Edward Raskin, 55, has practices in Springfield and New York City.

Edward Raskin, 55, was charged with second-degree sexual assault.Union County Prosecutor's Office 

An acupuncturist with practices in New York City and Springfield was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a patient, authorities said Friday.

A patient told police that Edward Raskin, sexually assaulted him or her during a scheduled appointment on Dec. 30, 2017, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. 

Raskin, a 55-year-old Chatham Township resident, turned himself in to Springfield police on Thursday afternoon. He faces charges of second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

If convicted on the sexual assault charge, he faces five to 10 years in prison, the release said.

Anyone with more information about Raskin can contact Springfield Detective Sgt. James Mirabile at 973-912-2242.    

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

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Isaac Wood has been been accused of punching Rafael Jardines in the face and then kicked him multiple times in the head and body.

The Mercer County corrections officer accused of beating an inmate in May 2017 will face reduced charges in municipal court, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said. 

Isaac Wood III, 41, of Ewing, had previously been indicted on two counts of second-degree official misconduct and one count of third-degree tampering with public records or information, in Sept. 2017. 

Wood has been been accused of punching Rafael Jardines in the face and then kicked him multiple times in the head and body. 

His then fiance, and now wife, Trachell Syphax, 32, of Trenton, was accused of watching and not intervening. 

The pair then allegedly filed false police reports regarding Wood's use of force.

Wood's indictment was dismissed Tuesday, he will now face a simple assault charge in Hopewell Township Municipal Court.

Syphax had her indictment dismissed earlier this month, after an internal investigation was completed. 

"Given the severity of the discipline imposed, which is in addition to the unpaid suspension (Syphax) served from May 16, 2016 until February 8, 2018, the (prosecutor's office) found that no useful purpose would be served by further prosecution of the criminal case," said Mercer County spokeswoman Casey DeBlasio at the time.

Although the criminal charges against Wood and Syphax have been dismissed, they must still contend with the civil suit that Jardines has filed against the pair for the alleged beating. 

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook 

Donald Trump, always thinking. Watch video

The NYPD, arguably the best-trained police force in the country, conducted an 8-year study and found that its cops were 30-percent accurate when they discharged their weapons.

In an actual gunfight - meaning, their intended target shot back - their accuracy rate fell to 18 percent.  

Perhaps inspired by stats like these, Donald Trump wants to give a gun to Mrs. Moscowitz in French Lit class, and maybe another gun to Mr. Whimby in Chem Lab, because he thinks a few teachers with pistols would stop some sociopath firing off 140 rounds per minute, assuming he has a semi-automatic assault rifle with a 30-round clip.

While it's comforting that the man is charge has clearly given this crisis a lot of thought - you get 'er done, Mr. President - it's hard to find anyone in law enforcement or education who calls this is a sensible idea.

Mo Canady - the executive director of the National Association for School Resource Officers, which trains 4,500 school cops - found the two most obvious ways to call Trump's idea stupid.

He pointed out that cops responding to a school shooting could mistake a teacher for an assailant. And he is skeptical about how a  teacher would respond to such a crisis, because "anyone who hasn't received the extensive training provided to law enforcement officers will likely be mentally unprepared to take a life, especially the life of a student assailant."

Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton was more blunt: "Proposals to arm American teachers are the height of lunacy," he tweeted last week.

The president is staying on message. He said, "If you had a teacher with, who was adept at firearms, they could very well end the attack very quickly." And for the sake of argument, we'd like to hear him explain how his fantasy-war-game policy would work.

Who pays for the guns and training? Are the teachers outfitted with vests? Will everyone know who is carrying? Must armed teachers submit to psychiatric exam? Do they lose carry status if they have domestic issues? Is there liability if a student is hit in the crossfire, or do parents sign waivers like they would a field trip permission slip? Will band practice and football games also get armed guards? Since living with a gun increases homicide risk by 40 percent, who pays the insurance increase?

And as long he wants to conscript teachers in an ideological war, will Trump stop threatening the $250 tax deduction they need to buy school supplies?

The truth is, school kids were never a priority: His budget included a $25 million reduction for school security, and eliminated a $400 million grant program used for mental health aid.

The president believes arming teachers is a deterrent. There were 50 armed cops at Virginia Tech that day in 2007, but one guy with anxiety disorder murdered 33 people with two handguns and 400 rounds of ammo. There are 45,000 well-armed soldiers at Fort Hood, but a disturbed Army psychiatrist killed 13 people and injured 32 more with two handguns.

No, we would accomplish more by eliminating assault rifles, such as the AR-15 used in Parkland - because a gym teacher's pistol cannot match a gun designed to win wars and fire rounds at 2,200 m.p.h.

We would accomplish more by limiting magazine capacity, by mandating tighter background checks, and by learning how to intervene in the lives of homicidal people before they carry out threats.

