Bernard Hebda has been named the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

NEWARK -- A papal appointment to a post halfway across the country has got local Catholics questioning who the next leader of the state's largest archdiocese will be.

Pope Francis announced Thursday his appointment of Archbishop Bernard Hebda as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Hebda had previously served as the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, and was scheduled to replace Archbishop John J. Myers when he retires.

In a statement released Thursday, Myers said he was surprised by the appointment.

"Our Holy Father Pope Francis has often said that our God is a God of Surprises," Myers said in a statement. "Today is surely a perfect example of that."

When Hebda was named Coadjutor in Newark in 2013, he was expected to be the natural successor for Myers, who could retire as early as this July, when he turns 75 years old.

My friends from the Archdiocese of Newark are disappointed with the news from Rome. They were excited @ Hebda.

-- Brian J. Nolan (@BrianJNolan1) March 24, 2016

In a phone interview Thursday, Newark Archdiocese spokesman Jim Goodness said that Myers may stay on longer, as the church awaits a papal decision as to his successor.

"(Our) leadership is solid and in place," Goodness said Thursday. As for a successor and when he will be named, Goodness said, "that's a decision the Holy Father has to make."

Hebda was brought on in Newark to help oversee several large projects, including school initiatives and a capital campaign, Goodness said. Now that those are "well underway," a new leader brought into the Archdiocese would be able to successfully transition into the role, he said.

While serving as Coadjutor in Newark, Hebda was also named Apostolic Administrator in the Twin Cities. 

Hebda was appointed to the position in 2015, in light of a sex scandal at the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The archdiocese there was criminally charged in connection to the scandal, but as recently as January, Hebda said that his position in Minnesota was temporary.

In his statement Thursday, Myers said he and Hebda believed that position would not be permanent.

"Archbishop Hebda has always spoken with great affection and admiration for the people of St. Paul-Minneapolis - his new local Church," Myers said.

"The parishioners and general community of the Twin Cities have experienced what the people of Newark already have come to know - a happy spiritual leader who loves people...he will be missed."

Hebda's Installation Mass in his new post is scheduled for May 13.

As for worshippers in New Jersey, Goodness said they will trust the Pope to appoint a fitting replacement for Myers. He called Hebda's 2013 appointment in Newark a "wonderful choice...we are sure (Pope Francis) will provide us with another."

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

A study of college graduation rates highlights Rutgers University.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University's campuses in New Brunswick and Newark are not only improving their overall graduation rate but also closing the gap between the graduation rates of white and African American students, according to a new study. 

A report by Education Trust, a nonprofit advocacy organization, studied 232 colleges and universities that improved their graduation rates between 2003 and 2013.

While some colleges with rising overall graduation rates saw the difference in rates for white and African American students grow, Rutgers-New Brunswick and Rutgers-Newark are among the campuses where the divide is narrowing, according to the study.

Rutgers wants Obama to speak

The study compared a college's average graduation rates from 2003, 2004 and 2005 to the more recent average from 2011, 2012 and 2013. It looked at the percentage of students who graduate within six years or fewer. 

Higher education officials traditionally look at graduation rates over six years to take into account part-time students, students who change majors or need extra time to finish their degree for other reasons. 

Rutgers-Newark closed the gap in its graduation rate by 8.6 percentage points. By 2013, African American students were graduating at nearly the same rate (65.4 percent) as white students (66.2 percent). 

Rutgers-New Brunswick closed its gap by 5.2 percentage points. But it still had a wider difference in its graduation rates, with 72.8 percent of African American students graduating in six years compared to 79.1 percent of white students.

Rutgers-Camden was not one of the universities considered in the study.  

James Whitney, assistant vice chancellor at Rutgers-New Brunswick, said the university has expanded tutoring, mentoring and advising tutoring for first-generation college students, who are often African American. 

"The students often bring forth the ideas, and then, as the staff and faculty, we respond to their needs," Whitney said. "It's our job to meet them where they are."

The study concluded that demographics are not destiny. What colleges do for students plays a key role in shaping their success, the report said. 

