Adjusted for inflation, homeowners in 42 percent of New Jersey municipalities are paying lower property taxes.

TRENTON -- Are many New Jersey residents actually paying less in property taxes than they were five years ago? 

The state's sky-high property taxes crossed the $8,300 threshold in 2015 as New Jersey residents continue to get smacked with the highest real estate rates in the nation. 

However, a NJ Advance Media analysis of statewide property tax data has found that property taxes in 42 percent of municipalities increased at less than the rate of inflation from 2010 to 2015. 

During that time, the average statewide property tax bill rose about 10 percent, from $7,576 to $8,353. When accounting for inflation, which rose about 9 percent, the property tax bills rose slightly more than 1 percent.

But 237 municipalities, that are home to nearly 46 percent of the state's population, kept their tax increases below the rate of inflation.

Which counties in N.J. have the highest, lowest property taxes?

NJ Advance Media analyzed municipal tax figures going back 15 years and found that, when adjusted for inflation, the impact of property tax relief relief measures enacted during Gov. Chris Christie's first term -- including strict caps on local spending and public worker arbitration rewards -- is clear.

Property taxes rose 1 percent when adjusted for inflation from 2010 to 2015 after soaring 35 percent, after inflation was taken into account, from 2000 to 2010, the analysis found. 

Data show only five municipalities -- Teterboro, Pemberton, Woodbine, Lebanon and Union City -- kept tax bills lower in 2015 than in 2000, after inflation. 

Christie spokeswoman Joelle Farrell noted that during Christie's first six years, property tax growth "has slowed to an annual average of 1.97 percent, dramatically lower than the 7 percent yearly average in the 10 years before the Christie administration."

"You have to ask yourself, where would New Jersey's property taxes be if not for the governor's reforms," Farrell said. "If annual average increases continued at a rate of 7 percent for the past six years?"

Michael Darcy, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities said the 2 percent spending cap enacted by Christie helped, but reforms to public worker benefits and the arbitration cap made it possible for local officials to rein in some costs.

"I think it is safe to say that overall the escalation of property taxes has been significantly curtailed compared to historic trends," said Darcy. 

But property taxes remain the top issue for New Jersey voters, because even though they are rising at a slower rate, they are still going up every year and remain the highest in the nation.

Nearly six out of ten towns saw property taxes exceed the rate of inflation, and the vast majority of residents have not seen significant tax decreases since Gov. Chris Christie's much-ballyhooed tax cap went into effect five years ago.

At the same time, wages have largely stalled and the average real estate bill in New Jersey is higher than 99.8 percent of U.S. homeowners.

Democratic and Republican leaders in the state Legislature last month targeted property taxes as the big issue to tackle when laying out their agenda for the year.

It's great that the state and municipalities have been able to curtail the rate of growth, said Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson), "but that's in reality still not acceptable."

"The sad thing is that they were too high to begin with," he said.

The NJ Advance Media review found many reasons for the fluctuation in property taxes. 

Irvington Township in Essex County, leads the group of 237 municipalities from 2010 to 2015, with a 22.5 percent reduction in property taxes after inflation is taken into account. 

Homeowners there saw an actual reduction of 0.43 percent in their average property tax bill from 2014 to 2015.

Irvington has been saddled with high property taxes, said Mayor Tony Vauss, who took office in 2014. The township stepped up enforcement of property maintenance and parking ordinances, generating $1.2 million in new revenue, he said Wednesday.

"We've been able to reduce the rate a little bit to give some type of relief," he added.

Corbin, a small city in Atlantic County, came in a close second, with a nearly 22 percent drop in five years after inflation. 

While the 5-year comparison showed it was cheaper to live in some municipalities last year than five years ago, tax increases in the rest of New Jersey's 565 municipalities have outpaced inflation.

Walpack Township's residents have enjoyed relatively low property taxes. In fact, in 2014 they were the lowest in New Jersey, on average, at $439. But in 2015 it became superlative for another reason.

Last year, the tiny Sussex County's town's average bill for its 14 residents increased 315 percent -- the largest single-year increase, by a landslide. It's also the largest 5-year hike.

"We ended up being assessed $46,000 for one student to attend Kittatinny Regional High School," Mayor Victor J. Maglio said, noting that the town participates in a regional school district. "Because of that, the property tax had to be raised that 300 percent."

Such tremendous swings are not as common in communities with more robust populations, but large tax increases have still occurred in some areas across the state despite the Christie administration's efforts.  

Cash-strapped Atlantic City has seen a 20 percent increase in the average property tax bill, while Camden and Elizabeth were among the 33 municipalities that saw increases of more than 10 percent over the last five years.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Jeffrey Holland was arrested in connection with three homicides in Newark. Two of the victims were his ex-girlfriends, authorities said. Watch video

Jeffrey Holland (Courtesy of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office)

NEWARK -- Long before investigators zeroed in on him as the chief suspect in three shooting deaths, Jeffrey Holland had already racked up a lengthy arrest record.

