Second suspect remained at large.

NEWARK -- Officers with the Newark police fugitive unit on Tuesday arrested a man wanted for robbing an auto repair shop at gunpoint in the city, authorities said.

Izaiyah Grissom, 32 (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

Izaiyah Grissom, 32, was charged with robbery, conspiracy and weapons offenses in the Aug. 6 holdup at Gibson Auto Works, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

Two men robbed the Runyon Street business around 12:45 p.m. before they escaped on foot, according to police. City detectives obtained a warrant to arrest Grissom in the holdup.

The second robber remained at large, Ambrose said. Anyone with information was urged to call the city'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).

Tips can also be submitted using the police division's smartphone app and website.

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

Police found stolen cash in man's sock, authorities say.

BLOOMFIELD -- Authorities on Wednesday identified the man arrested minutes after he allegedly robbed a Bloomfield bank.

Michael Restaino, 58, (Photo: Bloomfield Police Dept.) 

Michael Restaino, 58, of Toms River, went to a teller at the Broad Street PNC bank branch and said "give me your money," around 11:25 a.m. Tuesday, according to township police.

The teller handed over the cash and the thief fled on foot. There were no weapons used in the robbery.

Bloomfield Police Officer Bruce Calkin thwarted Restaino's getaway only minutes after the robbery, authorities said. When police stopped Restaino a short distance away from the bank on State Street, they recovered an estimated $1,450 in stolen cash in Restaino's sock.

Public Safety Director Samuel DeMaio commended Calkin's alertness and fellow officers for making the quick arrest.

Calkin, assigned to the community policing unit, was riding a three-wheel electric, elevated vehicle called the Sentinel Police Mobility Vehicle. The Sentinel allows an officer to be slightly elevated and ride on sidewalks, similar to how some departments use Segway patrols.

DeMaio called the Sentinel vehicle "a testament to the utilization of new technology in today's evolving methods in police work."

The department uses the Sentinel to patrol the town's downtown business district, DeMaio said.

Records show Restaino was held at the Essex County jail on a robbery charge.

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

Tyreane D. Tucker-Bowen 41 of Orange is accused of being the getaway driver for the robbery of an AT&T store in West Windsor.

TRENTON -- An Essex County woman charged with the robbery of an AT&T store in West Windsor earlier this month was a ringleader in the crime, authorities said Wednesday in court.

Tyreane Tucker-Bowen 

Tyreane D. Tucker-Bowen, 41, of Orange is accused of being the getaway driver for her codefendants, Gregory T. Smith and Benjamin Green, both of Philadelphia.

She was ordered detained pending trial in Mercer County Superior Court Wednesday.

Smith and Green were ordered detained earlier this month.

Police have said the trio robbed the AT&T store at the corner of Route 1 North and Washington Road on Aug. 8.

Officers responding to a robbery in progress arrived to find two men with duffel bags in the store, and ordered them to the ground and arrested them.

The officers also found two employees had been taken at gunpoint into the back storage room at closing time and were tied up with zip ties.

Meanwhile, Tucker-Bowen had fled the scene in an SUV when the cops arrived, police said.

One of the officers attempted to pull the car over, but she sped off leading police on a car chase until the car caught on fire "due to the extreme and intense driving."

After being arrested Tucker-Bowen told police "she had nothing to do with the crime." She said she had been in the parking lot of the store on her own "smoking weed" and fled when police arrived because she did not want to get caught with marijuana.

One of the codefendants told police, however, that Tucker-Bowen had driven them to the store and was the ring leader.

Tucker-Bowen has previous arrests in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. She faces robbery, kidnapping and eluding charges for the West Windsor crime.

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook 

NEWARK-- A 25-year-old city man was arrested in connection with a shooting last week that left another man wounded, police said. The 20-year-old victim arrived at University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot Aug. 22 near Hayes Street and 15th Avenue. The victim was treated and released. An investigation led to the arrest Tuesday of Kayron Caldwell on charges...

NEWARK-- A 25-year-old city man was arrested in connection with a shooting last week that left another man wounded, police said.

