Both men were sent to Essex County jail and are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

NEWARK-- Officers charged two men over the weekend with weapons and drug charges after finding multiple firearms an apartment and recovering a gun in a storm drain in separate arrests, police said. 

Dennis Veerden, 25, of Newark, was arrested Saturday when detectives searched an apartment and discovered 17 heroin-filled envelopes, 166 decks of heroin, a semi-automatic handgun loaded with bullets and a 30-round magazine clip, police said.

James Lanier, 19, of Newark, was arrested Friday after he dropped a loaded, semi-automatic handgun with a high capacity magazine into a drain and walked away, police said. 

"Upon noticing our presence, (Lanier) briskly walked away from our officers," Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in a statement. "Lanier briefly stopped by an adjacent building where he secreted what appeared to be a black handgun into a storm drain."

Lanier was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a high capacity ammunition and contempt of a judicial order, authorities said. Police charged Veerden with multiple weapons and drug charges.  

Both men were sent to Essex County jail and are scheduled to appear in court on Monday. 

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

The city of Newark is suing First King Properties for poor housing conditions for its residents

NEWARK -- The smell of urine permeates the stairwells at the Garden Spires apartment complex. White foam oozes from the bottom of apartment doors -- used by residents to keep out rats and mice.

But it does little to curb the infestation, residents say. 

"The other day my husband put a trap down and within maybe an hour there were like nine mice on it," said resident Keisha Williams. Her daughter went to live with her father after a rat crawled into her crib when she was six months old, Williams said. 

Similar complaints echo down the damp, poorly ventilated hallways: Residents describe mold growing on their walls, children diagnosed with asthma and too often, no hot water. 

In a first for his administration, Mayor Ras Baraka announced Monday the city was suing the landlord, First King Properties, over decrepit conditions in the Central Ward complex. The owner racked up more than 300 code enforcement violations in its last city inspection, he said. 

"For far too long, these horribly managed buildings have been a breeding ground for disease, crime, blight, and suffering in Newark," Baraka said. "They have been a stain on our city, and a source of misery and pain for residents."

The lawsuit filed in Essex County Superior Court seeks an order declaring the buildings uninhabitable and the relocation of all residents by the landlord. It also names the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which subsidizes 350 of the 550 units. 

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne and State Sens. Teresa Ruiz, Ronald Rice and Richard Codey also spoke about their efforts at the state and federal level to hold so-called "slumlords" accountable. 

Rice (D-Essex) said he's working with Sen. Jen Beck on a bill to cut public funding for landlords who fail to fix squalid conditions. City officials said Garden Spires continues to receive $1,200 - $1,800 every month from HUD to subsidize 350 low-income apartments despite complaints and for apartments that are vacant. 

"Why does (HUD) continue to pay landlords who have these slum properties?" Rice asked.

"We have children who live here, we have seniors who live here, we have human beings who live here," added Ruiz (D-Essex). She said cities are limited in their enforcement because landlords appeal and don't show up to municipal court when they are fined.

First King Properties could not immediately be reached for comment. A woman who picked up the phone for their listed phone number hung up on a reporter. A message left with their registered agent was not returned. 

The company owns at least one other building in Newark, Spruce Gardens, city officials said. Baraka said the city is reviewing all housing in Newark and considering filing similar legal action against others. 

"We are no longer as city going to sit by and constantly come and fine these people over and over and over again and bring them to (municipal) court, there is no redress for our grievance, no redress for the grievances for the occupants of this property," he said. 

In 2015, Baraka condemned the Aspen Stratford Apartments over similar conditions but the company sued the city for its actions. As part of the settlement, the company is supposed to sell all its properties.  

This time, Baraka said the city was taking the landlord to court first.

"Now they have to show cause as to why they should allow these people to live here," he said. 

Meanwhile, resident Renita Collins said she'll keep looking for another place to live. She had to evacuate her Garden Spires apartment with her two children after mold grew along her bedroom wall and turned it brown. 

"It's sad and unfortunate we have to live in these conditions," she said. She's staying with her mother while her apartment is cleaned. "We're being inconvenienced and it's not our fault."

Williams said she sealed her walk-in closet to keep out the mice who festered inside. But the mice still find ways to ravage through any food she keeps out and terrify her children. 

"No one ever comes" to help, Williams said. "The situation is really bad but I have a low income and there's nowhere else where that I can find where you can pay this amount."

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

Kiburi Tucker, son of the late City Council President Donald Tucker and Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, is building the 42-unit complex

NEWARK -- The son the late Newark City Council President and Assemblyman Donald Tucker joined his mother, the mayor and other current and former officials of Newark and elsewhere Monday, to break ground on a 42-unit apartment complex in the city's South Ward.

The official launch of work on Kiburi Tucker's apartment project was applauded not only as a long-awaited milestone in a six-year effort by a home-grown entrepreneur but as an example of economic growth taking root well away from Newark's downtown section, which has been the focus of a development boom in recent years.

