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Montclair lawyer confessed in note to killing girlfriend, documents say

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Angela Bledsoe was found shot to death inside the couple's home last month

A Montclair lawyer accused of fatally shooting the mother of his child last month confessed to the crime in a note found by a family member, according to charging documents filed by prosecutors.

In the note, James Ray III confessed to killing Angela Bledsoe, and indicated he was scared to face prison time and "the long burden of a trial," a detective with the Essex County Homicide Task Force wrote in an affidavit obtained by NJ Advance Media.

James Ray IIIJames Ray III. (Jail photo.)

Ray, 55, has been charged with murder in the death of Bledsoe, whom Montclair police found shot to death inside the couple's home at 304 N. Mountain Ave. the night of Oct. 22.

He was turned over to agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations by authorities in Cuba on Tuesday, just over a week after he was detained upon arriving in the country.

According to the affidavit, officers were sent to the house after Ray's sibling found the note inside the suitcase of the lawyer's child, whom Ray had left in the family member's care earlier that evening.

Police found Bledsoe, 44, on the kitchen floor with multiple gunshot wounds, and a handgun and gun cleaning supplies on the living room table, the affidavit says.

The handgun recovered by police, however, was of a different caliber than the single shell casing found in the house, the detective wrote. 

The note, according to the affidavit, said Ray suspected Bledsoe had been having an affair.

It was unclear Friday whether Ray -- who remains jailed at the Essex County Correctional Facility pending a hearing scheduled for Tuesday -- had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.

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


State targets 28 'notarios' they say are preying on immigrants with legal issues

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They often charge $1,500 or more for services that legitimate providers do for free, or a small fee

In Latin American countries, "notarios" are lawyers who can provide legal services to clients.

In this country, though, notaries, or notary publics, cannot. They're not lawyers, and can only witnesses the signing of documents.

But across New Jersey, some people or storefront shops that use that word "notario," mainly in urban areas, are fraudulently offering immigration and legal services.

They prey on the immigrant community and Spanish-speaking customers, who believe they're being represented by a lawyer of someone with special knowledge of immigration procedure, state authorities alleged Friday.

Some of the businesses were charging $1,500 or more for immigration services that, by law, can only be provided by licensed lawyers or representatives accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and working for DOJ-recognized organizations, the state' Division of Consumers Affairs said in a statement that.

The division has identified 28 of these businesses or individuals, and are going after them with violations and fines.

The violations total $326,000 in civil penalties, ranging from $6,000 to $16,000 per person or business.

The actions are the result of a months-long undercover operation, based on tips, consumer complaints and investigators checking out the places, which often hold themselves out as tax preparers or travel agencies and offer notary public and immigration assistance for sale.

IMG_1968.jpgOne of the targeted businesses, Mundo Travel Agency in Trenton. (Kevin Shea | NJ Advance Media) 

Typically, the organizations offer their services for free or a small fee.

Some of the businesses leave their clients without money or irreplaceable documents like birth certificates or passports, and expose them to possible immigration detention or deportation.

Some unauthorized practitioners are predators looking for victims to scam and charge high fees and pocket the money without doing any work.

Others are well-meaning who make mistakes, file incorrect or incomplete forms and miss deadlines.

Either way, people who need real representation often find out too late, after missed deadlines, the state says.

"Today we are reinforcing our commitment to protecting all New Jersey residents, regardless of their legal status, from financial predators," Paul R. Rodriguez, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs said in a statement.

"All New Jersey residents who fall victim to fraud or other unlawful conduct should know that they can safely report the matter to law enforcement. We are here for you," he said.

The businesses that face fines from the state:

  • A.A.N. Accounting & Multi-Service, Kearny
  • A & A Consultants, Elizabeth
  • AC Velox Multiservice, Elizabeth
  • Airsealand Tours, Inc. / Air Sea Land Travel & Tax, Kearny
  • AMC Immigration Services, Garfield
  • Angel Financial Services, Elizabeth
  • Borche's Service Express Travel / Services Express Corporation, Plainfield
  • Consuelos Travel & Consuelos Immigration Services, Lakewood
  • D' Vazquez Tax Solutions / D'Vazquez Tax Solutions / E.C.T.A. Envios El Costeno, Garfield
  • Dieugrand Insurance Agency, Jersey City
  • Foto-Loft / Photo Loft, Newark
  • IG Tax Multiservices LLC / IG Tax Multi Services, North Bergen
  • J.V. Services / JV Typing Services, Elizabeth
  • La Feria Services, Plainfield
  • Miriam Caso / Bookkeeping & Tax Services, West New York
  • Master Agency, Paterson
  • MIA Services, Union City
  • Nancy Tax Services, Union City
  • N-VIA Travel & Associates, Trenton
  • P & L Multiservices, Garfield
  • Pro Immigrants Foundation, Elizabeth
  • QAP Total Services, Elizabeth
  • Kenny Tax Service, Paterson
  • Mundo Travel Agency, Trenton
  • SS Professional Services, Jersey City
  • Sylvana's Multiservices / Marilyn's Services, Elizabeth
  • Time Travel, Long Branch
  • West Side Brokerage, Jersey City, NJ

Anyone seeking immigration services can use the following services to find a legitimate provider at www.USCIS.gov/immigrationpractice or call the USCIS at 800-375-5283.