According to county documents, New Jersey police arrested Holland eight times prior to 2016. Three of those arrests involve allegations of sexual violence, records indicate. And only three ultimately resulted in a conviction.

In 2013, Holland pleaded guilty to separate charges of third degree resisting arrest and fourth degree assault of a law enforcement officer, court documents say. He was later sentenced to three years probation with credit for 364 days served in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility.

Two weeks after the sentence was handed down, police arrested Holland on charges of criminal sexual contact, court documents say. He later pleaded to a lesser charge of harassment, receiving credit for nine days of time served in the county jail and a continuation of his probation.

Holland was still on probation earlier this month when homicide investigators arrested him in connection to killing three Newark residents, court documents indicate.

Domestic violence at heart of 3 brutal murders, authorities say

The county prosecutor's office has charged Holland with three counts of homicide in connection to the killings of Ashley Jones, 23, her boyfriend Jarrell Marshall, 28, and Tiniquah Rouse, 21.

All three victims were shot to death inside their homes over the course of one weekend, police have said.

At a press conference held announcing Holland's arrest, authorities acknowledged that domestic violence might be at the heart of the killings.

According to authorities, both Jones and Rouse had previous romantic relationships with Holland, and Jones and Marshall had recently begun dating.

Jones had an active restraining order against Holland at the time of her death, though how long it was in place remains unclear. Under state law, the orders are not public record.

Also unclear is whether Holland at any time violated the restraining orders. Both orders were active at the time of the killings, authorities have said.

Holland, who has pleaded not-guilty to the charges, remains in custody at the Essex Count Correctional Facility on $2.5 million bail.

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

Student wins Senior Scholarship Award at the Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey competition.

Henry GardnerCynthia Cumming 

WEST ORANGE -- West Orange High School senior Henry Gardner was one of two students to capture the Governor's Senior Scholarship Award at  held Jan. 30 at Rutgers University.

The Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey advocates for speech and theater arts program in New Jersey schools. Each year students in grades 7 to 12 from throughout New Jersey gather at Rutgers to compete for the organization's Governor's Award in six categories -- Dramatic Monologue, Comedic Monologue, Dramatic Pairs, Comedic Pairs, Improvisational Pairs, and Scenes -- as well as the two Senior Scholarships. Best Actor and Best Actress awards are also given out.

"I feel like I brought the trophy home for WOHS," said Gardner.

Gardner shared the Senior Scholarship honors with Kaitlyn Howard, a student at the Union County Academy for Performing Arts in Scotch Plains, who also brought home the award for Character Analysis Monologue.

Other winners include, from Pinelands Regional High School, Brianna Bennett, Dramatic Monologue and Jarrett Booth, Comedic Monologue; A'ja Lynn Desormeau and Joseph Diaz from Rosa Parks Arts High School in Paterson, Dramatic Pair; Eitan Miller and Charlie Thomson of Chatham High School, Comedic Pair; Christopher Ferranti and Timothy Matthew Flores of JP Stevens High School in Edison, Improv Pair; Isaiah DeQuattro representing the actors from Passaic County Technical Institute, Best Scene; Christie Flores, Passaic County Technical Institute, Best Actress; and Brandon Lyons, Hoboken High School, Best Actor.

The winners will be honored in May at the War Memorial Theater in Trenton.

To submit school news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

The father of the country was at home in this state

I'm a George Washington guy.

No disrespect to Abraham Lincoln, FDR or JFK, or the other 40 chief execs, but President's Day started out as Washington's Birthday and should have stayed that way.

In fact, it still is, officially. The federal government never changed the name from Washington's Birthday. Car dealers, mattress stores and PC state government's did that.

So the holiday we celebrated last week has devolved from its original intent, to honor "The Father of Our Country," the man who won the Revolutionary War and then shaped a stable government from the political chaos that followed.

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

Tomorrow, Feb. 22, is the real Washington's Birthday, mandated by Congress in 1879, the 100^th anniversary of his inauguration. At first, it was a holiday only for federal workers in the nation's capital. It was expanded nationally in 1885.

Then, in 1971, the holiday got tinkered with. Instead of separate holidays for Washington and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12), a three-day weekend on "the third Monday of February" was legislated. Since the third Monday can only fall as late as Feb. 21 in the 28-day month, Washington's Birthday can never be celebrated on Washington's birthday. (Side note to nitpickers: Yes, Washington was actually born on Feb. 11, 1731, according to the ancient calendar of Julius Caesar, but when Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, Washington's birthdate became what it is today.)  

Washington once wrote, "A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty (is) more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?"