Tucker addressed three dozen supporters, officials and reporters gathered under sunny skies in front of the fenced-in lot, at the corner of Bergen and Lehigh Avenue. It was his upbringing in Newark, a tough town that requires perseverance to get almost anything done, that helped him weather drawn-out acquisition, approval and financing process.

"Newark has given me everything, from the bad to the good," Tucker said. "Without coming up in Newark, I probably would have given up on this project a long time ago."

His father, Donald Kofi Tucker, was elected to to the Newark City Council in 1974, and to the state Assembly 20 years later, and held both seats until his death in 2005. The developer's mother and late councilman's widow, Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, was elected in 2008.

The $10 million project will include two buildings, one that will include 32 apartments with ground-floor commercial space, envisioned for dining and night life, and a second with 10 apartments that will also have a community center.

"We don't have to got to Montclair or Edgewater to have a good time," Tucker said.

Officials said the project will include a variety of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments, most of which will be priced at market rate, with 20 percent of the units set aside for people with low and moderate incomes.

The city's contribution totals about $3 million in tax breaks and other incentives, said Carmelo Garcia, a vice president at the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation, who hosted the groundbreaking.    

Mayor Ras J. Baraka noted that he lived only a few blocks away from the Tucker View site, on Sheerer Avenue.

"This is my neighborhood," Baraka said of the South Ward, and more specifically the Weequahic neighborhood. "The narrative of the neighborhood is always a negative one, where something bad happens in Weequahic. Today we get to tell a different story."

Referring to the many elected officials on hand, Baraka mused, "We brought all the folks out here today. This is like a downtown project."

Newark Council President Mildred Crump and Councilmen Luis Quintana and Anibal Ramos were there, as well as Essex County Freeholder Wayne Richardson and the city's deputy mayor for economic and housing development, Baye Adofo-Wilson.

The event also drew out-of-towners, including Mayor Steven Fulup of Jersey City, a friend of Tucker's who said he also planned to visit his parents' Newark business, the Photo Loft. Former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli, an old friend of the developer's family, was also on hand.

"I'm just really proud of him," Torricell said of Kiburi Tucker.

Crump called the groundbreaking, "a great day for the city of Newark."

"Your father is looking down," she told Tucker. "He had high hopes for you, and on this day you have brought them to fruition."

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

Blaine Holley faces up to eight years in state prison

MORRISTOWN -- An accused drug dealer faces up to eight years in state prison after admitting Monday to providing cocaine and heroin to a man who fatally overdosed last fall.

Blaine Holley, 34, pleaded guilty to strict liability for drug-induced death, a first-degree crime, during a 2:30 p.m. appearance before Superior Court Judge Thomas Critchley.

Blaine Holley in court MondayRob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Holley, who has been held in the Morris County jail since his June 2 arrest in Newark, had faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted at trial.

Under the plea agreement, he will be sentenced to no more than eight years in prison, and will not be eligible for parole until serving 85 percent of his sentence.

Holley admitted in court to supplying cocaine and heroin to Eric Dector on the same day, Sept. 19, that Dector, 31, was found dead of a drug overdose at America's Best Value Inn in Hanover.

Dector allegedly obtained the drugs from Holley -- a former Irvington resident with a last known address in Hillside.

The strict liability charge stemmed from a 1987 state law, increasingly used in recent years, that holds anyone who manufactures or distributes illegal drugs responsible for a death resulting from their use.

Morris County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Troiano told Critchley that the plea agreement does not resolve other charges, unspecified in court Monday, that Holley is facing in Bergen and Essex counties.

"This plea in no way encompasses those other matters. This case stands on its own," Troiano said.

Critchley, before accepting the plea, walked Holley through the process and paperwork.

"Do you feel you understand the information that was laid out in these forms," Critchley asked.

"Yes, your honor," Holley replied.

Critchley, upon the conclusion's hearing, expressed sympathy to several of Holley's relatives gathered in the gallery.

Holley looked in their direction and acknowledged them as he was escorted away at the end.

He will be sentenced Sept. 12.

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

The child who set off a 12-hour frantic search when she was reported missing Sunday, was found with a woman who is friend's with her mother, Mayor Ras Baraka said.

NEWARK -- Mayor Ras Baraka said police are still piecing together what happened after an 8-year-old girl who was reported missing on Sunday was found at Newark Penn Station with a family friend, who said the girl's mother knew she was with the child.

"It's an active investigation but the woman who they found with her was a friend of the mother," Baraka told NJ Advance Media on Monday. "She's saying that the mother knew."

Nevaeh Blaine was reported missing around 9:45 a.m. from the Bradley Court Housing Community, setting off a 12-hour frantic search. Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said the girl was seen leaving the playground with a woman around Maybaum and Tremont Avenues. She was found around 11 p.m. after word of her disappearance spread on social media and prompted police to use helicopters to search nearby parks and neighborhoods. 

Baraka said a Newark resident, whom he declined to name, recognized the child at a bus stop in the West Ward and called the police. Police called NJ Transit, verified the girl's identity through security cameras and stopped the bus at Newark Penn Station. 

