Even today, the Salem County Fair holds true to the county's deep agricultural roots.

PILESROVE TWP. -- The Salem County Fair has always had one focus -- the area's rich farming history.

There are no carnival rides or games, just exhibits related to agriculture.

There had been county fairs in Salem County through the centuries, but in 1959 the Salem County Fair Association was formed and the "modern" county fair began its run.

Early each August the Salem County Fair brings together the county's agricultural community and visitors from far and wide who get a taste of life in the country.

Farm equipment -- antique and modern -- is on display. Animals of all types are there thanks to local 4-H and FFA chapters. Children especially enjoy the animals. Many get their first chance to pet a cow or see exotic fowl or rabbits up-close.

And there are still many prize-winning vegetables and even canned and baked goods to see.

Here's a look back at some of the moments from the fair's history.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Unlike many superintendents, Chris Cerf is not opposed to charter schools - as long as they are good schools - and argues that poor, minority kids are the big winners.

A new book highlights '100 Things to do in Newark before you die.'

A 21-year-old Newark man and graduate of Marist High School died in his dorm room at Southern Connecticut State University last week.

A 21-year-old Newark man and former student at Marist High School died in his dorm room at Southern Connecticut State University last week. 

Ray Allen Lucas, a junior sports management major, was found unresponsive in a north campus apartment on Aug. 6. He was working as a summer associate with Residential Life, WFSB reported. 

Lucas excelled as a student and athlete at Marist High School before attending the University of New Haven. He transferred to Southern Connecticut State where he was a member of the school's mentoring program, according to his obituary. 

"Ray was a vibrant and well-liked member of the campus community," school President Joe Bertolino said, WFSM reported. "Our deepest sympathies are extended to his family and friends on this untimely loss."

As a student at St. Philips Academy, Lucas won an "I Have a Dream" contest and was recognized by then-Mayor Cory Booker, his obituary states. 

He leaves behind his parents, nine siblings, girlfriend, aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

A wake will be held on Tuesday from 10 am. to noon at Emmanuel Church of Christ Disciple in Newark with services to follow. 

Several organizations in the Garden State plan to decry the violence in Charlottesville by hosting gatherings and vigils Sunday.

Dozens of organizations throughout New Jersey plan to host vigils Sunday in response to violent protests in Charlottesville that left one dead and at least 34 injured.

The chaos broke out Saturday as white nationalists and counter-protesters clashed in the Virginia city.

A car plowed into the counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather D. Heyer, of Charlottesville. A 20-year-old from Ohio, James Alex Fields Jr., has since been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, among other charges, in the crash, authorities said.

Several organizations in the Garden State plan to decry the violence by hosting gatherings and vigils Sunday. 

From noon to 1 p.m., Mount Olive Democrats is hosting a gathering "against racism and injustice" at Budd Lake Beach in Budd Lake, the group said on Facebook.

"Hate has no home here," the group said. "Make a sign, bring your family, join together, stand up."

Rally happening now in Budd Lake. @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/mppxunHXhE

-- Jim Murdoch News12NJ (@ReporterJim) August 13, 2017

At 2 p.m., the People's Organization For Progress will host a press conference and rally to denounce the "racist violence and murder" in Charlottesville, as well as President Donald Trump's response to the protests.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka will join in on the rally at the Martin Luther King statue at 465 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Newark, according to a city news release. 

Also at 2 p.m., numerous organizations will host a vigil in Princeton to decry the violence and collect soaps and toiletries for Black Lives Matter Trenton to "wash away racism," the group said on Facebook. 

People will also gather at 5:30 p.m. at the Dillion Public Library in Bedminster, where protesters frequently gather to rally against the president. The library is near Trump National Golf Club. 

In Metuchen, representatives from the Metuchen Interfaith Clergy Association and the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter will gather at 6 p.m. between the library and borough hall near Main Street and Middlesex Avenue.

Metuchen Mayor Peter Cammarano will be at the event hosted in part by Democratic Activists of Metuchen, according to the event posted on Facebook.

A vigil will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Brookdale Park Archery Field in Montclair, according to grassroots organization NJ 11th for change. Another will start at the same time in Cranford.

At 7:30 p.m. in Tenafly, the Bergen Indivisible for Democracy will hold a candlelit vigil at the Tenafly Peace Plaza.

