NJ Advance Media spent the first day of school with kids in every grade. See what they had to say about their hopes for the upcoming school year. Watch video

LIVINGSTON -- Throughout the Garden State, parents, relatives, neighbors, and friends are asking kids how their first days of school went. As kids grow, their answers about their impressions of, and hopes for, the new school year change.

As teachers and administrators in Livingston Schools were bustling about the district's eight buildings readying students for the new year, NJ Advance Media spent the first day of school talking to kids from every grade, Kindergarten through senior year of high school.

The students had a lot to adjust to on the first day. The district's five elementary schools had undergone summer renovations and expansions. As kids were meeting their new teachers and testing out their first semester schedules, we asked them what they are most looking forward to this year.

The answers ranged from making new friends and joining new clubs to playing on the playground and taking exams. Watch the video above to see who said what, and how their answers change as they get older.

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

 

Teachers and other salaried employees are being spared by the cuts, which are meant to chip away at a district budget deficit of between $15 to $20 million

Newark Public Schools spokeswoman Brittany Chord Parmley said that approximately $5 million in cuts would likely be finalized by the end of the week - split between public elementary schools and high schools. The reductions will not affected salaried employees, she added, and principals have been asked to cut positions that are currently vacant.

The move is meant to chip away at a deficit of between $15 to $20 million announced by Superintendent of Schools Christopher Cerf last month.

"As part of this process, we are asking central office and school-based leaders to explore potential savings to meet this challenge," Parmley said. "As we face these tough decisions, we are committed to closing this gap with the least possible impact to our schools."

Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon said the reductions would likely result in the loss of after-school programming or facilities improvements, which still affect a teacher's ability to perform.

He also said the cuts could feel misleading to parents, many of whom attend meetings hosted by principals to go over each school's budget before students returned to school last week.

"Does the principal have to have another meeting with community, or does the community hot have a say in this second round?" he said.

While principals have been instructed to target vacant positions in their school, it is unclear how many remain across the district. Cerf recently placed more than 200 teachers who had previously been without a permanent assignment back to regular duty, and district officials said a qualified teacher has been placed into every classroom.

Charter schools operating in Newark are not subject to the cuts, according to Parmley. While the schools receive money from the district based on their per-pupil spending, all charter development and funding is controlled by the state.

How the district will make up the remaining $10-$15 million deficit also remains to be seen. Abeigon said many schools were already operating without key personnel such as clerks, leading him to believe it would eventually be left with little choice but to thin the ranks of teachers.

"You have security guards picking up the phone. So how much more can they cut?" he said.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Michael Conway allegedly used fraudulent agreements to obtain financing from investors

NEW YORK -- A 39-year-old New Jersey man attempted to steal the identity of Mets owner Jeff Wilpon as part of a $3.5 million scheme to defraud investors, authorities said.

Michael Conway allegedly forged lease agreements with companies who lease office equipment and then used the fraudulent agreements to obtain financing from a lender, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn said in a news release.

The Verona resident showed the unnamed investor leases from approximately 58 companies, including law firms, universities, hospitals and hotels. That person then paid Conway approximately $3.1 million to purchase office equipment.

Conway allegedly forged Wilpon's signature on one of the phony authorization letters. Conway then used that letter to try to obtain financing from De Lage Landen Financial Solutions Partner, according to officials.

Conway actually had an agreement to do business with the Mets, NYDailyNews.com reported. He also leases a suite at Citi Field, the News said.

The president of Choice Office Solutions, Conway is charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. FBI agents searched his Fairfield office Wednesday morning, authorities said. He ran the scam from April 2014 through August 2015, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

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

 

The controversial method, known as "facilitated communication," is at the center of Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield's trial on charges of sexually assaulting a severely mentally disabled man

NEWARK -- In a 2011 article, Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield offered a staunch defense of the controversial communication method known as "facilitated communication."

The technique, Stubblefield argued, allows the disabled to communicate by typing on a keyboard with the assistance of a facilitator. To Stubblefield, those who criticized the method were practicing "hate speech."

"The political importance of (facilitated communication) as a communication tool is that it has allowed some people who were considered to be profoundly intellectually impaired--due to their inability to speak and to point accurately without support--to demonstrate their intellectual competence," Stubblefield wrote.

Four years later, Stubblefield is now turning to facilitated communication as her defense to criminal charges of sexually assaulting a severely mentally disabled man. She is accused of abusing the man in her Newark office in 2011.

Her trial - which is scheduled to start today -- hinges on whether the alleged victim, known as D.J., consented to the sexual activity. The state's experts have found D.J. is unable to consent, but Stubblefield has claimed he consented through facilitated communication.

Facing allegations that she knew or should have known D.J. was unable to consent, Stubblefield, 45, of West Orange, is expected to testify that she believed facilitated communication was a valid means of communication. D.J. suffers from cerebral palsy and other ailments.

Rutgers has placed Stubblefield on administrative leave without pay.

The case has cast a spotlight on the controversial technique, which has been subject to intense debate since its introduction in the United States more than 20 years ago.

Advocates of facilitated communication claim the method has been proven to help disabled individuals who have a desire to communicate, but need physical support to express themselves.

"We have to make sure we're always utilizing best practices, but this has been very, very, very useful and valid for lots and lots of people," said Christine Ashby, director of the Institute on Communication and Inclusion at Syracuse University, whose activities include facilitated communication training and research. The institute was formerly called the Facilitated Communication Institute.

