A hedgehog had to fill in for Essex Ed Tuesday. Watch video

WEST ORANGE -- Call in the understudy.

Essex Ed - the groundhog who makes an annual winter prediction every February 2 at the Turtle Back Zoo - couldn't do it this year. He was sleeping.

According to county officials, unusually warm December temperatures threw off Ed's usual hibernation pattern, and prompted him to remain in a deep sleep Tuesday morning. So, Otis the Hedgehog filled in.

And, he did double duty. Not only did Otis see his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter, but he also predicted an outcome for Super Bowl 50: Carolina Panthers over the Denver Broncos.

Ed wasn't the only New Jersey fur ball to force a change of Groundhog's Day plans Tuesday. Stonewall Jackson in Sussex County died the night before he was to make his big debut, causing the annual ceremony to be cancelled.

Time will tell whether or not the hedgehog has superior meteorological powers. Otis's weather prediction was opposite of Punxsutawney Phil's. The two animals, though similarly named, are different species.

See other Groundhog's Day predictions here.

Shawn Shaw says he didn't follow all security measures the night of the alleged incident, but has no explanation for why he is accused.

NEWARK -- The former Essex County corrections officer accused of raping an inmate while working an overnight shift in 2010 took the stand Tuesday in his own defense and firmly denied opening her cell door, much less sexually assaulting the woman.

Shawn Shaw testified for about 40 minutes Tuesday in federal court, saying he didn't know why the woman and her then-cellmate allege he made sexual advances toward her on the night of Dec. 27, 2010, in the county correctional facility. Only the woman claims direct knowledge of the alleged rape; her cellmate testified last week that she slept through that night. 

Shaw admitted during questioning by Thomas Eicher of the U.S. Attorney's office that he didn't log out of the control center's computer at the Essex County Correctional Facility when he took a break that night, which was marked by a heavy snowstorm and a minimal staff. 

Was Shaw "a little loose with the rules" that night, Eicher asked. 

"Yes," he said. 

Woman says she 'froze' during alleged rape at Essex County jail

That left open the opportunity for someone to have entered the woman's cell, he admitted, but Shaw said he saw no one enter the women's area or the control room except for when he was on break. He said he was not accusing other corrections officers on duty that night with assaulting the woman.

Control center records show the woman's cell door was open for about seven minutes starting at 2:43 a.m. Dec. 28, 2010.  

Asked by defense attorney Mary Fury, Shaw said he had worked on the women's unit a few times before Dec. 27, as opposed to the prosecution's contention that it was his first night overseeing women. 

Both sides did agree that some women flashed their breasts or buttocks at him when he began the shift. Prosecutors called the flashing a form of hazing. 

But Shaw said he did not view the action of those women -- including the accuser -- as an invitation to sex, nor did he view it as consent. 

Refuting each assertion by prosecutors, Shaw said he did not flash his flashlight into the woman's cell; did not make sexual remarks to her and did not try to contact her on the jail's intercom. 

Shaw, testifying calmly, said he served a 90-day suspension after being accused and worked at the correctional facility for 2 1/2 years thereafter. 

He said he did not know the woman before Dec. 27, nor has he seen her since then. 

"I do not know why she would pick me out," Shaw said.

Federal prosecutors charged Shaw with violating the woman's rights when he allegedly opened her cell door, held her down with one hand and raped her. The woman testified that she froze when she awoke to Shaw removing her sweatpants and underwear, and was unable to scream for help. 

Shaw faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty. 

Shaw was Fury's only witness for the defense. 

U.S. District Judge Esther Salas dismissed the jury after Shaw's testimony and will charge the jury Wednesday, when attorneys will give closing arguments. 

Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

SUV fled the scene of the crash, authorities said.

Caldwell police file photo. (Jessica Mazzola | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

CALDWELL -- Authorities are searching for a woman who they say hit a car wash employee with her SUV and then sped off.

Caldwell police announced Tuesday they are seeking the public's help in identifying the woman, who they say was driving a champagne-colored car on Jan. 30 at the Caldwell Car Wash on Bloomfield Ave. when she struck a female employee. The woman, who is described as older, with short brown hair, then fled the scene eastward on Bloomfield Ave., police said. The crash occurred at about 1:52 p.m., police said.

The woman had just one through the car wash before hitting the employee, police said.

The employee suffered injuries, but police said Tuesday they could not comment on the type or extent of the injuries. A call to the car wash was not immediately returned.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Caldwell Police Department at 973-226-2600.

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

Officials announced the arrest of an East Orange man in connection with the three weekend murders. Watch video

NEWARK -- Domestic violence was likely at the center of a string of city homicides that saw one man and two women killed over the weekend, authorities confirmed Tuesday.

In the midst of a bloody week in the state's largest city, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray announced that East Orange resident Jeffrey Holland was arrested and charged Monday with the deaths of Newark residents Ashley Jones and Taniqua Rouse.

