Gambling giant MGM Resorts International says it did nothing wrong in its dealings with a New York City man who accuses it of preying on his gambling addiction with repeated cash bonuses intended to keep him gambling.

In court papers, MGM says Sam Antar, a twice-jailed “fraudster” who repeatedly victimized friends, relatives and strangers, is engaging in “his latest scheme” by falsely accusing MGM of wrongdoing.

MGM is asking a federal judge to dismiss Antar’s lawsuit and refer the matter to arbitration, which it says is required by the terms of service to which Antar agreed when he opened an online gambling account with the company.

The company also denies it violated any New Jersey laws.

“Sam Antar is a convicted felon and repeat fraudster who has pled guilty to defrauding numerous individuals out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in false stock investment schemes,” MGM wrote in its June 9 response to Antar’s litigation, filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. “Rather than accept accountability for his own actions, Antar blames BetMGM for his crimes, falsely claiming that BetMGM preyed upon his alleged gambling addiction.”

The company did not respond to requests for comment beyond what is contained in its court filing.

Antar is the nephew of Eddie Antar, who founded the Crazy Eddie electronics stores in the 1970s and 1980s. Eddie Antar defrauded investors out of more than $74 million, and died in 2016.

In 2013, Sam Antar was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for taking $225,000 in a fraudulent investment scheme. He was convicted and jailed last year on theft by deception charges involving nearly $350,000. In April, he admitted committing federal securities fraud for bilking investors including friends stemming from that same case, and was ordered in May to pay restitution.

“I would like to publicly apologize to all the people I hurt,” he said in an interview Wednesday.

His initial lawsuit, filed last September, accused MGM of plying him with bonus cash to dissuade him from reporting to New Jersey gambling regulators numerous instances in which he was gambling online and was disconnected from the system — often when he had a winning hand.

His revised lawsuit, filed in May, drops those allegations and focuses on what his lawyer Matthew Litt calls “what’s really important here to society as a whole: the enticement by the casino of a person who was showing signs of being a problem gambler.”

Antar, who has homes in New York and in Long Branch, New Jersey, gambled $30 million over 100,000 bets during nine months in 2019, according to his lawsuit, which does not specify how much he actually lost. Litt would not estimate those losses, although a previous lawyer in Antar’s case said they totaled “easily hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

In its response, MGM says it did not create or worsen a gambling problem in Antar or anyone else.

“To be sure, BetMGM takes problem gambling seriously, and has numerous options for persons to self-exclude or limit their play, as well as resources for assistance,” the company wrote. “However, New Jersey law does not include a common law duty to protect problem gamblers from their actions.

“Despite a heightened sensitivity to problem gaming, New Jersey courts have repeatedly held that casinos have no common law duty to prevent alleged ‘compulsive gamblers’ from gambling,” MGM wrote.

The latest version of Antar’s lawsuit makes some of the same claims that were raised — and rejected by a judge — in another person’s lawsuit targeting Atlantic City casinos. In 2008, a federal judge ruled against New York gambler Arelia Taveras who sued seven casinos that she said had a duty to stop her from gambling. She lost nearly $1 million over two years, including dayslong gambling binges.

“She spent money on the bona fide chance that she might win more money,” U.S. District Court Judge Renee Bumb wrote in a 2008 ruling. “In short, she gambled. The mere fact that defendants profited from her misfortune, while lamentable, does not establish a cognizable claim in the law.”

MGM cites that case among its numerous defenses to Antar’s litigation.

Nine people are accused of stealing major artwork and sports memorabilia — including World Series rings and MVP plaques for baseball legends Yogi Berra and Roger Maris — in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York over the span of two decades.

Nicholas Dombek, 53, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Damien Boland, 47, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Alfred Atsus, 47, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Atsus, 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania, were all indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage and interstate transportation of stolen property, officials announced on Thursday. 

The four men were also charged with theft of major artwork and concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage while Dombek was charged with interstate transportation of stolen property as well. 

Five more suspects – Thomas Trotta, 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Frank Tassiello, 50, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Daryl Rinker, 50, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Dawn Trotta, 51, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, and Ralph Parry, 45, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania – were also charged for their alleged roles in the theft, officials said. 

The nine suspects conspired over a period of 20 years to break into multiple museums and other institutions to steal priceless works of art, sports memorabilia and other objects, according to investigators. After stealing the items, the suspects transported the stolen goods back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, often to Dombrek’s home, investigators said. 

They then allegedly melted the memorabilia down into metal discs or bars that were easy to transport. They then sold the raw metal in the New York City area for hundreds or thousands of dollars, significantly less than the items would be worth at fair market value, officials said. 

Dombrek also allegedly burned one of the items, the painting “Upper Hudson,” by Jasper Crospey, in order to stop investigators from recovering it. The painting was worth approximately $500,000, officials said. Many of the stolen items have not yet been recovered, according to investigators. 

The FBI, Pennsylvania State Police, New Jersey State Police, New York State Police and several police departments in multiple states all took part in the investigation. 

The stolen items include the following: 

• A Christy Mathewson jersey and two contracts signed by Mathewson stolen in 1999 from Keystone College in Factoryville, Pennsylvania
• “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum, Scranton, Pennsylvania
• Nine World Series rings, seven other championship rings, and two MVP plaques awarded to Yogi Berra, worth over $1,000,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, Little Falls, New Jersey
• Six championship belts, including four awarded to Carmen Basilio and two awarded to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Canastota, New York
• The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy awarded to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum, Fargo, North Dakota; 
• The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library, Liberty Corner, New Jersey
• Fourteen trophies and other awards worth over $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Goshen, New York
• Five trophies worth over $400,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs, New York
• Eleven trophies, including 4 awarded to Art Wall, Jr. stolen in 2011 from the Scranton Country Club, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
• Three antique firearms worth a combined $1,000,000 stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey
• An 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton, Pennsylvania
• “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, worth approximately $500,000, and two antique firearms worth over $300,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor, Ringwood, New Jersey
• $400,000 worth of gold nuggets stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Ogdensburg, New Jersey
• Various gems, minerals, and other items stolen in 2017 from the Franklin Mineral Museum, Franklin, New Jersey
• An antique shotgun worth over $30,000 stolen in 2018 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey
• Various jewelry, and other items from multiple antique and jewelry stores in New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania

A jury found Byad Lockett and Darryl Watson guilty in the Sept. 2021 Essex County jail attack against then 21-year-old Jayshawn Boyd, prosecutors announced Wednesday. The jury found Lockett and Watson guilty of attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

The third inmate, Isaad Jackson, was only found guilty of the final charge. Prosecutors said the jury was hung on the attempted murder and assault charges.

The vicious beatdown was caught on video, many of the images too disturbing too watch. In it, the three men stomp on Boyd, hit him with a mop handle, douse him with bleach, throw a water cooler and then a microwave at his head. According to Essex County officials, a total of seven inmates were involved in the attack.

“The victim was unconscious after sustaining serious head shots during the seven-on-one assault. Lockett, Watson, and Jackson then returned to the defenseless body of Boyd and struck him in the head multiple times with industrial-sized items,” Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab said.

The sentencing for the three men is set for September.

That Boyd can walk at all shows his incredible will to survive — no one thought he could live after the beating in the C-Pod at the Essex County jail. Boyd, whose family says suffers from schizophrenia, had never been put in general population before the day of the beating.

“The way they beat my son, I couldn’t even watch the video,” Nacolia Boyd, Jayshawn’s mother, said. “My son Is not the same. He can’t do things on his own anymore. He can’t go to the store—can’t dress himself-it’s hard for me. You don’t have the life you did before.”