But critics have said facilitated communication is similar to using an Ouija board, the classic board game supposedly used to connect players to the spirit world.

They maintain that numerous scientific studies have shown facilitated communication to be ineffective and that the facilitators are the ones really communicating by moving the disabled person's hand along the keyboard.

Several scientific organizations, including the American Psychological Association and The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, have issued statements that the technique is invalid.

"There is an extensive body of evidence against the authenticity of facilitated communication," said Jason Travers, an assistant professor in the special education department at Kansas University.

Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare, pictured in this February 2015 file photo, will be presiding over Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield's sexual assault trial in Essex County. (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

For Stubblefield's trial, Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare has prohibited expert testimony on facilitated communication, because she determined it is "not a recognized science." The judge also has warned Stubblefield to not take on an expert's perspective in her testimony about the technique.

After jurors ultimately weigh the evidence in the case, some experts argue the verdict could have a far-reaching impact on public perceptions about facilitated communication.

"I think there is always quite a bit riding on these kind of cases," said Ashby, an Associate Professor in the Teaching and Leadership Department of the School of Education at Syracuse University.

Technique under scrutiny

Facilitated communication was first developed in Melbourne, Australia in 1977 by Rosemary Crossley, then a staff member at an institution for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities, according to a 2014 article in the journal "Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention." The article was written by critics of the technique.

Crossley proposed that as a facilitator stabilizes a disabled person's hand movements, the individual could type words and sentences on a keyboard, the article states.

After the technique was introduced in the United States in the early 1990s, scientific researchers completed studies that showed the method was ineffective and the facilitators were controlling the users' responses, the article states.

Howard Shane, a speech pathologist at Boston Children's Hospital, said he identified such facilitator control in studies during the 1990s. As part of the so-called "double-blind" investigations, the facilitator and the user were each unaware of the information presented to the other party, Shane said.

When the facilitators and the users received different information, the users provided answers associated with the information given to the facilitators, Shane said.

"It was really pretty clear that the authoring of the messages was coming from the facilitator," said Shane, who is expected to testify at Stubblefield's trial about his evaluation of D.J. He declined to comment on the case.

Scott Lilienfeld, a psychology professor at Emory University, said there have never been any well-designed studies that show the technique is valid. Studies cited by advocates of the method have been poorly designed, Lilienfeld said.

In studies claiming the technique works, the facilitator saw the information that the disabled person was questioned about, Lilienfeld said.

"What studies overwhelmingly show is that it only works when the facilitator had seen the stimulus," said Lilienfield, who has written about the studies critical of facilitated communication.

Lilienfield argued that, in most cases, the facilitators are unconsciously moving the disabled person's arm. Known as the "ideomotor effect," the process also is seen in the use of Ouija boards, Lilienfield said.

"It's not a conscience or intentional process," Lilienfeld said. "The facilitator is not realizing they're doing the typing."

Advocates defend method

Despite roughly two decades of intense criticism within the scientific communities, advocates continue to maintain the effectiveness of facilitated communication.

In a 2014 article in the journal "Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities," Donald Cardinal and Mary Falvey, professors at Chapman University and California State University, Los Angeles, respectively, argued that studies have confirmed facilitated communication as a valid communication technique.

"There are now far more studies that support FC than refute it. More convincingly, nearly all of the studies unable to capture the effectiveness of the method or concluding facilitator influence occurred more than 15 years ago," the article states.

Anna Stubblefield, a professor at Rutgers-Newark, pictured above in this 2011 file photo, is charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a severely mentally disabled man in her Newark office in 2011. (Tom Wright-Piersanti/The Star-Ledger)Tom Wright-Piersanti/The Star-Le 

Ashby said the technique does not work for everyone and there have been instances of facilitators influencing users' responses.

But Ashby claimed she has seen evidence of the method helping people to communicate effectively and argued it's inappropriate to rule out the technique entirely.

The technique has been used for people with cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and other disabilities, Ashby said. The ultimate goal is for users to be able to communicate more independently with the least amount of physical support necessary, she said.

"I work with countless individuals and...this has made a tremendous difference in their lives," Ashby said.

"Just because this method isn't working for someone or because someone isn't using it appropriately doesn't mean this method doesn't work for anyone," Ashby added.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Newark location is already attracting fans on Twitter.

A Wingstop family pack. (Courtesy Wingstop)
 

NEWARK -- Wingstop has opened its second location in New Jersey.

The Dallas-based franchise opened a store on Clay Street, off of McCarter Highway, in Newark Friday, the company announced this week. It's owned by Vishal and Kartik Patel, who opened the state's first Wingstop location in Elizabeth in 2014.

"We have big plans for growing Wingstop in New Jersey," Vishal Patel said in a release. "We are excited to be opening this Newark location and have plans for several more."

The eatery, which serves a variety of wings, other chicken dishes, and sides, has 785 locations across seven countries. Earlier this year, it was named the fifth fastest-growing restaurant chain.

"Wingstop has been embraced by...New Jersey residents," said Patel, who called the restaurant "fast-casual."

"(We serve) quality, hand-crafted food."

Locals have already taken to social media to talk about the opening. On the whole, Wingstop has garnered positive reviews.

THERE'S A WING STOP IN NEWARK NOW #INFINITE #100 #EMOJIS

-- Mike (@michaeldogmeat) July 16, 2015

YESSSSSS finally a 'WingStop' is opening in Newark [?] [?] [?] [?] I missed their wings since I moved and left Miami.

