Quantcast
Channel: Essex County
Viewing all 10984 articles
Browse latest View live

Boys basketball: Previewing this weekend's fantastic county-finals matchups

0
0

Complete guide to this weekend's county finals.

This weekend is loaded with county tournament finals with fantastic matchups, and NJ.com is your one stop shop for everything you need heading into the action.

Click the links below to see full previews for every county final this weekend. 

Friday, Feb. 23
 Bergen County Tournament 
No. 5 Don Bosco Prep vs. No. 6 Bergen Catholic, at FDU, 7

 Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament 
Pope John vs. North Hunterdon, at Sparta, 7


RELATED: LIVE webcasts of 2 Saturday county finals


Saturday, Feb. 24
Cape-Atlantic League Tournament 
No. 17 Wildwood Catholic vs. No. 15 Atlantic City, at Stockton U., 2

Essex County Tournament (LIVE webcast available, 12:55)
No. 7 East Side vs. No. 12 Montclair Immaculate, at Essex College, 1

Hudson County Tournament 
No. 2 Hudson Catholic vs. St. Peter's Prep, St. Peter's University, 7

Morris County Tournament
Delbarton vs. Chatham, County College of Morris, 7

 Passaic County Tournament 
Paterson Kennedy vs. Wayne Hills, at Wayne Valley, noon

 Shore Conference Tournament 
No. 4 Ranney vs. No. 13 Mater Dei, A Monmouth U., 8

 Somerset County Tournament 
No. 3 Gill St. Bernard's vs. Rutgers Prep, at Franklin, 3

Union County Tournament (LIVE webcast available, 6:55)
No. 1 Roselle Catholic vs. No. 10 Patrick School, Kean U., 7

Richard Greco may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Richard_V_Greco. Mike Kinney may be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter @MikeKinneyHS. Kevin Minnick may be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter @kminnicksportsLike NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.


Acupuncturist charged with sexually assaulting a patient

0
0

Edward Raskin, 55, has practices in Springfield and New York City.

Acupuncturist charged with sexually assaulting patientEdward Raskin, 55, was charged with second-degree sexual assault. 

An acupuncturist with practices in New York City and Springfield was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a patient, authorities said Friday.

A patient told police that Edward Raskin, sexually assaulted him or her during a scheduled appointment on Dec. 30, 2017, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. 

Raskin, a 55-year-old Chatham Township resident, turned himself in to Springfield police on Thursday afternoon. He faces charges of second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

If convicted on the sexual assault charge, he faces five to 10 years in prison, the release said.

Anyone with more information about Raskin can contact Springfield Detective Sgt. James Mirabile at 973-912-2242.    

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

N.J. property taxes hit a record high in 2017. See the numbers for your town.

0
0

The average New Jersey residential property tax bill hit $8,690 in 2017.

New Jersey's already-sky high residential property taxes set a new record in 2017, with the average tax bill ringing up at $8,690.

That tax bill is $141 -- or 1.6 percent -- over the $8,549 homeowners paid, on average, in 2016

The burden falls hardest in Bergen, Essex and Union counties, where the average bill exceeded $11,000. Counties with the highest property taxes tend to be concentrated in the northern and central parts of the state.

The new figures released Friday by the Department of Community Affairs closes the books on property taxes during former Gov. Chris Christie's eight years in office.

Click to see the latest property tax numbers for your town

The average tax bill was $7,281 when Christie came into office. During the two terms of his administration they rose a total of just over 19 percent, representing a significant slowdown in the rate of property tax growth from previous governors. 

The Department of Community Affairs releases town-by-town property tax data each winter, each year's average predictably setting a new record for a state with the highest property taxes in the nation.

But this year, homeowners are facing uncertainty in their property tax bills on several fronts, prompting worry that they could grow at a faster rate.

Murphy says Jersey will sue to stop Trump tax law

Officials from counties and municipalities warn they may be forced to raise property taxes in the aftermath of the expiration of a 2 percent cap on the raises police and firefighters can win in arbitration.

While the number of contract disputes that land in interest arbitration are few, local government officials say those raises inform contract negotiations across the state.

In the decades before the cap was installed, arbitration awards ranged from 2 percent to nearly 6 percent.

While they're still hemmed in by a 2 percent cap on annual increases in government spending, officials say higher arbitration awards would force them to cut programs or take advantage of the exceptions to the 2 percent cap for things like employee retirement benefit costs and debt service.