Baraka said Nevaeh was taken for an evaluation at Newark Beth Israel Hospital but was not hurt. 

"I'm just grateful that the girl was found, there was no harm," he said. "It's a great example of the police and community working together."

Ambrose said the woman who was with Nevaeh has not been charged but the investigation remains active. 

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Essex County Sheriff's Office helped search for the girl, authorities said.

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

The kosher food maker opened a plant in the city more than a decade ago

NEWARK -- One of the world's best-known makers of kosher food products is closing its manufacturing plant in the city, cutting 169 jobs, the Jewish Telegraph Agency reported Monday.

"At a challenging time in the retail and grocery business, we have made the difficult decision to close our plant in Newark," a Manischewitz spokesman told njbiz.com. "Beginning this fall, our products will be made at more modern New Jersey facilities."

Suit says Manischewitz bent rules on kosher food  

The closing and layoffs are expected to take effect by Sept. 14, although company executives will remain in Newark.

Manischewitz opened its plant in Newark in 2006, amid a push by then-Mayor Cory Booker to lure large companies, and well-paying jobs, to the city.

Founded in 1888 in Cincinnati as a bakery for the unleavened bread used in Jewish Passover ceremonies, the company opened a plant in Jersey City in 1932 that it closed when the company moved to Newark. It also once had a facility in Vineland, according to a company history.

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

Check out who made Millburn's Mount Rushmore.

The A. Harry Moore School in Jersey City is a place where students with disabilities are able to achieve and shine.

Only six graduates were on stage in the auditorium at the A. Harry Moore School last month.

Hanging on the wall behind them was a green-and-gold banner with the school mascot, a fierce-looking bulldog that represents the fight within both these graduates and the supporters of the school's mission after a period of uncertainty.

"None of them speak, and they have said volumes to you today," said principal Steve Goldberg, characterizing the six students' limited verbal abilities.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

The 100 or so students who attend A. Harry Moore in Jersey City have a variety of language, learning and physical disabilities that staff members work to help them overcome.

"If the children can't walk, then they stand on our shoulders," Goldberg said. "For those who can't talk, we are their voices."

But the 21-year-old graduates stood for themselves, except for two in wheelchairs. With the fellas wearing green caps and gowns and the one young lady in gold, the tassels that swung from right to left were for Tyrell Steed, Alexander Garcia, Janae Austin, Joshua Clemente, Freddy Mandry-Sanchez and Asem Ahmad.

Each of them had a role to play on an occasion that swayed from praise to tears. Some of the students had been there since age 3, and the parents and teachers could not believe where the time had gone.

"No matter how big they look, they're still that kid in the stroller," said Alice Steed, speaking about her son, Tyrell, who is autistic and has Down syndrome.

She had a moment with him before the ceremony, her face close to his, tears in her eyes.

When Tyrell came to the school at 11 years old, Steed said, he didn't talk and was stubborn about walking.

"Now he's going on his own," said Steed, a Hoboken resident. "They got him to communicate better, taught him to enunciate to the best of his ability."

That's what Tyrell did when he led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Alexander, who has Down syndrome and had been at the school for 17 years, showed what he could do when it was his turn to take the microphone and sing "America the Beautiful."

The school choir, all of them in wheelchairs, were behind him in a single row to back him on vocals.

His dad, Kevin Garcia, of Jersey City, said Alexander improved his pronunciation over time at the school. He won the school vocation award for his ability to work and follow instructions, deliver supplies to teachers and sort recyclables.

The crowd showered him with applause, then let their enthusiasm spill over for Freddy. He doesn't talk, but everyone heard his graduation address with the help of technology.

"We are very excited because we are graduating," he said via a computerized voice. "We will never forget the good times that we had here at the school and other events."

There was more, but you get the picture. Freddy was able to express himself.

Inspirational quotes from Janae, Joshua and Asem were read by a student and shown on a video screen to describe their character.

"I was born with the music inside of me." That's Janae.

"The greatest self is a peaceful smile that always sees the world smiling back." Asem shared a few smiles with his teacher, classmates and his mother that day.

And Joshua's quote resonated as I talked with his sister, Jennifer Diaz, and his mother, Elizabeth Clemente.

"Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I'm possible."

Joshua's mother said her son was born premature and has cerebral palsy. But he is a part of this world and understands what's going on.

With the use of technology, he has improved his ability to communicate. He can differentiate colors and says his letters and numbers.

"Before, we used to have to give him a prompt," said Maria Castano, his teacher. "Now he initiates a sentence."

For Asem, his accomplishments have been learning to sit still, hang up his clothes, wash his hands -- things we take for granted.

"Putting his hands down on the table when it's time to eat," said his brother, Nael Ahmad of North Bergen. "He can eat properly."

The full circle of their lives culminated with a touching video montage capturing their growth from childhood, accompanied by musical selections. "What a Wonderful World," by Louis Armstrong; "Whenever You Remember," by Carrie Underwood; and "Family," from the "Dreamgirls" movie soundtrack, played as the images unfolded. It made you reflect on what's important in life.

