We're collecting the best love stories to share for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day is coming up, so love is in the air. We were wondering if you had a great love story to share ... a great New Jersey love story. Here's one NJ.com user Pat emailed us just the other day.

I was sitting in my new '76 Firebird at a red light, he was in his new pickup truck in front of me. He couldn't see me in his mirrors, and he backed up and hit me. He cracked my front grill and scratched the front bumper. We exchanged information, he said he'd pay for damages. I drove home and told my mom I had just met the man I was going to marry. That was 39 yrs. ago this Feb. 17. We got engaged that October and were married in 1978.

Whether you first locked eyes on a crowded North Jersey Coast Line train, had your first date in the Pine Barrens or proposed at Medieval Times, we want to hear about it. Use the form below to tell us your New Jersey love story. We'll collect our favorites and share them on NJ.com shortly before Valentine's Day.

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.

See how your school compares.

ESSEX COUNTY -- Graduation rates in Essex County vary greatly, with one school in Newark reporting rates as low as 18 percent, and one district graduating virtually all of its enrolled students.

The graduation rate data in Essex County reflects a statewide trend of great variation across districts. Throughout all of New Jersey, 89.7 percent of high school students graduate within four years of beginning high school, a slight increase over past rates. A majority of schools in Essex County reported increases in graduation rates, as well.

Verona schools reported the highest graduation rate, at 100 percent. District-wide, the lowest rates were reported in East Orange and Newark, which had 66.33 and 69.59 percent of students graduate, respectively.

One school in Newark, the Newark Leadership Academy, which targets students ages 16 to 20 who are two years or more behind in their coursework, reported an 18.75 percent graduation rate. Last year, Newark schools released a report praising its overall increasing graduation rate.

See how your school's graduation rates compare in the chart below.

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

At a hearing Thursday, the prosecutor and defense attorney sparred over whether to adjourn Haniyyah Barnes's sentencing, because the dog's owner was not available Watch video

NEWARK -- A Superior Court judge on Thursday postponed the sentencing of a Newark woman who has been convicted of animal cruelty and two other offenses for killing her neighbor's dog by throwing it into oncoming traffic during a 2011 parking dispute.

During Thursday's hearing, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller requested the adjournment of Haniyyah Barnes's sentencing, because she said the dog's owner, Nazirah Bey, was unable to attend the sentencing for the second time in recent weeks.

Miller said she spoke with Bey on Wednesday afternoon, and Bey, who is pregnant, was in the hospital. Miller said she has been unable to get in touch with Bey since then, and she assumed Bey was still in the hospital on Thursday morning.

The sentencing was last scheduled for Jan. 26, but it was postponed, because Miller said Bey's Newark street had not been plowed following last month's record-breaking snowstorm and Bey could not get to the courthouse.

But Barnes's attorney, Michelle Treiber, said during Thursday's hearing that she opposed Miller's request and said the sentencing should proceed. 

Treiber argued Barnes has been in custody without bail since her conviction in October. If Barnes receives a state prison sentence, Treiber said the delays in her sentencing mean she is not earning certain credits she would receive in prison to go toward a release on parole.

"I have a client whose rights I need to protect, who's sitting there without bail waiting to be sentenced," Treiber said. "She is entitled to some finality."

But Miller countered that Bey has a right to address the court during Barnes's sentencing, and said "the victim and the state don't want this to be delayed any further than it has been."

"Especially post-conviction, she has a right to explain to the court how this incident's impacted her," Miller said, referring to Bey.

Judge Richard Sules granted the state's request and adjourned the sentencing to Feb. 24, but he stressed that the sentencing would go forward that day whether or not Bey makes an appearance.

The judge said "this case needs to have some kind of closure for all parties involved."

Barnes, 29, was convicted by a jury on Oct. 13 of animal cruelty, theft and criminal mischief. Following her conviction, Barnes's bail was revoked and she was remanded to the Essex County Correctional Facility.

Jurors could not reach a verdict on a burglary charge against Barnes, and she is expected to face a second trial on that charge.

Barnes was originally scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4, but the sentencing was postponed that day and three additional times before Jan. 26, court records show. During Thursday's hearing, Treiber indicated the delays involved plea negotiations over the burglary charge.

Barnes had pleaded guilty in April 2014 to burglary, animal cruelty and theft charges. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors had agreed to recommend a six-year prison sentence. But Sules allowed Barnes to withdraw her guilty plea in February 2015.

For her conviction on the three third-degree charges, Barnes is likely facing a maximum prison sentence of five years in total. The second-degree burglary charge has represented the most serious offense in the case.

The series of events leading to the dog's death began with an arrangement between Bey and Barnes, in which Bey allowed Barnes's mother to park in her driveway. Bey and Barnes lived two doors down from one another on Fabyan Place in Newark.

On Aug. 26, 2011, prosecutors have alleged Barnes became angry and ultimately kicked in Bey's front door, because Bey's car was blocking the mother's car, which was parked in the driveway.

When Bey's two-year-old Shih Tzu, named Honey Bey, began barking, Barnes grabbed the dog by the throat, went back outside and threw her into oncoming traffic, where she was struck by a vehicle and killed, prosecutors said.

