Pleasantville Woman Pleads Guilty to Fatal Stabbing

MAYS LANDING- A Pleasantville woman has pleaded guilty in connection to the fatal stabbing of an Atlantic City woman, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner announced.

Rollie Ellis, 30, pleaded guilty this morning to first degree aggravated manslaughter

N.J.S.

2C:11-4(a)- 20 NERA (for the death of Jennifer Rodriguez) and second degree aggravated assault

N.J.S.

2C:12-1(b)(1) – 7 NERA (for stabbing Raphy Rodriguez), before Judge DeLury.

On April 11, 2018, at approximately 6:35 a.m., Raphy Rodriguez, 34, and his wife Jennifer Rodriguez, 34, were in their apartment located at 3 South Iowa Avenue, Atlantic City, also present in the apartment was Rollie Ellis, 28, when an altercation took place where Ellis stabbed both Raphy Rodriguez and Jennifer Rodriguez. Jennifer Rodriguez was able to escape the apartment and run to the Atlantic City Police Department, which is located across the street from the apartment complex.

Jennifer Rodriguez was found in the lobby of the Public Safety Building unresponsive and bleeding from the stab wound to the back of the head/neck.

Jennifer Rodriguez was transported to AtlantiCare City Campus where she was later pronounced deceased. Raphy Rodriguez was also able to escape the apartment and flag down a Atlantic City Police officer on Iowa Ave. He was transported to the hospital with several serious stab wounds and he survived these injuries.

Ellis was arrested charged with first degree Murder, first degree Attempted Murder and third degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose.

This was a joint investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Atlantic City Police Department. Ellis is in custody at the Atlantic County Justice Facility where she is awaiting sentencing. Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Robinson represents the state in the matter.

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Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at

609-909-7800

or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at https://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at

609-652-1234

1-800-658-8477

(TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.

Susan P Burton, of Oaklyn, Accomplished Musician, Pianist

Home is where your treasure is. There, your heart will be also. Susan P. Burton (nee Watkins) was in fact a “homebody”. She was welcoming, compassionate and would talk with ya, but was opinionated. She stuck to her guns in a lovable demeanor and was an animal lover at heart. Sue was, truly, a

thunderstorm wrapped in beauty, looking to be felt and understood in a world that loves sunny days. On Sunday January 19th, 2020 Sue’s soul was painted like the wings of butterflies. Fairytales of yesterday grow but never die. So, carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters.

Sue was born in Flushing, Queens, NY but was a lifelong Haddon Township/Oaklyn, NJ resident. Music speaks where words fail, so pray to music. Fill your heart with every note. ‘Cause God is in these clef and tone. She was an accomplished musician and pianist who held her faith dear. Sue was a longtime congregant of Grace Episcopal Church in Haddonfield. At home she loved to cook, cross stitch and passionately cheer on the “IGGLES”! We hoped you’d never leave old friend. Like all good things, on you we depend. To her loved ones, Sue will be fondly remembered as the best woman in the world.

Family is like music. Some high notes, some low notes but always a good song. We must remember the music of the past, so we can sing in the present and dance in the future.Sue is the mother of Bob Wells (Jackie Nagle) and Emily Wells. She is the proud grandmother of Ariana Nelson and daughter of Alton & the late Patricia Watkins. Sue is also survived and will be sadly missed by her first husband Rob Wells, her husband Joe Burton, her sister Ann Van Horn and her brother Bill (Lorie) Watkins.

Relatives, friends and neighbors are invited to join Sue’s family and share their heartfelt memories on Thursday morning January 30, 2020 between 10:00 and 11:00 am at Grace Episcopal Church 19 E. Kings Highway Haddonfield where a funeral ceremony will begin at 11:00 am. Pastor Jenny Ovenstone celebrating. Burial & graveside tribute will follow at Lakeview Memorial Park, Cinnaminson. As an expression of sympathy and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Collingswood Veterinary Hospital & Urgent Care 40 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, NJ 08107

www.collingswoodvethospital.com

#crerancelebration #heartfelt

Rutgers-Camden Men Fall at Division I Princeton

PRINCETON, N.J. (Jan. 26, 2020) – As first-year Head Coach

Stuart Pradia

strives to build the Rutgers University-Camden men’s basketball program, one of the experiences he is introducing to his student-athletes is the chance to play a higher level of competition against a Division I team.