The Boyd family is now suing the county and correction officials. Attorney Brooke Barnett says the duration of the beating with no intervention by jail guards was unacceptable.

”He’s placed in the jail—in less than 10 minutes, this is what’s happening,” Barnett said. “And nobody came to his aid.”

The seven-on-one attack went on for two minutes and 23 seconds, according to Barnett.

Union officials said the sole officer on duty in that unit had not been academy trained. According to prosecutors, he left for his safety and called for backup. A year and a half later, officers without academy training are still being put into units at a ratio of one to every 64 inmates.

County officials insist they have implemented safety and security changes since the assault on Boyd.

“We are employing national standards and we are employing best practices,” ECCR Director Donald Charles said.

But according to internal documents obtained by the News 4 I-Team, there have been a total of 17 inmate-on-inmate or inmate-on-staff incidents since March. Officer Jeffrey Matos was stabbed and beaten by a group of inmates on May 17.

“They don’t care about our safety. I’ve never seen the jail this dangerous in my life,” Matos said.

Barnett, who represents several inmate families, agrees.

“You talk about Rikers, Essex County Jail, they’re worse than Rikers,” she said.

Boyd, his family says, will need a lifetime of care.

“They should have been on a job protecting these inmates. Just because you’re in jail, doesn’t mean you have to be treated like an animal. And it shouldn’t have happened to my son. No one should have gone through that,” his mother said.

One defendant has already pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, while three others have yet to be tried.

According to law enforcement officials, the incident happened before noon inside a home along the 1300 block of Princeton Avenue, when the child — who police have not yet identified — was with its mother and an unidentified man.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said that police believe the child’s wound was self-inflicted.

“This horrific act calls to mind the senselessness of gun deaths and innocent children in harm’s way. The city grieves for the family’s loss, and we ask you to keep them in your prayers.” Reed Gusciora, Trenton’s mayor, said in a statement.

A preliminary investigation seems to show that this incident was likely an accidental shooting, police said.

Law enforcement officials said a firearm was recovered and an investigation is ongoing.

The Woodbridge Township worker in the Public Works Department was painting lines for a soccer field just after 12 p.m. Wednesday when the bolt struck him, officials said. The field is located outside of Iselin Middle School at Hyde Avenue and Patton Street.

The strike was captured on doorbell camera by a local resident. Jay Heday, who witnessed it all go down, said that the man was flat on the ground immediately after.

First responders who raced to the scene hooked the man up to an AED minutes later and started working on him.

“We were able to see burn marks, started compressions to get his heart going,” said Officer RJ McPartland, who was able to restore Baumgartner’s pulse after he initiated CPR.

The employee, identified by as 39-year-old Eric Baumgartner, was conscious and alert afterwards, according to the mayor. Baumgartner’s condition was not immediately clear.

Abeer Viriani faces two counts each of aggravated manslaughter and second-degree vehicular homicide for the crash that occurred around 6 p.m. Tuesday in Highland Park, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. The horrific rush hour scene near North 10th Avenue and Raritan Avenue involved three vehicles, one of which was pushed up to the front of a business along the road due to the impact of the crash.

Covered bodies were seen laying near one of the vehicles. On Wednesday, the prosecutor’s office identified the victims of the Subaru that Viriani, of Iselin, had struck. Peter Palmer, 75, and Carol Paul, 77, were pronounced dead at the scene. The grandparents were from Easton, Maryland, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

Neighbors said the couple had been visiting their grandchildren in the area. Their car was twisted in the wreckage, according to neighbors, leaving them trapped inside as at least two of the cars were on fire.

One neighbor, Dana Cappa, said she saw a survivor pleading with another crash victim to hang on.

“He said ‘don’t die on me, don’t die on me,’ he was trying to help his friend,” Cappa said.

The driver of the other car Viriani struck, a Hyundai Elantra, suffered minor injuries. Viriani, 34, was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where both are expected to survive.

Attorney information for Viriani, who was being held pending a pre-trial detention, was not immediately known.

Officials have not given a possible cause of the crash, but locals say something like this was bound to happen. They say they see cars racing one another all the time, flying down the road that connects Edison to Highland Park.

A state Senate committee unanimously passed Bill A4939 on Monday — the measure now heads to the full Senate floor. The bill has already pass the House.

The Supreme Court ruled bans on interracial marriage were illegal on June 12, 1967, a day known as “Loving Day.” But, New Jersey never change its state laws.

After last year’s abortion ruling, there is concern other rights gained by Supreme Court decisions could be lost. This bill moving through the state legislature would enshrine those protections into law.

“This bill declares the right of a person to marry or enter into a civil union with a person of any race is fundamental and that race is not a prohibiting factor,” a statement by the Assembly Judiciary Committee read earlier this year.

Gov. Phil Murphy has said he plans to sign the bill if it comes to his desk.

Police responded to the deadly crash site around 6 p.m. near North 10th Avenue and Raritan Avenue in Highland Park.

At least three cars were involved, but the total number of patients was unclear. The impact of the crash was so strong that one of the cars was pushed up to the front of a business along the road.

Bodies laying near one of the vehicles were covered but officials did not release information on how many were killed.

Witness say at least two of the cars were on fire. People were trapped, and according to multiple neighbors, an elderly couple visiting their grandchildren were inside a car twisted in the wreckage. Neighbors say they did not survive.

“In the middle of the road the EMTs were doing CPR and there was a massive presence of people. It was a sad scene to see a person actually going through the throngs of life,” one witness said.

The total number of victims is unclear, but Dana Cappa said she saw a survivor pleading with another crash victim to hang on.

“He said ‘don’t die on me, don’t die on me,’ he was trying to help his friend,” Cappa said.

Officials have not given a possible cause of the crash, but locals say something like this was bound to happen. They say they see cars racing one another all the time, flying down the road that connects Edison to Highland Park.

A 19-year-old driver trying to swat a bug away ended up causing a crash in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon, according to police.

Hackettstown police officers responded to Route 57 near Nikitin Way shortly before 2 p.m. on a report of a crash.

According to a subsequent investigation, police say, it was determined that a 19-year-old man from Washington Township was driving a 2014 Tesla eastbound on Route 57 when a bug started flying around his face. Allegedly, when he attempted to swat the bug away, he lost control and rear-ended a 2017 Honda that was being driven by another 19-year-old — a woman also from Washington Township.

The impact then caused the woman’s vehicle to crash into a guardrail, police said.

The male driver, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene, was issued a summons for careless driving, police said. Police did not disclose if the woman suffered any injuries.

The “bug-induced” crash, prompted the local Hackettstown Police Department to issue safety tips in case other drivers have the urge to swat a bug while on the road. The police department says:

• “Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. If you’re in heavy traffic, fight the urge to swat the insect away, you could swerve and put other drivers at risk.
• Slow down gradually. Don’t slam on the brakes. Consider putting your hazard lights on to alert other drivers that you’ll be going below the speed limit.
• If you can, pull over. Once you’ve come to a complete stop, go ahead and give your complete attention to shooing the bug out of your car.”

The body of 18-year-old Victor Rodriguez, a senior at Pitman High School, was pulled out of Alcyon Lake in Pitman, New Jersey, on Monday, officials said.

Rodriguez disappeared in the water shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday as he was swimming across the lake as part of a school scavenger hunt, according to officials.

“He became submerged,” Pitman Police Chief Dan McAteer said. “There was another person on the other side of the lake and one on this side of the lake and they both tried to help but they were quickly, kind of overwhelmed themselves. Never in any jeopardy that we know of. They came back to shore. They were checked out by EMS.”

Dive teams with NJ State Police, Camden County and Bellmawr used cadaver dogs and sonar equipment to search for the missing teen. That search continued into Monday morning more than 12 hours after Rodriguez went missing, the borough said.