"What to bring?" the group wrote on Facebook. "A candle."

In Maplewood, people will gather at the Ricalton Sqaure from 7:30 to 9 p.m. to "set forth an action plan to fight white supremacy, fascism, anti-Semitism and bigotry in our community." People will march 8 p.m. to the skating shed in Maplewood Memorial Park, according to a Facebook event.

At 7:45 p.m., people will gather in Frenchtown at 1 Bridge St., for a vigil hosted by the Solebury Democrats. 

"We cannot let our country be pulled backwards and divided by race -- we must keep moving forward and embrace diversity and unity," the group said.  

Starting at 8 p.m. in Teaneck, Teaneck Women Together will hold a candlelit vigil at the corner of Teaneck Road and Cedar Lane. 

And at the Reformed Church of Highland Park, local ACLU and NAACP chapters will hold a vigil at 8 p.m. 

"It's been a terrible weekend -- filled with white supremacy, hatred, violence and bigotry," the event planners wrote on Facebook. "We know that this is not new or merely historical, but alive, validated by this administration and deeply impacting our communities."

In his response to the chaos, Trump said he condemned "this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides." During a press conference Saturday at his golf club in Bedminster, the president did not assess blame in the violent clash between white nationalist demonstrators and counter-protestors.

The White House on Sunday defended Trump's statement, saying it "of course" included all extremist groups.

"The president said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry, and hatred," a White House spokesperson said Sunday, according to a pool report. "Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups. He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together."

Baraka and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker were critical of the president's statement, calling on Trump to name "the Neo-Nazi, white supremacist, Alt-Right hate for what it is."

"It is shameful that this violent and racist fascism has been given permission to rear its ugly head again bu the man who occupies the most powerful elected position in our nation," Baraka said in a statement. "By not calling out the white supremacists who act in his name and carry his spirit, President Donald J. Trump only encourages and empowers them."

Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A man told a police officer patrolling near City Hall in downtown Newark that he was robbed by a man accompanied by three others.

NEWARK -- City police arrested three men involved in robbing a man Saturday morning in downtown Newark.

At about 9:10 a.m., an officer on patrol at Franklin and Broad streets near City Hall was approached by a man who said he was robbed by another man accompanied by three males, Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said.

Police then observed three of the suspects boarding an NJ Transit bus at Washington and Market streets, where they arrested Newark residents Jamar Wilson, 22, Najee Wilson, 20, and Sharil Wilson, 19.

Jamar Wilson was charged with robbery and Najee Wilson and Sharil Wilson were charged with simple assault, Ambrose said.

The investigation is ongoing as a fourth suspect remains at large, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information to call them at 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867.

Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Do you know this man? If so, Newark police want to hear from you.

NEWARK -- Police are searching for a man they say stole a safe out of a home on South 11th Street Friday afternoon. 

A surveillance photo shows a suspected wanted by police for stealing a safe from a home on South 11st Street. (Newark Public Safety Department)

The safe was stolen between 1 and 1:30 p.m. from a residence on the 100 block of South 11th Street, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

He said the suspect was last seen walking northbound on South 11th Street carrying the safe on his shoulder.

"While police are actively searching for this suspect, we seek the public's assistance in quickly locating and removing him from our streets," Ambrose said.

Ambrose urged anyone with information to contact Newark's 24-hour Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). All anonymous tips would be kept confidential and could lead to a reward, officials said.

Tips can also be submitted with the Newark police smartphone app and website.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jose Clime told police he was attacked by two men.

NEWARK -- A 35-year-old city resident was arrested on Saturday after he shot himself in the leg and then fabricated a story to cover it up, police said.

Jose R. Clime, 35, of Newark. (Newark Police Department)

Jose R. Clime was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and falsifying a police report following the bizarre incident, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced in a statement.

Newark police officers responded around 6:47 a.m. to University Hospital in Newark after they got a call about a victim with a gunshot wound, Ambrose said.

Newark police Capt. Derek Glenn said Clime told investigators he was attacked by two men who exited a vehicle on Ridge Street near Abington Avenue. Clime claimed he was grabbed from behind by one of the men and during the course of a struggle, heard a loud pop. Clime told police he later discovered that he was shot in the leg and went to the hospital for treatment, Glenn said.

