See which players are at the top of each statistical list early in the season.

A core group of Terrell Homes residents are fighting to preserve their apartments; the Newark Housing Authority has pushed to demolish the building citing high costs for repair but is seeking other solutions.

The future of a public housing complex in Newark is forcing city leaders to grapple with the reality of federal disinvestment in low-income housing: How can it remain safe, yet affordable?

For 96 families at the Millard E. Terrell Homes, the threat of closure is evoking fears of displacement while underscoring the consequences that come with years of neglect.

The Newark Housing Authority has fluctuated between seeking to demolish and wanting to save the property. New executive director Victor Cirilo vowed to do what he can to ensure residents who want to stay, can, while seeking capital money for much-needed improvements on the building, which opened in 1946. 

Immediate fixes are estimated at $26 million. 

The Newark Housing Authority hosted a meeting at Terrell Homes last week to discuss a potential redevelopment plan for the aging property. (Karen Yi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

"As they are not building any more low-income housing, we have to keep, protect and fight for what we have," Terrell Homes resident Rosemary Horsely, 69, said at a packed community meeting last week. She's part of a core group of residents who have resisted efforts to close the complex. 

As funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development dries up, the onus has fallen on local governments to maintain affordable housing opportunities with its aging stock of public housing. In Newark, where 29 percent of its residents live in poverty, the Newark Housing Authority has lost about $6 million a year in federal funding for the last 12 years, officials have said. 

Any plan to save Terrell Homes will most likely include market rate housing to offset the high costs of capital needs. 

"This project in whatever form it takes will require capital," Cirilo told residents last week. "We've had some issues with this property starting with some neglect."

Cirilo maintained the buildings will remain under NHA ownership. 

The Newark Housing Authority is the state's largest and oversees about 8,000 units. Jersey City oversees 2,400 and Camden 1,800, HUD records show. 

NW Financial Group and Kitchen & Associates -- two firms hired by the NHA to help with the redevelopment plan for Terrell Homes -- met with residents last week. It was a first step in devising a plan to save the property; the plan will be released by March.

Demolition of all or part of the building remains on the table. NHA needs federal approval to do so and has not yet submitted an application to HUD. 

In the meantime, NHA says it will work with residents eager to leave -- and find adequate housing to accommodate them. 

Resident Dawn Sych said she doesn't feel safe leaving her home after dark, especially with her 7-year-old daughter. She showed a reporter photos of a rusty pipe above her toilet that is constantly dripping. 

Community activist Louis Shockley, who is seeking a run for mayor, said the availability of affordable housing was a larger crisis facing the city.

"There is no housing stock, where are you gonna go?" he asked. 

Already, housing is shaping up to be a key issue in the upcoming May election. At least three housing advocates seeking to throw their names into the nine open council seats or the mayor's race spoke at last week's meeting.

They said the planning process should have been done first, before residents were forced to fight the NHA's plans to demolish the complex. 

Some residents in the meeting took the opportunity to vent about crumbling conditions, illicit drug activity and nearby shootings. 

"What is the sense in keeping it open?" one resident asked. "This is supposed to be a place we're supposed to live. I'm not understanding why we're trying to keep it open. There's a bunch of shootings." 

City leaders acknowledged the property had been neglected, but said residents and the city needed to work together to find a solution. 

"If people move out, it takes more money from the property ... and you're making it less safe," Mayor Ras Baraka said. "It's necessary for us to move forward ... we can't divide ourselves between who wants to stay or who wants to go." 

Terrell Homes has 275 units, 96 of them remain occupied. 

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

Christie visited his old neighborhood on Wednesday during a press tour of the new Donald M. Payne School of Technology, where the law center will bear his name. Watch video

Former Gov. Chris Christie's first day as a regular citizen looked a lot like his last eight years.

On Wednesday, Christie toured the new county vocational school in Newark -- surrounded by the press -- as Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo showered him with praise.

"Because of my support, because of my friendship we were able to build this facility," DiVincenzo said of the 325,000 square-foot Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology set to open in September. 