The 20-year-old victim arrived at University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot Aug. 22 near Hayes Street and 15th Avenue. The victim was treated and released.

An investigation led to the arrest Tuesday of Kayron Caldwell on charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He also faces a contempt charge in an unrelated matter.

In appreciation of the people who work hard.

The first job I had that involved a paycheck and time clock was at the Holiday Inn in Vineland.

I started in housekeeping, which involved a lot of vacuuming, trash emptying and window cleaning. The motel had a bar/nightclub, which was quite popular on Friday and Saturday nights. And, I was charged with cleaning up assorted messes left by folks after their night on the town.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

The bathrooms in the nightclub were, well, let's just say "interesting." The aftereffects of a night out could be found in and around the commodes, sinks and stalls. Lipstick messages, I found, were particularly difficult to clean off a mirror, especially when the chief housekeeper was expecting squeaky clean. And, the chief housekeeper always demanded squeaky clean bathroom facilities. Oh, and back then, we weren't issued protective gloves or facemasks.

I must say that that job was a valuable one. I gained a weekly paycheck, yes, but more importantly, I gained an appreciation for the people who work hard to make sure places we visit are clean and well-maintained.

Here's a gallery of working people in New Jersey, with a particular shout-out to those folks who have to work when everyone else is relaxing. And here are some more galleries of people at work in New Jersey from the past.

Vintage photos of jobs and workers in N.J.

Vintage photos of working people in N.J.

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

A group of clergy say the college's new president needs to be supported

NEWARK -- A group of clergy leaders is calling for an end to the political "shenanigans" they say is threatening Essex County College's accreditation and continuing its cycle of instability. 

On Thursday, the pastors plan to hold a press conference at the college expressing support for newly-appointed President Anthony Munroe -- the college's third leader in seven years.

The Rev. Ronald L. Slaughter, pastor of Saint James AME Church in Newark, said Munroe was being stymied by political interference from county leadership and certain officials at the school. 

"People I serve, people that live in the community, the minorities are the majority of this college," Slaughter said. "To jeopardize (the college) because of a political entourage that bleeds onto the administration, it is very unfair to the citizens of Essex County."

Slaughter and six other religious leaders sent Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., who appoints a majority of the college's Board of Trustee members, a letter on Aug. 25 outlining their concerns and frustration that Munroe's appointment of a new chief financial officer was rejected by the board earlier this month. 

"The stakes have never been higher," the letter said. "We cannot and will not sit idly until the truth of these shenanigans, which are designed to destabilize this president and his service to the community, finally reveal themselves and threaten this storied institution, which has served as a beacon for families of color across Essex County and beyond."

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the institution's accrediting agency, warned the college last year that its accreditation was in danger.

The Board of Trustees will approve a monitoring report for the commission during its meeting Thursday at 4 p.m. The report is due Friday and a team of Middle States investigators will then be sent to the college.

It's rare for a public institution to lose its accreditation. But if it does, students would no longer be eligible for federal student aid -- essentially shutting down the school. 

Essex County College enrolls about 15,000 students and in 2014-15, more than 8,000 federal Pell grants were awarded to low-income students. 

Board of Trustees President Bibi Taylor said the clergy letter was an "absolute segue to greater collaboration and a sign of support for the college."

"I am, however, dismayed that the information that they were given and conveyed in the letter was not accurate," she said. "The board is eager to have a qualified CFO, we have always asked the administration to present a qualified candidate in line with our pre-approved job description."

Munroe's pick for CFO, John Parker, was narrowly rejected in a 5-4 vote during an Aug. 2 meeting. 

"Some members had some concerns about the candidate of choice's background and experience and lack of credentials," Taylor, who voted against the CFO, said.

Among them was the fact that Parker was not a certified public accountant as required by the board-approved job description. Parker does hold a doctorate of business administration.

In July, Joyce Wilson Harley, the vice president of administration and finance, raised concerns over Munroe's hiring practices in a memo, alleging Munroe changed the job description for the CFO without board approval as required.

She alleged Munroe dropped the CPA requirement and changed the structure so the CFO would report directly to him instead of her, contrary to what was outlined in the board-approved job description.