The grassy conditions underwater posed a challenge for divers.

“It’s a vegetation that exists in the lake. It’s very thick,” Chief McAteer said. “Deeply rooted but comes very close to the surface.”

On Monday afternoon, law enforcement officials confirmed Rodriguez’s body had been recovered from the lake.

Pitman High School announced in an Instagram post that all of Monday’s exams were canceled and that no students were required to come to school.

The high school. however, would be open Monday to offer emotional support, the post said. And, all seniors were “encouraged” to come to an afternoon informational session.

Rodriguez was a star athlete and wrestler at Pitman High School.

“It doesn’t even feel real. Honestly,” Sean Powell, a senior at Pitman High School, told NBC10. “I wrestled like half a year with the kid.”

Powell said the scavenger hunt Rodriguez was participating in was a high school tradition.

“It’s been going on for fifteen plus years,” Powell said. “One of the challenges is to swim across the lake for points. You get points for it. You gotta record it and unfortunately something tragic happened.”

Pitman High graduation is set for Wednesday night. An empty seat will have Rodriguez’s cap and gown on it.

A prayer vigil for Rodriguez was held Monday evening. His brother also created a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in statements Monday afternoon that both blazes in Burlington County are now contained.

Officials said one fire in Evesham Township in Burlington County — known as the Buzby Boggs Wildfire — had grown to 700 acres, but no longer poses a threat to the four structures cited earlier.

The forest fire service said the other fire in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest remains at 1.3 square miles; that blaze isn’t threatening any structures.

Officials said that, at about noon on Monday, they were able to contain the fire that had grown to about 850 acres.

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The 39-year-old man went into the water at Sylvania Avenue beach in Avon-by-the-Sea around 8:30 a.m. Friday, according to police. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the 15-year-old girl to need her father’s help, but it led to a frantic rescue effort near a jetty sticking into the water.

He was later identified as FDNY firefighter Mark Batista, from Teaneck, New Jersey, according to NBC News.

Witnesses on the beach called police, and a water rescue team arrived shortly after. About 10 minutes later, the rescue team pulled the girl from the water — but the father had not yet been found, police said.

It was around 10 a.m. that the father was found in the water about 50 feet from the shoreline. He was rushed to land where first responders performed life-saving efforts and he was then rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he died, according to police.

The daughter was also taken to the hospital, where she is expected to recover.

Lifeguards at the beach were not on duty at the time, and are not scheduled to be in place on weekdays until June 17.

In a statement, FDNY spokesperson Jim Long said the department was “heartbroken” to learn of Batista’s death, NBC News reported.

“Firefighter Batista was a dedicated public servant who spent 15 years serving in the FDNY, as both an EMT and a firefighter,” Long said. “We join his family in mourning his tragic passing.”

Another wildfire has sparked in New Jersey.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service on Friday afternoon alerted the public to a fire in Browns Mills, Burlington County.

“The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is responding to a wildfire burning in the area of City Line Road,” the state forest fire service said in its initial tweet. “Please avoid the area at this time.”

As of 8 p.m. the wildfire has reached 850 acres and is 90% contained.

Léelo en español aquí.

“Currently, Forest Fire Service crews are improving containment lines and are utilizing a backfiring operation to burn fuel ahead of the main body of fire. This operation will be ongoing throughout the night,” according to the NJ forest fire service Friday evening.

There are local road closures in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest area. Roads that have been reopened include the following:

• North Branch Road
• Glassworks Road
• City Line Road
• Butler Place Road

This is one of two wildfires currently burning in NJ. Officials said the wildfires currently burning could continue to burn for months due to the lack of precipitation in the air.

This fire follows several other New Jersey wildfires that burned in the last week, or so, in Jackson Township, Medford and at the Bass River State Forest. The Bass River fire even led to the temporary closure of the Garden State Parkway last Friday.

first alert traffic Jun 2

Garden State Parkway Reopens After NJ Wildfire Smoke Contributed to Closure

Check back for updates on this latest wildfire.

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Mike Cavallo was fishing with his daughter and a friend a few miles off Point Pleasant Beach on Friday. After Cavallo hooked a black sea bass, a great white shark unsuccessfully tried to chomp the fish. It was a moment caught on camera that Cavallo will never forget.

“Complete shock. I never thought in my life I would see a great white up that close or even a shark up that close,” Cavallo said.

There is currently a renewed focus on sharks at the Jersey Shore. The 2004 made-for-tv docudrama “12 Days of Terror — which is based on a series of deadly shark attacks on Long Beach Island and other parts of the Shore back in 1916 — is currently being featured at the annual Lighthouse International Film Festival on Long Beach Island which runs through Sunday.

Jack Sholder, the director of the film, came to LBI for a special screening.

“When you make something for television, you don’t get to see it with an audience,” Sholder said. “So it’s fantastic to see it with an audience.”

The movie was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, rather than New Jersey. Sholder said he spent all of his summers as a child at the Jersey Shore however.

“We went to Atlantic City every summer and we would spend the whole summer there,” he said. “I was really thrilled to get invited. I was glad that they were going to screen the film.”

While shark attacks often make headlines, experts say they’re still very rare.

“I hope people will understand that we share the ocean with nature,” Christine Rooney, managing director of the Lighthouse International Film Festival, said. “That we all have to be conscientious of how we treat the ocean.”

You can find more details on the Lighthouse International Film Festival, including the full lineup, tickets, and passes, here.

There are many health risks that people can face when it comes to wildfire smoke. However, health problems brought on by the dangerous air quality levels are not just limited to humans — our beloved pets face them as well.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, a good point of reference is if you can see or feel the effects of wildfires yourself, you should take precautions for your animals.

Just like humans who have heart and lung issues, animals with cardiovascular and/or respiratory diseases are most at risk when it comes to suffering effects of wildfire smoke.

Other signs of possible smoke or dust irritation in animals, include:

• Coughing
• Gagging
• Difficulty breathing, including open mouth breathing and increased noise when breathing
• Eye irritation and excessive watering
• Inflammation of throat or mouth
• Nasal discharge
• Asthma-like symptoms
• Increased breathing rate
• Fatigue or weakness
• Disorientation
• Stumbling
• Reduced appetite and/or thirst

The AVMA urges pet or livestock owners to watch animals during periods of poor air quality and remain vigilant. They should call a veterinarian if an animal presents any of the above signs.

Additionally, aside from informing the public what signs to look for in your pets that showcase smoke and dust irritation, the AVMA also provides tips on how to protect our animals during these instances.

HOW TO PROTECT PETS FROM WILDFIRE SMOKE

Pet owners can follow these tips, provided by the AVMA, which include:

• Keep pets indoors as much as possible, with windows shut.
• Birds should not be allowed outside when smoke is present.
• If air quality alerts are in effect, you should let your dogs and cats outside only for brief bathroom breaks.
• Avoid intense outdoor exercise during periods of poor air quality.
• Walk pets when dust and smoke has settled.
• Have a pet evacuation kit ready.

HOW TO PROTECT LIVESTOCK FROM WILDFIRE SMOKE

The AVMA also provides specific tips on how to keep livestock safe. These tips include:

• Exercise should be limited if smoke is visible. Don’t require animals to perform activities that increases lung airflow.
• Provide plenty of fresh water near feeding areas.
• Limit dust exposure by feeding low-dust or dust-free feeds and sprinkling livestock holding area.
• Plan to give livestock 4 to 6 weeks to recuperate after air quality returns to normal levels.
• Have a livestock evacuation plan ready in advance in case your need to quickly transport all animals.

The effects of hundreds of wildfires burning across the western provinces to Quebec could be felt as far away as the greater New York City metropolitan area.