The two embraced like old friends, exchanging laughs about Christie's newfound free time. 

Inside the school's weight room, DiVincenzo joked that's where he planned to work out. "I'm going to come watch that, I have a lot of free time on my hands," Christie shot back. 

Christie may be jobless, but he's not friendless. 

"This is more of a symbol of our partnership over the last couple of years than anything else," Christie later told reporters. "But this is certainly not something I'm looking to do every day. I've been doing this every day for a long time."

When he told his wife, Mary Pat Christie, about his plan for the day, he said she told him, "'I thought you were out?'"

Former Gov. Chris Christie embraces Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. on Wednesday after touring the new Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology. Karen Yi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Under Christie, the state agreed to fund 90 percent of the $165 million project through debt service payments. The school on West Market Street will replace Bloomfield Tech and North 13th Street Tech in Newark, and serve 1,350 students. 

"I want to show him, this is what you did," DiVincenzo said of inviting Christie. "I couldn't be more proud of our relationship."

The school's law center will be named the "Governor Chris Christie Law and Public Safety Center." Christie said he was surprised when DiVincenzo unveiled it would bear his name. 

Christie getting lots of love from Essex County leaders. "We will miss you," Sheriff Fontoura says. DiVincenzo says he "couldn't be more proud" of their relationship, expects Christie to come back & speak to kids tho pic.twitter.com/J6r9qjFs8C

-- Karen Yi (@karen_yi) January 17, 2018

"This I did not expect and it's completely unnecessary but I'm incredibly honored that the kids who come here to learn about law and public safety and trying to keep the streets of our city and our county safe ... will know that I had some small hand in helping to make this space available to them," Christie said. 

The temporary signage, however, incorrectly said Christie was U.S. Attorney General from 2001-09 (he was U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2002-08).

County spokesman Anthony Puglisi apologized for the "office error" and said any mistakes will be fixed before anything is permanently placed on the walls.

Construction on the school began March 2016. The property sat abandoned for decades after United Hospital closed its doors in the mid 1990s. 

The state-of-the art facility in the West Ward is painted in bright oranges, greens and purples, and will have 58 academic classrooms and more than 30 career technology spaces. A large construction commons will house plumbing, electrical, carpentry and HVAC programs and allow students to practice on model homes or boats. 

Students were also on hand to meet the former governor. When Daniela Esinfort, who is studying television production and was holding a camera, introduced herself to the governor, Christie smiled and said: "Be nice OK? I'm retired." 

"This is not only about a school, this is about a community that's been blighted for the last 20 years... we're going to make sure that we do our job within this community to turn this community around," DiVincenzo said. "We're going to make the neighborhood part of the school."

And what's next for Christie?

He and Mary Pat plan to see Bruce Springsteen on Broadway Wednesday night, "which I think will be an appropriate way for me to end my first day of civilian life," he said. "We'll see what happens from here."

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

Weather forecasters say January's roller coaster ride of ups and downs in the thermometer will continue for another week.

Keep those hand-warmers handy, New Jersey. Following a snowstorm that dumped more than a half-foot of snow in some parts of Northern New Jersey, the temperature will take a nose dive Wednesday night, as the mercury dips down into the teens across most of the Garden State.

The good news? A noticeable warmup is on the way this weekend.

But before temperatures jump into the upper 40s to low 50s on Saturday and Sunday, we have to suffer through a couple of cold winter nights -- starting with Wednesday night, when the Newark area will get as chilly as 18 degrees, New Brunswick and Trenton will get down to 16 degrees and parts of Sussex County will hit 10 degrees.

All of those readings, forecast by the National Weather Service, are 6 to 7 degrees colder than normal for mid-January. And forecasters are concerned the frigid temperatures could turn standing water from the recent snowstorm into slick patches of ice on untreated roads and sidewalks.