But investigators determined Clime shot himself, Ambrose said. Officers then located a loaded .22 caliber handgun from the 400 block of Clifton Avenue, where the shooting happened, Ambrose said.

Clime was treated and released from the hospital. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Consider adopting one of these pets, among the thousands in New Jersey in need of homes.

This information on dog safety was compiled by members of the Dog Bite Prevention Coalition -- the U.S. Postal Service, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Humane Society, Insurance Information Institute and State Farm Insurance.

* If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close the door before opening the front door. Parents should also remind their children not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet as the dog may see handing mail to a child as a threatening gesture.

* People often assume that a dog with a wagging tail is a friendly dog, but this is far from the truth. Dogs wag their tails for numerous reasons, including when they're feeling aggressive. A tail that is held high and moves stiffly is a sign that the dog is feeling dominant, aggressive, or angry.

* Dogs, even ones you know, have good days and bad days. You should never pet a dog without asking the owner first and especially if it is through a window or fence. For a dog, this makes them feel like you are intruding on their space and could result in the dog biting you.

* ALL DOGS are capable of biting. There's no one breed or type of dog that's more likely to bite than others. Biting has more to do with circumstances, behavior, and training.

* Dogs have a language that allows them to communicate their emotional state and their intentions to others around them. Although dogs do use sounds and signals, much of the information that they send is through their body language, specifically their facial expressions and body postures. You can tell how a dog is feeling (sad, tired, happy, angry, scared) by looking at the position of a dogs' ears, mouth, eyes, and tail.

* Dogs are social animals who crave human companionship. That's why they thrive and behave better when living indoors with their pack -- their human family members. Dogs that are tied up or chained outside are frustrated and can become aggressive because they are unhappy. They can also become very afraid because when they are tied or chained up, they can't escape from things that scare them.

St. Theresa School denied the girls' enrollment for the fall after a high-publicized battle over one of the girls playing on the boys basketball team

NEWARK -- With the school year just a few weeks away, a judge is expected to rule Monday whether a Catholic grade school should be forced to accept two sisters denied entry after a highly-publicized legal battle to allow one of the girls to play on the boys' basketball team.

Lawyers for the family of Sydney and Kaitlyn Phillips and the Archdiocese of Newark are scheduled to appear before Superior Court Judge Donald A. Kessler in Newark for the decision following a trial this month.

Scott Phillips, his wife, and the girls' mother, Theresa Mullen, contend officials at St. Theresa School in Kenilworth bullied the family and abused their authority by denying the girls' applications to return for the 2017-2018 school year.

Lawyers for St. Theresa and the archdiocese have argued that the girls' parents have threatened and intimidated school staff and administrators, and disrupted the school community. The archdiocese contends St. Theresa is a private school and the father violated parental guidelines in filing the original lawsuit.

Girls 'heartbroken' at rejection from Catholic school after hoops suit, dad says

The Phillips family sued the school and the Archdiocese of Newark, which oversees the school, in December to allow 13-year-old Sydney to play on the school's seventh grade boys basketball team after the girls basketball season was cancelled.

The family ultimately prevailed in the suit, and Sydney played in the last game of the season. The girls were expelled from the school as the suit unfolded, but later allowed to return.

When they applied for the fall, though, St. Theresa rejected their enrollments, resulting in the current lawsuit.

Judge Kessler has repeatedly said he want to resolve the case because of the approaching school year. He went to unusual lengths to complete the trial during the past two weeks. He took testimony from witnesses until well after 7 p.m. on some nights, and until 9:15 p.m. one evening. 

During the trial, Kessler has also said that he expects there will be an appeal no matter which way he rules.

Attorney Christopher Westrick, who represents the archdiocese, stressed in his closing arguments that the private school has the right to deny applications.

Susan McCrea, who represents the Phillips, contends the school is more concerned about preventing negative publicity than about caring for students.

The two girls have attended St. Theresa School since pre-school. Sydney is about to enter the eighth grade, which would be her final year at St. Theresa before going to high school.

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

Brown, considered by some to be football's greatest player, founded the Amer-I-Can Life Skills program in 1988 to help young adults achieve their potential

NEWARK -- NFL great Jim Brown, will be back in Newark Monday afternoon, speaking at a local graduation ceremony for a nationwide program he founded to help young men fulfill their academic and life potential.