Holland, 27, had prior romantic relationships with both female victims, confirmed Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter. Jones and Holland each had active restraining orders against each other, she added.

Holland has also been charged in the killing of Jones' boyfriend, Jarell Marshall, authorities said.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/01/public_safety_director_says_newark_officials_doing.html

Jones, 23, and Marshall, 28, were found shot to death inside a Clinton Place home Saturday, authorities have said. Three children under the age of five were found inside the home at the time.

According to officials, Holland had two children with Jones. Along with Marshall's own child, both children were found in the home where police discovered their parents' bodies Saturday.

Both Jones and Marshall suffered multiple gunshot wounds before dying, officials have said.

Rouse, 21, was found strangled to death on Friday prior to the killings of Jones and Marshall, officials confirmed.

A five-month-old baby identified as Rouse's son was later found inside a closet in the home, authorities said. The discovery led authorities to also charge Holland with endangering the welfare of a child, officials said.

Holland now faces three counts of first degree murder, Murray said. He is currently being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility on $2 million bail.

Mayor Ras Baraka thanked members of the county's homicide task force for their work in identifying and arresting a suspect in the killings.

"This person has made our streets unbearable," Baraka said. "We're thankful that he has been taken off the streets, and with community's help, we can keep him off the streets."

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

Eric Santiago, 26, of Belleville, and Jonathan Tejada, 23, and Edgardo Mendez, 25, both of Newark, are charged with murder in Robert Hayes's death

NEWARK -- Three men have been indicted on a murder charge in the beating death of a college student in Newark last summer.

Eric Santiago, 26, of Belleville, and Jonathan Tejada, 23, and Edgardo Mendez, 25, both of Newark, were indicted on Jan. 15 in connection with the July 9 killing of 20-year-old Newark resident Robert Hayes.

Santiago and Tejada remain in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500,000 and $250,000 bail amounts, respectively. Mendez was released on Nov. 11 after posting $250,000 bail.

The three men are scheduled to be arraigned on the murder charge on Monday before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler.

RELATED: Father of slain N.J. college student found naked, beaten: 'He made me a better man'

A student at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, Hayes was discovered naked, beaten and unresponsive by a passerby on the morning of July 9 near the intersection of Highland Avenue and Verona Avenue in Newark's North Ward.

Hayes was transported to University Hospital in Newark and pronounced dead later that day. Family members have said Hayes suffered a severe head trauma and was declared by doctors to be brain dead.

Authorities have not released details on the circumstances of the apparent beating or the motive behind it.

Jonathan Tejada, Eric Santiago and Edgardo Mendez, pictured left to right, have been charged with murder in the July 9 beating death of Robert Hayes in Newark.Essex County Correctional Facility 

Tejada was arrested in July and Mendez was arrested in September. Santiago remained at large until December, when he was captured in Florida.

Hayes's father, Robert Carpenter, has said his son was majoring in national security studies at New Jersey City University and was scheduled to graduate in 2016. Carpenter said Hayes had dreams of becoming a federal law enforcement agent.

While pursuing that goal, Hayes worked as a concierge at luxury apartment buildings in Bayonne and Jersey City.

Carpenter has said Hayes was "such a good kid he made me a better man."

Melissa Cahir, a resident of one of the apartment buildings where Hayes worked, previously remembered him as having an infectious smile and a kind demeanor.

"I just can't believe he's gone, and that it happened that way," Cahir said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Truck suspected to be involved found but police are still looking for driver

NEWARK -- Police are looking for the person who was driving a white truck that hit three children as they were crossing a street in the Ironbound Tuesday afternoon, the department said in a statement. 

 

Twin 12-year-old girls and a 9-year-old boy were crossing near Ferry and Lafayette streets* when they were hit around 3:15 p.m. in the middle of the street and after the light changed. The driver briefly stopped before leaving the scene, police said.

The children were treated for pain and cuts at University Hospital and later released to family.

A witness provided police with a license plate number of the truck believed to be involved and tracked it to an address in Elizabeth It was towed to Newark as part of the investigation. 

Authorities ask that anyone with information call the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers' tip line at 877-NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or 877-NWK-GUNS (877-696-4867). All crime stopper tips are kept confidential.

*CORRECTION - The area where the accident occurred was originally misidentified as the intersection of Ferry and Lafayette. 

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

How many financially struggling senior citizens live in your county? Watch video

They've had to go without heat to get medication, or without medication to get food.

The bottom line for New Jersey's senior citizens, advocates say, is this: many are just not getting by.

Elizabeth resident Mary Bedward, 66, is struggling on a limited income and $16 a month in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits since a back injury forced her to retire in 2004.

"Really, I didn't think about being older, or old (when I was younger)," she said. "I live alone and I know what it's like for others like me (who are) disabled and elderly."

'Can you live on $16 (a month)?' Photos show N.J.'s struggling senior citizens

"They're going without, because of their inability to make ends meet," said the NJ Foundation for Aging's Deputy Director Melissa Chalker. "(There are) women who are widowed and living alone and receive somewhere in the range of $800 to $900 a month on Social Security as often their only income."