"Temperatures across the tri-state region will fall into the teens for most areas tonight. This will allow wet or slushy roads to freeze, resulting in areas of black ice," the National Weather Service's New York regional office said in a special weather statement issued Wednesday evening. "Extra caution should be used if traveling." 

Warmup ahead

Although the daytime temperatures will return to near-normal -- reaching the mid-30s to low 40s on Thursday and Friday -- they will climb far above normal on Saturday and Sunday.

The weather service is predicting daytime highs of about 50 degrees on both days this weekend, with mostly  sunny skies. That will continue New Jersey's roller coaster ride of January's falling and rising temperatures. 

The month began with eight straight days of sub-freezing weather (part of a two-week cold snap) thanks to a pesky Arctic blast, followed by a rise into the 40s, 50s and low 60s last week, then a return to sub-freezing temperatures last Sunday.

Shortly after that, a storm system dropped snow and rain on New Jersey late Tuesday into early Wednesday. The highest snowfall totals were reported in Sussex and Warren counties, led by Wantage, with 6.9 inches, Montague, with 6.3 inches, Blairstown, with 5.6 inches and Newton, with 5.5 inches.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jon Corzine declined all but $1. Chris Christie accepted the $175,000 salary.

Gov. Phil Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive, confirmed Wednesday he will be accepting the $175,000 that comes with his new job.

The Democratic governor, sworn-in on Tuesday, had just finished talking with a group of working-poor people who explained what life was like earning $8.60 an hour, the minimum wage in New Jersey, or to hold a job that does not offer sick pay.

Murphy campaigned on a platform to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and promised to sign legislation into law that required employers to offer some sick pay.

But when reporters who attended the "Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave Roundtable" at Grace Community Lutheran Church in the Ironbound section of Newark asked about Murphy's wages, he seemed taken aback. Murphy said he had not been asked that "en vogue" question since the campaign.

"Yes, I will be accepting a salary," he replied.

When asked to clarify whether he would be taking the standard governor's salary of $175,000, he replied, "I answered the question -- I'll take the salary for the job."

Phil Murphy gives media 2-hour window to view his tax returns

There is precedent for accepting less than the job pays under state law. Gov. Jon Corzine, who made his fortune at Goldman Sachs, accepted only $1 a year.

Chris Christie accepted the full salary.

The off-topic question rankled Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who asked reporters to keep the focus of their questions on the working people struggling to make ends meet.

Murphy approved.

"Let me say to the mayor in a house of worship, bless you," Murphy said, the room erupting in applause.

Murphy and his wife, Tammy, made $4.6 million and paid about $1.5 million in taxes in 2016, according to his tax returns.

The Murphys made a combined $35.8 million from 2010 to 2016, according to a summary provided by Murphy's campaign. They also paid $11.3 million in taxes in that time, paying a tax rate that has ranged from 31.99 percent to 39.08 percent. Their 2016 tax rate was 32.7 percent.

All three are scheduled to be sentenced Thursday for their respective roles in Dustin Friedland's death

When the last three defendants are sentenced Thursday for the infamous fatal carjacking at The Mall at Short Hills, they'll be avoiding what could have been life imprisonment had they been convicted at trial.

Hanif Thompson, Kevin Roberts and Karif Ford are all scheduled to be sentenced by Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin in Newark after pleading guilty under separate agreements with prosecutors for their roles in the Dec. 15, 2013 slaying of Dustin Friedland.

The three men had been facing charges of murder, felony murder, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons offenses in the killing of Friedland, a 30-year-old attorney from Hoboken who was fatally shot during the theft of his father's Range Rover in a parking deck at the mall.

In exchange for his pleading guilty to a charge of felony murder and unlawfully possessing a weapon, prosecutors agreed to recommend Thompson, the gunman, serve 30 years in state prison before he's eligible for parole.

The state has recommended Roberts and Ford, who both pleaded guilty to carjacking, must each serve 17 years of a 20-year sentence before they're eligible for parole, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office has said.

