The 14-year-old who was beaten in the hallway of her school is planning to speak to classmates in a string of assemblies this month about her experience as a transgender student.

NEWARK -- The 14-year-old who was beaten in the hallway of her school is planning to speak to classmates during a string of assemblies this month about her experience as a transgender student.

Kylie Perez, a freshman, was attacked last week by classmates in the hallway at East Side High School. She spent her Monday morning in meetings with her mom, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and school officials, where they discussed how to move forward.

Perez was kicked and punched on Tuesday by one aggressor, and seven total students in ranging grades were ultimately suspended.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office said Monday that no decision had been made on whether anyone would be charged. The incident is being investigated as an "alleged bias crime," Kathy Carter, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office said.

Some of the students filmed it instead of trying to stop it and were suspended, Vice Principal of Culture and Climate Carlos Rodriguez said.

The students will have hearings this week to determine longterm placement and disciplinary measures, according to a statement from Newark Public Schools.

"The Newark Public Schools and School Board stand with our LGBTQ students and staff, and the entire Newark Community, in condemning the heinous and discriminatory acts that occurred at East Side High School last week," the district said.

The school is planning a series of assemblies about tolerance, featuring Perez as the keynote speaker, and will give additional training about the subject to staff and students, Principal Mario Santos said Monday.

"The question is, how do we educate these young people," Santos said.

This week is the statewide "Week of Respect" and lessons are offered the month of October for anti-bullying month. The Newark Board of Education also adopted a resolution last week to have a dedicated staff member trained to be a support person for LGBTQ students, the district said in the statement.

Kylie said she is eager to get back to school and to her normal schedule. She's planning on attending a rally later Monday outside of the school, organized by Newark Gay Pride.

"We're a very open-minded school and we always have been," Santos said. "We're a school of tolerance, a school of love."

Kylie told those gathered Monday that she wasn't so much concerned about what happened in school as she was outside of school. Her mom suggested she take different routes on the way home to avoid conflict.

School officials assured them they would do everything they could on their "watch" to keep her safe, and brainstormed setting up check-in points on each of the floors of the building she could go if need be.

"I just don't know what to do," Kylie's mom, Lillian Richards, emotionally told school administrators. "She's my princess."

Kylie and her mom walked away from their meetings Monday with literature about local support groups and the resources the school would offer as well as a rolodex of new phone numbers for people they could call for support.

"I'm sorry this happened, but it gives us an opportunity to address what we need to address," Baraka said.

NJ Advance Media reporter Jessica Mazzola contributed to this report. 

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

The revered rock frontman was energized and sharp in Newark back in June

Tom Petty, the revered rock troubadour who fronted the Heartbreakers, jammed with the Traveling Wilburys and found global success as a solo star, has died, according to multiple news reports. He was 66.

TMZ reports Petty was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at his Malibu, Calif. home Sunday night. After Petty exhibited no brain activity, the decision was made Monday to take the Florida native off life support. 

The news is, of course, tragic for rock fans, but it's particularly jarring considering how well and energized Petty seemed at Prudential Center back in June, as he and the Heartbreakers played a booming, hit-filled set to a sold-out crowd in Newark.

Here is the review in full, with set list in what unfortunately turned out to be one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's final performances. 

NEWARK -- As far as Tom Petty is concerned, drummer Steve Ferrone is still "the new guy." 

"He's only been in the band for 24 years," the frontman jabbed Friday night in Newark (Ferrone replaced original pounder Stan Lynch in 1994).

How else have the Heartbreakers changed? Founding bassist Ron Blair returned in 2002, plus an extra rhythm guitarist in Scott Thurston was added in 1991. 

Otherwise the revered Florida group has been a model of consistency since the mid-'70s heartland boom, rarely straying from its original arena-twang sound and maintaining an equally stable fan base across four decades of rock n' roll. 

And throughout the spring the band has celebrated its 40th anniversary the only way the six-piece knows how: trotting through a list of hits and time-tested fan favorites, which thrilled a sold-out Prudential Center audience for two hours Friday. 

