Stars and Stripes, and the second runner-up parade award went to Miss Camden County, Alyssa Sullivan, for her take on the television show "Friends." 

The second night of preliminary competition begins Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. 

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @photogthawk. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Hundreds of Garden State players will join college programs next year. Find out where.

The singer who burst onto the music seen in the 80s with 'Til Tuesday talks about song writing, the music industry and what she's listening to now.

The songs on Aimee Mann's newest album, "Mental Illness," contain the sort of moody, soulful songs she's become known for, touching on bipolar illness, sociopathic tendencies or struggles some face to solve life's puzzles. But two things Mann fans probably know and the rest of the world will be relieved to realize: These songs aren't autobiographical.

"This is the stuff that's interesting. People are interesting. People's problems are interesting," Mann said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. "Mental illness takes so many different forms and that's interesting to me. It's interesting to ask questions." 

Mann, whose tour stops at the South Orange Performing Arts Center June 19, has been writing thought-provoking lyrics since she found her first commercial success in 1985 with "Voices Carry" while fronting the new wave band 'Til Tuesday. And while she confirmed that her lyrics don't reflect her actual life, sometimes her song writing starts that way.

"Even if I sit with a guitar feeling depressed and sad about something and start writing about it, it immediately takes its own form and it becomes a better song and a better story," she said. "It's never really about you."

Mann's touring with singer Jonathan Coulton, who some may know as the in-house musician for NPR's "Ask Me Another." Mann said touring with someone whose music she admires and is also a friend provides balance when she's presenting heavy, sad songs.

"The mix of being on stage joking around and singing serious songs is a nice mixture," she said. "It always keeps it from getting too deep."

Mann's such a fan of Coulton's work that her company, SuperEgo Records, released his latest album, "Solid State." In an early episode of "Portlandia," Mann played herself, working as a house cleaner to support her music career. The role was meant to showcase how many performers weren't able to make a living on music alone with the introduction of free music streaming services and other industry issues.

SuperEgo, Mann said, wasn't a way for her to make money; it was a way to support and promote music she enjoys.

"It's getting harder and harder for people to make a living," she said. 

That wasn't the case a musical generation ago. Mann said she's currently been listening to a lot of music that she listened to while growing up as well as bands she avoided at the time.

"When you're young, it's about being cool or not cool, but now it's must music and it's interesting to see which opinions I still agree with," When I was younger, I thought Steely Dan had an attitude and hey, they clearly do, but they're the smartest guys in the room. The musicianship is so great I don't care as much about the perceived attitude.

She paused. 

"But they were probably really a handful. Yeah, I think I'm on pretty firm ground making that assumption."

Aimee Mann

South Orange Performing Arts Center

One SOPAC Way, South Orange. 973-313-2787.

Tickets: $55-65, available online at www.sopacnow.org. June 19.

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.

WEST ORANGE -- The day was Hero Day at American Legion Post 22 in West Orange in 1974 and post commander Ed Crann was no slouch in tucking into a sizable sandwich. MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send...

WEST ORANGE -- The day was Hero Day at American Legion Post 22 in West Orange in 1974 and post commander Ed Crann was no slouch in tucking into a sizable sandwich.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

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.

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

The red-hot New Zealand pop star is coming our way

NEWARK -- Lorde, the red-hot New Zealand pop star, will play New Jersey for the first time next year. 

The "Royals" singer, whose feverishly anticipated sophomore LP "Melodrama" just dropped Friday morning, also announced Friday an eponymous North American tour for 2018. The trek includes an April 6 performance at Prudential Center in Newark, as well as April 2 and 4 shows at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and Barclays Center in Brooklyn. 

Tickets go on sale June 23 at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster. 

Lorde rose to fame in 2013 with the smash hit "Royals" and her acclaimed debut LP "Pure Heroine." The artist born Ella Yelich-O'Connor has been credited ever since as a lynchpin in the alt-pop shift on the mainstream, where young female artists like Alessia Cara and Jersey's own Halsey can still thrive on the charts while touting an edge and darkness to their music. 

The Grammy-winner's new album "Melodrama," which is already receiving similar lauding online, was co-produced and co-written by New Jersey music man Jack Antonoff. 

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Police released security camera images of the suspects.

NEWARK -- Police on Thursday asked for the public's help to find three assailants wanted in an armed robbery in which one attacker fired a gun in Newark's West Ward.

(Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

The holdup occurred around 11 p.m. May 28 on the 200 block of 11th Avenue, where a man and woman were robbed at gunpoint, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. 

One of the three robbers fired a gun during the confrontation, according to Ambrose. Nobody was struck by the shot and there were no reported injuries. 

"While police are actively searching for these suspects, we seek the public's assistance in quickly locating and removing them from our streets," Ambrose said in a statement. "This investigation is continuing."

Authorities released security camera images of the men and urged anyone with information to call the city's tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867).

Anonymous tips can also be submitted using the Newark police division smartphone app or website.

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

Surveillance came after complaints about drug dealing, according to sheriff.

Rashon McNeil (left) and Tamiyah Jackson (right) (Photos: Essex County jail) 

NEWARK -- A surveillance operation in Newark's South Ward led Essex County Sheriff's detectives to arrest two people and seize heroin along with crack cocaine, officials said Friday.

