A 26-year-old man has been identified as the victim in a fatal Thursday shooting in West Orange, authorities say.

(File photo)

WEST ORANGE -- Naji Everett, a 26-year-old from the City of Orange township, has been identified as the victim in a fatal Thursday shooting, authorities said.

Everett was discovered by emergency officials outside a residence in the 100 block of Joyce Street suffering multiple apparent gunshot wounds, said Katherine Carter,  Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman.

At 6:30 a.m., emergency medical personnel pronounced Everett dead at the scene, Carter said.

Authorities have yet to make any arrests in connection to the victim's death, Carter said. An investigation into the incident by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force is ongoing, she added.

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

 

Darel "Creep" Evans, who was fatally shot Dec. 8 in Newark, was known to many as a cast member of the documentary "Brick City," a former Crip and an anti-violence advocate.

IRVINGTON -- Darel "Creep" Evans, who was fatally shot Dec. 8 in Newark, was known to many as a cast member of the documentary "Brick City," a former Crip, and an anti-violence advocate.

Family and friends, who were at his funeral on Friday at Irvington's Christian Pentecostal Church, said the 33-year-old was also an avid fan of comedians like Richard Pryor and Eddie Griffin. Evans was a local stand-up comic since 2009 who would rip on gang clothes, they said.

His cousin Andaiye Taylor, who grew up in the same home as Evans, said she was in disbelief about his death. Displaying a photo of a beaming Evans at his eighth-grade graduation, she said, that "this" is the Evans she remembers.

"Darel comes from a very large and loving family and he has a lot of friends," Taylor said. "He was just a loving, funny, nice person."

Documentary stars death pushes Newark homicides past 2014 total

While the Essex County Prosecutor's Office has only acknowledged that an investigation into Evans's death continues, a couple attendees close to Evans said they firmly believed his death had nothing to do with gang violence.

Little is known about his death: at 11:58 p.m. on Dec. 8, he was shot in the 300 block of Clinton Place, authorities said. The Prosecutor's Office did not respond to a request Friday for additional details about the status of the investigation into the murder.

According to his obituary, Evans, who is survived by his parents and fiancee Leandra Lassiter, was born in University Hospital in Newark and grew up on Wainwright Street, just around the corner from his paternal grandparents' home.

He loved swimming at the Newark YMCA, playing baseball and basketball, and graduated high school in New Jersey, though in between he briefly lived with his father in Pennsylvania and had a daughter in 1999.

He later had a second daughter with Jessica "Jayda" Jacques, who worked with him to help at-risk youth and in 2008 appeared with him in the award-winning five-part docuseries about Newark, "Brick City," which premiered on The Sundance Channel.

Evans, who friends said spoke to kids in schools and at community events about choosing a better path and worked with local charitable organizations, was also featured in the show's second season and in the docu-soap "Jersey Strong."

Before the series, Evans was part of a positive gang collaboration called Saving Ourselves, Inc. that strived to help kids in the neighborhood, noted friend Michele De La Cruz. Through that group, De La Cruz, a clinical psychologist, met Evans while she was studying therapeutic intervention to gang violence for her master's thesis, she said. In 2005, she founded the gang-intervention organization Brighter Dayz Inc., she said.

Drug trade turf disputes at center of spiking Newark homicide rate, officials say

"He gave me hell... They're like 'oh here comes this college person,'" but he wanted to improve himself, De La Cruz said. "He did a '360' with his life."

Friends said the documentary series was a big part of that.

"'Brick City' showed different components of the city of Newark... It made a lot of things more public to the nation," said his best friend James "Loose" White III, 32.

"There's a lot of struggles going on. Sometimes we don't understand what's the struggles, about what's the dynamics... There's political things going on, there's grassroots going on, there's love going on, amongst the (killings)."

The documentary, White said, gave Evans, an ex-Crip, the opportunity to break out of his "Creep" persona.

"You also got to see Darel. In it, it showed a lot of compassion... being around the kids, being domesticated in a way where you might catch him washing the dishes," he added. "Not just running the streets, not just what your mind is saying this type of person is supposed to be doing."

According to "Brick City" producer Robin Binky Brown, a longtime family friend, the producers saw Jacques speaking at an event about her relationship with Evans; Jacques said she was a "Blood" and Evans was a "Crip," rival gangs.