And consumers can see a list of New Jersey-based organizations recognized by the DOJ that offer non-attorney staff members or volunteers here.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jeff Sessions' effort to restrict consent decrees won't affect Newark

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"... no matter what, we're going to continue to follow what the consent decree says and change the mindset in the police division," the city's top cop says.

As his last act as Attorney General, Jeff Sessions limited federal authorities' ability to crack down on problem police departments by using consent decrees, but officials have said it won't have any impact in Newark.

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said that no matter what the memo says, his police department will continue to comply with the consent decree it entered into in 2016 with the U.S. Department of Justice to improve training, accountability and more under the watch of a court-appointed monitor.

The consent decree came after a federal probe uncovered civil rights abuses by Newark officers. Between 2009-12, 75 percent of pedestrian stops with a documented reason were unjustified, the probe found.

And contrary to Sessions' position, Ambrose said that federal oversight can be a good thing in policing.

"So no matter what, we're going to continue to follow what the consent decree says and change the mindset in the police division. It didn't get this way overnight and won't end overnight," Ambrose said Friday. "But I'd have to say that oversight and the consent decree of the feds helped this police division get back on track."

Sessions signed the memo before resigning Wednesday at the direction of President Donald Trump. Now, to enact a consent decree, the Department of Justice to provide more evidence of wrongdoing besides unconstitutional behavior, get additional approval from government officials, according to the New York Times.

The memo also says a police department should be released from the consent decree if it can prove it has made the required improvements. Generally, an agreement should be limited to three years, "absent a compelling justification" for it to be longer, the memo says.

The former Attorney General had already made his position on consent decrees clear, ordering staff last year to review existing agreements including those in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland to see if the DOJ was overstepping and infringing on local police department's right to govern themselves.

At that time, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka vowed that Newark would continue to abide by the consent decree. He said that since the agreement was approved by a U.S. District Court, any changes would require court intervention.

The federal monitor appointed to oversee Newark Police Department's progress, former New Jersey attorney general Peter Harvey, said the same thing in an interview last year with NJTV. He did not return requests for comment Friday.

In an interview Friday, Ambrose said that consent decrees are a useful but costly way to fix "systemic issues" in police departments. In Newark, he said, the total cost will be $7.4 million over five years.

"We are lucky to have a firm but fair monitor in Peter Harvey. And retraining is always good, just to follow up and see if it's working," he said.

"And on the other hand, what [Sessions'] memo says makes some sense: Rather than going right to the federal government, there is a pecking order in municipal policing, and it's not a bad idea to have the county and the state AG looking at your practices."

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal -- who was among 18 attorneys general who have called on Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to recuse himself from the special counsel's Russia probe -- slammed Sessions' decision.

"Consent decrees are one of the many tools available to the federal government to strengthen trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. It is deeply disappointing that, on his way out the door and apparently over the objection of the Justice Department's career attorneys, former Attorney General Sessions imposed new rules that undermine such efforts," Grewal said in a statement.

"In New Jersey, we will continue to work collaboratively with our county and local law enforcement agencies to strengthen police-community relations and find other, innovative solutions to build community trust."

In his two-year review of the Newark Police Department, federal monitor Peter Harvey said the department had made progress in implementing body-worn and dashboard cameras but noted it lacked personnel with appropriate expertise in areas like data gathering, training, community engagement and domestic violence to create lasting reform.

Staff member Dave D'alessandro contributed to this report.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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11% of Newark's crime comes from this area, so cops are opening up a new shop there

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The 5,000 square-foot precinct will serve parts of the city's North, Central and West wards, officials said.

If Amazon is splitting its HQ2 pie, can N.J. get a slice? Newark makes last-ditch plea.

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Newark is trying to make it clear -- it can be a partner with New York City should Amazon locate its second headquarters there.

Newark isn't throwing in the towel, yet. As new reports rule out New Jersey's largest city as one of two locations for Amazon's second headquarters, state and local officials are going for a Hail Mary. 

Reacting to national reports saying Amazon will split its HQ2 between Long Island City in New York and Crystal City in Virginia, Newark is buckling down on its pitch to convince the online commerce behemoth to give Newark a piece of the pie, two sources involved in the negotiations confirmed to NJ Advance Media.

The individuals did not want to be named to not jeopardize their relationships with Amazon.

RIO-NJ was the first to report that officials were angling for a partnership with New York City. 

"Newark could be an ace up New York's sleeve," one source told NJ Advance Media. "The idea that the horse has left the barn and both of these two cities got it and started running away with it," isn't definitive, the person added.