A Newark police officer was sitting in a patrol vehicle nearby and witnessed Barnes throw the dog into the street, prosecutors said.

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

Authorities say they are investigating the incident.

Authorities say they are investigating the incident. (File photo)
 

NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating allegations that Newark police officers roughed up a 14-year-old resident, dislocating his shoulder, officials have confirmed.

The incident began on Tuesday, when the alleged victim, whose name is being withheld by NJ Advance Media, was approached by three police department vehicles after exiting a bodega near 14th Street and 14th Avenue, confirmed Newark Police Department spokesman Capt. Derek Glenn. 

The alleged victim was later approached by several on-duty Newark police officers. The victim now claims that police officers attempted to detain him and dislocated his shoulder at some point during the incident, Glenn said.

An investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office into the allegations is underway, Glenn said.

Additional details of the incident were not immediately made available. Attempts to reach the alleged victim were not immediately successful.

Asked for comment, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said that if the allegations are true, the officers acted "dishonorably" and will be "disciplined" appropriately. 

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

NASA is set to bring Scott Kelly home on March 3, ending his record-breaking mission is space, which has brought us closer to putting a man on Mars. Watch video

In less than a month, New Jersey's record-setting space explorer will return home after completing his record-breaking mission at the International Space Station -- a year-long undertaking that is a "stepping stone" to putting a man on Mars. 

U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly of New Jersey inside the International Space Station. EPA/NASA 

Scott Kelly, the NASA astronaut born in West Orange, has lived in orbit around the Earth since last March as part of a historic scientific undertaking to understand the effects zero-gravity has on a human over an extended period of time.

"I think a lot of people think that because we give the appearance that this is easy. ... I don't think people have an appreciation for the work that it takes to pull these missions off," Kelly said in a Reddit AMA in response to question about the public's misconception about space travel. 

NASA is set to bring him home on March 3. 

But why was Kelly chosen for the year-long mission 250 miles about the Earth's surface at the ISS?

Besides having nearly 20 years of experience in space travel, Kelly is an identical twin -- allowing testing at a genetic level.

Although NASA has studied for years how weightlessness affects humans, scientists say being able to conduct genetic studies on Kelly and his brother Mark Kelly, who is a former NASA astronaut, will further explain a number of subtle effects and changes while living in space -- an experience that Kelly says it "feels like there is no pressure at all on your body.

"It's almost like you are in a bed rest," he said. "There is no pressure or pain. I do stretch before I exercise because my muscles aren't stretched out, they are somewhat dormant."

Scientists will specifically look for any degeneration or evolution in his body, including changes in organs and immune system as well as bone and muscle loss,   through a series of blood and physical tests. 

Before blasting off on March 27, 2015, Scott Kelly even joked in a interview that when he returns, he will actually be taller than Mark, albeit a minuscule amount from the lack of gravity. 

Although Kelly's height increase may be insignificant to most, the scientific breakthroughs achieved on the ISS over the last year have been substantial steps forward for space exploration -- specifically, the advancements in agriculture. 

"The farther and longer humans go away from Earth, the greater the need to be able to grow plants for food, atmosphere recycling and psychological benefits," said Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA's science team lead for vegetable experiments on the ISS. 

 

In January, Kelly shared with the world the first flower to ever bloom in zero-gravity. And a few months prior, the astronauts harvested the first crop of edible plants -- lettuce -- ever grown off the Earth's surface. 

The milestones in space farming is a crucial step in planning a deep space mission, according to scientists, which would provide a food sources for the astronauts on an expedition to Mars.

NASA says it will send humans the Red Planet in the 2030s, a mission that Kelly said he hopes to play a part in, even fly the ship if NASA would let him.

"I've flown the space shuttle a couple of times, so I would want to fly to Mars," he said. "That would be something new and exciting, and is the next step in our journey of space exploration."

Over the past year, Kelly has also: broken the record for time spent in space by any American; participated in his first spacewalk as the 33rd astronaut to walk outside the ISS and shared hundreds of images, updating the world on his daily adventures using a Nikon D4.

Kelly's favorite spot to gaze on from space? The Bahamas, he said.

One of those photos even led to conspiracy theory about aliens but NASA has not commented on the "UFO sighting."

On March 2, the day before Kelly returns, PBS will air a series, "A Year in Space," chronicling the grueling 342 days at the space station and the vigorous training to prepare for the trip. 

Starring both brothers, the show promises to discuss what the trip means for an eventual expedition to Mars. 

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

First Ward Councilman Elias Chalet has resisted calls to step down despite being indicted by a grand jury last week Watch video

Elias Chalet (File photo)

BLOOMFIELD - First Ward Councilman Elias Chalet, fresh off an indictment for allegedly selling his vote for $15,000, can now add a recall effort to his list of troubles.

Residents Kathleen DeMarino, Alyn Specht and Leamon McKenzie filed a notice of intent to recall Chalet with Township Clerk Louise Palagano on Tuesday. The notice cites the ongoing criminal case, saying he has "broken the public trust."