An analysis of the cap released this fall found it saved taxpayers $530 million on police and firefighter salaries and more broadly found the duo of caps saved taxpayers $2.9 billion.

In his final State of the State address, Christie urged lawmakers to renew the cap he signed into law, saying New Jerseyans can't afford big jumps in their bills each year.

"Seven days, I'm just another property taxpayer," he said last month. "And as another property taxpayer, I am begging you. Stand up to these interests. Pass the arbitration cap like you've done twice before. And do not return the citizens of our state to 7 percent annual property tax increases."

Gov. Phil Murphy notably has not released a specific plan to lower property taxes, but he's said he wants to put an additional $1 billion a year into education funding that could relieve the burden on local school districts to raise more revenue. 

And Republicans in Washington installed a $10,000 cap on the state and local taxes that will hit hard homeowners in such high-tax states as New Jersey, where property tax bills alone can easily exceed $10,000.

The property tax break took the edge off the state's notoriously high property taxes, but the truncated version will leave New Jersey homeowners feeling every dollar of their tax bill.

Murphy announced last month he's joining with New York and Connecticut in a federal action against the GOP tax law that caps the deduction and raises taxes on wealthy blue state residents.

He's spoken in support of allowing local governments to construct support funds that would allow taxpayers to classify their property tax payments as donations that are fully deductible, and he said he's taken interest in a proposal made by Cuomo to shift from personal income taxes to payroll taxes, which can be deducted fully.

Lawmakers introduced a charitable bill fund in the Senate, which would allow municipalities, counties and school districts to offer property tax credits worth 90 percent of donations made to these accounts.

Tax experts, however, are skeptical these schemes will stand up to IRS scrutiny.

Loading...

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find her on Facebook.
 

2018 Region wrestling quarterfinals: Results, updated brackets and links

0
0

NJ.com's complete coverage from the quarterfinal round of the region wrestling tournament.

2018 REGION WRESTLING QUARTERFINAL ROUND

We are one step closer. The road to Atlantic City continues with the Region quarterfinals Friday night. Winners will advance to the semifinal round on Saturday morning. Wrestlers losing in the quarterfinal round still have a chance to make it to Atlantic City, battling through the wrestleback rounds on Saturday.   


MORE: Wednesday night's coverage


NJ.com will be your place to follow all of the action. We'll have live updates, results, stories, photos and more from around the state. Check back all night on Friday. 


REGION HOMEPAGES
R-1 | R-2 | R-3 | R-4
R-5 | R-6 | R-7 | R-8


NOTE: All brackets will be updated as results come in. Click on a weight within each region to see the brackets.

Region 1
• Freshman delivers biggest surprise
 Look back at live updates
 Quarterfinal results
 Semifinal pairings
  Continually updated R-1 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 2
Look back at live updates
 Recap
  Photo gallery
 Quarterfinal results
 Semifinal pairings
•  Continually updated R-2 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285 


RELATED: 'Most hated player in Jersey' still kneeling for anthem


Region 3
• Look back at live updates
 Recap
 Quarterfinal results
 Semifinal pairings
•  Continually updated R-3 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 4
• Milestone is quarterfinal steppingstone
 Undefeated Zach DelVecchio of S. Plainfield withdraws
• 
Photo gallery

• Look back at live updates
 Quarterfinal results
 Semifinal pairings
•  Continually updated R-4 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 5
• Tenth seed continues to surprise
  Photo gallery
 Look back at live updates
 Quarterfinal results
 Semifinal pairings
•  Continually updated R-5 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 6
Look back at live updates 
 Recap
 Cooper stuns unbeaten Andre
•  WATCH: Top-seeded Koehler of CBA scored a 2nd-period fall 
•  WATCH: Allentown's Lamparelli scored a pin in quarterfinals 
•  WATCH: Xavier Kelly of Howell advances on decision
 Quarterfinal results
 Semifinal pairings
•  Continually updated R-6 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 7
• Paulsboro advances 7, Camden Catholic 6
 
 WATCH Seneca standout wins by fall
 
Photo gallery
 Look back at live updates
 Quarterfinal results
 Semifinal pairings
•  Continually updated R-7 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 8
Look back at live updates
 Recap
   Photo gallery
 Quarterfinal results
 Semifinal pairings
•  Continually updated R-8 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Student charged in "alarming" Instagram video that led to school closure

0
0

Clip appeared to show teens shooting guns at a firing range and image of town's high school.