"If more institutions are to produce gains in overall completion and close long-standing gaps between groups, we need to learn from institutions that are leading the way," the report said. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Patricia Munoz was one of four people charged in a human trafficking case involving a 15-year-old prostitute

Patricia MunozEssex County Correctional Facility 

NEWARK -- A Jersey City woman was sentenced on Thursday to three years in state prison for assisting an adult woman to work as a prostitute in Hudson County and human trafficking charges against her in connection with a teenage victim were dismissed.

Patricia Munoz, 26, received the sentence after pleading guilty in Essex County on Feb. 17 to a charge of promoting prostitution. Prosecutors recommended the three-year prison sentence as part of a plea agreement.

With credit for nearly two years of time served, Munoz will likely be released on parole in the coming months, according to her attorney, Damon McDougal.

During Thursday's hearing, McDougal said Munoz had been a victim of sexual exploitation at an early age and said she is "willing to take responsibility for the choice she made to engage in prostitution."

McDougal said Munoz will make better choices in her life going forward, and she is very unlikely to repeat such criminal behavior.

"She is a young woman with a bright future ahead of her," McDougal told Superior Court Judge Richard Sules.

Munoz was one of four people charged in a human trafficking case in Essex County involving the recruitment of a 15-year-old girl to work as a prostitute.

Authorities have said Munoz met the girl at a party in May 2013 and later introduced her to Charles P. Torres for the purpose of the girl becoming a prostitute. But under her plea agreement, the human trafficking and related charges against Munoz in connection with that victim were dismissed.

In pleading guilty, Munoz admitted to encouraging and helping an adult woman to work as a prostitute in Hudson County between May and August of 2013. Munoz said she posted pictures of the woman in online advertisements and drove her to various locations for her to engage in sexual acts for money.

"I advertised her on websites," Munoz said during the Feb. 17 hearing. "I took her on calls."

The main defendant in the case, Charles P. Torres, 56, of North Bergen, was sentenced on Jan. 21 to 20 years in state prison for recruiting the 15-year-old girl to work as a prostitute in Essex and Hudson counties. He had pleaded guilty to human trafficking and related offenses.

As part of a plea deal, Torres must serve the entire sentence without the chance of being released on parole, and prosecutors dismissed the charges against his son, Charles B. Torres, 29, of Ridgefield Park.

The third defendant, Victor Reyes, 41, of Union City, the brother of Charles P. Torres, pleaded guilty on Jan. 4 to third-degree money laundering in exchange for a recommended sentence of probation.

Reyes admitted to collecting $500 in North Bergen on Sept. 4, 2013 after Torres had asked him to pick up the money. Torres has said he spoke with Reyes by phone while Torres was in custody at the Essex County jail and he asked Reyes to pick up money owed to Torres as part of the prostitution business.

But Reyes on Feb. 19 indicated he wanted to pursue a motion to withdraw his guilty plea. Sules is expected to rule on that motion on April 15 and, if he denies it, Sules would then sentence Reyes.

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

The Monday event will also address charter school expansion, the return of local control and state education funding

NEWARK — Mayor Ras Baraka will host a forum Monday to discuss the ongoing controversy over lead contamination in the city's schools and other education issues.

The forum at Central High School — where Baraka served as principal until taking office in 2014 — is open to the public and will include time for audience questions, according to a statement from the city.

Other participants will include city Chief Education Officer Lauren Wells, Abbot Leadership Institute Director Junius Williams, Newark Housing Authority Executive Director Keith Kinard and Newark Public Schools Advisory Board member Antoinette Baskerville Richardson.

Listen: Robo-call with lead testing info mistakenly sent to Newark parents

Baraka initially joined other local and state officials in calling for calm after it was revealed 30 of the city's schools had water with levels of lead exceeding the federal government's so-called "action level."

He has pivoted, however, after the state-controlled school district recently revealed the elevated levels date back to at least 2012. In an interview with NJ Advance Media last week, he called it "completely alarming" that he was never informed of possible contamination while working in city schools.