In that spirit, here is a primer on George Washington in New Jersey. His legacy here should be a source of state pride. Our Revolutionary War battlefields and historic sites should be national tourist destinations, not afterthoughts sinking to the bottom of the state budget. The war was fought and won here, as much as anywhere.

Much of Washington's legacy was made in this state, from the Hudson to the Delaware, and most everywhere in between.

The George Washington Bridge spans the place where two Hudson River forts fell, beginning the Continental Army's miserable retreat across New Jersey. Washington Crossing State Park marks the area where he re-crossed into the state before the victories at Trenton and Princeton, which re-ignited the dying embers of the Revolution.

Monmouth was the biggest troop-on-troop battle of the war. New Jersey privateers, sailing out of the tidal rivers through sand bars of Barnegat Bay and Egg Harbor, disrupted British supply ships. The Watchung Mountains provided impassable cover for the Continental Army for almost half the war. The first officer's training camp was there, in Pluckemin.

That's why in New Jersey, we have six Washington Townships and a Washington Borough and another half-dozen Washington-named sections or villages. He was here.

We have two Washington Rocks. One in the South Mountain Reservation and one in Green Brook, both high up on Watchung Mountain ridges. The South Mountain rock looks east, toward where the British were ensconced in New York and Staten Island. The Green Brook rock looks southwest, toward New Brunswick. From these lookouts, Washington and his officers kept an eye on significant British troop movement.

From his headquarters in Morristown, he entertained Lafayette and won the help of the French.

From his headquarters in Somerville, he plotted "Sullivan's March," the war in the west against hostile Native Americans.

He wrote his farewell to arms at Rockingham.

The Morristown site, called the Ford Mansion, and the wooded Jockey Hollow, where the troops stayed during the hardest winter of the war, became the nation's first historic national park in 1933.

The Dey Estate in Wayne and the Wallace House in Somerville are state historic sites. There are more than 20 other colonial homes still standing in New Jersey where Washington stayed, including a private home in Hopewell where he held the largest war council of the Revolution before the Battle of Monmouth.

This is our history. George Washington's footprints are all over the state and our road maps tell the story.

Washington Street, in Newark, is where he camped during the retreat and where Thomas Paine wrote the opening words of "The Crisis."

Washington Street, in Lambertville, is near Coryell's Landing, the ferry docks at which Washington crossed the Delaware twice.

Washington Avenue, in Bound Brook, is the battle site the British tried to attack at the base of the Watchung Mountains.

These are just a few examples.

There are sculptures and monuments to him in many places. He looks over Broad Street in Newark and Ford Avenue in Morristown.

On Freehold's Battle of Monmouth monument, he strategizes in one relief panel and rallies troops in another. On the Princeton monument, Lady Liberty urges him on.

This is our history, our state and country, and it remains right in front of us to discover and explore. And to learn about the man and read his words, which still apply today. Especially today.

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

Detectives investigated after receiving several complaints of identity theft in Oradell.

Qyiidirah Williams, 23, of Orange. (Bergen County Prosecutor's Office) 

HACKENSACK -- An Orange woman used other peoples' identities to file fraudulent tax returns, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said.

The Oradell Police Department received several complaints of identity theft in April 2015, which they relayed to the prosecutor's office White Collar Crimes Unit. The victims' identities were used to file false tax returns using tax filing and return software.

Detectives identified the Internet Protocol addresses used by the alleged perpetrators by tracking the fraudulent returns through IRS documents. They learned multiple people were involved in the fraudulent activity, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal said.

Detectives also tracked the money received in the fraudulent returns. They identified Qyiidirah Williams, 23, as the recipient of one of the returns, Grewal said.

She opened two bank accounts in March 2015. They each received a fraudulent return on March 25, Grewal said.

One return was for $3,900.69 and was part of the detectives' initial investigation. The second was for $7,059.02 and used the identifying information of someone from Virginia, Grewal said.

Williams withdrew the money the same day, Grewal said. An investigation revealed that 10 fraudulently filed returns were en route to Williams' accounts, but only two were successfully deposited.

A warrant was issued for Williams' arrest on Feb. 12. She turned herself in to prosecutor's office detectives on Friday.

Williams is charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit computer-related theft and theft by deception. She was sent to Bergen County Jail on $50,000 bail with no option to post 10 percent in cash.

She's scheduled to appear Monday in Central Municipal Court.

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

Official says more information to come Sunday afternoon.

Police are investigating a fatal shooting in Newark, Feb. 21, 2016. (File Photo) 

NEWARK -- The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating a fatal shooting in Newark.

The shooting took place Saturday night on Rockland Terrace.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly confirmed that the prosecutor's office was investigating and said further details would be released Sunday afternoon.

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

Four men who took off with the victim's 2006 Cadillac CTS remain at large

Newark police are searching for four people who assaulted and carjacked a 67-year-old man late Saturday night. (Star-Ledger file photo)

NEWARK - Police are searching for a group of men responsible for a violent carjacking in the city's South Ward late Saturday night.

