BELLEVILLE -- Baby Brooke is a tortoiseshell kitten in the care of Rosemarie's Rescue Ranch. Volunteers say she is "a spitfire who craves attention." She is litterbox trained, FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots. For more information on Baby Brooke and other adoptable pets, text 973-220-1900, email SusanRescue@aol.com or go to rosemariesrescueranch.com. Shelters interested in placing a pet in...

Baby Brooke 

BELLEVILLE -- Baby Brooke is a tortoiseshell kitten in the care of Rosemarie's Rescue Ranch. Volunteers say she is "a spitfire who craves attention."

She is litterbox trained, FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Baby Brooke and other adoptable pets, text 973-220-1900, email SusanRescue@aol.com or go to rosemariesrescueranch.com.

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

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

Homes range from multi-million-dollar mansions to modest homes in the $200,000s.

MONTCLAIR -- Glen Caggiano, owner of the Montclair Meat Market stands next to his truck on Glen Ridge Avenue in 1935. MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey Veal, at the time, was 25 cents a pound; bacon, 13 cents a pound. If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call...

MONTCLAIR -- Glen Caggiano, owner of the Montclair Meat Market stands next to his truck on Glen Ridge Avenue in 1935.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

Veal, at the time, was 25 cents a pound; bacon, 13 cents a pound.

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 ghatala@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries on nj.com.

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

Victor Emenuga, ex-CEO of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation, filed the suit after he was fired

The city of Newark agreed to a $99,000 settlement with the former head of its economic development agency, who said he was wrongfully fired from the corporation and accused Mayor Ras Baraka of abusing his power.

The settlement with Victor Emenuga, ex-chief executive officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), was approved by the City Council in June. 

Emenuga's lawsuit, filed in 2015, named the city, the CEDC, former Deputy Mayor Baye Adofo-Wilson and Baraka. In it, Emenuga alleged he was unlawfully terminated in retaliation for objecting to city officials making hiring and firing decisions at the autonomous agency. 

"Baraka unlawfully exercised control over Newark CEDC, Emenuga was threatened and coerced into making decisions contrary to the best interests of Newark CEDC and the citizens of the City of Newark," the lawsuit stated. 

Under the terms of the settlement, obtained through a public records request, Emenuga releases the city and the officials named in the suit from any present and future claims. The settlement does not represent an admission of wrongdoing by any party. 

A message left for a listed number for Emenuga was not returned. His attorney's office did not return messages seeking comment. The CEDC, the city and Adofo-Wilson declined to comment. 

Emenuga began working at the CEDC in 2008 as the chief financial officer and was promoted to chief executive officer in March 2014, earning $162,000, court records show.

Baraka began his tenure as mayor that July and appointed Adofo-Wilson as the city's Deputy Mayor of Economic and Housing Development. 

According to the lawsuit, Adofo-Wilson told Emenuga to fire employees with ties to former Mayor Cory Booker.

Newark Mayor Ras on June 19, 2017. Avalon Zoppo | For NJ.com 

Emenuga sent an email to Adofo-Wilson in August 2014, objecting to city officials making hiring and firing decisions at the CEDC "while Mr. Wilson and other city officials have an ownership interest in companies with loans through [Newark CEDC] that are currently in default," according to the lawsuit. Adofo-Wilson was formerly the executive director of Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, a development group that was in default on its loans to the CEDC.

The next day Emenuga says he was fired and escorted out of the building, the lawsuit states. 

Former Baltimore mayoral candidate and Rutgers alum Otis Rolley replaced Emenuga as CEO. Rolley was ousted less than two years later and claimed he was locked out of his office without the opportunity "leave with dignity." Baraka said Rolley had approved employee bonuses without board approval though others claimed the bonuses were a pretense for his ouster.

The city-funded CEDC is now run by Aisha Glover, who is also serving on Gov.-elect Phil Murphy's transition team on urban and regional growth. The agency's former executive vice president and chief real estate officer, Carmelo Garcia, replaced Adofo-Wilson earlier this year, who is no longer working with the city.