In addition to discussion about lead levels, the Monday event will cover other hot-button issues including the growth of charter schools, state funding and the anticipated return of local control over the district, according to Baraka's office.

The panel discussion will also be aired on government access television and may be live streamed on the city's website.

The 4-acre site along the Irvington border has fallen into disrepair since the brewery left in 1986

NEWARK -- There may soon be something brewing at a long-vacant building in the city's West Ward.

The 4-acre former Pabst Blue Ribbon property on South Orange Avenue -- often noted for the 60-foot beer bottle replica visible from the Garden State Parkway -- is the latest object of Newark's gaze as they attempt to repurpose the many buildings left behind as Pabst and other industrial titans left the city decades ago.

The Newark Community Economic Development Corporation is currently weighing a number of proposals for the site from developers who responded to a request for proposals issued in December.

Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Baye Adofo-Wilson said he and other officials are currently weighing whether to move forward with one of the respondents to fulfill its vision of a mixed-use commercial and residential project.

"We want to make sure it fits with what we want to see in this site," he said.

Former Newark Bears stadium sold to NYC developer for $23M

The building was originally occupied by companies such as Hoffman Pale Dry Ginger Ale, but was sold to Milwaukee-based Pabst in 1945. Over the next 40 years, the facility churned out the company's trademark beers, but eventually left Newark in 1986.

While drivers continued to regard the trademark bottle continued its role as a beacon of the North Jersey landscape -- it was even prominently featured on multiple episodes of "The Sopranos" -- until its removal in 2006, a closer look revealed a dilapidated building that attracted crowds of the homeless, prostitutes and drug dealers.

"It's a problem area, and an eyesore," said West Ward Councilman Joe McCallum.

The property is currently valued at just over $3 million, though any buyer would face significant challenges left behind by its former industrial tenants.

The building was partially demolished in 2006, though what remains was damaged by a large fire two years later. Groundwater at the site is contaminated, according to the RFP issued in December, and the state Department of Environmental Protection is assessing penalties against its current owner for operating an illegal landfill.

It also lies miles from downtown, where most development activity has been focused, making it all the more important to fulfill Mayor Ras Baraka's promises that any new prosperity would be felt even in the most downtrodden neighborhoods.

Adofo-Wilson said the site, which lies partially in Irvington, is adjacent to one of the city's "Model Neighborhood" zones, where street-cleaning and job creation efforts are being concentrated in hopes of lighting the first sparks of revitalization.

"We've been working heavily in trying to revitalize the West Ward," he said. "Our goal is to create as many jobs as we can."

Officials have arrested and charged three men with the 2015 killing of a Naji Everett.

Zaki Jones (photo provided)

NEWARK -- Officials have arrested and charged three men with the 2015 killing of a 26-year-old Orange township man.

Zaki Jones, 33, of Newark, Jarret Mceachin, 29, of Orange and Rasuan Foster, 29, of East Orange have all been arrested and charged with murder, conspiracy, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in connection with the death of Naji Everett, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and West Orange Police Chief James Abbott announced Thursday.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/12/26-year-old_man_identified_in_fatal_west_orange_sh.html

Foster and Mceachin are both being held at the Essex County Correctional Center on $750,000, Carter said.

Everett was gunned down outside a residence in the 100 block of Joyce Street in the early hours of December 17, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Emergency medical personnel pronounced Everett dead at the scene at 6:30 a.m., Carter said.

An investigation into Everett's killing by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Fore is ongoing, Carter said.

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

Al-Shareef Metz pleaded guilty to the July 2011 shooting in Newark that killed Kenyon Simon

NEWARK -- A reputed gang leader serving a 65-year state prison sentence in one homicide case pleaded guilty on Thursday to another killing in which he shot the victim in the head during a drive-by shooting in Newark.

Al-Shareef Metz, 30, formerly of Newark, pleaded guilty to an aggravated manslaughter charge before Superior Court Judge Richard Sules in connection with the July 11, 2011 shooting that ultimately killed 28-year-old Newark resident Kenyon Simon.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors have agreed to recommend a 15-year prison sentence for Metz in Simon's killing. Metz would have to serve nearly 13 years before becoming eligible for parole. His sentencing is scheduled for May 6.

