It's likely to be the last time the current council discusses the issue

For one of the last times, the current Hamilton council will hold a public meeting next week about the ongoing effort to consolidate the town's nine fire districts.

The council, on Thursday Dec. 7. is scheduled to discuss the facilities audit report, the work of one of the committees the council formed earlier this year to do deeper dive into the consolidation issue, which started in the fall of 2015.

The council expects to have the facilities audit - studies of the township firehouses - by the meeting, said Councilman Dennis Pone, who called the special meeting.

Pone said Tuesday he thought it was only fair for the current council - and for the public - to have one more special meeting to discuss all they have learned in all the consolidation studies they've commissioned or reviewed.

Pone said the council has made good on its pledge to get all the detail work on consolidation done by the end of the year.

"We know the makeup of council will be different in 2018, so I think the information, since we did all of the preliminary work, would be a benefit even to the new council, as much of the detail work will be during their term," Pone said.

2 years in, Hamilton fire district consolidation down to minute details

Pone and Councilwoman Dina Thornton were not re-elected earlier this month, defeated by a three-candidate Democratic slate who will now control the township council. (Councilman Dave Kenny had announced he would not seek re-election)

The township's two firefighters' unions backed the Democrats in late September, saying at a public event they were frustrated and fed up with what they said were ongoing delays in getting consolidation done.

Nick Buroczi, president of the fire officers' union, a local of the Firefighters' Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA), and Shane Mull, president of the rank-and-file union, said in a joint statement they're eager to see the facilities report.

But they said they believe committee studying response times by Hamilton fire districts is not yet done. "Once the response committees work has been completed, and presented to council, we will have a good understanding of where we stand with consolidation," they said.

"It's our hope that sometime next year we can finally wrap this process up and give the residents a safer Hamilton," the unions said in the statement.

The effort to consolidate Hamilton's nine autonomous, tax-levying fire districts (eight which are located full in Hamilton) into one firefighting force started in the fall of 2015 with District 9 passing a resolution publicly supporting it.

Public meetings on Hamilton's fire district consolidation wrap up

It's since blossomed into a two-year, union-led effort to gain the necessary signatures from residents on petitions that went to council, and numerous studies and other work on exactly what kind of fire department Hamilton should have.

One of the biggest and final questions on the horizon for the council is whether to go the district or municipal route.

The council could start the process of consolidating all the districts into one, super district that would provide firefighting for the whole town, and be led by an elected commissioner board and remain a taxing authority.

Or the council could abolish the districts and create a municipal fire department that would be report to town leaders similar to the police department and fall into the township's municipal budget.

The Dec. 7 meeting will take place in the township council chambers in the municipal building and start at 6:30 p.m.

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

A 21-year-old Jersey City man charged in an Oct. 18 slashing that left a man needing 55 stitches was back in court yesterday on additional charges.

JERSEY CITY -- A 21-year-old Jersey City man charged in an Oct. 18 slashing that left a man needing 55 stitches was back in court yesterday on additional charges.

Vontra Marrow, of Orient Avenue, appeared in court yesterday on the charge of trespassing. At the hearing, the judge said a warrant had also been issued for his arrest for allowing the battery of his electronic monitoring bracelet to go dead.

At the hearing, Marrow told the judge that the battery went dead while he was in the hospital. He had facial injuries that he did not have when he appeared in court last month. 

The victim of the Oct. 18 incident in a bar on Martin Luther King Drive suffered two puncture wounds on the top of his head and cuts on his hand and ear, the criminal complaint says.

Marrow was charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses related to a box cutter. 

Marrow appeared on the new charge in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.

At the hearing, he was again released pending trial with conditions of supervision including electronic monitoring. The trespassing charge was remanded to the Jersey City Municipal Court. 

The fatal crash happened Tuesday morning on Newton-Sparta Road, police said

SPARTA -- A 62-year-old driver was killed Tuesday when a motorist crossed onto the wrong side of the road and struck her vehicle head-on, police said.

Ena Cordero of Newton was traveling west on Newton-Sparta Road at about 7 a.m. when a 2015 Nissan Altima crossed the double-yellow lines from the eastbound lane and slammed into her 2013 Honda Civic, police said.

Cordero, who was traveling alone, suffered blunt force trauma and officers administered CPR at the scene, police said.

She was taken to Newton Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Both occupants of the other vehicle were injured.

The driver -- Sean Hubbard, 33, of Andover -- suffered hip and leg injuries and was flown to Morristown Medical Center, police said.