Though both Virginia and New York are in "advance talks" with Amazon, the company has not informed finalist cities of its decision, the sources said.

"This is all speculation, there's been no official communication," one source said. 

Even before news broke that Amazon was leaning toward Virginia and New York, state and local officials in New Jersey began offering the possibility of partnering with their neighbor 11 miles across the Hudson River, both sources said. 

They said though they still believed Newark a strong contender on its own, the stakes were too high to miss out on the opportunity. 

"No other city on the list can be transformed like the city of Newark can," one source said. "Strategically, it makes sense for the region to come together so no city is taking the brunt of the development but Amazon gets the bests of both worlds."

Recent reports of Amazon narrowing the field to Virginia and New York forced state and local officials to double down on that pitch -- and offer Newark as a "release valve" amid rising concerns about whether New York can absorb the developmental impact, they said.

One source said Newark has existing real estate ready for Amazon and is more malleable for any new construction. New Jersey, the person said, can help sweeten the deal for the company with its offer of a $7 billion incentive package, though that will be paired down accordingly.

It's still not clear how -- or if -- Amazon will split its HQ2 which officials promised would bring 50,000 jobs and a $5 billion investment.

Aisha Glover, CEO of the Newark Alliance and the city's point person for its Amazon bid, said Newark still had the most to gain and stood out for the social impact the company can have in New Jersey's largest city. 

"We still see this as an opportunity, not just tell the equity story but see it play out intentionally. If we have this opportunity, we're going to leverage it for all its worth," she said. She declined to speak about any ongoing negotiations but said Amazon had not confirmed any official decisions regarding Newark. 

Glover confirmed to NJ Advance Media that Newark received a second visit from Amazon in the late summer but city officials were not involved this time. 

Only a handful a cities received second visits, according to media reports.

One source said though they're hoping they'll work out an agreement with New York, should Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos say "Newark is my guy, we're ready for that, too."

One source said Amazon recently asked officials for the cell phone numbers of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Gov. Phil Murphy, a likely sign that the decision is coming soon.

Amazon has only said they will decide by the end of the year.

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

 

Secrets to a long life? We asked three 100-year-old N.J. women for advice

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A life well lived for three women. One is 109 and the other two are 100.

NJ must restore voting rights for felons. Florida just did | Editorial

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A ballot initiative for re-enfranchisement just passed with two-thirds support in a southern red state. NJ can't get the same initiative to stir an assembly caucus. Start the damn hearings. Watch video

You may think there is no reason to emulate voters from Florida, who probably just elected (recounts pending) a race-baiting Governor and a Senator whose company was the largest perpetrator of Medicaid fraud in American history.

But give them this: While New Jerseyans believe that all voices should be heard, Floridians fought to make it happen Tuesday.

In an election night landslide, the Sunshine State passed Amendment 4, a ballot initiative that restores voting rights to 1.4 million former felons who have already paid their societal debt, provided they didn't commit murder or a sex crime.

It's a reminder that New Jersey, to the everlasting shame of our Legislative leaders, has been dragging its heels on this issue for far too long.

Consider: In our state - where the law has forbidden anyone in prison, on parole, or on probation from voting since 1844 - there are 94,000 people who cannot vote. Disenfranchisement laws vary throughout the country, but even citadels of progressive thought - such as North Dakota and Utah - are among the 14 states that at least restore voting rights for those on parole and probation.

Not New Jersey. We are one of 18 states that restore the franchise only after sentences have been completed, and even Gov. Murphy agrees that it's time to secure the most basic right of citizenship in some cases.

But a bill written by Sens. Ron Rice (D-Essex) and Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) that brings the law up to date has been collecting dust in committee since March without a single hearing.

No doubt, it's a hard sell to restore the franchise for the 21,000 people currently incarcerated - only Maine and Vermont allow prison inmates to vote - but let's start with the easy stuff.

New Jersey's 94,000 missing voters | Editorial

There are 73,000 felons in our state on probation and parole. Why would we deny voting rights to 15,000 parolees who have already paid their debt with a prison sentence? And why would anyone deny the vote to 58,000 people on probation when they have never even been in jail?

Here's what helped drive the Florida measure, which had support from everyone from the Koch Brothers to Ben and Jerry: According to the Florida Parole Commission, individuals with felony convictions who have had their voting rights restored are three times less likely to re-offend.

Restoring voting rights to felons is political. It's also right | Editorial

When a felon is released on parole, we'll give him back his car keys and his condo. We expect him to pay his monthly taxes and bills. We trust him to return to society and live responsibly. So why would we want to draw the line at allowing him to participate in democracy?

Former Attorney General John Farmer Jr. put it best: "Other than retribution," he said, "there is no legitimate penological policy advanced by stripping convicted criminals of their right to vote.

"The goal of 'correction' -- to return convicted criminals to society, prepared to be productive citizens -- is hindered completely by taking away the most fundamental attribute of citizenship: the right to participate in the American experiment in self-governance."