A total of 16 youths and adults ages 18-30 will graduate from the Amer-I-Can Life Skills program during a 5 p.m. ceremony at The Priory on West Market Street. Brown, considered by many to be football's greatest player, will be joined by Mayor Ras Baraka.

The program "teaches participants to meet their academic potential and to conform their behavior to acceptable society standards and to improve the quality of their lives by equipping them with the critical life management skills to confidently and successfully contribute to society," according to the group's brochure.

Monday's graduates were recruited into the local Amer-I-Care program though the Newark Community Street Team (NCST), a Baraka violence reduction initiative. The Community Street Team is made up of outreach workers in the South and West Wards of the city who mentor youth and young adults at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of violence.

The Street Team also deploys "high risk Interventionists" to defuse street disputes and negotiate personal conflicts that might otherwise spawn violence.

Brown, now 81, was in Newark in May 2015 to help launch the Street Team program.

Brown was a unanimous All-American in 1956 at Syracuse University, before becoming a 9-time NFL Pro Bowler and 8-time rushing leader in his 9-year career with the Cleveland Browns.

In 2002, he was named football's greatest player by The Sporting News.

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

The jackpot for Wednesday's drawing has climbed to $430 million

Though no one hit the $371 million Powerball jackpot on Saturday night, five people who bought tickets in New Jersey can claim $50,000 consolation prizes.

The five tickets each matched four numbers plus the Powerball, state lottery officials said Monday morning.

The tickets were sold at the following locations:

• Kix Package Goods on 63rd Street in Sea Isle City
• The Mini Pantry II on Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange
• Spotswood Wine & Liquors in Spotswood
• Randolph Gas and Convenience on Route 10 in Randolph
• The Wine Rack on Allen Rd in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards

Single Mega Millions winning ticket claims $393M prize

In addition, there were five second-prize tickets sold across the country for the $371 million drawing. One each was sold in Illinois, New York and Texas. Those are worth $1 million apiece. Two -- worth $810,840 apiece -- were sold in California.

Wednesday's jackpot is worth $430 million with a cash option of $273.4 million. It's the 12th largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.

The twice-weekly Powerball jackpot hasn't been hit since June 10 when Jeff Lindsay of Menifee, Calif. won the $447.8 million prize.

Powerball tickets, which have been sold in New Jersey since January 2010, cost $2 each. The odds of a ticket hitting the jackpot are 292,201,338 to 1. Players have roughly a 1 in 11,688,053 chance to win the second prize of at least $1 million.

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

Dr. Ibilola Ighama-Amegor was also ordered to pay $216,000 in restitution when sentenced Friday in state Superior Court

NEWARK -- A Newark pediatrician was sentenced to three years in prison for billing Medicaid for 24-hour work days on multiple occasions when her office was only open for eight hours, authorities said Monday.

Dr. Ibilola Ighama-AmegorNJDLPS

Dr. Ibilola Ighama-Amegor, 55, was also ordered to pay $216,000 in restitution when sentenced Friday by Judge Michael Petrolle in state Superior Court in Newark, New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino said in a statement.

"Dr. Amegor used her medical degree as a license to steal from a program that pays for medical care for the elderly and those who can't afford health insurance," Porrino said. "She doesn't belong in the medical profession; she belongs in prison, which is right where she's going."

In June, an Essex County jury found Ighama-Amegor guilty of 48 counts of health care claims fraud and a single count of Medicaid fraud, all third degree charges. She was found not guilty of theft by deception a second degree crime.

Deputy Attorneys General Crystal Callahan and Dennis Kwasnik of the state's Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor told jurors that Ighama-Amegor submitted bills for 24 hours of work or more for the same day on 48 dates between April 30, 2008 and May 16, 2011.

An investigation found that her practice, known as Quality Pediatrix, was only open eight hours a day, three days a week.

A spokeswoman for Porrino, Lisa Coryell, said Ighama was taken into custody Friday after her motion to remain free pending appeal was rejected. Coryell said the state was in the process of rescinding Ighama-Amegor's medical license.