A front seat passenger, 25-year-old Megan Miguel of Wharton, was taken to Newton Medical Center for treatment of what were described as superficial injuries.

The crash scene was about 200 yards west of Pinkneyville Road.

An investigation is ongoing.

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

Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti will succeed Joseph D. Sansone as the college's Vice President for Planning and Development and Assistant to the President.

BAYONNE -- The city's assemblyman will start a new job at Hudson County Community College beginning this week.

Effective Dec. 1, Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti will succeed Joseph D. Sansone as the college's Vice President for Planning and Development and Assistant to the President, the school's president announced.

"(Chiaravalloti) brings extensive knowledge of higher education and valuable experience in working with the people of our community to his new position at Hudson County Community College," said Glen Gabert, HCCC president. "We look forward to working with him and Joe Sanson during the transition period and the future."

Chiaravalloti holds a bachelor's degree from The Catholic University of America, and a law degree from Rutgers School of Law. He also holds a doctorate of higher education leadership from Saint Peter's University.

He has held a number of positions with Saint Peter's University for the past six years, and has extensive legal experience with consulting and law firms

Since 2015, he has represented Bayonne and Jersey City as the 31st Legislative District assemblyman.

"I'm excited about this new opportunity," Chiaravalloti said. "There are some big shoes to fill -- (Joe Sansone) has done an amazing job -- but I am excited for the fresh start and I look forward to working with Dr. Gabert and the Board of Trustees as the college plans its way forward."

Gov. Chris Christie said he would help the White House and Congress tackle the opioid crisis.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie talks about his opioid epidemic fight earlier this fall. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Aristide Economopoulos 

Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that he is willing and able to continue his efforts to end the opioid addiction crisis after leaving office in January.

Christie, testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee at a hearing held in Baltimore, said he would do whatever he could to push efforts to address the issue  after his second and final term as governor ended in less than two months.

"I'll play any role that leaders of both the Congress and the administration want me to play as a private citizen in 49 days to be able to continue this fight," Christie said.

Christie: 'Our people are dying'

Christie, named by President Donald Trump to chair the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, kicked off the House committee hearing on the opioid crisis.

The Christie panel went out of business Nov. 1 after offering 56 recommendations on how to address the crisis and an admonition to Congress to spend the money needed.

"I am happy at any time to come and speak and meet with anyone and to use my relationship with the president, which goes back 15 years, to encourage people to say, 'This is the new water's edge in our nation's conversation,'" he said.

Christie's comments were a reference to the former Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, R-Mich., who supported Democratic President Harry S Truman on foreign policy issues, saying, "We must stop partisan politics at the water's edge." 

The same way Vandenberg crossed party lines, Democrats and Republicans must come together to address the opioid crisis, Christie told the committee. He said 175 people are dying of opioid abuse every day, the equivalent of a Sept. 11 terrorist attack every two and a half weeks. 

"This is the greatest and broadest public health epidemic of our lifetime," Christie said. "Everything else pales in comparison to the breadth of this problem. It is everywhere in America.

"I read the obituaries that are happening regularly in our state, and in none of the obituaries do they designate whether the person who died is a Republican or Democrat," he said. "We have to end the politics here."

Christie told Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and ranking member Elijah Cummings, D-Md., that he would help them in any way he could.

"You have my word that I will not only speak out and continue to speak out publicly, but I'll play whatever role you two gentlemen want me to play in helping to do this," he said.

That includes nudging Trump to act as well.

"I'm one of the folks who's know him for 15 years, so when he needs to hear some truth, he comes to New Jersey not just to play golf," Christie said. "Let's put it that way."

Christie defended Trump's decision to declare a national public health emergency involving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rather than a national emergency under the Stafford Act, which would put the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of the effort.

Trump had said in August that he would declare the opioid crisis a national emergency. Christie said his interactions with FEMA during Hurricane Sandy convinced him that another agency should be in charge.

"Having had a little experience with FEMA during a small storm in New Jersey, I don't believe that FEMA would necessarily be the best folks to adminster the funds," Christie said. "You want to see real confusion? Put FEMA in charge of naloxone," the drug used to address opioid overdoses.

Christie said he recalled the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, when people were marching in the streets demanding government action.

There aren't any marches today, even though the opioid crisis has affected far more people, Christie said. That's because drug addiction is still looked at as a failing, even though it's a disease just like AIDS, he said.

"I'll know we're bringing the urgency to this," Christie said, "when people are marching and showing their faces. When that happens, we'll know we're on our way to a solution."

