Fast food workers called for help after shooting.

ORANGE -- A shooting near a fast food eatery Thursday left one person dead in Orange's first reported slaying of the year, according to authorities.

Malcolm T. Ford, 24, of Orange, was shot in the 200 block of Scotland Road, near Minton Place, around 11 p.m., according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Ford died about 15 minutes later at University Hospital. 

"The individual who had been shot came into our restaurant and White Castle team members phoned for help," Jamie Richardson, a vice president at White Castle, said.

"First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected," Richardson added in a statement. 

No White Castle employees or customers were threatened or harmed in the incident, which did not occur on the burger chain's property, a company representative said. The shooting scene was about a block from the fast food eatery. 

Several evidence markers were placed near Scotland Road and Minton Place. Orange police blocked part of Scotland Road around 11 p.m. and placed yellow tape near the driveway to the fast food restaurant.

Authorities said there were no arrests or suspects in the slaying. Anyone with information was urged to call the prosecutor's office tip line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

The killing marked the first murder of the year compared to five killings in the same span last year, according to law enforcement records.

Several hours earlier, authorities said an Essex County Sheriff's detective fatally shot an armed bank robbery suspect near the Orange train station.

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

NEWARK -- Police are looking for two people who robbed a Delta gas station Thursday afternoon.  The pair entered the business at 822 Clinton Ave. around 12:35 p.m. and robbed an attendant and a customer, then fled south on Fabyan Place.  Anyone with information about these suspects to call the 24-hourCrime Stopper tip line at 1-877- NWK-TIPS (1-877- 695-8477) or 1-877-...

NEWARK -- Police are looking for two people who robbed a Delta gas station Thursday afternoon. 

Newark police 

The pair entered the business at 822 Clinton Ave. around 12:35 p.m. and robbed an attendant and a customer, then fled south on Fabyan Place. 

Anyone with information about these suspects to call the 24-hourCrime Stopper tip line at 1-877- NWK-TIPS (1-877- 695-8477) or 1-877- NWK-GUNS (1-877- 695-4867).  All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

Anonymous tips may also be made at www.newarkpd.org or using the police 
Smartphone App available at iTunes or Google Play. 

The House of Mercy Mission flooded last week when its roof gave out. The wooden floor boards have buckled and old carpeting needs to be replaced. Watch video

NEWARK -- Pastor Sam Giresi sits at the back of his church, watching as the rows of chairs slowly fill for the day's noon service.

"Hey, where's the mother?" he interjects mid-conversation after a child in a stroller starts crying nearby.

Congregants approach Giresi and softly hold his hand in theirs, thanking him for opening his doors to them. The song "Amazing Grace" fills the room as people bow their heads. 

If you didn't know it, Giresi and his staff at the House of Mercy Mission on Springfield Avenue don't let on.

About a month ago the roof gave out and water began pouring through the ceiling during a bad storm. Several classrooms used for the kids' summer program and Sunday school flooded. The wooden floors buckled; carpets were ruined. An office in the basement remains unusable. 

"I didn't know what to do," said Timonthy Shields, 38, a minister at the church. He laid out buckets and bins to collect the water and eventually had to pull the carpet off the floors. 

While the roof was being repaired, the church's $41,000 central air conditioning unit was stolen. 

"I try not to get upset," Pastor Giresi said. "One day at a time." 

The mission's former volunteers and supporters are rallying around the church to help it pay for a new roof, new floors and repairs from the water damage. The church is totally dependent on contributions and does not receive any state or federal aid.

"The impact that this little mission has had on the city of Newark, and the people who have volunteered there, is immeasurable," former church volunteer Matt Bell wrote on a GoFundMe page he set up for the church.

The church doubles as a refuge for the city's vulnerable. Twice a month, the mission offers those who need it a bag of groceries and a meal. Year-round the mission distributes toys, school supplies and clothing for children. Giresi's wife, Pastor Tilly Giresi, runs a summer school program for kids, for free.

Bell said the church didn't ask for help but he knew Sam and Tilly Giresi wouldn't be able to afford all the repairs and decided to launch the fundraiser. So far the campaign has raised about $3,000 though others have sent donations directly to the mission. 

"They've really touched thousands of lives over the course of three decades," Bell, who now lives in Texas, said in a phone interview. "It was unjust when I heard about this story."