Created under the Booker administration, the CEDC was originally called the Brick City Development Corporation. 

When Baraka took office, he ordered a forensic review of the agency that questioned $3 million in loans awarded by NCEDC, many of which were ultimately deemed uncollectable.

Upon taking office, Baraka said he wanted to shift the CEDC's role from that of issuing loans to helping spur development in the city. Earlier this year, the agency began aggressively targeting foreign investment with Baraka to help fund projects in the city.

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

A man from Landenberg, Pennsylvania was arrested Thursday at Newark Liberty International Airport after a loaded semi-automatic handgun was found in his carry-on luggage, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration screeners spotted the 9-mm in a knapsack as it passed through an X-ray machine, the TSA said. The gun contained 8 bullets, according to the agency and the Port Authority...

A man from Landenberg, Pennsylvania was arrested Thursday at Newark Liberty International Airport after a loaded semi-automatic handgun was found in his carry-on luggage, authorities said.

Transportation Security Administration screeners spotted the 9-mm in a knapsack as it passed through an X-ray machine, the TSA said. The gun contained 8 bullets, according to the agency and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

The TSA called Port Authority police, who arrested the man on a charge of unlawful possession of a handgun, the Port Authority said. The man, 59-year-old Steven Ernst, allegedly told police he had forgotten the weapon was in his knapsack.

Ernst was released pending a court date in December, the Port Authority said.

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

Prosecutors say the Newark man shot a city mother five times in 2014.

Kanem Williamson (Essex County Prosecutor's Office)
 

A 22-year-old man will spend the next quarter-century in prison after killing a Newark mother in what prosecutor's said was a motiveless crime.

Judge Siobhan Teare Friday sentenced Kanem Williamson to 25 years for the 2014 shooting death of Amera Bell, a 35-year-old woman killed outside her Bradley Court apartment building, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office announced in a release.

According to prosecutors, Williamson shot at Bell 11 times in the May 14 attack, striking her with five bullets. One of them severed her spine, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down for about 11 months before she succumbed to medical complications from her wounds, authorities said. She died on April 7, 2015.

"This is truly a tragic case of a young mother walking in front of her apartment building being shot for no apparent reason," Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, who tried the case, said in the release.

"The loss has been tremendous for her children and extended family. We hope this final resolution of the case will bring them some sense that justice has been served."

Williamson was convicted earlier this year of aggravated manslaughter in the case. According to the prosecutor's office, he killed Bell while out on bail.

He was convicted on weapons offenses in his earlier case, and sentenced to serve 42 months, authorities said. He will serve the two terms consecutively, the prosecutor's office said.

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

The new face of the Newark Housing Authority is proposing a plan that could allow some residents to stay at Terrell Homes

Originally slated for demolition, the public housing complex that's been at the center of a displacement debate in Newark could keep its doors open under a new plan developed by the city's housing authority. 

But whatever shape the storied Mildred E. Terrell Homes takes, it likely won't remain entirely low-income housing. 

On Thursday, the Board of Commissioners for the Newark Housing Authority approved hiring NW Financial Group for $50,000 to consult on a redevelopment plan for Terrell Homes. Victor Cirilo, the new executive director of the agency, said a planner would also be hired to address the conditions and potential for the property. 

Both contracts, he said, were publicly bid.

"We want to preserve the character of the site as much as ownership of the site by NHA," Cirilo said, adding that the goal was also to "maintain the level of community."

A core group of residents has fought to save Terrell Homes after the agency announced it planned to seek demolition of the buildings. NHA said it doesn't have enough money to repair the property. Residents who want to stay argued the city was not building affordable housing to meet demand and worried they'd have nowhere to go. 

The housing authority, which receives federal funding, must ask the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for permission to demolish all or part of the property. The application must show all or some of the property is obsolete and not worth saving, according to HUD. 