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

She admitted using hundreds of thousands of investors' funds to pay personal expenses and repay prior investors.

NEWARK -- A New York woman prosecutors say bilked hundreds of thousands from a New Jersey resident and others admitted Tuesday to running an investment fraud scheme.

Alisa Adler, 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to two counts of wire fraud, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Adler, who formerly ran ASG Real Estate Services Group Inc., specifically admitted taking approximately $245,000 from two New York investors and subsequently using the majority of the funds to pay her personal expenses and to repay prior investors, authorities said.

Adler was indicted last year on allegations she took about $740,000 from a total of three investors, including a New Jersey resident who invested $500,000 with her, that she subsequently used for personal purposes.

She faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to twice her victims' losses, authorities said. The U.S. Attorney's Office did not specify a date for Adler's sentencing.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Jonathan Tavara-Nima pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the victim he had previously babysat, authorities said

ELIZABETH -- An Elizabeth man has admitted to sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl in a Linden motel after buying her a new dress and stockings and ordering takeout food, authorities said. 

Jonathan Tavara-Nima pleaded guilty Monday to one count of aggravated sexual assault of a girl he previously babysat on a regular basis, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said. 

The victim's family had hired Tavara-Nima through Care.com, but he continued to show up at the girl's home, sometimes uninvited, after his employment ended, prosecutors said. Tavara-Nima, who was 31 at the time of the assault, would take the girl to the movies or to a local park. 

On May 15, he told the girl's mother that he was going to take the girl to a movie, but he instead took her to the Benedict Motel and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said. 

A woman who answered the phone at the motel Tuesday evening said a manager was not available to comment and declined to take a message. 

Tavara-Nima was arrested in May and initially charged with sexually assaulting the girl at the motel, at a Union Township home and in his car over a 21-month span. He was also charged with photographing the assaults. He pleaded guilty only to the May 15 assault. 

A spokeswoman for Care.com, which matches child care workers with families and offers third-party background checks, previously said Tavara-Nima had been "removed and blacklisted" from the service when he was charged and that the company was cooperating with law enforcement. 

Tavara-Nima was previously arrested in December 2010 and charged with possessing and viewing items showing sexual exploitation of a child, court records show. He was sentenced in July 2011 to one year of probation. 

Tavara-Nima's sentencing is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 26. 

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

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Police are asking anyone who sees Allison Wade to call 911.

Police in Gloucester Township are searching for a 14-year-old girl who hasn't returned home in a day.

Allison Wade was reported missing on Monday. Police said she left her home in the Glen Oaks section of the township and has not been back since. 

Wade was also reported missing in October but was found safe within a day, according to township police.

She is 5 feet, 1 inch tall, weighs 120 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes, police said in a press release Tuesday.

Wade was wearing a navy blue hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans when she was last seen. She also has scars on her left arm, police said.

Anyone who has seen Wade or knows where she might be is asked to call 911 or the Gloucester Township Police Department at 856-228-4500. Anonymous tips can be made by calling 856-842-5560 or clicking here.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Sayfullo Saipov pleaded not guilty to plowing down multiple bike riders along New York City's West Side on Halloween.

This undated photo provided by St. Charles County Department of Corrections via KMOV shows the Sayfullo Saipov.  (St. Charles County Department of Corrections/KMOV via AP) 

NEW YORK -- The  man accused in the Oct. 31 terrorist who plowed a truck through a riverfront bike path, killing eight people, pleaded not guilty to an indictment including multiple potential death-penalty counts.

Sayfullo Saipov, (sy-foo-LOH' sy-EE'-pawf), of Paterson, N.J., appeared briefly Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.

His court-appointed lawyer, David Patton, told federal Judge Vernon Broderick his client was pleading not guilty to an indictment returned last week.

Authorities say the 29-year-old carried out the deadly attack on Oct. 31 in Manhattan. Patton declined comment afterward.

Saipov came to the U.S. legally in 2010 from Uzbekistan. Authorities say Islamic State propaganda was found on his cell phones.

New York terrorist attack: Alleged killer Sayfullo Saipov has N.J. tie

He lived in Ohio and Florida and worked as a commercial truck driver before he recently moved to New Jersey with his wife and children.

He remains held without bail.

Salem County Prosecutor's Office officials are investigating a Thanksgiving incident in which a patrolman was charged with aggravated assault

A Penns Grove Police Department patrolman has been charged with aggravated assault after allegedly kicking a person in the face while they were handcuffs. 