To think that a month before graduation, the school was uncertain of its future.

Several parents and teachers went to a Jersey City Board of Education meeting in May to express their concern that the board had not signed a contract extension for the school to continue to operate in the building that it leases to New Jersey City University.

Pink slips had gone out. Goldberg said it was unsettling. Parents said the same thing, telling board members the school does wonders with the young people, celebrating milestones such as holding a spoon, using the bathroom independently, buckling a seat belt.

"We celebrate ferociously when they take their first steps or say their first words," said Kaleena Berryman, a Jersey City parent, whose son is a student. "For us it's not about your contract, it's about our children."

The Board of Education approved a one-year extension for $1, even though parents wanted a multiyear deal to assure stability.

NJCU, which operates the A. Harry Moore School, approved the agreement, as well, but a spokesperson said there would be talks this year with the Board of Education about a long-term agreement before the latest one expires.

"Finalization and approval of the agreement between the district and the university took longer than anticipated, and it is regrettable parents and university staff were concerned," said Ellen Wayman-Gordon, assistant vice president for university advancement, public information and community relations.

As it has done for 81 years, the school celebrated the young people as the year drew to a close. At an awards ceremony a few weeks before graduation, parents gave standing ovations for achievement. Ezequiel Gil Jr., a 20-year-old student, was recognized for technology, and the audience understood as he was overcome with emotion when he tried to read a Father's
Day card that he had written. Sheron Raghunandan, his teacher, read it for him.

MORE CARTER: Recalling human toll of a 'rebellion' in Newark's 1967 riots

Every day, his father, Ezequiel Gil Sr., takes him in and out of his wheelchair; puts his sneakers on his feet; helps him in and out of the bathroom and shower. He knows this is not easy work; he wanted his dad to know that he loves him.

This is what they do at A. Harry Moore, a place that believes in miracles, that is patient, compassionate and loves its students.

"This school has always been a place where children with disabilities are respected," Goldberg said. "They are given a place where they can achieve and shine."

The six who received their diplomas did just that. 

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

In these towns in each of New Jersey's 21 counties, property taxes gobble up the biggest amount of household income.

If we are successful, nearly $50 million in additional wages will be infused into Newark's local economy each year.

By Kimberly McLain 

Newark is a city on the rise.

You only have to look at the downtown skyline to see the impact that more than two billion dollars in commercial and residential development have made in the heart of the city. This is good, and necessary, for the city's continued progress.  However, this economic revitalization, while impressive, is not being felt by the majority of everyday Newarkers.

Newark residents hold only 18 percent of all jobs in the city, a proportion much lower than most major cities, according to a New Jersey Institute for Social Justice report. And the city's poverty rate is at 30 percent, more than double the national average.

People will argue there's a moral imperative for Newark businesses to hire locally, and there is one.  People will say good corporate citizens must do right by their residents, and they do. However, beyond these traditional principled arguments, for those leaders who must answer to their investors and bottom lines, there is also a compelling business case to be made. 

As the president and CEO of Newark Alliance, the leading business roundtable for major corporations and anchor institutions in our city, I understand first-hand that hiring locally makes good business sense and is good for the bottom line. 

Businesses like to talk about return on investment - ROI - well let's be clear, the ROI on hiring locally is real. Investing in and supporting our local workforce is not about charity, it's not about set asides or guarantees. It's about providing competitive and qualified Newarkers access to attractive job opportunities, and in turn ensuring that the city has a rich talent pool of local residents available to companies.

There are many misnomers and myths about the value proposition of hiring locally.

Some believe that an inclusive hiring strategy is separate from (at best) or counter to (at worst) a sound business strategy.  That is simply untrue. According to research conducted by the Democracy Collaborative, there are direct financial benefits to anchor institutions and businesses - hiring locally lowers recruiting costs, increases diversity and inclusiveness, strengthens employee commitment and loyalty, and reduces outsourcing costs.  The indirect benefits are just as impactful. 

Increasing local employment will not only improve the lives of our residents and their families, but it will enhance our communities, business environment and the city at large.

So how do we make this happen? Newark Alliance is partnering with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and leaders across our great city on an innovative collaborative hiring strategy to connect Newarkers to gainful, living wage employment.

Newark 2020, part of Baraka's "Hire. Buy. Live. Newark" initiative, will connect 2,020 Newark residents to local work that pays a living wage by 2020, cutting the gap between the city and state's unemployment rate in half. 

If we are successful, nearly $50 million in additional wages will be infused into Newark's local economy each year, benefiting local businesses and stimulating residential housing markets.  Newark Alliance members RWJ Barnabas Health, Rutgers-Newark, PSEG and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey - to name a few - are among the historic institutions in this city that have already set specific hiring targets to contribute to the 2020 goal.

Our plan starts with comprehensive employer engagement effort.

We are having critical conversations with local businesses about the advantages of hiring locally, while also working with partners to establish the talent pipelines and career pathways to make it happen. This comprehensive effort will require all of us to work together in a coordinated, unprecedented way.