-- luckie (@iamconvinced) July 17, 2015

Thank you Wing Lords. PSA: the #WingStop in Newark is now open!

A photo posted by DJ (@itsdjfbaby) on Sep 4, 2015 at 9:00am PDT

The chain made headlines last year when rapper Rick Ross made an appearance at the Elizabeth location, signing autographs, snapping pics with fans, and snacking on wings.

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

 

Work should be done by summer 2016, officials said.

Officials gathered for a groundbreaking at the zoo Tuesday. (Courtesy Essex County)
 

WEST ORANGE -- County officials gathered Tuesday to break ground on a renovation project that they said will more than triple the size of the cafe at the Turtle Back Zoo.

According to an announcement from officials, the current cafe, which is about 5,000 square feet and one-story, will be expanded to a two-floor facility with a kitchen, dining room, outdoor terrace, and a special event space.

"We have set new annual attendance records at Turtle Back Zoo in each of the last 11 years, with our number of visitors exceeding 600,000 in each of the last two years," Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said in a statement.

"In order for us to continue to provide a first-class experience, it is necessary to provide more dining areas to accommodate the large numbers that come here."

The cafe expansion, which is expected to open during the summer of next year, is expected to cost about $7 million, officials said. The county is funding the project through its capital budget, they said.

Several officials released statements in support of the renovation, saying it will help attract more visitors to the zoo.  Freeholder President Britnee Timberlake commended DiVincenzo for initiating "projects that continue to make Essex County a destination for families and attract tourism."

The expanded cafe is one of several ongoing upgrades to the zoo. A new giraffe exhibit is slated to open next spring. The exhibit has been the point of some controversy, as a contractor alleged that politics influenced the county's decision in hiring a rival firm.

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

5 guns taken in series of arrests between Friday and Sunday

NEWARK -- City police and law enforcement from other agencies took part in a series of arrests during the long Labor Day weekend that yielded several weapons as well as drugs, police spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.

 

Early Friday, Rafael Perez, 27, was arrested by Third Precinct officers after he was spotted among a group of males near Orchard and Tichenor streets around 1 a.m. Several people were running towards Perez, Glover said.

As officers watched, Perez removed a gun from a backpack and displayed it to the group before placing it in a Hyundai parked nearby, Glover said. When police approached, Perez allegedly threw a black bag under the car. As the other males were detained, police conducted a search and found a loaded .45-caliber handgun as well as 12 envelopes of heroin, 13 glass vials and a jug of crack cocaine in the bag thrown under the car. Perez was arrested and charged with several weapons and narcotics violations.

On Friday afternoon, detectives, acting on a tip, attempted to detain a city man, Darnell Hughee, 31, as he walked near Avon and Hillside avenues. The tipster said Hughee had a gun in a backpack.

Hughee dropped the bag when police approached and ran but was quickly caught and arrested around 4:15 P.M. He was charged with resisting arrest, obstruction and several weapons violations after police recovered a loaded .22-caliber handgun, Glover said.  

Around 9 p.m., an 18-year-old city man, Tyheed Moore, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon after being apprehended by personnel assigned to the Firearms Interdiction Unit. Personnel from the Essex County Sheriff's Office and New Jersey Institute of Technology police were assigned to the unit.

Moore was part of a group spotted on N. 7th Street and quickly walked away when he became aware of the police presence, grabbing the front of his waistband as he walked, Glover said. Police stopped Moore, who was in possession of a loaded .22-caliber handgun, Glover said.

Around 3 p.m. Saturday, police responded to a domestic violence call in the 200 block of N. 5th Street. The 29-year-old victim said he had been assaulted by his partner, causing bleeding and swelling to his head, Glover said. The victim also said the alleged assailant, Anthony Cherry, 49, was still in the apartment and that there were weapons inside.

Cherry was taken into custody and the weapon used to attack the victim, a BB gun was seized, along with a shotgun and ammunition. Cherry was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Early Sunday morning, at 2 a.m., detectives with the Carjacking Task Force were conducting patrols intended to prevent incidents when they spotted a BMW pass through a red light near 15th Avenue and S. 10th Street, Glover said.

When police stopped the driver, 26-year-old Harris Freeman of Irvington, and asked to see Freeman's credentials, they saw the handle of a firearm and a large magazine sticking out from under the driver's seat. A ski mask was on the passenger seat, Glover said.

The weapon is a TEC-9 machine gun, Glover added, also stating that Freeman was charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and other weapons offenses.

"Over the long weekend, we bolstered our man power in the streets to assure a safe end to the summer season. We received an abundance of support from the citizens - who left tips on our tip line leading to an arrest relating to the illegal possession of a handgun," said Newark Police Director Eugene Venable.  

"In all, police arrested five people and confiscated five guns, a testament to the hard working officers we have here in the Newark Police Department."

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

 

Locals tweeted photos of themselves with defenseman Jon Merrill at the vending machine booth in Newark Wednesday.

NEWARK -- Quarters are so 20th Century.

Prize-seeking fans at Newark's Gateway Center Wednesday played a vending machine with a tweet, and were rewarded with some New Jersey Devils prizes.

The "Twitter Vending Machine" was set up by the team and manned by defenseman Jon Merrill. Fans who tweeted a selfie with the player at the Devils' Twitter account got a randomly generated code tweeted back at them. They then entered that code in the machine to win prizes ranging from team key chains and t-shirts to signed hockey sticks and game tickets.