Newark police spokesman Capt. Derek Glenn said the 67-year-old victim was sitting in his 2006 Cadillac CTS on the 100 block of Peshine Avenue when he was approached by one of the assailants.

The man attempted to strike up a conversation with the victim before being joined by three other men, who assaulted the victim before pulling him out of the car and taking off with it.

The victim was taken to University Hospital to be treated for unspecified injuries, and was released Sunday.

MORE: Essex County News

Both the assailants and the blue Cadillac, with a New Jersey license plate of B95-EMR, remain at large.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Newark Police Department's Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or (877) NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867).

The 24-year-old Irvington resident arrived at Newark Beth Israel Hospital with the wound just before 4 a.m., police say

Newark police say an Irvington man claims to have walked four miles to a local hospital after being shot early Sunday morning. (File photo)

NEWARK - Police say a man claims to have walked four miles to a local hospital after being shot near the city's downtown early Sunday morning.

Newark police spokesman Capt. Derek Glenn said the 24-year-old Irvington resident offered the story after arriving at Newark Beth Israel Hospital just before 4 a.m. with an apparent graze would to his ankle.

He claimed the shot was fired near the intersection of Broad Street and Route 280, and that he had made the lengthy trek on foot to be treated.

Glenn said detectives have begun an investigation, and are "in the process of attempting to verify the victim's story."

Anyone with information about this or any other crimes call the Department's 24-hour "Crime Stoppers" anonymous tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or (877) NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867).

Scott Malcolm was pronounced dead near Salem Street and Rockland Terrace shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday

An Irvington man was shot and killed in Newark's West Ward Saturday night, according to authorities. (Ed Murray/The Star-Ledger)

NEWARK - An Irvington man has been identified as the victim in a fatal shooting in the city's West Ward Saturday night.

Steve Malcolm, 32, was pronounced dead near the intersection of Salem Street and Rockland Terrace shortly after 8:30 p.m., according to Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly.

In a joint statement, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said officers had found Malcolm unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

No arrests have been made, and authorities have not released any information on any potential motive or suspects in the slaying.

MORE: Essex County News

The homicide is the 17^th of the year in Newark, according to Newark police statistics.

Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities at (847) 877-7432.

Many dogs and cats have never known a real home, rescued as stray puppies and kittens or born in shelters.

These are just a small sampling of the thousands of homeless animals currently being cared for by shelters and rescues in New Jersey.

Many lost their homes due to an owner's illness or having to relocate where pets were not allowed. Others have never known a real home, rescued as stray puppies and kittens or born in shelters.

In almost every case, however, they share one thing in common: the desire to become a loving pet for someone willing to adopt them.

Click on the caption button to see information on these adoptable animals and the organizations and groups caring for them. More pets in need of adoption can be seen here and here.

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

Junius Williams -- teacher, author, community activist -- explains what the movement has yet to achieve on the latest edition of 'The Backgrounder'

By Paul Brubaker | The Backgrounder

Newark attorney Junius Williams, a cornerstone of civil rights activism since the 1960s, knows the revolution will not be televised. But he might add that it won't be online either.

 

Today's civil rights activism, including the Black Lives Matter movement, relies on the internet - perhaps too much, Williams said on the latest edition of The Backgrounder Podcast.

"I think it's too easy," said Williams. "Organizing is a matter of developing relationships with other people. And you can't develop a relationship with somebody else, I contend, by using the Internet. "It's got to be one on one, baby."

Newark saw Williams' brand of community organizing years ago when a medical school was being planned in the city. Through efforts that began in a storefront office on South Orange Avenue and Bruce Street, Williams led the charge that secured 60 acres of land for affordable housing in Newark, and he launched a large-scale job training program for minorities that enabled them to work on the project.

Williams also managed the first mayoral campaign of Kenneth Gibson, who was elected as Newark's first African-American mayor. 

Today, Williams is passing on his community organizing knowledge to his students at Rutgers University's Abbott Leadership Institute, teaching them to be effective advocates for Newark public schools.

He is also the author of "UnfinishedAgenda: Urban Politics in the Era of Black Power," his political memoir of grassroots politics and community organizing. And he is a musician who holds the blues - as in the music performed by Aretha Franklin and Muddy Waters - as a critical part of black cultural identity in America.  

You can hear Williams' entire interview by clicking on the orange play button at the top of this page.

Paul Brubaker, former journalist and congressional spokesman, keeps it real with the people who make New Jersey the most fascinating place on Earth. Check back every week for a new episode of 'The Backgrounder.'   

One of Krisla Rezireksyon Kris's surviving children testified on Tuesday at her trial on charges of killing her 8-year-old daughter in 2011 Watch video

NEWARK -- The girl said she did not have fun while living with her biological mother.