Of all N.J.'s counties, based on the foundation's most recent county-by-county analysis, Hudson County has it the worst. About 62.9 percent of Hudson County seniors, who live alone or in two-person households, have incomes that are below the cost of baseline comfortable living. 

The other counties' percentages are listed in the gallery above.

According to NJ Foundation for Aging Director Grace Egan, the foundation has issued three senior reports, in 2009, 2012, 2014.

The "elder index," which the reports analyze (see box below), is a cost of living analysis of food, healthcare, transportation and miscellaneous needs.

Based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau's population estimates, nearly 15 percent of New Jersey residents (1.292 million people) are 65 years or older.

Of those seniors, about 586,975 either live alone or in a two-person household, according to the foundation. Though many are technically living above the federal poverty line, the foundation says many are not taking in enough money through Social Security to support their basic needs.

The number of these struggling seniors in New Jersey "has increased slightly," in the past few years, Egan said.

"I think that we will see it increase a little sharper," she said.

It's also important to take into account that the reports don't look at multigenerational households: "people living with their children, their nieces and nephews, because they can't afford to live alone," Egan said.

In Hudson County, for example, the foundation estimates living costs at at least $28,836 for a senior renting a one-bedroom apartment. The federal poverty level, in contrast, comes to $11,670 for a single elder person, the report notes. 

Nearly 1M people live in poverty in N.J., new Census data shows

Some struggling independent-living seniors are helped by food and nutritional support through community partners, or they receive support from adult children, Chalker said.

Yet, with the economic crisis, there are also stories of "adult children moving home," she said.

The NJ Foundation for Aging has used its reports to advocate for policy changes for seniors, but it won't be in charge of the elder index report from now on.

This past spring, the state decided to take over the elder index report, because "legislators thought it was significant," Egan said.

"The state and counties and other providers have been using the data but were not required to use it (before)," Egan said. "This transfer enables the state to develop and use the data going forward. This is a very positive outcome."

A law was passed in spring 2015 that requires the Department of Human Services to update and use the NJ Elder Index in making funding recommendations to the governor and legislature, establishing public benefit income eligibility, and designing public outreach programs.

The next senior report likely will be completed in late fall 2016, said Nicole Brossoie, the department's assistant commissioner of public affairs.

"Data collected helps the counties to plan budgets associated with transportation, senior luncheon programs, Meals on Wheels and other senior services," Brossoie said.

While there are many ways to increase senior security through policy, more affordable housing is particularly crucial, but is also "the toughest public benefit to get in New Jersey," Egan added.

There are several reasons for Hudson County's high percentage of elders below the index, Chalker said.

"It's an expensive, mostly urban area and they have a high minority population," she said. "The data shows that minorities are more likely to be below the index. We can attribute this the income/job inequality, meaning lower wage jobs, less payment into social security, etc."

A Hudson County spokesman has not yet responded to inquiries about senior care.

Hudson County has nearly 17 percent of people living below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census, and the median income is $58,442.

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

No one was injured in the fire Watch video

FAIRFIELD - A transformer fire spread to a row of vehicles at a Route 46 auto auction Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Fairfield Police Chief Anthony Manna said officers and firefighters arrived at Skyline Auto Auction around 7:47 a.m. to find that wires from the transformer had fallen on to several vehicles.

Due to the live wires, firefighters were forced to watch as various other cars were engulfed in flames as they waited for PSE&G to shut down power to the business.

Missing: Poodle escaped from animal hospital in Fairfield

The blaze was finally extinguished by around 9 a.m., but not before about 20 vehicles had been damaged "to varying degrees", according to Manna.

No one was injured, and traffic on Route 46 was slightly delayed due to the loss of power at a traffic signal on the corner of Clinton Road.

The incident marks the second time in four months that vehicles have been damaged by fire at the auto auction, which houses thousands of cars. Manna said the earlier blaze had been ruled accidental.

Quran Goodman, 35, formerly of Newark, is serving a 30-year prison sentence for the 2004 fatal shooting of Rashon Bryant, 24, of Newark

Quran GoodmanNew Jersey Department of Corrections 

NEWARK -- A state appeals court on Wednesday upheld the murder conviction of a Crip gang member for the 2004 fatal shooting of a rival Blood gang member who had been the killer's childhood friend.

The appellate panel rejected the arguments made by Quran Goodman, 35, formerly of Newark, that he received ineffective legal assistance from his trial attorney in regard to the testimony of an expert witness who testified for the state about gangs.

Goodman - who also has been known by the street name "Killa Blak" - was convicted at his 2006 trial of murder and weapons offenses in connection with the July 4, 2004 killing of Rashon Bryant, 24, of Newark.

Goodman was sentenced in February 2007 to 30 years in state prison and he will not be eligible for parole until November 2034.

