The massively popular indie band from Montclair breaks its silence after nearly a year of hiatus

In November 2017, Pinegrove, the popular indie-rock band from Montclair, published a statement on its Facebook page announcing its singer had been accused of "sexual coercion" and that the band would enter into hiatus while the allegation was handled. The group then went silent for nearly a year. 

But a new report, published Wednesday via a lengthy feature by Pitchfork, reveals new details on all that led up to the accusation against Evan Stephens Hall and the band's decision to take time off. 

A mediator representing the band told Pitchfork the nature of alleged "sexual coercion" to be "verbal and contextual pressure" and that "the accusation is not of a physical nature at all." 

Here's an excerpt from the Pitchfork report, further detailing the accusation, as told by the mediator and Hall himself: 

"(The alleged victim) and (Hall) had a brief relationship, and she was in a relationship when it started. She felt that he coerced her into cheating on her partner with him, and she felt that she said no to him several times... and he continued to pursue her." Hall maintained that their relationship progressed mutually but acknowledged the alleged victim's "right to describe her experience however feels true to her." He added, "I definitely could have conducted myself better."

Hall says in the report that he felt pressured to explain his understanding of the coercion claim on Facebook due to a series of emails sent to the band from the Philadelphia-based organization Punk Talks, which, according to its website, "aims to connect music workers with affordable/free mental health treatment services." Punk Talks founder Sheridan Allen had been contacted by Hall's alleged victim, and if the band didn't cancel its upcoming tour, they were set to go public.  

Hall reflects often in the Pitchfork piece: "I have been reflecting a lot about how a relationship that promotes honesty is an active process, and that maybe there are conversations we should have had that we didn't, or maybe there's something else I could have done to make her feel like she could have said how she was feeling," he said. 

The band announced in the Pitchfork piece that its new album, "Skylight" -- which was finished before the allegation -- will be released independently of its record label, Run For Cover Records, on Friday. The band says it plans to resume performing live later this year. 

Before the accusation came last fall, Pinegrove had advanced to indie-darling status, scoring rave reviews and more than 35 million listens on Spotify for its LPs "Everything So Far" (2015) and "Cardinal" (2016), the latter of which we discussed with Hall back in 2016 for NJ.com. 

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.   

Here's how much rain fell in each county across New Jersey during Tuesday's wave of heavy showers. Strong thunderstorms are expected Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Find out who stood out in each conference this week.

The Newark man was acquitted of firearms charges and arson

A jury on Tuesday convicted a Newark man for his role in a fatal home invasion that ended with a Freehold couple's home in flames.

A jury found Richard Busby, 61, of Newark, guilty of felony murder, attempted murder and robbery for the July 31, 2011, incident that left 41-year-old Michael Conway dead and his girlfriend having to escape a burning home.

Richard Busby 

The jury found Busby not guilty of unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose and aggravated arson.

Authorities say in the early morning hours, Busby and an accomplice, Jeffery Mayhue, broke into a Jackson Mills Road home shared by Conway and his girlfriend.

Conway and the woman were held at gunpoint, bound with zip-ties while the two men searched the home for money and marijuana, according to authorities.

Conway was able to break free, but was fatally shot following a struggle with the intruders, authorities said.

Busby and Mayhue then set the home on fire. The woman was able to run out of the home.

Busby was charged in October 2011. He was found guilty after a month-long trial.

He faces 30 years to life in prison when he is sentenced.

Mayhue pleaded guilty to armed robbery and felony murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison in September 2016.

Two other men - Elliss Goodson, 41, of Neptune, and Ranu Sinha, 39, of Freehold - have also been charged in connection with the incident. They are awaiting sentencing.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Check out all of this week's movement.

See which boys soccer players are leading the state statistically as the end of September approaches.

The man, who hit the cars and two poles while driving with a child and an aide in the bus, was charged with DUI

Essex County Prosecutor's Office  

A Paterson man who crashed a school bus into four cars with a child inside was released from jail following his detention hearing Wednesday afternoon.

Wayne Carmichael, 53, was facing a second-degree charge of endangering the welfare of an 11-year-old boy who was in the bus during the multiple crashes in East Orange and Orange last week.  