But under the plea deal, that 15-year sentence would run concurrent to the 65-year sentence Metz received slightly more than a year ago for the July 29, 2011 fatal shooting of Tariq Walker on Shephard Avenue in Newark. Metz was convicted at a 2014 trial of murder and weapons offenses in Walker's death.

When Metz was sentenced to the 65-year prison term on March 16, 2015, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Eric Plant, who has handled both cases, said Metz is a lifelong criminal who had brought a "reign of terror on the streets of Newark."

"It's a long, continuous history of criminal violence towards the citizens of Essex County," Plant said at the time.

Metz will not be eligible for parole until November 2066, when he will be 81 years old, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

During Thursday's hearing, Metz repeatedly answered "yes" to the questions of his attorney, Ann Sorrel, as he admitted firing the bullet that killed Simon.

Metz said he was a passenger in a vehicle being driven on Spruce Street in Newark on July 11, 2011 when he opened fire into a crowd of people with an assault-type weapon. Metz said he intended to shoot people in the crowd.

Metz acknowledged that one of the bullets struck Simon in the head and Simon died from his injuries on Aug. 4, 2011.

A reputed leader of the Brick City Brims - a set of the Bloods street gang - Metz has a long history of violence in Newark.

In 2004, he was in a gun battle that landed him in jail for two years. In the summer of 2007, Metz allegedly helped kick off a bloody street war by seeking revenge for his half-sister getting shot, authorities said. That war left at least two dead and four wounded, police have said.

After Metz was arrested in Belleville in 2011, then-Newark Mayor Cory Booker said: "It is my belief that he has helped source an unconscionable amount of violence in our community."

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

Archbishop Bernard Hebda will head the Archdiocese in the Twin Cities, not in Newark.

NEWARK -- News that Archbishop Bernard Hebda has left New Jersey for good has left Catholics in the Garden State wondering who will eventually lead the state's largest Archdiocese.

"I was devastated," Fr. Alex Santora of Our Lady of Grace in Hoboken said of how he felt when he learned of Pope Francis's decision Thursday to appoint Hebda the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

"I think I can speak for a lot of priests that I've talked to who feel that (Hebda) raised the expectations for what could be in our Archdiocese."

Archbishop's successor got another job

Hebda came to New Jersey in 2013, when Pope Francis named him Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, and successor to current Archbishop John J. Myers, who is expected to retire in July.

Hebda's personality and style, Santora said, instilled a "sense of excitement" amongst local clergy members about the impending  "transition" to Hebda's leadership. "Now, that has been dashed."

Last year, while still serving in Newark, Hebda was appointed to also serve as Apostolic Administrator in the Twin Cities. Hebda was brought in amidst a sex scandal in Minnesota that saw the resignation of former Archbishop John Nienstedt. The appointment led to speculation that Hebda would not remain in Newark, though he assured local Catholics that the post was temporary.

"In his time here he visited many parishes and got to know many of the people and priests. He really endeared himself to us," Fr. Warren Hall said of Hebda.

Hall last year was reassigned from his post at Seton Hall University to Saints Peter and Paul Church in Hoboken and St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church in Weehawken after he made a social media post in support of an LGBT movement. The archdiocese has said his reassignment was unrelated to the post.

"We were looking forward to a joyful new start in July and now that's not going to happen," Hall said of the understanding that Hebda would head the Archdiocese after Myers' 75th birthday in July. "It's disappointing."

New Jersey Catholics have started appealing to the Pope to appoint someone similar to Hebda to the church's top post in Newark. Susan Francesconi, an Englewood resident and Catholic blogger, tweeted to the pontiff to send help to Newark.

@Pontifex SOS from the long-suffering Archdiocese of Newark. Please appoint a good Shepherd who knows the heart of Jesus to heal & lead us.

-- Susan Francesconi (@susanfrances) March 24, 2016

"This is a gain for St. Paul, but it is a loss for us," Francesconi said of Hebda's departure.