No single entity can do this alone, which is why a vast network of partners have been established under the city's leadership, including employers, community based organizations, faith based institutions, nonprofits and others to reach the collective goal of connecting Newarkers to work.

We understand there is not a "one-size-fits-all" model, and we know every company is different with their own needs. We also know that effective hiring is critical to any employer, so all employers can do their part to ensure they have an inclusive process.

But we do know that if it's done right, we can implement systems that create a pathway for Newarkers to attain the education and the credentials necessary to not only get hired, but to advance in their careers, and in the end, that's better for all of us.

Anchor institution hiring strategies have been successfully implemented in similar urban communities across the country including Baltimore, Cleveland, Minneapolis, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

Newark's renaissance will be short-lived if we don't work together to address this urgent need for good job opportunities for city residents. Delivering employment and economic opportunity to Newarkers will not happen overnight. It requires a long-term, collaborative effort with critical stakeholders across the city; Newark 2020 is just that.

It won't be easy, but ultimately hiring locally will enhance the lives of our residents, making our families, businesses, and communities stronger.  By working together, we have the opportunity to make Newark a better and safer place to live, learn, work and play.

Kimberly McLain is the president and chief executive officer of Newark Alliance, Newark's leading business roundtable, where major corporations and anchor institutions convene to develop common economic development and workforce strategies for Newark businesses and residents.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Uncommon School's partnership with the Newark public schools offers an example of true district/charter collaboration.

By Charles Sahm

It's often noted that the original vision for charter schools, championed by legendary teachers' union leader Al Shanker and others, was that they'd be "laboratories of innovation" whose lessons could inform the broader system. It hasn't worked out that way. Instead, the relationship between charters and district schools has been acrimonious and competitive. But in Newark, quietly, with little fanfare, a course is being charted back to that original vision.

In recent years, some districts have attempted to improve charter and district collaboration, but efforts often don't go much beyond public relations. But Newark -- under the leadership of Mayor Ras Baraka, schools Superintendent Chris Cerf, and the school board, which should soon assume control of the city schools after two decades of state control -- has found a way to forge authentic charter/district collaboration where it really counts: at the teacher-to-teacher level.

For example, this summer Newark Public Schools is operating an innovative literacy program for 750 rising second-graders who are behind in reading. The district identified all students reading below grade level and urged parents to sign their children up via letters, emails and phone calls.

It recruited the strongest reading teachers to staff the effort. And the district decided to partner with the Uncommon Schools charter network to train the teachers in a literacy program that has shown good results in Uncommon's 13 North Star Academy schools in Newark, particularly its Alexander Street School.

At the behest of former Newark schools superintendent Cami Anderson, Uncommon took over the troubled Alexander Street School, which was among the lowest-performing in the state. It was the network's first school turnaround. (Uncommon, like most charter networks, prefers to start with young students and build out one grade at a time.) North Star Alexander Street reopened as a K-4 school in autumn 2014. (The old school was K-8; fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-graders were given preference to enroll in the district or charter school of their choice via Newark's common enrollment system.)

The majority of Alexander's K-4 students returned, many of them years behind grade level in reading and math. So Uncommon enhanced its normal curricular materials with an intensive program designed to catch students up -- and catch up they did.

Although a direct comparison with previous years isn't possible because New Jersey switched tests and some students exited the school, Alexander students performed exceedingly well on the 2015 PARCC exams. Fourth graders boasted proficiency rates of 60 percent in English and 70 percent in math, beating the state averages of 51 percent and 40 percent, respectively. (Scores further increased in 2016, with 70 percent of Alexander third and fourth graders proficient in English and 75 percent in math.)

North Star Alexander Street's 2015 results attracted the attention of new schools superintendent Chris Cerf, who came to visit. Cerf told Uncommon officials that he wanted "to bottle" what the school had done and share it. A growing partnership with the district that has emerged.

Last month, I attended an all-day professional development session where 60 Newark district teachers who'll be leading the summer intervention were trained in Uncommon's "Great Habits, Great Readers" program. An interesting aspect of the workshop, besides the fact that it was happening at all, was that a casual observer would have never known that the two teachers leading the session were from a charter network.

The words "Uncommon" and "charter" weren't used. Test scores weren't mentioned. Rather than present their literacy program as holy scripture, the Uncommon instructors -- aware that many district teachers in the room had decades of classroom experience -- encouraged teachers to share their knowledge and experience. The workshop focused solely on effective literacy instruction for struggling readers.

Uncommon School's partnership with the Newark public schools offers an example of true district/charter collaboration. Uncommon -- which the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University recently cited as one of the nation's most effective charter networks -- is hoping to build similar efforts in Camden and other cities where it operates.

With the country bitterly divided on so many issues -- including education and charter schools -- the work Uncommon is doing to build bridges with district schools is an optimistic sign that a Charter Schools 2.0 reboot is possible: one that recalls the original vision of innovation and collaboration. Here's hoping. It's time for a truce in the ed wars.