"Due to the bribery allegations, any vote offered by Councilman Chalet will be suspect and therefore, he has become an ineffective member of the Governing Body, disenfranchising First Ward residents," it reads.

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Authorities have alleged that Chalet, a local realtor, accepted the $15,000 bribe from an unnamed business owner in October, promising that the council would approve the township's purchase of the business owner's property in exchange. In announcing last week's indictment, Acting Attorney General John Hoffman called the alleged act "local corruption at its worst."

The case has caused an uproar among residents and a recent call for his resignation from Councilman Joseph Lopez led to a violent confrontation with members of Chalet's family.

Chalet has refused to step down since his November arrest, casting votes on matters ranging from local parking regulations to a pay-to-play ordinance. Mayor Michael Venezia and other council members have also urged patience as the legal process plays out - which DeMarino said led frustrated residents to move toward a recall.

"The whole council meetings seem to be consumed about Eli being up there and making these decisions. I live in the First Ward. Right now we don't have any representation," she said.

"It's a shame we had to bring it to this point."

Chalet did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

According to state law, a municipal clerk must approve any petition for a recall. Signatures from at least a quarter of all registered voters would then be required for it to be placed on a ballot. If the effort in Bloomfield is successful, voters would head to the polls in November to determine whether to forcibly oust Chalet.

Philip Swibinski, a spokesman for Venezia, said the mayor asked Chalet for his resignation following his recent indictment, but the councilman "indicated that he doesn't plan on resigning and he plans to fight this case to the end."

"While this is a troubling time for Bloomfield, Mayor Venezia is solely focused on continuing to deliver excellent municipal services and working to move this community forward," he said.

"Councilman Chalet's situation is isolated in nature and is in no way reflective of the day-to-day operations of Bloomfield government or its mission."

Officers busted both Wednesday. Watch video

NEWARK -- Four people were arrested, and about $100,000 worth of illegal drugs confiscated, after authorities busted two competing drug rings operating out of the same apartment building in Newark, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura announced in a release Thursday.

According to Fontoura, a task force of sheriff's detectives and officers from the Irvington and Bloomfield police departments raided the two apartments -- located on the first and fourth floors of a building at 5 Thomas Street -- Wednesday.

Inside the fourth floor apartment, which authorities say was leased to Bloods gang member Nelson Camacho, 24, officers found 143 grams of heroin, 319 grams of crack cocaine, a fully-loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and drug packaging paraphernalia, Fontoura said.

'Mobile drug bazaar' dealer punched, spit on cops during arrest, officials say

The first floor apartment is rented to Bloods gang member Joseph Segler, 26, roommate Sean Cogdell, 26, and Cogdell's girlfriend Sadiquah Street, 27, authorities said.

Cogdell was throwing items out of a bedroom window and holding a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic gun when officers arrived, Fontoura said.

In a search of the apartment and outside the window, authorities said they found another loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a box of ammunition, 17 grams of crack, 40 grams of heroin, and 41 grams of marijuana.

The two guns in the apartment were found to be stolen out of Virginia and West Virginia, officials said. The drugs found in both apartments have a street value of at least $100,000, authorities said.

All four were arrested on a variety of drugs and weapons charges, Fontoura said. They were arraigned Thursday, and are bring held at the Essex County Jail on cash bonds ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 each, officials said.

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

John Towey, 63, of Nutley, is claiming prosecutors improperly presented his case to the grand jury that indicted him on attempted murder and related charges

NEWARK -- A retired Belleville police officer is calling on a Superior Court judge to throw out attempted murder and related charges against him for allegedly shooting his brother last year at the former cop's Nutley home.

John Towey, 63, is pursuing a motion to dismiss the indictment over his claims that prosecutors improperly presented the case to the grand jury that handed down the charges.

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Monday before Superior Court Judge Peter Ryan.

Towey was indicted in August on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in connection with the Feb. 28, 2015 shooting of his brother, Bernard Towey.

Authorities have said the brother had been staying at Towey's house for a few days when the shooting occurred.

Towey was arrested on Feb. 28 and ultimately brought to the Essex County Correctional Facility. He was released from custody on March 3 after posting $75,000 bail.

Towey retired from the Belleville police force in 2009, public records show.

The evidence presented to the grand jury included testimony demonstrating that the brothers had been drinking alcohol prior to the shooting and that John Towey later told police he thought his brother was a burglar when he shot him, according to briefs filed with the judge by the defense and the state for the motion.

Based on those pieces of evidence, Towey's attorney, Anthony Iacullo, is arguing as part of the motion that the charges should be dismissed, because prosecutors did not present instructions to the grand jurors on the "justifications/defenses" of intoxication and self-defense, according to Iacullo's brief.

The brief states that Towey's claims about thinking he shot a burglar "implicate the justification of self-defense and the special powers a person possesses in their home to not have to retreat from an intruder."

"All of these issues were in the case and well known to the State and were therefore required to be charged," the brief adds.

But in her response brief, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Allison Field argued prosecutors were not required to instruct grand jurors on those defenses, because there was "no clearly exculpatory evidence regarding either defense."