That led them to feature the couple in the show, Binky Brown said.

"The culture of the gangs that we didn't know, we know now," he said. "They're just regular people. They're looking for a place to lay their heads... It has a pathos of violence that goes with it."

A grieving Jacques did not want to comment, but Sam Jean, her manager and Evans's former manager, said he was sad Evans was getting so much media attention after his death because of the documentary.

"I wish they would have talked about his life," he said.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Ali Bass has 6 convictions as an adult and is awaiting trial on 3 homicides

NEWARK -- A city man with an extensive criminal history and who is also accused of three homicides was sentenced Friday on charges stemming from a 2009 police pursuit that injured two other people, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.

Ali Bass (Essex County Prosecutor's Office)  

Ali Bass, 33, was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison following his conviction last month on charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, resisting arrest and eluding.

Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab had argued for an extended sentence, citing Bass's criminal history, which includes five felony convictions, 16 arrests as an adult and multiple parole violations. Bass had previously been convicted for escape from custody and possession of a handgun, among other offenses.

On Dec. 11, 2009, Bass fled from police after they attempted to stop him while he was driving a Ford Taurus. During the daytime pursuit, Bass drove the wrong way down Irvine Turner Boulevard, slamming head-on into an SUV and sending that vehicle flying. Bass, along with a passenger and the driver of the SUV, also suffered injuries in the crash.

"Defendant Bass's selfish actions to avoid apprehension created a risk of serious injury or death to not only himself and his passenger but the driver of the Tundra, the police, and the good citizens of Newark on Irvine Turner Blvd,'' said Edwab.

Bass is awaiting trial on the three homicide charges, the prosecutor's office also said.

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

 

City man, 18, allegedly caught with thousands of dollars' worth of drugs

NEWARK -- Member's of the police department's Fugitive Apprehension Team arrested an 18-year-old city man who was dealing drugs near 72 Hays St., spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said.

 

Officers responded to the area Thursday morning following complaints of drug dealing and other criminal activity in the area. Officers stationed themselves on a third-floor landing and near the exits to a courtyard. The officer on the third floor saw two people approach Nasir Sanders and request drugs, then saw Sanders motion to the buyers to come over, Glover said.

But the buyers spotted uniformed police and walked away, Glover added, also watching as Sanders placed the drugs back in his pocket. Sanders, who was not aware of the police presence, was arrested without incident.

Sanders was in possession of 230 glassine envelopes of heroin, with an estimated street value of $2,300, as well as cash believed to be from drug sales, Glover said. He was charged with a number of drug-related offenses, including possession.

"Oftentimes, the men and woman of the Newark Police Department perform their duties well beyond the expected, as indicated here with the arrest of Mr. Sanders. I want to thank each and every one of my officers for their hard work and dedication," said Newark Police Director Eugene Venable.

Police ask that anyone with information about this or any other crime call the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).

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

 

Wilma Grey retiring after 46 years at venerable institution

For young Wilma Grey, the Newark Public Library didn't mean the magnificent downtown building, created to replicate an Italian Renaissance palace, inside and out.

It was the much-less-ornate Roseville Branch, two miles west, in the working class blocks where she grew up.

The main library was a Gilded Age reminder of Newark's former wealth, when the best architects hired the finest artisans to create landmark public buildings as monuments to antiquity.

The Roseville branch was a neighborhood place, where a little girl from South 10^th Street could find a big world on a rainy or nothing-to-do day.

For young Wilma Grey, it was where she met Nancy Drew and the "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. It was where she discovered science and geography and the arts.

It was a love of books that kept her coming back.

"Books, and the possibility of learning things, have been the centerpiece of my life," said the 70-year-old Grey.

On New Year's Eve, she will retire as the director of the Newark Public Library, a job she has held for 10 years.

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

It will mark the end of a 46-year professional relationship with the institution, but her love of the library reaches back even further to "when I was 4 or 5," she said.

That was when she discovered a safe, friendly place to read and learn in 1950s Newark - and she has wanted that for Newark children and adults from the minute she began working there in 1969.

And still does, even as she retires.

"We have to continue to be out there (in the community)," she said.

In 1969, Newark was two years removed from the riots and headed toward becoming a sad and darker place - a place Wilma Grey did not grow up in.

She fought back.