Instead, Trump offers platitudes, half-measures, and more deception. He is merely reading off the script from the NRA's paste-eating rage mutant, Wayne LaPierre, whose goal is to sell as many guns as he can, no matter the human toll.

The $30 million contribution to the Trump campaign by our national death merchant has already paid dividends, in that it was permitted to propose an idiotic solution to another massacre before the tears even dried.

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

Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, were trying to get away at a Grapefruit League game, but are learning that there is no getting away from what they've been through. Watch video

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- You wouldn't have recognized the five high school students at First Data Field on Friday. They were every bit as ordinary as the rest of the crowd, donning Mets gear and sitting in the stands. 

But Jordan Faber, Ethan Faber, Devin Weisenfeld, Bailey Feuerman and Sammy Feuerman are actually quite extraordinary. These five Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students know that you might see them as nothing but teenagers, so they're going to make sure that you hear what they have to say.

Every single word. 

All five Parkland, Florida natives lost friends when 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on the South Florida school on Valentine's Day, killing 17. And all five experienced unspeakable horrors. 

Changes for Cecchini

They also happen to be Mets fans, but that's beside the point. They were invited to the Mets' Grapefruit League opener against the Atlanta Braves and had the honor of escorting manager Mickey Callaway to home plate as he handed the umpires his lineup card. 

It was an escape of sorts for the kids. A chance to be just normal teenagers taking in a ballgame. But it's only a brief respite, because they know they will never truly be normal teenagers ever again. 

"They messed with the wrong community," 17-year-old senior Jordan said. "They really did." 

This particular group of kids happens to be part of the larger group of kids who are trying to get the adults to listen to them. Their message is as clear as any: Stricter gun laws. 

After seeing their classmates mowed down by an AR-15, they want a ban on automatic weapons and they want universal background checks. They're not against the second amendment, they say, they're against more mass shootings and the ease at which shooters obtain weapons. 

"I do believe in the second amendment, I do believe in self-defense," Jordan said. "But you can be armed with a handgun or a gun that's not meant for war, like an AR-15. That gun is meant for war. That gun is made with the intent to kill. That should not be allowed." 

Sammy has slept maybe 13 hours in the last week. Maybe. That's about the same amount of pitches that Mets' starter Zack Wheeler threw in his one inning of work Friday. His younger sister Bailey recently returned from a trip to Tallahassee, where she marched alongside classmates in an effort to sway Florida lawmakers to ban assault weapons. 

Kids from Stoneman Douglas and other school shootings have reported post-traumatic stress symptoms similar to those coming back from war -- the place where those types of weapons are used. It's not fair that they have to experience these things and it's even more unfair that their friends' lives were lost. 

Weisenfeld talked about sitting next to one of the victims, Carmen Schentrup, in class just an hour before Cruz opened fire. Another one of his friends was shot three times. His voice cracked and the tears were visible behind his eyes as Faber draped his arm around his friend.

But Weisenfled was determined to remain strong and unemotional, just as all of the students are trying to do. They have a message they want to get out and change they want to influence. 

"We should not have this (political) divide," Jordan said. "This is not a party issue -- this is an American issue. The United States of America, this is one of the best countries in the world and this needs to be fixed."

So, they plan to help fix it. They're canvassing the country to spread their message. They want to encourage everyone everywhere to participate in the "March for our Lives" event on March 24. 

They're don't want people to forget about them and move on, they want change. And they think they can make that happen. 

"We're the students who are going to make a difference," Bailey said. 

Abbey Mastracco may be reached at amastracco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbeymastracco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The teachers are seeking lower health care costs.

Jersey City teacher Diane Mackay said it may seem on paper like she makes a healthy salary.

Mackay, 46, a second-grade teacher at School 25, has an annual salary of $106,000. Health benefits cost her $12,000, with premiums set to rise in January. Eight years ago, she paid essentially zero.

Mackay is on a leave of absence now caring for her ill husband (her plan covers them and their daughter). She worries the escalating costs of health benefits hide what teachers truly make and will discourage younger people from pursuing careers in education.

"Who's going to want to go into this profession anymore?" she said.

Mackay is one of the thousands of teachers on one side of a six-month (and counting) contract battle with the 29,000-student public-school district. The teachers have worked under an expired contract since the start of the school year and negotiations have stalled over whether teachers should pay less toward their health care expenses. The teachers call it "Chapter 78 relief."

Chapter 78 is the 2011 law that revamped how New Jersey's public workers pay for their health benefits. It required school employees to pay a portion of premiums, with amounts rising over a four-year period. In Jersey City, that period has ended, so teachers can now ask the school district to shoulder more of the cost.

The dispute has statewide implications. If the teachers union, the Jersey City Education Association, scores a victory in Jersey City, other districts could follow.

COSTS SOAR

The district's costs for employee health benefits for the 2017-18 school year is $98.9 million. The district's total budget is $682 million.