The Scarlet Raptors had that experience here Sunday as they lost to Princeton University, 87-41.

The game marked the first time the Scarlet Raptors had played a Division I team since Nov. 16, 2011, when they lost their season opener, 87-53, at Elon University. The last time Rutgers-Camden played a team from a higher division came against a Division II club on November 16, 2013 during a 69-50 season-opening loss at Millersville University.

Princeton improved to 7-8 with its fourth straight win, while Rutgers-Camden fell to 6-12.

After Princeton scored the game’s first point on a foul shot by freshman forward Tosan Evbuomwan, the Scarlet Raptors took a 2-1 lead on a layup by senior center

Isaac Destin.

Junior guard Ryan Schwieger countered with a layup for the Tigers, but junior guard

Arian Azemi

had a layup to put the Scarlet Raptors back on top, 4-3.

Princeton took the lead for good, 6-4, when sophomore guard Ethan Wright hit a three-pointer 1:29 into the contest and senior center Richmond Aririguzoh followed with a layup. The closest Rutgers-Camden came after that was 8-6 on a jumper by Azemi.

After the Scarlet Raptors made it a 13-8 game, Princeton scored the next 20 points to take command with a 33-8 lead. Azemi broke the Tigers’ run with a foul shot midway through the first half.

Princeton added a nine-point run later in the half on its way to a 53-16 halftime lead. Azemi had seven points and Destin added six to account for 13 of the Raptors’ first-half points. Princeton, meanwhile, had 11 players in the scoring column by halftime, led by Wright (nine points) and junior forward Elijah Barnes (eight).

Both Destin and Azemi finished with 16 points for Rutgers-Camden, while adding three steals apiece. Destin had a team-high six rebounds and Azemi had five boards and a game-high four assists.

Junior forward

Ian McCarthy

had a game-high eight steals, doubling his previous career high of four, set against Ramapo College on Feb. 8, 2018.

Destin’s 16 points allowed him to tie James Washington (1995-98) for 11th place on the program’s all-time list at 1,141. If he gets at least 11 points in his next game, he would move into eighth place past Dane Nicholson (1,144), Jim Kiefer (1,146) and Pete Verling (1,151).

Princeton placed 14 players in the scoring column, led by 20 points from freshman forward Keeshawn Kellman. Barnes added 10 points, while freshman guard Konrad Kiszka collected a game-high seven rebounds. Princeton held a 44-17 advantage off the boards.

The Tigers shot 34-for-55 (61.8 percent) from the floor, including 8-for-20 (40.0) from three-point range. Rutgers-Camden shot 18-for-52 from the floor (34.6) and didn’t hit a trey in 13 attempts.

Rutgers-Camden returns to Division III and New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. game at Stockton University.

NJ State Legislature Environmental Bills for Monday

The following environmental legislation will be up in the state legislature on Monday, January 27, 2020.

Senate Community and Urban Affairs

S253 (Singleton): Requires public water systems to develop lead service line inventories and replace lead service lines.

“This legislation is important because it will help reduce lead levels in New Jersey drinking water. We need to know where the lead lines are, and then we need to replace them as soon as we can. This bill calls for ten years to replace lead service lines. We should really try to make this happen quicker. It is important that this bill specifies that utilities cannot pass on more than 25% of service line replacement costs to their customers. Water companies shouldn’t be profiteering from a problem they allowed to happen. There is a crisis in New Jersey as far as lead in drinking water is concerned. This legislation is a good start, but we need legislation with a shorter time period than ten years. We need to get this done and done now,” said Jeff Tittel of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

S320 (Rice): Requires contracts for sales of residential property to address lead service lines.

“We support this legislation because we have a serious problem with lead in New Jersey, and we have been dealing with this problem for far too long. Some places in the state are at crisis level, especially in areas that are poorer and urban. It is vital to make sure that water in properties that are for sale is safe enough to drink. Our children are being poisoned by lead in the water. It is important for the public to know what’s happening when it comes to lead in our drinking water systems. We need to protect our most precious resources – our children,” said Jeff Tittel.

S647 (Greenstein): Revises asset management and related reporting requirements in “Water Quality Accountability Act.”

“The bill is important to address the state’s crumbling water infrastructure. This legislation will not only require towns to come up with a mitigation plan to fix their water problems, however it will also require DEP to come up with rules to implement the Water Quality Accountability Act. It is critical for these assessments because it allows us to learn from them, where to fix certain programs, or what new laws or policies need to be implemented,” said Tittel.