"I'm shocked."

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

A half-dozen vehicles have been taken in less than a month

MILLBURN -- Six cars, including BMWs and Mercedes, have been stolen in the township since March 10, CBS 2 New reported Wednesday.

Cars were taken on Forest Drive and Hobart Street Tuesday night, and two others were stolen on Hobart Street in recent weeks. One victim was unaware her BMW had been stolen until she was notified by police, who had been pursuing the car during a high-speed chase.

Millburn police are now working with authorities in Union and Morris counties, as well as elsewhere in Essex, to combat the thefts.

Police urge the public to keep their vehicles locked and to never leave the keys inside.

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

Essex County Sheriff's officers allegedly found a gun and drugs at a home Thursday.

NEWARK -- A 45-year-old resident faces weapons and drug charges following an early-morning search at her home Thursday, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.

Bureau of Narcotics officers executed the search warrant at 25 Elwood Place and found a .38-caliber Rossi revolver, five grams of crack and several items used to process narcotics, Fontoura said.

Venessia Northover was charged with possession of a weapon while committing a narcotics crime, possession of CDS and possession of paraphernalia. She was being held at the Essex County Jail on $50,000 bail.

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

This is the week you're going to get a perfect score.

Atlantic City's running out of money, Eli Manning's condo is for rent and the Easter Bunny brawled in a New Jersey mall. Such is New Jersey's news this week, and we're here to see how well you recall it all. The quiz below will test how well you know local news. Once you're finished, share your score in comments. And please, no Googling.

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

Underneath skies still dark at 5:30 a.m., more than 100 young professionals rose from their cardboard boxes and sleeping bags, holding onto an experience they'll never forget. They were homeless for one night.

Saturday morning couldn't come soon enough for the millenials waking up from a restless overnight pilgrimage.

The biting wind cut into them and the 36-degree temperature  made sleeping in a Newark parking lot uncomfortable.

Underneath skies still dark at 5:30 a.m., more than 100 young professionals rose from their cardboard boxes and sleeping bags, holding onto an experience they'll never forget.

Larry Clifton Jr., a music producer from Newark, thought he could handle it, but the cold and the hard ground humbled him during the National Sleep Out campaign last week to raise awareness about homeless youth.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns   

"I couldn't imagine doing this every day,'' said Clifton, 35.

No one should, but homeless youth in New Jersey do it night after night.  They're not thinking about tomorrow, only today - and how they're going to eat and where they'll sleep.

In a reversal of roles, Clifton and the others spent the night outside to get a snapshot of what it's like for homeless young people who are forced to huddle under boardwalks, break into abandoned buildings and roam around train stations to stay warm and off the streets.

The participants did it not only to gain an understanding, but also to raise money for Covenant House, a Newark agency that helps runaway and homeless youth rebuild their lives through job training and education.

For myriad reasons that run from parents kicking them out of the house to untenable foster care placements, many young people - 18 to 21 years old - find themselves with no place to go, until they hear about the brown building on Washington Street with a sign bearing a picture of a bird being set free.

"We put our arms around them, pat them on the back and dust them off,'' said David Hall, a program director.  "We feed them and we say, 'Despite what you've been through, tomorrow's a better day.' ''

For the past three years, Covenant House has participated in National Sleep Out in New York, where the staff camped out on the streets near the Port Authority Bus Terminal. But this year, the organization held its own sleep-out in Newark, as part of  the social movement that also took place in Anchorage, Alaska; Philadelphia; New York; Houston; Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale.

When Covenant House put the call out, more than 100 young professionals in New Jersey signed up, raising $117,000 in donations.

The words that Jim White, executive director of Covenant House, shared before participants' heads hit the pavement in the Covenant House parking lot came from the heart. "This gift you have given to us, we hold sacred,'' said White.

What participants heard next were hardly soothing bedtime stories. Instead, they were tales of struggle and resilience from young people they met that night.

MORE CARTER: Newark students want answers about lead in schools' water

Lorraine Rivera told of how her mother didn't want her when she was 8 years old. Foster homes and rejection marked her childhood, sending her into depression and a psychiatric ward.