Carmichael was also issued approximately 27 summons by East Orange Police police for driving under the influence, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license and other violations. 

Carmichael's lawyer argued that his client, was not a bus driver, but actually a mechanic who was asked to drive for the bus company, A-1 Elegant Tours, that day. 

Court records show Carmichael was represented by the law offices of Steven Plofsky. Neither A-1 Elegant nor Plofsky's law office could be reached for comment. 

When officers arrived at the scene of Carmichael's last crash on the morning of Sept. 18, the officers said the boy on the bus was crying and complained of being in pain on his side and legs. He was teated by EMT units at the scene. It is still unknown where the school bus was headed.

Carmichael was drooling at the mouth and unable to stand upright on his own, according to the affidavit. He was also treated before being taken into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

An aide on the bus told officers that Carmichael begin to nod off while driving, and that she tried to wake him as he began hitting the cars.

The officer noted in the affidavit that the bus aide appeared to be on a narcotic. 

In court, Carmichael's lawyer said his client had suffered a heart attack, but noted the results from the blood and urine test were not in. 

Arguing for Carmichael's detention, prosecutors mentioned that Carmichael had seven previous felonies. But due to the non-violent nature of those earlier charges, and Carmichael's scores on the pretrial assessment, he was not detained for his charge of endangering a child.  

Superior Court Judge Martin Cronin did order Carmicahel to not get behind the wheel of a car, and to stay away from drugs and high consumptions of alcohol. 

The company that Carmichael drivers for, A1 Elegant Tours, is owned by Paterson councilman Shelim Khalique. 

A1 Elegant Tours has had several infractions for lack of cameras on buses, drivers without commercial licenses, no aides on the buses and leaving a sleeping child on a bus. 

Previously, the company has had contracts with schools in Clifton. The company was banned earlier this year by the Paterson School Board after a teacher reported missing students and the driver discovered a student sleeping on the back of the bus, according to schools Superintendent Eileen Shafer.

Carmichael is due back in court on Oct. 15. 

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

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It's not clear who has been distributing the fliers but senior citizens said they were illegally distributed inside public housing.

For the last few weeks, a group of Orange residents has papered the city with fliers calling the campaign to recall Mayor Dwayne Warren a "scam" and warning of a "fraud alert."

The fliers were paid for by the "Concern Citizens of Orange."

The group has not yet filed a report with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, as required by committees formed to defend against recalls. 

Fliers urging residents to not sign the recall petition were distributed this month in Orange.
 

Last month, the city clerk certified a notice of intent to recall Warren. The recall committee must collect 25 percent of all voters registered for the last general election, or about 4,051 signatures, by mid-January to force the mayor to resign and trigger a special election.

"It's quite telling for these so-called supporters of the mayor to go to this much extent," said resident Tyrone Jon Tarver, who is leading the recall efforts. "It shows that they actually do take us seriously."

Keith Royster, a spokesman for the mayor, said Warren had seen the fliers but was not aware of where or how the fliers were distributed.

"The mayor would rather focus on the challenges facing our city, and asks that all serious parties join him in that effort," he said. 

It's not clear who has been distributing the fliers, but some senior citizens told NJ Advance Media the fliers were placed on their doors -- inside federally-funded public housing. 

"You're not supposed to campaign inside those senior buildings," Tarver said. "This was taped to every single door."

Cristina Pinzon, a spokeswoman for the Orange Housing Authority, said the director of the agency was not aware of the fliers but that if any were distributed inside the building, they would be taken down because they were in violation of the law and agency policy. 

NJ Advance Media obtained copies of three different fliers. One tells residents not to be fooled by the mayor's political enemies "who are lying to take over our City" and looks like it is warning residents against a scam. A circular sign with the words "fraud alert" is stamped on the flier -- even though the recall petition has been certified by the clerk. 

A second flier touts Warren's accomplishments for children saying he "has done more for our children than any other mayor in the history of Orange." A third flier features a photo of five members of the recall committee alleging they don't pay taxes. 

Tarver said his father-in-law owns the home he lives in so his name does not show up on property tax rolls. He said he expected a campaign against the recall effort but added, "I didn't think they'd go as far as making personal statements about me and other committee members."  

