Category: SOUTH JERSEY

The Community of Lodi Awarded Veteran Friendly Municipality Certification

From left, appearing in photo: Councilmen Joseph P. Leto IV and Emil Carafa, Jr., mayor Scott A. Luna, Peter Lupo and deputy mayor, Vincent Martin. Photo by Paul Roe

[Lodi, New Jersey – February, 2020] Lodi was presented with the Veteran Friendly Municipality Certification this evening by Peter Lupo of the New Jersey State Veterans Chamber of Commerce. During a brief ceremony at the start of the regular borough council meeting, Mr. Lupo presented the certificate to Lodi mayor, Scott Luna, councilmen, Joseph P. Leto IV and Emil Carafa, Jr., and deputy mayor, Vincent Martin.

The borough clerk,Carole D’amico, municipal manager, Vincent Caruso, and several other members of the Lodi government were also on hand at the council meeting.

Mr. Lupo praised the borough for its recognition of the challenges faced by veteran owned businesses and for the hardships veterans often face when trying to find meaningful employment. He added that Lodi goes beyond words and takes action to make substantive improvements to economic opportunities for veteran businesses in the community.

The certificate reads, in part, “This municipality strives to make the lives of veterans better and is therefore awarded the Veteran Friendly Municipality designation for 2020”.

Municipalities earn the certification by passing a resolution to award 6% of public contract dollars to veteran owned businesses and to achieve workforce composed of 5% veterans. The Lodi resolution also provides for 3 veteran only parking spaces in municipal parking areas and a promise by the township to proactively notify veteran businesses of upcoming bids and contract opportunities. To date, the certification has been presented to Paramus, Hackensack, Garfield, South Hackensack, Rochelle Park, Fairview, Garfield, Marlboro Township, South Plainfield, Union City, Freehold, and a continually growing list of municipalities.

The resolution was adopted by unanimous vote by the borough council. It will give veterans a chance to be more competitive for public bids and contracts

The mayor and council accepted the certificate from the chamber and paused a moment for a group photo.

The New Jersey State Veterans Chamber of Commerce is a 501c6 nonprofit organization focused on making New Jersey’s economy fairer to veteran owned businesses, as well as veteran job creation.

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NJ TRANSIT Makes Advancement in Positive Train Control Project

FRA Gives Approval for Revenue Service Demonstration to Begin

NEWARK

– The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has given NJ TRANSIT approval to begin Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD) of its Positive Train Control (PTC) system, moving NJ TRANSIT one-step closer to meeting the

federally mandated deadline of PTC certification by December 31, 2020.

“Entering the RSD phase of PTC is a major milestone and a testament to the incredible work by our employees working around the clock with our contractors to ensure this important safety technology implementation remains on schedule,”

said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett.

“Two years ago, we had just 10 months to take the project from only 12-percent to 100-percent complete toward the December 31, 2018 federally mandated interim milestone for installation – we were successful.  With this announcement, and the continued support from the FRA, I’m confident we will meet the December 31, 2020 federal deadline for full implementation of PTC.”

The FRA’s approval allows NJ TRANSIT to initiate RSD on the Morristown Line between Summit and Denville.  Previously, field testing has been conducted on test trains that did not carry customers.  During RSD, NJ TRANSIT’s current safety technology called Automatic Train Control (ATC) will remain active and will not be affected by the testing.

NJ TRANSIT continues to conduct and expand its non-revenue testing on its other rail lines and is working collaboratively with Amtrak and freight operators to ensure interoperability of all PTC systems.

In December 2018, NJ TRANSIT marked 100-percent completion of the FRA’s 2018 year-end milestone for PTC that included installation on 282 locomotives and cab cars, 326 miles of wayside infrastructure such as poles and antennas and trained 1,745 employees.

Measure Brings the Project a Step Closer to Full Funding Grant Agreement for Replacement of 109-Year-Old Bridge

NJ TRANSIT is commending the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) decision to give an improved project rating to a proposed replacement of the Portal Bridge.  The 109-year-old swing span over the Hackensack River, and its history of mechanical breakdowns, has long been a chokepoint for rail customers travelling the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between New Jersey and New York City.

“From day one, my administration has worked closely with our congressional delegation and Secretary Chao’s team to enhance this critical project that cannot wait another day — we have committed the entirety of New Jersey’s local share in the form of $600 million in EDA bonds, completed critical early construction work and developed shovel-ready plans for major construction. Today’s decision by USDOT puts us one step closer toward our ultimate goal; replacing this unreliable, century-old bridge and reducing delays for NJ TRANSIT customers,”

said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

“New Jersey remains ready and willing to work cooperatively as a full partner to ensure that this project, which affects the commutes of tens of thousands of our residents daily, is completed as expeditiously as possible.”