At the mission, ceiling tiles have crumbled, exposing wiring and the building's roof. The walls look wrinkled from water damage. Shields said the insurance helped cover the new air conditioning unit but the church is waiting for a cost estimate to fix the floors, walls and replace a part of the roof.

Giresi isn't worried. 

"It'll come," he says of the funding. God "has taken care of this place for 30 years, why would He stop?" 

Giresi owned a furniture store down the block until the building where the mission now sits was donated to him in 1986. Back then, he said a contractor told him it would cost $60,000 to turn the building into a church. But he changed his mind and did it for free. 

"God always supplies," Giresi said with a smile.

He points to long-time volunteers in the church. One is a former heroin addict; another used to live on the streets.

He tells the story of how one congregant came every week high on marijuana to take bread and clothing. One day he stopped coming. Months later he walked into the church in a suit and told Giresi he, too, was now a pastor. 

"We've seen so many lives changed, it makes it all worthwhile," Giresi, 77, said. "I wouldn't want to do anything else."

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

Which top returning stat leader will block shots the state in 2017?

Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund helped a 10 year-old boy from Newark escape the sounds of gun shots and violence when it sent him to camp this summer

For two weeks this summer, 10-year-old Al-Naseem Orange didn't hear gunshots or police sirens, sounds he normally hears when he tries to fall asleep in his Newark neighborhood. Sounds that make him afraid that his mother could be harmed.

"Camp helped me get away from all of that,'' he said.

Instead, Al-Naseem sat around a campfire grilling hot dogs and toasting s'mores at Camp Winonah in Harriman State Park, New York. He swam in the lake and took pride in camp chores, such as setting the table in the dining hall and making sure the "boys latrine" was spic and span.

"I liked cleaning up the best,'' he said. "It's all about keeping the camp sanitary.''

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

Are you rubbing your eyes reading this? Don't. This kid is another compelling example of why the Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund has been working so hard to provide a wholesome outdoor camp experience for city youth since 1882.

The Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund has another successful year sending city kids to camp. The kids pictured participate in a class activity. Camp Winonah 

Last week, the program wrapped up another successful season with approximately 150 kids attending sleep-away and day camps. Public donations made it happen, along with dedicated law firms that hit the field to raise most of the funds with its annual Battle of the Barristers charity softball tournament. Take a bow once more, everyone.Contributions tallied $163,345.

"While the camping season is over, the work of the fund does not end,'' said Donna Johnson-Thompson, executive director of the Fresh Air Fund, an affiliate of Newark Day Center, the oldest social service agency in the state.

The staff will take some time off, but then start all over again so you can continue to read about kids like Al-Naseem.

And Al-Tariq Jeffrey,12, of Newark.  He lost 20 pounds last year, had a 4-inch growth spurt and couldn't wait to get back this year.

"Camp made me more confident about myself,'' Al-Tariq said. "It changed my whole life. It made me not be shy and scared.''

The kid who didn't like going outside and who worried that he might get picked on, is outgoing and energetic now. He plays football, soccer and made camp friends last year that he talks to all of the time.

"He loved it so much that he begged me to send him back this year,'' said his mother, Tia Clark. "He was a house kid, but they (camp) couldn't get him back in the cabin. Now, I can't keep him in the house.''

Something must be in the water, because this camp thing is contagious.

Kimberly Tenezaca, 12, of Newark, came out of her shell, too. If she was making a commercial about camp, Kimberly said she would tell kids, "to go for it, don't worry.''

After she got over her jitters, mostly because she didn't know anyone, Kimberly said she had a blast playing field hockey and basketball and swimming.

All three kids went to Camp Winonah, one of several sleep-away residential camps that partners with the Fresh Air Fund to get children out of the house and onto walking trails. Before lights go out at 9:30 p.m., they've had a full day of activities that range from life skills and problem solving classes to trying their hand at archery, canoeing or photography.

"They need to be able to get away,'' said Sharon Baldwin-Montgomery, camp Winonah's administrator. "Disney World is okay. But it's wonderful for them to be able to have peace and quiet.''

The kids are away from cellphones and video games. They're in a safe place where they can scream and yell freely just because they can.

"They realize it's okay to be who they are,'' Baldwin-Montgomery said.