The band's second round-year roadshow hasn't tied on the same bells and whistles as the band's 30th ann'y roadshow in 2006 -- when Stevie Nicks was traveling with the group and Pearl Jam was opening -- but on the simplistic stage Petty was affable and sharp, the band was game for its greatest hits playlist and a few extended jams showed a strain of spontaneity still pumping through the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary tour at Prudential Center in Newark, June 16, 2017. (Mark Brown | For NJ.com) 

"Tonight we are gonna look at the last 40 years like it's one side of a big record, and drop the needle all over it," said Petty, donning his patented suit, flopping hairdo and sunglasses-at-night look. 

As one would expect, the Petty solo rock smashes (these days relegated to adult contemporary radio) "Free Fallin'" and "I Won't Back Down" were sweeping sing-alongs, but the band showed more life on the lesser-played stuff, like 1982's synthy Foreigner-esque jam "You Got Lucky" -- a smart sonic break from all the straightaway guitar songs -- and "Forgotten Man," a punchy number from 2014's well-received latest LP "Hypnotic Eye.

A large screen blasted vintage photos and designs behind the band, and about 150 globular lights strung above the stage dropped and moved in waves, perhaps taking notes from an almost identical prop setup the Red Hot Chili Peppers employed earlier this year. 

A three-song set from Petty's second solo album "Wildflowers" was a bit dull, but the crunchy blues-rock of "I Should Have Known It" and the power of "Refugee" amped the crowd through the encore, of course culminating with the "oh yeah! alright!" of closer "American Girl." Petty's nasal Dylan-y drawl sounds as it did a generation ago, guitarist Mike Campbell still shreds. No complaints here. 

Guitar noble, former Eagle and Montclair High School graduate "class of 1965" Joe Walsh opened the show with a string of searing solos and a powerful eight-piece band at his back. The crowd went wild for a cover of the Eagles' "Take it to the Limit," dedicated to the late Glenn Frey, and Walsh's own classic "Rocky Mountain Way."

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' set list 

June 16, 2017 -- Prudential Center, Newark 

• "Rockin' Around (With You)"
• "Mary Jane's Last Dance"
• "You Don't Know How It Feels"
• "Forgotten Man"
• "You Got Lucky"
• "I Won't Back Down"
• "Free Fallin'"
• "Walls"
• "Don't Come Around Here No More"
• "It's Good to Be King"
• "Crawling Back to You"
• "Wildflowers"
• "Learning to Fly"
• "Yer So Bad"
• "I Should Have Known It"
• "Refugee"
• "Runnin' Down a Dream"
• Encore:
• "You Wreck Me"
• "American Girl"

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

Kylie Perez, 14, was beaten last week in the hallway of East Side High School.

NEWARK -- After a whirlwind of attention following an attack at East Side High School, transgender teen Kylie Perez and her mom sat on their couch Monday night, reviewing the plan for her return to school full time on Tuesday.

In the week since the hallway beating captured on video, Kylie, 14, and her mom say they have gained new friends, resources and networks of support, but they still fear for the teen's safety.

Kylie said she plans to address those concerns in a speech to her fellow students at East Side High School in a series of assemblies that will address tolerance.

"I'm not going let it fade away," Kylie said Monday. "I'm going to make sure that people know that trans lives, every life matters."

She said she'll speak directly to the "haters."

"You can have your opinion and I'll have mine, too," Kylie said. "You don't have to bring me down."

She said also she'll tell fellow students the truth about what happened, after rumors about the motive for the attack spread through the school. Kylie said she put a video on Snapchat of a boy who was showing her attention.

After she shared the video, Kylie said the boy attacked her in the school hallway as a girl yelled, "there's the tranny."

Kylie's mom, Lillian Richards, will take her to school Tuesday and pick her up at the end of the day. She wants to be near her daughter entering and leaving school to try to prevent another attack, she said.

Richards says she'll likely wait out the day, hoping she's not called to pick Kylie up again, like she was on Thursday, Kylie's first attempt at going to school two days after the attack, when an alleged threat was made against her daughter.