In regard to the self-defense claim, Field countered that there is evidence that Towey committed "an intentional and purposeful act."

After the brothers had rehashed "an old grudge," Towey retrieved a gun and ultimately "shot his brother and left him to bleed just steps away from Defendant's bedroom door," Field wrote in her brief. The brief states that Bernard Towey was shot twice.

While prosecutors presented evidence about the brothers' drinking - including testimony about beer cans, liquor bottles and shot glasses found in the house - Field said instructions on the defense of intoxication were not warranted, because John Towey "did not show an extremely high level of intoxication."

Field said police officers have noted they smelled alcohol on Towey, but there was no evidence that he "stumbled, staggered, was confused or had difficulty expressing himself."

"The facts of the present case do not clearly indicate a rational basis for the conclusion that Defendant suffered from such a 'prostration of faculties' as to render him incapable of forming the requisite mental state to commit the crime," Field wrote.

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

"The Payne Report" will air on WRNU's "All Politics Are Local" program the first Friday of each month

NEWARK - U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. will take to the airwaves Friday to kick off a new monthly spot on a city-based radio show.

The Newark native and former South Ward Councilman will hold court on "The Payne Report" the first Friday of every month as part of WRNU's "All Politics Are Local" program, billed as the country's top "hip-hop political radio show."

A self-professed hip-hop fan, Payne said he hoped the show might help him engage listeners who might not otherwise follow politics on issues both inside and outside the halls of Congress.

"This show is a terrific opportunity to talk to millennials about the importance of politics, and to speak directly with my younger constituents about the positive impact government can have on their lives," he said.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/07/around_town_newark_mayor_has_monthly_forum_on_radi.html

G.K. Butterfield, the North Carolina Congressman and chair of the National Black Caucus, is scheduled to appear as Payne's first guest on Friday. Payne spokesman Michael Burns said they will to discuss President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address and this year's election.

Payne's commitment is a splash for the Rutgers-funded All Politics Are Local, which also includes a monthly appearance from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, "The Mayor's Forum", on the third Friday of each month.

Co-hosts Bashir Akinyele, Ed Riley and Jon Alston have spent equal time discussing policy issues as the undercurrents and hierarchy of the hip-hop scene - an approach university officials say make them unique among community radio programs.

"They are doing something that is uncommon in Newark and uncommon in too many cities around the country, which is trying to give voice to the community and to community concerns," said Peter Englot, Rutgers-Newark's vice chancellor for public affairs.

The show began airing in 2011, with elected officials, prominent clergymen and local hip-hop artists serving as guests. Recent commitments from Baraka and Payne have given its profile a boost, which Akinyele attributed directly to the rise of politicians who identify as a member of the "hip-hop generation."

"The current president of the United States, is of the hip-hop generation. He listens to it. He's invited hip-hop artists to the White House," he said.

"We come in that spirit. We know the language, we know the culture, we know the spirit. We make politics attractive to discuss with our generation."

The acting Health Commissioner has 120 days to make a decision on the sale of St. Michael's Medical Center.

TRENTON -- The Christie administration should allow a for-profit hospital chain to buy the bankrupt St. Michael's Medical Center in Newark, a state panel recommended Thursday.

The decision by the State Health Planning Board is the first positive sign the deal may go through since Prime Healthcare Services first announced its intentions to acquire the troubled hospital.

A state-funded consultant's report last year recommended closing St. Michael's because there are too many hospital beds in the Newark area, and re-open it as an outpatient center. That report galvanized community support from religious, community and elected officials to support the sale in order to protect the jobs and medical services for the low-income community.

Prime has agreed to pay $62 million to reduce some of the hospital's debt and invest $50 million to modernize the 149-year-old hospital. Prime has committed to keeping the facility operating as a hospital for a minimum of five years. and keep "substantially all" 1,400 employees.

Acting Health Commissioner Cathleen D. Bennett has 120 days to decide whether the deal should proceed. The Attorney General and a judge must also approve the acquisition.

"We still have several steps ahead of us before the sale to Prime is completed but are encouraged by this latest development and hope that Commissioner Bennett will render her decision quickly," said Saint Michael's President and CEO David Ricci

N.J. bankruptcy judge approves $62M St. Michael's Hospital sale

Without Prime in the picture, St. Michael's is at risk of closing or at least shedding many of its health services, according to a report from the health department analyzing the sale and used by the planning board to make its decision. (The planning board reviews and makes recommendations to the commissioner on the sale or expansion of health care facilities and services.)

The hospital maintained 147 beds beds in 2015, down from 297 when Catholic Health East acquired it in 2008.

Health officials noted in their report that Prime intends to introduce new technology, and share services and expenses with other hospitals it owns in the state -- St. Mary's in Passaic and St. Clare's in Dover and Denville. 

State health officials recommended a series of requirements the commissioner should enforce if the sale is approved. They include providing a yearly plan explaining how Prime will recruit new doctors, adding new services needed in the city and new insurance contracts to expand patient access, and reducing emergency room wait times.