Facing increased pressure from residents, the Board of Commissioners declined to vote on whether to authorize the demolition application in April. But in a later reversal, agreed to submit the demolition application in October. 

Cirilo, who started his tenure at the agency shortly after the vote, said he wanted to make sure residents who wanted to stay on the property could do so. He said 198 residents are still living at Terrell Homes and many want to find housing elsewhere. 

"We're not in the business of creating homeless situations," he told NJ Advance Media. "We're in the business of housing families."

The agency still plans to submit a demolition application to HUD by the end of the year but is also exploring redevelopment options that would allow long-term residents to stay on the property, though they may be temporarily moved. 

Rosemary Horsely, who moved into the complex when she was 3 years old, said relocating residents during any redevelopment was "not fair."

"That's just a way of getting rid of residents," she said. 

Cirilo said because of the difficulties of obtaining financing, Terrell Homes would likely be mixed-income housing. 

"Isolating low-income families is an old policy that doesn't work," he said. 

Board chairman Charles Bell, who stepped down on Thursday after serving three years on the board, credited Cirilo for coming up with a plan for Terrell Homes that would not displace long-term residents who wanted to stay.

"We got lucky, we got a good choice," he said. "Now I can go and relax." 

Bell, who was appointed by Mayor Ras Baraka, said he was stepping down for health and family reasons.  

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

Rabia Allen, 21, is charged with murder in the death of Gibril Young, 26.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information from prosecutors. 

A 21-year-old Newark woman on Friday was charged with stabbing her boyfriend to death Thursday morning near the city's border with Maplewood and Irvington. 

Rabia Allen faces charges of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the death of Gibril Young, 26, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said Saturday. 

Newark police found Young, of Newark, with a stab wound on the 100 block of Parker Avenue, prosecutors said. He was pronounced dead at the scene around 9:38 a.m.

Allen is in custody at the Essex County jail in Newark, prosecutors said. It was unclear Saturday whether she had an attorney who could comment on the charges.

The investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors ask anyone with information to call their tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4-EC or 1-877-847-7432. 

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Driver thrown from vehicle in wreck, according to authorities.

A driver was killed and another person injured in a crash on Route 21 in Newark Saturday, authorities said.

One person was killed in a crash on Route 21 in Newark Dec. 2, 2017 (511nj.org) 

The crash occurred around 4:30 p.m., near Mill Street, according to the city Department of Public Safety.

Police rushed to the crash scene and found a driver was ejected from a vehicle, authorities said. A second occupant of that vehicle was listed in stable condition at University Hospital.

Route 21 was closed in both direction near Mill Street as authorities investigated the crash, according to police. More information was not immediately released.

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

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

After reviewing the package, bomb technicians determined the object was not an explosive device.

Businesses in a Newark neighborhood were shut down for about two hours Saturday afternoon while police said they investigated a reported suspicious package.

Newark Police said they responded to a call at approximately 11:46 a.m. about a suspicious object in a trash can outside of a bodega convenience store located at  146 Sherman Avenue. 

As a precaution, businesses and houses in the area were immediately evacuated as bomb techs and other members of the Emergency Service Unit investigated, police said.

Bomb technicians determined that the object was not explosive and did not pose a threat to the area, police said. Businesses were reopened and residents returned to their  homes shortly before 2:30 p.m. 

Capt. Derek Glenn said Saturday afternoon that authorities will continue to investigate the matter as for clues of who left the package by reviewing possible video footage and looking for witnesses. 

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose urged anyone observing any criminal or suspicious activity to immediately call the 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867). 

Police have not released any further information at the time. 

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Shooting victim not immediately identified.

A shooting left one person dead in Vailsburg Park in Newark Saturday night, according to officials.

Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter said the victim is a male. The spokeswoman did not immediately have more details on the homicide.

The approximately 30-acre county park is located near Oraton Parkway and South Orange Avenue, off the Garden State Parkway in the city's West Ward.