Kimberly jumped in the lake for the first time, and as camp was winding down, Baldwin-Montgomery said the little girl had a question that brought tears to her eyes.

"What do I need to do to come back next year,'' Kimberly asked, according to Baldwin Montgomery.  "It was so wonderful."

Al-Naseem surprised her, too. In letters the children write to the Fresh Air Fund, he thanked its organizers for allowing him to have a peaceful summer without violence and gunshots.

MORE CARTER: Kaboobie, Newark's No. 1 sports fan, will be missed

More watery eyes from Baldwin-Montgomery.

"I love the letters because they honestly sum up and express how the children feel,'' she said.

When I asked him about what he had written, he told me over the telephone that he "doesn't want to experience that stuff.''

"What's going to happen if they shoot some of my family members,'' he said, with is mom listening to our conversation.

Hammond said he's a reserved kid, who doesn't talk a lot. But when he does, she said her boy continues to shock her with his thoughts. She wasn't aware of what he had written, but she knows the adjustment has been tough on him since they moved to Newark from Linden three years ago.

But going to camp has eased that burden as he prepares for school. 

Al-Naseem said he's not sure if he'll return to camp next year, but I think his review will help him make up his mind.

"I give camp Winonah five stars,'' he said.

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

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

A man convicted in a 2011 shooting death is headed back to trial, an appellate court ruled.

NEWARK -- A man serving a 55-year-sentence after being convicted in a 2011 killing will get a new trial because of the clothing testifying defense witnesses were wearing during his trial.

Keevin David, pictured in this mug shot provided by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.
 

According to an appellate decision released Tuesday, witnesses testifying on behalf of Keevin David as he stood trial on charges he shot 19-year-old Tyrell Coleman to death appeared before the jury while wearing prison attire and handcuffs.

The jail uniforms and cuffs, David's attorney argued, undermined their credibility and prejudiced the jury.

"We agree...that he was deprived of a fair trial when a witness crucial to his defense testified in jail garb and handcuffs," two appellate judges wrote in their decision.

When witnesses need to be restrained for security reasons, the appeals court ruled a hearing must be held about it, and the jury must be instructed not to have the shackles influence their decision. Neither happened in this case, it said.

David, now 24, of Springfield, was tried twice - first in 2012, when a jury convicted him of weapons offenses but failed to reach a verdict on the murder charge against him; and again in 2013, when he was convicted of murder.

A spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said it was not planning to ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to consider the appellate ruling.

"We are reviewing the ruling and will likely begin to prepare to retry the case," she said.

Coleman was shot to death in the lobby of his Orange apartment building on Jan. 25, 2011, at 11:30 a.m., after walking home from school.

There were no witnesses to the shooting, and prosecutors never established a motive for the killing.

In an obituary, family members described Coleman, who went by the nickname "Relly," as happy-go-lucky and funny.

"He loved life, he loved his family, he loved his friends, and he loved being able to share that love with all the lives he touched in his short time with us," the obituary reads.

David's attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the decision. 

NCJW/Essex hosts school shopping spree.

NCJW/Essex volunteer Liby Saigal of Livingston prepares to help Tatiyana Long of East Orange peruse the coat racks at the Back 2 School Store.

WEST ORANGE -- On July 30 nearly 800 economically disadvantaged children loaded up on new clothes and school supplies at the ninth Annual NCJW/Essex Back 2 School Store, held at B'nai Shalom in West Orange.

The children, who were referred by more than 30 social service agencies, were greeted at the Back 2 School Store by a personal shopper, an NCJW volunteer who led them on a shopping trip through the 4,000-square-foot space filled with new backpacks, rows of new sneakers, racks of coats and clothing, and school supplies purchased by NCJW/Essex volunteers with financial support from donors. At the end of the day, each child had a large bag full of clothing and a backpack filled with personal care items and school supplies.

According to Lisa Blumert, NCJW/Essex director of communications, "The children were able to shop cost-free for brand new attire, school supplies and personal care items, encouraging a well-equipped and confident start to the new school year."

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

The Maplewood singer is nominated for Best New Artist at the MTV VMAs Sunday

MAPLEWOOD -- For nearly 60 years, African-American songstresses bounded out of Essex County and into the national spotlight. 