Former Justice William Brennan was more blunt: Felony disenfranchisement, he once said, is "the very antithesis of rehabilitation."

Disenfranchisement, we hasten to add, has racist origins: The Black Codes employed by the South after the Civil War deprived the freedman from voting, so "crimes" such as loitering were enforced to subjugate former slaves. These methods persist, as drug laws have banished millions of men of color from the mainstream and created the prison industrial complex.

So Florida did the right thing. It hardly matters that they may soon have a governor and senator (Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott) who didn't support the amendment, because 64 percent of the electorate did. Assuming our Legislature is paying attention, Florida has given New Jersey a model to emulate.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

 

N.J. pets in need: Nov. 12, 2018

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Animal shelters continue to be the leading source of pets.

Facts on animal shelters from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA):

* Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. The number is evenly split between dogs and cats. A positive note is that the number of dogs and cats entering U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 7.2 million in 2011.

* Approximately 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year, again with an even split between cats and dogs.

* About 710,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners. In this, we don't find so even a split; 620,000 of the returned animals are dogs and only 90,000 are cats.

* Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats). The number of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011. This decline can be partially explained by an increase in the percentage of animals adopted and an increase in the number of stray animals successfully returned to their owners.

These are the most common sources from which primary methods cats and dogs are obtained as pets (this information was based on a multiple response question, which results in the total percentage exceeding 100% individually for cats and dogs. In addition, the 'other' category includes all source categories that were reported by less than 10% of both dog and cat owners):

Animal Shelter/Humane Society

Dogs      23%   Cats     31%

Friends/Relatives            

Dogs     20%   Cats     28%

Breeder              

Dogs     34%   Cats     3%

Stray

Dogs     6%   Cats     27%

Private Party

Dogs     12%   Cats     6%

Other

Dogs     32%   Cats     39%

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


Montclair lawyer back in court on girlfriend's killing. Judge to decide if he stays jailed

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The 55-year-old was arrested in Cuba last week by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

A Superior Court judge is expected to decide Tuesday whether a Montclair lawyer accused of killing the mother of his child should stay jailed pending trial.

James Ray IIIJames Ray III. (Essex County jail)


James Ray III, 55, is scheduled to appear at the Essex County Veterans Courthouse in Newark for a hearing on prosecutors' motion to detain him before trial, authorities told reporters last week.

Ray, who was handed over to FBI and Homeland Security Investigations agents last week by authorities in Cuba, has been charged with murder in Bledsoe's Oct. 22 fatal shooting.

Under statewide criminal justice reforms that took effect last year, Ray is likely to remain behind bars for the duration of his case unless his attorney can convince the judge he's neither a public safety threat nor a flight risk.

Court documents obtained by NJ Advance Media and other outlets say Ray -- in a note found by a family member -- confessed to killing Bledsoe and expressed a fear of prison time.

Affidavit: Lawyer admitted killing girlfriend

The note, a detective wrote, led Ray's sibling to call police, who discovered Bledsoe in the couple's North Mountain Avenue home suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She died of her injuries not long after.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office last week told reporters Ray had been detained by Cuban authorities when he arrived in the country on Oct. 28, after Interpol issued a worldwide "red notice" alerting member countries of his wanted status.

Ray, who maintained a law practice in Manhattan, previously drew media scrutiny in 2013 when a paralegal he formerly employed sued him for sexual harassment.

The paralegal, who later settled the case out of court, claimed Ray had subjected her to unwanted conversations about polygamy and pornography, and pressured her to become his "third wife."

Ray remained jailed at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark as of Monday afternoon.

If convicted of murder, he faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in state prison and a maximum of life.

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

New York City dogs are enjoying N.J. parks off leash and a county exec here is 'alarmed'

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The Essex County executive says the county sheriff's office will be making sure dog rules are followed

If you lived in New York City and could afford it, would you cough up $100 a day to send your dog to "hike" around in New Jersey?

You would probably want to take man's best friend to one of the city dog parks or leave them at a doggie day care, right?

Nah. We're talking about New York!

According to a story in The New York Times (and I'm paraphrasing here), some New York dogs are like the Giants and Jets -- they're New York in name but they do all their playing in Jersey.

That story reports that services like My Dog Hikes are bringing New York pups to New Jersey parks, where they run around without leashes, and if one Facebook comment is to be believed, pooping everywhere.

Jerseyans and a county executive are not happy.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. took to Facebook Monday to respond to what he read in the report.

"Having dogs run free is not allowed in Essex county parks, including South Mountain Reservation, and poses a safety risk for other people enjoying our open spaces as well as the dogs," he said. 

Just go to one of the four dog parks if you want to run the dogs off leash, he said: one each at South Mountain, Brookdale Park, Hilltop Reservation and Watsessing Park.

He even mentioned siccing the Essex County Sheriff's Office on dog walkers. Officers, he said in his post, will be making sure, "our rules are followed."