But clergy leaders accused the board of caving to pressure from Harley, who they said wanted another candidate and lobbied members of the board to vote against the pick.

"In addition, we have been informed of other instances where similarly the Vice-President of Finance has inserted her wishes in defiance of the college president and in potential violation of the terms of the Middle States probation report," the clergy wrote. 

"We've got to give the president the people he wants he surrounds himself with," Slaughter said.

Harley was at one point favored by DiVincenzo to take over the college and clergy members say such backing gives her undue influence over the board and college matters.

DiVincenzo did not address claims of political interference but said in a statement: "We are in complete support of President Dr. Anthony Munroe and the Board of Trustees and look forward to them making Essex County College a model educational institution."

"The board wants Dr. Munroe and the college to be successful and we, too, look forward to a long tenure," Taylor said. "One of our overriding responsibilities is to evaluate and work through the president. There has to be a check and balance in the process."

Freeholder President Britnee Timberlake issued a letter to the Board of Trustees demanding a formal response to the clergy letter saying it would be a "travesty" and "social abomination" should the college lose its accreditation. 

The college's faculty also issued a "vote of confidence" in Munroe this week, saying they were in full support of the new president. 

Larry Nespoli, president of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, said not all CFOs are certified public accountants and that he's seen both institutions where the CFO reports to the president and where the CFO reports to another high-ranking administrator. 

But he added that it was "unusual" for a board of trustees to reject a senior staff recommendation so early into a president's tenure.

"A new president is hired, we like to hope for a bit of a honeymoon period. You hire a president you want to empower her or him," he said.

The press conference will take place outside the college's Newark campus at 3:30 p.m. The Board of Trustees will meet at 4 p.m. 

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

From north to south and everywhere in between, here are 50 of the H.S. football games we're most excited to see in 2017.

Are you ready for kickoff?

Which team will emerge as N.J.'s best? 22 can't-miss storylines

The strangulation murder trial of a Jersey City man who broke both legs leaping 40 feet from a highway bridge during a police pursuit will begin Tuesday.

JERSEY CITY -- The murder trial of a Jersey City man accused of strangling his girlfriend and then leaping 40 feet from a highway bridge during a police pursuit will begin Tuesday.

Nathan Williams III, 36, broke his legs and hip in the jump from a Newark overpass hours after authorities say he strangled Marilyn Albizu, the 33-year-old mother of his child, on June 17, 2014.

On the day of the homicide, police were dispatched to the couple's Old Bergen Road home where Albizu told an officer that Williams had assaulted her. She refused both medical attention and a restraining order but police issued a warrant for Williams' arrest, officials said at the time.

But when police returned for a welfare check around 6:30 p.m. that night, they found Albizu's body inside the home. A car chase ensued later that night when Williams was spotted driving a Cadillac Escalade with stolen license plates heading east on I-78, authorities said at the time.

Troopers pursued the vehicle north on the New Jersey Turnpike and onto I-280 west, before Williams bailed out and jumped off the overpass, police said, adding that a gun fell from his pocket during the fall.

Several weeks after Williams' apprehension Albizu's death was ruled a homicide whne an autopsy revealed she was strangled, leading to the charges against Williams, authorities said.

Williams faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder. He was also charged with weapons offenses related to firearms, including possession of a firearm by a felon. He has a prior conviction for drug possession within 1,000 feet of school property.

Williams is also charged with the federal offense of failing to have trigger locks on weapons found in the vehicle and on his person. Finally, he was charged in Essex County with attempting to elude police.

Jury selection begins Tuesday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Vincent Militello in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

Williams is represented by attorney James Lisa. Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor David Feldman will represent the state. 

Police say $50,000 worth of drugs seized from store.

NEWARK -- Essex County Sheriff's detectives seized 5,300 grams of synthetic marijuana in a raid at a deli in Newark, where they arrested the father and son store owners accused of peddling drugs, officials said Thursday.