Salem County Prosecutor John Lenahan said 29-year-old George J. Manganaro was charged Tuesday in connection with a Nov. 23 incident that occurred in Carneys Point Township.

According to Lenahan, Manganaro was responding to a Thanksgiving morning call at a location in Carneys Point Township. No other details about the call or what allegedly happened at the scene were provided in a press release issued by the prosecutor's office. Lenahan did not return a request for comment. 

Manganaro was released and awaiting a date to appear in court. He has also been suspended from the Penns Grove Police Department, however it is unclear whether he is suspended with or without pay. According to pension records, Manganaro's salary is about $61,000 and he was enrolled in the state pension system in February 2012. His LinkenIn profile says he started with the department in 2010. 

In September 2016, Manganaro sued Penns Grove,  a community activist, councilwoman and the school district, claiming negligence after he was allegedly  injured on duty. It stemmed from a 2014 incident where Manganaro was responding to a call for reports of underage drinking at a basketball game at the school gym and was thrown to the ground by Walter Hudson, a school board member at the time. Hudson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation. 

"From that night forward by career would never be the same," Manganaro whose shoulder was injured said at the sentencing. The officer underwent operations and was out of work for eight months recovering.

A man who answered the phone listed for Marangano hung up when a reporter for NJ Advance Media identified himself.

The Salem County Prosecutor Office's Special Investigation Division is continuing to investigate the allegations against Manganaro. 

Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook

The commander in chief couldn't help getting off topic during a ceremony to honor Native American veterans to insult a political rival with a racial slur. Here's what people said.

James J. Koedatich is serving a life sentence at New Jersey State Prison

MORRISTOWN -- The convicted murderer of two Morris County women in 1982 is seeking a DNA test that he argues may help clear him in one of the killings.

James Koedatich is serving two life sentences at New Jersey State Prison for sexually assaulting and fatally stabbing his victims, who were 25 and 18 years old, just 12 days apart.

James Koedatich N.J. Department of Corrections 

He is awaiting a Superior Court hearing on his motion, submitted in April, seeking DNA testing on evidence recovered from the body of Amie Hoffman.

"This analysis could once and for all positively prove that this applicant did not comment these offenses," Koedatich, acting as his own attorney, wrote in his motion.

Hoffman was a Parsippany Hills High School student and the younger of his two victims. She was abducted from the parking lot of a shopping mall. 

A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 13 before Judge Paul Armstrong.

Richard Pompelio, a victims' rights attorney, said he aided the Morris County prosecutor's office in reaching out to Hoffman's relatives in preparation for the court hearing.

Of the possibility of a DNA test, Pompelio said, "The judge is probably going to allow it, if the evidence exists," adding, "I don't think it does."

Pompelio said he does not believe that DNA testing would change the outcome.

"This is some idea that somebody gave this guy in prison. All it is going to do is stress out the family," Pompelio said.

At issue is a 2013 state law allowing inmates to seek DNA testing using technology that did not exist at the time of conviction.

Approval by a judge, though, is not automatic. Koedatich would have to demonstrate, among other factors, that a favorable test result would justify holding a new trial.

In his motion, Koedatich claimed there was inconsistency between the county and state examiners in the initial analysis. 

He also sought waivers from any court filing fees and related costs, asserting that he receives less than $61 per month performing an unspecified job in prison, and requested the assignment of a lawyer on his behalf.

His motion does not address his murder conviction for killing Deirdre O'Brien. She was 25 and lived in Mendham Township.

James Koedatich in court in 1983Kathleen W. Perlett / The Star-Ledger 

Just months before the killings, Koedatich had been released from a Florida prison, where he served an 11-year sentence for strangling his roommate. He killed another man while behind bars, also by strangulation, but was not charged after claiming self-defense.

At the time of the murders, New Jersey had capital punishment, and Koedatich was initially sentenced to death for Hoffman's murder.

He was brought back to court in 1990 after the state Supreme Court overturned his sentence, and spared after two jurors declined to vote for the death penalty.

In 2011, State Department of Corrections Commissioner Gary Lanigan rejected Koedatich's request for a transfer to a prison in Illinois, in order for him to be closer to his family.

He is not eligible for parole until 2038, when he would be 90 years old.

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

The longtime co-host of NBC's Today show Matt Lauer has worked at the network for more than two decades Watch video

Matt Lauer, the longtime host of NBC's Today Show, has been fired for inappropriate sexual behavior on the job, the network announced Wednesday at the opening of the show's broadcast.