 

Linda Jones-Bell, former city councilwoman and tenant president of 340 Thomas Blvd., an Orange Housing Authority property, said whoever distributed the fliers, "had no right getting in the building."

She said the senior community was a key target among politicians and it wasn't the first time political fliers made their way inside. 

"That's where all the votes come from in Orange," she said. "It's so small and we have seven senior buildings, and the majority of the votes come from the senior building."

Alma Richardson, a district leader who lives in a federally-funded senior home, said she found fliers on her door a few weeks ago.

"They got inside the building and put them on our door," she said. 

Warren was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. Organizers of the recall say Warren's tenure in Orange has been marked by federal investigations, mismanagement of city coffers and a recent spike in crime.  

If the required signatures are verified by the clerk, the mayor has five days to resign. He can also challenge the validity of the certification in court. 

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

Armored vehicle, SWAT officers swarm neighborhood

One suspect is dead and another hospitalized after a confrontation with law enforcement officers in Newark Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

City police and Essex County Sheriff's officers found two armed people in a vehicle near Bergen Street and Lyons Avenue, according to Mayor Ras Baraka. Officers fired their weapons, but it was not clear if there was an exchange of gunfire with the suspects and police.

"They came across armed suspects in a vehicle," the mayor said in a briefing from the shooting scene.

Guns were recovered at the scene, Baraka added. There were no other injuries.

"Right now, the [Essex County Prosecutor's Office] is in charge of the case because there was a police shooting involved," he said.

Police and sheriff's officers came upon the two suspects as part of an unspecified investigation, according to the mayor. He declined to comment on the nature of the investigation that led police to the suspects.

Officials confirmed that officers fired shots in the incident, but would not provide more details. Baraka said the county prosecutor's office, which handles cases where police fire weapons, was investigating.

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A post shared by Gustavo Checo (@juniorcheco) on Sep 26, 2018 at 1:07pm PDT

Police with Newark's SWAT unit converged on the neighborhood around 4 p.m., and deploying an armored vehicle as they apparently tried to reach one suspect.

Video on social media showed one man being taken away in an ambulance during the approximately two hour ordeal.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY - Streets currently closed on Bergen Street btwn Watson & Chancellor due to joint investigation btwn Newark PD & Essex County Sheriff's Office on armed person at Bergen St. & Lyons Ave. NPD Emergency Response team on scene. No peril to the community at this time. pic.twitter.com/2hHKrZ88Tz

-- Dept. Public Safety (@NewarkNJPolice) September 26, 2018

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

The man had a domestic dispute at his East Orange home and boarded the bus before being shot and killed after the bus stopped in Newark.

East Orange Police officers shot a man Tuesday night after he boarded a public bus and held a gun to the head of bus driver and ordered her to drive through red lights, police said.

The man, later identified as Allen Travers, 37, of East Orange, died of his wounds at a Newark hospital.

Travers was involved in a domestic dispute at his home and went on the bus armed with a weapon, at about 9:40 p.m., Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens, II said in a statement.

Authorities did not immediately say how police learned of the situation, but officers followed Travers. As they approached the bus, he pointed a gun at them. However, they continued to follow the bus, officials said.

On board, Travers pointed his gun at the female bus drivers's head and ordered her to drive through red lights before telling her to stop near Central Avenue and South 10th Street in Newark, Stephens said.

When he left the bus he pointed his gun at the East Orange Police officers that followed him and they fired, the statement said.

Travers was taken to University Hospital in Newark and was pronounced dead at 11:16 p.m.

No other information was released Wednesday night.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Professional Standards Bureau was investigating the incident as they do whenever an officer fires their gun.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

We didn'r even give them a second thought.

I recall a point made in the 1970s that was meant to illustrate how quickly technology advanced in the 20^th century - how someone who was 10 years old when man first achieved powered flight watched man walk on the moon at age 76.

The Texas Instruments TI30 calculator, introduced in 1976.Courtesy of eBay.com 

Fact is, if you look at any two-thirds-of-a-century stretch since the 1700s, you'll see just as great a leap in technology for mankind. Space flight, while amazing, doesn't necessarily supersede other advancements of humankind in industry, inventions or ideas.