Charles Sahm is director of education policy at the Manhattan Institute, a think tank whose mission is to develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Investigators are seeking additional girls who they suspect were victims of a man who recruited juveniles for prostitution.

ELIZABETH -- A Newark man has been indicted on charges of human trafficking and promoting prostitution of a girl allegedly recruited to meet men at motels in Linden and Rahway for sex, according to papers filed in Superior Court.

Horace Spencer, 23, was charged in April along with Carisma Snell, 19, of Hillside, after a five month investigation. Snell's case has not yet been heard by a grand jury. 

The indictment also says Spencer attempted to lure a second girl into prostitution

Horace Spencer, left, 23, and Carisma Snell, 19, are accused of recruiting an underage girl to work as a prostitute. (Union County Prosecutor's Office)

Criminal complaints filed in court only identify the girls by their initials and say both were under age 18.

Union County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Sheets, who is handling the case, said Snell first contacted the girl who was recruited into meeting with men for sex.

Sheets said Snell, after contacting the girl put her in contact with Spencer.

It is unclear from court papers how the second girl came in contact with Spencer.

Spencer, also known as "Trey" posted advertisements on escort websites and arranged for the one girl to meet men at a motels in Linden and Rahway from May through November of 2016, Sheets said.

Authorities did not say how Snell first contacted the one girl.

Acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park said the case was first referred to her office from police in Union and Hillside townships, and that Detective Brian O'Malley of the prosecutor's office led the investigation.

Snell is also facing charges of human trafficking and promoting prostitution.

Spencer faces an additional charge of second-degree sexual assault in the case.

Investigators are seeking other victims who may have been recruited, and ask that anyone with information call O'Malley at (908) 965-3881.

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The six lieutenants and five sergeants didn't ensure officers under their command patrolled PATH stations

Eleven Port Authority police supervisors are facing disciplinary action for allegedly failing to make sure officers did their jobs at PATH stations in New Jersey and New York.

Six lieutenants and five sergeants didn't ensure patrol officers performed their duties, the Office of the Inspector found after an investigation.

Most of the violations took place during the midnight to 8 a.m. shift, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a press release Tuesday morning.

In December, the Port Authority announced that disciplinary action had begun against 44 officers who allegedly spent part or most of their shifts in break rooms instead of patrolling the station. 

The Port Authority's Chief Security Office became aware of the misconduct in May 2016, leading to an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General.

Women's March faces backlash for wishing N.J. cop killer happy birthday

The investigation into the supervisors uncovered "serious" misconduct and is supported by video evidence.

Misconduct among patrol officers was first found at Hoboken station before investigators turned their attention to Newark Penn Station, and the Christopher Street, 33rd Street and World Trade Center stations. 

A spokesman for the Port Authority police declined to provide the names of the supervisors, noting it was not a criminal matter. 

The Port Authority Police Sergeants Benevolent Association didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. A person who answered the phone at the Port Authority Police Lieutenants Benevolent Association said the membership was in a meeting but might provide a comment later.

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

Businesses along Bloomfield Avenue in the North Ward and Lower Broadway in the Central Ward will soon have a business improvement district.

NEWARK -- The city will create a business improvement district along two major commercial corridors in the North and Central wards that will levy a special tax on property owners in exchange for additional services and improvements.

Newark's newest business improvement district -- approved by the City Council last week -- includes businesses along Bloomfield Avenue in the North Ward and Lower Broadway in the Central Ward. A business improvement district already exits along Mt. Prospect Avenue. 

"The improvement districts are a good thing, they're all over the city," Mayor Ras Baraka said. "They help the businesses, they help the residents. No one makes demands on you, the improvement decides on their own ... The city has no say so whatsoever. It is not an imposition, it is an opportunity for us to organize."

Some longtime business owners, however, said they weren't notified of the plan to bring the BID to Bloomfield Avenue and said they did not want to pay extra to fix other buildings when they kept their storefronts well-maintained. Others complained about police response times to the area and garbage pick-up. 

"Whose going to come around and say to us what we need to be done in our building and whose going to pay for it?" one Bloomfield business owner asked the council. "Why do we have to foot the bill for this when my building is kept up well?"

North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos said several community meetings were held regarding the BID and that any decision in the area would be made by the members of the BID, not the city. 

"This is a neighborhood driven process," Ramos said, adding that business owners expressed an interest in wanting to form a BID in their neighborhood several years ago.

"You will see an increase in the cleanliness and the services that you're saying have fallen off. You'll have to see it," Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield-Jenkins added. 

The BID will be run by an independent board that will make decisions on how to spend the assessment money. Commercial and industrial properties in the area, and apartments with more than four units will pay the special assessment. Residential property with less than four units are excluded from paying. 

"It's an assessment on the amount of taxes you already pay," Ramos said. "This isn't a lifetime guarantee; they've got to come every single year before this body to justify us approving that budget."