"I'm not going to let anyone come and hurt her again," Richards said.

Seven students from various grade levels were suspended following the attack pending a school review. There was one aggressor, Vice Principal of Culture and Climate Carlos Rodriguez said.

Dozens of people from the LGBT community rallied outside of East Side High School in support of Kylie on Monday afternoon, hours after she and her mom met with Newark's mayor and school administrators to discuss the incident.

"We're here to make sure the community knows, that Kylie knows, and the quiet students around her know, that they can live their true selves," Newark Gay Pride President Sharronda "Love" Wheeler said.

The rally was swarmed by students who had just gotten out of school. Members of different facets of the LGBTQ community began to speak, before Kylie and her mom ultimately arrived. They all embraced, prayed and posed for photographs.

Posters of drawn peace signs hung from the windows of the high school across the street from the rally.

"I am not disposable," Juliana Moraes, who works with LBGTQ in Manhattan said, as she emotionally spoke of being bullied when she was younger. "Please be more tolerant. We're human beings."

The school will partner with non-profit, GLSEN, to give additional training to staff and students as well as develop anti-bullying policies.

The two will work to relaunch the school's LGBT/GSA club, a spokeswoman for the organization said.

The school is currently taking part in the statewide "Week of Respect" and lessons are offered the month of October for anti-bullying month.

Just last week, the Newark Board of Education adopted a resolution to have a dedicated support staff member for LGBTQ students.

Administrators have assured Kylie and her mother that they'll do everything in their power to keep the freshman safe while she's at school.

"We want Kylie to know she is safe at East Side High School," Newark Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Robert Gregory said. "We want her to focus on her education and we really are ready to do anything and everything to make it comfortable for her."

In the days to come, Kylie said she'll work on the speech she's going to give to her fellow classmates and decide what she's going to say. She said she is nervous to speak to her fellow students because people are "ignorant."

"I might be on the stage and somebody goes, 'you're a liar,' and I have a feeling that's going to happen because people, you know, they do things to entertain and that's not funny to me," Kylie said. "If you're not interested and you're going to bash something that's important, you shouldn't even go."

Officials from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said Monday they haven't yet decided whether to bring any charges. The incident is being investigated as an "alleged bias crime," Kathy Carter, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office said.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips. 

Newark girls who play football in the city are leaving their mark on the field, and one of them has made history by being the first to earn a spot on a high school team.

Deanna Guzman was looking to have a memorable senior year at Newark Collegiate Academy.

No girl had ever made the school's football team. One tried two years in row, but couldn't cut it.

"I've gotta leave my print,'' Deanna said. She told this to her mother, Alashia Brown, meaning she had to leave her mark and go for it this summer.

"There are some females I know who aspire to be a football player but are afraid to try out."

Deanna, a Newark resident, knew her attempt was big, but not role-model big after she made the team.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

She's the quiet one, a studious and kind 18-year-old young lady, who reads books about brain function and socioeconomic conditions in urban communities. Fiction and non-fiction, too.

"I'm kind of geeky,'' she said.

No. She's an offensive tackle, who has started a trend at the charter school and garnered the attention of young players in Newark Pop Warner Football.

Deanna Guzman, an offensive tackle for Newark Collegiate Academy, is the first girl to earn a spot on the school's football team.Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger 

"I have on a daily basis, a number of female students coming to me saying, 'Coach I can play football just as well,' '' said NCA coach Darrin Davis.

Look for another female student, Alexis Littlejohn, 14, to give it a shot next year.

 "She (Deanna) is definitely an inspiration,'' the eager freshman said.

"The physical part doesn't bother me. I'm used to it,'' Alexis said. Her cousin, Semaj Everett of Newark, is a linebacker for Howard University who tackled her often when they tossed the ball around growing up.

But seeing Deanna in shoulder pads, wearing No. 51, sealed it for Alexis. If they can handle the contact, Davis said, he doesn't mind having girls try out. He knew Deanna, 5-feet-8 and 205 pounds, could hang. She likes to work out, and box, too.