'Unspeakable nightmare' over as gunman admits role in mall slaying

Basim Henry, the only defendant in the case to go to trial, did not receive such leniency. Henry, the admitted getaway driver, was sentenced by Ravin to life plus 10 years in prison after being convicted at trial of all charges.

Roberts, the next defendant scheduled to stand trial, was the first to plead guilty after Henry's sentencing. Prosecutors announced the subsequent guilty pleas of Thompson and Ford in October.

"It's a very complex analysis when you're dealing with accomplice liability cases and felony murder," said Robert Bianchi, a former Morris County prosecutor who now has a criminal defense practice in West Caldwell. 

At Henry's trial, the state alleged that only Thompson and Roberts physically took possession of the vehicle, and only Thompson was directly implicated in Friedland's shooting. Prosecutors successfully argued Henry was guilty of all the charges as a knowing accomplice and active participant in the carjacking conspiracy.

Bianchi said prosecutors have wide discretion in how they handle their cases, and that they have to be considerate of "whether you can prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt to 12 jurors."

"I don't second-guess the prosecutor in this case," he said.

Joseph Hayden, a North Jersey criminal defense attorney with years of experience handling high-profile cases, told NJ Advance Media that "when you really dig down, it's really not (as) irrational as at first blush it may seem." 

Prosecutors, he said, think about the amount of time and resources a trial would entail, as well as the toll further proceedings could take on the victim or their family.

"Thirty years is not chump change," he said of prosecutors' recommended sentence for Thompson.

In a statement announcing Thompson and Ford's pleas, the prosecutor's office noted the agreements prevented Jamie Schare Friedland -- the victim's widow and the state's key witness -- from having to repeatedly testify at further trials.

Jamie Friedland currently has a lawsuit pending against the mall's owners, alleging negligent security practices contributed to Dustin Friedland's death.

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

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In his inaugural speech, Gov. Phil Murphy said made a point of saying he wanted to act quickly on legislation that would help the working poor, among others.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday reaffirmed his commitment to signing laws that raise the minimum wage and require employers to provide sick pay by joining more than a dozen hourly-wage workers who described their daily struggles making ends meet.

The Democrat, however, did not offer any details on how or when he and the Democratic-controlled state Legislature would get it done. 

Murphy took the oath of office as New Jersey's 56th governor on Tuesday. In his inaugural speech, Murphy made a point of saying he wanted to act quickly on legislation that would help the working poor, among others.

He said he met with the leaders of the state Senate and state Assembly a week ago to discuss their shared priorities. "Both of these were high on the list," he said at Grace Community Lutheran Church in Newark. "I don't have a good answer on timing yet."

In an interview Wednesday night, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, agreed with Murphy's statement. More discussions need to take place before the bills are introduced and hearings are held because lawmakers and the governor disagree on how to do it.

"The devil is in the details," Sweeney said.

They differ on whether certain industries, such as farm workers or workers in their teens, should get the benefit of the $15 minimum wage. Murphy campaigned on a pledge to support a higher wage for all. Sweeney acknowledged he and others have supported the "carve-outs" for specific populations.

Read Phil Murphy's inaugural address

"We are committed to (raising) the minimum wage, paid sick leave and for me, (expanding) the family leave program," Sweeney said. He also said he expected to be one of the prime sponsors of the wage and paid family leave bills.

Murphy, who campaigned for a $15 minimum wage for all hourly workers, acknowledged there were differences of opinion. "We can't get there overnight," he said of negotiations.

But it would get done, Murphy said, rejecting the pervasive "myth" by some in the business community: "If I give you something, it is at my expense...We are done with this us versus them" attitude.

Labor leaders, community organizers and a handful of working people thanked Murphy for his commitment to the issue.

"I voted for you because you said you would fight for working families like me," said Tiffany Green, a food service employee from the Plainfield public schools.

"I am trying to put my son through college. I want to be a role model for my son, and earned sick days are very important," Green said. Fortunately, Plainfield offers paid sick days. "That's great, but we need to have that for everyone."