Assembly Consumer Affairs

A1459 (Moriarty): Prohibits the sale of certain children\’s products containing lead, mercury, or cadmium.

“This legislation is critical to protect the health of our children. Children are at particular risk because of common development behaviors of biting, chewing or sucking on toys and other products containing metals like cadmium. Young children are at the greatest risk of health problems related to lead exposure, including serious brain and kidney damage,” said Tittel.

Assembly Commerce and Economic Development

A2204 (McKeon): Permits developer to qualify for low-interest loan from NJEDA when building a high performance green building.

“This legislation is important because it will help make green buildings a reality in New Jersey. Allowing green building projects to quality for low-interest loans will help reduce greenhouse gases in the state. This will also help stimulate New Jersey’s economy by creating jobs and promoting new industry. Jobs will be generated to produce the green building products and in construction. Building green infrastructure, including blue and green roofs, will help reduce flooding and mitigate climate impacts,” said Jeff Tittel.

A1653 (Quijano): Encourages development of zero-emission vehicle fueling and charging infrastructure in redevelopment projects.

“This legislation will stand in the way of New Jersey moving forward with electric vehicles. This bill encourages zero-emission vehicles, which are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The only way to get hydrogen for these fuel cells is from natural gas. Instead of ZEVs, New Jersey needs to focus on increasing our sale and use of electric vehicles. New Jersey is one of the best states to utilize EV technology because most of our energy is already carbon free,” said Tittel.

Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens

S695 (Ruiz/Cryan): Requires DEP, DOH, DCA, owners or operators of public water systems, and owners or operators of certain buildings to take certain actions to prevent and control cases of Legionnaires\’ disease.

“It is important for the Legislature to make sure our water companies, cities, and state agencies are held accountable when it comes to the water we drink. There are too many problems in New Jersey from one county to the next, whether it is PFOAs, volatile organic chemicals, cyanobacteria, or legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaire’s disease. For too long, New Jersey has failed to adequately protect its drinking water and is putting the public at risk. This is mainly due to DEP’s failure to enforce the Clean Water Act, “said Jeff Tittel. “We have serious water problems throughout the state when it comes to our drinking water. That is why we need to make sure that different water purveyors take actions to identify their problems and correct them,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

source NJ Sierra Club

Online Voting Has Opened For The 2020 New Jersey Shout Down Drugs Music Competition

Finalists To Perform at the Prevention Concert April 3, 2020

MILLBURN — The New Jersey Shout Down Drugs music contest is back for its 16

year. The competition, sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), was open to any New Jersey high school individual or group, to create and enter original songs with an anti-drug message. The songs have been submitted and online voting is ongoing now through January 31.

“Each of the contestants are all unique, talented, and winners for just having participated,” states Angelo Valente, PDFNJ’s Executive Director. “It is a really great opportunity for people from all over the country to hear their music and the important anti-drug messages. More than 1 million people have listened to at least one of these students\’ songs over the course of 15 years.

Voting will remain open until April 2 for voters to choose their favorite performers. The online vote tallies will be factored into each final score at the end of the concert.

The finalists will perform in the statewide Prevention Concert, which will be held Friday, April 3, at the Two River Theater in Red Bank. Tickets to the event are free and can be ordered at the website (

www.shoutdowndrugs.com

The concert first-place winner will receive a $5,000 music contract, second place will earn a $3,000 contract, and third place will take home a $2,000 contract.

###

Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $100 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 180 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

Mustafa Al-Imam Sentenced to Prison for September 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi, Libya

New York, NY (January 24, 2020)–Mustafa al-Imam, a 47-year-old Libyan national, was sentenced today to 236 months in prison on federal terrorism charges and other offenses stemming from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and CIA Annex in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty

died in the attack.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, Jay Tabb, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office.

“We have not rested in our efforts to bring to justice those involved in the terrorist attacks on our facilities in Benghazi, which led to the death of four courageous Americans – Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Ambassador Christopher Stevens – and we never will,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Those responsible for these crimes must be held accountable. I want to thank the agents, analysts, and prosecutors – and all of their partners in the U.S. government – who are responsible for this important investigation.”