My Dog Hikes did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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

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Woman found stabbed to death inside Montclair apartment complex

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The Essex County Prosecutor's Office was investigating the woman's death but did not have many details to share.

A woman was found stabbed to death in a Montclair apartment complex Monday morning, officials said.

The woman, whose name was not released, was found at 11:45 a.m. in the complex near the corner of Greenwood and Glenridge avenues, Essex County Prosecutor's Office Spokeswoman Katherine Carter said.

Carter said no arrests were made as of 9 p.m. and that no further information could be released at this time.

The death comes just a few weeks after a woman was killed in her Montclair home. James Ray, 55, was arrested in Cuba last week and charged with the crime.

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

 

Person struck and killed by NJ Transit train In Montclair

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Riders on the Montclair-Booton line are facing 45 minute delays after a person was struck and killed by a New Jersey Transit train on Nov. 13, 2018.

A person was struck and killed by a New Jersey Transit train in Montclair on Tuesday morning, officials said. 

The person was hit in the area of Watchung Avenue around 5:15 a.m.. 

Service was suspended earlier on the Montclair-Boonton line but has since resumed with 45 minute delays, according to NJ Transit

Train passes can be used on NJ Transit and private buses. 

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

 

 

It's official: Newark won't be home to Amazon's HQ2

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Amazon finally made it's big decision on where it will open its HQ2.

They didn't pick us.

It's official, Amazon will split its second headquarters between New York City and Northern Virginia, Amazon announced today, capping off a yearlong search that set off a public contest among 20 finalist cities -- including Newark.

Amazon is also planning a new operations center in Nashville, Tennessee, that will create more than 5,000 jobs. 

"These two locations will allow us to attract world-class talent that will help us to continue inventing for customers for years to come," Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon said in a statement. "The team did a great job selecting these sites, and we look forward to becoming an even bigger part of these communities."

More than 25,000 employees will be hired in each of two sites, officials said. 

As Amazon neared its decision this month, state and local officials here pitched a partnership with New York to help alleviate any concerns of locating to a dense urban area. Officials doubled down on that strategy after reports that the online commerce giant was leaning toward Virginia's Crystal City neighborhood and Long Island City in New York. 

City and state leaders were hoping to draw the retail behemoth's promised $5 billion and the 50,000 jobs projected for HQ2 -- or at least get a portion of it. 

"No other city on the list can be transformed like the city of Newark can," one source involved in the negotiations previously told NJ Advance Media. 

Reports of Amazon investing in at least one other city buoyed hopes for New Jersey's largest city but those were dashed after the company made its announcement in a blog post shortly before 10 a.m. 

Newark was one of 20 finalist cities named by Amazon in January but was only a handful of locations that received a second, unannounced visit from company representatives.

Local leaders pointed to the list as proof that Newark was finally seeing its long-promised renaissance, amplifying their message of a city on the rise. Business and education heads, too, buzzed about the prospect of having Amazon as a key institutional anchor in the city. 

Ask Alexa

When Amazon representatives visited Newark in April, they met a parade of local and state influencers and dined at Mompou, a popular tapas bar in the city's Ironbound neighborhood. 

Among those part of the pitch to Amazon: businessman and philanthropist Ray Chambers, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Gov. Phil Murphy and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. 

Company representatives visited Newark again in late summer but did not involve local officials. 

Newark, together with the state, offered Amazon a $7 billion incentive package that dwarfed deals offered by other states. Of that, $2 billion was offered by the city in payroll tax waivers and other tax abatements. 

But losing out on Amazon's second and third headquarters may not be the end for Newark reimagining itself as a tech hub. 

"We're just glad to be here, we have already benefitted from being in the running," Baraka said this month as news emerged that Newark may be out of the running. 

James Barrood, CEO of New Jersey Tech Council, a nonprofit trade association, previously told NJ Advance Media that tech companies will still be drawn to Newark's other anchor institutions like Audible (owned by Amazon).

"The future is very bright for Newark," he said. 

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

 

WATCH N.J. soccer: 4 Tuesday boys & girls state semis, then all 8 weekend finals

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Watch lots of championship soccer, LIVE and on-demand, on any device.

Get ready to watch some state championship soccer.

Starting Tuesday, you'll be able to watch an unprecedented number of boys and girls soccer state playoff games on NJ.com, LIVE or on demand, on any device, brought to you via NJ High School Sports Live.

We will have broadcasts from two of Tuesday's seven Group semifinals doubleheader sites, making available two boys games and two girls games.  Over the weekend, we will have every Group final from Kean University - four boys finals on Saturday and four girls finals on Sunday.

Here's the full lineup:

TUESDAY, NOV. 13

Group 4 semifinals, at Franklin

Boys: Morris Knolls vs. No. 14 Elizabeth, 5 p.m.
Girls: No. 3 West Orange vs. No. 1 Bridgewater-Raritan, 7:30 p.m.