“We are very thankful that the FTA has improved its rating of the critical Portal North Bridge project,”

said Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia.

“A new bridge will significantly increase reliability for the 200,000 daily Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT customers that cross the Hackensack River each day. We thank our partners at NJ TRANSIT for their leadership, FTA and DOT for their cooperation, and all of our federal and state champions in New Jersey, New York and across the country for their continued support as we look forward to progressing this critical element of the Gateway Program.”

“Any rail customer that commutes between New Jersey and New York City will attest to the importance of the reliability this bridge has on the quality of their daily lives,”

said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Chair Diane Gutierrez- Scaccetti.

“This antiquated bridge remains a single point of failure on the NEC, which makes its replacement a top priority. We’re grateful that the USDOT recognizes how critical this link is to the economic viability of this region and look forward to getting construction underway as soon as possible.”

“We are extremely pleased with the USDOT’s decision to advance the Portal North Project closer to a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA). This critical project can’t wait any longer as this nearly 110-year-old bridge is a frequent source for delays and frustration for our nearly 90,000 customers who travel to and from Penn Station New York every day,”

said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett.

“We thank the USDOT, and our partners at the FTA and FRA, for their support of this shovel-ready project that will increase capacity and ensure reliability for the more than 450 NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak trains a day that cross the Portal Bridge.”

In September 2019, NJ TRANSIT, as the Project Sponsor in partnership with Amtrak, submitted a revised financial plan to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).   The revised plan was adjusted to reflect FTA and USDOT feedback on a previous submissions, making more local money available for the project while keeping costs in check.  NJ TRANSIT and the state of New Jersey doubled the share of local funding toward the project, increasing the state’s contribution from $300 million to $600 million dollars.

Advancing the Portal North Bridge Project towards construction is critical to eliminating the major disruptions to train service on the NEC between Newark, New Jersey and New York Penn Station. The NEC is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States, and a long-term outage of the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River would result in catastrophic delays from Boston to the nation’s capital.

Between NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak, more than 450 trains a day cross the current Portal Bridge carrying passengers making almost 200,000 daily trips. NJ TRANSIT alone carries approximately 90,000 customers (180,000 passenger trips) between New Jersey and New York City on an average weekday.  The bridge regularly opens to allow for marine traffic to pass, and each opening causes delays on both lines. When the 109-year-old bridge fails to properly close, the delays cascade to affect tens of thousands of customers and their families.

The replacement Portal North Bridge is designed as a high-level, fixed span bridge that will allow marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic. The project is one hundred percent designed, fully permitted, and has seen early work completed on time and under budget. These successes make it especially well-positioned to begin construction to provide increased reliability and capacity to rail passengers throughout the region and nation in the near-term.

Once full construction begins, the remainder of the Portal North Bridge Project is estimated to take approximately five years.

*Gloucester City St. Patrick\’s Parade, Sunday, March 1

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ– The NJ Irish Society presents events and initiatives year-round as part of paying tribute to our strong history of tradition. Based in the heart of Gloucester City, NJ Irish Society was formally founded in 2019 after serving the community as a whole for decades, with our event roster featuring the sensational

“can’t miss” Irish Parade

and growing series of cultural programming and festivities.

The New Jersey Irish Society is vested in sustaining a vibrant community with excellent quality of life for the residents and visitors. Gloucester City has a rich history of Irish heritage dating back to the 1600’s when Irish Quakers first settled in the Town of Gloucester, now known as Gloucester City. That tradition continues today with the City ranking 9th in the nation for Irish American population.

The New Jersey Irish Society is working closely with the City of Gloucester, Camden County, area businesses, community groups and residents to keep these traditions alive in our community. \”We began in 2016 with our inaugural St. Patrick’s Day parade, which brought thousands to the City and its businesses to celebrate the holiday. We are thrilled to be celebrating our 5th Anniversary as South Jersey’s not-to-be-missed parade extravaganza, featuring the best in entertainment!\”

This year\’s parade is being held on Sunday, March 1, 2020 starting at 1PM. The parade route begins at Martin\’s Lake, Johnson Blvd and Baynes Avenue to the end of Monmouth Street ending at King Street.