Davis has seen her bench press 150 pounds and win the state shot put championship on the school's track and field team that he coaches. She never complains, he said, even when she experiences shooting pain periodically from a serious injury she suffered in a car accident on her 13^th birthday.

A speeding motorist struck Deanna while she was on her way to middle school. Her right shoulder and arm are held together with wires; a rod from her left knee, is connected to her hip.  She had to learn how to walk again.

"She's probably one of the hardest workers on the team,'' Davis said.

It showed during a week-long intensive football camp when she tried out. The team stayed at the school, sleeping in the gymnasium. Deanna went home each night, returning at 5:30 a.m. to be ready for camp at 6 a.m.

"When I saw her getting out of the car, I'm like, 'Whoa!, this is for real,' '' said Abdul Nashid, 18, the team captain and quarterback. "That made an impression on me.''

The fellas are all in with her as a teammate.  Deanna doesn't make excuses, running laps like everybody else if she makes a mistake.

And she's not afraid to get hit or mix it up, said Kamil Vickers, a 16-year-old, 300-pound tackle.

"For a guy like me to go up against Deanna, she goes down and gets right back up,'' he said. "She's like a ball of energy. That's the kind of thing teams need nowadays.''

Your print, your impact, is more like a crater.

 "I can't believe this kid,'' her mother said. "It's still overwhelming to know that your daughter has opened the door.''

News of her accomplishment has trickled down to younger players, too.

Madison Jacobs, 12, had already heard about Deanna when I told told her that a girl earned a spot on a Newark high school team.

"She goes to NCA,'' Madison said.

 Yeah, but guess what. Deanna is impressed with Madison, and the six other girls - ages 7 to 13 - who play Newark Pop Warner Football.

"Little kids, especially females, that play football. That's dope,'' Deanna said. "I didn't know that.''

Madison has been playing four years with the Jackie Robinson Bears, and can't get enough of the sport. She's up by 5 a.m. for 9 a.m. games and will forego social events so she won't miss practice.

A diehard Giants fan, she even has her mother, Avia Jacobs, watching NFL games. Last week, she played against her brother, Javon Swain, 10.  He's a member of the South Ward Bulldogs, and said Madison inspired him to play.

"She's a real good player,'' he said.

Her teammates, agree, seeing her improvement each year, noticing that she hits hard, too. It never occurred to Madison that she couldn't play, sidestepping skepticism to become a starter.

"They didn't think I could tackle or run fast, but I showed them,'' said Madison, a defensive end and offensive tackle in the Pee Wee Division.

Zanyah Graves, 12, doesn't care what boys think. Her mindset on the Bears: "If they try to get rough, I get rough right back,'' the first-year player said. Briana Earving, her junior varsity teammate, is in her second year and just as determined.

"I'm showing the boys that girls can do what they can do,'' said Briana, 13.

MORE CARTER: Newark residents concerned about homeless shelter for veterans

 That's Deanna's goal.

 "You can't (go to) sleep on the females,'' she said.

 After four games, she's played in two but is unfortunately going to miss a few.

Deanna has been experiencing recurring pain after her four wisdom teeth were removed last year. An infection was treated, but she still has migraine headaches.

She's scheduled to see a neurologist on Wednesday for a spinal tap procedure. Deanna is calm about it, offering a glimpse of her spirituality.

"I pray every day,'' she said.

 Should it turn out that she's away from the team longer, Deanna will miss football but she is okay with that.

"My print is being a role model for the young ladies I leave behind,'' she said.

She marched off the field Saturday, smiling with Panther pride, high stepping next to the band.

NCA won its homecoming game.

Deanna won, too. Everyone will remember the history she made in her senior year.

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

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

The fallout from the release of dash cam footage of the police response to a fireworks celebration in Maplewood last year is growing, and has now led to the police chief's ouster and a federal lawsuit.

The now-19-year-old can't fully extend her arm and has arthritis in her elbow

ESSEX COUNTY -- A middle school student who broke her elbow and arm when she tripped over a wire cable on an outdoor path during gym class has been awarded $6 million in her lawsuit against the Irvington board of education, according to a report. 