"Doctors who file false insurance claims undermine the integrity of a system that depends on the trustworthiness of licensed professionals," acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu stated. "Dr. Amegor's sentence sends a powerful message that medical professionals who commit insurance fraud will be held accountable for their greed."

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

Nicholas Weegar had heroin packets stamped 'CHARGED UP' when he was arrested, authorities said

NEWARK - Sheriff's officers seized heroin, marijuana and more than $7,500 in cash believed to be the proceeds from drug sales while arresting a Newark man Friday at his residence, authorities said.

Nicholas Weegar  

Nicholas Weegar, 49, faces multiple drug distribution charges and is being held at the county jail, said Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

The sheriff's officers executed a search warrant at an apartment on the 200 block of Mount Prospect Avenue and arrested Weegar, Fontoura said.

"In a dresser, our officers discovered 15 bundles of heroin, stamped 'CHARGED UP' in black ink, narcotic ledger sheets of Weegar's customers and $5,945 in cash," Sheriff Fontoura said. "In searching Weegar, an additional three bundles of heroin, eight grams of marijuana and an additional $1,642 were found in his pants pocket."

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A Jersey City man charged with fatally shooting a man and wounding a 10-year-old girl in the same incident was arraigned this morning and offered a plea deal with a 30-year sentence.

JERSEY CITY -- A Jersey City man charged with fatally shooting a man and wounding a 10-year-old girl in the same incident was arraigned this morning and offered a plea deal with a 30-year sentence.

Jonathan Ferrera, 21, is charged with murdering Jimmy Gregory, 19, and wounding the girl on Ocean Avenue near Van Nostrand Avenue at about 10 p.m. on April 16, Easter night.

A Street Crimes Unit officer spotted Ferrera and his codefendant, Corey Pickett, 21, as they approached Gregory, and saw them both take out handguns and fire at him, the criminal complaint says.

The 10-year-old was shot as she was waiting in a car with her younger sister and another adult while her mother was picking up french fries inside a restaurant, authorities said. Gregory was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez outlined the current plea offer in which Ferrera would plead guilty to aggravated manslaughter in Gregory's death and receive a sentence of 25 years. He would also plead guilty to aggravated assault in the shooting of the girl and receive a five-year sentence.

The sentences would run consecutively and he would have to serve 85 percent of each before becoming eligible for parole.

The girl, who lives in East Orange, was shot in the torso and was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center. In a news report, the mother said doctors had to remove the girl's colon during surgery.

The complaint says the officer approached the gunmen after the shooting, but they ran away and were captured by responding police officers. A handgun was found along the paths of their attempted escape, the court document states.

Defense attorney Mary Ciancimino entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Ferrera today at the hearing in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. She also said a large number of items have not yet been turned over to her as discovery. 

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Martha Royster set Sept. 11 for the next hearing Ferrera's case. Pickett has also been indicted and arraigned. 

The suspects are wanted in seven unsolved crimes, Newark police said.

NEWARK -- With suspects remaining at large in shootings and robberies dating back over a year, the Newark Police Department is once again looking for help from a group that officials say is one of the department's key allies in the fight against crime: the public 

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose on Monday released a list of nine suspects in seven unsolved crimes dating as far back as June 21, 2016, when a 25-year-old man was shot and wounded on Broad Street. As with other cases, the suspect was identified -- 56-year-old Guillermo Borges -- but he remained at large as of Monday.

Ambrose's office released a picture of Borges and other suspects in the unsolved cases, which are published in the photo gallery accompanying this article.

Three suspects remained at large in a single incident on May 18, when police said a trio of armed Newark men -- Tykym McKenzie, 19; Kasib Jones and Kyree Bogan, both 22 -- are suspected of robbing La Mina De Oro Grocery on Oriental Street in broad daylight.

Other incidents include: the July 29 armed robbery of a taxi driver after he picked up the suspect at the Riverside Court housing complex; an armed robbery on Aug. 3 on the 300-block of South 9^th Street; and the shooting of three people, all of whom survived, on July 22 at the intersection of Ingraham Place and Millington Avenue.

"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.

Anyone with information about these suspects to call the Department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). Tips can also be left online at www.newarkpd.org or through using the department's new smartphone app available at iTunes or on Google Play. Search Newark Police Division to download the App.