On the witness stand Tuesday at the murder trial of her birth mother, Krisla Rezireksyon Kris, the 11-year-old Christina described a life inside the family's Irvington apartment five years ago that was defined by hunger and punishment.

While living with Rezireksyon Kris and her roommate, Myriam Janvier, Christina, then 7 years old, said she and her siblings, 8-year-old Christiana and 6-year-old Solomon, went days at a time without eating.

The children were "whooped" and forced to hold books above their heads while kneeling on metal grates from a stove, she said. They were "tied by our ankles" with ropes to a radiator while the women were out of the apartment, she said.

When the questions turned to the morning of May 22, 2011, Christina began to cry. On that day, she recalled seeing her sister's lifeless body in the living room of the apartment.

"We were trying to wake her up," said Christina, adding that "she was dead."

Authorities ultimately determined Christiana's death was a homicide, leading to murder, child endangerment and related charges against Rezireksyon Kris. A medical examiner has determined the girl died from severe malnutrition and an untreated broken femur.

Rezireksyon Kris, 34, also is accused of abusing and neglecting Christina and Solomon, whom authorities have said were starved and sustained fractures that went untreated.

Janvier, 27, also has been charged in the case, but she is expected to be tried separately at a later date.

When Christina was called as a witness on Tuesday, Rezireksyon Kris became emotional and began sobbing before the girl entered the courtroom. Soon after, Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin instructed the jury to leave the courtroom and all parties waited for Rezireksyon Kris to regain her composure.

After the jurors returned to the courtroom, Christina took the witness stand and began describing what life was like during 2011 inside the family's Chancellor Avenue apartment.

Christina, who was originally known as Christina Glenn, recalled the apartment was "white" and she was dressed in white clothes. As for furniture in the apartment, Christina said she remembered a bed in her biological mother's room and a rug, a table, chairs and a stove in the kitchen.

The children did not go outside very often, she said. They never went to the front of the apartment building and played, and they never went to a park, she said.

"Were you allowed to play?" Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Simonetti asked Christina.

"No," she replied.

Christina indicated she was always hungry. The children were only given soup to eat in the apartment and sometimes they did not eat for days, she said.

"Sometimes we wouldn't eat at all," she said. "We just wouldn't eat for days."

While Rezireksyon Kris and Janvier were out of the apartment, Christina said she and her siblings were "tied by our ankles" with ropes to a radiator. Both women tied up the children, she said. Before the women left the residence, they placed the soup in plastic containers and told the children to eat at noon, she said.

Christina said they were tied up every day from the morning hours until the women came home after it was "dark outside."

While they were tied up, Christina said the children would do their homework, but they never finished it because they always fell asleep. She said they "never got enough sleep" at night, because they were praying.

Simonetti asked what she would do if she had to "go to the bathroom" when they were tied up, and Christina said she would have to use a bucket placed near them.

Christina said Solomon would free himself from the rope and get more food in the kitchen. When the women returned home, Solomon said "we all did it" and "we got whooped," she said. She said the children also got in trouble for not finishing their homework.

As forms of punishment, Christina said the women would hit the children with a belt, a brush and a cord, and the children had to hold books above their heads and kneel on metal grates from a stove.

At some point, Christina said she and her siblings could not walk and were then "dragged" by their hands and arms. "It hurt," she said, describing how her body felt when she was unable to walk.

"We all got beaten," she said.

During a brief cross-examination, Aarin Williams, one of Rezireksyon Kris's attorneys, questioned Christina about whom she previously spoke to about the case and the conditions in the apartment. Christina acknowledged she spoke with the prosecutors, a therapist and other people.

Adrien Moncur, another attorney representing Rezireksyon Kris, has argued she suffers from "diminished capacity" and did not have the requisite state of mind to be found guilty of the charges. Moncur also has stressed the role of her pastor, Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris, and suggested that he had cast a spell over the two women.

Rezireksyon Kris legally changed her name from Venette Ovilde in order to match the pastor's name, according to Moncur. The children's names also were changed to Kristiana, Kristina and Solomon Rezireksyon Kris, according to trial testimony.

During her testimony, Christina spoke about interacting with the pastor, and said he never hit her or her siblings.

"He treated us nice," she said.

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

Roselle's season has been cut short by injuries and it has 'eliminated' American History for its schedule

Roselle's season has been cut short by injuries and it has 'eliminated' American History for its schedule

Millburn High School teacher was recently awarded the New Jersey Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance recognition.

MILLBURN -- You won't find Mark Friedrich's phys ed students playing dodgeball or soccer. To find the Millburn High schoolers in his "adventure education" class, you'd have to look about 30 feet in the air.

Friedrich was just named the state's best high school physical education teacher by the New Jersey Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, thanks, in part, to the high-flying adventure course he teaches.