For example, on that spacecraft that landed on the moon, there was a guidance computer that had, according to consumereports.org, exactly 64 kilobytes of memory and a microprocessor speed of 0.043 megahertz. The latest iPhone can be purchased with 512 GIGAbytes of memory, and if my math is right, that's 536,870,912 kilobytes. Its microprocessor operates at 2.49 GIGAhertz and let's just say that's the difference between walking and the speed of light.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

And that was in 49 years.

As time flies by, it's easy to forget things that were matter-of-fact parts of our lives in the 1960s and 1970s, when Apollo missions were going to the moon with those teensy computers. Here's another installment of things that may have slipped from our memory ... and I don't know about you, but my memory isn't measured in giga, mega or kilobytes - it just bites.

And here are links to other galleries you'll like.

Vintage photos of things you may have forgotten about

Vintage photos of things that have changed - for better or worse

Vintage photos of how things have changed in N.J.

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

The suspect allegedly told officers he tried to fire a warning shot when his own gun malfunctioned.

An alleged armed robber shot in the face by a Newark police officer this spring now faces a new kind of pain: federal charges.

Phillip Hedgespeth. (Essex County Correctional Facility)

Federal prosecutors have charged Philip K. Hedgespeth, 43, with armed robbery in violation of federal law, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Investigators said Hedgespeth, in a brief confrontation caught on surveillance video in May, tried to rob a barbershop in the 400 block of Orange Street at gunpoint when the barber and his customer fought back.

The customer, it turned out, was an off-duty city police officer who drew his gun and shot Hedgespeth in the face during the struggle, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said at the time.

Hedgespeth fled the scene, authorities said, but was apprehended in the 1100 block of McCarter Highway and jailed after being treated for his wounds.

He admitted to arresting officers that he'd attempted to fire a warning shot when his own gun malfunctioned, according to the federal criminal complaint.

The county prosecutor's office initially charged Hedgespeth at the state level with robbery and weapons offenses.

The federal charge of brandishing a firearm during a violent crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison upon conviction, while the robbery charge carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years.

Hedgespeth, who is being represented by the Federal Public Defender's Office, made his first appearance in federal court Wednesday morning. He's been detained without bail, prosecutors said.

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

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See how teams moved around in the Top 20 following this week's upsets.

Moran said that, for filmmakers, doing the festival circuit is quite expensive and filmmakers feel pressure to sale tickets - which is particularly hard when it's an indie film. "So we found ways to make those tickets free," he said.

The Hudson River International Film Festival (HRIFF) kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 3, with free screenings and events at locations in Jersey City, Newark and New York City.

HRIFF founder Giselle M. Alers said that the United Nations Association of El Salvador is in alliance with the film festival, which "comes about as a mission to change the minority stereotype via culture, the arts and education. This will also aid in how we as minorities wish to be viewed by influencing content."

Director of programming Christian A. Moran said that he made a specific effort to include Afro-Latino works. "Latinos are made up of different spices, in this case colors. But we, the Latino community, still marginalize the Afro-Latino. Growing up in the 80s and 90s there were barely any mentions in our media of black Latinas. These days, 2018, one of the Spanish networks hired the first Afro-Latina as a news anchor. It is a shame that it took so long. The thought of growing up without any representation is horrible to me. So one of the priorities of the festival is to showcase their work."

Moran's search resulted in him securing a screening of a documentary directed by Rachel Cepeda called "Some Girls."

"After viewing the film and basically emotionally breaking down I knew I had to bring some type of awareness of the film in my Latino community," said Moran. "The film covers the high suicide rate among Latinas because of their struggles of identity in the United States. In 2011 it was 13%, 2015 15% of Latinas attempting suicide, 26% think about committing suicide. I'm afraid to even look at the latest reports since suicide in America has increased by 30%. All info from the CDC.

"In the film you have these teens talking about being sexualized, being lonely, being depressed, and thinking that it would better to have straight hair and lighter skin ...This film gave us a chance to put together a panel to bring suicide prevention awareness.

"Throughout the year HRIFF will showcase more Afro-Latino works in events in northern New Jersey and New York," said Moran.

Screenings are free to attend (though seats are limited, and RSVPing online is necessary to guarantee a seat). "We are very aware of the audience of where our films are playing," said Moran. "This is a chance to bring art films, indie films, international hits and films with diversity to impoverished communities of color."