Prime will also be required to form a community advisory group within 90 days that will hold community meetings, and post all of its financial statements on its website.

The deal also requires Prime to "not implement any out-of-network cost sharing plans if the Department of Banking and Insurance objects," according to the report. For-profit hospital companies have been criticized for relying on a business model that rejects in-network insurance plans in pursuit of higher reimbursement outside the network.

Luis Leon, president of Prime's operations, thanked the board for its support. "Prime Healthcare is committed to preserving and expanding high quality healthcare resources, particularly in underserved communities," he said.

Any number of special promotions and gimmicks were used to attract patrons to movie theaters.

NEWARK -- In this picture taken in the 1940s, five sets of twins were photographed at the Adams Theater in Newark.

Cinemas didn't depend solely on the film being shown to attract patrons; any number of special promotions and gimmicks were used.

In this case, the theater was promoting "Twins Day" where twins got in two-for-the-price-of-one.

Other activities at movie theaters included war bond drives with celebrities or giveaways of dishes.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

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

 

Newark police want State Troopers assistance with street patrols and investigations, officials say. Watch video

NEWARK -- As officials develop new plans for the city's longstanding fight against crime, they're also calling for reinforcements.

A "few dozen" troopers could soon be reassigned to Newark to assist city police for up to six months, confirmed Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Colonel Rick Fuentes.

Speaking at a Wednesday town hall meeting hosted by Mayor Ras Baraka, Fuentes said that if the Newark Police Department proposal is finalized, the troopers would be deployed to conduct street patrols and investigations in known hotspots of gun violence.

"Our intent would be to beef up patrols and police visibility in problem locations," Fuentes said. The reassigned troopers would also be tasked with interdicting gun violence and possession of illegal guns.

The exact number state troopers who could be assigned to Newark remains unclear.

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

Announced Wednesday, the proposal comes on the heels of a wave of violence in Newark that saw nine people killed by homicide in the span of seven days.

In a previous interview, City Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said the city's struggles to contain gun crime can be partially tied to the size of its police force.

The Newark Police Department employs nearly 800 officers, and is still recovering it after the 2010 layoffs and subsequent retirements that decimated its ranks, he said.

In the years since, state police have often been called upon to help pick up the slack. State Troopers were assigned to Newark in 2014 as part of the TIDE-TAG initiative, a program designed to help New Jersey cities break waves of street crime.

In August 2015, a contingent of uniformed state troopers were deployed to patrol the city's border with Irvington after five people were killed in three-day rush of gun violence.

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

A Newark police officer was suspended without pay Thursday amid claims by a 14-year-old that he was assaulted by police.

Det. Wilberto Ruiz has been suspended without pay. (Newark Police Department)

NEWARK -- A Newark police officer was suspended without pay Thursday amid an investigation into a police-involved incident that allegedly left a 14-year-old with a dislocated shoulder, authorities announced Thursday.

Investigators from the Newark Police Department Office of Profession Responsibility found that Detective Wilberto Ruiz failed to submit reports documenting the incident and his participation in it until 24 hours after it occurred, said Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

"Although this investigation is in its early stages, we have determined that the incident does involve members of the Newark Police Department," Ambrose said. "This is an unfortunate incident. However, it is not a reflection on the entire Department but on the actions of a few. I will not tolerate officers' behavior that violates laws to enforce laws or actions that violate our state laws or the Department's rules and regulations that govern us."

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

The incident occurred on Tuesday when the alleged victim, whose name is being withheld by NJ Advance Media, was approached by three police department vehicles after exiting a bodega near 14th Street and 14th Avenue, confirmed Newark Police Department spokesman Capt. Derek Glenn.

The alleged victim was later approached by several on-duty Newark police officers. The victim now claims that police officers attempted to detain him and dislocated his shoulder at some point during the incident, Glenn said.

Accompanied by his mother, the alleged victim later reported the incident to officers at the the 4th precinct building. The on-duty tour commander summoned an ambulance, and an investigation was initiated, Glenn said.

Several other members of the unit who police say participated in the incident have been reassigned, Glenn said. The unit also includes an officer from the Essex County Sheriff's Office, he added.

Reached Thursday afternoon, Newark FOP President James Stewart urged against a rush to judgment in Ruiz' case.

"The last thing any cop wants is for somebody to be injured during an interaction with them," he said. "Although Detective Ruiz's name and picture are out there for all to see, he has only been suspended for failing to turn in paperwork in a timely manner. Let's wait until the ECPO finishes their investigation, including the review of video surveillance, to see their thoughts on how the young man was injured."

Authorities from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Professional Standards Bureau are investigating the incident to determine whether an assault occurred, Glenn said. 

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

Ibtihaj Muhammad plans to wear the traditional Muslim veil as she represents the U.S. in Rio Watch video

MAPLEWOOD -- Ibtihaj Muhammad has already made history. And as of Saturday, she's poised to do so again, and on a global stage.