Destinee Dickens, then in eighth grade, and her classmates were on a paved path leading from the Union Avenue Middle School to an athletic field when she was injured on Oct. 4, 2011, NJLawJournal.com reported.

The cable ran across the path, held up by posts on both sides, to keep vehicles from driving onto the fields, the report said. It was 18 inches off the ground at its lowest point.

Man who slipped on ice in lot settles suit

Dickens' right shoe got caught when she attempted to leap over it, the report said. Now 19, she has had three operations, developed arthritis in her left elbow and is unable to fully extend her left arm, the report said. 

The five-day trial ended Sept. 18.

The jury found Dickens 25 percent liable for the fall and reduced her $8 million award to $6 million, NJLawJournal.com said.

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

City officials and business leaders hope the Mulberry Commons near Prudential Center will anchor a section of downtown Newark

NEWARK -- After more than a decade of conceptualizing, negotiating, planning and  design work, a new $10 million park intended to unify disparate locations in downtown Newark finally had a groundbreaking Monday.

Officials say the 3-acre Mulberry Commons park on Mulberry Street, and across from the Prudential Center arena, will provide a focal point and public gathering space for an underdeveloped section of the downtown just northwest of Newark Penn Station.

The park, designed by Sage and Coombe Architects, will include landscaped and tree-shaded lawns, walkways and seating, plantings, a pavilion and a fountain for children and families to enjoy. 

It is envisioned as the centerpiece of a new community of residences and businesses that will generate more than 5,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, city officials have said.

Once known as Triangle Park, the land is being developed in a public-private partnership that includes the City of Newark, the Devils NHL hockey team, Prudential Center arena, developers J&L Companies and Edison Properties, which also operates the ParkFast parking lots that occupy much of the neighborhood's still-undeveloped property.

Officials hope to build a pedestrian bridge from Penn Station to the park, a separate project estimated to cost $30 million that the park's development is not dependent on.

A groundbreaking for the park had been anticipated for at least as far back as Spring 2016. But Mayor Ras Baraka and other officials said finalizing details among the project's multiple participants had pushed back the start date, making Monday's event all the more welcome.

"Look, man, 10 years of fussing and not doing anything, I was frustrated myself," Baraka said after the event, when he and a dozen city officials and business leaders donned hard hats and shoveled a ceremonial mound of dirt. "When there are so many parties, you're always going to get that."   

The ceremony was hosted by Carmelo Garcia, a former state assemblyman who had been director of real estate for the Newark Economic and Community Development Corporation. Garcia, who now serves as acting deputy mayor for economic development, said the park would be completed by Oct. 1, 2018.

The groundbreaking was attended by Devils President Hugh Weber, who told a crowd of more then 100 onlookers, "we look forward to many, many years and generations enjoying the space."

Edison Properties Chief Operating Officer Ben Feigenbaum said the park would serve as a "conduit" between Penn Station and the arena, and would spur development of the surrounding neighborhood south of Mulberry Street and west of Market, where Edison Properties is now investing $80 million to redevelop a 1907 warehouse into a business center.

One of the park's biggest proponents was Edison Properties co-founder Jerome Gottesman, a well-known developer and philanthropist, who died last month.

"For decades, courting and keeping businesses in Newark was an uphill battle due to the city's perceived shortcomings," Gottesman wrote in an op-ed published on NJ.com in April. "Today, we count ourselves amongst a growing group making huge investments based on a firm belief in Newark's future."

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

Check out the top high school players from this past weekend.

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See which players stood out in each of N.J.'s 15 conference this past week.

NJ Advance Media ranks all the counties with D1 women's soccer players.

Sebelius took the stand in the senator's ongoing federal bribery trial.

NEWARK -- Federal prosecutors Tuesday called Kathleen Sebelius, the former secretary of Health and Human Services, as a witness in the bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez.

Sebelius, a former governor of Kansas who later helmed HHS from 2009 to 2014, is the only cabinet secretary named in the 18-count indictment on which Menendez is standing trial along with Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist.