A Nutley High School student was charged for his role in posting an "alarming video" online that prompted a daylong closure of district schools, authorities said Friday.

school-shoot-rearjpg-afcce6ca961427f5.jpgScreen grab from a video posted to Instagram shows a person shooting a handgun at a firing range. The video also contains a still photo of Nutley High School and students in a classroom. (Instagram)  

Joseph Rafanello, 18, was charged with third-degree false public alarm for the Instagram posting, according to police.

The video was posted online Feb. 15 -- one day after a former student gunned down 17 people at his former high school in Parkland, Florida -- and shows teens apparently shooting a handgun and rifle at a firing range. Nutley High School was also included in the video. 

The social media video also included the song "Pumped Up Kicks" by band Foster the People.

"You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks. You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet," are among the song's lyrics.

Officials said an investigation revealed there was no threat to town schools.

"At this point our investigation has not uncovered any further active security threats to any of our public schools and we will continue to work with the school district to ensure the safety of our schools," township police said in a statement Friday night.

Police planned to boost patrols at local schools.

"This is just a proactive measure and not related to any further threats," the statement said.

Other unnamed "individuals" in the video were identified and cooperated with authorities, according to Nutley Schools Superintendent Julie Glazer.

Officials became aware of the video the night of Feb. 15 and immediately launched an investigation, she said in a letter released Friday.

"That night, it was not possible to deem if this was a credible threat to the schools, students, staff or community, and due to the timing of information, the decision was made to close the schools on Friday, February 16," she said.

Glazer commended people who alerted school administration about the issue.

"This was our process working," she added. "People saw something and said something, allowing for the swift, collaborative actions, which kept our schools and town secure."

For his part, Glazer said the student facing charges "will not be returning to school."

Anthony G. Attrino contributed to this report. 

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

 

Authorities mull terror charges in Planned Parenthood attack

0
0

The suspect crashed a stolen bakery delivery truck into a clinic last week Watch video

A Massachusetts man began researching the locations of Planned Parenthood clinics more than a year before he deliberately crashed a stolen truck into one last week in East Orange, injuring three people, including a pregnant woman, prosecutors said Friday.

MARCKLES ALCIUS.jpgMarckles Alcius, police photo 

The state Attorney General's office will review the case to see if terrorism charges should be filed against Marckles Alcius, a Haitian national who is not a U.S. citizen but is believed to be in the country legally.

The 31-year-old gave authorities an address in Lowell, Massachusetts, northwest of Boston, that turned out to be an abandoned building, Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Adam Wells said.

Alcius indicated to investigators after his arrest that the act was intentional and that he was willing to die, Wells told a judge in seeking to deny Alcius's attorney's request that he be released while awaiting trial.

"It was personal, and I don't care what happens after that," Alcius said during an interview, Wells told state Superior Court Judge Peter Ryan. Wells didn't discuss what might have motivated Alcius.

"When I asked him if he would do it again, he paused for eight seconds and then said, 'I don't know,'" Wells added.

Ryan, rejecting a recommendation from pre-trial services to release Alcius with electronic monitoring, ordered him held in the Essex County jail. Alcius poses a significant threat to Planned Parenthood employees, he said.

Alcius, who prosecutors said has been living with relatives, including some who live in the Newark area, faces numerous charges, including aggravated assault and attempting to cause widespread injury or damage.

He allegedly stole a bakery delivery truck that was making deliveries on Feb. 14.

A clinic staff member and two patients -- including a pregnant woman -- suffered minor injuries and were treated at a hospital and released, Wells said.

Alcius wasn't hurt.

Wells said electronic evidence reviewed by investigators indicates Alcius had done online research on Planned Parenthood locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey beginning in January 2017.

Susan Freedman, a public defender representing Alcius, said her client has no criminal record and accused investigators of not properly instructing him of his rights to have a lawyer present at his interview.

Wells denied the allegation and noted that Alcius has four previous arrests in Massachusetts, including for burglary and assault and battery, though he didn't know the status of those cases.