Group 2 semifinals at Hopewell Valley

Boys: No. 3 Holmdel vs. No. 8 Delran, 5 p.m.
Girls: Gov. Livingston vs. Delsea, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOV. 17 at Kean University
Boys Group finals, matchups TBD

Group 4 final: 10 a.m.
Group 1 final: 12:30 p.m.
Group 2 final: 3 p.m.
Group 3 final: 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOV. 18 at Kean University
Girls Group finals, matchups TBD

Group 4 final: 10 a.m.
Group 1 final: 12:30 p.m.
Group 2 final: 3 p.m.
Group 3 final: 5:30 p.m.

PLAYOFF REPLAYS
Games below are available as on-demand replays

SUNDAY, NOV. 11

Boys Non-Public A final
No. 1 Delbarton vs. No. 12 Christian Brothers 

Girls Non-Public B Final
Pingry vs. Oak Knoll

Boys Non-Public B final
Gill St. Bernard's vs Rutgers Prep 

Girls Non-Public B Final
Morristown-Beard vs. St. Rose 

THURSDAY, NOV. 8

North 2, Group 3 final (boys soccer)
9-Cliffside Park at 3-Millburn, 1 p.m.

North Jersey, Non-Public A final (boys soccer)
3-Seton Hall Prep vs. 1-Delbarton at Millburn, 3 p.m.

North Jersey, Non-Public A final (girls soccer)
5-Oak Knoll vs. 2-DePaul at Millburn, 5:30 p.m.

Richard Greco covers boys soccer and may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Richard_V_Greco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Girls Gr

Whatever, Amazon. N.J. didn't want you anyway -- unless you change your mind, of course

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It's not you, Amazon, it's us. We don't want you. Don't come to Newark. Is reverse psychology working?

Newark has been holding its breath for more than a year, hoping to win the bid for Amazon's "HQ2" headquarters. New Jersey's largest city was the state's lone bid for the project, and even made the cut to be one of 20 finalists.

Well, Brick City, you can exhale. Amazon ain't comin'.

According to reports, the online shopping conglomerate has decided to split HQ2 into two cities -- Long Island City in New York and Arlington, Va. 

And you know what? That's fine. We're happy without you, Amazon. Who the hell needs ya?

Would HQ2 have potentially revitalized a city in dire need of an economic catalyst? Maybe. Would it have meant 50,000 jobs for the state? Sure.

All good. We'll find another massive online retail company that wants to call Brick City home.

I mean, unless, you get lonely in New York and Virginia. In which case, you still have our number right?

Actually, if you don't, whatever. It's seriously no big deal.

But we just gotta know. Was the $2 billion in potential tax breaks and $5 billion in tax incentives not enough for you? That's billion, with a "b." We know your company is worth around $1 trillion (with a "t"), but c'mon, those breaks and incentives would have made for some serious profitability in the Garden State. And trust us, getting tax breaks in Jersey can be tough. Just ask Jared Kushner.

Fine, that's obviously not enough. What more can we give you? Let's see ... we have this Cory Booker fellow, have you heard of him? He may run for president. And he was the mayor of Newark! Maybe he could pull some strings and score you some extra coin.

No? Alright. So you're heading to New York. You know Long Island City is in Queens, right? That's, like, the third-coolest borough. And Alexandria? Do you know what the commute to D.C. on the Metro is like? It makes NJ Transit look like a freaking bullet train. It literally catches on fire so often that the website "IsMetroOnFire.com" became a thing. We're not joking.

But we get it. We've seen plenty of people pick New York over New Jersey. Just saying, it could be an absolute nightmare. LIC is an up-and-coming neighborhood, but adding this much this fast could mean massive gentrification and traffic. The 7 train is rough as it is -- it will be unbearable if this plan goes through.

If we're being honest, Newark really does need a company like Amazon way more than New York and Virginia. You'll just be another fling. Amazon isn't going to change the culture in Queens or Alexandria. Newark, on the other hand, would sincerely benefit. You're the economic engine this long-struggling city has been looking for, injecting jobs and commerce where it's needed most.

"Newark boasts a highly-educated workforce, robust transportation systems, and thriving technology networks that provide many strategic benefits to companies that call our city home," Booker said in April when he, along with Gov. Phil Murphy and Mayor Ras Baraka, met with Amazon officials.

Also, you clearly haven't had a burger at Krug's Tavern or Portuguese food in the Ironbound. Workers getting off late shifts can hit Tops Diner, which is open past midnight every day and is one of our finest establishments. 

Alas, we fear you still won't come to our side of the Hudson. We give up. 

We should have known that this whole "nationwide search" was really just a rouse, a bait-and-switch to get attention for the company and raise the hopes of cities across the country that could truly benefit from a company like Amazon building a home there, just to pick not just one but two of the biggest and most obvious candidates. You were never going to pick us, no matter how many times we scribbled "NJ + Amazon = <3" on our notebooks.  

So good riddance, Amazon. I'd say we're cancelling our Prime membership, but that two-day shipping really comes in handy.