Muhammad, 30, a saber fencer with the U.S. Olympic team, earned a bronze medal at a world cup competition in Greece Saturday, a victory that qualifies her to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 

The Maplewood native and Duke University graduate is also an observant Muslim who wears the hijab, the traditional head covering worn by millions of Muslim women. She will be  the first Olympic athlete representing the United States to wear the garment while competing, years after she set another milestone as the first Muslim woman to compete for the U.S. in fencing.  

RELATED: N.J. fencer may compete in London Olympics

"I want to compete in the Olympics for the United States to prove that nothing should hinder anyone from reaching their goals -- not race, religion or gender," Muhammad said  in her USA Fencing bio. "I want to set an example that anything is possible with perseverance."

Muhammad, the daughter of a retired Newark police officer, was in contention to make the 2012 London Olympics before being sidelined by a hand injury, but since then has repeatedly medalled individually and in team competition. She is now ranked second in USA Fencing's team point standings, behind Mariel Zagunis, according to the U.S. Olympic Committee.

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

More than 1,000 children in major cities, including Newark, were part of the study.

TRENTON -- The percentage of young inner-city students who have difficulty paying attention at school and struggle with basic literacy skills was three times higher for children who also were victims of abuse, neglect and other trauma, according to a new study featured in a medical journal by several New Jersey researchers.

Research has already shown abused and traumatized children are more likely to suffer from health problems. Less clear is how these traumatic experiences interfere with their success in the classroom, said Manuel Jimenez, a developmental pediatrician at Children's Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick who led the study.

The study shows educators, parents and social services professionals should intervene as early as possible in a child's life to provide the support they will need to move past the trauma, he said.

"Our findings add insight into the pathways linking early childhood adversity to poor adult well-being," according to the article in the February edition of Pediatrics.

Could a longer school day fix 'state of emergency'? Lawmakers think so

Twelve percent of these children had lived through three or more of these experiences. 

Among these kindergarteners, the percentage of children with attention problems was three times higher compared to their peers who had never experienced any traumatizing conditions. The percentage of children with aggressive behavior was twice as common in this group, as well, according to the article.

Successful programs exist to help prevent traumatic events from happening to children and intervene when they occur, but they should be more widely available, he said. The Nurse-Family Partnership program, which sends nurses to make routine visits during and after pregnancy, is an effective program used by the state Department of Children and Families, he said. 

"There is a lot we need to understand about how these events affect children -- and affect generations of families before who have gone through difficulties. But we also know enough to be able to say we need to make early childhood development a priority," Jimenez said.

"This highlighted for me to really think about how I communicate with other (medical) providers and school officials, understanding that a lot of kids who have developmental and behavioral concerns are the same kids having difficulty in school," he said. 

Reach Out and Read, another national program that involves pediatricians giving children books and their parents advice on the importance of reading together, is also a success, he said. There are 71 medical practices using the Reach Out and Read model, according to the program's website.

Jimenez collaborated with Roy Wade Jr. of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Lesley M. Morrow of the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University; Nancy E. Reichman, a pediatrics professor at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Yong Lin, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health.

The data used in the study was taken from the national Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study by Princeton and Columbia universities, which followed 5,000 children born in large cities between 1998 and 2000. The study includes interviews with families after a child is born and at ages 1, 3, 5, and 9 years old, according to the article.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook

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Check out which Essex County schools aced or bombed the controversial PARCC exam. Watch video

Nearly a year after students started taking the tests, New Jersey families are getting their first look at how their schools did on the state's controversial new standardized exams.

State officials released a series of databases Tuesday detailing how every school in the state performed on the new PARCC -- short for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers -- exams.

Students in grades 3 through 11 began taking computerized math and English exams last year. The tests drew controversy because some parents, students and teachers said the multi-day exams were too long and too difficult. Others said the state was putting too much emphasis on the tests, which are also being used to evaluate teachers' performance in the classroom.

PARCC 2015 test results: Look up your school's score

Most students received their individual scores late last year. The newly released school-by-school data gives a more detailed look at how each school and district performed.

As expected, wealthier districts and magnet schools for top students did best on the PARCC test, while low-income districts struggled.

Here are some of the highlights from the PARCC results for schools in Essex County:

Millburn and Livingston schools reported highest percentage of top scores in the county

On the Language Arts test, fourth graders at Glenwood School in Millburn had the highest percentage of top scores among Essex County schools with reported data. More than 58 percent of Glenwood's fourth graders earned the top score --  a "Level 5" -- on the tests, meaning they are "exceeding expectations."

On the math portion of the PARCC test, geometry students at Heritage Middle School in Livingston had the highest percentage of top scores among Essex County schools with reported data. Nearly 59 percent of the school's geometry students earned the top score --  a "Level 5" -- on the tests, meaning they are "exceeding expectations."

Among the charter schools, Robert Treat Academy and North Star Academy in Newark also recorded some of the highest scores in the state.

Many urban schools struggled

At some schools in Newark, no students earned a "Level 4" or a "Level 5" in some grades, meaning all students scored below their grade level on a test.

The classes where all students scored below their grade level in English included: the third graders at the Thirteenth Avenue School; the seventh and eighth graders at Louise A. Spencer Elementary School; the eighth graders at Belmont Runyon Elementary School; the ninth, 10^th and 11^th graders at Newark Vocational High School; the 10^th graders at Malcolm X Shabazz High School and the 10^th graders at Newark Early College High School.