Under Grey's leadership, the library has expanded its literacy campaign, increased its volunteer corps and brought more educational programs to the main building and the eight branches.

There's a homework hotline, a homework club, S.A.T. prep classes and college fairs for students, and literacy programs aimed at adults. 

"She was always there for the little guy," said Joseph Casale, the library's assistant director of finance and development. "She took us through some hard economic times, but still managed to improve things (such as) the literacy programs and education outreach, and relations with the union." (Ninety-eight library employees are members of the local municipal employees union.)

One of her major coups was getting money to fund a ramp for the handicapped that blends seamlessly with the edifice of the historic building.

"That was a big deal, let me tell you," he said. "You can't even tell it was added on."

Casale has been at the library a few months longer than Grey.

"Sure I remember her," he said at a staff reception for Grey nine days ago. "She looked like Leslie Uggams!"

Grey graduated from Howard University and was working for Boston University's School of Education when she came home because her father got sick.

"I just was looking for a summer job," she said of the day she walked into the main branch.

She was put on the arts and social science desks, and found yet another home for her intellectual curiosity.

Under the library's copper roof are carved limestone friezes, each representing the stanchions of knowledge: philosophy, religion, sociology, philology, science, fine arts, literature and history.

"I got the opportunity to dabble in a lot of different areas," she said. "I had so many areas of interest; the sciences, music, arts - everything really."

But she does not call herself a "Renaissance woman" and can't recall how the grandeur of the marble floors and staircases that surround the soaring atrium made her feel.

The building was designed as temple to art and architecture, but Grey said what she mostly saw was the potential for knowledge.

"Really, it was always about the books," she said. "It's been a perfect place for me."

Grey stayed through the summer. Her father passed away, but then a grandmother became ill.

She stayed longer, then longer still, until "the years just melted away," she said.

It was Julia Sabine, former head of the library art department, who convinced her to take an introductory class in library sciences, and Grey embarked on an educational path to qualify herself for higher positions. She eventually got a master's degree in library sciences at Rutgers.

"The (main) library was such an interesting place," she said. "It was filled with people all the time. Some of the normal schools (teaching colleges) didn't have their own libraries then and we were also a law library," she said.

But as much as she enjoyed the company of the highly educated, it was the less educated who she knew needed the help.

"It has always been about literacy for her, and how literacy opens doors to knowledge," said Irene Daniels, who first met Grey in 2000 when Daniels was working as reading volunteer at the Weequahic branch.

Daniels is now the director of Newark Literacy Campaign, which has its office in the main library, and has between 60 and 100 steady adult clients who are tutored one-on-one.

"Under Wilma, the library has been an educational safety net for people," Daniels said, "because they really have nowhere else."

Former library board member Jill Johnson said Grey didn't cut important corners when faced with financial pressure.

"She always fought to continue to serve the community," Johnson said. "And she fought to continue all the programs."

Johnson says she has a 6-year-old son who is "a staple" in the main building."

He does his homework here. He plays in the puppet theater. He learns about technology," she said. "There's a real neighborhood feel to it."

In other words, a safe and friendly place to read and learn - just what Grey always wanted.

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

On the heels of an early morning police raid of the after-hours social club near the scene of the incident, authorities have identified the victim killed in a Friday shooting on Madison Avenue.

NEWARK -- Authorities have identified a 49-year-old Orange man as the victim in a Friday morning fatal shooting on Madison Avenue.

Phillip Amsterdam died Friday after being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

The release comes on the heels of an early morning police raid of the after-hours social club near where authorities found Amsterdam wounded.

At 3 a.m. Saturday morning, several Newark Police Department officers entered the social club, appearing to shut the venue down. Officers could be seen moving in and out of the building -- a blue residential structure located in the 300 block of Madison Avenue -- while people who appeared to be patrons exited. 

Attempts to obtain comment from the exiting patrons were unsuccessful.

Police officials did not immediately disclose a purpose for the raid, or say whether any arrests were made. It is also unclear if the raid is at all connected to an Essex County Prosecutor's Office investigation into Amsterdam's killing.

That investigation began early Friday morning, when Amsterdam was found by authorities near the social club suffering an apparent gunshot wound, Carter said. 

The exact circumstances of Amsterdam's death remain unclear. Authorities have not yet released details of a motive in the killing, or said whether any arrests have been made.