Since 2011, the amount teachers pay for their benefits has risen nearly 400 percent. For the 2010-11 school year, the amount was $4.2 million. This year, teachers pay $19.9 million. In that same time period the district's share rose from $55.6 million to $79 million.

A medical insurance plans census created by the school district and obtained by The Jersey Journal reveals a bit more about the plans teachers choose.

Of the 4,106 school employees who receive medical benefits from the district, 3,560 are enrolled in the most expensive plan, NJ Direct from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. The total monthly costs (district- and employee-paid) range from $1,830 for single coverage to $5,234 for a family, the census says. For the least expensive plan, a Horizon HMO that covers four employees, costs range from $1,240 to $3,548.

Those costs do not include vision or prescriptions (medical benefits account for 76 percent of health care costs). Chapter 78 set the employee share as a percentage of salary, ranging from 3 to 35 percent. The median city teacher's salary is about $73,000.

By comparison, the average monthly premium in 2017 for workers in the northeast region of the nation was $583 for a single plan and $1,674 for a family, according to Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Education Trust. The average employee share for a single plan is 80 percent and for a family plan, 70 percent.

State Sen. Declan J. O'Scanlon Jr., R-Monmouth, was a supporter of Chapter 78 and last month on Twitter urged Jersey City's school board not to give in to teachers' demands.

"Once that's gone it doesn't come back and if you have health benefit costs that go up disproportionally going forward, that all falls on the taxpayers," O'Scanlon told The Jersey Journal. "Everyone should very publicly be saying, we are not negotiating health benefits, not one iota, not one inch."

BOARD SPARRING

Since December, teacher protests have escalated, with daily rallies outside schools citywide before classes begin and larger protests outside school board meetings. On Thursday, the city started ticketing motorists driving by the protests who signal their support for teachers with their car horns.

Meanwhile, things are getting testy on the nine-member school board. At a special meeting today, board member Matt Schapiro said he thinks the JCEA is winning in the court of public opinion because Sudhan Thomas, the board's president, is not communicating anything from the board and has prohibited board members from doing so.

"The only information the public is currently receiving regarding these negotiations is coming from the side that is literally negotiating against the interests of that public," Schapiro said. "And they are receiving no information from us, the board, their actual, official representatives."

Thomas objected, striking his gavel and telling Schapiro he wasn't allowed to continue his statement until a later portion of the meeting.

"You can't do whatever you want," Thomas said, before Schapiro continued.

Later, Thomas said, in response to Schapiro's complaint about the board not issuing any public statements about negotiations, that the board's "actions should speak for themselves."

"There's no need for any kind of savvy media messaging campaign here," he said.

Thomas won a spot on the BOE with the JCEA's endorsement and is seen as friendly to the union. Schapiro is seen as a union foe.

District and union officials are scheduled to meet Saturday morning for another round of negotiations.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

The husband was a passenger in their car, which left Hartford Road, went airborne, struck a utility pole and flipped over

A Mount Laurel woman who was behind the wheel when her husband was killed in a motor-vehicle crash in Delran last year was charged with vehicular homicide Friday, authorities announced.

Tameka Lawson

Detectives arrested Tameka Lawson, 37, at her home Friday after investigators received the results of toxicology on her blood drawn following the Nov. 12 crash that killed Jamar Rentie, 38, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said.

The prosecutor's office did not elaborate on the test results.

Delran police, though, have charged Lawson with drunken driving, DWI in a school zone, reckless driving and related traffic offenses, including driving with a suspended license.

The motor-vehicle charges will be put on hold pending the criminal case, the office said.

Rentie was in the front passenger seat of their car, which left Hartford Road at about 11:15 p.m., went airborne, struck a utility pole and flipped over. Delran firefighters had to cut both from the wrecked car, and Rentie was pronounced dead at the scene

Lawson was taken to a hospital in Willingboro, and treated for minor injuries and released.

Prosecutor's Detective Brian Miller and Delran Detective Dennis M. Rooney investigated the case with Assistant Prosecutor Thaddeus E. Drummond.

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

"I am beyond regretful and sorry," an emotional Ibrar said to a packed courtroom.

NEWARK – Standing with his hands cuffed and wearing green prison garb, Waqas Ibrar said Friday was his chance to finally utter the words he's been waiting to say for more than two years.

"I am beyond regretful and sorry," an emotional Ibrar said to a packed courtroom.

Ibrar, 26, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the Nov. 2, 2015 crash that killed Tyler Sellers and Sabore Worrell. He must serve 85 percent of each six-year, consecutive term before becoming eligible for parole.

During his trial on Essex County Superior Court in November, a jury found him guilty of two counts of death by auto. He was driving more than 106 mph on Route 440 in Bayonne when he struck Sellers and Worrell.

Ibrar, a pharmacy student with a 3.94 GPA at the time of the crash, said he let "everyday stress" get the best of him on the night of the crash. He said he was rushing home to finish an assignment he forgot to submit, a decision he wishes he never made.