A task force of county narcotics detectives, Bloomfield and Irvington police served a search warrant at Mike's Deli and Grocery on Bloomfield Avenue Wednesday, according to Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

Detectives found the synthetic pot, called K2, hidden throughout the store, along with drug packaging materials and $376, the sheriff said. The drugs carry an estimated street value of about $50,000.

Maher Aldabbas, 55, of Clifton, his son, Mouhammed Aldabbas, 27, of Newark, who own the store, and their employee, Ronald Piacenza, 47, of Belleville were arrested at the scene, according to the sheriff.

The father and son were charged with various drug distribution-related offenses, authorities said. Piacenza was held on a prior drug charge.

Newark has seen a recent surge in medical calls for people becoming sick from using synthetic marijuana. Many of the drug's users are from the city's homeless population, Fontoura said.

"These manufactured drugs affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana and their effects are unpredictable and, in some cases, severe or even life-threatening," the sheriff added.

At least a dozen people were sickened by the drug last week in the state's largest city. Officials called in emergency medical units from other towns to help respond to the calls.

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

Victor Cirilo is expected to be sworn in as the new executive director of the Newark Housing Authority.

NEWARK -- The state's largest public housing agency may soon have a new leader. 

The Newark Housing Authority is expected to hire Victor Cirilo, a West Orange resident and director of the Housing Authority for the city of Passaic, as its new executive director.

Charles Bell, chairman for the Board of Commissioners, confirmed to NJ Advance Media that the board will vote on Cirilo's appointment during a special meeting Wednesday. 

"I was mostly impressed by him by the employment opportunities that he would provide for Newark residents," Bell said. 

He said he liked Cirilo's experience improving rental vacancy rates and rent collection rates. 

"I'm more than happy to know that we have gone through the process and we are prepared to move in a whole different direction," Bell said. 

If confirmed, Cirilo, who led the Passaic housing authority for 10 years, will replace Keith Kinard, who left the Newark agency in July. 

Kinard served as the Newark Housing Authority director for 11 years but the board voted not to renew his contract earlier this year saying they wanted to move in a "different direction." Though Kinard's contract expired Sept. 26, he left the agency nearly two months earlier. 

Kinard earned $222,721 a year. Bell said Cirilo's contract and salary has not yet been finalized, Bell said. 

Cirilo also serves as a councilman in West Orange and was a former chief of staff for Assemblyman John McKeon. He was born in El Salvador. When reached Thursday, Cirilo declined to comment citing the ongoing personnel matter. 

The special meeting will take place Wednesday at 5 p.m. 

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

Xanax, oxycodone also seized in traffic stop, according to police.

NEWARK -- Police seized a loaded handgun and drugs from a motorcyclist who was caught racing with a dirt bike in Newark late Wednesday, authorities said.

City police spotted the motorcycle and dirt bike racing eastbound on Clinton Avenue around 9:20 p.m., according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. The motorcycle ran a red light and swerved into oncoming traffic.

The motorcyclist, Charles Taylor, 29, ignored commands to pull over before he was arrested near Clinton and Avon avenues, police said.

Taylor was caught with a .45 caliber handgun, 23 Xanax pills and 12 oxycodone pills, the public safety director said in a statement. The East Orange resident was charged with various drug and weapons offenses. Police said Taylor was also issued traffic summonses.

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

Shooting occurred Thursday afternoon.

NEWARK -- Police shot a suspect in Newark's South Ward Thursday afternoon after he fled an officer in a carjacked BMW, authorities confirmed.

The shooting occurred near South 11th Street and Avon Avenue, according to city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, who said the suspect was taken to University Hospital.

A city police officer spotted a carjacked BMW around 4 p.m. and tried to stop the stolen vehicle, said Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino. 

The BMW took off, but soon stopped near Avon Avenue and South 11th Street, according to authorities.

"At this point, the suspect attempted to still elude the officers and in the course of attempting to arrest the suspect, one officer discharged his weapon striking the suspect," Laurino said in a statement.

The BMW was taken at gunpoint earlier Thursday near Sherman Avenue and Stanton Street in Newark, according to a law enforcement source. Police briefly pursued the BMW before the shooting.