Whether Amsterdam visited the social club on the night of his death also remains unclear. His whereabouts on the night of the shooting are currently under investigation, Carter said.

Attempts to contact the owners of the property that houses the social club were not immediately successful.

Amsterdam's death marks the second homicide in Newark so far this week. Ulysses Murphy, 44, was shot to death Tuesday morning in an incident in the 100 block of Columbia Avenue.

According to police statistics, the Madison Avenue shooting brings the city's 2015 homicide total to 98.

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

Franciscan Charities, a non-profit organization, held its annual Christmas Toy Drive at St. Rocco's Church in Newark. Watch video

 NEWARK -- Many of the children from Newark's West Ward will have a special Christmas this year because of the Franciscan Charities annual toy drive.

Franciscan Charities, a non-profit organization, held its annual Christmas Toy Drive at St. Rocco's Church in Newark on Saturday. The event, started by Gina Ricciardi in 2004, is for children of the working poor. The organization guaranteed that every child who visited the church got a gift this Christmas.

Families started lining up outside the church by 6:30 a.m. bundled up in hats, scarves and coats. Hot chocolate and cookies were served by volunteers while people waited for the doors to open at 9:30 a.m. The toys were expected to continued to be given out until around 2:30 p.m.

MORE: Coat drive helps Newark's working poor keep warm this winter

Last year, more than 800 children received gifts.

Tracey Diamond has been volunteering with various organizations for over a decade. This year she thought she'd volunteer at the Christmas toy drive to help others enjoy the magic of the holidays.  

"The families and the children are so appreciative of what we are doing for them," she said. 

Each child got their photo taken with Santa and then had their choice of one toy from the hundreds the organization collected this year, including barbie dolls, baby dolls, various craft kits, remote control cars, basketballs, bicycles and many types of Star Wars toys.

When 12 year-old Sencier Brown sat down to eat his breakfast this morning all he could think about was what he wanted to get at the toy drive. Some of the things on his list were a basketball, football and bicycle. "I think this is fun because I get to pick out what I want for Christmas," he said. "There are so many choices. I am still trying to make up my mind."

Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @psapone. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Port Authority police arrested James Simmons, of Orange, Saturday on state gun charges, said Joe Pentangelo, a spokesperson for the agency.

The entrance to a TSA passenger checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport.Matt Rainey/The Star-Ledger 

NEWARK -- A 79-year-old New Jersey man was arrested at Newark airport Saturday after authorities said they found a loaded gun in his carry-on luggage. 

Port Authority police arrested James Simmons, of Orange, on state gun charges, said Joe Pentangelo, a spokesperson for the agency. 

TSA officers found the loaded .38-revolver in Simmons' bag when he went through security before his flight to Mobile, Ala, according to Pentangelo. 

Simmons was released after posting $1,500 bail, Pentangelo said.

This was the second gun arrest at Newark Liberty International Airport this month. Earlier in December, a Lanoka Harbor man was charged with unlawful possession of a gun and hollow point bullets. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Need help figuring out what your child's scores mean? Here's an explainer.

TRENTON -- After months of controversy, and even more months waiting, New Jersey parents this month are finally finding out how their kids did on the PARCC tests they took last spring. 

But what should parents make of the data?

Below, we've answered some of the most common questions parents have been asking. Start with the background of PARCC or click on one of the following topics to jump into the specifics. 

Background | Understanding the scores| PARCC and graduation | What's next? |

Background

What is PARCC?

The PARCC tests are math and English exams named after a consortium of states that designed and administered a common set of assessments for grades 3-11. 

More than 20 states were initially in the consortium -- called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers -- but some decided to join a different testing group or create their own exams. In 2014-15, New Jersey was among 11 states and the District of Columbia that gave the PARCC exams. 

Why did New Jersey use a new test?

State education officials have said they wanted an improvement over New Jersey's prior exams.

They said the test given to younger students, the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge, identified students who were struggling but didn't provide enough information about what skills those students hadn't mastered. The test also did not draw much distinction between average and high-performing students, according to the state Department of Education. 

The test for high school students, the High School Proficiency Assessment, tested material mostly learned in eighth or ninth grade, but students did not take the exams until they were juniors, according to the state.

The PARCC exams for high school students are given in the same year students take the course.  

Understanding the scores

There are a lot of different numbers on the score report. Which one is the most important? 