"For the past 844 days since the accident, I have regretted my action and wished every minute of every day it didn't happen," Ibrar said, adding he prays five times a day for both victims and their families.

Friends and family of both men shared with the court memories of the victims while asking Judge Nancy Sivili to impose the maximum 10 year sentence for each death.

Sellers' stepmother, Mary, said she'll never know if Tyler would have chosen to go to technical school or culinary school. His step-sister, Athena, recalled losing the person she trusted the most in life; and his father, Jason, said he treasures every memory of his beloved son.

"From the first breath our children take to the last breath our children take, we worry, we pray," he said. "Our children are our flesh and blood, our joy, our dreams. On Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, my life ended. My eyes were open, my heart was still beating, there was air in my lungs, but my life, my good life, was forever gone."

Worrell's mother, Yolanda, said her son was her protector. The night he died, Worrell called his mother, saying he loved her and would see her in the morning. She never did.

"It was like them putting their hands on my chest and ripping my heart out," the mother said of the moment police knocked on her door saying her soon was struck by a car.

Worrell's brother, Tyrone, said Sabore's young son will never know his father. His cousin said Worrell had plans on moving to Pennsylvania the day after the horrific crash to make a better life for him and his son. 

Ibrar's attorney, Jeffrey Garrigan, argued for a lighter prison term and asked for the sentences to run concurrent, which Sivilli denied. 

"I hope that the media coverage of this sentence will send a message of deterrence to all that speeding kills," Sivilli said. "And that we should not speed, and we should not speed in excess of 100 mph."

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

The average New Jersey residential property tax bill hit $8,690 in 2017.

New Jersey's already-sky high residential property taxes set a new record in 2017, with the average tax bill ringing up at $8,690.

That tax bill is $141 -- or 1.6 percent -- over the $8,549 homeowners paid, on average, in 2016. 

The burden falls hardest in Bergen, Essex and Union counties, where the average bill exceeded $11,000. Counties with the highest property taxes tend to be concentrated in the northern and central parts of the state.

The new figures released Friday by the Department of Community Affairs closes the books on property taxes during former Gov. Chris Christie's eight years in office.

Click to see the latest property tax numbers for your town

The average tax bill was $7,281 when Christie came into office. During the two terms of his administration they rose a total of just over 19 percent, representing a significant slowdown in the rate of property tax growth from previous governors. 

The Department of Community Affairs releases town-by-town property tax data each winter, each year's average predictably setting a new record for a state with the highest property taxes in the nation.

But this year, homeowners are facing uncertainty in their property tax bills on several fronts, prompting worry that they could grow at a faster rate.

As President Donald Trump's tax law reduces the amount of local taxes that can be deducted, beginning with next year's tax season.

Murphy says Jersey will sue to stop Trump tax law

Officials from counties and municipalities warn they may be forced to raise property taxes in the aftermath of the expiration of a 2 percent cap on the raises police and firefighters can win in arbitration.

While the number of contract disputes that land in interest arbitration are few, local government officials say those raises inform contract negotiations across the state.

In the decades before the cap was installed, arbitration awards ranged from 2 percent to nearly 6 percent.

While they're still hemmed in by a 2 percent cap on annual increases in government spending, officials say higher arbitration awards would forced them to cut programs or take advantage of the exceptions to the 2 percent cap for things like employee retirement benefit costs and debt service.

An analysis of the cap released this fall found it saved taxpayers $530 million on police and firefighter salaries and more broadly found the duo of caps saved taxpayers $2.9 billion.

In his final State of the State address, former Christie urged lawmakers to renew the cap he signed into law, saying New Jerseyans can't afford big jumps in their bills each year.

"Seven days, I'm just another property taxpayer," he said last month. "And as another property taxpayer, I am begging you. Stand up to these interests. Pass the arbitration cap like you've done twice before. And do not return the citizens of our state to 7 percent annual property tax increases."

Gov. Phil Murphy notably has not released a specific plan to lower property taxes, but he's said he wants to put an additional $1 billion a year into education funding that could relieve the burden on local school districts to raise more revenue. 

And Republicans in Washington installed a $10,000 cap on the state and local taxes that will hit hard homeowners in such high-tax states as New Jersey, where property tax bills alone can easily exceed $10,000.

The property tax break took the edge off the state's notoriously high property taxes, but the truncated version will leave New Jersey homeowners feeling every dollar of their tax bill.

Murphy announced last month he's joining with New York and Connecticut in a federal action against the GOP tax law that caps the deduction and raises taxes on wealthy blue state residents.

He's spoken in support of allowing local governments to construct support funds that would allow taxpayers to classify their property tax payments as donations that are fully deductible, and he said he's taken interest in a proposal made by Cuomo to shift from personal income taxes to payroll taxes, which can be deducted fully.