“Today’s sentence demonstrates the United States’ continuing commitment to pursue justice against those who commit terrorist acts against the United States no matter how far we must go or how long it takes. Mustafa al-Imam played an important role in the terrorist attack that destroyed the U.S. Mission and the CIA Annex in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice against all those who murdered these four American heroes and who seriously injured our personnel defending these U.S. facilities overseas.”

“The tragic loss of four American lives in the Benghazi attacks will never be forgotten and today’s sentencing of Mustafa al-Imam is an important reminder of that,” said Jay Tabb, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The FBI is committed to investigate and bring to justice all individuals involved in acts of terrorism against U.S. facilities or citizens and will use the full range of our resources to pursue such cases.”

“Mustafa al-Imam played a significant role in the 2012 Benghazi attack, one that ultimately claimed American lives,” said Assistant Director William F. Sweeney, Jr. “While nothing will ever change the outcome of this horrific event, today’s sentencing is a reminder that the safety of Americans—whether at home or abroad, civilian or otherwise—will always be our top priority. If you commit an act of terrorism, we will find you and bring you to justice.\”

Al-Imam was captured in Libya on Oct. 29, 2017, and brought to the United States to face trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was

found guilty

by a jury on June 13, 2019, following a six-week trial, of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists and one count of maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property, and placing lives in jeopardy within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper.

According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, a group of extremists, armed with AK-47 rifles, grenades, and other weapons, swept into the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, setting fires and breaking into buildings. During that violence, Ambassador Stevens, Mr. Smith, and Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent Scott Wickland valiantly tried to protect themselves when the attackers stormed into the Ambassador’s residence, sheltering in a secure area. However, when the attackers could not gain entry to the secure area, the attackers set fire to the residence. Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith suffocated from the thick, black smoke that enveloped the residence. Special Agent Wickland, who tried to guide them to safety, was injured and repeatedly took small arms fire while trying to rescue Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith.

Al-Imam arrived at the Mission shortly after the attack began, accompanying Ahmed Abu Khatallah, the leader of an extremist militia named Ubaydah bin Jarrah and one of the planners of the attack. During the attack on the Mission, al-Imam maintained contact with Khatallah in a series of cellphone calls, including an 18-minute phone call that took place during the height of the attack. Members of Ubaydah bin Jarrah, as well as other extremist groups, were caught on surveillance video attacking the Mission. After the American security personnel withdrew from the Mission, al-Imam, Khatallah, several UBJ members, and other extremists entered the Mission’s office and removed sensitive information, including maps and other documents related to the location of the CIA’s Annex in Benghazi.

Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of Sept. 12, 2012, the violence continued at the CIA Annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. While defending the Annex, Mr. Woods, Mr. Doherty, DSS Special Agent David Ubben, and CIA security specialist Mark Tiegen were hit by a precision mortar attack, leading to the deaths of Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty. Special Agent Ubben and Mr. Tiegen were seriously wounded but survived.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from various other government agencies, including the Department of Defense and the two victim agencies, the CIA and the U.S. Department of State\’s Diplomatic Security Service. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided significant assistance.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Cummings and Karen Seifert of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Coleman and Jolie Zimmerman, Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo, detailed Paralegal Specialist Ashley Davis, Intelligence Research Special Dustin Powell, contract Document Management Analyst Michael Watts, Victim-Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant, Tonya Jones, Laverne Perry and Wanda Queen, and Litigation Technology Chief Leif Hickling. Earlier stages of the prosecution were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiLorenzo and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Opher Shweiki and Julieanne Himelstein.

Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkin\’s Message to Residents

Gloucester Township NJ (January 25, 2020)–As we continue to move into 2020, I am pleased to report that the preliminary data for the crime statistics for 2019 indicate continued good news for the residents of Gloucester Township. Our community policing initiatives and proactive policing philosophy, have resulted in Violent Crime (Robbery, Murder, Forcible Rape, and Aggravated Assault)

dropping by 18%

(77 incidents in 2018 and 63 incidents in 2019). The Non-Violent Crime (Burglary, Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Arson) also

dropped by 7%

(948 incidents in 2018 and 881 incidents in 2019). The overall Index Crimes Total

decreased by 7.89%

(1026 incidents in 2018 and 945 incidents in 2019).