The special improvement district includes:

• Bloomfield Avenue from Bloomfield Place to the Belleville border at Belmont Avenue
• Broadway from Broad Street to Gouveneur Street
• Broad Street from Grant Street to Bloomfield Place
• Clay Street from Broadway/Broad Street to the Harrison Street Bridge
• Clark Street from Broadway/Broad Street to the Harrison Street Bridge

The BID will help rehabilitate properties, provide sanitation and security services, and revitalize the area with exterior improvements.

"Bloomfield Avenue is a gateway to our city," Ramos said. "It has tremendous potential to become a thriving commercial corridor that can provide jobs and new housing options for our residents."

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

Authorities say the Montclair man picked up a miniature pinscher and flung it during a road-rage fight with the dog's owner.

MONTCLAIR -- A Lyft driver allegedly caught on camera tossing a dog out of a car during a road rage quarrel is now facing animal cruelty charges, authorities said Tuesday.

The New Jersey SPCA Humane Police filed criminal and civil animal cruelty charges against Marc Dione, 22, of Montclair, who authorities say was caught on video over the weekend throwing a dog onto the sidewalk.

The NJSPCA said it began investigating the incident after video surfaced showing Dione and another man fighting outside their cars on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair.

During the fight, authorities say Dione reached into the backseat of the other man's car, picked up his 12-year-old miniature pinscher, Daphne, and threw the dog onto the sidewalk. The dog can then be seen running into the street.

Dog recovering after brawl

"Despite some bruises and stress resulting from this traumatic event, Daphne is recovering well," the NJSPCA said in the release. The agency investigated the incident with the Montclair Animal Cruelty Investigator and the Montclair Police Department, it said.

A spokesman for Lyft did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

WARNING: This video contains profanity and violence.

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

First King Properties said it's been trying to sell the property for four years to a buyer who can invest $43 million to rehabilitate the building.

NEWARK -- The owner of a housing complex targeted in a new city lawsuit is responding after residents and local politicians exposed decrepit conditions and rodent-infested homes at the 550-unit low-income high rise.  

First King Properties, which owns and manages Garden Spires Apartments in the Central Ward, said Tuesday it was "very disappointed" in the lawsuit and urged the immediate approval by the state of a stalled deal to sell the property.

The new buyer, they said, vowed to invest $43 million to remedy the problems. 

"The reality is that for nearly four years, we have been in contract with a highly qualified buyer to take ownership of the Garden Spires property in Newark to address all issues, and rehabilitate the building," Ronn Torossian, a spokesperson for Garden Spires said in a statement. "We are bewildered as to why we have not been approved to sell this building."

Torossian said the building's buyer promised to rehabilitate the buildings without displacing any residents. 

Mayor Ras Baraka on Monday announced the city was seeking a court order to declare the buildings uninhabitable and have the landlord pay to resettle the residents. The lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Essex County also named the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which subsidizes 350 of the units. 

Baraka was flanked by state leaders who have been vocal critics of deteriorating housing conditions for low-income residents. 

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. said he was "severely distressed" on learning about the rat and mice infestations inside the apartments. "This is unacceptable," he said. "This will not remain in this condition."

Baraka said the city is reviewing all housing in Newark and considering filing similar legal action against others. The city did not immediate respond to the statement by First King Properties on Tuesday. 

The interested buyer is Omni New York LLC, NJ Advance Media learned. A message left for Omni New York was not immediately returned. 

"We call upon the State, and the Governors office to approve this sale immediately. This deal is contingent upon allocation of tax-exempt bonds," Torossian told NJ Advance Media in an email. "Without this allocation there is no method to provide the $43 million rehabilitation of the property (regardless of who buys the property)."

The Department of Community Affairs which oversees the agency that approves tax-exempt bonds did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

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

Slain man identified as 22-year-old.

NEWARK -- A 22-year-old Newark man died early Tuesday after he was shot in city's North Ward, officials said.

Deshawn H. Beeks was shot around 11:45 p.m. Monday in the 100 block of Oraton Street and declared dead at the scene shortly after midnight, according to officials.

Detectives have not identified any suspects and the investigation was ongoing, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a joint statement. A motive for the attack was unclear.

Anyone with information was urged to call the Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

The shooting was the 33rd murder in the state's largest city this year, according to police records. There were at least 50 slayings during the same period last year.

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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Two wounded in July 1 shooting, according to authorities.

NEWARK -- Police on Monday arrested two men who were wanted for a double shooting in Newark's Central Ward, authorities said.

Kahleel D. Trent, 35, of Irvington, and David B. Canadas, 37, of East Orange, were each charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses in the July 1 shooting in the 700 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced.

The pair were arrested without incident by Newark's Fugitive Apprehension Team, according to authorities.

Police were notified about the shooting when two victims, identified as males, arrived with gunshot wounds at University Hospital around 2:40 p.m., Ambrose said. Both victims were treated for what police called non life-threatening injuries and released from the hospital.

Canadas faces an added charge of receiving stolen property for allegedly having a stolen cell phone.

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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The U.S. department of Labor announced the back pay agreement.