Authorities have said the shooting occurred about 11 p.m. when Goodman, then 24, approached Bryant at the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Hopkins Place in Irvington. Bryant had been selling drugs at that location about ten minutes beforehand, authorities said.

That intersection was considered Crip territory, court documents state. The two men had been childhood friends, but at the time of the shooting, Goodman was a member of the Crip gang and Bryant was affiliated with the rival Blood gang, authorities said.

Goodman walked up to Bryant and shot him eight times in the chest, back and sides of his body., authorities said.

RELATED: N.J. appeals court upholds murder conviction of Crips gang member who killed rival in Irvington

During Goodman's trial, Lt. Earl Graves, supervisor of the Essex County Federal Gang Partnership for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, testified for the state as an expert in gangs, according to the appellate decision.

Goodman's attorney did not object to Graves's qualifications as an expert, the decision states. When Graves later referred to the Crips and the Bloods as "arch rivals," the attorney initially objected that the phrase was outside the scope of Graves's expert report, but he later withdrew the objection, the decision states.

In his appeal, Goodman cited both actions by his attorney to claim he poorly represented him - but the appellate panel dismissed those arguments and affirmed a 2014 ruling by a Superior Court judge to deny Goodman's petition for post-conviction relief.

As for the attorney not objecting to Graves's qualifications, the panel said "the witness clearly was qualified to testify as an expert as to his knowledge of gangs and their culture," the decision states.

"Graves had worked in the Prosecutor's office for thirteen years. As the supervisor of the gang unit, he had worked on gang investigations. He had previously been qualified as an expert in court and given testimony," the decision states. "Graves had both training and knowledge as to gang culture and behavior, hence any objection would have been futile."

In regard to the attorney withdrawing his objection to the "arch rivals" claim, the appeals court said the attorney withdrew the objection after obtaining a satisfactory explanation from Graves about how he intended to use the term.

"Goodman provides no support for his claim that this conduct was deficient nor that he suffered prejudice from this testimony," the decision states.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Marley Dias now has $10,000 to buy more books featuring girls of color

Last week, Marley Dias was well on her way to her goal of collecting 1,000 books that feature black girls as the main characters.

The West Orange 11-year-old behind the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign says she was tired of having to read books about "white boys and their dogs" for school.

"When you see a character you can connect with, if they learn a specific lesson, you're more likely to apply that to your life," Dias told NJ Advance Media on Jan. 29. 

In the last few weeks, Dias has seen her hashtagged quest for book donations drum up a wealth of support on social media, resulting in contributions from individual readers as well as authors and a publisher. She drew national attention for her effort, but now, Dias has more than surpassed her goal, thanks to an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." 

In an episode airing on Wednesday, DeGeneres presents Dias with a laptop -- she's an avid writer and dreams of being a magazine editor -- and a $10,000 check from Shutterfly to buy more books. 

Marley Dias, 11, started a book drive that proved to be a social media success. After an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, she has $10,000 to buy even more books. (The Ellen DeGeneres Show)
 

"I have a feeling you're going to accomplish whatever you wanna do because you're really smart and I think you'll be a great boss," DeGeneres tells Dias. 

Marley plans to donate the first 1,000 books to Retreat Primary and Junior School and library in Jamaica's St. Mary parish, where her mother, Janice Johnson Dias, grew up. The sixth grader will donate extra books to West Orange's St. Cloud Elementary School.

"I think Marley is a catalyst for articulating something that many people did not have the words for," Johnson Dias says. "She's certainly been an inspiration for me." 

Those who wish to donate books to Marley's drive can send them to 59 Main St., Suite 323, West Orange, N.J., 07052. Monetary donations can also be made via Marley's BAM website at welovebam.com/1000-black-girl-books.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.

Officers found the items after receiving an anonymous tip about drug sales at the South Ward property

Newark police seized three loaded guns as well as cocaine and heroin from a vacant Newark home Tuesday night. (Star-Ledger file photo)

NEWARK — City police confiscated three handguns and drugs that were being stashed in an abandoned South Ward home Tuesday night.

According to Det. Hubert Henderson, officers visited the house on the 300 block of West Runyon Street after receiving an anonymous tip that it was serving as a hub for drug sales and guns were hidden nearby.

They arrived at around 9 p.m., and quickly located a loaded gun across the street, as well as two other guns, cocaine and heroin hidden in a hallway inside the home.

Nahelle Perry, 22, was also caught on the property, and was arrested after being found to be carrying drugs, Henderson said.

MORE: Essex County News

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and additional charges may still be filed against Perry or other suspects, he added.

Anyone with additional information on this or any other crimes is asked to contact the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or (877) NWK-GUNS (877-696-4867).

Andre Johnson, 24, of Newark, had pleaded guilty in exchange for a recommended 15-year state prison sentence

Andre JohnsonEssex County Correctional Facility

NEWARK -- A Newark man is looking to withdraw his guilty plea to charges of shooting a woman in the face and then attacking her mother during back-to-back incidents in 2014.