On the math test, the Newark schools where all students in one or more grades scored below their grade level included: fourth graders at Rafael Hernandez School; fourth graders at South Seventeenth Street School; fifth and sixth graders at Belmont Runyon Elementary School; fifth and eighth graders at Dr. E. Alma Flagg School; fifth, seventh and eighth graders at Louise A. Spencer Elementary School; fifth graders at Miller Street School; sixth graders at Eagle Academy; sixth graders at George Washington Carver Elementary; seventh graders at Camden Street Elementary and eighth graders at American History High. Several Newark high schools also had all of their tested students score below grade level on one or more of the math exams.

Essex Fells Elementary, Newark's Science Park High among other high-scoring schools

Other top scorers on the English test included the sixth graders at Essex Fells Elementary School (more than 56 percent earned the top score); seventh graders at Science Park High School in Newark (50 percent earned the top score); fourth graders at Riker Hill Elementary School in Livingston (45 percent earned the top score) and seventh graders at Millburn Middle School (nearly 43 percent earned the top score).

On the math test, other top scorers included third graders at Mount Pleasant Elementary in Livingston (more than 36 percent earned the top score); sixth graders at Essex Fells Elementary (33 percent earned the top score); third graders at Glenwood School in Millburn (nearly 33 percent earned the top score) and third graders at Hartshorn School in Millburn (nearly 33 percent earned the top score).

Data missing for many schools

There is no data available for many grades in many schools. For privacy reasons, the state Department of Education said they did not release statistics for schools and grades where the numbers were so low in some categories that people within the school might be able to figure out individual students' scores.

The schools with no data for some grades include: the Whitney E. Houston Academy in East Orange, University High School in Newark, Alma Flagg School in Newark and Orange High School.

Opt-outs high in West Orange, Montclair, Livingston

It is unclear how the opt-out movement affected the PARCC testing. The state has not released statewide numbers of how many students refused to take the exam. However, the new data includes how many students were not tested in some schools for various reasons, including illness and opting out of taking PARCC.

The highest numbers of untested students in Essex County appears to be at some of the suburban high schools. For example, hundreds of students did not taking the Algebra II test at West Orange High School (nearly 82 percent of eligible students did not take the test); Montclair High School (83 percent of eligible students did not take the test) and Livingston High School (73 percent did not take the test).

The numbers do not specify how many students did not take the exams because they formally chose to opt out. Some may have skipped the test because they were absent, took another assessment or did not take PARCC due to other issues.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The New Jersey rap star was engaging and fun as a sold-out crowd bopped to his dance-heavy jams

MONTCLAIR -- His ordinary lyrical themes aside -- cash, drugs, women who can cook pies -- Fetty Wap's hip-hop persona is steeped most consistently in repetition. 

The Paterson rapper's self-titled September debut reminds listeners endlessly of his crew, and incessantly drops the terms "1738" "Remy Boys" and "Zoo Gang," to reference his entourage and professional support system RGF Island.  

The monotony of it all quickly becomes maddening, to the point where we wish we could throw up our hands and concede to him: "We get it, Fetty. You're very close with your squad (he prefers to yell 'SQUAAA')." 

The reality of the situation is more humbling, though, and was seen as a backdrop to the grinning, dreadlocked rhymer's electrifying performance at Wellmont Theatre in Montclair Thursday night.

While the 24-year-old emcee prowled the stage and urged the sold-out New Jersey crowd to sing along -- to the hit tracks that scored Fetty Wap (born Willie Maxwell) a fast-pass to worldwide stardom last year -- nearly two-dozen of his loyal "gang" mates and production team stood behind him, wearing Remy Boys varsity jackets, taking videos and laughing. 

It suddenly became clear -- Fetty Wap's lines of camaraderie, like "I do this for my squad / I do this for my gang," are bound to the folks for whom he's made a better life.

Like Springsteen and his E Street Band, Fetty Wap's "I win, we all win," mentality is necessary to keep his pals separated the Paterson streets, where he himself dealt drugs and learned what was most important (the terms "Fetty" and "Wap" are both slang for money).

The budding Jersey rapper has become the breadwinner of his cohort, and to keep oven stoked, he will likely need to pen more songs with infectious hooks, which also skillfully showcase his quivering, uniquely affected singing voice. 

But for now, Fetty Wap's most significant string of U.S. headlining gigs to date, called Welcome to the Zoo, should earn some coin -- he plays New York twice next week -- and if each is met with the same fun-loving, animated performances as Thursday's show, Fetty Wap will surely be inspired to write more about his growing "stacks" of cash. 

As was true for Wap's solo album, the singles were the night's most memorable offerings, and things tapered from there. The venue physically shook as more than 2,000 fans jumped to "Again," "679" and of course, the monster breakthrough track "Trap Queen." 

The album tracks were average, though "Boomin" did feature an interesting visual on the screen behind the action, of scenes from around Paterson -- police, apartment buildings, highway signs. 