Chief David Harkin

While we are very pleased with these results, we know that we can even do better. We are regularly analyzing any crime trend and are looking for innovative ways to combat and lower crime in our community. But we need the help of our community members to continue to make Gloucester Township even safer. No one is better at spotting trouble in a neighborhood than the people who live there. If you see something out of place, call us. If you have a surveillance camera system, go to our website at

www.gtpolice.com

and register it with us. Contact our Community Relations Bureau at

communityrelations@gtpolice.com

to find out what you can do to make Gloucester Township a safer community.

Our officers are committed to your safety, and I am proud of their hard work and commitment to serve our community. I am proud to serve with the men and women of the Gloucester Township Police Department, and proud to be your Chief of Police.

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Wuhan, China (Updated)

Updated January 24, 2020

Situation Summary

CDC is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (termed “2019-nCoV”) that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and which continues to expand. Chinese health officials have reported hundreds of infections with 2019-nCoV in China, including outside of

Hubei Province. Infections with 2019-nCoV also are being reported in a growing number of countries internationally, including the United States, where the

first

and

second

2019-nCoV infections were reported on January 21 and January 24, 2020, respectively, both in travelers returning from Wuhan.

Chinese health authorities were the first to post the full genome of the 2019-nCoV in

GenBank

external icon

, the NIH genetic sequence database, and in the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (

GISAID

external icon

) portal, an action which has facilitated detection of this virus. On January 24, 2020, CDC posted in GenBank the full genome of the 2019-nCoV virus detected in the first U.S. patient from Washington state. The virus genetic sequence from the patient in Washington is nearly identical to the sequences posted from China. The available sequences suggest a likely single, recent emergence from a virus related to bat coronaviruses and SARS-CoV. The available sequence information does not provide any information about severity of associated illness or transmissibility of the virus.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people such as has been seen with

MERS

and

SARS

When person-to-person spread has occurred with MERS and SARS, it is thought to have happened via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. Spread of MERS and SARS between people has generally occurred between close contacts. Past MERS and SARS outbreaks have been complex, requiring comprehensive public health responses.

Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan, China reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, suggesting person-to-person spread is occurring. At this time, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading between people.

Both MERS and SARS have been known to cause severe illness in people. The situation with regard to 2019-nCoV is still unclear. While severe illness, including illness resulting in a number of deaths has been reported in China, other patients have had milder illness and been discharged.

There are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.

On This Page

Situation Summary

Risk Assessment

What to Expect

CDC Response

Other Available Resources

Risk Assessment

Outbreaks of novel virus infections among people are always of public health concern. The risk from these outbreaks depends on characteristics of the virus, including whether and how well it spreads between people, the severity of resulting illness, and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, vaccine or treatment medications).

Investigations are ongoing to learn more, but person-to-person spread of 2019-nCoV is occurring. It’s important to note that person-to-person spread can happen on a continuum. Some viruses are highly contagious (like measles), while other viruses are less so. It’s not clear yet how easily 2019-nCoV spreads from person-to-person. It’s important to know this in order to better assess the risk posed by this virus. While CDC considers this is a very serious public health threat, based on current information, the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time. Nevertheless, CDC is taking proactive preparedness precautions.

What to Expect

More cases are likely to be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States. Given what has occurred previously with MERS and SARS, it’s likely that person-to-person spread will continue to occur.

CDC Response

CDC is closely monitoring this situation and is working with WHO.

CDC established a 2019-nCoV Incident Management Structure on January 7, 2020. On January 21, 2020, CDC activated its Emergency Response System to better provide ongoing support to the 2019-nCoV response.

On January 23, 2020, CDC again raised its travel alert for the coronavirus outbreak. The travel notice for Wuhan City was raised from Level 2: Practice Enhanced Precautions to

Level 3: Avoid Nonessential Travel

. CDC also issued a

Level 1: Practice Usual Precautions

for the rest of China.

CDC also is conducting entry screening of passengers

on direct and connecting flights from Wuhan, China to five major airports: Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles, (LAX) New York city (JFK), and San Francisco (SFO).

CDC issued an

updated interim Health Alert Notice (HAN) Advisory

to inform state and local health departments and health care providers about this outbreak on January 17, 2020.

CDC teams have been deployed to support the ongoing investigation in Washington and Illinois to support the ongoing investigations of the two cases in the United States.