Sarah Vaughan, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, and Lauryn Hill were all dazzling, insistent talents who stood toe-to-toe with New Jersey's leading music men and informed the world that our state was more than just Springsteen, Sinatra and Bon Jovi. 

But the first 15 years of the new millennium seemed to quell all that girl power; male-dominated rock and punk bands rushed in, and groups like My Chemical Romance, Thursday and The Gaslight Anthem highlighted Jersey's contributions to the musical zeitgeist through the aughts. 

Now New Jersey's bearing seems to be shifting toward female voices once more. The outspoken alt-pop singer Halsey, originally of Warren County, quickly morphed from a fringe star into an arena-filling celebrity last year, and released a sharply lovesick LP called "Hopeless Fountain Kingdom" back in June. The album debuted at No. 1. 

And now we welcome SZA (pronounced "Sizzah"), a sultry R&B ingenue from Maplewood whose major-label debut album "CTRL" has been widely hailed as one of the strongest records of 2017. She is easily New Jersey's most alluring urban soloist to emerge in recent years (Fetty Wap who?). 

I'll even take it a step further: the vulnerable, impeccably paced project "CTRL" is the most exciting album any New Jersey woman has released since Hill's "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" nearly 20 years ago. Yes, it's that good, and will likely earn the 26-year-old singer born Solana Rowe a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist next year (she's already nominated in the category at MTV Video Music Awards, which airs Sunday night).

The songstress, whose social media followers have begun to deem her "the female Frank Ocean," spent the last four years on the indie scene, opening for bands like Swedish synth-poppers Little Dragon and releasing three EPs while signed to Top Dawg Entertainment in California before the label finally came to its senses and rolled out the Jersey girl in full force.

SZA kicked off her first full U.S. headlining tour last week, on the strength of a June introduction that effortlessly grasps Hill's baton, advancing that mellow blend of R&B with classic jazz techniques -- "I listen to Ella Fitzgerald like, everyday," Rowe said in a 2014 interview -- neo-soul and even brushes of indie-rock.

To that end, Rowe doesn't rap like Hill, or at all. She's a gifted singer, whose lilts and raspy runs are some dreamy marriage of Mary J. Blige and Lana Del Rey with the looseness of an old bebop scatter. Case in point: SZA's hit single "Love Galore," a romance-troubled duet with rapper Travis Scott, where her coasting vocal hook is so colorful and textured, you'd think you could reach out and touch it.

Though Rowe's true savvy lies within her ability to read between the beats. In a rare reversal, she commands the rhythm with her rolling cadence -- she needs not search for the pocket, the pocket finds her. Thankfully, "CTRL" is not hampered by overbearing trap drums despite SZA's signing to Top Dawg Entertainment, a primarily rap-centric label that manages Kendrick Lamar (who spits a verse on "Doves in the Wind") and ScHoolboy Q.

Instead an array of glimmering guitar plucks and low-lying drums take orders from the lady in charge. Check out "Prom," an addictive, radio-ready track with a hypnotic drum machine, and tell us you don't just want to live in that groove for the rest of summer.

Lyrically, things don't always go so smoothly; as with Halsey's album, Rowe writes almost exclusively about love's failures and uncertainties, sometimes blaming herself for her lack of success. With past checkered relationships as nagging muses, she goes as far as detailing how one such sour romance led to her spitefully hooking up with her beau's friend after he ditched her for Las Vegas on Valentine's Day.

In a May interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rowe assures this was a true story and the song was the first time he'd heard about the tryst. 

"All my dirty laundry is on the line," she told the magazine. 

With these tales, though, come a few ugly contradictions. She's not comfortable with being alone, to the point that she'll share her lover with others: "Heard that's her man, Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I just keep him satisfied through the weekend," she laments on "The Weekend."

Yet on "Normal Girl" she just wishes she was someone you could bring home to "your mama." Who exactly is bringing their weekend fling home for Thanksgiving?

Somehow SZA still sells herself as a sympathetic character who's caught in love's maelstrom, clinging to whatever -- and whoever -- she can. Her perspective's rawness is especially compelling when stacked against her fellow hip-hop-hybrid females who dominate the pop conversation. Neither Rihanna (on whose latest album SZA was briefly featured), Beyonce, nor Nicki Minaj has pulled back their layers in such an earnest way, to the effect that by an album's end you feel like you truly know them. But that is exactly how "CTRL" presents itself, as a diary stained with dripping mascara and scribbled deeds Rowe probably wishes she could take back. 