Prosecutors have alleged Menendez met with Sebelius on Melgen's behalf in an attempt to resolve the doctor's $8.9 million Medicare billing dispute.

'Legal Pampers': Judge's spicy quotes from trial

The government said Melgen overbilled that amount by charging Medicare for each dose of medication extracted from a single vial.

When she met with Menendez, the indictment states, Sebelius told the senator the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS "was not going to pay for the same vial of medicine twice."

The indictment also says she told Menendez she had no influence in Melgen's billing dispute because it was in the administrative appeals process.

Sebelius, who resigned her cabinet post in April 2014, now operates Sebelius Resources, a consulting firm based in Lawrence, Kansas.

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

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached by email at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto.

Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Transportation Security Administration is requiring fliers to take laptops, tablets and other electronic devices larger than a cell phone out of their bags for screening

NEWARK -- Transportation security officials say terrorists have gotten savvier at disguising bombs as electronic components, so airport screeners are now taking a closer look at laptops, tablets and other devices before allowing them onto planes.

On Monday, Transportation Security Administration officials at Newark Liberty International Airport invited reporters to have a look at new screening rules and procedures.

For one thing, passengers are now being asked to remove laptop or notebook computers, tablets, video game consoles and other electronic devices larger than a cell phone from their cases and place them into bins to be X-rayed individually, separate from the other contents of carry-on bags.

"Because of the components inside, there's a lot of opportunity to artfully conceal (a a bomb) within that device," said Thomas Carter, the TSA's federal screening director for New Jersey, or top agency official in the state, since 2014.

By making passengers remove their devices from computer cases or carry-ons, Carter said, screeners "can target the specific item that that officer identified because there's going to be less clutter in the bag."

The new rule, which began a nationwide roll-out at other airports in July, goes along with new duties for screening officers.

Carter said officers specifically involved the screening of bags in will be broken into three distinct roles: as a "divest officer," who instructs passengers on requirements including the new removal of electronic devices; as an X-ray operator, who views the contents of X-rayed bags and individual deices and flags them for secondary screening if they are suspicious; and as a "property search officer," who inspects objects flagged by the X-ray operator. 

Once fliers become accustomed to the new requirement that they remove their electronics, the rule is expected to have no net effect on the speed or convenience of the screening process, Carter said, because it will ultimately cut down on frequency that bags are flagged for a secondary screening.

"Electronics, historically, in a cluttered bag, are going to generated a bag search," Carter said.

Other elements of the overall screening process will not change, including the requirement that passengers pass through scanners, the imposition of pat-downs for those who arouse suspicion, or the relaxed screening process for passengers enrolled in or chosen on the spot for the TSA's Pre-Check expedited screening lanes.

The new electronics requirement did not have much noticeable impact on the movement of passengers through the B1 checkpoint on Monday.

"I didn't notice any difference," said India Black, who was about to board a flight back home to Charlotte, N.C., after visiting friends and family in New York and New Jersey.

"It was nice, friendly," said her mother, Barbara Black.

"And," her daughter added, "it was fast."

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

Start making videos.

It's time to settle all those backyard arguments: Who is N.J.'s best high school mascot?

This is the official start of the NJ.com Mascot Challenge, a competition involving entire school communities, and, of course, mascots themselves, to determine which mascot is tops in the state.

Nominations are now open. Here's how you nominate and how the whole thing works.

1. Post a 30-60-second video on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #NJmascotchallenge. The video should be of your mascot doing its thing. Maybe it's spontaneous live action at a game, or maybe it's staged and carefully edited - maybe it's a combination. It's up to you. We will be watching #NJmascotchallenge and your video will become the nomination. Make sure you identify the school and the mascot in your post. Deadline for nominations is Monday, Oct. 23 at 10 a.m.

IMPORTANT:
• Students should get permission from the appropriate school official to make a nomination video.
• Videos should be G-rated. Inappropriate content will disqualify a nomination.
• Safety first! Videos showing unsafe behavior will be disqualified.

2. Nomination videos will be gathered together for a lightning round of voting, Oct. 23-26. The top finishers will be considered by our staff, who will name four finalists by Oct. 27. 