"By the age of 16, the idea of killing myself seemed like the only way out of my pain,'' Rivera said.

And that was before four men assaulted her when she went to visit a friend, she said.

Rivera ended up homeless, wandering around Newark Penn Station, begging for food, cleaning herself up with paper towels, afraid to sleep on the streets.  

Rivera, now 20, is in a better place - Covenant House. A Job Corps training program is on her agenda and she wants to be a social worker to lighten the road for foster kids like herself.

When she finished talking, the participants stood, filling the Covenant House gymnasium with applause.

But there wasn't anything that Covenant residents or staff could do to prep the participants for a night on the blacktop. They layered up in clothing, settling along the fence after a touching candlelight service to remember the homeless.

Five hours later, rubbing what sleep they managed to get from their eyes, they were not the same.

Allison Lebo, a 27-year-old recruiter, said it was wrong  to think homeless people were responsible for their situation. 

"After hearing the stories of the kids, you realize they did nothing wrong to put themselves in this position,''  said Lebo, a Bloomfield resident. "This was a bad hand dealt to them and that could have easily been us.''

One night out there hit home for Tony Whitaker, 27, of Irvington. He thought about his family and how his gambling problem put them on the street when he lost his mother's rent money in Atlantic City.

This is why he slept out. It was a reminder to never do something that would cause him to be homeless again.

Covenant House hopes the participants in the sleep-out won't become complacent, now that a week has gone by and life is back to normal.

Mariam Rashid, a Rutgers University graduate student, can't get it out of her mind. She had driven by Covenant House many times in the past, never realizing how the place saves lives. And she certainly never expected to one day be sleeping outside in Covenant's parking lot.

"I guess it's just something that's going to be with me,'' she said.

She'll be back next year.

How many of us will hold a candle and join her?

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

Charlie is a "high-energy dog" despite his age who likes to be walked and play fetch.

Charlie 

BLOOMFIELD -- Charlie is a 10-year-old cairn terrier at the North Jersey Humane Society Rescue Center.

Shelter workers say that despite his age, he is a "high-energy dog" who likes to be walked and play fetch. Charlie, who would do best in a home without other dogs, has been neutered, is housebroken and is up-to-date on shots.

To meet Charlie and other adoptable pets, visit the North Jersey Humane Society Rescue Center at 61 Bukowski Place in Bloomfield. The shelter is open every day from noon to 5 p.m. (Wednesdays until 7 p.m.) For more information, call 973-748-0194 or visit the shelter's website at njhumane.org.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email essex@starledger.com.

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

 

Drones give us a bird's-eye view of Newark, Atlantic City, the Shore and many other corners of the Garden State.

The Montclair resident, Dr. David Newman, 45, has been charged with two counts of sexual abuse

A doctor from Montclair accused of ejaculating on one of his patients claims that his semen may have gotten onto the 22-year-old woman because he forgot to wash his hands after masturbating, the NY Post reports. 

Dr. David Newman, 45, told cops that he masturbated in the lounge before treating the woman for shoulder pain at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan on Jan. 11, according to The Daily News.

He told police during an interview at his home on Jan. 12 that he believes semen may have gotten onto the patient's blanket and then her face, according to the reports.  

Newman allegedly also gave the woman an extra dose of morphine that was not listed on her chart. 

Since the accusation, four additional women have come forward and claimed Newman assaulted them, reports say. He is no longer employed at Mt. Sinai Hospital. 

Newman is charged with two counts of sexual abuse and facilitating a sexual offense.

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

Zakia Merrill was acquitted on Wednesday of murder and weapons offenses in a 2013 stabbing death

Zakia MerrillEssex County Correctional Facility 

NEWARK -- After spending 933 days in custody, a Newark woman was released on Thursday following her acquittal at a trial this week in the 2013 stabbing death of another woman.

Zakia Merrill, 25, was found not guilty on Wednesday of murder and weapons offenses in connection with the Aug. 31, 2013 killing of 24-year-old Newark resident Ebony Martin.