Police were at the scene as of around 7 p.m. as the investigation continued.

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

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

'I wish I had a button under my desk and, just like, sexual harassers would fall -- slide into a pit of crocodiles,' Bee told Colbert

Two of America's eminent late-night political comedians met in Newark Saturday to riff on Trump, "The Daily Show" and the recent deluge of sexual misconduct allegations against powerful men. 

"Sad! A Happy Evening with Stephen Colbert & Samantha Bee," a fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival at NJPAC, also saw the two former "Daily Show" correspondents reminisce about their careers and tell behind-the-scenes stories about their shows. While this year's fundraiser wasn't as full of cutting angst as last year's, which arrived just after the 2016 election and featured Colbert and John Oliver, it often touched upon some of the troubles of American politics. (Colbert lives in Montclair, and his wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert, is the president of the film festival's board.)

Bee, 48, host of "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" on TBS, joined "The Daily Show" in 2003 and was the longest serving correspondent in the show's history (and its first non-U.S. citizen correspondent), besting Colbert's record on the show by spending 12 years doing field reports involving topics like the "gay penguins" at the Central Park Zoo (for which she said she spent a horrendous day with a very homophobic man). Her TBS show recently made history, too, becoming the first series nominated for an Emmy in the relatively new variety talk series category that is fronted by a woman. (Her special, "Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner," won a writing Emmy.)

Here are some highlights from their conversation: 

• Bee's career journey began with a concept all too familiar to residents of the year 2017: fake news. As a child, the future satirist and sketch comedian would host a news broadcast from her kitchen -- with fake news and fake weather reports. She called it "News for Goofs." "Could've gone to 'The Daily Show,' could've gone to Fox News -- either one," mused Colbert, 53. "You're blond."  

• "Guys are getting busted for whipping out their d***s," Colbert said, likening the current news cycle of stories of sexual impropriety to hurricane season. "It is a tsunami of penises," Bee said, adding "I'm happy to be alive in this moment, actually. I'm happy to be in a moment where people are being freer with their stories and we don't have to live with shame ... Keeping this going I think is important, for people to know what lies beneath, I think."

• Colbert said Louis C.K. was going to appear on "The Late Show" to promote his movie before news of his sexual misconduct broke. Can you separate the art from the artist, can you listen to a Cosby album in the same way now, he asked? Bee said she couldn't. Alluding to the Variety report that there was a button under Matt Lauer's desk that allowed him to lock his office door from the inside without getting up, she said: "I wish I had a button under my desk and, just like, sexual harassers would fall -- slide into a pit of crocodiles."

• "What does your show do? Colbert asked Bee. "Catharsis," she said. "For me personally and for the people I work with."

• Bee, who used to perform in an all-female sketch comedy troupe called the Atomic Fireballs when she wasn't working at an advertising company, said she was just about to give up on comedy when she auditioned for "The Daily Show." She had been a faithful viewer in her native Canada, where not many knew of the show. "I wanted to do that job because of you," she told Colbert. 

• On the constant onslaught of Trump-related news: Bee was a guest on Colbert's "Late Show" when the president fired FBI director James Comey just before the host's monologue. The show had to respond in real-time, adding material as it went along. "We are all getting socked in the stomach all the time, which is great," Bee said. 

• Both Bee and Colbert have traveled to Russia for their shows. "We talked to hackers. We talked to Russian trolls," Bee said, even before the 2016 election. They wore disguises and she met the trolls in secret locations, including one mother of two who said she was paid to slam Hillary Clinton on Facebook while pretending to be an American woman. Both late-night hosts said Russian authorities were clearly watching over them during their trips, including one man Colbert said was visible each morning at the hotel's breakfast buffet. 

• An audience member asked Bee if she would consider helping to organize another protest in the vein of the Women's March on Washington. "I feel like we're due for another one," she said. "The thing about the Women's March was that it was all-enveloping. It was all-encompassing. ... I feel like people should be in the streets about this tax bill, for sure, but I don't know if I should be leading a march." Colbert said he could imagine that if there are no ramifications to any possible Flynn testimony against the president and his family, then that may lead to additional protest. 