Matt Lauer has been terminated from NBC News. On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. As a result, we've decided to terminate his employment. pic.twitter.com/1A3UAZpvPb

-- TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 29, 2017

The complaint about Lauer, 59, was the first against him in his more than 20 years there, NBC Universal Chairman Andrew Lack said in a memo to employees. Lack, however, said NBC has reason to believe "this was not an isolated incident."

Lauer's behavior represented "a clear violation of our company's standards," the statement added. 

Lauer has worked for NBC in some capacity since 1992. He became co-host of the Today show in January 1997.

The married father of three was paid an annual salary of more than $25 million per year.

Lauer's former "Today" show colleagues were emotional on-air while dealing with the aftermath of his firing by NBC for what it termed "inappropriate sexual behavior."

Co-host Savannah Guthrie fought back tears while calling Lauer "my friend and my partner." She added that she was "heartbroken" for her unnamed colleague who the network said reported Lauer's behavior Monday night. Hoda Kotb, who replaced Lauer in the anchor chair for the morning, added that she loved Lauer "as a friend and as a colleague" and said it was "hard to reconcile what we are hearing with the man who we know."

Weatherman Al Roker was also visibly upset on-air, saying he was "still trying to process the news" while giving his report.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Capt. David Hart will be promoted Jan. 1, replacing Linden's first black police chief.

LINDEN -- The city will promote Capt. David Hart on Jan. 1 to replace Linden's first black police chief, who will retire after one year in the position. 

"I want to thank Chief (Jonathan) Parham for his leadership over the past year," Hart said in a statement. "I am very proud of this department and all that we have accomplished." 

Hart has spent 30 years in Linden's police department and serves as its administrative captain. He previously served as the head of the Investigative and Uniform Services Divisions, Linden officials said.

Hart worked as a patrol officer in the department's Uniform Services Division for more than 22 years and has been a certified paramedic for 30 years. He is also Linden's emergency management coordinator, officials said. 

Capt. David Hart will be promoted to the position of Linden's police chief on Jan. 1. (Courtesy of Linden Police)

"Dave's many years of experience, particularly in planning and emergency response; street patrol; coupled with police and community partnerships make him the ideal candidate to lead at this time," Mayor Derek Armstead said in a statement.

"I am confident Dave will continue building on the improvements we have seen throughout the police department."

While Parham spent over 25 years with the department, he only served for about a year as the chief. 

Armstead previously said Parham's rise to the top of the police force was a step in the right direction after several incidents within the police department, including former officer Pedro Abad being charged with aggravated vehicular manslaughter in 2015. Abad was ultimately convicted at trial of driving drunk and causing a wrong-way crash that killed two men, and he was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.

Abad's case ultimately caused the Union County Prosecutor's Office temporarily to take over Linden Police's internal affairs department. 

Parham's annual salary as chief is $171,000, state data shows. 

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

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Two of Gov.-elect Phil Murphy's biggest priorities are being called into question by fellow Democrats. Watch video

They're two of the biggest priorities Phil Murphy wants to tackle after he is sworn in as New Jersey's next governor in January: raising taxes on millionaires and legalizing recreational marijuana.

But more than a month before he takes office, Murphy has already run into some pushback from his fellow Democrats who lead the New Jersey Legislature -- the people he'll have to work with to get anything done over the next four years.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, has recently pumped the brakes on the millionaire's tax, saying he's concerned about the fallout of the Republican tax cut proposals floated in Washington, D.C. 

Incoming state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, has expressed similar concerns. 

And while Sweeney stands with Murphy on legal marijuana, Coughlin has been more cautious, saying he wants to discuss the matter thoroughly with Assembly Democrats. 

Both legislative leaders on Tuesday said this is not an indication that the honeymoon with Murphy is on the rocks even before he takes the oath of office Jan. 16. They note they've already backed him on things like raising the minimum wage.  

But Sweeney and Coughlin also know Murphy needs them to pass his initiatives. 

For his part, Murphy stood by both campaign promises Tuesday.

The millionaire's tax and legal pot are part of his plan to increase funding for education, transportation and public-worker pensions. Murphy also wants to raise money by closing corporate tax loopholes.

Sweeney has been a consistent supporter of a millionaire's tax under Gov. Chris Christie's administration. But he argues lawmakers should wait to see what happens with the federal tax plan being pushed by President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans who lead Congress. 

The U.S. Senate proposal would wreak havoc among New Jerseyans because it would eliminate state and local tax deductions, Sweeney argues. The House version would eliminate the break for all but $10,000 in property taxes.

Sweeney told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday that he has "the greatest respect" for Murphy and that he's still "in favor" of a millionaire's tax.