Friedrich taught in the South Orange/Maplewood school district for eight years before piloting the adventure education course at Millburn High School in 2004. Since then, the indoor and outdoor course has grown to include 18 "high elements," like zip lines, rock walls, and cable crosses, and 9 "low elements," aimed at building trust and teamwork among participants, Friedrich said.

Friedrich. (Courtesy Millburn High School)
 

Each quarter, Friedrich gets a new batch of students in his beginner and advanced classes. Kids go through months of what Friedrich calls the "adventure process," learning the technical skills necessary to complete the courses, and developing the trust and teamwork necessary to guide their classmates through the course.

"It's all based on experiential learning...they learn while they're doing it," Friedrich said of the course. "And, it really is a group development process. At the end, kids say they feel like a family. They are making meaningful social connections without a cell phone, and they take a sense of pride in what they accomplished together."

After a colleague nominated Friedrich for the NJAHPERD award, he filled out several applications detailing his work inside and outside of the classroom in order to be eligible for the award.

Aside from adventure education, Friedrich also coaches freshmen boys lacrosse, and oversees the school's Wounded Warrior Club. He's also served as the health and physical education department's lead teacher since 2011.

"This award recognizes teachers that conduct high quality physical education programs," the NJAHPERD said in a statement about the recognition.

"Such special teachers utilize various teaching methodologies and plan innovative learning experiences to meet the needs of all students."

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

The mayor said he will soon create a new city department to oversee Port Authority revenues and projects

NEWARK — Mayor Ras Baraka plans to create a new office to oversee the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, he announced Wednesday — the latest device he hopes to use to wring more revenue out of the mammoth bi-state agency.

The two-person department will be created through executive order over the next two weeks, the mayor said. Its employees — one to oversee the city's airport and another for the seaport - will help examine the Port Authority's financials and capital projects in hopes of maximizing both the city's lease agreement and locating job opportunities for residents.

"I know people are saying, are we trying to make Port Authority do right by the city,' he said. "The answer is yes."

Baraka also grasped the occasion to put his weight behind a $15 per hour base salary for airport workers, just as legislators wrangle over how to advance a bill that would up the minimum wage across the state. In Trenton, officials are considering two methods — one that would make the increase effective immediately, and another that would increase it more gradually.

Flanked by members of the airport's 32BJ union, the mayor said he favored the former approach.

"No airport worker that works full-time should have to live in poverty and be forced to make the choice between housing, food and healthcare," he said. "I think we need $15 immediately."

N.J.'s top Democrats join forces on $15 minimum wage

Since taking office in 2014, Baraka has consistently targeted the Port Authority as a means to bring new funds into perpetually cash-strapped Newark. He has repeatedly brought up the agency's lease agreement — which currently brings the city approximately $80 million per year — and will be opened for renegotiation later this year.

He has also engaged the agency on issues including a lucrative shipping container fee it collects at its seaport, and lining Newark residents up with jobs. More recently, he upped the ante by threatening to sell land at the seaport out from under the authority if needed.

While he characterized discussions as open and encouraging, he admitted they have yet to bear any real fruit.

"Not a lot of motion but a lot of talking," he said. "We think it's high time that they begin to do something about the things we've been talking to them about."

Port Authority Commissioner Raymond M. Pocino said as recently as last month that it had hired an economic consultant study the effects of a $15 minimum wage, with results likely to be delivered late in the year's second quarter.

In a statement issued Tuesday, agency chairman John J. Degnan offered assurances it would continue to work with Newark and whoever was assigned to its new oversight office.

"We recognize an obligation for the Port Authority to work collaboratively and transparently with its host communities," he said. "We welcome Mayor Baraka's commitment to this partnership."

Kevin Brown, 32BJ's vice president and New Jersey state director, said he hoped a nudge from Baraka might help tip the scales in the union's favor.

"The mayor has power that he can use and he's going to use that power to help not only the city realize its true revenue potential, but also the citizen's realize their true revenue potential," he said.

Larry Higgs contributed to this report.

Jermel 'Sin' Medley was allegedly found with several loaded illegal guns and bullets, officials say.

Jermel Medley (Essex County Corrections)

NEWARK -- Officials on Tuesday arrested an Irvington man on multiple gun-related charges.

Acting on a search warrant, investigators from the Essex County Sheriff's Office, Bloomfield Police Department and Irvington Police Department allegedly found Jermel 'Sin' Medley, 30, in possession of a loaded rifle at his Martlin Luther King Boulevard home, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura announced.

Medley, a man officials allege is a member of the Bloods street gang, was also allegedly found in possession of several other guns and small quantities of marijuana and prescription drugs, Fontoura said.

A 35-year-old woman wanted on an open burglary warrant was also arrested following the search, Fontoura said.

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Medley now faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon, illegal possession of armor piercing bullets and multiple other gun and drug-related charges, Fontoura said.  

Following the arrest, Medley was ordered into custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility on $150,000 bail. 