Rachel Velasquez, a single mother from Elizabeth, said she works two jobs to take care of her three children. Once she asked to take a day off because she was sick and was shocked by her employer's response.

"My employer said, don't come in the whole week and I lost a week of work," she said. "A $15 minimum wage would really help me and my family."

State Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., R-Union, made a plea for Murphy to include Republicans in the discussions. 

"For Democrats who have been critical of single-party government in Washington, they should use this opportunity to demonstrate to the public how they can manage that responsibility better in Trenton," Kean said. "They may be surprised to learn that there's room for bipartisan agreement on significant issues like the minimum wage, but that can't happen if they choose to go it alone."

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook
.

Folks have long been delighted by informal photos and videos - like those on 'Candid Camera.'

This week's collection of vintage photos depicts New Jerseyans captured in candid images. We have posted candid photos for the past few years and they have proven to be quite popular among our audience. But, we are not charting new territory here; folks have long been delighted by informal photos and videos.

According to the Archive of American Television, "Candid Camera" was the first and longest-running reality-based comedy program in TV history. It evolved from a radio program called "Candid Microphone."

 

The archive notes that "the format of the program featured footage taken by a hidden camera of everyday people caught in hoaxes devised by the show's host Allen Funt. He and his crew had to contend with burdensome equipment that was difficult to conceal. The cameras were often hidden behind a screen, but the lights needed for them had to be left out in the open. Would-be victims were told that the lights were part of 'renovations.'"

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

"Candid Camera" ran from 1949 through 1967 and again -- using the original format and some variations such as "Candid Camera Goes to the Doctor" -- from 1974 through 1993. In many ways, it was the precursor to today's reality programming. But, it maintained one principle many of its offspring can't claim -

Candid Camera never scripted a single segment in its history.

Here's a gallery of candid moments from New Jersey, as well as links to older galleries you'll enjoy.

Vintage photos capturing candid slices of life in N.J.

More vintage candid photos from N.J.

Vintage photos of celebs from N.J. when they were young

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

Drivers who use a busy and beat-up commuter corridor between two interstate highways are going to get some relief from the bumpy ride.

Drivers who've complained about poor pavement and potholes on two state highways in suburban Essex, Morris and Union Counties will get some relief this year, starting in the spring. 

The entire length of Route 24 and a section of Route 124 are scheduled to be repaved, said State Department of Transportation officials, in response to complaints by drivers.

Plans call for repaving Route 24 in both directions between I-287 in Hanover and I-78 in Springfield, said Dan Triana, a spokesman. A separate paving project is planned on four miles of Route 124, in both directions, through sections of Millburn, Summit, Springfield and Union, he said.

Drivers have complained about pavement conditions, particularly on a section of Route 124 between Holbart Avenue and the Short Hills mall. One driver who complained to the DOT said the "washboard surface of the (Route 124) roadway results in motorists dangerously swerving to avoid the numerous ruts and bumps."

The Route 124 project is scheduled to begin this spring with preliminary work on curbs, manholes and other pre-paving work and resurfacing should be completed by the end of the summer, Triana said.

The Route 24 paving project is scheduled to begin in summer 2018 and finish by the end of the year, he said. A section of Route 24 in Morris County had traffic volumes as high as 97,860 vehicles a day, according to a DOT traffic count. 

Until that work is completed, drivers can report potholes or other pavement problems by calling 1-800-POTHOLE or using an online form on the DOT's website, Triana said.  

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The popular burger and milkshake restaurant opened its first location in New Jersey in 2013. The four Shake Shack spots double its locations in the state

The popular burger chain Shake Shack has plans to open at least four new locations in New Jersey this year, continuing its expansion into the state.

The fast-food restaurant known for its gourmet burgers and milkshakes will open a Parsippany location at Waterview Marketplace shopping center in Parsippany later this year, Ripco Real Estate announced this week. The firm negotiated the deal for the location.

The shopping center, which is anchored by Whole Foods, is located in the jug-handle intersection of Waterview Boulevard and Route 46 and has direct access to Routes 202, 80 and 287.