You may recall that's also how Lauryn Hill's "Miseducation" felt -- before it went on to win the 1999 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, that is.

But Hill also proved that such open, on-the-sleeve artists can burn fast and bright; over nearly two decades she has yet to release another record. Time will tell if that same stagnation befalls SZA, but with the confidence afforded by "CTRL's" glowing reviews, something tells me she'll be ready to write more soon.  

Until then, SZA is the New Jersey artist to watch right now, re-forger of the Essex County chain, and someone you are likely to hear discussed come awards season and hopefully for years to come.

SZA plays Irving Plaza in New York Dec. 11 and The Fillmore in Philadelphia Dec. 22.  

SZA is a New Jersey artist to watch, and someone you are likely to hear discussed come awards season and hopefully for years to come. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET) 

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

Volleyball players compete at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

LIVINGSTON -- Gayle Edelstein, a June graduate of Livingston High School, earned a gold medal as a member of the USA Junior volleyball team at the Maccabiah Games, a Jewish athletic competition held in Israel July 4 to 17. The games are held every four years in Israel, with athletes competing in the Open, Masters, Juniors, and Disabled competitions.

Edelstein was a setter for the Livingston High School volleyball team and played club volleyball for the Atlantic Valley Volleyball Club. She was joined at the games by her sister and fellow setter Allison, and Jamie Schneck, who earned bronze medals as members of the USA Women's Open Volleyball team. Both women are 2013 graduates of Livingston High School and were members of the school's volleyball team.

Edelstein will be a freshman at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md., where she will play volleyball.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

The brothers, Jose Castillo-Granados, 25, and Francisco Castillo-Granados, 22, both of Newark, were killed in the shooting, authorities said.

NEWARK -- Two brothers were killed Sunday morning during a shooting in the city's Ironbound neighborhood, authorities said.

Jose Castillo-Granados, 25, and Francisco Castillo-Granados, 22, both of Newark, were pronounced dead shortly after 5 a.m. at University Hospital, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said. 

The two were shot near the intersection of Adams and Walnut streets, police said. The brothers, originally from Honduras, appeared to have known their assailant, authorities said. 

The shooting stemmed from a dispute, Ambrose said. 

"This is just one more incident where a dispute turns violent because of the easy access to firearms," he said. 

A brother and cousin of the two stood Sunday afternoon near a makeshift memorial, in which two candles were placed in a cardboard box, next to where the brothers were shot.

Their brother, who speaks Spanish, pointed to where his siblings were shot just feet from each other near a storm drain on Walnut Street.

The brother and cousin, who declined to give their names, said the two had six other siblings. With puffy, red eyes, the two said police have obtained surveillance video of the shooting from a nearby restaurant.

The killings marked the 43rd and 44th murders in the state's largest city this year, according to police data. There were at least 58 killings by the same point last year. 

No arrests have been made as of Sunday afternoon. The prosecutor's office's homicide and major crimes task force is investigating.

No other information was immediately available. 

Woman, 22, killed in quadruple shooting

In early June, a 21-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman were shot less than half-a-mile away at Ferry and Congress streets during the city's Portugal Day Festival, police said. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

A 16-year-old from the city was arrested a month later and charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon, among other charges, in that shooting, authorities said. 

Luke Nozicka can be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @lukenozicka.

Find NJ.com on Facebook and Twitter. 

Authorities released few details of the deadly crash.

NEWARK -- A city resident was killed Sunday morning in a motorcycle crash, authorities said. 

Shaun Williams, 39, of Newark, was pronounced dead following the crash on the 500 block of Elizabeth Avenue, said Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. 

Authorities did not release any additional details on the incident as of Sunday afternoon. 

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

Millburn High School graduate receives $36,000 award.

MILLBURN -- Julie Averbach, a June graduate of Millburn High School, has received a 2017 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award from the Helen Diller Family Foundation, a San Franciso Bay Area philanthropy that supports education, science and the arts.

Averbach is one of only 15 teenagers nationwide and one of two from New Jersey to receive the $36,000 award that "recognizes teens for their commitment to social good and volunteer service."