A lawman reaches out for the addicted | Di Ionno

0
0

Morris County Sheriff Gannon starts mobile and jail help units

James Gannon was a cop for 33 years but, by his own admission, he didn't understand the thoroughly democratic scourge of drug addiction until he became a politician.

Well, not exactly a politician. Gannon was campaigning for Morris County sheriff last year when he went door-to-door in suburbs, cities and semi-rural areas.

"I knocked on 9,000 doors," he said. "And the thing that concerned people the most was drug addiction."

Behind those 9,000 doors, Gannon heard thousands of stories about family secrets and shame. Stories about people needing help or people for whom help, sadly, never came.

"Everybody seemed to know somebody," Gannon said. "Everybody had a story."

Since 2012, Morris County has seen nearly 250 overdose deaths. Add to that the number of people who were arrested or entered rehab programs and extrapolate this into the social network of a county -- through all families, friends, classmates and acquaintances - and, yes, it seems everybody knows somebody.

"My whole career, I saw drug addiction from the criminal side," Gannon said. "But when I campaigned I saw it impacted all genders, all races, all towns, all socioeconomics.

"It became my top priority when I took office," he said.

Gannon's idea was take addiction and recovery information out to the public, rather than the public have to search for the services. This included the public that spent time in his jail.

His plan involved creating a mobile drug awareness and recovery unit, dedicating one wing of the county jail to drug offenders to connect them with services, and issuing identification cards to the homeless so they, too, could seek treatment.

Gannon was sworn in on Jan. 2, 2017. By April 3, the "Hope One" van was on the road, making its first stop on the Morristown Green, handing out literature, arranging for treatment and training people in the life-saving use of naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote.

Using drug forfeiture money, Gannon took a former Morris S.W.A.T. van, stripped it of any law enforcement insignias, and had it painted with a purple ribbon, the awareness symbol of the opioid crisis.

"Our first day out, a couple of the people who always hung around the Green came up," Gannon said. "They were our first two customers, and both are in recovery now."

Since then, the van has been out almost 100 times and the Hope One staff has made about 3,000 contacts, which Gannon described as people seeking information or help.

Nearly 800 people have been trained in the use of naloxone, and go home with a free dose, paid for by a state grant through the Center for Addiction Recovery, Education and Success (CARES) in Rockaway.

"We were out in a strip mall and this man stops by and he just starts welling-up," Gannon said. "He tells us his son is addicted and he wants to be trained in Narcan (a brand of naloxone) because he knows it might save his son's life someday. These are the kind of contacts we make every day."

During a drug awareness seminar at Whippany's Memorial Junior High School two weeks ago, the Hope One staff trained several groups of people in emergency naloxone use.

In the group were moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and friends. This mixed demographic had only  one thing in the common: the fear they would one day find their addicted loved one dead.

"I think we (Hope One) are one of a kind," said Alton Robinson, the chief recovery specialist at CARES, who is a regular on the Hope One rounds. "I don't know of another in the country. Now we have other counties coming to us, because they see it is working."

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose invited Gannon to his office in December to give a presentation, and Essex County plans to begin its own Hope One-style program in March.

"It's a great idea," Ambrose said. "You bring the services to the places where people need it. We'll be at Penn Station and Military Park and some of the other places we know where people need help."

Help is the operative word, one that many people don't associate with law enforcement.  So, Gannon decided the Hope One truck had to be civilian-friendly. Not only were the law enforcement logos removed, but the sheriff's officer assigned to the unit is dressed in plainclothes. Gannon wants there to be no confusion that Hope One is there to help. Coffee is put out, among the literature.

"Every conversation begins with a cup of coffee," Gannon said. "When we can talk, we can open up the pathway of services to people who otherwise might not know how to find them or were turned away from one place or another. Because our network with all the (rehab) facilities, we know where the beds are."

Since the start, the mobile Hope One effort has arranged rehabilitation for 52 people and mental health services for 60. It has issued county IDs to 140 homeless people, so they can get services.

It goes to places where people in the target population gather: train stations, parks, malls  and libraries.

"There are a few homeless camps we know of, so we go there," Gannon said.

Along those lines, his warrant squad now offers rehab awareness information and the jail has a wing devoted to getting people help.

Gannon said 3,100 people came through the Morris County jail last year. Of those, about half were addicted to drugs or alcohol.