The number you are probably most interested in is on a scale of 1-5, called your child's "performance level." That tells you whether your child is meeting the grade-level expectations set by the PARCC states.

Students who scored a four or five are meeting or exceeding those expectations. 

So, how many questions did my child get right or wrong? 

PARCC didn't release that. The scoring was more complex than simply "right" or "wrong."

On some questions, even students with the best grasp on the skill being tested weren't expected to earn all of the points. On other questions, students from two or three performance levels might all have been expected to get the same number of points.

Why are test scores lower on PARCC? Fewer students scored on grade-level on PARCC than NJ ASK or HSPA, but the tests can't be directly compared. PARCC tests were designed to be more challenging and states expected that fewer students would hit the benchmarks. 

My child has always done well in school, but now the PARCC report says they are a in performance level three or "approaching expectations." What does that mean?

Don't panic. 

David Hespe, New Jersey's education commissioner, has said that students who earned a four or five are those the state can say with confidence are meeting grade-level expectations. 

Students who scored a three could be considered border line. Some of them probably are on track, but others might have some catching up to do. Between 20 percent and 30 percent of students in New Jersey scored a three on each of the tests.

"We will look at grade point averages," Hespe said. "We will see a sequencing of the PARCC moving forward to give us a better comfort level that maybe some of those students in level three really are college or career ready."

Does my child's PARCC score really matter?

Not in terms of their report card or passing to the next grade level. But state education officials do think it's a more accurate measure of whether students are college and career ready.  

However, the state has stressed that PARCC is just one measure of a student's academic progress. 

"Ultimately, PARCC is just a test," Hespe said.  

What about the opt-outs? How did they affect scores? 

It's hard to say with certainty, but state officials believe the overall state results were not skewed by test refusals. However, the comparison of your child's score to others in their district could be affected if there were a lot of opt-outs in your town. 

PARCC and graduation

Does my child need to pass PARCC in order to graduate?

No. Students can use their scores on the PARCC exams to meet New Jersey's graduation requirements, but there are other ways to fulfill those requirements. Students can use their SAT or ACT scores, scores on other standardized tests or a portfolio review process. 

If my child wants to use PARCC scores to fulfill graduation requirements, what scores do they need?

Students need to hit a target score on at least one math and one English exam during their high school years -- or on the algebra I test if they take it before high school.

In math, students can fulfill graduation requirements with a 750 or better on the algebra I exam or a 725 or higher on either the Algebra II or geometry exam.

For English, the state will accept a score of 750 or above on the ninth or tenth grade test and a score of 725 or better on the 11th grade exam.

So, students who do well on PARCC can fulfill their graduation requirements during ninth or 10th grade?

You got it. 

What's next?

Is New Jersey using PARCC again this year?

Yes. Students in high schools with block scheduling have already participated in testing. 

Will testing take as long?

No. The test administration has been streamlined.

Where can I get more information?

If you have questions, you can ask your child's teacher. Many districts are also holding information nights to help parents understand PARCC scores. 

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

 

Currently, the United States has military personnel deployed in about 150 countries. DVIDS, a service paid for by the Department of Defense, via the Department of the Army, Third Army/US Army Central (ARCENT), has provided video greetings from members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines who will not be home for the holidays. Enjoy this second installment...

Currently, the United States has military personnel deployed in about 150 countries.

DVIDS, a service paid for by the Department of Defense, via the Department of the Army, Third Army/US Army Central (ARCENT), has provided video greetings from members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines who will not be home for the holidays.

Enjoy this second installment of messages sent by service members who hail from, or, who have family in the Garden State.

Watch more holiday messages from the troops here.

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

NJ Transit Police received multiple calls Saturday saying several armed individuals were headed to Newark Penn Station, but a search of the area found nothing, a spokeswoman said.

Passengers board an NJ Transit rain in Newark. (File Photo)Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

NEWARK -- NJ Transit Police received multiple calls Saturday saying several armed individuals were headed to Newark Penn Station, but a search of the area found nothing, a spokeswoman said.

NJ Transit detectives and the Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating the threat, Lisa Torbeck, a spokeswoman for NJ Transit, said.

It's not clear who was behind the calls, Torbeck said.