Averbach was singled out for her Girl Scout Gold Award project, a comic book she created called "Adventures from My World." The comic book addresses the challenges that the siblings of those with special needs face. More than 5,000 copies have been distributed worldwide and Averbach, an incoming freshman at Yale, is working to translate the first story into Spanish and Portuguese.

Also honored was Sabina London of Haworth. London is the founder of Girls Science Interactive, now known as STEM You Can!, a youth-led nonprofit organization that offers free STEM summer camps and after school programs for girls. The program is now available at 45 locations in 14 states, and boasts more than 100 student volunteers.

"The Tikkun Olam Award recipients never cease to amaze and inspire us," said Jackie Safier, president of the Helen Diller Family Foundation. "These teens remind us that no matter the age, an individual can make a difference and impact the world in a positive way."

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards are presented each year to teens ages 13 to 19 who self-identify as Jewish. The 2017 recipients were selected by committees of community leaders and educators, and will be honored tomorrow at a luncheon in San Francisco.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

The crash near exit 8 jammed traffic at least 15 minutes to exit 6.

A crash on I-280 in West Orange closed three of four lanes and caused delays Monday morning. (511nj.org)

WEST ORANGE - A crash on I-280 in West Orange early Monday forced the closure of three of the four eastbound lanes near exit 8, according to 511nj.org.

The crash was reported around 6:10 a.m. and the three right lanes were closed for the cleanup and accident investigation. Information about the cause of the crash and any injuries was not immediately available.

By 6:50 a.m. traffic was backed up at least to exit 6 and building quickly as the morning rush gets underway. The delay was at least 15 minutes, according to 511nj.org.

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

Shelters and rescues throughout New Jersey welcome adopters and assistance.

If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.

Realistically, not everyone can adopt. People who live in apartments or developments that have no-pets policies fall into that category, as do people with allergies or disabilities that will not allow them to care for pets of their own. Here are some suggestions for ways people who want to help can participate in caring for homeless animals.

* Help out at a local shelter. It's not glamorous work by any means, but it's vital and will be very much appreciated. You can do anything from help walk dogs to bottle feed kittens, help clean kennels or cat's cages or even help with bathing and grooming. Contact your local shelter to find out their policies regarding volunteers.

* If you're handy, you can lend a hand in many ways. Shelters usually need repairs of many kinds, so fixer-uppers can help out like that. If you sew, quilt or crochet, you can make blankets for your local shelter.

* Help out at an adoption event. Many shelters and rescue groups participate in local events by hosting a table with pets available for adoption. They also hold these program at malls, pet supply stores and banks, and can always use a helping hand.

* For galleries like this one and for online adoptions sites, often a shelter or rescue group doesn't have the time or equipment to shoot good photos of their adoptable pets, Something as simple as making yourself available to shoot and provide digital files of pet photos can be a big help.

* Donate. It doesn't have to be money; shelters need cleaning supplies, pet food, toys for the animals and often even things we don't think twice about getting rid of like old towels and newspapers. Every little bit helps.

If you don't know where your local animal shelter or rescue group is, a quick online search will reveal a number of results. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort to get involved but it provides immeasurable assistance.

A Belleville man has sued the uniform cleaning factory next door, claiming the noise and odor coming from the plant have made life unbearable in his home.

As much as $7.5 million may be available for users of the coin counting machines.

Barkly expanded into the K-9 strongholds of Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken

HOBOKEN -- Emily Hammond had just moved back to New York after college in Wyoming and the animal lover was hoping to find a job in human rights. But in the meantime, to help pay the rent on her East Village apartment, she took what turned out to be an ideal temp job: walking dogs for a new company called Barkly.

"I care about animals so much!" said Hammond, 23, who also feels good about the humans who feed her dog-walking jobs. "They're really easy to communicate with, you can tell they value their clients and the dogs, as well as the walkers."

Newark-based Barkly -- call it a leash-hailing app -- was founded in Washington, D.C., in 2015, and has been making its way up the East Coast since then, expanding into Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and now, the New Jersey Gold Coast. Last week, Barkly began operating in the Hudson County K-9 strongholds of Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken. 