"I just walked near (the machine) by chance and thought I would check it out," Siobhan Wolohan, 45, of Cedar Grove, said. She had come to the Gateway Center on other business Wednesday afternoon, she said.

The longtime Devils fan got a photo with Merrill and won an autographed puck.

"My kids are going to be so jealous," she said.

The team said the booth, which was manned by forward Adam Henrique in Hoboken Tuesday, is a new way that they can reach out to fans throughout New Jersey.

"It's definitely a cool and unique thing," Merrill said.

"A big part of this franchise is making sure all of our great fans get to know the players, not only in terms of how they perform on the ice, but also about how they get involved in the community."

Firearms unit makes arrest Tuesday night

NEWARK-- A city man was arrested Tuesday night after being found in possession of a gun, police spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.

File photo 

Members of the Firearms Interdiction Team were patrolling in the 100 block of First Street around 9:20 p.m. when they spotted a man holding what appeared to be a gun, Glover said. The man ducked into a nearby building when police approached, tucking the item into his waistband as he entered. When he was ordered to stop, the man ran, leading police on a chase through hallways and stairwells before finally being apprehended, Glover also said.

Elijah Venable, 26, was arrested after he was allegedly found in possession of a defaced, loaded 9-mm Glock with an extended magazine as well as 10 baggies of crack cocaine.

"I commend the efforts set forth by detectives assigned to F.I.T. for their hard work and dedication in ridding our streets of illegal weapons and the people who are in possession of these weapons," stated Newark Police Director Eugene Venable.

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

 

Shipping company billed for deliveries that were never made

LONG VALLEY-- The owner of a local freight shipper was sentenced  to 41 months in prison for  fraudulently billing more than $3 million, the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement.

 

Courtney Shorter, a 48-year-old resident of Roselle and Memphis, owned Sam Shorter and Son Delivery Service. He previously admitted in court that between 2008 and 2010, he charged an invoice processor in Florida for the transportation of shipments to a New Brunswick company that were in fact never made.  Shorter submitted more than 1,700 fraudulent invoices, using the cash for personal expenses, including more than $120,000 in jewelry, authorities said.  

In addition to his prison sentence, Shorter must pay more than $3 million in restitution.

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

 

NEWARK — This photo from 1959 shows coach Alan DeCicco surrounded by members of the first women's fencing team at Rutgers University-Newark. DeCicco's daughter, Diane Brozyna, points out that the team, which posted its first winning season in 1961, was the first female sports team at Rutgers-Newark. She notes that many surviving members of the original team still keep in...

NEWARK -- This photo from 1959 shows coach Alan DeCicco surrounded by members of the first women's fencing team at Rutgers University-Newark.

DeCicco's daughter, Diane Brozyna, points out that the team, which posted its first winning season in 1961, was the first female sports team at Rutgers-Newark.

She notes that many surviving members of the original team still keep in touch with her father, who recently celebrated his 91st birthday.

DeCicco, who lived in West Orange for more than 50 years, now resides in Livingston and Long Branch with his wife. He was inducted into the Rutgers-Newark Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

About 50 people gathered outside the U.S. Attorney's office. Watch video

NEWARK -- A group of about 50 gathered outside the U.S. Attorney's office on Broad Street in Newark Wednesday night to rally against police brutality.

The People's Organization For Progress (POP) said it organized the gathering to raise awareness and seek justice for Abdul Kamal, Kashad Ashford, Jerame Reid, and Radazz Hearns -- who were all shot by police in New Jersey. 

Kamal was unarmed when he was shot ten times and killed by Irvington police. Ashford was shot nine times in the head when he was killed by NJ State Police. In a dashcam video that went viral, Jerame Reid is seen getting out of a car without any weapon with his hands open and raised when he was shot to death by Bridgeton police.

Radazz Hearns, a 14 year-old boy, was shot seven times in the back and legs by police in Trenton. Hearns, who authorities said was charged with weapons offenses and aggravated assault, survived the shooting.

The group is demanding that the officers involved be "held accountable for their deaths." They also want the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Paul J. Fishman, to start an official investigation and bring civil rights charges against the officers involved in the shootings.

Fishman reached out to representatives of POP and promised a meeting with each of the four victim's families, POP members said.

"A meeting doesn't mean justice," said Lawrence Hamm, Chairman of POP.

"But it's a step in the right direction."

Andre Malok may be reached at amalok@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndreMalok. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The new pay structure for hospitals rewards them if they are able to treat patients efficiently and well. In return, patients will get a break on their premiums.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's largest health insurer, announced Thursday that it plans to offer new lower-priced insurance policies that offer discounts for care provided at 34 selected hospitals.

Individual and employers who buy new Horizon policies that rely on those hospitals can save money on premiums, deductibles and co-pays, according to Horizon. Prices and coverage details of those policies will not be announced until next month, however.

In return for providing quality care at a lower cost, 22 of those hospitals will receive higher reimbursements from Horizon, the company said. 

The OMNIA Health Alliance, which Horizon said is the first of its kind in the state, moves away from a fee-for-service model to one that offers "fee-for-value," a Horizon spokesman said.

Horizon CEO Robert A. Marino said the collaboration with hospitals will require "a new level of trust" between two groups that have often wrestled over hospital bills, with insurers feeling they're being over-billed and doctors and hospitals complaining they're being short-changed.

"There has always been angst between payers and providers," Marino said. "With this collaboration, we are truly partners." 

Under most insurance policies, patients are billed based on the services they receive - whether it's a heart bypass, hospital stay, stint at a rehab center, or home health visits. That means any complication - a wound that won't heal, or a rocky convalesce that puts the patient back in the hospital - costs patients and their insurers more money.