• Bee was asked about a recent tweet in which she proposed a Fantasy Indictment League. Who would be on her team and why? "I'm a little excited to hear the secrets of Jared Kushner -- my very best Elf on the Shelf," she said.

• What does Bee think of Megyn Kelly's move from Fox News to an NBC talk show? "I actually tried to get her on 'Full Frontal,' a lot," she said. 

• Rewinding to election night in 2016, Colbert and Bee recalled how they had to quickly reverse course from their planned programming. Bee, who since 2013 has held dual Canadian and American citizenship (yes, she got to vote), had been preparing for the next day's show on election night. "The day started so hopefully," she said. They were going to have a balloon drop and she was going to wear a sequined blazer. "It was terrrrible," she said, of watching Colbert's special on Showtime and watching the results come in. Colbert said he had planned to have an all-male revue peform with "I'm with her" printed on their behinds. He said he gave Clinton a photograph from rehearsal, anyway. 

Stephen Colbert and Samantha Bee at 'Sad! A Happy Evening with Stephen Colbert & Samantha Bee,' a fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival at NJPAC on Dec. 2.Paul Zimmerman | Getty Images 

• From the audience: What does Colbert think about the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey and if Gov. Phil Murphy will legalize it? "I've got such a case of glaucoma coming on," he said, referencing how medical marijuana is already legal. "I think he can do it. I can imagine that that's going to happen." 

• The question: Is the Trump presidency better or worse than you imagined. The answer: "So much worse!" Bee said. "I could not have imagined. I did not imagine this. It is definitely the Samantha Bee Upside Down. "I don't exactly know how we get back to a good place once he's gone." Colbert: "I think local politics is the way to do it." He continued: "What's nice about Trump is that he's so horrible that it's hip to be nice. Honesty suddenly seems cool." Bee: "Virginia gave me hope." (Referring to the election of Ralph Northam, a Democrat, over Republican Ed Gillespie.)

• From the audience: How do you handle comedy in the wake of fake news? Colbert: For me, it's honesty. "That was a turn that happened for me on election night ... For the last 10 minutes of the show, I just talked about whatever is in my head. I (was) determined to never stop doing that." Bee: "It's an interesting time to be doing a comedy show. It's almost like you're not doing a comedy show until the very second you get on the stage." 

• On Americans vowing to move to Canada: "Canada's full," said Bee, a Toronto native.

• Would Bee ever move back to Canada? "I'm never leaving this place, I've completely bought into it. My kids are American," she said. "I don't want to comment on this place anymore without being part of the system."

• When asked if he would ever run for political office, Colbert, who launched a joke bid for the presidency in 2007, said he would not. "Talk about heartbreak -- talk about Al Franken," he said, referring to the recent allegations of sexual misconduct against the Minnesota senator, noting how people are now using jokes Franken told as a comedian to criticize him. Colbert said people would do the same for him if he ran for office.

• On the use of "salty" language on "Full Frontal": "I think there's a possibility that TBS has maybe never watched the show," Bee said, noting that the show wanted to use footage of an elephant giving birth -- an "elephant vagina," as she called it, but was rebuffed. -- "It is gigantic .. a sight to behold," she said.

The 2018 Montclair Film Festival runs from April 26 to May 6, with Taylor Mac's "A 24-Decade History of Popular Music" on May 4; montclairfilm.org

The 2-mile extension, projected to cost $1.7 billion, has tripled in cost since 2004. It is now scheduled for completion in 2026

Marcelo Pataki, 34 from Harrison, was killed in a car crash Saturday.

A 34-year-old from Harrison was killed in a car crash on Saturday in Newark, officials said.

Marcelo Pataki was driving and was ejected from the vehicle, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a news release.