Narcotics investigators were watching the area around Ross Street and Evergreen Avenue Thursday afternoon in response to complaints from residents about drug dealing in the neighborhood, according to Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

Detectives saw Rashon McNeil, 28, of Newark, and Tamiyah Jackson, 20, of Elizabeth, loitering in the area, the sheriff said. The investigators saw McNeil exchange an item from his jacket pocket for cash with a passerby. 

When police stopped McNeil and conducted a pat down, they found he had 73 grams of crack cocaine and 169 glassine envelopes of heroin stamped with "HBO" in red ink, according to authorities. Investigators also seized $570.

Detectives saw 47 decks of heroin inside Jackson's purse after she opened the bag to provide her identification, the sheriff said in a statement. 

The pair were charged with various drug-related offenses and sent to the Essex County jail.

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

Comedy icon Anderson's career got a welcome boost thanks to his role on the FX show "Baskets," on which he plays Zach Galifianakis's mother. Anderson, who recently won an Emmy for the part, talks about his own mother and how she inspired him.

Comedian Louie Anderson has always drawn inspiration from his family, so when cast as the mother of Zach Galifianakis in  the FX series "Baskets," he based the character on his mother and five sisters. But there's a key difference between Mama Anderson and Mama Baskets.

"My mother was never mean," Anderson said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. "She was a little passive-aggressive, but overall very sweet and always hopeful and able to find the beauty in everything."

Anderson, who recently won a Best Supporting Actor Emmy for his portrayal of Christine Baskets, said the show has given him -- and his career -- new energy. He'll stop at the South Orange Performing Arts Center June 17 with new material as well as some old favorites, like his take on the "F-words:" Family, father, food and fat. 

"My stand-up has been reinvigorated," he said. "The TV's nice, the game show is nice, but there's nothing as immediate as stand-up. I make a joke, people laugh, and we're in a symbiotic relationship for an hour and a half."

Anderson grew up in Minnesota, the 10th of 11 children, and his voice is still heavy with that accent made famous by "Fargo." He injects a "you know" at least once every three sentences. He describes what he's learned from playing Christine Baskets this way:

"I learned how hard women work to become women in the morning. Men, we smell the shirt and if it's clean, we go out, you know. If it passes the smell test, it's good, you know. But women dress for themselves, you know. Christine wants to look nice, you know, and she wants to look good."

When Anderson moved west almost 40 years ago, he had two goals: To get his name on the marquee at The Comedy Store and to appear on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show." He did both in 1984. His Carson appearance is heavy with self-deprecating humor, with multiple jokes about his weight, and the bit may feel cruel to the modern viewer.

What followed was a busy, diverse career. Stand-up -- Comedy Central put him on its list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time -- on television and live; acting roles on the big and small screens; a stint hosting "The Family Feud" revival; and a Fox animated series based on his own childhood. "Life with Louie" earned Anderson two Emmys and was a hit during its 1995-98 run. Anderson voiced every family character.

"Baskets" -- created by star Galifianakis, comedian Louis C.K. and Portlandia co-creator/director/producer Jonathan Krisel -- was an unexpected, but welcome, surprise. Christine, he said, appears to be "a bull in a china shop, but she hardly breaks anything. But when she does, she really does it."

"She's much more aware of who she is than people think. She's like a lot of people, a women trying to survive, to be good mothers, good people, a suburban/small town girl trying to make her family whole again and make a life for herself," he said.

Anderson was determined to ensure that Christine was more than a on-note.  He doesn't affect a falsetto. He asks to only be called "Christine" on the set.

"I try to make Louie Anderson disappear," he said. "I try to honor my mom, all moms."

Louie Anderson

South Orange Performing Arts Center

One SOPAC Way, South Orange

Tickets: $30-40, available online at www.sopacnow.org. June 17. 

Officials have identified the man killed in South Orange Thursday afternoon.

SOUTH ORANGE -- Authorities had identified the man killed Thursday afternoon after being hit by a car as he walked on a sidewalk as a 65-year-old resident of the town. 

William E. Owens, 65, was walking along West Montrose Avenue near the South Orange train station overpass at 3:15 p.m. when a 2012 Nissan Versa veered off the roadway and hit him, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and South Orange Police Chief Kyle Kroll said in a release Friday.

Owens was taken to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The driver of the car, a 55-year-old woman, stayed at the scene of the crash, authorities said. No charges have been filed against her. South Orange police and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.

This is the second fatal pedestrian strike in Essex County over the past week. On June 8, Montclair State University Advisor Mary DeFilippis was hit by a car and killed during an evening walk in Montclair.

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

Police released security camera images of the man.

WEST ORANGE -- Police on Friday asked for the public's help to find the thief who officials say snatched a pocketbook from an 87-year-old woman in a wheelchair at a West Orange store and escaped in her rental car.

The woman, a West Orange resident, was shopping with a caregiver at a CVS around 12:30 p.m. Thursday when the robber grabbed her purse from the back of her wheelchair, according to a statement from the township.

The robber found car keys in woman's bag and fled the Main Street store in her rented 2017 white Toyota Camry, the statement said. Police briefly chased the car east on I-280.

Officials released security camera images of the man, who was described as 20 to 30 years old.

Anyone with information was asked to call Detective Michael Keigher at 973-325-4020 or the police main desk at 973-325-4000.

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

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