The stolen car was on a sidewalk on South 11th street, with a marked Newark police SUV directly behind it and next to a stopped SUV. 

City police and Essex County Sheriff's officers blocked several streets in the area as onlookers initially gathered near the scene.

Meanwhile, the suspect was initially listed in critical condition at the hospital, according to the source. 

Authorities did not immediately release the name of the suspect, who was identified only as a male. 

Last Thursday, a county sheriff's detective shot and killed a man who authorities said robbed a bank and was armed with a weapon near the Orange train station. 

Anyone with information can call the prosecutor's office Professional Standards Bureau at 862-520-3700.

State guidelines require county prosecutor's offices to investigate all incidents where an officer fires a weapon. 

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

Essex County College is up against a deadline to show its accrediting agency it is meeting the agency's standards.

NEWARK -- Clergy leaders on Thursday denounced what they called a culture of political interference permeating Essex County College, as well as threatening its accreditation and ability to stay open.

"The social conditions at this college are causing students and faculty to live in an earthly hell," the Rev. Ronald L. Slaughter, pastor at Saint James AME Church in Newark, said at a press conference. "It's ridiculous that we are trying to get over the low hurdle of keeping accreditation."

The outcry comes a day before the school must show its accrediting agency how far it's come since a series of high-profile firings and financial probes rocked the college over the past year.

Faith leaders from across the county said administrators and college trustees put in place by Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr., were standing in the way of reforms pushed by college President Anthony Munroe, who was unanimously appointed by the board in May.

At the press conference and at a Board of Trustees meeting afterward, the clergymen demanded the resignations of the entire board and of Joyce Wilson Harley, the college's vice president of administration and finance. They also called upon the state Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the institution's finances.

"Many of you have to go," Bishop Jethro James, Jr., of Paradise Baptist Church in Newark, told the board. "Your alliance and allegiance is not to this community. It is not to the people that we serve, but it is to a political boss."

DiVincenzo said in a statement that he believes in the board of trustees and in Munroe, whom he said he has met with to talk about resources the college needs. 

"Although I nominate members to the board of trustees, I have never interfered with college business. ... This is a landmark institution that has nurtured the American Dream for generations of students," DiVincenzo said. "It cannot and will not fail." 

Fighting for accreditation

The board unanimously adopted a monitoring report due Friday to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which accredits area colleges. The commission will then send investigators to the college to verify what's in the report.

The school, which serves about 15,000 mostly black and Latino students, has to prove it is meeting three accreditation standards: institutional resources, leadership and governance, and student admission and retention.

Colleges rarely lose accreditation, which comes with the loss of federal student aid. Essex County College students received more than 8,000 federal Pell grants for low-income students in the 2014-15 school year. If the students lose federal aid, the school likely would have to shut its doors. 

Trustee Safanya Searcy at the meeting stressed Middle States had put the college on warning, and not on probation. 

"When an institution is placed on warning, a commission typically does so because they believe that while we may not necessarily be in compliance, there is, in fact, some sort of evidence that shows we can, indeed, become compliant," she said. 

Lack of a CFO

Board members also raised concerns about the college's lack of a chief financial officer, after Munroe's pick for the position, John Parker, was rejected in a 5-4 vote earlier this month. 

Bibi Taylor, the board's president, has said some trustees were concerned about Parker's experience and credentials. She said Thursday the board had an obligation to promote from within and to choose an Essex County resident if there were a qualified candidate. 

Thomas McDermott, an appointee of Gov. Chris Christie, said he expects someone to fill the CFO position in either a temporary or a permanent capacity before Middle States investigators arrive on campus in October. 

"I think Dr. Munroe ... is moving along very quickly," McDermott said. "The recommendation, I'm hoping, will come forward in our September meeting so we get this behind us and move forward and get us on a financial road that's successful." 

Wilson Harley, who previously raised concerns about Munroe's hiring practices, took the microphone from the audience to say she had interviewed Parker and found him unworthy of the job.

"I gave very clear and very pungent reasons why that person was not fit to serve here at ECC," Harley said. "The search has been open again. ... I look forward to seeing the candidates that come forth now."