One person was killed in a crash on Route 21 in Newark Dec. 2, 2017 (511nj.org) 

Police responded to the crash at about 4:30 p.m. on Route 21 and Mill Street.

The car was the only one involved in the crash and authorities have determined that speed is a "contributing factor," according to the news release.

Another person in the car was taken to University Hospital in stable condition.

Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call the Department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477) or 1-877-NWK-GUNS (1-877-695-4867).

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

Authorities said the man was fatally shot Saturday evening in Vailsburg Park

A 23-year-old man was the victim of a homicide in Vailsburg Park in Newark on Saturday evening, Essex County authorities said Sunday.

A spokesperson for the county prosecutor's office identified Richard Culver, of Newark, as the victim of a fatal shooting in the county park, which spans 30 acres in the city's West Ward near Oraton Parkway and South Orange Avenue.

No further details were immediately available about the shooting, which is under investigation by the prosecutor's office.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Sunday was the final night of the country music star's three-night stop in Newark

A power outage during a Garth Brooks concert at the Prudential Center in downtown Newark on Sunday left a legion of fans temporarily in the dark.

In a statement posted to social media, arena officials said the lights went out unexpectedly shortly before 8 p.m. on the final night of the country music star's three-night stop in the city:

At approximately 7:50 p.m. tonight, Prudential Center experienced a brief power outage. Power was quickly restored and tonight's performance is proceeding as scheduled.

Prudential Center has been in close communication with its partner, PSEG, regarding tonight's brief outage.

-- Prudential Center (@PruCenter) December 4, 2017

Prior to the restoration of power, many concertgoers took to Twitter to document the delay:

Waiting for the power to come back on for #GARTHinNewark @PruCenter #poweroutage #supermoon [?] pic.twitter.com/eQM218dcRn

-- Diana DaCosta (@dmdacosta13) December 4, 2017

Audience is singing Friends in Low Places while we wait pic.twitter.com/Zl5ynJSRYe

-- Eayoub (@Niblet1997) December 4, 2017

Arena officials said the show continued as scheduled once the power was restored. The Prudential Center did not immediately identify the cause of the outage, but said it was in communication with PSEG regarding the incident.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Animals throughout the Garden State wait for someone to take them home.

The Food and Drug Administration says it has received about 68 reports of pet illnesses, and even deaths, related to bone treats.

Some of the reports involved more than one dog; a total of about 90 animals have been affected. About 15 dogs have died of the illnesses, the agency said.

CBS News reported these treats differ from uncooked, butcher-type bones because they are processed and packaged for sale as dog treats. The products may be dried through a smoking process or by baking, and may contain other ingredients such as preservatives, seasonings or smoke flavorings.

Different types of bone treats for dogs, including treats described as "Ham Bones," "Pork Femur Bones," "Rib Bones," and "Smokey Knuckle Bones," were listed in the illness reports.

"Giving your dog a bone treat might lead to an unexpected trip to your veterinarian, a possible emergency surgery, or even death for your pet," said Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA.

Symptoms reported to FDA by owners and veterinarians in dogs that have eaten bone treats have included:

• Gastrointestinal obstruction (blockage in the digestive tract)
• Choking
• Cuts and wounds in the mouth or on the tonsils
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Bleeding from the rectum

Other types of commercially-produced pet treats have been linked to illnesses in the past. Jerky treats made in China were pulled from store shelves in 2015 after reports of thousands of dogs and cats getting sick. Several people who handled the products got sick as well.

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

The company's former Chief Revenue Officer also will oversee sales in Advance Local's Staten Island and Lehigh Valley markets.

Steve Alessi, a media executive with deep ties to New Jersey, has been named president of NJ Advance Media.

Alessi most recently had been the company's Chief Revenue Officer. Prior to that position at NJ Advance Media -- a company that provides marketing solutions and content for NJ.com and its affiliated newspapers -- Alessi was VP, Advertising and Operations, at The Star-Ledger.

"It's an exciting time for credible, long-standing companies like NJ Advance Media to continue to innovate, educate and serve our local communities," Alessi said. 