"We think that Hoboken, Jersey City and Weehalken hit our demographics really well," said Dave Comiskey, a former Defense Department analyst who is a co-founder and chief operating officer. "Younger working professionals who have a commute. Having that commute makes it challenging to care for your own pet when you're working. And that's where we come in: to lend a helping hand should work go long; should there be a happy hour after work. We'll be available in under 60 minutes in all those areas of New Jersey."

Pet owners who download the app or sign up at Barkly's web site, pay a basic rate of $18 for a half-hour walk, 80% of which goes to the dog walker. Payment is by credit card through the app. The site also includes articles under the headings Health & Safety, Pet News ("Trump White House to Remain Pet-less") and General Fluff.

To have their dogs walked, owners contacts Barkly to arrange scheduling and access to their house or apartment. For regular walks, particularly at single family homes, Barkly will come and install a lock box outside the house. For emergency or unforeseen situations when nothing's been set up in advance, the pet owner can arrange for a doorman, concierge or some other third party to let the walker in, or they can let Barkly know there's a key under the mat.

In a very few emergency situations, when there is no prior relationship between a pet owner and Barkly, and there is no way to provide emergency access, Comiskey said Barkely will not be able to walk the dog.

To protect pet owners, their pets and their personal property, Comiskey says Barkly does background checks on all walkers, thoroughly trains all walkers in the handling of dogs, and insures against theft or damage. Barkly will also arrange meet-and-greet sessions to let pet owners get a sense of their dog's potential walker. The walkers are also insured against injury or liability, Comiskey said.

Barkly was one of nine startups in the inaugural "class" of Newark Venture Partners, a tech incubator and investment fund launched by Audible founder Don Katz. Like other members of NVP's first and second incubator classes so far, the company is provided capital, office space at NVP's downtown Newark location in a building shared by Audible and Rutgers Business School, mentoring and training in marketing and other business principles beyond their particular expertise. 

Comiskey declined to provide sales figures for the company, but he said, "I would say we're doing several thousand dog walks a month." 

Would-be walkers who visit the site are told, "Earn over $1,000 a month," and asked for a name, email address and zip code, and must agree to a background check. They are regarded as independent contractors, not employees, a model made familiar by the ubiquitous ride-hailing giant, Uber.

But Comiskey dismisses comparisons between his company and the controversial transportation startup, which has been accused -- unjustly, Uber insists -- of treating its drivers like employees but depriving them of common employee benefits.

"Whatever it is, we will go to every lenth to insure that our dog walkers, pets and pet parents are happy," said Comiskey, 30, who founded the company with Chief Technology Officer Jim Camut and Chris Gonzalez, the chief executive officer, both about his age. "So if that means getting the dog walker medical attention or getting a dog medical attention, we will do it."

Rave reviews light up the Barkly Pets Facebook page. And Comiskey said the 1,000 applications a month the company gets from people who want to walk dogs is both a testament to the company's commitment and a way to insure a quality workforce.  

"We like to think of ourselves as the dog walker first app, where dog walkers want to be working," Comiskey said. "We're not the Uber of dog walking."

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

Teachers attend the Summer Institute at Raritan Valley Community College.

Science teachers Alyssa Sylvester from Liberty Middle School in West Orange, Jonathan Irizarry William from William C. McGinnis Middle School in Perth Amboy, and Jane Chung, Liberty Middle School, work on an experiment during a workshop to teach teachers about the new Next Generation Science Standards held at Raritan Valley Community College.

WEST ORANGE -- While students have been enjoying the final days of summer, their science teachers have been busy preparing to meet the challenge of New Jersey's new science standards.

In 2014, New Jersey adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, a researched-based, hands-on STEM curriculum designed to give students a better understanding of science through daily investigations and observations. Middle and high school teachers began teaching the curriculum last year; elementary school teachers will implement the program during the 2017-2018 school year.

To help them prepare, science teachers attended workshops at the Summer Institute, a weeklong program held at Raritan Valley Community College. There, teachers worked with Wil van der Veen, director of RVCC's NJACE Science Education Institute, and teachers from the NGSS Teacher Leader Program, who provided them with the information and support needed to help them begin teaching the new science curriculum when they return to school in September.

Nearly 140 teachers in grades K to 12 attended this year's Summer Institute.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

NJ.com unveils its preseason Top 20. Scroll through the slideshow to see which team starts 2017 No. 1.

Who is back from NJ.com's postseason selections following the 2016 season?