"We've put an outpost for county human services at the jail," he said. "I like to call it giving them a warm hand-off from the jail to help them find places to live, to work if they're able, to find treatment, and get them their high-school equivalency, if they need it. We find the higher level of education, the lower the level of recidivism."

And, in the end, that's what it is really about. Reducing crime, not through arrests, but through preemptive treatment and services.

"We are not going to arrest our way out of this problem," Gannon said.

Nutely Troop 147 takes first in Klondike

0
0

Troop captures title in the Lenape Trail District's competition.

ex0225scout.jpgBoy Scout Troop 147 BEAV-HAW Team, front row, Archer St. Amant and Rishi Bhandari; Jose Medrano, sitting on sled; and back row, Aakash Patel, Alvaro Flores, Scott Bolton Jr., Bhuvan Dave, Suvan Bhat and Kirill Pavlov won first place in the Lenape Trail Disctrict Klondike Derby.

NUTLEY -- Nutley Boy Scout Troop 147 placed first in the Lenape Trail District's Annual Klondike Derby, an all-day event held Feb. 3 at the South Mountain Reservation in West Orange.

The Klondike Derby is an annual event that tests the Scouts on their outdoor survival skills. The event takes its inspiration from prospectors who, during the 1890s, used dogsleds to travel through Alaska and Canada in search of gold; the cold, harsh conditions forced them to use outdoor survival skills.

There was plenty of sun but no snow at year's event, so the Scouts had to drag their Klondike sleds over a frozen grass field to visit the 10 "towns," or, stations, each one testing them on a different Scout skill.

Troop 147's BEAV-HAW Team -- Jose Medrano, Scott Bolton Jr., Aakash Patel, Bhuvan Dave, Alvaro Flores, Archer St. Amant, and Rishi Bhandari, led by co-captains Suvan Bhat and Kirill Pavlov -- amassed 920 points, besting the Dragons from Troop 17 from Short Hills by five points to win the competition. The Beaver Team from Troop 21 in Maplewood finished third.

The Lenape Trail District is one of three districts in the Boy Scouts Northern New Jersey Council and includes all towns in Essex County.

To submit Scout news send an email to essex@starledger.com.


People of faith must stand up for immigrants: Q&A with Pope Francis' man in Newark

0
0

"Parents tell me, 'When I kiss my kids goodbye on the way to school, I don't know if I'll be there at night,'" Cardinal Joseph Tobin says.

To Parkland, with love: N.J. students send support as classes resume at Florida school

0
0

Newark students sent more than 100 hearts with messages of support and love as the students in Parkland, Fla. get ready to return to class on Wednesday after a gunman killed 17 on campus.

When the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas return to class on Wednesday, they'll be greeted by a mosaic of hand-painted hearts from their peers in Newark, New Jersey. 

Students at Ann Street School are hoping their art -- made more than 1,200 miles from South Florida -- can bring some color and comfort to Parkland school hallways after a 19-year-old gunman killed 17 students and teachers during one of the deadliest school shootings in history.

The Valentine's Day massacre has prompted an outflow of support from students and schools across the country. 

Using bright reds and pinks, yellows and greens, about 150 students from Ann Street School painted hearts and murals to mail to the Parkland students.

Parkland-heartsStudents at Ann Street School in Newark sent artwork to Parkland for when the students return to class.  

"Having our students participate in the creating of art work for Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida as a sign of our support the students of Parkland in the recent tragedy is admirable and empathetic," Linda Richardson, principal of Ann Street wrote to administrators.

The students made collages, used crayons and watercolors, writing "Our hearts are with you," on one of the large murals.

The artwork was mailed out on Friday and is expected to arrive in time for the students' return to school on Wednesday. 

The mass shooting in Florida has moved students across the state to action. Last week, several hundred students walked out in solidarity with their Parkland peers as they demanded action on gun control. 

A larger school walk-out is planned for March 14.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., is holding a rally for common sense gun legislation on Sunday in Livingston with survivors of the Parkland shooting. 

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

Millburn MathCounts team triumphs

0
0

Middle school team advances to the state competition.

ex0225schoolmillburn.jpgMillburn Middle School MathCounts team members Benjamin Hu, Ritvik Bordia, William Young, Josh Hemingson and coach Mary Wiley with their MathCounts trophies. 