EAST ORANGE -- A trio of New Jersey construction companies has agreed to pay $850,000 to employees officials say did not receive fair overtime wages.

The three East Orange companies -- DKNJ Masonry Corp., Roy Rock LLC and Silver Construction Inc. -- all operated by Rui Pires, reached the consent agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor, which announced Tuesday the outcome of its investigation into the businesses.

The federal agency said Pires's companies paid straight-time rates when employees worked more than 40 hours per week, not time-and-a-half, as required by law. The companies also failed to keep track of employees' hours worked, and hid the overtime hours of DKNJ employees in Silver Construction's payroll, the department said in a release.

The $850,000 in back wages and damages will be paid out to 153 employees, the agency said.

Partially-blinded worker wins $2M

"The construction industry is highly competitive. A company that avoids paying legally required wages gains an unfair advantage over its competitors," John Warner, director of the department's Northern New Jersey District Office.

Regional solicitor Jeffrey S. Rogoff added the agency's "goal is to ensure that workers receive the wages they have earned and that law-abiding businesses can compete fairly in the marketplace."

Reached by phone Tuesday, Pires's office said he declined to comment on the agreement.

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

He is charged with terrorism, murder and other offenses in Brendan Tevlin's death

NEWARK -- Ruling that Ali Muhammad Brown was likely feigning mental illness when he was evaluated by state psychiatrists, a Superior Court judge on Tuesday deemed the Seattle man mentally competent to stand trial in January in the slaying of Brendan Tevlin.

Brown, 32, faces charges of terrorism, murder, robbery and other offenses in the death of the 19-year-old Livingston native, who investigators said was shot eight times as he stopped at a traffic light in West Orange on June 25, 2014.

Brendan Tevlin. (File photo)
 

Judge Ronald D. Wigler said that while Brown may have been uncooperative during psychiatric evaluations, it was clear he understood the criminal justice system he found himself in.

"I find it's very telling that when Mr. Brown was interviewed by law enforcement, one of his questions was: 'Am I going to be extradited back to the State of Washington?'" Wigler told prosecutors and Brown's attorney. "Under all the circumstances, the court finds Mr. Brown competent to stand trial."

Brown is now scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 22, 2018 for what authorities described as one of four killings he committed during a cross-country crime spree three years ago.

Prosecutors have said that during an interview with detectives, Brown, a devout Muslim, admitted killing Tevlin and the three other men in Washington state in what he described as acts of revenge for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He is the first person to be charged with terrorism in New Jersey in connection with a homicide.

Brown was arrested on July 18, 2014 at a campsite behind an apartment complex in West Orange, where investigators said they recovered a handgun that matched shell casings found at the scene of Tevlin's killing and those of the three victims in Washington.

Brown was also charged with a robbery in Point Pleasant Beach and another in West Orange, for which he was convicted at trial in November 2015.

Records show he is scheduled for trial in the Point Pleasant Beach robbery case on Feb. 20 in state Superior Court in Ocean County. He has not been tried for any of the the Washington homicide cases.

Brown is currently incarcerated at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, where he's serving a 36-year sentence for the West Orange robbery. He was escorted to court Tuesday by body armor-clad members of the state Department of Corrections' Special Operations Group, who guarded Brown throughout the hearing.

On the witness stand Tuesday, forensic psychologist Peter Paul told an assistant prosecutor that Brown refused to meet with him for an in-person psychiatric evaluation, and was later uncooperative with other staff during his court-mandated stay at the Ann Klein Forensic Center.

Tevlin family perseveres 3 years after murder

Other doctors at the Trenton psychiatric hospital noted that during his time there, Brown only showed signs of mental illness while he was being evaluated, Paul said.

His prior convictions -- which include bank fraud and assault cases -- indicated he had been found competent to proceed in other cases in the past. The psychologist also pointed to Brown's statement to investigators, which included detailed descriptions of his planning and motives, suggesting he had the mental capacity to understand his case.

On cross examination by defense attorney Albert Kapin, Paul conceded it was possible Brown had a past history of mental illness that hadn't come up in the state's evaluations.

Kapin told the court there was something "seriously wrong" with his client, and that he was "not able to communicate with him on any meaningful level" that would satisfy the legal standard for mental competency.

Without delving into conversations protected by attorney-client privilege, he said, "I can only say that he cannot advance his defense in any meaningful way."

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper, who appeared on behalf of the state along with Assistant Prosecutor Kayla Rowe, argued there was nothing other than speculation to suggest Brown wasn't competent to stand trial.

"He certainly doesn't have the willingness, but the statute focuses on the capacity, and that's been well established," Semper said. 

Before the judge adjourned the case for the day, Kapin said Brown had indicated he wanted to address the court directly. "I don't think that's wise, so I'll decline that," Wigler said.

Attorneys are expected to return to court Oct. 25 for a hearing to determine whether Brown's statement to investigators will be admissible at trial. A subsequent hearing will be held to determine whether prosecutors can introduce evidence of Brown's prior crimes.

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