3. NJ Advance Media will work with the finalist mascots and officials at their schools to schedule our own video crew to film each finalist. 

4. Our videos of the finalists will be displayed for a final round of voting to determine N.J.'s best HS mascot. Dates to be determined.

See additional details.

So, mascots, do your thing and make those nomination videos!

West Orange consultant admitted to underreporting his income, authorities said.

NEWARK -- A West Orange man admitted to cheating the government out of more than $60,000 in taxes - a crime that could land him in jail for up to five years.

Oscar N. James, Sr., 60, pleaded guilty Wednesday to tax evasion charges, Acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick announced in a release. According to authorities, James, who owned The James Group, a consulting firm, admitted he told the government he made nearly $174,000 less in 2009 than he actually did.

Authorities said James also underreported about $146,500 in income in 2008, causing the government to lose out on an additional $52,000 in taxes, according to information filed in the case.

He actually had a gross income of $595,265 over the two years -- making slightly over $300,000 in 2008, and a little under that amount the following year, documents show.

In addition to jail time, when James is sentenced on Jan. 11, he also faces up to a $250,000 fine, authorities said.

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

The annual Integrity House Newark Corporate Run is Wednesday.

NEWARK -- About 1,000 runners will take to the streets Wednesday for a 5-kilometer race that serves as a fundraiser for fighting substance abuse.

The annual Integrity House Newark Corporate Run draws company teams to a race that is a rarity in New Jersey, in that it happens during the middle of the workday.

A staple in Newark for at least a quarter-century, the race will start at 12:15 p.m. on James Street, by Washington Park. 

It will impact traffic flow in Newark, with sections of four roads along the 3.1-mile course closing to traffic starting at about 11:30 a.m., Newark Police Capt. Derek Green said.

The race is expected to raise at least $20,000 for Integrity House, a provider of addiction treatment and related programs. The house hosted a visit in 2015 from then-President Barack Obama.

About 10 companies have signed up employees to run, said Lauren Drew, special events manager for Integrity House.

Prudential is sending up to 500, nearly half the anticipated race field. A standout on the Prudential team is database administrator Ruscel Kirkland, who ran a 6-minute mile pace in 2016 and finished in fifth place.

Kirkland said support from spectators intensifies in the second half of the race.

"The crowd gets louder. It kind of ramps people up," Kirkland said.

The Newark Police Department announced on Tuesday afternoon the following road closures for the race: 

• University Avenue between Orange Street and Washington Street
• Washington Street between Lincoln Park and Washington Park
• Clinton Avenue between Martin Luther King Blvd and Lincoln Park

Additionally, southbound traffic on Broad Street will use one lane between Chestnut Street and Lincoln Park.

Roads are expected to reopen within about 30 minutes of the race's conclusion, Glenn said.

While team registration is closed, race-day registration for individuals, priced at $30, is available starting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Integrity House President and CEO Robert J. Budsock will be cheering on the runners.

He said the race "provides an opportunity to bring the community together while raising awareness for substance use disorder."

"At Integrity House, we provide individualized treatment and comprehensive care to those battling the disease. Funds raised from this event allow us to continue to do so for the 3,000 clients we serve annually," Budsock said.

PSEG is sending more than 100 employee runners.

Ellen Lambert, president of the PSEG Foundation, said, "Not only is this a wonderful opportunity for our employees to get together, but it also reinforces our commitment to Newark."

For more information, visit https://integrityhouse.org

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

Third man awaiting trial after armed holdup.

NEWARK -- An East Orange man was sentenced Tuesday to more than 12 years in federal prison for his role in an armed robbery of a Passaic club that netted $26,000.

Shaheed "Aboo" Blamahsah, 30, must also serve five years of supervised release in addition to his 150 month prison term.

Blamahsah, who pleaded guilty to count of robbery conspiracy and weapons charges in Newark federal court, admitted that he and another conspirator pulled a gun and threatened a club employee in the Sept. 6, 2015 heist, according to court filings.