Lawmakers introduced a charitable bill fund in the Senate, which would allow municipalities, counties and school districts to offer property tax credits worth 90 percent of donations made to these accounts.

Tax experts, however, are skeptical these schemes will stand up to IRS scrutiny.

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

An unidentified public works employee missed the deadline for seeking the grant

When Gov. Phil Murphy's office announced $161 million for municipal road projects and repairs on Wednesday, the state's capitol city was conspicuously off the list.

That's because a Trenton public works employee missed the deadline for submitting a grant application for the program, which is administered by the state Department of Transportation.

It is impossible to know exactly what Trenton, the state's 10th largest municipality, might have received had it applied. However, Clifton, a city of comparable size in Passaic County, was allotted $659,935.

Adding insult to injury, the Fiscal 2018 awards from the state's Transportation Trust Fund were more than double last year's amount, boosted by the 23-cent per gallon gas tax increase.

Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson, who is not seeking re-election in May, told a television interviewer that he "extremely disappointed" by what he characterized as a "debacle."

Options for a second chance at funding are limited.

N.J. Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-15th District, said he is evaluating the possibility of seeking a supplemental appropriation from the Legislature, based in part on the argument that state employees rely on Trenton's roads.

Gusciora acknowledged that might be a tough sell, as Trenton was among 33 municipalities who failed to apply for the grants. Another 27 who did apply were not awarded any funding.

All told, 505 of N.J.'s 562 municipalities are getting something.

"I think the lesson is that towns, including Trenton, have to be proactive and ensure that grant money is properly applied for. Unfortunately, this is something that was just overlooked," said Gusciora, who is among several declared candidates in the race for mayor.

City spokesman Michael Walker said Trenton has been in contact with Murphy's administration since the grants were awarded on Wednesday, as part of the discussion about possible funding alternatives.

Murphy's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Walker said that, while disappointing, the loss of potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in state aid would not undermine Trenton's capacity for road improvements. 

"Trenton has its own capital budget to improve its roads. The money we get from the state, we combine with our own money," Walker said.

"We are about to launch a war on potholes we're paying for with our own money," Walker said.

City officials have not identified the employee responsible for missing the application deadline.

Trenton covers about 8 square miles and is home to about 84,000.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook

A former recreation director and ex-basketball coach who was previously convicted of sexually assaulting a teen player pleaded guilty to charges involving two other victims.

A former Dunellen recreation director and ex-basketball coach who was previously convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage basketball player pleaded guilty to charges involving two other victims, officials said Friday.

Christopher Tarver (FILE PHOTO) 

Christopher Tarver, 46, of Jackson Township, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges including child endangerment by engaging in sexual conduct with a juvenile and official misconduct, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey. The charges stem from a 2015 indictment.

Tarver faces a possible 25 year prison term in the latest case, to run concurrent with the sentence he will receive from his November 2017 sex assault conviction after a plea agreement with prosecutors.

"As an open plea, there is no agreement as to the time he faces in state prison; that is left to the Judge's discretion," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

A Middlesex County jury in November found Tarver guilty of 20 counts, including sexual assault, child endangerment, official misconduct and possession of child pornography.

Prosecutors said Tarver sexually touched a player on several occasions from 2010 to late 2011 in Edison, Dunellen and Atlantic City.

At least one assault occurred in the sauna at the Edison-based college, Assistant Prosecutor Brian Shevlin said at trial last year.

Tarver faces up to 50 years in prison from that conviction when he is sentenced in March.

The prosecutor's office launched an investigation after a victim, who was a member of the Monmouth Power Sports Club, a traveling basketball team affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union, alerted authorities, according to officials. Tarver was a coach and executive director of that team since 1995.

Officials in Dunellen suspended Tarver from his Recreation Department post following his 2014 arrest.

The former town official worked as a men's basketball coach with Middlesex County College from Oct. 21, 2006 to March 5, 2014, and was selected as the school's head basketball coach in June 2010, according to officials.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The statement did not give an exact location of the incident, or what the school the student attends

Hamilton schools and police issued a warning Friday about an incident in which a man in a car approached a township student who was walking to school.

The statement, posted by schools Superintendent Scott Rocco, and sent to the media by Hamilton police, said a man driving a light-green, four-door car slowed and attempted to talk to a student walking to school.

"The student made the correct choice by walking away and notifying an adult," the statement said.

The statement did not give an exact location of the incident, or what the school the student attends.

Hamilton police are investigating, the statement said.

The statement did suggest parents or guardians use the incident as an example of being aware of one's surroundings while walking to or from school.

"Stress the importance of walking in pairs, staying off electronic devices until in a safe space, and immediately reporting suspicious activity to school personnel or the police department. Please remind your child/children to focus on these safety measures no matter what school they attend or how they arrive at school," it said.