Merrill had been in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of posting $350,000 bail before her release on Thursday, court records show.

"She was just extremely thankful and relieved," said Merrill's attorney, Jonathan L. Gordon, describing her reaction to the verdict.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Allan P. Nawrocki, who tried the case, declined to comment.

The incident occurred during an altercation involving several people in the area of Pennsylvania Avenue and Thomas Street in Newark, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office. Martin was stabbed once in the chest and later died from her injuries, Carter said. The knife was never recovered, she said.

Merrill was arrested in the days after the killing and she was placed in custody at the county jail on Sept. 3, 2013, court records show. Merrill was indicted on June 13, 2014, court records show.

The more than two-year gap between the incident and Merrill's trial is not unusual for a murder case in Essex County due to various factors, including pre-trial motions in her case, scheduling issues and the overall backlog of cases in the county, according to Gordon.

The state's case against Merrill was based on the claims of two witnesses who testified at the trial that they saw Merrill fighting with Martin and, during that fight, they heard Martin exclaim, "She stabbed me," according to Gordon. Those witnesses never said they saw Merrill with a knife, Gordon said.

But when Merrill took the witness stand, she said she was present at the scene, but she did not fight anyone, Gordon said. Merrill testified she saw her male cousin stab Martin and later heard him admit to the stabbing, Gordon said.

Gordon said Merrill's testimony was "extremely credible and strong."

"She looked them in the eye...and she told the whole truth," said Gordon, referring to the jurors.

In the jury's decision to acquit Merrill, Gordon said jurors were likely swayed by her demeanor during the trial, her testimony and the fact that when police came to her home to arrest her a couple of days after the incident, Merrill had no bruises that would indicate she had been in a fight.

Pointing out the absence of such bruises was part of the defense's argument about the "lack of evidence, no corroboration of the story of the two witnesses," Gordon said.

"There was absolutely nothing," Gordon said. "The fact that she literally didn't have a mark on her...I think was certainly important."

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

Eilish R. Harrington, who works at Seton Hall's Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology as an institutional research specialist, was inducted into the Irish Echo's "40 Under 40" list.

Seton Hall Institutional Research Specialist Eilish R. Harrington (center) with her parents Jim and Eileen, sister Maura Grace Logue and brother-in-law Pete Logue. 

MONTCLAIR -- Eilish R. Harrington, who works at Seton Hall's Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology as an institutional research specialist, was inducted into the Irish Echo's "40 Under 40" list.

The Echo's list honors a "prestigious and diverse group of young professionals who have already blazed trails through their lives that bring credit to themselves, their families, their communities, Ireland, Irish America and the United States of America."

Harrington, a Montclair resident, founded the student organization Pirates of Irish Persuasion and Extraction (PIPE) in 2006 to "further the celebration of Irish heritage through cultural, educational, social and service activities." She is also the Seton Hall University Bagpiper and can be seen and heard at major events.

At Seton Hall's Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, Harrington has earned the praise of her colleagues by "improving the tracking of student, faculty and university data, which she uses to advance ICSST in the fields of grants/funding, development and academic accreditation."

To submit an achievement, please send an email to essex@starledger.com

Mike Romano may be reached at mromano@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @mromano26. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

Richard Beam has been ordered to appear in court to explain why he should not be held in contempt

NEWARK -- A Superior Court judge has ordered a former Essex County juror to appear on Monday on a contempt charge for allegedly discussing an ongoing sexual assault trial in the courthouse cafeteria with two fellow jurors last year, ultimately leading to a mistrial.

Judge Michael L. Ravin ordered Richard Beam to appear before him to show cause specifying why he should not be found in contempt of court for disregarding the trial judge's instructions to not discuss the case. A contempt charge carries maximum penalties of six months of imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.

The two other jurors - John Lipari and Eddie White - each pleaded guilty on June 22 before Judge Robert Gardner to a contempt charge for discussing the case and they were ordered to pay $100 each. Gardner, who had presided over the trial, had executed orders to show cause against each of the jurors for them to specify why they should not be held in contempt of court.