When Andre Johnson appeared in court on Friday for his sentencing, his attorney, Laura Bilotta, said Johnson had filed a motion to withdraw the guilty plea, according to an audio recording of the hearing.

Bilotta told Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin that Johnson wants to retract the plea, because he claims he was "uninformed about the strength of the state's case and the amount of time he would be getting."

But in order for the judge to receive a more "comprehensive reasoning," Bilotta said Johnson would need to be appointed a new attorney to represent him for the motion, because it would be a conflict for her to continue as his counsel. Bilotta was representing Johnson when he pleaded guilty and beforehand.

Johnson is expected to return to court with his new attorney on Feb. 26.

Johnson, 24, pleaded guilty on Nov. 30 to attempted murder, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of handgun.

Under a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend a 15-year state prison sentence for Johnson, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Johnson would have to serve nearly 13 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Frantzou Simon is handling the case.

The attacks occurred on Nov. 11, 2014 on Hawthorne Avenue in Newark, Carter said.

Johnson and the woman, who were acquaintances, were outside talking on Hawthorne Avenue near her mother's home when Johnson allegedly pulled a gun on the woman, Carter said.

Johnson allegedly took the woman to a vacant house, where he robbed her of $350 in cash, her house keys and a cell phone, Carter said. Johnson is then accused of placing a pillow over the woman's head and firing a .22-caliber handgun into her face, according to Carter.

As the woman pretended to be dead, Johnson allegedly went to her mother's house on Hawthorne Avenue, Carter said. Johnson is accused of demanding money from the mother before attacking her, Carter said.

According to Carter, Johnson strangled the mother with a chokehold and used a pillow to try to stop her from breathing, but she was able to break loose and call police. Both women survived their injuries.

Johnson remains in custody in the Essex County Correctional Facility.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Blue Acres is a program that buys up flood-prone areas and converts it into open space. Watch video

The Blue Acres program is designed to help communities vulnerable to flooding but, according to some, there is concern that the program could hasten the demise of a coastal community.

Under the Blue Acres program, state and federal funds are used to buy up flood-prone areas and converts it to open space. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protect (DEP) recently announced an expansion of the program into Downe Township in Cumberland County and Rahway in Union County.

"The base of our main source of revenue are the beaches, so every time they attack the beaches it's kind of a nail in our coffin," said Mayor Bob Campbell of Downe Township. "We're not going to be able to sustain ourselves if they keep it up."

Blue Acres has shown interest in the Money Island section of Downe Township and, if the buyouts are successful, Campbell anticipates the township losing $9 million in ratables.

Downe Township lost 10 percent of its ratable base after Superstorm Sandy and, if the buyouts go through, another 6 percent of its ratable base will be swept away.

Across New Jersey

An offshoot of DEP's Green Acres program, the Blue Acres Buyout Program was unveiled in 2012 after Superstorm Sandy flooded much of New Jersey and did $29 billion in damage.

Since its inception in 2012, Blue Acres has purchased 543 properties in seven counties and in 12 municipalities that were affected by Superstorm Sandy, according to a DEP announcement about the recent expansion of the program.

According to Larry Hajna, spokesman for the DEP, the department holds meetings in communities it is interested in and share information about the program with residents.

Entering the program is entirely voluntary, he added.

"With the Blue Acres program, we only go where we are wanted," Hajna said.

Approximately $284 million has been used in federal disaster recovery funds for the program -- with $169 million coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, $100 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant for disaster recovery and $15 million form the Blue Acres and State Land Acquisition fund.

"The Blue Acres Buyout Program is committed to fulfilling the (Gov. Chris Christie) Administration's goal of moving residents in flood-prone communities to safer ground so those families can enjoy their homes and live without fear of additional flooding and damages," said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin in a press release about Blue Acres. "Keeping families safe is just one part of our multi-pronged approach to make New Jersey more flood resilient."

Delaware Bayshore

On the Delaware Bayshore, next to Downe Township, Lawrence Township has already gone through the Blue Acres process and, according to Committeeman Erwin Sheppard, the ratable base has now gone down by approximately $2 million.

Lawrence Township Committee chose not to stand in the way of its residents when they contemplated whether to take a buyout from Blue Acres or not.

According to DEP, Blue Acres has spent $1.6 million since September 2014.

In total, 43 buyout offers were extended to Lawrence Township residents -- with 30 residents accepting the offer and buyouts being completed on 14 properties.

"We still have to raise the same total money on a lesser tax base," Sheppard said.

Open space

Blue Acres converts land into protected space but, according to Cumberland County Freeholder Director Joseph Derella, 41 percent of the county is already protected land that cannot be used for development.

Downe Township is 54 square miles and has a population of 1,500 people. If the buyouts are successful, it would leave the municipality with 85 percent of its land undevelopable, according to its mayor.

Residents are not only motivated by escaping flood zones, Campbell explained, but are also escaping state regulation and fears that they may be kicked off their land even without a buyout.