Due to the air quality, the Federal Aviation Administration paused and delayed flights at certain area airports because the smoke was limiting visibility.

“The FAA has taken steps to manage the flow of traffic into the New York City area due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke,” the FAA said in a statement.

On Thursday morning, the FAA announced in a tweet it had issued a ground stop for flights from the Northeast, Ohio and Mid-Atlantic bound for LaGuardia Airport. About two hours later, the agency announced that all flights bound for Newark International Airport were delayed, though it wasn’t clear how long the delays would be for.

It was the second such pause in 24 hours issued for flights to LaGuardia. A day earlier the FAA has also announced flights to Newark Liberty International Airport had been slowed.

The FAA said as smoke continues to reduce visibility, the agency “will likely will likely need to take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into New York City, D.C., Philadelphia and Charlotte.”

If you are traveling, it is important to not only check weather updates, but also the status of your flight directly with the airline you are using.

Passengers are also asked to check fly.faa.gov for the latest developments.

Scroll down to see if your flight has been affected.

NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• Alaska Airlines
• Allegiant
• American Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• Avianca
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Delta
• El Al
• Elite Airways
• Emirates
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Eurowings
• Frenchbee
• Frontier
• Icelandair
• JetBlue
• La Compagnie
• Level Airlines
• LOT- Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Porter
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• Sun Country
• Spirit
• SWISS
• TAP Air Portugal
• Turkish Airlines
• United
• Virgin Atlantic

JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

• Aer Lingus
• Aeromexico
• Aeroflot
• Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Air China
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Air Italy
• Air India
• Air Serbia
• Air Senegal
• Alaska Airlines
• Alitalia
• American Airlines
• ANA (All Nippon)
• Asiana
• Austrian Airlines
• Avianca Brasil
• Azerbaijan Airlines
• British Airways
• Brussels Airlines
• Cape Air
• Caribbean Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Cayman Airways
• China Airlines
• China Eastern
• China Southern
• Copa Airlines
• Delta
• EgyptAir
• El Al
• Emirates
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Etihad
• Eurowings
• EVA Air
• Finnair
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• Interjet
• Japan Airlines
• JetBlue
• Kenya Airways
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• Korean Air
• Kuwait Airways
• LATAM
• LOT
• Lufthansa
• Neos
• Norwegian Air
• Philippine Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• Saudi Arabian Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• SWISS
• TAP Portugal
• Turkish Airlines
• Ukraine International Airlines
• Uzbekistan Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• Viva Aerobus
• Volaris
• WestJet
• XiamenAir

LAGUARDIA AIRPORT

• Air Canada
• American Airlines
• American Shuttle
• Delta Air Lines
• Delta Shuttle Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
• Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue
• Southwest Airlines
• Spirit (Fort Lauderdale)
• Spirit
• United Airlines
• WestJet

The New York City area has been smothered in a cloud of thick smoke due to wildfires in the eastern Canadian provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia over the past few days —and it is not any better Wednesday.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation extended its citywide air quality health advisory through midnight Wednesday, and those who have underlying health conditions are advised to avoid outdoor activity as much as possible. Long Island and the Hudson Valley are under the air quality advisory as well.

With the air quality being so dismal, who is most at risk healthwise when it comes to wildfire smoke?

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particles from burning trees and plants, buildings, and other material.

The health effects of wildfire smoke are far and wide, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. They can range from eye and respiratory irritation to more serious conditions, including reduced lung function. Exposure can also exacerbate asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and heart failure, prompting premature death, according to both the EPA and CDC.

The CDC notes that breathing in smoke can impact people right away and can cause:

• Coughing
• Trouble breathing
• Wheezing
• Asthma attacks
• Stinging eyes
• Scratchy throat
• Runny nose
• Irritated sinuses
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Chest pain
• Fast heartbeat

Children, pregnant women, and the elderly are most vulnerable to smoke exposure. Responders are also most at risk, according to the CDC.

On Tuesday, the city made recommendations out of precaution to protect New Yorkers, including limiting outdoor activities and staying inside when possible. Additionally, the city also recommends wearing a high-quality mask.

“Currently, we are taking precautions out of an abundance of caution to protect New Yorkers’ health until we are able to get a better sense of future air quality reports. We recommend all New Yorkers limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible. Those with preexisting respiratory problems, like heart or breathing problems, as well as children and older adults may be especially sensitive and should stay indoors at this time,” the city said.  

In a late morning Facebook post, Galloway Township police said officers had responded to “the area of Duerer Street and Vienna Avenue attempting to corral a loose bull.”

“Some roads may be temporarily shut down, and we ask that the public stay clear of the area until the situation is resolved and the bull is safely secured,” police in the Atlantic County town wrote.

SkyForce10 headed to the scene in an attempt to spot the search.

However, around 12:30 p.m., police updated the original Facebook post to say the bull was captured.

“The bull has been corralled and reunited with his owner,” police wrote. “Thank you to everyone for staying clear of the area.”

It’s Primary Election Day on Tuesday, when polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m., although it’s not the only day ballots will be cast. In-person voting was held over the weekend and mail-in ballots have been available to voters who prefer them for weeks.

New Jersey has no statewide races on the ballot this year, however both chambers of the Democrat-led Legislature are up for grabs in the November election.

Democrats have a 46-34 advantage in the Assembly and a 25-15 margin in the Senate, but control won’t be decided until November. This year’s primary stands out because there’s only a handful of contested races.

In southern New Jersey, incumbent Republican Sen. Ed Durr is facing a challenge from incumbent GOP Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer in the 3rd Legislative District.

Durr had worked as a furniture delivery truck driver when he shocked the state by defeating Steve Sweeney, the Senate president.

At the time Sawyer, a real estate broker, was his running mate. In New Jersey, candidates from the same party typically run on a joint ticket in their district, even if they’re seeking different seats. As a team they swept the Democrats who held the Senate seat and two Assembly seats, helping the GOP net seven seats.

In northern New Jersey, a Democratic contest in the 27th Legislative District has captured some attention, with Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy weighing in.

Incumbent senators Dick Codey and Nia Gill are competing to lengthen their already decadeslong political careers.

Gill has been in the Senate since 2002. She was a long-shot candidate for Senate president after Sweeney was ousted, but lost to Sen. Nicholas Scutari, a fellow Democrat.

Codey, who served as governor from November 2004 until January 2006, has been in the state Senate since 1982. Their primary contest comes after redistricting left Gill’s hometown inside the district currently held by Codey.

Endorsing Codey, Murphy called him a “hardworking and dedicated” public servant.” Murphy didn’t mention Gill although the two have agreed on legislation previously, including bills to tighten the state’s gun laws.

“She didn’t sound too frantic,” Marc said. “That’s why I didn’t believe her at first.” 

Twersky’s grandmother, 85-year-old Dianne Twersky, was inside her home in East Windsor, New Jersey, at 11:30 a.m. when she heard a crashing noise. 

“And I heard a glass explosion and then I heard the house was shaking and banging and I was sure it was an earthquake,” Dianne said. 

Dianne soon made the shocking discovery. A deer had crashed through the window of the home and was wreaking havoc. 

“So I slipped down the stairs and I peeked around the corner and shockingly I saw this deer running back and forth,” Dianne said.

Dianne called both Marc as well as her daughter-in-law who dialed 911. Marc rushed to the home from work and found responding Animal Control and police officers. They worked to corral the animal before it caused more damage while Dianne remained locked in an upstairs bedroom. 

“I peeped in the kitchen,” Marc said. “The deer was actually there.” 

After animal control got the backdoor open, the deer exited the house and jumped into the backyard pool as Marc recorded on his cellphone. 