"When Giselle and I came together I told her (I had) an idea of starting a gateway program in Jersey City for Latino filmmakers. Setting up high school kids with a business class, screenplay writer and director mentors, then in college with producer mentors, interns, summer jobs and even pay for their thesis. All this to accumulate to studio jobs," Moran said.

"Giselle had a very similar idea that she had been working on for years. So we teamed up. This film festival is more of an organization. Now we have companies and organizations jumping to join us or help us sponsor an event because they believe in the mission. We know it's a long journey, but it's a journey that is moving quickly."  

A selection of films playing at HRIFF include "Killa," which means moon in the indigenous Ecuadorian Kichwa language that is the (subtitled) film's main spoken one and is the first to use it, according to Moran. It will be screened with an indigenous panel at 3 p.m., Oct. 3 at Dinneen Hall's Roy Irving Theatre, 2461 Kennedy Blvd. at Saint Peter's University. "Children Behind the Wall," about children left behind at the U.S./Mexico border, screens 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 3 with a director Q&A at the same location. "Some Girls," screens 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the same location, with a suicide prevention panel.

Screening Saturday, Oct. 6 at Rutgers University-Newark, Paul Robeson Campus Center, 350 Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Newark will be "Color," Camila Caricatto's animated film that takes place in a gray city where a man waiting in the subway finds a notebook of drawings that has people in color, and director Blake Elder's "Last Call," about a recovering alcoholic taking shelter from the apocalypse in a bar, starring Dustin Price, along with "Mia Nonna," "Who is Rafael Perez?" and "The Republican."

On Oct. 10, 3 p.m, at NJCU, is "Colonization is Extinction," about gentrification on the island of Puerto Rico, and screens with a Q&A.

On Friday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. a gala at Chart House, Pier D-T Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, will be attended by United Nation members and executive producers, directors, cast, and crews from the film and TV industries. $125 ticket includes dinner, drinks, awards, presentations, announcements and more.

People can RSVP for these films and other selections and see the lineup of films in New York or buy a ticket to the gala at https://www.facebook.com/hrintlfilmfest/.

Football is filled with surprises. These 35 N.J. teams have exceeded expectations early in 2018.

Seven N.J. pizzas are named among the nation's 101 best by The Daily Meal.

Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City serves the nation's second best pizza, according to The Daily Meal. 

The food/drink website, in its annual list of the nation's 101 best pizzas, singled out Razza's Bufala pizza, with crushed N.J. heirloom tomato sauce, N.J. water buffalo milk mozzarella, garlic and basil, bested only by the white clam pizza with grated Parmesan, olive oil, garlic and oregano at Frank Pepe's in New Haven, Connecticut. 

"Not only has (Razza owner Dan) Richer perfected his crust -- it's crisp from end to end and its inside is soft with a complex flavor -- he's also meticulous about his toppings, which he sources locally," according to The Daily Meal.

The website makes note of New York Times reviewer Pete Wells' glowing review of Razza last year; he named it "the best pizza in New York."

My review of Razza's "terrific'' pizza appeared in 2012; at the time, Richer said his goal was to make Razza "the best pizzeria in the country."

The Jersey City pizzeria was one of 10 finalists in our N.J.s best pizzeria showdown last summer. Razza's Bufala pie placed No. 46 on Daily Meal's 101 best pizzas list last year. 

Seven N.J. pizzas made The Daily Meal's top 101 this year -- an improvement from six last year and five in 2016. The Sicilian at Santillo's Brick Oven Pizza in Elizabeth is No. 32, while the tomato pie at De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies in Robbinsville is ranked No. 37, and the thin-crust pizza at Star Tavern in Orange is No. 41.

The sausage pizza at Papa's Tomato Pies in Robbinsville is No. 49, the A Mano pizza with marinara, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula and basil at A Mano in Ridgewood is No. 81, and the Sicilian at Bruno's Pizzeria in Clifton is No. 82.

New York, to no one's surprise, dominated the rankings, with 36 pizzas in the top 101, one more than last year (the top-rated pizza in the city? The Boom Pie at John's on Bleecker Street).