Another Shake Shack is set to open later this year in Wayne, Ripco announced earlier this month. The exact location and planned opening date hasn't been revealed.

Morris County's first Shake Shack is joining Whole Foods at Waterview Marketplace in Parsippany, NJ. The center is expected to open in late 2018! Ripco represented both the Tenant and Landlord in the transaction. https://t.co/iZm9BgEVw5

-- Ripco Real Estate (@RipcoNY) January 17, 2018

Shake Shack previously announced plans to open its first Burlington County location at the intersection of Route 70 and 73 at the Marlton Commons Shopping Center in Evesham. Construction on the free-standing restaurant is underway, though no opening date has been announced.

In addition, Shake Shack received local approvals for a new location on Route 1 in Lawrence Township, Mercer County late last year. An opening date has not been announced. 

The three additions would bring the total number of New Jersey locations for Shake Shack to eight.

Shake Shack's first New Jersey restaurant opened in 2013 in Paramus, where there are now two locations. There is also one in Livingston and one in Bridgewater.

Shake Shack started out over a decade ago as a hot-dog cart in Madison Square Park in Manhattan. Restaurateur Danny Meyer eventually obtained permission from the city to build a permanent kiosk in the park, naming it Shake Shack.

New Yorkers have been lining up for Meyer's burgers and frozen custard ever since. 

According to its website, there are 126 Shake Shack restaurants worldwide including Bahrain, Japan, Kuwait and Russia.

@shakeshack the fast-causal restaurant chain which started out as a food cart inside Madison Square Park 13 years ago, is opening in Wayne, NJ! This will be Shake Shack's fifth branch in the Garden State. Ripco RE represented the tenant. https://t.co/c36N4H4t6l

-- Ripco Real Estate (@RipcoNY) January 8, 2018

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The fire at the three story commercial building also disrupted NJ Transit service

A Newark man has been charged with arson in a blaze at a commercial building Saturday that sent three firefighters to the hospital and disrupted NJ Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor Line.

Luis Rodriguez-Cruz 

Luis Rodriguez-Cruz, 24, of Newark, was also charged Wednesday with unlicensed entry of a structure and criminal mischief.

The fire at the building on Garden Street was reported at 10:10 a.m. and about 60 Newark firefighters fought the blaze  on the second and third floors of the commercial building, according to officials.

Three firefighters were taken to University Hospital in Newark for minor injuries.

Rodriguez-Cruz was also charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief in a separate incident that also occurred on Saturday in which cash and electronics were stolen from an apartment on Camp Street shortly before 11:30 a.m., according to police.

so this is happening right now [newark]

I hope no one was caught in this. pic.twitter.com/GiETaCUnWw

-- Kali (@dippedonuts) January 13, 2018

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The retailer announced 20 finalists in its search for a headquarters location. Watch video

Newark, Philadelphia, and New York City are all still in the running.

The cities were three of 20 towns identified by Amazon Thursday as finalists being considered for the location of the company's second headquarters. 

The mega retailer fielded entries from hundreds of cities across North America when it announced it was building a second headquarters. Then-Gov. Chris Christie announced last year New Jersey would support only one bid, Newark's.

Amazon said in its announcement Thursday it considered all of the proposals based on the parameters it outlined in its proposal, which included a large population, tech talent to hire, and a strong business community.

"In the coming months, Amazon will work with each of the candidate locations to dive deeper into their proposals, request additional information as necessary, and evaluate the feasibility of a future partnership that can accommodate our hiring plans as well as benefit our employees and the local community," the company posted as part of the finalist announcement.

"We expect to make a decision in 2018."

The second headquarters is expected to bring as many as 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in spending to whichever area lands it. New Jersey has offered billions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives in an attempt to lure Amazon.

10 reasons Amazon should choose Newark

In addition to Newark, New York City and Philadelphia, the other cities that made the list of top 20 finalists include:

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Austin, Texas
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Chicago, Illinois
• Columbus, Ohio
• Dallas, Texas
• Denver, Colorado
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Los Angeles, California
• Miami, Florida
• Montgomery County, Maryland
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Northern Virginia, Virginia
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Toronto, Ontario
• Washington D.C.