“The deer jumped in and it was along that back wall. Along where the ladder is,” Marc said. “It was doggy paddling all the way to the ladder.” 

Marc told NBC10 the deer got one hoof on the ladder when the animal control officers finally got a hold of the animal who had caused extensive damage inside the home. The officers said the animal was bleeding but appeared to be running fine. They then let the deer go free. 

“I just felt very, very sorry for the animal and for my daughter-in-law losing all her furniture and having to deal with the insurance companies,” Dianne said. 

Marc, meanwhile, is grateful his grandmother – who had just moved to New Jersey last month – wasn’t hurt during the incident.

“Three weeks! From New York City. She’s not used to anything like this and then this happens to her,” Marc said. “I can only imagine how startling it was for her.” 

A peculiar crime wave moving through West Orange, New Jersey, is leaving residents on edge.

Thieves are apparently breaking into homes overnight — not looking for cash or valuables, but rather, looking for key fobs.

Joshua Davis, a resident, says his neighbor is one of a growing number of victims to these crimes.

“Apparently, they went downstairs in the basement and grabbed the key fob,” Davis said.

Police say it keeps happening. They have already investigated at least eight similar break-ins and thefts in the last few months.

The suspect or suspects use garage door openers, find unlocked doors or windows — and, in at least one case, forced their way in. Once they are inside the home, they look for keys or key fobs to pricey, high-end cars they can drive off in.

“It’s just crazy. I don’t know — it just seems surreal in a sense. I lived here my whole life and that stuff has never really been a problem ever since I’ve been little,” another resident told NBC 4 New York. “Hearing it now, it kind of just shocks me in a sense.” 

Harold Ross lives in the community, he says the concerning crimes have him double-checking his locks.

“I’ve just been hearing about the break ins with the key fobs and stealing the cars and I’m a little worried,” Ross said. “I feel like it hasn’t been completely taken seriously when it started out and now that it’s starting to get out of control a little bit, they are starting to recognize it as a problem.”

This problem is not just limited to West Orange. Police say that nearby Livingston had six break-ins last week alone.

The teen was found when Jersey City police officers were responding to a 911 call reporting a shooting on Wilkinson Avenue at around 4:20 a.m., according to the prosecutor’s office. It was when officers reached the location that they found Tyshan Smith suffering from a gunshot wound at the location. He was pronounced dead at around 4:55 a.m.

The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of Smith’s death.

It is unclear if Smith lived at the house.

The investigation is ongoing.

Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/.

A 29-year-old man has been arrested and criminally charged with luring and kidnapping an 11-year-old girl off of a New Jersey street last week, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced Monday.

Raquan Folk, of Asbury Park, was charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree luring a child, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child via sexual conduct, the prosecutor’s office said.

The charges stem from an incident that allegedly took place at around 5:30 p.m. on May 30. It was around that time when the girl was walking on Ridge Avenue in Asbury Park when Folk pulled up to her in a white Kia and convinced her to get inside, according to a joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau and the Asbury Park Police Department.

Folk allegedly then drove to Neptune Township, stopped the vehicle, and told the girl to undress, which led her to ask him to use a bathroom. When Folk stopped at a vehicle service station, the girl ran, flagged down a passerby, and was taken to the Neptune Township Police Department, prosecutors say.

Folk was subsequently arrested on Thursday and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) pending a detention hearing.

Anyone with additional information, is urged to contact MCPO Det. Kayla Santiago at 800-533-7443.

Matthew Nilo, 35, faced charges of aggravated rape, kidnapping, assault with attempt to rape and indecent assault and battery in Suffolk Superior Court Monday morning after being extradited from New Jersey following his arrest at his home on the Hudson River last week.

Prosecutors alleged that Nilo drove three women under false pretenses to a remote, industrial part of Boston in 2007 and 2008 and raped them, saying that he had a weapon — in one case he had a gun, in another he flashed a knife. Those women willingly took a ride from Nilo, prosecutors said, but at least one thought he was a taxi or rideshare driver.

In a fourth case, Nilo allegedly tackled a woman who was jogging in the area, Terminal Street in Charlestown, and sexually assaulted her with his hand, but was fought off by the woman despite him repeatedly screaming, “I have a gun.”

Nilo was living in the North End and a student in the area at the time. The alleged victims ranged in age from 23 to 44.

He was arrested at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey, last week after after a yearlong investigation in which Boston police checked DNA evidence gathered from the four yearsold attacks against public DNA databases, a process called forensic investigative genetic genealogy, prosecutors said Monday.

Nilo was identified as a person of interest, which led FBI agents to collect his DNA from a glass he drank from at a corporate event in, officials said. The DNA from the glass was a match for the three rapes he’s been charged with, prosecutors said, and was found to be likely the same as DNA pulled from gloves the woman used to fight off her attacker in the other incident.

Nilo pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was held on $500,000 bail and ordered to wear a GPS tracker, turn in his passport and stay away from the victims and Charlestown’s Terminal Street on his release.

In court, his attorney argued for lower bail by noting Nilo is engaged to be married and is a practicing lawyer. After the hearing, the attorney said he was catching up on the case but suggested that the DNA evidence used to connect Nilo to the attacks could be suspect.

Nilo has lived in Wisconsin, California and New York — he’s been suspended from his job in New York City — officials have said, and investigators have urged anyone who thinks they could have been a victim or who has information on any case involving Nilo, to contact Boston Police or the FBI.

Nilo was taken into custody by FBI agents and police who had the front desk of his building call Nilo and say he had a package delivered that was too large to hold in the lobby, according to a warrant filed in court. He was “suspended pending further investigation” by his employer, the cyber-insurance company Cowbell, it said in a statement,

The controversy centers on Westwood Regional Middle School in Westwood, a town where the LGBTQ signs depicting the Pride flag are displayed outside of homes. But around the corner at the school, the same signs were ordered to be taken down just a day after it was placed on the lawn.

“This is something that’s real, it’s something that’s OK,” said high school senior MacKenzie Fox. “Just to have a sign out there tells us this is a safe space. That we do belong and our sexuality and our gender, whatever it is, is valid.”

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Fox is a student representative to the school board. She started an online petition asking the superintendent to bring back the sign and allow it on school grounds.

“I know I have the support of my teachers, students and classmates, I just wish the administration would do the same,” said Fox.

So far, more than 1,000 people have signed the petition. Fox says the lawn sign was placed outside the middle school last week in preparation for Pride Month.

“He had told them the signs violated the flag policy and he has been the one to tell the principal to take them down,” Fox said.

Last month, Westwood’s Board of Education passed a policy only allowing the American and New Jersey state flag to be displayed outside of schools. The policy does not prevent Pride flags from being displayed inside — as evidenced by multiple Pride flags being seen hanging on school windows on Friday.

Michael Pontillo, Westwood School Board President commented on the decision limiting what flags can be displayed last month during a board meeting.

“Nobody is up here saying to a principal ‘No, that flag will not fly in the school.’ Last year, there were flags all over the school and there’s nobody that’s going to prevent that from happening again this year,” said Pontillo.

When reached, Interim Superintendent Kenneth Rota did not comment. The new policy doesn’t address banners or signs outside, but Fox told NBC New York that the superintendent told her a sign which depicts a flag falls in the same category.

“Lawn signs are not flags and it should not apply at all,” Fox said.

The school board president told NBC New York over the phone that he deferred all questions to the superintendent for comment.

Millburn Police said that 24-year-old Zachary Lyttle, of New City, New York, was one of the two men who carried out the violent robbery on May 13. He faces 2nd-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery charges, and a warrant is out for his arrest, police said Friday.

A home camera not only captured the screams for help from the incident on Walnut Avenue, but also showed the pair of suspected thieves roughing up the mailman. The letter carrier repeatedly called for his iPhone to call 911 as the duo swiped a set of keys, he said.