Ambrose said all tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

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

A father sued a Catholic school to get one of his two daughters on a boys basketball team, then school expelled the girls.

NEWARK -- A judge on Monday refused to order a Catholic school to accept two girls who were denied re-enrollment after their parents sued the school to get one of the daughters on a boys basketball team.

"The court does not have the authority to meddle in this decision," Superior Court Judge Donald A. Kessler said in his ruling on the case in which St. Theresa's School in Kenilworth denied the applications from 13-year-old Sydney Phillips and her younger sister, Kaitlyn to return to classes.

Kessler said the girls father, Scott Phillips, who sought an order requiring the school to accept the girls, had "cited no law that would allow the court to interfere with the ecclesiastical (or religious) decision" denying the girls application to attend the school.

Scott Phillips and his wife and the girls' mother, Theresa Mullen, sought a court order requiring the school and the Archdiocese of Newark, which oversees the school, to allow their daughters to return to the school next month.

Kessler, reading his three-hour long decision from the bench, lashed out at the parents over the battle with the school. The parents, Kessler said, "made the affirmative decision to make this matter public." The judge agreed with school officials who argued that the family had disrupted the school community.

"One only need to look at the letters of Ms. Mullen, who threatened that if she didn't get her way, there would be consequences," Kessler said.

He also noted that the parents had complained when their older son had not been named valedictorian when he was in the eighth-grade at the school in the spring 2016. During the trial, the former school principal testified that Scott Phillips called her a son of a b---- when he was informed his son was not the top student. Phillips denies making that statement

"Why was it so important that a son be named valedictorian of the eighth grade that you had to disrupt several people," Kessler asked. Several times Kessler said that archdiocese tried to restore "peace and tranquility" to the school after Scott Phillips first filed suit. The judge said the parents never tried to be conciliatory with the school.

Scott Phillips, when asked about the decision, said he disagreed with Kessler.

"It's a sad day to be a Catholic," Phillips said. "I disagree with what he (Kessler) said. I disagree with the way he characterized it," he said

His lawyer, Susan McCrea, said they had not decided if they will appeal the decision.

Christopher Westrick, the attorney for the archdiocese, said the judge agreed with the right of church to make decisions about the school.

"We're pleased that he (Kessler) saw it our way, and that he upheld our First Amendment rights," Westrick said.

The Archdiocese issued a statement saying it was grateful for the decision that school staff to continue their work and restores serenity to St. Theresa's, but adding that church officials are not rejoicing and wish "no ill will" for the Phillips.

"It is our hope that the parents will learn from this experience as they seek alternative venues for their children's education," church officials said.

Last December, Scott Phillips filed a lawsuit to get Sydney on the boys seventh-grade basketball team after the season for the girls team was cancelled. Phillips was ultimately successful, and Sydney played on the boys team in February for the last game of the season.

However, two months later, the school rejected the girls application to return for the coming school year.

Kessler said the decision not to re-enroll the girls had nothing to do with the suit over the basketball team.

The judge said that because girls' applications to attend class this fall were denied, there was no contract between the family and the school, and there was no legal reason cited for requiring the school to enter a contract.

The parents earlier this year amended their original suit against the school to include parents who signed an online petition calling for the family to removed from the school.

Kessler criticized the parents for expanding their litigation against the school and other parents, and repeated complaints that the school had previously addressed.

The parents "piled issues on top of resolved issues," Kessler said. He said he was "puzzled" that the parents did not expect that the litigation would generate a reaction of school community.

Kessler said school administrators "took steps to control the atmosphere that Mr. Phillips and Ms. Mullen created." The daughters were not re-enrolled, Kessler said, because of the parents conduct.

In their complaint, the parents argued the school had bullied their family and refused to respond to their questions, and had denied the girls' application over the lawsuit about the boys basketball team.

In response, the archdiocese contended the Phillips family had bullied school administrators and staff, and had disrupted the school community.

The girls have attended St. Theresa's since pre-school. This year, Sydney will be in the eighth grade, the last year she would attend St. Theresa's before going to high school.

The school had also expelled the girls earlier this year. After the original lawsuit was filed last winter, the school ordered the girls removed, saying the parents had violated guidelines against involving the school in litigation.

Days later Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin ordered the girls be allowed to return to the school.