A pair of monster wins from teams in the Top 10 caused some movement as two new teams join the Top 20 this week.

The new contract is a significant step for adjunct professors.

Eight months after forming a union, adjunct professors at New Jersey Institute of Technology have negotiated higher pay and an internal path to potentially becoming full-time professors. 

The new contract, approved this week by union membership, includes raising the current $1,300 per credit minimum pay to $1,500. Compensation will rise to a minimum of $1,550 per credit in the fall, a nearly 20 percent raise and $750 increase for teaching a three-credit course. 

The raises comes as adjuncts, also known as part-time professors or lectures, nationwide are fighting to improve low pay, meager benefits and little job security at major universities.  

"This is historic," said Jeff Reaves, an adjunct professor of engineering at NJIT in Newark. "For the first time NJIT adjunct faculty have the same protections as many of the rest of our NJIT fellow workers." 

The plight of part-time professors

The deal makes NJIT's adjunct professors the second-highest paid in the state behind those at Rutgers University, according to the union.

In addition to the raises, the two-year contract creates an internal process for adjuncts to apply for full-time lecturer positions, establishes a grievance process and starts a professional development fund to reimburse expenses for adjunct faculty who travel and attend conferences or seminars.

"Our adjunct faculty contribute greatly to the strength of our academic programs and to the student experience at NJIT," the university said in a statement. "We are very pleased to have reached an agreement."

Adjuncts professors used to be considered stop-gaps when colleges were short on teachers or courses were overcrowded. But the number of adjuncts at colleges and universities has risen in recent decades as administrators looked to save money by eliminating higher-paid, full-time professor positions.

With little-to-no job security, adjuncts on many campuses have struggled to unionize even as as stories of part-time professors living in poverty have made headlines. 

NJIT's new 340-member bargaining unit formed in May as part of the Rutgers American Association of University Professors - American Federation of Teachers, which represents faculty at Rutgers. 

"The adjunct workforce at NJIT has been waiting a long time to have their voices heard by the administration," Crystal Hamai, an NJIT adjunct professor, said at the time. 

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

Who are the top forwards from the class of 2018?

His two remaining co-defendants each received 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to carjacking.

A judge in Newark Thursday sentenced the admitted killer of Dustin Friedland to 30 years in state prison for felony murder, bringing a close to one of Essex County's highest profile criminal cases in recent memory.

Hanif Thompson's two remaining co-defendants in the 2013 fatal carjacking at The Mall at Short Hills -- Kevin Roberts and Karif Ford -- each received 20-year sentences for their roles in the crime. 

Addressing the court, flanked by members of her late husband's family, an emotional Jamie Schare Friedland said Thompson "took my dream away from me."

"I hope that you think about the scene you left me with, the life you left me with, the agony you left me with," she said. 

Friedland said her own thoughts had become "an endless loop of agony and violence."

"And I hope you can live with it," she told a shackled Thompson, who sat flanked by his attorneys.

Of the three defendants sentenced Thursday, only Ford chose to directly address the court, tearfully offering his condolences to Friedland's family.

"To Jamie Friedland, I just want you to know I was not the one who attacked Dustin," Ford said.

All three men had accepted plea agreements with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office that saw them avoid what could have been life sentences had they been convicted at trial.

Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin previously sentenced the getaway driver in the carjacking, Basim Henry, to life plus 10 years in prison after a jury convicted him of murder, felony murder, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons offenses in the 30-year-old attorney's Dec. 15, 2013 slaying at the upscale mall in Millburn.

"I think they saw the handwriting on the wall after the first defendant was sentenced to an extraordinarily long (prison sentence)," Acting County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino told reporters after the sentencings.