"In this day and age, Transit Police take calls like this very seriously," she said.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Elaina Primallis, 29, was allegedly caught on video during the theft

Elaina Primallis (Cedar Grove PD)

CEDAR GROVE - A Kinnelon woman was arrested Thursday after allegedly shoplifting several hundred dollars worth of baby formula from a local supermarket.

Elaina Primallis, 29, was caught on surveillance cameras stealing 26 cans of the formula from the Foodtown Supermarket on Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove police said in a statement.

A manager contacted police around 8:30 p.m., and still images of her were circulated among area law enforcement. Within 10 minutes, officers from Pequannock called and identified Primallis as the suspect, and she turned herself in later the same evening, according to police.

She was booked on a single charge of shoplifting and released pending a Dec. 31 appearance in Essex County Superior Court.

Police said the formula, which had a retail value of $670.34, has yet to be recovered.

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

 

The first-term Newark mayor received the honor from "The Nation" magazine last week

NEWARK - Mayor Ras Baraka has earned a high-profile mention as being among of the country's most influential liberals.

The Nation magazine included the first-term mayor on the 2015 edition of its annual "Most Valuable Progressives", which includes politicians, humanitarians, musicians, activists and more.

In its brief profile honoring Baraka as the year's mayoral honoree, the magazine touted his backing of a $15 per hour wage for Newark Liberty International Airport employees and other workers, as well as his fight to wrest control over Newark's schools from the state after more than 20 years.

"Since his election in 2014, he has used his authority and his bully pulpit to advocate for workers, affordable housing, public services, and especially public education," the article reads.

Read the full list of "Most Valuable Progressives" here.

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

 

The home at 421 Hillside Place suffered serious damage as a result of the three-alarm fire

Four South Orange firefighters were injured while battling a fire on HIllside Avenue Saturday, officials said. (Star-Ledger file photo)

SOUTH ORANGE - Four firefighters were hospitalized while battling a three-alarm fire that damaged a local home Saturday afternoon.

Each of the South Orange Fire Department members suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze blaze at 421 Hillside Place, and were released after brief stays at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Sullivan said in a statement.

The fire broke out at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and had spread from a second floor void space to the roof area by the time firefighters arrived.

The Orange and Maplewood fire departments were called in to help as firefighters immediately rushed into the 2.5-story wood frame home to attack the flames. They were able to extinguish a stubborn portion of the fire in the attic, and placed it under control by 6:36 p.m., according to Sullivan.

The home suffered significant damage to both the second floor and roof, he said. An investigation into the cause remains active.

 

NJ Transit Police arrested a Newark man Sunday in connection with a threat made against Newark Penn Station.

Passengers board an NJ Transit rain in Newark. (File Photo) 

NEWARK -- NJ Transit Police arrested a Newark man Sunday in connection with a threat made against Newark Penn Station.

Lance Allen, 37, was charged with making terroristic threats and causing false public alarm, Lisa Torbeck, a spokeswoman for NJ Transit, said.

Allen was arrested at 1 p.m. at NJ Transit Police Headquarters in Newark.

"New Jersey Transit Police take all threats seriously and like this case, we will investigate fully until we find the perpetrator," NJ Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo said.

NJ Transit police received multiple calls Saturday saying several armed individuals were headed to Newark Penn Station, Torbeck said. A search of the area found nothing.

An investigation by NJ Transit Police led to Allen, Torbeck said.

Allen has been sent to Essex County Jail.

Many pets throughout New Jersey won't be receiving any gifts this holiday season because they don't have homes.

According to thenoseprint.com, a pet-focused online hub for major pet product brands, New Jersey is the most generous state in the U.S. when it comes to buying gifts for their dogs.

The 2015 survey of how much dog owners will spend on their pets this Christmas shows Garden State dog lovers coming in first at $30.01. New York ($29.55) and Pennsylvania ($28.75) came in second and third, making the tri-state area a good place to be a dog. The national average, by the way, is $23.10.

The survey went on to note that the top five reasons dog owners say they spoil their pets:

* "to express love to my dog"
* "because it's fun for me"
* "to help my dog feel included like a family member"
* "to give my dog a moment of happiness"
* and, "to feel closer and bond with my dog"

Many pets throughout New Jersey won't be receiving any gifts this holiday season, though, because they don't have homes. Here's a gallery of homeless pets from northern and central New Jersey. Make sure captions are enabled to see all the information needed to adopt one of these pets.