RELATED:

The Irish of Gloucester City Celebrate The 100th Anniversary of Irish Independence

Sunday, March 06, 2016

UPDATE SEE MORE PHOTOS Photo (s) Credit CNBNews Staff The Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, Bishop of the Camden Diocese, (center) and Monsignor William Hodge, (left) Pastor of St. Mary\’s Parish, Gloucester City lead the…

Read more →

You\’re Invited: Rally for Progress 2020

BLACKWOOD, NJ–Congressman Donald Norcross is holding a rally to kick-off his 2020

campaign on February 29 at the Camden County College, Blackwood campus. The event is being held in the Papiano Gymnasium. Doors open at 1PM, event begins at 1:30PM. S

Special guests include NJ Governor Phil Murphy and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

\”Donald Trump says South Jersey is \”Trump Country\” – Let\’s prove him wrong\”, said Norcross.

Admission is free but RSVP is required – Click here!

Colorado/Las Vegas Drug Dealers Sentenced For Trafficking Heroin Seized in Secaucus Hotel

TRENTON

– Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a Colorado man was sentenced to prison today after being convicted at trial of trafficking 31 kilograms of heroin seized from his hotel

room in Secaucus by the New Jersey State Police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Anthony R. Koon, 58, of Pueblo, Colo., was sentenced today to 10 years in state prison, including over three years of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Arre in Hudson County. Koon was found guilty on June 25, 2019, by a Hudson County jury of charges of first-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute, second-degree conspiracy, and third-degree possession of heroin. Koon’s state sentence will be consecutive to a nine-year federal prison sentence Koon is currently serving as the result of a drug conviction in U.S. District Court in Illinois.

Koon’s co-defendant, Alan A. Alderman, 74, of Las Vegas, Nev., was sentenced on Dec. 13, 2019 to five years in state prison by Judge Arre. Alderman was tried with Koon in June, but the jury in that trial was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on Alderman. Alderman was retried and was found guilty on Oct. 10, 2019 of second-degree conspiracy to distribute heroin and third-degree possession of heroin.

Deputy Attorneys General Omari Reid and Heather Hausleben tried Koon for the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau. DAG Reid and Deputy Attorney General Amy Sieminski tried Alderman in October. DAG Reid handled the sentencing hearing today for Koon. The trial teams were assisted by Deputy Attorney General Sarah Brigham of the DCJ Appellate Bureau. The men were indicted in an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Violent & Organized Crime Control Bureau Trafficking North Unit and DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Group T-42. The New York Drug Enforcement Task Force comprises agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police.

“The 31 kilograms of heroin seized in this case represent tens of thousands of doses of heroin that would have fueled addiction, misery and death if the DEA Task Force and New Jersey State Police had not interceded,” said Attorney General Grewal. “I commend the prosecutors in our Division of Criminal Justice who secured these verdicts and prison sentences, as well as all of the members of law enforcement who investigated. We are fighting the opioid epidemic on all fronts in New Jersey, expanding prevention and treatment strategies while aggressively prosecuting criminals like Koon and Alderman who traffic opioids into our communities.”

“We will continue to work with the New Jersey State Police, DEA, and our other law enforcement partners to target the major suppliers of opioids who are ruthlessly profiting from addiction in New Jersey,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Interstate drug trafficking demands an interstate response, and this collaborative, multi-jurisdictional investigation is a great example of how we target this type of criminal organization.”

“The fact that troopers and detectives were able to prevent such a massive quantity of heroin from hitting the streets is a victory in and of itself, because somewhere among the thousands of doses seized was one that would claim a life or send another spiraling out of control, consumed by addiction,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police.  “We are committed to combating the opioid epidemic through collaborative investigations and by continuing to focus our efforts on prevention through education.”

“Drug trafficking investigations have uncovered numerous means and methods used by criminal organizations to transport illicit drugs into our communities and homes,” said Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan of the DEA New York Division. “This sentencing is the final step in bringing to justice two traffickers responsible for delivering 31kilograms of heroin into our backyard.  I applaud our partners in the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General for their dogged efforts in this investigation.”

New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett said, “As a result of interagency coordination and commitment among our law enforcement partners, two dangerous drug traffickers have been brought to justice. Heroin and other drugs perpetuate a cycle of addiction and criminal behavior which in turn threatens the safety and security of our neighborhoods. I want to thank our members and law enforcement partners for their tenacious dedication to tracking illegal drugs and intercepting them at their source before they can be distributed on our streets.”

The defendants were arrested on Feb. 1, 2016, after NYDETF Group T-42 developed information that a gold-colored Mercedes Benz linked to a large-scale narcotics trafficking organization had traveled from New York to a hotel in Secaucus, N.J. NYDETF Group T-42 enlisted the New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit to assist them in the investigation. The joint investigation revealed that several members of the narcotics network had traveled to Secaucus that day to meet and exchange heroin.