"The people that are considering taking the buyouts are taxpayers, they're my constituents and they're my friends," Campbell said. "I understand their frustration and their fear. They are scared not to take the deal. I don't blame them. I'm not mad at them."

According to Hajna, however, the residents who have accepted buy outs have largely had a sigh of relief afterward because it helps give them an option other than being tied to a home that they might not be able to afford to keep, repair or rebuild.

"It really comes down to what is best for the community and we wouldn't have made this announcement unless we thought that we had the proper community support," Hajna said.

Blue Acres has extended to Sayreville Borough, South River Borough, Woodbridge Borough, East Brunswick Township and Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County; Manville Borough in Somerset County; Linden and Rahway in Union County; Lawrence Township and Downe Township in Cumberland County; Pompton Lakes Borough in Passaic County; Newark City in Essex County and New Milford in Bergen County.

Wendell Pierce,one of the stars of HBO's "The Wire" and New Orleans native who wrote a narrative of his city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, will be this year's commencement speaker at Rutgers-Newark.

NEWARK--Actor Wendell Pierce played Det. Bunk Moreland in HBO's "The Wire," trombonist Antoine Batiste in "Treme," and now appears on the CBS sitcom "The Odd Couple."

But his next starring role will be at Rutgers University in Newark.

The 52-year-old New Orleans native was named Tuesday as this year's commencement speaker for Rutgers-Newark, when he will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree.

Rutgers wil also honor human rights activist Radhika Coomaraswamy, who will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

The university's Board of Governors said Pierce "represents some of the most cherished aspirations we hold for our students at Rutgers University-Newark."

The radio host for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Pierce--who had to learn the trombone for his role in "Treme"--is also the author of "The Wind in the Reeds," a memoir of his family and his city after Hurricane Katrina.

"Wendell Pierce was nominated because of his accomplishments in his acting field and also for his philanthropic contributions," said student Ray Gnagey, editor of the campus newspaper who served on the Honorary Degrees committee.

Pierce grew up in Pontchartrain Park, an all-black suburb of New Orleans, and became active in the rebuilding efforts after the hurricane devastated his parent's home and neighborhood. Writing in the context of his performance in "Waiting for Godot," he wrote in the book that New Oreanians had lived through the same feeling of abandonment told in the Beckett play.

"We knew what it was like to struggle for a lifetime of hope in the midst of a maelstrom of despair," he said.

Last year, Rutgers-Newark offered a lecture course on "The Wire," using the 60-episode series about life on the streets of Baltimore to discuss masculinity, ethics, sexuality, race, class, and gender.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

City officials have announced the initial steps in the city's new plan to reduce violent crime, including a request for aid from the New Jersey State Police.

NEWARK -- As the city's longstanding fight against violent crime continues, officials are again seeking aid from the New Jersey State Police, authorities announced Wednesday.

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said he's requested a compliment of state police uniformed officers and investigators, who if the request is granted would spend a six-month stint working directly in Newark's toughest neighborhoods.

The exact number of state police officers who could potentially be reassigned to Newark is unclear, Ambrose said.

In 2014, New Jersey State Troopers patrolled Newark as part an initiative designed to help local cities break waves of street violence.

The request is just one of several initial steps being taken as part of the city's new plan to reduce violent crime.

The nine-point plan, which Ambrose said he began developing shortly after being installed as public safety director in December, was rolled out Wednesday morning. The plan focuses on the department's enforcement and investigative operations, both of which are lacking, Ambrose said. 

Twenty police detectives have been reassigned to the department's major crimes unit to enhance investigations of reported shootings, which last year increased by over 10 percent.

The move comes on the heels of another wave of violence in Newark, as seven people were killed in the span of seven days.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/02/director_to_introduce_new_45-day_public_safety_pla.html

Twenty-nine officers have already been reassigned to units working directly in the central, south and west wards, where Ambrose said the majority of the city's violent crime occurs.

The plan also calls for reviews of the department's internal affairs and communications units, and additional officer reassignments.

Ambrose said he's also received approval to hire 150 new police officers over the course of the next 18 months.

By putting additional officers onto the streets, Ambrose said he believes the department will be better able to "control crime so that people feel safer."

"It's not going to happen immediately," he said. "[Crime reduction] it's going to take time. We ask the public to be our partners."

While the plan stops short of offering specific goals for crime reduction, Ambrose said simply having more officers on the street could stem the violence.

Mayor Ras Baraka, who also appeared at the press conference, said the administration has set crime reduction goals, but declined to provide details. "We don't want to make expectations that are unrealistic," he said. 

Whatever the goals may be, Baraka said the police department will not realize them without the public's help.

"If i could just get people in the city to be as irritated about homicide as they were about the snow," he said. "I want us to turn that energy into reporting some of these criminals that are making our communities unbearable."

To that end, Baraka touted the various community engagement initiatives included in the plan, which appears to have support from the department's rank and file officers.

"The mayor is right about this not just being a police issue," said Newark Fraternal Order of Police President James Stewart. "We need to work with the community to get the answers we need. We're on the right path."