Also, if Queens doesn't work out, the PATH to Newark runs 24/7 if you ever change your mind.

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.


It's Veterans Day. Here's one of the many you should thank.

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Gerard Sorell, a World War II veteran, was honored 73 years later with the Bronze Star.

'How much of this have I consumed?' Residents forced to install lead filters to drink

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Newark residents use water filters as city works on its corrosion treatment for lead.

Stacey Goods didn't think anything of the Facebook posts she read about lead being in Newark's drinking water. Nor did she think the three-family house - where she is a tenant - was affected in the West Ward.

"People play too much," Goods said.

The social media threads compared Newark to Flint, a narrative Mayor Ras Baraka continues to lash out against.

"What they did was purposeful and deliberate to save money," Baraka said during a press conference last week.

Goods heard him say the same thing hours later that night at a meeting at Berean Baptist Church in her ward. She went to the meeting to learn about lead and because she heard the city had been giving filters to residents in homes with lead service lines and elevated levels of lead.

Newark officials, including Baraka, told residents what the city had been doing when it thought initial elevated lead levels were coming from old pipes. But when a consultant's study showed that Newark's water treatment system was not working, the city began to distribute filters last month.

Kareem Adeem, the city's deputy director of water and sewer, said Newark's corrosion control treatment - sodium silicate - was not providing a protective coat inside the pipe to prevent lead from entering the water.

"The silicate was losing its effectiveness," Adeem said.

watermeetingfile-6[2].jpegNewark residents attend meeting at Berean Baptist Church to listen to city officials explain what they have done about elevated levels of lead in drinking water. 

After the meeting, Goods was shocked to see her home on the list of some 15,000 to 18,000 homes Newark has identified with lead.

"I said OMG."

Since October, Newark has handed out 13,129 filters -- a figure activists say should be higher by now.

Kim Gaddy, the environmental justice organizer for Clean Water Action, said her organization will be going door to door with the consultant that the city hired to do the water study.

"We're getting calls from folks that don't know how to install it," Gaddy said. "It's too serious of an issue to think you're protected, but your filter is not working," Gaddy said.

If the light is green, it's working. Yellow means the filter is losing effectiveness; red is time to replace it.

See our inventory of lead service lines in Newark

Adeem said the city will canvass neighborhoods, too, to get the word out and he demonstrated how it should be used.

Jacqueline Bussey was at same meeting, waiting patiently to see if she needed one of the 40,000 filters that Newark has made available.

"All we can do is hope and pray that everything works out," she said after learning her house was affected.

She was nervous at first about the filter but felt better after the meeting.

"I'm not sure how this is going to play out," Bussey said. "They're doing what they can to rectify the situation."

waterpipefile-10[5].jpegSample of lead service lines that need to be replace in Newark homes, which have elevated levels of lead in the drinking water. 

Baraka said Newark sent its pipes to the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency and it rolled out a lead service replacement pipe program. It will be funded with a $75 million bond to replace lead service lines connected to affected homes. The cost to homeowners is a maximum of $1,000 each.

In the meantime, the filters are for a year, or at least until the new corrosion treatment takes hold in the city's Peqaunnock water system, which serves parts of every ward except for the East.

Adeem said the new corrosion inhibitor - an orthophosphate - takes about three to eight months to form a wall inside the pipes. That treatment is already used in the city's Wanaque plant, its second water system that serves the East Ward, and parts of the North, Central and South.

Gwendolyn Lynn, a resident, isn't nervous that she has had to attach a filter to her kitchen faucet. She uses bottled water and has had a water cooler.

"I'm going to do what they say, even though I don't like it," said Lynn, who's satisfied with how Newark has informed the public.

"It's almost too much information," she said.

Goods is not panicking, either, even though she had some initial worry. In the past month, Goods said she used tap water to cook a few times when she ran out of bottled water that she's been using for years.

"How much of this have I consumed?" she thought.

Goods will attach the filter, but doubts she'll be using it much. Her reliance on bottled water is a way of life after her son, now a college student, tested positive for lead when he was in elementary school in Orange. At the time, the home where she lived had to be abated.

This situation, she said, is "spooky," but she's she's okay.

"When he (mayor) broke it down, I was put at ease when he said this is not Flint."

 Read More

Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Montclair woman stabbed to death in her home identified by prosecutors

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No arrests had been made as of Tuesday afternoon.

Essex County authorities have identified a 41-year-old woman found stabbed to death in Montclair on Monday.

Township police on Monday morning found Tameeka Johnson suffering from stab wounds inside her Greenwood Avenue apartment, the county prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:35 a.m., the prosecutor's office said.

Authorities said no arrests had been made as of Tuesday afternoon.

The prosecutor's office has asked anyone with information about Johnson's death to call the Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-846-7432 or 1-877-TIPS-4EC.

Johnson's killing was the second homicide in Montclair in the past month. James Ray III, a 55-year-old lawyer, has been charged with murder in the Oct. 22 fatal shooting of Angela Bledsoe, 44, inside the couple's North Mountain Avenue home.