However, the girls applications to return to class in the fall was rejected, and Scott Phillips returned to court seeking to keep his daughters in St. Theresa's

During the trial, Tobin testified that he made the difficult decision to reject the applications because the family was disruptive to the school.

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

Khara Brown of Newark nearly died two years ago when her intestines ruptured. She needed a transplant, but a doctor reviewed her case and was able to repair the remaining portion of her intestines so she could live a meaningful life.

In July 2016, when a doctor walked into her hospital room to review her unusual case, there weren't any guarantees for Khara Brown, a vibrant 21-year-old Newark woman whose life was upended the year before.

Brown didn't want an intestinal transplant, but needed one after hers was inflamed and ruptured. She nearly died, falling into a coma following surgery. She was temporarily paralyzed and couldn't speak until she rebounded with intense therapy and the strong Christian faith of her upbringing.

Her favorite Scripture, one Brown relies on for assurance, is Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.''

Brown meditated on these words throughout her recovery, she recently recounted to me. Spiritually, she was confident that everything would work out and that she would no longer require intravenous feeding tube for nutrients or use a colostomy bag.

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"I wasn't able to speak at one point, but I was lucky that God could read lips,'' she said.

The transplant, it turns out, wasn't necessary.Dr. Yi-Horng Lee at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital in New Brunswick met several times with Brown and her mother, Pamela Crawford, while she was next door at PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital regaining her strength and mobility.

Despite the devastating rupture, Brown said, Lee told her that she had enough intestines left to repair and the surgery would improve her life. On Dec. 12, during 12 hours of surgery, Lee reconnected the section of her intestines that absorb nutrients to her bowels.

After the arduous operation, Brown returned triumphantly to her room at Children's Specialized Hospital, where she had become an inspiration to the staff who have seen her progress over the past year.

Tara Helfrich, a therapist, said Brown was positive the entire time, even though it was a scary situation because she knew this procedure was her best chance to live a meaningful life without a transplant.

"She's a miracle and an incredible person,'' said Helfrich, who worked with Brown before and after the surgery.  "Khara is such a motivated individual. She put in the hard work, and by the time she left our hospital, she was doing everything on her own. She was able to go out into the community and walk and be strong and prepare her herself to be independent."

Brown is grateful to everyone along the way, but one  person in particular she believes deserves special mention: Dr. Leon Dick, the surgeon who first operated on her when her intestines ruptured.

Brown had been at Beth Israel for nearly a year in 2015 under his care in which he performed several procedures to stabilize her condition. She credits him with saving her life and getting her to the next stage in her recovery.

As her strength returned, the hospital allowed Brown to attend a patient safety award program earlier this year at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. She nominated Dick.

When she was transferred to Children's Specialized Hospital, he had stayed in touch with Brown and surprised her with a visit for her 21st birthday last year. It was emotional for him to see her then.

"When she left us, she was still bedridden,'' Dick said. "To see her walking and standing and eating, it was a terrific moment for me.''

Brown surprised him this time, presenting him with the award that she may not have bestowed were it not for him. He saw the pain she endured, and knew her condition was life threatening.

"Numerous times I worried that she might not make it,'' he said. "But I think the strength of her youth, her physical strength and her spiritual strength really pulled her through.''

Brown has been home since April, a return that once seemed far off. Since that surgery went well, she tells me, her hair has grown back and she has regained some of her weight. During our conversation, she was the same confident, effervescent young lady I met last year, and her faith is as strong as I remember. 

Brown, now 22, was an active college sophomore at Montclair State University and vice president of an organization that empowered minority women students on campus. She was planning to go to a party Super Bowl weekend in 2015 and thought the upset stomach she had would go away.

It lingered for days. When she started vomiting blood, Brown's mother rushed her to the emergency room at Beth Israel Medical Center and doctors trying to figure out what was going on.

Jeremiah 29:11 would be her shield from then on. "That (Scripture)was the one that really spoke to me because it's like all this stuff that you're going through, you're always wondering why is this all happening,'' Brown said.

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"God already told me - Don't worry about it now. The future is already set.''

She's been away from home for two years, but her mom has been there as the anchor and an example of faith for Brown.

 "I had to give up control and let God do what he had to do,'' Crawford said.