Under this new alliance, participating hospitals and physicians will be rewarded for quality care that results in speedy recovery, Horizon said. OMNIA will also emphasize preventive care that heads off health problems before they snowball into crises.

Quality care that avoids problems is not only better for the patient, but is almost always less expensive, Marino noted.

The 22 participating hospitals include some of the titans of the health care landscape - at least in the northern part of the state: Hackensack University Health System, Atlantic Health System, Barnabas Health, and Robert Wood Johnson Health System. The OMNIA rolls also include Summit Medical group, a multi-specialty physician group.

They were chosen for their quality, their willingness to embrace a different pay structure, their location, their infrastructure, and their reputation among Horizon customers, said Kevin P. Conlin, Executive Vice President for Healthcare Management at Horizon.

Customers with OMNIA policies will be able to get care at any of Horizon's in-network hospitals. However, they will receive added savings if they stick with one of the 22 on the list, or any of the hospitals in the insurer's network, which includes all but three of the hospitals statewide.

Left out of the group are many of the hospitals serving the inner cities, Catholic hospitals, and some of the major hospitals in southern Jersey - including Cooper University Medical Center in Camden. 

Also not included were any for-profit hospitals, whose policy of charging highest-in-the-nation fees for emergency care has been a bone of contention with the state's insurers. A bid earlier this year by some state legislators to impose an arbitration system on such fees went nowhere in Trenton.

As always, people who require emergency care should go to the nearest emergency room without fear of any financial penalty, Marino said. 

Although OMNIA will not be a separate company, it will trigger the creation of about 200 new jobs to service the new portfolio of products. Marino said that customers who choose an OMNIA policy can expect to receive more pre-sale and post-sale education about how the plan works. 

Horizon is betting that the new arrangement will allow it to give its customers access to top hospitals while at the same time lowering premiums and deductibles, said Joel Cantor, director of the Center for State Health Policy at Rutgers University, who was briefed on the plan by Horizon. 

"They're taking a bold move - and not without risk," he said. Should the arrangement fail to deliver the projected savings, the lower premiums will be unsustainable.

Horizon is the largest provider of health insurance in the state, with market shares ranging from half to two-thirds depending on the category.

Without plan details, it's hard to know what kind of insurance OMNIA customers will be getting for their premiums, said Linda Schwimmer, vice president at the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. 

"The changes are going to happen, and there's a lot of good stuff in some of these products," she said. "They're much better than the high deductible products of the past, where consumers were afraid to see a doctor at all because of the high co-pays."

The hospitals participating in OMNIA are:

• Chilton Medical Center
• Clara Maass Medical Center
• Community Medical Center, Toms River
• Hackensack UMC Mountainside
• Hackensack University Medical Center
• Hackensack UMC at Pascack Valley
• Hunterdon Medical Center
• Inspira Medical Center Elmer
• Inspira Medical Center Vineland
• Inspira Medical Center Woodbury
• Jersey City Medical Center
• Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus
• Monmouth Medical Center
• Morristown Medical Center
• Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
• Newton Medical Center
• Overlook Medical Center
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton
• Saint Barnabas Medical Center

Hackettstown Medical Center, which is in the process of being acquired by Atlantic Health, will ultimately be folded into the OMNIA group, according to Conlin. 

Meridian Health, the Shore-based hospital system that is merging with Hackensack, will also be incorporated into the new alliance at some point, he said.

Twelve other hospitals will not be part of the OMNIA partnership, but will be considered Tier One hospitals where care will cost the same as at the OMNIA facilities.

One long-term concern, said Schwimmer, will be the impact the OMNIA arrangement might have on the hospitals that are not included in it - particularly those that see a lot of uninsured or Medicaid patients. If they start to see a large drop in privately insured patients, their fiscal health could be imperiled. 

"One of government's charges is to make sure we have a system that takes care of these individuals," she said. "You have to make sure your essential hospitals are there because if they aren't, the state is going to have to step in to support them financially."

OMNIA does not need approval by the state's regulators, said Marino. State officials had been briefed about the collaboration, though. "They're fully aware of what we're doing and have not seen a problem from any regulatory perspective," he said. 

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

In a review of state Department of Education data, non-profit Advocates for Children of New Jersey found that about 125,000 K-12 students missed 18 or more school days.

About 10 percent of New Jersey students missed more than 10 percent of the 2013-14 school year, putting them at a greater risk of falling behind their peers academically, according to a new report from a child advocacy organization. 

In a review of state Department of Education data, non-profit Advocates for Children of New Jersey found that about 125,000 K-12 students missed 18 or more school days. 

Across the state, 177 school districts had more than 10 percent of their students chronically absent, according to the report. Minority students and those from low-income families were most likely to miss more than 18 days, along with students in kindergarten or high school, ACNJ found. 

"It's pretty simple. You have to be in school to learn," said Cecilia Zalkind, executive director of ACNJ. "We think this is a significant problem in New Jersey with potentially lifelong consequences for children." 

National research shows that chronic absenteeism in elementary school can lead to long-term reading problems, lower test scores and weaker social emotional skills, the ACNJ report says. 

In New Jersey, fourth grade students who missed three or more days of school in the month before national reading and math exams were administered scored significantly lower than students who did not miss any days, the ACNJ found. 

Overall, Ocean County had the most districts (19) with more than 10 percent of students chronically absent in 2013-14, according the report. Essex County had 10 districts, though data for Newark Public Schools was unavailable. 