Harley had alleged Munroe changed the job description for CFO to drop a requirement that he be a certified public accountant and to make it so he would report directly to Munroe, instead of to her, in opposition to the language in the board-approved job description.

Munroe closed the meeting by reading a statement saying he did not come to Newark from Chicago, where his wife and two children still live, to let Essex County College fail. He acknowledged the school faces serious challenges and said he was working on long-term solutions.

"You hired me to do a job," Munroe said. "Allow me to do my job." 

The next board of trustees meeting is scheduled for Sept. 19. 

Staff reporter Karen Yi contributed to this report. 

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

After five years, the city of Newark and Essex County government have decided to fix an ankle deep hole in a sidewalk when both initially disagreed that they were responsible for the repair.

The ankle-deep, sloping hole in the sidewalk is smack dab between two curb cut outs and uneven chunks of concrete.

It's been there so long - at least five years - that grass has grown underneath the sidewalk at the corner of Parkview Terrace and Lyons Avenue in Newark.

No one seemed to notice it until Ronice Bruce, the new executive director of the South Ward Special Improvement District, came across the hazard in March when she was making her rounds, checking on the needs of the neighborhood.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

This was a need and it should have been addressed long before Bruce became the executive director nearly two years ago. But Bruce soon learned this was one problem that wasn't going to be solved easily.

Newark's engineering department told her staff that the repair was the responsibility of Essex County government, explaining that the "point of tangent,'' where the concrete is broken at the curb, places the repair in Essex County's lap. Lyons Avenue is a county road.

Ronice Bruce, executive director of the South Ward Special Improvement District, looks at the ankle-deep hole at Lyons Avenue and Parkview Terrace. The hole in the sidewalk has been like this for five years when a tree fell in 2012. Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger 

Bruce then had her staff check with the county and, well, you probably know what happened. Its engineering department disagreed, kicking the issue back to the city.

"We're kind of in this standstill,'' Bruce said.

She figured her organization, which generates economic activity and community development in the ward, could take care of it with its limited budget. But the estimated cost, $6,700, represented money the SID could use for other neighborhood improvements. Bruce said the board of trustees became concerned about liability issues and the possibility property owners in the district would question why paying for the curb repair was more important than other needs in the ward.

"We didn't want to be put in a precarious situation where someone felt we weren't utilizing funds from our stake holders the proper way,'' Bruce said.

So, her board backed off. Months went by. But Bruce was smiling again this week. I called the city and explained the situation. Then I called the county and it checked into the matter.

When the city called back, Frank Baraff, Newark's communication director, said the sidewalk would be repaired in two weeks. Then, not knowing the city's response, Anthony Puglisi, spokesperson for the county, called to say the county would make the repair next week.

"You better shut your mouth,'' Bruce said.

Translation: OMG. She couldn't believe it when I delivered the good news on Wednesday. Remember, she started this inquiry in March.

Baraff said the city had plans to fix the sidewalk, but the repair was delayed when Gov. Chris Christie ordered a shut down last year of all road projects in the state until the state's depleted Transportation Trust Fund received a new source of revenue to pay for construction work. The freeze, which ended in March, prevented cities and towns from doing road and infrastructure repairs.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said the county will take care of the damaged sidewalk, even though, he said, it's not the county's responsibility. The county is responsible for work from curb to curb. This issue is on the sidewalk, but Di Vincenzo said fixing it is the best thing for the community.

"When we learned of the unsafe condition of the sidewalk at the corner of Lyons Avenue and Parkview Terrace, we knew it had to be addressed. "Enhancing our residents' quality of life has been an ongoing priority of my administration, he said.

So, how did the hole get there? Baraff said a large tree was removed at that location. He's not sure when, because there are no records of tree removal on file. The city hasn't had a tree manager for several years and the tree department didn't resume keeping records until 2014.

 MORE CARTER: Unsightly wires plague Newark neighborhood

On Google maps, a 2012 street view image shows a huge tree sitting between the curb cut outs. It was in an odd place, inches from the intersection.

Phillip Gilmore, president of the SID board of trustees, said the tree roots may have weakened from rain water that routinely backs up when the sewer drains are clogged.