Following the announcement, Ari Rosmarin, NJ-ACLU Public Policy Director, raised tempered concerns about the new surge in enforcement.

"Along with that surge, we're going to have to see a surge in accountability as well," he said. "We need to make sure that the police department as it moves aggressively and cracks down on violence keeps residents safe also protects their rights."

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

Felipe Amaral, 25, of Newark, was indicted on murder and related charges in the killing of Dario Rodrigues

NEWARK -- A Newark man has been indicted on charges of stabbing a 64-year-old city resident to death last summer.

Felipe Amaral, 25, was indicted on Friday on murder and related charges in connection with the July 3 slaying of Dario Rodrigues. He remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $800,000 bail.

In addition to murder, Amaral was indicted on charges of felony murder, burglary, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Feb. 29 before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler.

The killing occurred in Rodrigues's third-floor apartment in a home on Somme Street in Newark, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Amaral knew Rodrigues and had previously lived with him, Carter said. A motive has not been identified, Carter said.

At an Aug. 11 hearing, Wigler approved the state's request to collect a DNA sample from Amaral. At the time, the judge cited a 2013 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court as the basis for his decision.

Under that ruling, the taking of a DNA sample is considered a routine booking procedure - similar to taking fingerprints and a booking photo - when a suspect is arrested for a serious offense based on probable cause, according to Wigler.

Amaral's attorney, Brian Neary, called on the judge to question prosecutors about what specific evidence they have to test the DNA sample against.

"There's got to be a nexus between...the buccal swab and a piece of evidence," Neary told Wigler.

But Wigler said case law does not require prosecutors to present such a connection, and reiterated that taking a DNA sample is considered a "routine booking procedure" as long as there was an arrest for a serious offense that was based on probable cause.

"I don't see that the law requires there to be that nexus," Wigler said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Check out the highest-performing schools and districts in Essex County, by grade. Plus, look up any school or district in the state with our tool. Watch video

ESSEX COUNTY -- Here are the top schools and districts in grades 3 though 11 for math and language arts categories in Essex County for the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) exams.  

The PARCC test results placed students in five categories. These rankings reflect the schools or districts in each category that had the highest percent of students in Level 5, defined as "Exceeding Expectations."

Language Arts scores run straight through grades 3-11. Math runs through grades 3-7 and then largely shifts to subject areas.

To look up any public schools or district in New Jersey, use the tool at the bottom of this post. And please note, the tool takes time to load. Once it's ready, you'll see a list of districts and school names begin to appear: 

ESSEX COUNTY MATH

Third grade, school: Livingston, Mount Pleasant Elementary School, 36.1%
Third grade, district: Millburn Twp., 27.4%

Fourth grade, school: Millburn, Glenwood School, 24.3%
Fourth grade, district: Millburn Twp., 17.3%

Fifth grade, school: Glen Ridge Borough, Ridgewood Avenue School, 25.3%
Fifth grade, district: Glen Ridge Borough, 25.3%

Sixth grade, school: Essex Fells Elementary School, 33.3%
Sixth grade, district: Essex Fells Borough, 33.3%

Seventh grade, school: Newark, Science Park High School, 19.2%
Seventh grade, district: Millburn Twp., 16.3%

Geometry, school: Livingston, Heritage Middle School, 58.5%
Geometry, district: Livingston, 22%

Algebra I, school: Bloomfield Middle School, 19.8%
Algebra I, district: Livingston Twp., 10.7%

Algebra II, school: Montclair High School, 12.9%
Algebra II, district: Montclair, 12.9%

ESSEX COUNTY LANGUAGE ARTS

Third grade, school: Livingston, Riker Hill Elementary School, 28.3%
Third grade, district: Millburn, 22%

Fourth grade, school: Millburn, Glenwood School, 58.3%
Fourth grade, district: Livingston, 35.7%

Fifth grade, school: Livingston, Collins Elementary School, 36.2%
Fifth grade, district: Essex Fells Borough, 33.3%

Sixth grade, school: Essex Fells Elementary School, 56.4%
Sixth grade, district: Essex Fells, 56.4%

Seventh grade, school: Newark, Science Park High School, 50%
Seventh grade, district: Millburn, 42.9%

Eighth grade, school: Glen Ridge High School, 30.1%
Eighth grade, district: Glen Ridge Borough, 29.6%

Ninth grade, school: Millburn High School, 34.2%
Ninth grade, district: Millburn Twp., 34.2%

Tenth grade, school: Glen Ridge High School, 33.1%
Tenth grade, district: Glen Ridge Borough, 33.1%

Eleventh grade, school: Cedar Grove High School, 26.8%
Eleventh grade, district: Cedar Grove Twp., 26.8%

The death of a 21-year-old Florham Park man brings the city's 2016 homicide count to 14.

(file photo) 

NEWARK -- Authorities have identified the man killed in a fatal afternoon shooting near Isabella Avenue and South Orange Avenue Tuesday as a 21-year-old Florham Park man.