Only two districts in Morris County had more than 10 percent of students miss significant time, the lowest number in the state. 

The reasons students miss school vary and are sometimes difficult to pinpoint, educators said. 

At Woodbine School District in rural Cape May County, administrators found a correlation between bad weather and student absences because no transportation is provided to and from school, said Lynda Anderson-Towns, retired superintendent. 

In Paterson, reasons some students missed school included dirty uniforms or having to go the doctor with a parent who doesn't speak English, said Sandra Diodonet, former principal of School 5. 

Cynthia Rice, a senior policy analyst for ACNJ, said students also miss extended time in some instances because their parents schedule vacations during the school year.

Reminding parents of the importance of attendance is key, Rice said, and schools need to develop a culture that celebrates attendance. 

"From that first day of school, staff should be analyzing absentee data so that students that may be at risk can be identified as early as possible and steps can be taken to address to problem," Rice said. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Prosecutors have charged Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield with aggravated sexual assault, but her attorney claims it was a loving, consensual relationship

NEWARK -- With the 34-year-old man suffering from cerebral palsy and other disabilities, the mother said she changes his diapers, bathes him, dresses him and feeds him. She helps him with walking or escorts him in a wheelchair.

On Wednesday afternoon, the mother was assisting her son once again -- into a Newark courtroom for the trial of the Rutgers-Newark professor accused of sexually assaulting him.

Walking backwards, the woman held her son's hands and guided him into the courtroom. He looked around, glancing over the faces of the jurors and the lights on the ceiling.

As they approached the jury box, the mother stepped behind her son, placed her hands on his shoulders and introduced him to the panel.

"Jury, this is my son," the mother said, then stating his full name.

The introduction came on the first day of the trial of Anna Stubblefield, who is facing two counts of aggravated sexual assault for allegedly abusing the man, known as D.J., in her Newark office in 2011.

Rutgers has placed Stubblefield on administrative leave without pay.

The trial centers on whether D.J. consented to the sexual activity. Prosecutors argue D.J. was unable to consent, but Stubblefield, 45, of West Orange, claims he consented through a controversial technique, known as "facilitated communication."

In his opening statement, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Eric Plant told jurors Stubblefield met D.J. in 2009 through his brother, then a Rutgers student, who approached her about helping D.J. with his communication. For the next two years, the family trusted Stubblefield as she worked with D.J., Plant said.

Anna Stubblefield, 45, a Rutgers-Newark professor of West Orange, who is facing two counts of aggravated sexual assault for allegedly abusing a severely mentally disabled man in 2011. The trial is being heard before Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare at the Essex County Courthouse in Newark. 9/9/15 (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

But Plant said Stubblefield betrayed the trust of D.J.'s mother and brother when she pursued a scheme to sexually assault him. She targeted him, because of his mental incapacitation, his physical limitations and the fact that he doesn't speak, according to Plant.

After Stubblefield disclosed the sexual relationship to D.J.'s mother and brother, the brother reported the alleged abuse to Rutgers officials, Plant said. The university later contacted Essex County prosecutors, Plant said.

"They trusted her. They brought her into their home and into their world," Plant said. "And that's why when she sexually molested (D.J.) in 2011, it was so injurious to them. It was such a breach of trust."

Stubblefield's attorney, James Patton, however, told jurors Stubblefield and D.J. had fallen in love and were in a consensual relationship.

By working with D.J. through facilitated communication, Stubblefield learned he is "an intelligent man trapped in a hideously handicapped body," Patton said. As their relationship progressed, Stubblefield and D.J. ultimately told his family that "they were in love," Patton said.

"What happened between these two people was not sexual assault," Patton said in his opening statement.

In the months leading up to the trial, one of the ongoing issues has been how much the jury would hear about facilitated communication.

Facing allegations that she knew or should have known D.J. was unable to consent, Stubblefield is expected to testify that she believed facilitated communication was a valid means of communication.

Under that method, advocates claim that, as a facilitator provides physical support, a disabled person can communicate by typing on a keyboard. Critics argue the technique is ineffective, saying studies have shown the facilitators are controlling the users' movements.

Several scientific organizations have declared the technique is invalid.

For Stubblefield's trial, Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare has barred expert testimony on facilitated communication, because she determined it is "not a recognized science."

The judge has said no one can testify about the technique, except for Stubblefield, but Teare has warned her to not take on an expert's perspective in her testimony.

Following opening statements on Wednesday -- and when the jury had left the courtroom -- Teare reminded Patton about her rulings after he had told jurors about another person working with D.J. through facilitated communication. That person will not be allowed to testify about the method, the judge said.

"The trial is not about facilitated communication," Teare said.

The series of events leading to the criminal charges began in 2009 when D.J.'s brother was taking a course of Stubblefield's, according to Plant. The brother approached her to see if she might be able to help D.J. with his communication, Plant said.

Stubblefield soon met D.J. and his mother and began working with him, Plant said.

During her testimony on Wednesday, the mother said she initially attended Stubblefield's sessions with D.J. But Stubblefield later told the mother she was distracting D.J. and that it was better for her and D.J. to work alone, according to the mother.

The private sessions ultimately occurred on Sundays while the mother was attending church, she said.

"I thought she was typing with him and reading books to him," the mother said.

But in May 2011, the mother said she learned Stubblefield and D.J. had been engaged in a sexual relationship. Stubblefield told her she and D.J. were "lovers," the mother said.