The attack went down outside of Lenny Weiland’s home, with the mailman telling him that the robbers had been following him along his route.

“They were watching. They knew exactly what he was doing. As a matter of fact, the postal worker who was attacked, it was his second day on the job,” said Weiland.

The US Postal Inspection Service will only say it is investigating the attack. While on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, the mailman said the suspects stole his keys — including one that’s used to open mailboxes in apartment buildings.

Weiland later watched video of the attack, and believes the suspects hid between a dumpster and storage unit.

“So the first approach, attack happened here. And then they went around as you saw in the video,” said Weiland.

Police are still looking for the other suspect seen in the video. Video showed the suspected robbers run to a get away car, possibly a silver Mercedes-Benz.

The postal worker suffered minor injuries. Both Millburn police and the Postal Inspection Service continue to investigate.

The 600 block of Dewitt Street in Linden was teeming with law enforcement after the attack around 11 a.m. It wasn’t clear what prompted the call for a welfare check for the multiple dogs or what officers found when they arrived at the scene, but one of the dogs turned aggressive and attacked the cops during the course of their investigation, officials said.

One officer was treated at the scene. Another was taken to a hospital for treatment, though his injuries were not believed to be serious.

The dog was killed with a single shot from another responding officer’s service weapons. A different dog was seen being put in the back of an animal control van.

The case remains under investigation. The Union County Prosecutor’s and New Jersey Attorney General’s offices were notified of the shooting, as they are in all cases of police shootings locally, and will lead the investigation.

UPDATE: As of Saturday morning, officials considered this fire 100-percent contained.

As a wildfire continued to burn in Ocean County, New Jersey, the smoky conditions contributed to the hourslong closure of a miles of the Garden State Parkway just as folks head to the Jersey Shore for the weekend.

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The New Jersey Turnpike Authority — which operates the Garden State Parkway — announced Friday morning just after 5:30 that the combination of wildfire smoke from the Allen Road Wildfire in the Bass River State Forest and dense fog led to the closure of the GSP between the Atlantic City Expressway (Exit 38) and NJ 72 (Exit 63). That’s a 25-mile stretch of the busy roadway.

As of 7:15 a.m., NJ 511 tweeted that northbound and southbound traffic was being diverted from the GSP.

The GSP is a critical road for people accessing Jersey Shore points. No word yet when traffic might return to normal. In the meantime, adjacent U.S. Route 9 could be used as an alternate through parts of the closure.

Stafford police tweeted Friday morning that due to the GSP closure that traffic was being diverted on Route 72. They warned drivers to expect delays.

Finally, after 9:30 a.m., the Garden State Parkway announced that both northbound and southbound lanes were open again. They warned however of slower speeds between exits 48 and 52.

This all came as firefighters tried to contain a massive wildfire that has burned thousands of acres of a New Jersey forest and at one point threatened buildings.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the Allen Road Wildfire in Ocean County’s Bass River State Forest was 50% contained after burning 5,000 acres. As of 5 p.m. Friday, the fire is now 80% contained.

“A backfiring operation to help contain the fire continued today to assist in achieving containment goals,” the forest fire service said.

Firefighters first responded to the blaze Wednesday afternoon at 4:45 p.m. The fire was initially burning in only several dozen acres, but quickly spread.

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At least six homes were threatened by the flames and evacuated and the Timberline Campground was evacuated, the forest fire service said. In total, about 40 people were evacuated.

As of Thursday evening, Allen Road and Oswego Road remained closed as well as Stage Road between North Maple Avenue and Rt. 679 and Route 679 between Rt. 563 and Leaktown Road.

While zero residential structures were threatened as of late Thursday, the Timberline Campground and the Batona Trail in Bass River State Forest remained closed.

Fire officials expected the battle against the blaze to take some time to fully contain.

The smoke from the Allen Road Fire was blowing over other parts of New Jersey and Delaware, adding to an already rough air quality due to Canadian wildfire smoke.

This is the latest wildfire to strike the Garden State amid a stretch of mostly dry weather.

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Matthew Nilo appeared in Hudson County Superior Court Thursday morning for an extradition hearing after his arrest on Tuesday at his Weehawken apartment building across the Hudson River from Manhattan. The 35-year-old attorney had been charged in Boston with aggravated rape, kidnapping, assault with intent to rape and indecent assault and battery.

After the hearing, Nilo’s lawyer, Jeff Garrigan, told reporters that Nilo is “looking forward to be taken back up to Massachusetts” where he will plead not guilty.

“He’s looking forward to fighting these charges and showing that he’s innocent,” Garrigan added.

The four alleged attacks that resulted in Nilo’s arrest took place in an industrial part of Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood between Aug. 18, 2007, and Dec. 23, 2008, police have said.

Nilo was identified as a suspect through forensic genetic genealogy, officials said.

He lived in Boston’s North End, as well as in Wisconsin, California and New York, officials have said. Investigators have urged anyone who thinks they could have been a victim or who has information on any case involving Nilo, to contact Boston Police or the FBI.

Nilo was taken into custody by FBI agents and police who had the front desk of his building call Nilo and say he had a package delivered that was too large to hold in the lobby, according to a warrant filed in court. He was “suspended pending further investigation” by his employer, the cyber-insurance company Cowbell, it said in a statement,

Neighbors in the luxury apartment complex said they found it scary that the man who walked his dog alongside them in a neighboring park is an accused serial rapist.

“He’s nice. We would talk, he was normal, smiling, quiet,” Inna Lazur said. “ I’m shocked. Yesterday when the neighbors started sending messages about what happened, I’m like what?”

The FBI’s Boston office said in a statement after helping with Nilo’s arrest that they “believe we have removed a dangerous threat from our community” and that investigators won’t stop looking into cases as the years go by.

More details about the allegations against Nilo are likely to be revealed at subsequent court hearings.

NBC10 Boston’s Thea DiGiammerino and Michael Rosenfield contributed to this report.

The crash occurred shortly after noon at the Shell gas station at Brunswick Pike (U.S. Route 1) and Franklin Corner Road in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

The dump truck came to rest under the gas pump covering. The car appeared to have been torn apart.

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The driver of the car, 18-year-old Daijah McKithen of Lawrenceville, died from her injuries. The driver of the dump truck, a 28-year-old man from Bordentown, New Jersey, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

On Friday, Lawrence Township police said investigators determined that McKithen made a “improper left turn” into the path of the dump truck. No charges would be filed against the dump truck driver who was crossing the intersection on a green light.

McKithen was a senior at Lawrence High School. Dr. Ross Kasun, the Superintendent of Lawrence Township Public Schools, released a statement on her death.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of Daijah McKithen, a Lawrence High School senior involved in a fatal car accident this afternoon. This tragic event has left us all deeply saddened and our thoughts and condolences go out to Daijah’s family and friends during this difficult time. Many students and staff will be affected by this news,” Kasun wrote. “We encourage you to be especially sensitive and prepared to offer support to your child during this time. Over the next few days, encourage your child to express their feelings and listen attentively. You may see behavior changes, loss of concentration, physical complaints, or social withdrawal. Although adults cannot have answers to all the questions that children may have about death, we can help children better understand the grieving process.”

Counseling was made available Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lawrence High School library. Parents of students concerned about their child’s reaction to McKithen’s death may also contact the High School Guidance office or Main Office at 609-671-5510.

Police continued to investigate the crash. If you have any information, please call Officer Thomas Everist at 609-896-1111 or email him at teverist@lawrencetwp.com. You can also call Detective Paulina Way at 609-844-7133 or email her at pway@lawrencetwp.com.