The hole sat there that long, with people stepping around it, but sometimes on the elevated, jagged slab of concrete. Luckily no one lost their footing.

"Obviously, it's a hazard. It's a challenge because this is an area where you have a lot of seniors,'' said Gilmore, who is also pastor of St.  John's Community Baptist Church.

The SID organization now has more help than it imagined.

And an extra $6,700, too.

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

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

BLOOMFIELD -- Cara and Finnegan are 4-month-old kittens that should be adopted together in the care of A Purrfect World Rescue. Volunteers say they have been overlooked at adoption events in favor of smaller kittens. Both are playful and get along very well with other cats. Cara and Finnegan have been spayed/neutered, are FIV/FeLV negative and up-to-date on shots. For...

Cara and Finnegan 

BLOOMFIELD -- Cara and Finnegan are 4-month-old kittens that should be adopted together in the care of A Purrfect World Rescue.

Volunteers say they have been overlooked at adoption events in favor of smaller kittens. Both are playful and get along very well with other cats. Cara and Finnegan have been spayed/neutered, are FIV/FeLV negative and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Cara and Finnegan, call Kristina at 201-965-9586, email info@apurrfectworld.org or go to apurrfectworld.org. A Purrfect World is a nonprofit group in Bloomfield that places stray and abandoned cats in permanent homes and is currently caring for more than 100 felines.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email ghatala@starledger.com.

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

Looking in on the training camps at South Hunterdon, Rumson-Fair Haven, Irvington and St. Joseph (Mont.)

We're getting very close now.  

Twenty-two games kick off the unofficial opening weekend of football, Aug. 31-Sept. 2 - so-called Week 0. A week later, over 150 games will fill Week 1 in the official start of high school football in N.J.

MORE: Complete football preview

NJ Advance media was given tremendous photo access to four teams in various parts of the state as they battled the August heat in training camp, getting ready for their seasons: South Hunterdon, Rumson-Fair Haven, Irvington and St. Joseph (Mont.).

We grabbed the 48 best of those pics for the photo gallery at the top of this story, but click the team names above for a closer look at those teams' camp sights.

NJ.com's football took a crack at predicting this season's standout stars best teams.

The investigation into the incident that sickened at least 10 people is ongoing, police said.

NEWARK -- The scene last week sounded all too familiar -- a large group of people in Newark all simultaneously falling ill. The culprit, police say, was another batch of K2, also known as synthetic marijuana. For at least the second time this year, at least 10 people were sickened by a potent round of the drug making its way around the city.

Local authorities say they are attacking the issue, announcing Friday morning 13 arrests made during a continuing probe into last week's K2 incident.

"This is an ongoing investigation," Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said of the arrests, which he said were made through a concentrated joint effort between the police department and Essex County Prosecutor's Narcotics Task Force.

"Through our combined efforts with our law enforcement partners, we are making significant progress in identifying those responsible for the manufacture and distribution of K2 in our city."

Over the past three weeks, Ambrose said the following people had been arrested in connection with the incident:

• Newark residents Hans Vincent, 39, on possession and intent to distribute charges, and Evandrea Johnson, 30, and Kadeem Robinson, 26, on possession of K2 charges, were all arrested near Market Street and Raymond Plaza East.
• On Park Place, Brett Morris, 30, Howard Wighams, 37, and Noble Harris, 36, all of Newark, on distribution and other drug-related charges
• Ian Shipman, 22, and Sharon Hall, 31, both of Newark, on distribution and other drug charges, and Victor Raymonds, 28, of Newark, on possession of K2 charges
• Four other people were arrested on drug charges not related to K2 during the course of the operation.

On Aug. 21, police said at least 10 people spread in various locations across the city had been sickened by K2. In April, more than three dozen were. Several arrests were made after the April incident, as well.

According to the CDC, synthetic marijuana is not marijuana at all, but plant material sprayed with laboratory-produced chemicals.

New Jersey was the fourth state in the nation to ban synthetic marijuana in 2012, but authorities warn its many varieties remain widely available.

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