"These arrests demonstrate the tremendous value of integrated operations among local and county law enforcement agencies and intelligence sharing for the overall benefit of the entire Essex County community," said Bloomfield Police Director Samuel DeMaio.

In a separate surveillance operation, Sheriff's department detectives arrested Rolando 'Chalo' Roberts, 44, of Irvington on multiple narcotics possession charges.

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

Haniyyah Barnes, 29, was convicted by a jury last fall of animal cruelty and related offenses for throwing the dog into oncoming traffic during a 2011 parking dispute Watch video

NEWARK -- Nazirah Bey recalled seeing the excitement on her children's faces several years ago when she gave them a Shih Tzu.

But Bey said when she later had to explain to them that someone killed the dog, the moment was devastating.

"It's not a dog," Bey said. "It's really family to us."

Bey offered those remarks on Wednesday in a Newark courtroom before Haniyyah Barnes was sentenced to four years in state prison on animal cruelty and related offenses for killing the dog by throwing it into oncoming traffic during a 2011 parking dispute.

Saying Barnes showed "callous indifference" to the dog, Superior Court Judge Richard Sules said he found it hard to believe she would commit such a "senseless killing" in light of testimony at her trial that she used to pet the dog when she saw it on the street.

The judge said Barnes has an "anger problem which needs to be addressed."

Barnes, 29, of Newark, will receive credit for nearly six months of time served and there is no minimum period she must serve before becoming eligible for parole.

Barnes also must pay $2,000 in restitution to Bey and, following her release from prison, she is required to perform 30 days of community service to an organization involved with the prevention of cruelty to animals, according to the judge.

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

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

For her conviction on the three third-degree charges, Barnes was 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 sentencing on Wednesday came after a series of delays in recent months.

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.

During Wednesday's hearing, Barnes's attorney, Michelle Treiber, said Barnes would not make a statement, because of the pending burglary charge.

Treiber told the judge Barnes had "changed" and was "remorseful" about her actions. Treiber asked Sules to sentence Barnes to time served and probation.

"I think she has gotten herself together and this was a changing event, a life-changing event for her," said Treiber, adding that "this is not something that is ever going to happen again."

But Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller, who tried the case, argued Barnes had not changed, but instead was someone who "never took this seriously, always took this as a joke."

Miller criticized how Barnes did not express any remorse during the sentencing hearing. She also noted how, during a prior court hearing, Barnes stuck out her tongue at Miller and Bey.

Calling for a five-year prison sentence, Miller argued Barnes committed "the ultimate act of cruelty" when she grabbed the dog by the throat, ignored Bey's pleas to stop and then threw the dog into the street, where it was struck by a car.

The "purity of the evil of that act" needs to be addressed appropriately in Barnes's sentence, Miller said.

"It was an ugly, cruel thing to do," Miller told the judge.

At the time of the incident, Bey and Barnes had an arrangement 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 said 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.

After the 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.

Bey's father, Daryl Williams, said during Wednesday's hearing that when he visits his daughter's home, he gets a "flashback" of Barnes throwing Honey Bey into the street and dog being struck by the car.

Williams said he was sick at the time of the incident and he became close to the dog. Honey Bey "kept me going," he said.

"I mean, it hurts, 'cause I don't have a friend no more," Williams said.

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

Gov. Chris Christie is back in New Jersey — but not quite in full form after his 2016 campaign loss. Watch video

NEWARK -- He's back at work -- but not yet ready to publicly discuss his recently vanquished White House campaign.

Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday talked to students at the brand new Elliott Street School about personal responsibility and relying on a strong work ethic to achieve life goals. That message was not overshadowed by discussion about his presidential campaign as Christie did not talk with reporters afterwards.

"We'll all make sure that we'll do our part, and you do yours," he said to more than 100 grade-schoolers in the school auditorium, He told them to focus on their schoolwork.

Bon Jovi gave more to Christie than a few songs

"In the end this is about you, you have to decide how hard you work," the governor said. "I'm happy to be here for this official ribbon cutting.

But after giving the seven-and-a-half minute speech in his first public appearance outside of the Statehouse since ending his presidential campaign earlier this month, Christie didn't stick around to help cut the ribbon.

The governor's SUV was already at the end of the block by the time more than a dozen reporters made it outside to try pepper Christie with questions.

The new Elliott Street School replaces one that burned after a lightning strike in 2006 and was  demolished in 2008, It serves some 850 students between kindergarten and eighth grade.

Christie vowed in his budget address last week "to make the next two years, two great years for the state" he said he loves.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Superintendent Chris Cerf said the plan will save the cash-strapped district an estimated $2-4 million per year

The former Burnet Street School in Newark, one of 12 properties the city's school district will transfer to the Newark Housing Authority. (Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

NEWARK - The city's school district is planning to jettison 12 properties as part of its latest strategy to fix its ailing budget.