Smith was was transported to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:53 p.m., Carter said

At this time no motive has been determined, no suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made, Carter said.

An investigation into the killing by the county's Homicide Task Force is ongoing.

Smith's death marks the ninth homicide in Newark in the past seven days. The string of shooting deaths began last Wednesday with the killing of Karod Tucker, who died after suffering multiple gunshot wounds in a shooting in the 900 block of Franklin Avenue near Stephen Crane Village, officials said.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/02/domestic_violence_at_heart_of_3_brutal_newark_murd.html

Several other homicides followed, including three authorities now say were committed by the same suspect.

Jeffrey Holland, 27, of East Orange was arrested and charged Monday with the killing of Ashley Jones and Tiniquah Rouse, two women authorities said he had a prior romantic relationship with.

Holland has also been charged in connection to the fatal shooting of Jones' boyfriend, Jarell Marshall.

The city's 2016 homicide count now stands at 14.

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

More than 20K of 'other people's money' has been counted so far

You down with giving Naughty By Nature money for its new EP?

The hip-hop group, which first came together in East Orange in the 1980s, has launched a Kickstarter campaign with the hope that fans can generate $100,000 by Feb. 28 to fund an album. The project would celebrate the 25th anniversary of Naughty's first release.  

With 193 backers so far and 25 days to go, Anthony "Treach" Criss, Vincent "Vin Rock" Brown and Keir "DJ Kay Gee" Gist have raised $21,841.

"Because there's no record label involved, we use technology," Brown, 45, tells NJ Advance Media. "Instead of people going to Best Buy or Amazon or what have you, they can deal directly with us." 

One celebrity fan, Naughty's fellow Jerseyan Wendy Williams, gave $5,000 to the campaign via her talk show, in part so that her producer can appear in a Naughty By Nature music video. 

"To me it's fun and it's more engaging," Brown says of the Kickstarter campaign, which the group launched on Jan. 28.

In 2015, another '90s favorite, TLC, wrapped a successful Kickstarter campaign -- to the tune of $430,255 -- for what the group says will be its final album. 

Naughty says the $100,000 will help cover costs of marketing and promoting the album, which Brown adds would likely arrive by October.

There are various incentives to pledge a chunk of money, with the top prize -- a personal Naughty By Nature concert -- worth $10,000. For a contribution of $8,500, Kay Gee will give a devoted fan his vintage MPC (MIDI production center), the same piece of equipment the group used to produce its first album. For $7,500, a contributor can spend a day in the recording studio with the group and be heard in a skit on the album. For $3,000 each, two fans can get tattoos with the heavily inked Treach.

In 2011, Naughty By Nature released an album called "Anthem, Inc." to mark the 20th anniversary of the group's 1991 self-titled debut. The first album produced the hit song "O.P.P.," which reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both that song and "Hip Hop Hooray," from Naughty's 1993 album, "19 Naughty III," were nominated for Grammys. In 1996, the group became the first recipient of the Grammy for best rap album for "Poverty's Paradise," released in 1995. "Feel Me Flow," a single from that album, was also nominated for an award.  

Naughty's latest music video, released in January, features Queen Latifah, a fellow East Orange local who acted as a mentor to the group in the 1980s. 

Luisa Olavarria Pleger's wake was held Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2016, in Nutley. Pleger's husband is charged with murder in her death.

NUTLEY - Dozens of mourners braved driving rain Wednesday evening for a service to remember Luisa Olavarria Pleger, the North Arlington woman beaten to death in a brutal attack last week.

"You were a sweet and friendly woman who smiled each day," co-worker Nermeen Hanna-Avegno posted in an online remembrance. "You were such a positive presence in our midst. That is how you will be remembered and missed."

Luisa's husband, Eric Pleger, has been charged with his wife's murder and possession of a weapon. He has pled not guilty and is being held in the Bergen County Jail on $2 million bail.

Authorities say Pleger, 45, beat his wife in the head with a hammer and stayed with the body for about a day until police - called to the Riverview Gardens apartment complex on a welfare check - found him there about noon on Friday, Jan. 29.

Luisa Pleger worked since 2009 in the Information Technology Department at Rutgers University in Newark and was a dedicated and well-liked employee, said Chancellor Nancy Cantor.

"It is a profound shock to us all to lose a member of our community, but especially in light of the implication of violence in her death," Cantor said in an email on Saturday.

Among the mourners at S.W. Brown & Son Funeral home in Nutley were several co-workers carrying Rutgers umbrellas and about a half-dozen uniformed police officers.

As loud sobs were heard coming from a chapel inside the funeral home, a man stepped outside, identified himself as a family member and quietly asked a reporter to leave.

In addition to her parents, Georgina and Nelson Hernandez, Luisa is survived by her brother Nelson Hernandez and his wife, Brenda; Raquel Longaray and her husband, Jason.

A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Columba Church, 25 Thomas St. in Newark.

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