"We are leading the New Jersey market in content consumption, data analytics and consultative marketing solutions. But there are so many opportunities out there, and we look forward to working even harder to better serve our consumer and advertiser communities." 

Alessi also will oversee three other Advance markets, Staten Island, the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia. 

Matt Kraner, NJ Advance Media's president since the launch of the company in 2014, was promoted to a new role with Advance Local, NJ Advance Media's parent company, in New York. Advance Local announced a restructuring this week that included the Kraner and Alessi promotions.

As of Jan. 1, 2018, Advance Local will include the operations of Advance Digital and Advance Central Services. Kraner will serve Chief Operating Officer for Markets. In addition to New Jersey, Staten Island and the Lehigh Valley, Kraner will oversee local markets in Michigan, Cleveland, Portland, Alabama and New Orleans, among others. 

"Steve has been an absolutely key leader in shaping NJ Advance Media into the success it is today, including driving top-tier revenue growth," Kraner said. "Being a long-time New Jersey resident, Steve has many contacts and a great feel for the state. He is true Jersey.

"I look forward to continuing to work with Steve as NJ Advance Media keeps reaching new heights."

Alessi lives in Cream Ridge with his wife, Jennifer, son Jake and daughter Morgan. Alessi is an engineering graduate from Villanova University who entered the media industry with Advertising.com over 18 years ago. He also held media roles at American Greetings and Philadelphia Media Group prior to joining Advance Publications. 

Two women are suing a New Jersey dog sitter, saying she is responsible for the harm that came to their furry friends.

Louie, a Maltese-Shih Tzu mix, has lost one of his eyes, and suffers from tremors. Lexie, an 11-year-old Yorkshire Terrier is missing, separated from the family she lived with nearly all her life.

The dogs' owners say they are just two of the victims of Nicole DeBellis, a Fairfield pet sitter they are suing for the allegedly negligent care of their furry friends.

According to a civil suit filed in Essex County on Sept. 22, Louie's owner Gina Luongo, and Lexie's owner Rosa Cinque, of Fairfield and North Caldwell, respectively, blame DeBellis for the sad fates of their dogs.

Loungo claims she left Louie with DeBellis in December 2016 and the sitter's much larger dog attacked the small canine. As a result of the attack, Louie lost one eye, and suffered several other injuries that have left him with recurring tremors, the suit states.

In July, Cinque left Lexie with DeBellis during a weekend vacation, according to the lawsuit. The dog went missing, and has yet to be found, the suit claims. DeBellis waited to inform the family of the dog's disappearance, and did little to try to find her, the lawsuit says.

DeBellis "has proven to be, at the very least, incapable and/or severely incompetent, at caring for animals," the lawsuit says.

Lexie, an 11-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, is missing and assumed dead, a law firm representing her owner says. (Submitted photo)
 

The filing, which cites several other alleged instances of the mistreatment of other pets, claims negligence and breach of contract.

DeBellis did not return a phone call last week seeking comment. Her attorney has not responded to an email seeking comment.

On her CareGuide profile, DeBellis describes herself as a stay-at-home mother who grooms and boards animals in her house.

"I treat them like they are my own. They are in a family setting, and get lots of love, hugs and kisses," her profile reads.

But Darren DelSardo, the attorney representing Luongo and Cinque, said the description did not live up to the reality.

"As someone who represents herself to the public as a professional and compassionate pet sitter, Mrs. DeBellis has failed to live up to the portrayal of her talents," he said.

Though the filing does not cite a specific monetary amount, the two women are suing for damages, attorney's fees, and other relief.  

"We are not looking for financial gain or remuneration because no amount of money could relieve the sadness that the loss of Lexie has brought to my son and I," Cinque said in a statement.

The two women "are really seeking acknowledgment of responsibility on the part of Mrs. DeBellis and a charitable donation to help other animals that have been neglected," the law firm said.

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

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