Initially, two men were stopped in a minivan after they left the parking lot of the hotel, where they were seen meeting with the occupant or occupants of the gold Mercedes. Those men, Oscar R. Felix, 42, of Menifee, Calif., and John M. Ulloa, 38, of Bronx, N.Y., were linked through further investigation to Alderman, who was determined to be staying at the hotel. Alderman and Koon, who was staying with Alderman, were arrested inside the hotel, where investigators discovered two gym bags secured with locks in a closet of their hotel room. Investigators executed a search warrant for the hotel room the following day and discovered 31 kilograms of heroin in the gym bags. They also found $14,300 in U.S. currency wrapped in black electrical tape when they executed a search warrant for Koon’s Jeep.

Felix and Ulloa pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to distribute heroin and each man was sentenced on Dec. 11, 2017 to six years in state prison.

Defense Attorneys:

For Koon

: Michael R. Shulman, Esq., Jersey City, N.J.

For Alderman:

Assistant Deputy Public Defender Andre Vitale, Hudson County.

Route 42 northbound lane closures required as Bridges over Timber Creek project advances

(Trenton)

– New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced overnight lane closures on Route 42 northbound as the Bridges over Timber Creek and Lower Landing Road project advances in Gloucester, Camden County and Deptford, Gloucester County.

Beginning at 10:30 p.m., tonight, Friday, February 21, NJDOT’s contractor, Richard E. Pierson Construction Company, is scheduled to close the left and center lanes on Route 42 northbound in the vicinity of the bridges and shift traffic into the right lane to install construction barrier to prepare for a traffic shift.  One lane of northbound traffic will be maintained.

By 5:30 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, February 22, all three lanes on Route 42 northbound will reopen.  The left lane of Route 42 northbound will cross into the median and return to the mainline beyond the staged work area.  This configuration will remain in place until summer 2020.

The $9.6 million federally-funded project, which began in September 2017, will demolish and replace the two bridge deck spans on the Route 42 Bridges over Timber Creek and Lower Landing Road and make repairs to the piers and abutments.  The project has been designed in stages with the bridge deck replaced one side at a time to reduce the impact to motorists.  Work is anticipated to be complete in fall 2020.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.  Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website

www.511nj.org

for construction updates and real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter

@NJDOT_info

or on the

NJDOT Facebook page

.

I-295 southbound/Al-Jo’s Curve to Route 42 southbound/ Closed Tonight and Saturday

Signed detour will be in place overnight

(Trenton)

– New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced an overnight closure of the I-295 southbound ramp to Route 42 southbound and I-295 southbound as the Direct Connection project advances in Bellmawr, Camden County.

Beginning at 10 p.m. tonight, Friday, February 21, until 8 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, February 22, NJDOT’s contractor, South State, Inc., will close the I-295 southbound ramp to Route 42 southbound and I-295 southbound, also known as Al-Jo’s Curve, to replace damaged construction barrier.  All motorists traveling on I-295 southbound will be directed to stay left onto Exit 26. The following detour will be in place overnight:

I-295 southbound to Route 42 southbound/I-295 southbound detour:

Motorists traveling on I-295 southbound to Route 42 southbound will be directed to exit left at Exit 26/I-76 westbound

Take I-76 westbound to Exit 2/I-676 northbound

Take I-676 northbound to Exit 1/Collings Avenue

Turn right onto Collings Avenue

Turn left onto I-676 southbound which becomes I-76 eastbound

Take I-76 eastbound to Exit 1A/I-295 southbound

The work is part of the $900 million Direct Connection project that will provide a seamless route for I-295 motorists traveling through the interchange of I-295, I-76, and Route 42. The Direct Connection project has been divided into four separate construction contracts, with completion of the fourth and final contract expected in the fall of 2024. NJDOT\’s project website provides

construction activity schedules and updates

.

Portable variable message signs are being utilized to provide advance notification to the public of all traffic pattern changes associated with the work. The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.  Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website

www.511nj.org

for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter

@NJDOT_info

.

King of Prussia Man Indicted for Traveling to the Philippines to Have Sex with Kids

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Craig Alex Levin, 64, of King of Prussia, PA was charged by Indictment with child exploitation offenses related to his travel to the Philippines. The Indictment was filed in December 2019 and unsealed today. The defendant is currently in custody in the Philippines and awaiting deportation back to the United States.