"She said, 'I told you, you have to stop being a mother,'" the mother testified, referring to Stubblefield. "'You have to let him be the man that he is.'

Plant asked the mother: "How did you react to that?"

"I was sickened," she replied.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Sale of lifetime antique collection support programs for autistic adults

Don't call Nat Conti's antique and furniture sale a "garage sale'' - though it's being held in a garage.

And don't call it an estate sale, because Conti is very much alive.

 Not only alive but, at 78, overflowing with the same energy he used to build a neighborhood basement waterproofing business into an multi-million dollar construction and energy company with international reach.

Overflowing is also a good word to describe what the old Audi dealership in downtown Bernardsville looked like after Conti filled it with his antiques and furniture this summer and put price tags on everything, with all the money going to a school for kids with autism. The sale, at 67 Morristown Road, concludes Sept. 15.

"This is the last weekend," Conti said. "Tell people to come in, make an offer. We got a lot of nice stuff here."

The showroom, service department and garage bays are filled with furnishings and art work Conti brought home from his world travels; mostly from France, Italy and England. Or pieces from his home in Bernardsville, the former Stevens Estate - one of the area's most historic mountain mansions - which he bought "lock, stock and barrel" 18 years ago. A lot has been sold, and Conti estimates they've raised "a few hundred thousand" for the school, but there is much more still there.

Conti isn't cleaning house. He only selling a portion of his stuff as part of his two-decade commitment to The Children's Institute in Essex and Morris Counties.

This story begins with a grandfather's love of his namesake grandson. Natale Conti came from Italy in 1905 and was a skilled mason and builder, known locally as Honest Tony Conti.

"I went to work with my grandfather every day since kindergarten," Nat Conti said.

"In school, the nuns at St. Joseph's (in Maplewood) put me in the back of the class. I was voted most likely to not succeed at Summit High," Conti said. "But what I learned from my grandfather you couldn't learn in school. Principles. Work ethic. Passion for work. These are the things that carried me through my life."

The grandfather died when Conti was a boy. When he started his waterproofing business after high school, he printed "Since 1906" on the truck.

Now it's on Conti's website.

"In my mind, he started the business," Conti said.

Conti carried on his grandfather's tradition of 18-hour work days, and seven-day work weeks.

He got his first big contract an $11,000 sewer job in New Providence in the early 1960s.

"I thought I hit the lottery," he said.

After that, he just got more work.

"There wasn't a big break-through job," he said. "I just kept working."

Those four words sum up Nat Conti's life better than any, except for maybe the company motto, which is "Done Once. Done Right."

The work kept coming: from the U.S. military, from the largest utility companies in the world, from government agencies and major private industries from across America and four continents.

Nat Conti, the kid in the back row at St. Joseph's, became a multi-millionaire, a world traveler and collector. But when he bought the 15-acre Stevens Estate 18 years ago, he did much of the restoration with his own two callused hands.

 "It was ready to be bulldozed down," Conti said. "I put more than $25 million into the house and the grounds."

The 11,000-square-foot mansion, where he lives with his wife, Linda, has won all sorts of awards and is on the market for $8.9 million.

"A bargain," he said.

Any discussion of his overall worth leads Conti to this statement: "My family is my real wealth."

He has two sons, two daughters, two stepdaughters and 14 grandchildren.   

And now comes the second part of the story about a grandfather's love of a grandson.

Nat Conti's grandson, Cameron Olson, now 19, was born with autism.

"I didn't even know what it was," he said. "But when Cammy was diagnosed, that's all I heard. Autism. Autism. I never realized what a big problem it was."

And when Cameron was enrolled in The Children's Institute, Conti put his energy, work ethic and passion into the school.

"He's helped us raise over $2 million over the years," said Bruce Ettinger, the executive director of the institute, which has a grammar school in Verona, a high school in Livingston and is opening a center for adults in Hanover.

"I could tell you a million stories about Nat," Ettinger said. "I don't know where to start. He is one of the most caring, remarkable people I ever met."

There is a story about the fundraiser Conti held at his mansion. He wanted Frankie Valli, but Frankie Valli didn't come cheap. So he got the Children's Institute Choir instead.

"He sat there with tears running down his face as they sang," Ettinger said.

There is the story about Conti sitting down with the contractor for the high school five years ago.

"He volunteered to be in on the negotiations, Ettinger said. "By the time he was done, he saved us $1 million and got us a new roof.

"When we were looking at properties for the school, he came out with us, a week after he had open heart surgery."

There is so much more. Conti built a greenhouse and athletic facilities at the school. He's in the picture at the ribbon cutting, but hiding behind a taller woman.

"I like it that way ... behind the scenes," he said.

Now he's turning his attention to the institute's Center for Independence, where Cameron will be enrolled. It's the natural step of a grandfather who sees something in a grandson others may not.

"There's a pure, innocence to him," Conti said. "He's a gift to us."

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

Newark woman's collision was at about 1 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

Julia Veloso, 23, was charged with a DWI, authorities said. (Courtesy Port Authority Police)
 

NEWARK -- A city woman was arrested on DWI charges after authorities said she crashed into a guardrail near Newark airport.

Authorities noticed Julia Veloso, 23, had pulled her Nissan Sentra onto the grass median on Route 78 near the entrance to Routes 1 & 9 at about 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, Port Authority Police spokesman Joe Pentangelo said in a release Wednesday night. The front of Veloso's car was damaged, and she was standing outside of it, authorities said.