More animals in need of adoption can be seen here and here.

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

The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Christian Plz. sign was officially unveiled Saturday.

NEWARK -- To commemorate the life of a prominent pastor who died suddenly this year, locals need only look up as they are passing the newly-minted corner of West Market and "Rev. Christian."

City and county officials joined residents Saturday to rename a street in honor of the late Rev. Dr. Ron Christian, the well-known pastor who was found dead inside his Irvington church in October.

Drivers passing the intersection of Wickliffe and West Market Streets in Newark will now have a reminder of Christian, who was found dead at the Christian Love Baptist Church on Oct. 30. He was 51 years old.

Rev. Ron Christian found dead at Irvington church

Authorities have yet to release Christian's cause of death, but have said that they do not believe it to be suspicious.

Christian's funeral drew more than 2,000 mourners, including Rev. Al Sharpton, Sen. Robert Menendez, and former Gov. Jim McGreevey. The pastor rose to prominence after leaving behind a drug addition and checkered past in favor of a religious life.

The Newark municipal council voted in November to rename a street for Christian, noting that his family would choose the location.

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

Last-minute shoppers heading to the malls on Christmas Eve can keep their winter coats, gloves and hats at home. A better option might be shorts and T-shirts.

Last-minute shoppers heading to the malls on Christmas Eve can keep their winter coats, gloves and hats at home. A better option might be shorts and T-shirts.

That's how warm it's going to be in New Jersey on Thursday, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

In fact, the chances are looking good for Christmas Eve to be a record-breaker. The high temperature in Newark is projected to reach 70 degrees, which would shatter the record high of 64, set in 1990, said Carlie Buccola, a meteorologist for the weather service office in Upton, N.Y.

PLUS: Cloudy, warmer weather returns to N.J.

New York City is also expected to hit a spring-like high of 70 on Christmas Eve, which would break the Big Apple's all-time record of 63 for that day, Buccola said. The current record was set in 1996.

One down side to the projected warmth on the holiday -- it won't be accompanied by much sunshine. Instead, the skies are expected to be cloudy in the morning, with a chance of rain showers. Skies should start to clear in the afternoon, Buccola said.

As for Christmas Day, the daytime highs in the upper 50s are not expected to threaten any temperature records. The lows on Dec. 25 will hover in the lower 40s, knocking out any possibility of a white Christmas in New Jersey.

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

Dec. 18 marked the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the amendment to abolish slavery.

NEWARK -- Friday marked the 150th anniversary of the adoption of the Thirteen Amendment to abolish slavery.

The occasion was celebrated by a ceremony Friday morning in front of the Essex County Courthouse's Abraham Lincoln statue.

About 30 people attended the one-hour, mid-morning event, which featured song, prayer, and a reading of the amendment by local religious leaders. There was also a lecture on "Newark's Role in the Ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment" by historian Lloyd Turner.

Mayor Ras Baraka was slated to be at the event, but could not make it because of an emergency, officials said.

Turner, a Christian author who has a Ph.D. in public policy analysis from the University of Pennsylvania, said the amendment both abolished slavery and provided a foundation for the enforcement of justice "in the workplace."

Several attendees, however, said that while the law was monumental, they feel there is still a long way to go.

"That abolished slavery and freed us as African-Americans, but there's a lot of 'slavery' through racism and other areas that are strongholds that are going on," said attendee Anna Rebecca Schell.

"We're able to at least seek the wisdom of Heaven and take a stand."

Here are 10 historical details, shared by Lloyd, about the history of abolition in N.J. and Newark:

1. On April 19, 1865, Newark held a memorial service for President Abraham Lincoln a week after his assassination. Business was suspended everywhere, and dignitaries marched from Broad and Market Streets to Military Park, before bells tolled at 4:30 p.m.
2. During Lincoln's presidency, New Jersey was particularly hostile towards him, compared to the other Northern states "because of fears about the Civil War's impacts on their lives, their commercial ties to the South, and his desire to abolish slavery," Turner said.
3. New Jersey was the only Northern state that voted against Lincoln in the 1860 and 1864 presidential elections.
4. N.J. rejected the Thirteenth Amendment on March 16, 1865, and was the only Northern State that had not ratified it when it became federal law.
5. N.J. was also not among the 27 states in the union (of 36 states at the time), that ratified the Thirteenth Amendment by Dec. 18, 1865, when it was declared officially ratified.
6. The majority of former Confederate states ratified the amendment before New Jersey.
7. Newark "played a key part" in New Jersey's ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. N.J. Governor Marcus Ward was born and died in Newark.
8. When Ward became N.J. governor, he prioritized the Thirteenth Amendment. In his inaugural address Jan. 19, 1866, he said his first act would be to ask the state's Congress to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment.
9. Soon after that speech, the state legislature ratified the Thirteenth Amendment and Ward signed it into law.
10. Approximately 16 slaves were freed in New Jersey by the Thirteenth Amendment.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Alanda Watson and Denise Mercurius say the flu-prevention policy is discriminatory and violates their constitutional rights