Brown is adjusting to life, even though infection and high fever landed her back in the hospital for a week in July. But she's okay.

She must pace herself now, finding that she tires easily if she's out and about for a while. Her feet, because of neuropathic pain, begin to hurt if she's stands too long. Her hands ache sometimes as well.

Getting up and down the stairs takes time. Her diet has changed, too. No leafy vegetables, food she once loved to eat for a person who loves to cook. When she looks in the mirror, Brown said, she is learning to love herself again. The multiple surgeries have left her midsection misshapen, which  she believes can be addressed with cosmetic surgery. Underneath a necklace that she wears is small bandage over on her throat. The trachea hole she needed for breathing hasn't closed yet. She's looking into that, too.

As for college, Brown plans to return in about year and resume her studies in anthropology. For now, she's using the time to sort out her life. She's not able to work, so she keeps busy helping others, collecting toiletries for women in a homeless shelter and putting together school supplies in backpacks for young people at her church in Newark.That's Brown, always thinking about others.

When everything happened, she made a video explaining her plight. She's thinking about a blog now, but is not sure what'll it she'll say.

Tell everyone this story all over again, Khara.

The second time around is just as uplifting as the first.

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

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

There have never been more -- or tastier -- vegan eating options in New Jersey.

Alexandra Gioiella of Maplewood, a Newark native, is the acting chair of USA Fencing's New Jersey Division, after Gene Costa resigned last week over his politically charged rebuff of Newark's bid to stage an event

NEWARK -- After the chairman of fencing's ruling body in New Jersey abruptly resigned last week following his politically charged rebuff of Newark, the group's executive committee says it has named a Newark native to replace him and resolved to work with the city to stage an event there.

The secretary of USA Fencing's New Jersey Division said on Monday that Alexandra Gioiella had been named acting chair of the 10-member executive board during a teleconference meeting on Thursday night. Gioiella is a Maplewood resident who is originally from Newark, said Alice Key, secretary of the NJ Division, whose members are scattered around the state and meet by teleconference.

"Alexandra Gioiella is now the Acting Chair of the New Jersey Division," Kee stated in an email. "She hails from Newark, but now currently resides in Maplewood.  She has been involved with fencing since the age of 14 and is an active member of the fencing community on both the local and national level. She has also been a referee in the sport for at least the last 4 years."

Gioiella replaces Gene Costa, who resigned on Thursday.

After only two months as chairman and a relatively low profile in the sport before then, Costa drew criticism from within the Garden State's closely knit fencing community when he rebuffed an invitation from the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau to help organize an event.

"Please tell Mayor Ras Baraka that the NJ Division of USA Fencing is not interested in holding any of our activities in Newark, NJ, as of June 19, 2017, due to its Sanctuary City declaration," Costa stated in a July 31 email to a visitors bureau intern who had written to the sport's national ruling body, Colorado Springs-based USA Fencing, a week earlier seeking a New Jersey contact.

Costa's email went on to say that he could not in good conscience endanger members of the fencing community by sending them to Newark as long as Democratic legislators refused to permit concealed firearms among the general public.

Costa's statements were roundly condemned by city officials, fencers, club owners, fellow committee members and by USA Fencing, and he submitted his resignation on on Thursday. He also offered a contrite explanation: "Unfortunately, my personal beliefs got in the way of my professional judgment." 

Lee said the executive committee would address filling Costa's vacancy and making a permanent selection for the chairman's regular 1-year term at an upcoming meeting.

"Separately," Lee added, "We have already been in touch with the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau and are finalizing details for a meeting with them later this month."

Costa's rebuff was criticized not only for its blatant politics, but also for its incongruity with the history of fencing in New Jersey as a sport fostered by immigrants, particularly Russian, Italian and Polish coaches, who helped make New Jersey into a national fencing powerhouse today.

Newark in particular has produced a number of world-class fencers, mainly through St. Benedict's Preparatory School on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, including Christian Rivera, later an All-American at Ohio State University and coach on last year's US Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro.

Rivera, who was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Bloomfield, is now the head women's coach at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He was among several New Jersey fencers who said a regional competition, exhibition or other fencing event in Newark would be good for the sport and for the city.

"Simply seeing somebody walking down the street with a fencing bag could change somebody's world," Rivera said. "As it did mine."

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