MILLBURN -- The Millburn Middle School MathCounts team -- eighth-graders Josh Hemingson, Ritvik Bordia, Benjamin Hu and William Young -- came in first at the MathCounts North Central New Jersey Chapter competition held Feb. 10 at NJIT.

MathCounts is a bee-style mathematics competition for middle school students. The team is now eligible to compete March 10 in the MathCounts state competition.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

State wrestling qualifiers: Every wrestler advancing from the regions, 2018

0
0

The complete list of 2018 NJSIAA State Wrestling Championships qualifiers heading to Atlantic City

Au pair from Israel fatally struck by bus in Montclair

0
0

Authorities are investigating the death of a Montclair woman along a busy intersection.

An au pair from Israel who was working for a Montclair family was killed Saturday night after she was struck by the same bus she was exiting, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. 

The 26-year-old woman was identified as Maya Moar, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Montclair Police Chief Todd M. Conforti said Sunday in a press release. 

Moar was from Holon, Israel, authorities said. She was struck by a DeCamp bus along the intersection of Mt. Hebron Road and Grove Street around 6 p.m. as she exited the vehicle. 

The bus did not stop, the prosecutor's office said. Moar was pronounced dead at 6:48 p.m. An au pair is a worker from a foreign country who provides childcare or housework for a host family that they live with.  

When reached by phone on Sunday, a DeCamp spokesperson said the incident was part of an ongoing investigation and declined to comment. DeCamp is an independently-owned transportation company based in northern New Jersey. 

Authorities said the incident remained under investigation. Anyone with information can call the Essex County Prosecutor's tips line: 1-877-TIPS -4EC. 

Marisa Iati contributed to this report.

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

18-year-old charged after social media post causes high school lockdown

0
0

The incident happened in West Caldwell on Saturday.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly posted a social media threat that led to the lockdown of James Caldwell High School on Saturday, police said.

Michael Schmitt was charged with false public alarm after a social media post. The threat caused the lockdown and search of the high school in West Caldwell on Saturday. An all-day musical program was interrupted and students and audience members were told to shelter in place while police swept the school. 

Schmitt was later arrested without incident, authorities said. The incident touched nerves in the wake of the recent fatal school shooting in Florida. 

Carolyn Jones, who lives on Caldwell Road next to the high school, said she saw people coming out of the auditorium single-file around 2 p.m. She got a robocall from the school that left a message saying there was a lockdown at the school. Around 4:30 p.m., there was still a heavy police presence in front of the school, she said. "No one's allowed to go in front of the school." A lot of cars were coming and going fast, to pick up people from the school.

The investigation is continuing and police ask anyone with information to call 973-226-4114.

Staff writer Joe Brandt contributed to this report.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
 

WATCH: Parkland students rally in N.J. alongside Menendez for gun control reform

0
0

Survivors of the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla. met Sunday with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to rally around gun control in New Jersey. Watch video

They've taken buses to their state capitol, flights to meet with the president and now they've come to New Jersey.

Student survivors of the mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school brought their message of gun control to the Temple B'nai Abraham in Livingston on Sunday. 

"This is an issue of lives," said David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who has become a high-profile voice for survivors of the attack. "This is a non-partisan issue that we need to work together to solve," 

The rally comes more than a week after a 19-year-old former student turned gunman mowed down 17 students and teachers at the campus on Valentine's Day. 

Since the rampage, student survivors have mobilized to force a conversation and change around access to high-powered assault-style rifles, such as the AR-15 used in the massacre.

Hogg said he was in his AP science class when he heard a pop that sounded like a gunshot. At first, students thought it was a drill but learned it was "life or death."

"I'm here, I'm alive and and we have to change something about this," Hogg said.

The students, as well as leaders from local religious and advocacy groups, met with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., as he led a rally for gun reform legislation.

Officials at the temple where they rallied had to repeatedly fold back temporary walls to make the room bigger. Even still, it was standing room only and the rally started late to make sure all the people who were standing outside in the rain were able to come in.

"How high must the body count climb before Congress puts the safety of our families ahead of the gun industry," Menendez remarked.

The senator called for universal background checks to be completed before guns are sold. He spoke highly of the Parkland students, who sat behind him, saying they had turned their grief "into a movement." 

Those students have made national news, appearing on nightly cable news shows, marching to Florida's state capital to demand change and posting online using the hashtag, "#neveragain."