"But my concerns are legitimate," Sweeney added. "I just want to wait and see what happens in Washington."

"This is not pumping brakes to screw him up," he said of Murphy. "We need to know what the impact is going to be."

Sweeney said his concern is "exodus of wealth" -- that if Republicans in Congress take away key deductions that New Jersey taxpayers use and then Democrats in the state raise taxes on the rise, millionaires might leave the state in droves. 

Coughlin echoed Sweeney in an interview with NJ Advance Media on Tuesday. He said lawmakers need to "see what comes out of Washington" first to "determine the best course of action" on the millionaire's tax.

"I see it as a potential source of revenue that I think we should absolutely look at," Coughlin aid. "But what happens there may matter here. When we know what happens, we'll understand the best path for New Jersey."

The reason to rethink a millionaire's tax has everything to do with Congress's cuts that would disproportionally hurt high-tax states like New Jersey and nothing to do with thwarting Murphy's campaign promise, Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald said.

"Any conversation we want to have about taxes has to be about true tax reform," said Greenwald, D-Camden.

The GOP proposals "could have a crippling effect" on New Jersey, Greenwald said. But, he added, it would give New Jersey lawmakers "the rare opportunity" to completely rethink how property owners are taxed to avoid crippling the state's middle class.

"Now there's a bright spot on it to make it an ideal time," Greenwald said. 

Murphy told reporters Tuesday he isn't deterred.

"It doesn't impact my view of what we should do in New Jersey," he said. "I think millionaires are going to do just fine" in the federal tax bill.

Murphy said he's "highly confident" a millionaire's tax would be approved by the state Legislature.

"I think people are scared as heck when they look at this bill from Washington," he added. "(But) at the end of the day, it doesn't change my calculus for what we should do in New Jersey."

Another top Democrat, state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, said wealthy citizens are expected to see a large tax cut under the federal plan and thus she's confused about how that would hamper the millionaire's tax.

Jon Whiten, vice president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, a left-leaning think tank, said fears of a "double whammy" on the rich by enacting a millionaire's tax are "unfounded." 

"The bottom line: New Jersey's wealthy families aren't being punished by the GOP tax plans -- they're being rewarded," Whiten said.

As for legal marijuana, lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern. 

Days after Murphy's election, Coughlin said he had to discuss the issue with his fellow Assembly Democrats to "make sure it makes sense."

Coughlin said Tuesday that he would "consider posting the marijuana bill if it's right and it makes sense."

He added that he doesn't think the reservations about the millionaire's tax and legal marijuana are a "pushback" against Murphy's platform. 

"What it is for me is trying to do what I see as the job of the speaker: to lead the Assembly in a way that recognizes and respects the members -- in a way that is thorough and thoughtful in the best interests of the state of New Jersey," Coughlin said.

Murphy on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment to legalizing marijuana.

"There are concerns that people have that I accept and I understand," he said. "But it's clear as a bell to me what the right way going forward -- given the alternatives."

Sweeney said it's better for the Legislature to legalize pot than to have the public vote on it. 

"It allows us flexibility," he said. 

Sweeney said he expects there will still be enough votes among his fellow lawmakers to approve it.

"I think we're real close to getting ready to go," he said.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. 

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

The videos were first posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump retweeted a series of inflammatory videos Wednesday that purport to show violence being committed by Muslims.

Trump posted the messages early in the morning, retweeting them from Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, a small fringe group whose profile was elevated by Trump's attention.

The group's tweets read: "VIDEO: Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!" and "VIDEO: Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!" and "VIDEO: Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!"

Britain First is a far-right group that opposes multiculturalism and what it calls the "Islamization" of Britain. It has run candidates in local and national elections, with little success, and has campaigned against the construction and expansion of mosques.

Trump did not offer any explanation for why he retweeted the videos. He offered harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric during his presidential campaign and has sought to ban immigrants from certain Muslim-majority nations.

After Trump retweeted the videos, Fransen quickly responded on Twitter:

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! OCS @JaydaBF @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/BiQfQkTra9

-- Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) November 29, 2017

Fransen has been charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment over leaflets and videos that were distributed during a criminal trial earlier this year. She has separately been charged with using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior" over a speech she made in Northern Ireland in August. She is currently on bail.

She was convicted last year of religiously aggravated harassment and fined after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.

Trump's retweets were condemned by Brendan Cox, whose lawmaker wife Jo Cox was murdered last year by an attacker with far-right views.

Cox tweeted: "Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself."