Firefighters have made significant progress in containing a massive wildfire that has burned thousands of acres of a New Jersey forest and at one point threatened buildings.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the Allen Road Wildfire in Ocean County’s Bass River State Forest was 50% contained after burning 5,000 acres.

Firefighters first responded to the blaze Wednesday afternoon at 4:45 p.m. The fire was initially burning in only several dozen acres, but quickly spread.

At least six homes were threatened by the flames and evacuated and the Timberline Campground was evacuated, the forest fire service said. In total, about 40 people were evacuated.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Allen Road and Oswego Road remained closed as well as Stage Road between North Maple Avenue and Rt. 679 and Route 679 between Rt. 563 and Leaktown Road.

While zero residential structures are currently threatened by the fire, the Timberline Campground and the Batona Trail in Bass River State Forest also remain closed.

The road closures were expected to be in place at least two more days as fire officials expected the battle against the blaze to take some time to fully contain.

The smoke from the Allen Road Fire was blowing over other parts of New Jersey and Delaware, adding to an already rough air quality due to Canadian wildfire smoke.

This is the latest wildfire to strike the Garden State amid a stretch of mostly dry weather.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Matthew Nilo, a 35-year-old attorney living in Weehawken, had previously lived in Wisconsin, California and New York before moving to the waterfront apartment complex. He had been working for a cyber insurance company Cowbell while living at the Harbor Boulevard building, when FBI agents and police arrested him on Tuesday in connection to four attacks in 2007 and 2008.

According to a warrant filed in Hudson County Court, law enforcement agents had the front desk of Nilo’s building call up to his unit, telling him he had a package delivered that needed to be picked up. Nilo was arrested when he came downstairs.

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He is now facing aggravated rape, kidnapping and assault charges among others. His employer said in a statement Wednesday the Nilo had been “suspended pending further investigation,” but noted that the had passed a background check when he was hired just this past January.

Police said Nilo was identified using investigative forensic genealogy, which takes an unknown suspect’s DNA and matches it to family members who voluntarily submitted their DNA to a public database. That’s how investigators linked him to cases on Terminal Street in the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown dating back 15 years.

Investigators said Nilo was a student living in the North End neighborhood at the time of the alleged attacks.

The technology used to tie the suspect to the crimes is relatively new and didn’t exist at the time of the assaults, but it is increasingly being used to solve cases. Professor Richard Fox leads the forensics department at Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts and says like any emerging technology, there are privacy concerns. 

“The technology has developed rather quickly,” Fox said. “It is super powerful, for law enforcement and it is 99.9% accurate, and when I say 99.99 that means the chances of that being another individual are more than the population of the planet.”

Detectives say there’s also a significant amount of investigation to corroborate a suspect’s identity. However, the work is not done. Because of the 15-year gap between the attacks and Nilo’s arrest, they’re concerned there may be more victims who never came forward or whose rape kits remain untested.

Although no other victims have been identified, investigators across several states are now looking for any additional woman who may have been assaulted.

Boston investigators also credited a grant to process rape kits for aiding in the break in the case.

Nilo is due back in court Thursday morning for an extradition hearing. It was unclear if he had an attorney.

NBC10 Boston’s Thea DiGiammerino and Michael Rosenfield contributed to this report.

A Jersey Shore town is implementing new rules and a curfew after officials say large crowds of rowdy and drunken teens gathered on Memorial Day Weekend. 

Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian signed off on new policies Tuesday in which all beaches in the town will close at 8 p.m. while carrying backpacks will not be allowed after 8 p.m. on the beach and boardwalk. Boardwalk bathrooms will also be closed at 10 p.m. while the curfew for juveniles was moved from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

Both the beach curfew and evening backpack ban apply to people of all ages, officials said. The new policies are part of a citywide plan that includes police staffing, more announcements and a public awareness campaign, according to officials. 

“I understand that these new directives will affect many people who are not teens, but it’s important that we stop this type of behavior now,” Gillian said. “In the end, protecting our reputation as ‘America’s Greatest Family Resort’ will benefit everybody in Ocean City.”

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The new policies come after police responded to 999 incidents over the Memorial Day Weekend, an increase from the 869 incidents that were reported last year, officials said. Those incidents included underage drinking, vandalism, assaults, shoplifting and the confiscation of a firearm, according to officials. 

“I want to support the men and women of our police department,” Gillian said. “They have been doing everything they can – within the law – to address this situation, and I want to give them the tools to get the job done.”

In a release announcing the new rules, Gillian blamed the weekend incidents on statewide legislation that a town spokesperson claimed, “largely stripped police officers of the ability to question juveniles, search juveniles and confiscate alcohol.” 

“The legislation also eliminates meaningful consequences for juveniles who break these laws,” the spokesperson wrote. 

Last year, complaints about unruly teens intensified in Ocean City and other Jersey Shore communities after state laws legalizing recreational marijuana for adults significantly limited police enforcement power when dealing with underage drinking and pot possession. 

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office also issued a statewide directive in late 2020 for law enforcement in order to further juvenile justice reform. 

Neither the Ocean City spokesperson nor Gillian specified the exact legislation they were referring to in their statement however. 

“We want parents, grandparents and families to know that we’re all in this together, and we will be holding people accountable,” Gillian said. “I also want to send a message to our governor and legislators that the laws they forced on all municipalities are a threat to public safety, and they deprive families of the opportunity to enjoy the Jersey Shore.”

A home camera not only captured the screams for help from the incident on Walnut Avenue in Millburn on May 13, but also showed the pair of suspected thieves roughing up the mailman. The letter carrier repeatedly called for his iPhone to call 911 as the duo swiped a set of keys, he said.

The attack went down outside of Lenny Weiland’s home, with the mailman telling him that the robbers had been following him along his route.

“They were watching. They knew exactly what he was doing. As a matter of fact, the postal worker who was attacked, it was his second day on the job,” said Weiland.

The US Postal Inspection Service will only say it is investigating the attack. While on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, the mailman said the suspects stole his keys — including one that’s used to open mailboxes in apartment buildings.

Weiland later watched video of the attack, and believes the suspects hid between a dumpster and storage unit.

“So the first approach, attack happened here. And then they went around as you saw in the video,” said Weiland.

Police still looking for the suspects last seen wearing masks and hoodies. Weiland meanwhile hopes that going public with the video will help cops make an arrest.

“I am keeping an eye on the neighborhood. I’m that kind of person. I want to make sure everyone is safe,” said Weiland.

Video showed the suspected robbers run to a get away car, possibly a silver Mercedes-Benz.

The postal worker suffered minor injuries. Both Millburn police and the Postal Inspection Service continue to investigate.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Cicconne said 28-year-old Rashid Ali Bynum, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was arrested on first-degree murder and two second-degree handgun charges in the death of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour.

Ciccone said the investigation is still underway and didn’t directly address a motive in Dwumfour’s death. She said Bynum was linked to a church that Dwumfour belonged to.

Bynum is awaiting extradition to New Jersey, Ciccone said. It’s unclear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Dwumfour, a Republican, was elected to her first three-year term in 2021, when she ousted a Democratic incumbent. Colleagues recalled her as a soft-spoken devout Christian who could maintain her composure in contentious situations.

Her death on Feb. 1 made headlines since there was no immediate word of a shooter and sent the community reeling.

Rashid Ali Bynum, a 28-year-old from Portsmouth, Virginia, was arrested 10:45 a.m. Tuesday in connection with Dwumfour’s murder, prosecutors said. Investigators said Bynum knew Dwumfour, but did not detail how well they knew each other. The only connection between the two police have is that the suspect was linked to the church Dwumfour attended.