But after Beam's attorney, Dennis Durkin, claimed Gardner should recuse himself due to his bias in the case, the judge transferred the matter to Ravin.

As part of a motion ultimately heard by Ravin, Durkin argued the order to show cause should be dismissed, because a person can only be found in contempt of court if it is proven he intended to violate a court order. Durkin has said there was no such intention on Beam's part.

In a March 3 letter to Ravin, Durkin claimed that "when the charging document in a contempt proceeding fails to identify with specificity the order alleged to have been violated by willful, purposeful, volitional intent, there is a failure of evidence in the State's case on the question of intent."

During a March 7 hearing, Durkin cited the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and told Ravin that "the mere fact of speaking cannot itself be a violation."

In a March 14 written decision, Ravin denied the motion and said the issue of Beam's intent would be addressed at the hearing scheduled for Monday.

"Discharging the Order for the State's failure to prove Beam's intent, therefore, is not the appropriate relief here because the issue of Beam's intent is to be addressed at a contempt hearing before this Court," the decision states.

Lipari, White and Beam served as jurors in March 2015 during the trial of Donovan Cunningham, who is charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl between November 2011 and February 2012.

Throughout the trial, Gardner reminded the jury to not discuss the case, according to Ravin's decision. On March 26 - the 12^th day of the trial - Gardner dismissed the jurors for a lunch break and instructed them as follows: "Don't discuss the matter amongst yourselves or with anyone else," the decision states.

But over the lunch break, three Essex County assistant prosecutors overheard the three jurors discussing the case in the cafeteria at the Essex County Courthouse, the decision states.

After the issue was brought to the judge's attention, Gardner questioned each of the three jurors and they admitted to discussing the case, the decision states. As a result, Gardner declared a mistrial later that day, the decision states.

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

A man who allegedly shot at a repo crew among those arrested in Newark this week.

NEWARK -- Three people have been arrested in connection with two shootings and a fourth person for a burglary, Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced.

A man was found shot and wounded March 8 in the 400 block of S.10th Street. Two city men were identified as suspects in the incident, Marquis Richardson, 26, and Maleik Jones, 25, both of whom were arrested Friday by Fugitive Apprehension Team officers. The two have been charged with assault and weapons offenses.

On Wednesday, fugitive officers arrested Aldawin Lassiter, 34, and charged him in connection with a March 15 shooting in which he allegedly opened fire on a repossession team who had come to claim his vehicle. No on was hit.

Lassiter was being held on $75,000 bail after being charged with two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.  

A resident of the 100 block of Mount Pleasant Avenue told police Sunday that someone had burglarized her home while she was attending a meeting early in the day.

On Thursday, Det. Reinaldo Perez learned that a woman was attempted to sell some of the items taken from the victim. The woman, whose identity was not immediately known by police, was arrested and charged with burglary and theft.

"The detectives charged with these investigations have done an outstanding job in tracking down the suspects. I commend them all on a fine job and some great old-fashioned police work," Ambrose said.

Take a behind the scenes look at Holland Greenhouses Inc., one of the Garden State's largest producers of cut tulips. Watch video

MONROE TWP. -- The vivid colors and smell of fresh cut tulips can only mean one thing. Spring has arrived. 

Take a behind the scenes look at Holland Greenhouses Inc., one of New Jersey's largest producers of cut tulips. They produce 25 million tulip stems from September through Mother's Day according to Casey Jansen Jr., president of the greenhouse.

Holland Greenhouses is a family owned an operated business located in Monroe Township and Millstown Township. Casey Jansen Sr. started the business in Holland in 1969.

The father and son team pride themselves with the slogan, "Local, Fast, and Fresh Cut Tulips. That's what we do best!" said Jansen Jr.

Easter Sunday weather forecast looking bright

Holland Greenhouses Inc. does not only service the Garden State. They have partnered with the Northeast region of Whole Food Markets which includes 33 stores. Customers in New York and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey can expect local tulips in their floral department. 

What is your favorite color tulip or spring flower? Share with us in the comment section below.