Two office workers who were fired from a social service agency last month for refusing to get a flu shot or wear a mask in their corporate headquarters have filed suit against the company, claiming its new flu-prevention policy is discriminatory and unconstitutional.

The suit, filed in Superior Court in Burlington County Monday morning, contends Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey violated the state's Law Against Discrimination for penalizing the women, Alanda Watson and Denise Mercurius, after they sought an exemption from the mandatory flu shot on religious grounds.

The women claim the agency also retaliated against them -- violating the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, the state's whistleblower law -- after their case was profiled by NJ Advance Media and other news outlets.

Watson, 36, of Willingboro, and Mercurius, 45, of Maple Shade, say the alternative to the shot -- wearing a surgical mask in an office where they have no contact with patients -- is both ineffective and punitive, singling them out with a "scarlet letter" that violates their rights to medical and religious privacy.

A Google street view image of the Burlington Township headquarters of Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey 

"The forced wearing of a mask at all times, in a strictly office environment, without exceptions even for eating, drinking or other necessary and normal life functions, is not a reasonable accommodation," the women's attorney, Alan Schorr, wrote in the suit. "It is a punitive and coercive action taken for the purpose of unlawfully discriminating and retaliating against the plaintiffs."

The suit seeks the women's reinstatement, along with back pay and damages.

Watson and Mercurius were among three workers fired Nov. 17 for refusing to comply with the company's policy. The third, Megan Duncan, 30, of Howell, quickly found a new job and declined to join the suit.

Schorr said the suit marks the first broad legal challenge to a vaccine-or-mask policy outside of a healthcare setting in New Jersey. The mandatory policies have become increasingly common in hospitals across the country in recent years, in part because the Affordable Care Act of 2010 ties some Medicare funding to employee vaccination rates.

Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey adopted the policy earlier this year and began enforcing it in October, the traditional start of flu season. The agency employs about 630 people statewide at its various facilities, including two nursing homes, a day treatment center for the homeless, an immigration center and shelters for battered women and at-risk children.

Watson, a billing specialist, and Mercurius, an accountant, say they are healthy women and are deeply opposed to the flu shot, which can have serious side effects, including paralysis, in very rare cases.

According to the lawsuit, the women were first assured by a manager they would not have to wear a mask unless they visited clients at the agency's nursing homes or other facilities. Later, the suit states, the company changed its policy to require the mask for unvaccinated workers at its Burlington Township headquarters, where about 30 people work.

In a Nov. 5 story about the issue, Lutheran Social Ministries' president, Colleen Frankenfield, told NJ Advance Media that clients occasionally visit the headquarters and that the mask could help prevent cross-contamination of workers who regularly travel to other facilities. The company declined comment Monday.

In the suit, Schorr characterized the agency's policy as nonsensical given the vaccine's hit-or-miss effectiveness.

Citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said the flu vaccine in the 2014-15 flu season was just 23 percent effective on average and just 10 percent effective for those ages 18 to 49.

"If the defendants were actually interested in preventing the spread of dangerous viruses and if the employer actually believed that masking was an effective method of preventing the spread of dangerous viruses, then the defendants could have and should have required all employees to wear masks at all times regardless of whether they received the flu vaccination," he wrote.

In addition, the suit states, the agency does not require proof of vaccinations for outside vendors who regularly visit the building.

The suit contends Lutheran violated the whistleblower law after Watson and Mercurius spoke out by suspending them without pay, firing them and challenging their application for unemployment, maintaining they engaged in misconduct.

Mark Mueller may be reached at mmueller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJMueller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.