California has the second most pizzerias in the rankings, with 10; Connecticut is third, with seven. The website's "blue chip, geographically diverse list of panelists -- chefs, restaurant critics, bloggers, writers and just plain pizza authorities" considered nearly 1,000 pizzas in all. A total of 20 states are represented in the rankings.  

Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile. Find the Munchmobile on Facebook and Instagram.

Look at the top seniors in the state and cast your vote for the best of the best.

The senator sprang into action, utilizing previously unknown ninja-barista skills.

But it's too soon to say how many news cases may have emerged from the wet and humid summer, as the investigations are lengthy and many remain underway.

Nine schools West Orange and a hotel near Newark Airport are flushing their pipes to kill legionella, following testing that uncovered the bacteria and two confirmed cases of Legionnaires disease. 

According to a letter to families sent Tuesday of the West Orange Public Schools, legionella was found in samples taken from Gregory Elementary School, Hazel Elementary School, Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, Redwood Elementary School, St. Cloud Elementary School, Washington Elementary School, Edison Middle School, Roosevelt Middle School, West Orange High School and the administrative building. 

"The region sees seasonal increases in the summer months generally," Nicole Kirgan, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health, said in a statement. "This year seems particularly active, given that we have experienced very wet and humid weather these past few months. We have not found many common exposures that would explain the increase." 

It's too soon to say how many news cases emerged from the summer, she said, as the investigations are lengthy and many remain underway. 

Legionella causes Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia. It can lead to septic shock, respiratory failure and acute kidney failure, and is caused by inhaling microscopic water droplets, like spray from a shower or faucet, and the disease has been linked to hot tubs, pools, mist machines and water systems in hotels, hospitals and nursing homes. 

It cannot be spread person-to-person. 

The letter noted that there are no confirmed cases of Legionnaires in the West Orange schools, but municipal workers in the township faced the same issue earlier this summer, after a longtime employee was hospitalized with the disease. 

But there are confirmed cases of guests at the Ramada Plaza near the airport -- two in the last 12 months, the hotel said in a letter to guests dated September 17, which was forwarded to NJ Advance Media. The notice also confirmed that legionella was detected in the Ramada Plaza's water supply. 

It is not clear if the guests contracted the bacteria while staying at the hotel. 

The letter states the hotel took recommended measures to disinfect its water system and replaced shower heads. Anyone who believes they are experiencing symptoms of Legionnaires, like headaches, muscle pain, high fever and chills, within two weeks of staying at the hotel is urged to seek medical attention. 

Management at the hotel, as well as corporate media contact for Wyndham, which operates the Ramada brand, did not return requests for comment Thursday. 

In West Orange, the bacteria was first found at Redwood Elementary School in August, after a child who attended summer camp was ill with something doctors believed could be Legionnaires disease, an initial letter sent to families said. The child was ultimately cleared, but the district began testing out of caution. 

Four of 15 samples taken from the school contained "very low level" of legionella, according to the letter.  

To eradicate the bacteria, chlorine is pumped into a building's hot water heater and sits tank for four hours. It is them pumped through the hot water piping system  for fourteen hours, and every sink in the building is cleaned with chlorine, according to the West Orange letter. This takes place over the weekend, according to a spokesperson for the district. 

The water is then drained and the system flushed. New water samples are drawn and retested seven to 10 days later to ensure the bacteria has left the water system. 

A spokeswoman for the district did not have an immediate comment available Thursday. A spokesperson for the township's Department of Health was not immediately available. 

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

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Privately employed airport employees who work in concessions, baggage handling, transportation and other jobs currently make between $10 and $11 per hour

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Thousands of workers at New York-area airports have been approved for wage hikes that will pay them $19 per hour by 2023.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted Thursday on a measure authorizing the increases.

800 Newark airport workers get layoff notices after United contractor change

Privately employed airport employees who work in concessions, baggage handling, transportation and other jobs make between $10 and $11 per hour. The Port Authority says that has led to a more than 30 percent turnover rate at the airports, affecting efficiency and security.

The first increases for workers at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Liberty International airports goes into effect November 1.

The vote follows a three-month public comment period. Some business owners said the higher wage rates could force them to have to lay off workers.