At trial in March, prosecutors showed the jury a video of Henry's interview with detectives following his arrest. In the interview, the South Orange resident described in detail how he drove the three other men to the mall with the intent to steal a Range Rover, like the one Friedland and his wife had borrowed to go shopping.

Prosecutors said Friedland was pistol-whipped during a struggle with Thompson, who subsequently fired a fatal shot into his head.

Police later recovered the stolen Range Rover in Newark and investigators arrested all four men separately just under a week after the killing. The gun used to kill Friedland was never recovered, authorities said.

Attorneys on said both Ford and Roberts had feared reprisals from Thompson, who prosecutors said had threatened Ford to keep quiet in an encounter at the same courthouse where all three men were sentenced Thursday.

Prosecutors said Ford ultimately told a "representative" of the Drug Enforcement Administration, who authorities have not identified, about his role in the carjacking -- a decision that led to his own fateful interview with investigators.

In his own remarks to the court, Friedland's father, Wayne Friedland, lamented "the state of New Jersey does not have the courage or the sense to implement the death penalty for these kind of crimes."

In court, Assistant Prosecutor Brian Matthews said the state's murder case against Thompson would not have been a slam dunk, even with Roberts agreeing to testify against him as part of his own plea deal.

"If it were a slam dunk, we would be trying the case," he said.

Matthews -- who tried Henry's case with former assistant prosecutor Ralph Amirata and handled the remaining defendants with Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab -- told reporters Jamie Friedland had expressed concerns to him about the fairness of the driver's lengthy sentence compared to those of his co-defendants, although she did understand the value of the plea agreements.

"She didn't understand how the getaway driver could get that much more time," he said.

Laurino said a second trial would also have required Friedland's widow to take the witness stand once again in a repeat of her tearful opening testimony in Henry's case.

In remarks prior to sentencing the three men, Ravin said he understood there might be questions about how Henry could could receive such a lengthy sentence compared to his co-conspirators.

"The court follows the law, and the law is this, as provided by the New Jersey Supreme Court: A defendant's sentence does not need to be indentical to a co-defendant's," he said.

Ravin said that while the law prevented him from factoring Henry's decision to go to trial into the sentence the judge imposed, it would be unfair for the court to not consider his co-defendants' candor in choosing to plead guilty.

If and when Henry moves to reduce his sentence at a later date, Ravin said, the court would be prepared to explain the differences under state law.

Maintaining a silence that has endured throughout the case, Dustin Friedland's friends and family offered no comments to reporters as they left the coutroom Thursday afternoon, escorted by sheriff's officers.

Both Roberts and Ford must serve at least 17 years each of their 20-year sentences before they are eligible parole, Ravin said Thursday. Thompson will be ineligible for parole for the duration of his 30-year prison term.

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

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Two Summit police detectives were held at gunpoint as they investigated a stolen luxury sport utility vehicle that was recovered in Irvington, officials said Thursday.

Two Summit police detectives were held at gunpoint as they investigated a stolen luxury sport utility vehicle at an Irvington tow yard, officials said Thursday.

The plainclothes detectives went to the yard Wednesday afternoon after a Range Rover taken earlier in Summit was towed to the shop, according to Summit  spokeswoman Amy Cairns. At the lot, two gun-toting assailants who had the vehicle's key fob confronted the detectives and fled with the SUV.

Cairns said the assailants approached the police without any warning, and didn't have a chance to pull their own firearms.

"They were ambushed from behind," the city spokeswoman said. 

Police later recovered the SUV abandoned. 

The detectives did not immediately identify themselves as law enforcement officers during the confrontation, authorities said.

Cairns said the vehicle was stolen with the key fob left inside.

It was unclear if the same thieves who first stole the SUV were the ones who approached the detectives or why the same suspects might want to take the vehicle again from a tow yard, said Irvington Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers. 

He asked anyone with information to contact township police.

Law enforcement agencies around the area have repeatedly warned residents to avoid leaving key fobs in their vehicles.

Summit officials identified the stolen vehicle as a Range Rover while Irvington police said it was a Mercedes-Benz SUV. 

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