Anyone with any information about the incident can call Hamilton Detective Geoffrey Nielsen at 609-689-5827 or the Hamilton police tipline at 609-581-4008.

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

Clip appeared to show teens shooting guns at a firing range and image of town's high school.

A Nutley High School student was charged for his role in posting an "alarming video" online that prompted a daylong closure of district schools, authorities said Friday.

Screen grab from a video posted to Instagram shows a person shooting a handgun at a firing range. The video also contains a still photo of Nutley High School and students in a classroom. (Instagram)  

Joseph Rafanello, 18, was charged with third-degree false public alarm for the Instagram posting, according to police.

The video was posted online Feb. 15 -- one day after a former student gunned down 17 people at his former high school in Parkland, Florida -- and shows teens apparently shooting a handgun and rifle at a firing range. Nutley High School was also included in the video. 

The social media video also included the song "Pumped Up Kicks" by band Foster the People.

"You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks. You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet," are among the song's lyrics.

Officials said an investigation revealed there was no threat to town schools.

"At this point our investigation has not uncovered any further active security threats to any of our public schools and we will continue to work with the school district to ensure the safety of our schools," township police said in a statement Friday night.

Police planned to boost patrols at local schools.

"This is just a proactive measure and not related to any further threats," the statement said.

Other unnamed "individuals" in the video were identified and cooperated with authorities, according to Nutley Schools Superintendent Julie Glazer.

Officials became aware of the video the night of Feb. 15 and immediately launched an investigation, she said in a letter released Friday.

"That night, it was not possible to deem if this was a credible threat to the schools, students, staff or community, and due to the timing of information, the decision was made to close the schools on Friday, February 16," she said.

Glazer commended people who alerted school administration about the issue.

"This was our process working," she added. "People saw something and said something, allowing for the swift, collaborative actions, which kept our schools and town secure."

For his part, Glazer said the student facing charges "will not be returning to school."

Anthony G. Attrino contributed to this report. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Yovanni Banos-Merino, 10, was shot and killed at a home in Asbury Park on Wednesday.

Should Hoboken ban the annual St. Patrick's Day bar crawl?

There will be five less bars to hop to during the annual St. Patrick's Day pub crawl in Hoboken. But that probably won't put a dent in the usual shenanigans.

Last year, there were 11 arrests during the event that took over in 2012 after the city's official St. Patrick's Day Parade was canceled. 

That was a decline from the 15 arrests in 2016. 

Summonses, mostly for public drinking, declined from 54 in 2016 to 31 last year. Hospital trips also declined.

After December's SantaCon event that grew excessively violent, the city promised to review a ban on such events.

So this week, five popular downtown bars won't be able to participate, after they received liquor violations and suspensions from the city. One bar will close permanently.

When Hoboken held its St. Patrick's Day Parade every year, it would also come with a bar crawl similar to LepreCon. But it was much more rowdy, with 34 arrests in 2011, the last year it was held.

It was canceled over the city's "inability to protect spectators," according to the parade committee at the time.

The new bar crawl has in the past cost the city more than $100,000 in overtime.

With all the trouble it causes, should Hoboken just ban the event?

Vote in our informal, unscientific poll and tell us how you voted in the comments.  

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People in N.J. want to know the details of Newark's Amazon bid. Now, one is suing the city.

It's one of the city of Newark's closest held secrets -- what are the details of the bid submitted to Amazon for its new HQ2 headquarters?

Despite the public dollars involved in the bid, those details are being kept under seal. 

Over the last four months, several residents and organizations in New Jersey --including New Jersey Policy Perspective and clients of a prominent law firm-- have filed records requests with the city to find about more about the bid. 

Every one of them has been denied.

"With ... tax dollars on the line, the state and city of Newark have a responsibility to be as transparent as possible," said Jon Whiten, director of N.J. Policy Perspective, a left-leaning think tank. The organization filed a records request in January.

A few details of Newark's Amazon HQ2 bid process have slipped out since the deadline in October, including the fact that the city is offering $7 billion in tax credits in an attempt to attract the company.

That tax incentive package would dwarf the highest subsidy held by a company in New Jersey -- $390 million given to Ameream LLC and Meadow Amusement in 2013 to develop the retail and entertainment American Dream complex.

Nonetheless, specifics have been elusive, and at least one city -- Tacoma, Wash. -- has publicly disclosed that Amazon told the city to stay silent. People involved in the Louisville bid said they have a non-disclosure with the company. Kansas City and St. Louis claimed the same. 

In January, Amazon held a call with Newark -- and told the city the remaining HQ2 process would be kept quiet, according to GeekWire. 

Newark offered a different reason than other cities for in its record request denials:

It would give the city's competitors an edge, they said. Both Amazon and the organization that drafted the proposal for Newark could not be reached for comment.

"Other cities and towns in New Jersey have released their proposals," countered CJ Griffin, an attorney at Pashman Setin Walder, whose clients have filed requests with Newark asking for either the entire bid, or parts of it. All have been denied.