Trump's tweets were also condemned by TV host Piers Morgan, who tweeted: "Good morning, Mr President @realDonaldTrump - what the hell are you doing retweeting a bunch of unverified videos by Britain First, a bunch of disgustingly racist far-right extremists?

Please STOP this madness & undo your retweets."

A Long Island-based developer has agreed to purchase the struggling hospital.

The struggling Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center is a step closer to being sold after the state Health Planning Board unanimously approved the sale to a Long Island developer.

On Nov. 21, the board voted, 5-0, in favor the of $12.2 million sale to Yan Moshe, a developer who owns two surgery centers in Bergen County. That vote came nearly three weeks after the board was deadlocked, 3-3, on the approval.

Acting state Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Christopher Rinn, the one-time director of EMS at the Jersey City Medical Center, has up to 120 days to make the final decision on the sale. 

Moshe, who did not return calls for comment, said in his application, that he would also spend $26 million to purchase the land on which the hospital sits. According to the application, Moshe, who has no experience running a hospital, will put up $5 million and borrow $7.2 million from the current owner of the hospital, MHA LLC. The new hospital would operate under the name NJMHMC.

"After carefully reviewing the data, Department staff believes that this transfer of ownership of MHMC to NJMHMC will not result in any negative impact on the community or patients that the hospital has historically served, or on other area hospitals," the board's decision said. "This transfer, the only option presented to the department, would be the least disruptive to the area's health care delivery system at this time."

READ THE BOARD'S DECISION HERE

The for-profit MHMC has struggled in recent years and it was pointed out in the transfer of ownership application that the average number of daily patients in the hospital was 26 in 2016, or 13 percent capacity at a facility licensed for 200 beds.

The hospital also has been fined at least $183,000 for failing to submit financial records in a timely fashion. At an August public hearing on the sale of the hospital, the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) union, which represents a number of employees at the hospital, said that MHMC "has not filed with the Department the 'required' annual audited financial statements for fiscal years 2014-2016."

The prospective new owner has committed to maintain the same bed capacity and provide the same services, and also maintain all of the hospital's current employees and the same contract agreements that are currently in place, the state board said in its decision.

In his application, Moshe also promised that he would invest $3 million in new equipment. 

The NJMHMC application stated a number of initiatives to increase patient volume, including the retention of key senior executives and department managers, as well as innovative approaches to recruiting additional primary care physicians, developing in-network strategies with insurers, aggressive advertising, and community outreach programs.

The application also said the new ownership would form a relationship with North Hudson Community Action Corp. for obstetrician services. In Hudson County, NHCAC has relationships with Palisades Medical Center and Jersey City Medical Center, but not with CarePoint Health hospitals and Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center.

Moshe owns Excel Surgery Center in Hackensack and Dynamic Surgery Center in Saddle Brook. His LinkedIn page says he is the president of Tuhsur Development of New York.

The pair used threats of violence to control women who worked as prostitutes

Two South Jersey men ran a prostitution ring in which they used threats of violence and drugs to control at least six women, authorities in Pennsylvania said.

Barry "Bear" Schiff, left, 50, and Kenneth Crowell, 34, are charged with human trafficking and other offenses.

Barry "Bear" Schiff, 50, of Galloway, and Kenneth Crowell, 34, of Glassboro, are charged with human trafficking for coercing the women into forced servitude from 2014 to October 2017, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General said in a statement Tuesday.

Pennsylvania State Police broke the case in April when troopers responded to an advertisement on Backpage and arranged to meet a woman at a Lancaster motel, authorities said. After identifying themselves as troopers the woman told said she wanted to "get out" and didn't feel safe, authorities said.

The woman told the troopers Schiff sold heroin and opioid pills to other women as a way to control them, authorities said.

Investigators then found other victims, authorities said. One said she was sent in an Uber multiple times to buy heroin for Schiff, authorities said. Another woman told authorities Schiff threatened to "chop her up into little pieces and throw her in the river" when she said she didn't want to work for him anymore, authorities said. 

That woman said Schiff claimed his name was "Frank Lucchese" and that he was a mobster, authorities said.

A fourth victim said she started working for the men to feed her heroin addiction, authorities said. She testified before a grand jury that Crowell tried to strangle her several times, authorities said. 

The fifth women said Schiff slammed her head into a bucket of dirty water containing shards of broken glass when she refused to have sex with him, authorities said. 

Other charges against the pair include involuntary servitude, conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver, prostitution and related offenses.

The ring operated in South Jersey as well as York, Lancaster, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, according to officials.