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

 

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NJIT student killed in hit-and-run crash on campus

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The car struck her on Central Avenue, right next to campus.

Newark and Essex County authorities are searching for a driver who hit and killed a 25-year-old New Jersey Institute of Technology student Tuesday night. 

Essex County prosecutors say the driver struck Naomi R. Segura, of Byram Township, around 9:20 Tuesday night, near Central Avenue and Summit Street in Newark. 

Authorities say the car that struck her did not stop, but a second car at the scene stopped and called for help. 

Segura was rushed to University Hospital, but succumbed to her injuries Wednesday at around 1:10 a.m.

A spokesperson for NJIT confirmed Segura's death Wednesday morning. 

Dean of Students Marybeth Boger said she was "deeply saddened" to share the news with the school community. 

Boger said Segura, a senior majoring in law, technology and culture, was very involved at the school's Murray Center for Women in Technology. 

The university is offering support staff to students in the Murray Center Wednesday until 5 p.m., and Boger encouraged students seeking support to also contact the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.

"Please join me in honoring Naomi and supporting her friends and loved ones as best we can," Boger said in her statement to the school community. 

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office did not have a description of the vehicle and said in a statement Wednesday that the investigation is active and ongoing. 

Those who may have information about the incident are asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-8477432.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.comFollow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. 

 

Newark - and the state - dodged the Amazon iceberg. Those corporate handouts would have sunk us

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Special government privileges degrade our democratic ideals. Because we allow politicians to offer special privileges, corporations lobby hard for them.

By Michael Farren and Anne Philpot

Just over 106 years ago the Titanic sailed on her ill-fated maiden voyage. But by happy accident industrialists J. P. Morgan and Milton Hershey literally missed the boat. In more recent news, Newark learned this week that it's no longer a candidate for Amazon's expanded headquarters, HQ2.

Perhaps Newarkers should breathe a sigh of relief. The resulting subsidies could have sunk the city's finances.

Sure, politicians from sea to shining sea offer corporate tax breaks and other handouts all the time. Paying businesses to relocate and allegedly create local jobs is good politics, even if the facts tell us it isn't good economics. The sheer size of the Amazon subsidies makes an already-shaky policy potentially catastrophic.

Newark and New Jersey's bids for HQ2 (totaling $7 billion) were disclosed to the public, but in many places even city councils didn't know what was offered. The few publicly available bids initially made by semifinalist cities and states averaged a staggering $8.9 billion over 15 years. Amazon eventually required non-disclosure agreements of all 20 semifinalists, so the clandestine final offers were almost certainly even larger.

Corporate handouts suffer from three fundamental problems:

First, they don't actually work. Companies relocate for profitability reasons, and local tax policy is only one small part of that. The availability of a skilled workforce, access to resources, and opportunities to work with nearby industries usually outweigh any subsidies. Tax incentives are at best a tiebreaker and more often than not simply a waste of public money.

Even worse, the academic research on corporate subsidies generally finds that while they benefit the company on the receiving end--obviously--they don't actually improve community welfare.

Second, giving tax privileges to one company imposes costs on other businesses and residents. Locals must either pay more for a given level of public services, or accept a reduction in service quality and quantity. Newark's $2 billion Amazon bid could instead fund 560 additional  police officers--a 50 percent increase--or pay for the cost of educating 3,100 public school students for 20 years.

And since New Jersey offered its own subsidies, people across the state would have suffered these same kinds of tradeoffs. For its $5 billion Amazon bid, New Jersey could fund 11,800 full tuition scholarships at Rutgers University for 20 years or pay for all highway maintenance for the next six years.

Or instead, why not cut state corporate income taxes by 15 percent for 20 years? Reducing taxes for every business is better for economic growth--and more democratic--than giving that entire benefit to a single company. Lowering the cost of doing business for home-grown enterprises would help them expand into the Amazons of tomorrow.

The higher taxes to fund the subsidy and the long-run costs of reduced public services generally outweigh any extra tax revenue that might be generated, meaning these schemes don't actually pay for themselves.

Third and most importantly, special government privileges degrade our democratic ideals. Because we allow (and often encourage) politicians to offer special privileges, corporations and special interest groups have all the motivation they need to lobby hard for them.

Many politicians and economic development officials see the ruse for what it is, but they feel trapped because every other city and state is also doing it. Politically, they can't risk letting their neighbors outcompete them.

Economists call this kind of problem a "prisoner's dilemma." Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom illustrated that mutual cooperation is the solution, but it requires clear lines of communication and credible commitments from all parties involved. An interstate compact that forbids the use of public funds to privilege any business or industry -- compelling policymakers to treat every company equally--offers one way out.

In the end, Newark may be better off without Amazon -- especially given the exorbitant subsidies offered -- even if the rejection stings. Sometimes missing the boat is the best thing that can happen to you.

Michael Farren is a research fellow and Anne Philpot is a research assistant with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

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