Levin was originally charged through a Criminal Complaint and Warrant in July 2019. The Indictment unsealed today alleges that the defendant used the internet to persuade, induce, entice and coerce a child into sex trafficking (count one), and that he travelled internationally from the United States to the Philippines for the purposes of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minor children (count two).

“As alleged in the Indictment, the defendant is a dangerous predator who targeted vulnerable children in a foreign country. This is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Indeed, at the time of the defendant’s arrest last year in the Philippines, he was escorting a 15 year-old girl to his hotel room. Holding child sexual offenders accountable, no matter where they prey on children, will continue to be a top priority of my Office and the entire Department of Justice.”

“Craig Levin felt safe in the Philippines. He traveled there repeatedly, stayed for months at a time, and sexually exploited numerous underage girls, as alleged,” said Tara A. McMahon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “If Mr. Levin thought no one in the U.S. would know or care about the abuse because it took place on the other side of the world, he was badly mistaken. Child sexual exploitation is abhorrent anywhere, and the FBI won’t hesitate to go after these offenders wherever we find them. Protecting vulnerable underage victims and aggressively investigating predators who prey on them continues to be one of the FBI’s highest priorities.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division\’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit

www.projectsafechildhood.gov

.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment with a mandatory minimum of ten years, lifetime supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and an additional $10,000 mandatory special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Velez.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Montclair State Men Over Scarlet Raptors 75-72

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. (Feb. 19, 2020) – The Montclair State University men’s basketball team rallied from an early 19-3 deficit and went on to outlast Rutgers University-Camden, 75-72, in a thrilling New Jersey Athletic Conference game that was the final

contest of the season for both programs.

Despite their comeback win, the Red Hawks missed the six-team NJAC playoffs, finishing one game behind the three-way tie for seeds 4-6 between Rutgers-Newark, New Jersey City and Rowan, a trio of 10-8 teams. Montclair State finished 9-9 in the NJAC and 11-14 overall.

Rutgers-Camden closed its season with a 7-18 record and a 4-14 mark in the NJAC.

Montclair State leads the all-time series, 56-11, and has won 13 of its last 15 games against Rutgers-Camden, although the teams split their season series this year.

After the two teams split the first six points of the game, Rutgers-Camden rattled off 16 unanswered points, including 12 by junior guard

Arian Azemi.

Senior forward

Isaac Destin

added the other four points in the run as the Raptors took a 19-3 lead. By halftime, the Scarlet Raptors held a 48-34 lead, led by 21 points from Azemi and 16 from Destin.

Playing a must-win game, while hoping for outside help to make the playoffs, Montclair State came out with a purpose in the second half. After a layup by Destin gave the Raptors a 50-34 lead, the Red Hawks rattled off 17 straight points, including a pair of foul shots by senior forward/center Eddie Emedoh, to take a 51-50 lead.

The Scarlet Raptors regained the lead on a layup by junior guard

Keysean Simmonds,

setting the stage for a wild final 15 minutes, which featured five lead changes and five ties. With 4:49 remaining, a layup by Azemi gave the Scarlet Raptors their final lead, 66-65. Montclair State took the lead for good moments later on a three-pointer by junior forward Joseph Radi, making it a 68-66 game.

The Red Hawks’ lead fluctuated from 2-5 points the rest of the way. In the final minute, Montclair State held a 75-70 lead before the Raptors’ freshman forward

Dylan Trow

hit a late layup to make it a 75-72 game. After a turnover, the Raptors had one last chance to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, but missed a pair of treys.

Senior forward Jalen Parham finished with 17 points to lead three Red Hawks in double figures. Radi scored 16, and added a team-high nine rebounds, while senior guard Nate Nahirny tallied 14 points.

Azemi scored a game-high 27 points, while Destin finished with his 10th double-double of the season, scoring 26 points and adding 10 rebounds. Azemi also had a game-high six assists, while tying Montclair State junior guard Tim Algenio for game-high honors with four steals.

The Red Hawks shot 29-for-60 from the floor (48.3 percent), while the Raptors were 27-for-52 (51.9). Rutgers-Camden held a 34-32 edge off the boards, but also made two more turnovers (23-21).

Destin’s 26 points helped him edge past Cetshwayo Byrd (1,300 points from 1990-94) and finish in sixth place on the program’s career list with 1,302 points. He also finished fifth in career rebounds (604) and third in blocks (68).

Isaac Destin and Azemi finished 1-2 on the team in scoring with averages of 20.0 and 18.8, respectively. Azemi also set the program’s single-season record for steals with 81.