"We don't see why Newark would need to keep that information secret," she said, adding that her clients want to know how the bid was structured and what kind of financial deals, beyond the $7 billion in tax credits, it offered Amazon.

New Jersey Policy Perspective, an organization that focuses on tax incentives and subsidies, filed a request to see what kind of narrative the state was using to get Amazon to come to Newark.

"New Jersey leaders talked about how great Newark was for all these different reasons but then they are also saying that they are going to give seven billion in tax breaks to get Amazon her here," he said. "We wanted to see the ranking - if they put the incentives as the main selling point or the other points about the city."

Griffin gained access to other New Jersey towns' proposal which were released to the public through record requests. Combined, those bids total close to 600 pages.

Now they are part of a lawsuit filed in Newark. 

Griffin's client Steven Wronko is suing the city for access to the proposal.

Newark had previously denied his record requests for not only the proposal, but also for any contracts the city held with third-party vendors who helped prepare the bid.

Griffin said many of the agencies throughout the country that worked on the proposals, including those in New Jersey, hired writers and public relations companies to help promote the city and draft the bid. 

Amazon identified 20 finalists for its HQ2 search in January, including New York City, Atlanta, Chicago and Nashville.

Boston, Philadelphia and Miami released their proposals to the public, Griffin said.

"Mr. Wronko wants to know how much money was spent in creating the proposal itself," she said. 

Part of the reason why some cities throughout the U.S. have denied requests is because private institutions drafted the proposals and are not always subject to open record laws, Whiten said. 

The Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) drafted the city's proposal and describes itself as an "economic development catalyst" for the state.

It is technically independent but is also linked to the government, Whiten said. 

"Some have been saying these agencies are just a defect arm of city government," he said. "But we expected a denial from the get go."

Erin Banco may be reached at ebanco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ErinBanco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

In the 10 days after a former student in Florida fatally shot 17 people at a high school, threats to schools and reports of fear-provoking social media posts streamed in across New Jersey.

The suspect crashed a stolen bakery delivery truck into a clinic last week Watch video

A Massachusetts man began researching the locations of Planned Parenthood clinics more than a year before he deliberately crashed a stolen truck into one last week in East Orange, injuring three people, including a pregnant woman, prosecutors said Friday.

Marckles Alcius, police photo 

The state Attorney General's office will review the case to see if terrorism charges should be filed against Marckles Alcius, a Haitian national who is not a U.S. citizen but is believed to be in the country legally.

The 31-year-old gave authorities an address in Lowell, Massachusetts, northwest of Boston, that turned out to be an abandoned building, Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Adam Wells said.

Alcius indicated to investigators after his arrest that the act was intentional and that he was willing to die, Wells told a judge in seeking to deny Alcius's attorney's request that he be released while awaiting trial.

"It was personal, and I don't care what happens after that," Alcius said during an interview, Wells told state Superior Court Judge Peter Ryan. Wells didn't discuss what might have motivated Alcius.

"When I asked him if he would do it again, he paused for eight seconds and then said, 'I don't know,'" Wells added.

Ryan, rejecting a recommendation from pre-trial services to release Alcius with electronic monitoring, ordered him held in the Essex County jail. Alcius poses a significant threat to Planned Parenthood employees, he said.

Alcius, who prosecutors said has been living with relatives, including some who live in the Newark area, faces numerous charges, including aggravated assault and attempting to cause widespread injury or damage.

He allegedly stole a bakery delivery truck that was making deliveries on Feb. 14.

A clinic staff member and two patients -- including a pregnant woman -- suffered minor injuries and were treated at a hospital and released, Wells said.

Alcius wasn't hurt.

Wells said electronic evidence reviewed by investigators indicates Alcius had done online research on Planned Parenthood locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey beginning in January 2017.

Susan Freedman, a public defender representing Alcius, said her client has no criminal record and accused investigators of not properly instructing him of his rights to have a lawyer present at his interview.

Wells denied the allegation and noted that Alcius has four previous arrests in Massachusetts, including for burglary and assault and battery, though he didn't know the status of those cases.

State Sen. Jeff Van Drew dropped his co-sponsorship of two bills after entering the race to succeed Rep. Frank LoBiondo.

WASHINGTON -- State Sen. Jeff Van Drew, of the most conservative Democrats in the legislature, co-sponsored legislation to restore the death penalty for certain murders and to require parents to be told if their non-adult daughters receive an abortion.

Until now.

Van Drew, D-Cape May, withdrew his name from both measures as he runs for the open 2nd Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd Dist.

The lawmaker said he planned to introduce legislation on the same topics but the bills he decided to no longer co-sponsor had provisions he didn't support.

"I haven't changed my opinion completely," Van Drew said.

Democrats add 2 NJ candidates to list

Chris Martin, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Van Drew's actions were a way for the candidate to reach out to progressive Democrats.