Crowell was arrested in Chicago over the weekend. Schiff was already being held at the York County jail. 

Millville police assisted in the investigation. 

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

Another man was robbed a half-hour earlier by the same men

A Yorkshire Terrier named "Munchkin" was stolen at gunpoint Friday night in Newark, authorities said.

Two robbers got out of a white car and approached a man walking the dog on the 400 block of North 6th Street at 10:45 p.m. Friday, Newark police said. 

The men went through the victim's pockets, took Munchkin and then fled. A third man waited was waiting in the car while the robbery took place, according to police. The men were wearing all black.

Police in Newark looking for man accused of making threats

About 35 minutes later, a man was robbed of cash and personal items on the 300 block of 3rd Avenue West. Police said they believe the same men are responsible.

Anyone with information about the robberies or the whereabouts of the dog are asked to call 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867. All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

Anonymous tips may also be made using the police department's website at: www.newarkpd.org or through their app.

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

Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist. writes: This Tax Hike Bill is a one-two knockout blow for our housing market and economy.

By Josh Gottheimer

There is no shortage of reasons why the Tax Hike Bill passed in the House this month would be catastrophic for New Jersey.

It's why everyone from the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce to law enforcement to nearly our entire congressional delegation -- Republicans and Democrats - came out against it. 

It's why my office has been deluged by constituents, including Deborah from Glen Rock, who is panicked that she "will have to put her home up for sale," noting that the legislation is a broken promise on the cost assumptions she and her husband made when they bought their home.   That promise was based on the simple fact that you could deduct your state and local taxes (SALT), including property taxes, and the interest on your mortgage.

I've been sounding the alarm for weeks now: The Tax Hike Bill, now before the Senate and backed by President Trump, will raise taxes on a super majority of people in our state, eliminating key cost-saving deductions, including SALT, the property tax deduction, and the mortgage interest deduction. 

As a result, for those of us in northern New Jersey, federal and property taxes will go up, jobs and business will flee, and it's going to be harder to sell your home for what it should be worth.

Now, I'm eager to find bipartisan legislation that actually cuts taxes for New Jersey, so we can keep and attract businesses and talent.

Unfortunately, the Tax Hike Bill, as it stands, is nearly all paid for at our expense. So, it's punitive if you live here -- but it's great if you're in Alabama and Mississippi.  They're already mooching off of our taxpayer dollars. This elevates their mooching to outright theft. 

What hasn't been written about enough is how this Tax Hike Bill will likely spark a massive housing crisis in our state, at a time when we are just beginning to recover from the last recession. Our homes are still down 12 percent of their value before the recession began in 2007; the rest of the country's homes are up 12 percent since then. Logic dictates that with this bill, it will only get worse.

You don't need a Ph.D. in economics to see where this is all going.  This Tax Hike Bill is a one-two knockout blow for our housing market and economy.

First, the obvious: losing your ability to deduct your mortgage interest and property taxes will mean that owning a home in New Jersey will be far more expensive. If you live in Oklahoma City, where the average home costs $142,000 and property tax bill is $1,420, you won't feel these changes. But, in Oradell, N.J., where the average home costs $578,900 and the property tax is $16,851, it will make a real difference.

With these dramatic changes, fewer people will be able to afford New Jersey; businesses and people will go elsewhere.  Housing prices will free fall. One large study put the drop of home prices at more than ten percent nationwide - it will be far greater for states like ours. 

For many homeowners, that sort of a price drop will wipe out most or all of their original investment and retirement nest eggs. Our towns, in turn, will lose revenue, affecting our schools, police and other services. The S&P global ratings agency announced last week, "There could be a credit impact from both the tax base reduction and resulting lower tax revenues for local governments dependent on property taxes."

Second, the Tax Hike Bill will cut the maximum mortgage deduction in half, to $500,000, and immediately eliminates deductions completely for second homes and home equity loans. This will cut property values and affordability sharply, increase foreclosures, and slow down home construction and renovation (one-sixth of our economy). We already had the highest foreclosure rates in the country last year.

A downturn not only hurts homeowners, it kills jobs from Wall Street to Main Street.

It's easy to understand why the New Jersey Realtors and the New Jersey Builders Association came out against this Tax Hike Bill, "Eliminating, nullifying, or capping tax incentives for homeownership puts home values and middle-class owners at risk and further stigmatizes New Jersey as an unaffordable place to live." I agree completely.

Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., is a New Jersey member in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves on the House Financial Service Committee, and is co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

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