When officers questioned the woman about how she had hit a guardrail, they noticed her speech was slurred and her eyes were bloodshot, Pentangelo said. She admitted to drinking several beers, authorities said. 

Veloso, who refused medical attention after the crash, tested above the legal limit and was charged with DWI, authorities said.

The incident came one day before an intoxicated trespasser entered an airport jet way near an unoccupied aircraft. The 30-year-old man was charged with trespassing, authorities said.

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

 

Dawn drug raids across north and central New Jersey resulted in several arrests, NJ Advance Media has learned.

NEWARK -- Dawn drug raids across north and central New Jersey resulted in several arrests, NJ Advance Media has learned.

The Thursday morning police raids were a part of a joint-investigation by multiple Essex County law enforcement agencies into a heroin distribution ring operating primarily in Newark's South Ward, a law enforcement source said.

Teams of officers, including New Jersey State Police SWAT teams, Essex County Prosecutor's Office officials and Newark police, participated in the execution of the search and arrest warrants, the source said. 

On Thursday morning, several officers could be seen bursting through the doors of two separate Newark residences.

Officers appeared to take two suspects -- one male and one female -- into custody outside an apartment residence in the 100 block of Spruce Street in Newark.

At a similar raid at a home in the 100 block of Hobson Street, authorities led a male suspect wearing handcuffs into a waiting car while neighbors looked on.

In Rahway, investigators could be seen removing bags and boxes after a team of officers entered a town home in the 400 block of Hancock Street. Hours later, authorities led a man from the home in handcuffs.

Similar raids were conducted in Monmouth, Essex, and Bergen Counties, the source said.

The total number of those arrested in the takedown was not immediately made clear.

Staff writer Dan Ivers and staff photographer Andy Mills contributed to this report.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Class will start next month, school officials say.

Essex County College President Dr. Gale E. Gibson (left) and Essex County College Public Safety Director Anthony Cromartie display a drone donated to the school. (Courtesy Essex County College)
 

NEWARK -- Thanks to a donation of $75,000 worth of drones from a Pennsylvania company, Essex County College will offer N.J. law enforcement officers a class in how to use the high-tech devices to fight crime.

The college recently announced the new course, which will be open to both law enforcement officers and civilians. It is set to start next month, college officials said in the announcement.

College President Gale Gibson said the course is in line with the school's focus on supporting law enforcement agencies in Essex County. The school has run the county's police academy since 1999.

"There is no perfect answer, no 'one size fits all' method to addressing crime," she said in a statement.

"However, we should utilize technology - whether it is body cameras, drones, facial recognition software, or surveillance technology - as an option to decrease crime, improve efficiency, ensure professionalism, effectiveness, and improve officer and civilian safety, resulting in overall improvement in our communities."

The four drones, two of which have thermal imaging and spotlights, were donated by FlexRight Solutions. The course will be taught by a combination of FlexRight staff and law enforcement officers.

"Our vision is a two track curriculum," FlexRight Solutions founder and CEO Damian "Skipper" Pitts said in the release. In addition to drone operation lessons, the course will include other police technology, like body cameras, he said.

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

 

The progress of the donation from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and other philanthropists is tracked in a newly released book entitled "The Prize: Who's In Charge of America's Schools?"

NEWARK - Where exactly did $200 million go?

It's a question often asked around Newark education circles, but very rarely answered with any kind of precision.

With the recent release of "The Prize: Who's In Charge of America's Schools?", however, author and longtime Washington Post reporter Dale Russakoff, aims to answer just that.

Beginning with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's donation of $100 million in 2010 (later matched by a group of philanthropic organizations), through the controversial implementation of the state's "One Newark" open enrollment plan and beyond, the book documents the high-profile attempt to remake Newark's perpetually failing schools.

Along the way, nearly all of the $200 million was spent on items ranging from groundbreaking teachers contracts to school supply programs.

Here is Russakoff's accounting of the money (note that the figures in the chart are estimates, and exceed $200 million due to additional donations from philanthropic organizations):

Labor and contract costs: $48.3 million went toward a new teachers' contract that included incentives such as merit-based bonuses, $31 million in back pay and $4 million in graduate school tuition assistance. A combined $34.7 million has been committed for buying out district employees and a proposed new contract for principals.

Charter schools: Nearly $58 million was spent to support and encourage the expansion of Newark charter schools, which now educate more than a third of the city's children. Approximately $25 million of that was raised by organizations dedicated to the schools, such as the Newark Charter School Fund and NewSchools Venture Fund.

Consultants: More than $21 million was spent on outside experts contracted to gather information about the district, some at rates of $1,000 per day. Some were hired early on in the process to assess the needs of city schools and lay groundwork for later reform attempts, and others signed on later to help with labor negotiations, restructure the district's bureaucracy, analyze test scores and make other changes.

Teach For America: Approximately $1 million was spent to train teachers from the program, which sends recent college graduates to classrooms in needy districts around the country.

Community grants from Foundation for Newark's Future: The FNF, created to help manage the donations from Zuckerberg and others, has funded numerous programs aimed at helping students, teachers and other district employees. They include $2.1 million to help established four new high schools, a $3 million initiative to help parents start home libraries, $1.2 million for after-school and extended-day programming and $2.7 million to help layoff victims pursue college degrees or other professional certifications.

Remaining funds: As of last week, FNF President and CEO Kimberly Baxter McClain said her organization had approximately $30 million remaining in its coffers, which it expects to spend by June 2016.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.