Blamahsah was charged in November 2016 with Jimmy "Flip" Cooper, 32, of Irvington and Keontrae "Taz" Lawrence, 29, of South Orange.

Lawrence pleaded guilty in the robbery last month and is awaiting sentencing, officials said. Cooper's case is pending.

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

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Officials say inspections ongoing.

NJ Transit's Gladstone Branch service along the Morris & Essex rail lines will remain suspended for the Wednesday morning rush as officials conduct ongoing inspections, the agency said Tuesday night.

Rail tickets and passes will be cross honored on Lakeland buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, according to a statement from the transit agency, which noted limited bus seats will be available.

"Customers may also drive to Bridgewater or Somerville to board Raritan Valley Line trains; or drive to Newark Penn Station to board trains to Penn Station New York," NJ Transit said.

Gladstone passes and tickets will also be cross honored on all NJ Transit rail and bus lines. Riders were asked to check njtransit.com for updates.

NJ Transit said the unspecified inspections needed to be conduction during daylight.

The announcement came after pieces of concrete hit two trains late last month near Summit station, forcing transit officials to temporarily halt service on part of the Gladstone Branch.

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

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Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino said the babies died in a "series of tragic incidents." Watch video

NEWARK -- Authorities are warning parents against the dangers of bed sharing and other dangers associated with safely putting children to sleep after they said seven infants died over the past two months, three within about 40 hours of another.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino held a press conference Wednesday morning detailing what he called a "series of tragic incidents" involving the deaths of four infants in September and three in August.

At the start of the press conference, Laurino referenced a recent NJ Advance Media in-depth investigation into the dangers of bed sharing, and one Essex County mother's experience losing three of her children in horrific bed-sharing accidents.

Laurino said the autopsies on the seven babies are not yet complete, but so far, they indicate no foul play in any of the deaths.

"We're not here ascribing blame to any of these parents, they've suffered enough," he said. "What we're hoping is that these tragedies...can hopefully be used to educate others as to the dangers that we have here."

Laurino said Essex County averages about two such infant deaths every month -- incidents that he said "tend to be unreported or unnoticed."

The Last Goodnight: An NJ Advance Media investigation

The deaths in September included:

• On Sept. 23 at 8:08 a.m., an 11-day-old boy was found unresponsive in his East Orange home after sleeping in bed with his mother and father. He was pronounced dead at University Hospital later that day. Laurino called the death a "particularly cruel event," noting that the baby was the parents' first and only child, and the result of several years of trying to get pregnant.
• About 45 minutes later, Laurino said a 5-week-old baby girl was found dead after sleeping on a boppy pillow, which is commonly used to aid in breastfeeding, which had been placed on a futon sofa. That child's mother told authorities the baby did not like sleeping in her bassinett.
• On Sept. 25, at 4:37 a.m. in Belleville, a 26-day-old baby boy died after his parents reported he had trouble breathing. Laurino said the child may have had preexisting medical issues that could have contributed to his cause of death, and it wasn't clear if the child was sharing a bed when he died.
• On Sept. 2, a 4-week-old in Newark died after falling asleep on its mother's chest.

These four deaths, Laurino said, were preceded by three in Essex County during August. Those children ranged in age from 6 weeks to 3 months, he said.

One died after the mother and child were napping in bed together, another after a mother was in bed nursing her infant and fell asleep, and the last after a mother placed the baby in a play pen with a boppy pillow and returned to find the child not breathing.

Laurino and other prosecutors at the conference detailed safe sleeping conditions for babies, and tips for parents:

• Babies should be sleeping on their backs, and sleeping alone
• Blankets, stuffed animals, and other items should not be left near the baby
• The baby should be on a firm surface
• Babies should sleep in the same room with their parents, but not in the same bed

 Read the full investigation here.

For more information on safe-sleeping practices and how to obtain a free baby box, see njsafesleep.com.

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

St. Peter's Prep vs. DePaul, Lenape vs. Rancocas Valley are among the 28 can't miss football games in Week 5, the weekend of Oct. 6-7, 2017