"Van Drew is twisting himself into a pretzel trying to pander to his far-left base," Martin said.

New Jersey abolished its death penalty in 2007 but state Sen. Steve Oroho, R-Sussex, introduced legislation to restore it for specific murder cases.

Van Drew said the death penalty should apply only in the most heinous of crimes, such as murdering police officers or burying a child alive.

"I don't believe in the death penalty except in extreme circumstances that are beyond the pale," Van Drew said. "I personally think most people would agree with that when you've done horrible things against another human being."

Oroho also was the chief sponsor of the second measure, a constitutional amendment to require parental notification before their minor child receives an abortion. If the legislature approves, the issue would be submitted to the voters.

Van Drew said there was a lot of concern with that issue, and he primarily was concerned with third-trimester abortions.

"It was a really, really hard issue," he said. "In many cases, the young girl won't tell and will try to get an illegal abortion or something that will endanger her health."

Though Republican LoBiondo represented the district for 24 years, the Cook Political Report, a Washington-based publication that tracks congressional races, rates Democrat Van Drew a slight favorite. Inside Elections just moved the contest from a slight Republican lean to a toss-up.

Besides Van Drew, Tanzie Youngblood, Sean Thom and Will Cunningham, are seeking the Democratic nomination. Two Republicans, Brian Fitzherbert and Robert Turkavage, also are running.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Van Drew to its "red to blue" program, its list of the Democratic challengers most likely to flip Republican-held House seats.

Mikie Sherrill, running for the seat now held by retiring Rep. Rodney Frelinghysen, R-11th Dist.; and Andy Kim, challenging Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-3rd Dist., also are in the program, which brings extra help for fundraising and organizational efforts.

New Jersey has more challengers on the list than any other state.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

They're not taking money from lobbyists willing to watch people die because they think an AR-15 is cool. They're just trying to save lives, their own included.

This latest massacre in Florida makes us almost dare to dream that our country will actually do something about guns.
 
The first step is easy: Ignore the "BS," as Stoneman shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez put it. Don't listen to NRA-backed politicians on guns. Listen to the cops and the kids.
 
Their motives couldn't be more simple. They're not taking money from lobbyists willing to watch people die because they think an AR-15 is cool. They're just trying to save lives, their own included.

N.J. students say #neveragain, walk out in solidarity with survivors of Florida shooting
 
Listen to the teenagers who watched their classmates die last week, and those in New Jersey and across the country who walked out of school in solidarity, carrying signs like, "Are we next?"
 
Listen to the police chiefs who not only want to protect the public, but prevent their officers from being "literally outgunned," as one top cop put it.

"You're talking about the kind of firepower that can go through vehicles, through vests, and that can literally go through a house," said Captain Emanuel Gomes, who heads a department in Massachusetts.
 
Listen to Sheriff Scott Israel, who responded to the Stoneman shooting, and Chief Dan Oates, who headed Aurora police during the movie theater massacre, who both want to ban the AR-15 - the same assault-style rifle used to gun down 6-year-olds at Sandy Hook.
 
"In only one condition should you have an assault rifle," Israel said. "If you've joined the Marines."
 
Listen to doctors, too. Like the ER physician who described how these bullets don't just pierce the body; they utterly shred it. On a CT scan of a child shot at Stoneman, "The organ looked like an overripe melon smashed by a sledgehammer."
 
That's the kind of image that motivates police chiefs, especially in big cities, to push for stricter gun laws - often to no avail.
 
"We're advocating the safety for our police officers, but on the other side, you have the NRA and other special interest groups that say, 'If you'll do this, we'll endorse you and make you look good,'" said Ken Winter, head of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police, of his efforts to lobby lawmakers. "We don't have anything to offer them other than good advice."
 
When Republican lawmakers in Texas wanted to block cops from so much as questioning people openly carrying guns, the head of Austin police, Art Acevedo, was incredulous. "You can't be the party of law and order and not listen to your police chiefs," he said.
 
And you can't be the party of "family values" without listening to grief-stricken teenagers and parents who lost kids.

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According to New Jersey State Police, the accident was caused by a driver failing to yield to traffic.

A woman as killed in a three-vehicle crash late Friday afternoon in Burlington County, authorities say. 

According to New Jersey State Police, around 4:30 p.m., the 17-year-old driver of a Ford Fusion was headed west on Flyatt Road in Tabernacle when he failed to yield to traffic. 

That driver's vehicle struck a Hyundai traveling northbound on U.S. 206, causing the Hyundai to spin around and get hit by another vehicle headed south on U.S. 206. 

The driver of the Hyundai, identified as Renee Wright, 26, of Vineland, was pronounced dead at the scene, a state police spokesman said.

The driver of one of the other two vehicles involved was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries, according to police. 

There was no immediate word on charges. The investigation into the crash is continuing, authorities say. 

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

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