CDC has developed a real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) test that can diagnose 2019-nCoV in respiratory and serum samples from clinical specimens. On January 24, 2020, CDC

publicly posted the assay protocol

for this test. Currently, testing for this virus must take place at CDC, but in the coming days and weeks, CDC will share these tests with domestic and international partners through the agency’s

International Reagent Resource

external icon

CDC uploaded the entire genome of the virus from the first reported case in the United States to GenBank.

CDC also is growing the virus in cell culture, which is necessary for further studies, including for additional genetic characterization.

Other Available Resources

The following resources are available with information on 2019-nCoV

CDC Travelers’ Health: Novel Coronavirus in China

CDC Health Alert Network Advisory Update and Interim Guidance on Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China

CDC Health Alert Network Advisory information for state and local health departments and health care providers

CDC Information on Coronaviruses

World Health Organization, Coronavirus

external icon

Content source:

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)

Division of Viral Diseases

Honduras Arrests U.S.-Bound Iranians as New Caravan Heads North

JudicialWatch.org News

We now have another unnerving story about the border crisis, Iran, and national security. Our

Corruption Chronicles

blog

reports

Central American immigrants take part in a caravan heading to the United States on the road linking Ciudad Hidalgo and Tapachula, Mexico, on October 21, 2018. # Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty

hundreds join a new U.S.-bound caravan

in Honduras, authorities in the crime-infested Central American nation reveal that four Iranians were recently arrested there. Like thousands of illegal immigrants from around the world, the Iranians entered Honduras illegally and were heading north to the United States, according to a Honduran

newspaper article

that attributes the information to the president, Juan Orlando Hernández. The Iranians were transported to the capital, Tegucigalpa, and officials have launched an investigation.

Earlier this week Judicial Watch

reported

on a U.S. alert warning Mexico of armed Iranians planning to enter the country through the southern border, but it’s not clear if the cases are related and calls to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) went unanswered. The bulletin, issued by the Border Patrol’s regional intelligence operation center in Arizona, said that a Guatemalan national may try to smuggle five Middle Easterners—including a suicide bomber—into the U.S. through Mexico. The smuggler and four other men and a woman transited through Guatemala and Belize before reaching Veracruz, Mexico, according to the bulletin. The Guatemalan, whose name is redacted in the government document, was deported from California a year ago. U.S. authorities received the threat after picking up recordings distributed via social media, according to a Spanish-language

news story

published by a Latin American outlet.

The U.S. alert didn’t faze a busy Mexican border city’s police chief, who confirms the region is full of Middle Easterners, Africans and Asians trekking north. In a Latin American

news report

published shortly after the U.S. issued the bulletin, Mexicali Police Chief María Elena Andrade Ramírez matter-of-factly said the arrival of people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia as well as the rest of the Americas is “normal” in her California border city of about

a million residents

. In a separate article published in a Mexicali paper, authorities downplayed the situation by assuring citizens that the arrival of people from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and the rest of the Americas is “

something normal

.”

They don’t magically land in Mexico. Central America has long been a popular route for illegal immigrants from terrorist nations who want to reach the U.S. There’s no doubt many will infiltrate the new caravan heading to the Mexican border from the northern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula. President Hernández says some

70,000

immigrants from these countries cross through Honduras annually, even without an organized caravan.

When the first Central American caravan launched from Honduras in the fall of 2018, then Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales confirmed that nearly

100 ISIS terrorists

had been apprehended in Guatemala. Like its Honduran neighbor, Guatemala too is a major smuggling corridor for foreigners from African and Asian countries making their way into the U.S. In 2017, Guatemala’s largest paper, Prensa Libra, published an in-depth

piece

on the inner workings of an international human smuggling network that moves migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh to the U.S.

Over the summer

four ISIS terrorists

planning to enter the U.S. through Mexico were captured by the Nicaraguan military in a remote area where the men entered the country illegally from Costa Rica. Nicaraguan authorities identified the men as two Egyptian nationals—33-year old Mohamed Ibrahim and 26-year-old Mahmoud Samy Eissa—and two Iraqis, 41-year-old Ahmed Ghanim Mohamed Al Jubury and 29-year-old Mustafa Ali Mohamed Yaoob. The men arrived in Panama

on May 12

and in Costa Rica

on June 9

, according to an

article

published in Nicaragua’s largest newspaper.

Put all of this in the context of Democrats braying when President Trump took out Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s elite Quds military force and considered the world’s No. 1 terrorist.