"They have seen the blood of their classmates and they are not standing still," said Rabbi Avi Friedman, of the Temple Ohr Shalom.

The actions of the Parkland students have inspired their contemporaries across the country, including in New Jersey, as the shootings became a flashpoint in the nation's long-simmering gun control debate.

Last week, hundreds of students walked out of school in solidarity with their Parkland peers.

Expo preview

Two New Jersey high school students were among those who came to Sunday's rally to be a part of the conversation. They said they are both planning walkouts at their schools as part of a larger, national walkout set for March 14. 

"We want our government to see that we're more than just teenagers," said Darcy Schleifstein, a sophomore at Randolph High School. "We want change and we mean business."

Schleifstein said she and other high school students have banded together in light of the shooting earlier this month, checking in to make sure everyone's ok and talking about what they can do to bring action.

"It's been an enlightening process," said Samantha Levy, a sophomore at Columbia High School. "Some kids are kinda clueless about what's going on in the world. But, there's much-needed change."

The Parkland students return to class on Wednesday, where they will be greeted by hand-painted hearts made by Newark students.

Behind the microphone on Sunday, the students encouraged everyone in the room to stand up and join their efforts to continue the conversation about gun control and bring about change.

"Stay woke and get out and vote," Hogg said.

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


Which N.J. counties have the highest, lowest property taxes?

0
0

New Jersey's average property tax bill climbed $141 to $8,690 last year. See how much your county's average bill increased here.

N.J. pets in need: Feb. 26, 2018

0
0

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey patiently await homes.

Here is this week's collection of some of the dogs and cats in need of adoption in New Jersey.

We are now accepting dogs and cats to appear in the gallery from nonprofit shelters and rescues throughout New Jersey.

If a group wishes to participate in this weekly gallery on nj.com, please contact Greg Hatala at ghatala@starledger.com or call 973-836-4922.

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

Police seek man who tried to run over cop with car

0
0

The 32-year-old will be charged with aggravated assault

Authorities are looking for a man who tried to run over a Newark police officer with his vehicle earlier this month.

plummer.jpgNathaniel Plummer (Newark police) 

Nathaniel Plummer, 32, will be charged with aggravated assault when he is found, Newark police said in a statement.

Plummer tried to hit the sergeant on Feb. 18 before fleeing.

Anyone with information about Plummer's whereabouts is asked to call the crime stopper line 1-877-695-8477 or 1-877-695-4867.  All anonymous tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

Tips can also be left with the department's website

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

 

2 students charged with making threat to private school in Nutley, cops say

0
0

The threat was made to students and staff at Abundant Life Academy on Washington Avenue in Nutley.

Two juveniles were charged after a threat was made to students and staff at Abundant Life Academy, a private Christian school on Washington Avenue in Nutley, authorities said Sunday.

The threat occurred about three weeks ago. But school officials did not learn of it until speaking with students after the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Nutley Commissioner Alphonse Petracco and police Chief Thomas Strumolo said in a statement.

Once becoming aware of the threat, school officials notified police and closed the school on Friday, police said.

"Two juveniles were quickly identified and cooperated with police. One juvenile is a former student and the second is currently a student at the school," the statement said.

The two were charged with third-degree false public alarm and released to their parents. Their names were not released because they are under 18.

Students in pre-K through grade 12 are enrolled at the private school.

Police and detectives from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office investigated the threat.

"We will not tolerate anyone making threats to any of our schools," Petracco and Strumolo said. "The protection of our school children is our number one priority and we will use all available resources to ensure they are safe."

Officials did not release further details or describe the the nature of the threat. School officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Police said the school reopened Monday with an increased police presence.

There were also increased patrols at all Nutley Public Schools following a threatening post on Instagram.

In that incident, Joseph Rafanello, 18, was charged with third-degree false public alarm, police said.

The Instagram video was posted Feb. 15 -- one day after a former student gunned down 17 people at his former high school in Parkland, Florida - and shows teens apparently shooting a handgun and rifle at a firing range. A still photo of Nutley High School was included in the video.

In the nearly two weeks since the mass shooting in Florida, there have been numerous threats to schools across New Jersey, prompting daily police investations and, in some cases, criminal charges.

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

Boys basketball Top 20: Elite teams take care of business on eve of state tourney

0
0

State's top teams maintain their presence in this week's Top 20.

Viewing all 10984 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images