The primary drawback with a show like this -- moreover with music written with trappy, digital beats -- is the lack of live instrumentation. Fetty didn't even feature a live drum kit to heighten renditions that were played ad nauseam on hit radio last Spring. It was just him, and his DJ Big L doing all the work, over a thumping backing track. Remy Boys pal Monty joined them on stage for a few songs off his new mixtape mid-set.

Fetty Wap performs during the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair2/4/2016 (Chris Monroe | For NJ Advance Media) 

Luckily, Fetty Wap is a strong enough performer, with his shimmies and spurred crowd participation, that he offset the fact that if he wasn't on stage, his DJ could like spin a very similar set, perhaops with more singing on key? 

In true hometown fashion -- and playing in to that repetition -- the rapper mentioned several times "I represent Paterson, New Jersey." Wild cheers rained down from his largely caucasian, teen-aged fans, who upon leaving the Montclair theater would like to avoid the poverty-stricken neighboring Paterson streets. 

I'll teach you how to jug babyyy[?] [?] @fettywap1738 @remyboymonty1738 @rgfm80 @oskama_zg @kingguwii @dotbwoii @postmalone killed it[?][?] #fettywap #Rgf #1738 #zoo #zoogang

A video posted by [?] TRUSTED SELLER [?] [?] [?] (@kicktronic) on Feb 4, 2016 at 9:26pm PST

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

The National Labor Relations Board alleges that Deep Foods illegally discriminated against employees for trying to organize. Watch video

UNION -- A federal labor agency filed a complaint this week against an Indian food company it says illegally discriminated against workers who tried to organize.

Deep Foods is the 38th largest private company by global revenue in New Jersey and the fifth largest in Union County, according to NJBIZ.

The National Labor Relations Board alleges the Union Township-based company fired four employees because they joined a workers' union. An in-house judge will hear the case in March. 

The NLRB said in its complaint that company executives had promised its employees promotions if they did not join the union, told them to report all union activities to management and threatened them with job loss if they organized. 

Representatives from the local chapter of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and from several advocacy groups met at the company's headquarters Thursday to deliver a letter, urging Deep Foods to reinstate the fired workers. 

The company refused to address the organizers, who said they would keep pressuring Deep Foods to meet their demands.

Cesar Suarez, one of the employees named in the NLRB's complaint, said he moved to Newark from Ecuador 20 years ago and had been a maintenance worker at Deep Foods for five years before he was terminated. 

Deep Foods workers sometimes were forced to work in 120-degree rooms or were given one 20-minute break in 10 or 11 hours on the job, according to Suarez. 

"Things like that, we want to change," he said. "That's why we are here."

Local union president Tom Walsh said the company's ongoing failure to reinstate the workers was disheartening. 

"We're dealing with a company that's one of the wealthiest private companies in the state of New Jersey, and they're doing whatever they can to affect these people's lives," he said.

In an email, Deep Foods labor counsel James E. Patterson said the company denies all allegations of illegal and wrongful conduct.

MORE UNION COUNTY NEWS

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A different man was convicted of murdering his mother while a third man allegedly killed his girlfriend's 2-year-old son

A Union County man was convicted of beating his mother to death with a barbell. An Atlantic County man was charged in the murder of his then-girlfriend's 2-year-old child. An Essex County man killed a former girlfriend before he took the lives of a different ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, authorities said.

Those three are among a collection of people either charged with, indicted for, convicted of or sentenced in a wide array of crimes that made news across New Jersey in the past week.

Click through the gallery above to catch up on any law and order news you might have missed. Here's some of what's there:

A 47-year-old Plainfield man was found guilty of murder, theft and weapons possession offenses. He beat his 69-year-old mother with the weight and then used her bank card during a spending spree, mostly at bars and liquor stores.

An Atlantic City man who allegedly killed his now-wife's 2-year-old son last year in North Carolina was arrested in his hometown. The 21-year-old married the child's mother less than a week after her son died.

The East Orange man charged in three murders shot his 23-year-old former girlfriend and her 28-year-old boyfriend to death in a Newark home, officials said. Less than a day earlier, he strangled a 21-year-old woman he once dated, according to authorities. 

A Dunellen man who tried to burn down a former girlfriend's home while her family was inside has been sentenced to five years in prison. The 24-year-old, previously acquitted of attempted murder charges, was found guilty of three counts of third-degree arson for a crime a judge described as "heinous" and "depraved."

In Sussex County, a Sparta man was convicted of killing three bears outside his home. The 78-year-old was found guilty of having a loaded firearm for the purpose of killing an animal within 450 feet of another occupied building. He said he was acting in self-defense.

The son of a former Giants football player admitted to various offenses following a hit-and-run that seriously injured a man.  The 23-year-old Hillsborough resident  faces up to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault by auto, fourth-degree possession of hollow-point bullets, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In Trenton, a 37-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly attacking her boyfriend with a baseball bat and scissors. The city resident was charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses. 

Not every alleged crime was violent -- a 30-year-old security guard at Bergen Community College stole a $1,900 computer, police said. 

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