At a School Advisory Board meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent of Schools Chris Cerf said the buildings, including 10 schools, a former day care and an office facility, will be conveyed to the Newark Housing Authority. The NHA will then assess whether they can be re-purposed into housing or sold off to developers for other purposes.

The move should help free up $2 million to $4 million in annual insurance and maintenance costs, according to Cerf, putting a dent in an estimated budget deficit that, despite an increase of $27.5 million in state funding, stands at about $50 million for the 2016-17 school year.

"That's approximately 20 to 40 teachers, for example," he said. "As we solve our budget challenges we would rather get that money into the hands of schools."

The proposal met with some resistance from both board members and the public, many of whom made oblique references to 18^th Avenue School, which former superintendent Cami Anderson ordered closed in 2012 and eventually sold off to a group affiliated with the KIPP network of charter schools.

Christie refocus on N.J. begins with Newark school kids

Betty Maloney, a city resident and former guidance counselor at Morton Street School - one of the facilities set to be transferred - said she feared what she called a "historic" building would be sold off in a similar fashion.

"It's not something just to be given away and for someone to make a profit on it," she said.

In an interview Wednesday, Mayor Ras Baraka said he was generally supportive of the plan, and believed the Housing Authority's role should put any perception of backroom dealing with charter networks to rest.

"People are thinking about 18^th Avenue," Baraka said. "By giving the schools to the Housing Authority, it takes them out of it. I believe we have more say so and control over than the district itself. To me it's a better situation for us."

At Tuesday's meeting, Cerf assured attendees and board members that all proceeds from any eventual sale would go to the district's capital improvement fund, and that any building could be reclaimed if the Housing Authority failed to find a suitable use within a reasonable amount of time.

The Paolo Friere Charter School is currently leasing one of the buildings, the former Burnet Street School, but Cerf stressed he had been assured by NHA Exectuive Director Keith Kinard that it would remain there through the end of the 2016-17 school year.

"These are buildings that we are being told overwhelmingly are not subject to reuse as a school," he said. "This is literally costing us $2-4 million a year. That is in the best interest of children (to sell it)."

The board ultimately voted 6-2 in favor of the transfers, with Donald Jackson and Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson casting the opposing votes. Dashay Carter, who works in the Housing Authority's human resources department, abstained.

Baskerville-Richardson voiced the loudest objection, advocating for the resolution to be put off until March in order to better evaluate the properties and provide information about the potential sales to residents.

"I have no problem voting at the end of the day in what is in the interest in the students of Newark and making our district whole and solvent, however a vote of this magnitude for me has lasting repercussions," she said. "We are letting go of 12 properties, potentially, which is no small thing."

Remaining members, however, said they believed the transfers would ultimate prove a boon to the district's troubled bottom line.

"I'm comfortable with turning these buildings over," said Vice Chair Marque-Aquil Lewis. "We're asking NHA to come in as real estate agents to sell this property for us. It is clear that this money will be going into capital funding."

The 12 properties set to be transferred are: Maple Avenue School, Maple Avenue School Annex, State Street building (office), Dayton Street School, William Brown Academy, Benjamin Banneker School, Clinton Avenue School, Mary Wheeler Willis Day Care Center, Morton Street School, Roseville Avenue School and Warren Street School.

Authorities say Christiana Fitzpatrick allegedly kidnapped her friend's baby from his East Orange home early Wednesday morning.

Christiana Fitzpatrick (Provided by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office)

EAST ORANGE -- An 11-month-old boy was reunited with his mother Wednesday following the arrest of the family friend who allegedly kidnapped him, officials say.

The alleged kidnapper, Christiana Fitzpatrick, 20, of Chicago, Illinois, was arrested Wednesday afternoon after authorities apprehended her with the child in West Hempstead, New York, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

The names of the mother and victim were not immediately released. The child was found unharmed, but transported to a local hospital for evaluation, Carter said.

A police investigation into the incident began early Wednesday morning, when the boy's mother contacted city police to report the kidnapping, Carter said.

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The child's mother later told investigators that her son was left overnight in the care of Fitzpatrick, Carter said. When the victim's mother returned home at approximately 2:30 a.m., both Fitzpatrick and the child were missing, Carter said.

Asked to describe Fitzpatrick's relationship to the child's mother, Carter said the two were friends.

Authorities say the child's mother made repeated attempts to get in touch with Fitzpatrick and have her return with the baby, Carter said. When Fitzpatrick allegedly refused, the mother contacted authorities at about 5:45 a.m., Carter said.

Fitzpatrick was later located and apprehended with aid from the US Marshals Service and New Jersey State Police, Carter said.

Details of the search, including how Fitzpatrick was apprehended, remain unclear. Also unclear is the motive in the alleged kidnapping.

Fitzpatrick now faces charges of kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and interfering with custody.

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