Investigators traced Bynum’s travels from his cellphone and vehicle location data from the night of the killing, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said at a news conference, citing surveillance video and E-ZPass records. He also matched the description of the gunman given by neighbors in Sayreville, where Dwumfour had served on the council for about a year.

Bynum was taken into custody outside a residence in Chesapeake, Virginia, without incident and was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, according to prosecutors. Attorney information was not immediately clear for Bynum, who was awaiting extradition to New Jersey, though it was unknown when that might occur.

According to a family attorney, neither Dwumfour’s parents nor sibling recognized the name or picture of the suspect. Dwumfour, who grew up in Newark, had lived in Virginia at one point, and family lawyer John Wisniewski said Bynum had lived in Sayreville. But beyond that, he did not know the nature of their relationship and the prosecutor declined to discuss a possible motive.

Dwumfour’s father and family pastor learned of the arrest just ahead of the news conference and declined to comment afterward. While they welcome the arrest, they have “even more questions today than there were before,” Wisniewski said. Her new husband, Peter Ezechukwu, is no longer in the U.S.

“We have an alleged murderer in custody in Virginia, but now they are trying to also understand the relationship, how this person came to target Eunice, what was the rationale,” Wisniewski said. “They are trying to also understand the relationship, how this person came to target Eunice. What was the rationale?…Maybe [prosecutors] know, but they certainly they haven’t shared that. And that is something that is vexing the family right now.”

Dwumfour was a pastor in a prosperity gospel church, Champions Royal Assembly, that is based in Nigeria, and she got married there in November to a fellow pastor from Abuja. She was also an officer of a related entity, the Fire Congress Fellowship, that has a branch in Virginia. Bynum was listed in her cellphone contacts under that group’s acronym.

“A search of the victim’s phone revealed Bynum as a contact with the acronym FCF,” said Ciccone.

Court records and tax filings suggest that church finances in the U.S. were tight. Dwumfour had been named in a series of landlord-tenant disputes in Newark dating from 2017 to 2020 involving the fellowship, which had seen its income drop from about $250,000 in 2017 to just $350 in 2020.

People inside the Newark church declined to comment Tuesday night.

Dwumfour was killed outside her home more than four months ago by a gunman who ambushed her in her car. The case remained unsolved for months and the brutal attack sent shockwaves throughout the community.

EUNICE DWUMFOUR

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The investigation has been in the hands of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, which finally announced an arrest Tuesday, months into their “complex, extensive” investigation. The office has previously declined to confirm if a man seen in surveillance video obtained exclusively by News 4 immediately after the shooting could be the suspect making an escape, or simply a resident running from the gunfire.

The councilwoman’s family was present at the prosecutor’s news conference. Through the months, family members also held a news conference and, more recently, sat down privately with the Associated Press to express their frustration. Dwumfour’s daughter described what she heard just outside her window the night of the shooting, as the family was waiting inside for the mother to finish parking her vehicle.

“We’re waiting for my mom to look for a parking space, and then she was taking a lot of time so we started calling her over and over again, but it wouldn’t pick up. And then we heard gunshots and we started calling the police,” Nicole Teliano told the AP.

“It’s so painful. It’s so painful. Every day by day, we think about her. We cry, I cry every day by day,” her husband, Peter Ezechukwu, previously said.

In April, Sayreville’s mayor announced her decision not to run for re-election, in part because of racial threats she’s received regarding her friend and colleague, Dwumfour.

She said Dwumfour was a personal friend of hers. That’s why she cites a hate letter sent to her following Dwumfour’s death as a reason she is dropping out of public service, at least for now.

“I’m calling this my pause. I have to pause because there’s nothing more important than my children and than my family,” Kilpatrick told NBC New York.

Kilpatrick took some comfort that the killing did not appear politically motivated, but was troubled by the apparent link to a church to which Dwumfour was deeply devoted.

“The fact that it was connected to that component of her life is even more saddening to me because you look to God for light and protection. So to know that that was the connection hurts, but at the same time, evil can lurk anywhere,” she said.

Dwumfour, a Republican, was elected to her first three-year term in 2021, when she ousted a Democratic incumbent. Colleagues recalled her as a soft-spoken devout Christian who could maintain her composure in contentious situations.

Regarding a state takeover of the probe, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said “respectfully, no comment will be made regarding an ongoing investigation.” There’s been no word from the attorney general.

Associated Press reporter Maryclaire Dale contributed to this report.

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A dangerous fungal infection that the CDC warned in March was spreading to an “alarming” degree across the U.S. continues to proliferate in New York, and while the rate of increase is slowing, it’s still rising by double-digit percentage points on a month-to-month basis, new state data shows.

It’s caused by Candida auris, a form of yeast usually not harmful to healthy people but that can pose a deadly infection threat to immunocompromised and otherwise vulnerable populations. It spreads easily and can infect wounds, ears and the bloodstream. Some strains are so-called superbugs, meaning currently available treatment may not work.

In cases where Candida auris infection becomes invasive, meaning it affects a person’s blood, heart or brain, more than one in three patients die, according to the CDC.

The CDC describes it as an “emerging” fungus that “presents a serious global health threat” for three primary reasons: Candida auris is often multidrug-resistant (some strains don’t respond to any of the three available antifungal drugs); it’s easily misidentified in labs without specific technology, which could impair public health management; and it has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings, which are of particular concern given their more at-risk populations.

While the number of U.S. cases of Candida auris tripled between 2020 and 2022, few states have seen such rampant spread as New York, where a 2013 case was retroactively identified as America’s first, and New Jersey.

The two states accounted for nearly a fifth of all U.S. candida auris cases last year, CDC data shows. Federal data only covers the period ending Dec. 31, 2022, so there’s not yet a comparative reference point for 2023. Weekly data is available by U.S. state, but the CDC says that’s incomplete because not all state health departments report it.

Newly released May data for New York state shows clinical case numbers continue to rise by double-digit percentage points, though the rate of increase is slowing slightly. The Big Apple’s 149 clinical cases confirmed as of May 25, 2023, mark an increase of 42% since the last data update in early April. That follows a 46% month-over-month increase from March to April. So far, the 2023 total is 39% of the record-setting 379 cases from 2022 — and there are six months left to go in 2023. That 379 number is the highest annual tally of clinical cases New York has seen in the last decade.

Another 250 potential Candida auris cases are under surveillance, state health department data shows.

New York Candida Auris Cases by Year

Most of the cases have been found in facilities in the New York City area, though some have been from outside the metropolitan area.

New Jersey Case Trends

New Jersey has already blown past the 2022 total provided by the CDC, which is three times lower than the state’s own data. The state has not updated its Candida auris case data since April 1. At that time, the current 127 Candida auris cases for this year (as of April 1) were 34% of last year’s total. Again, there’s a lot of year left to go.

It’s not clear when the state plans to share May’s data. Recent trends, though, indicate cases will keep climbing.

Both states saw their numbers increase dramatically over the last few years, and CDC researchers say the COVID-19 pandemic is likely at least partly to blame. Hospital workers were strained by COVID patients, and that likely shifted their focus away from disinfecting some other kinds of germs, they said.

Candida auris was first identified in Japan in 2009 and has been seen in more and more countries. Many of the first U.S. cases came from abroad, but most cases now spread within the country, officials say.

The fungus can survive on surfaces in healthcare locations, where it can spread between patients. Doctors have also detected it on the skin of thousands of other patients, making them a transmission risk. Those with multiple co-morbidities and who require a machine to breathe are at heightened risk if they catch the infection, health officials say.

Learn more about New York’s response here and get CDC information for patients and family members, as well as tips on prevention, symptoms to look for and more, right here. New Jersey Candida auris information can be found here.

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A family in New Jersey is mourning after a 15-year-old boy drowned after going into the waters off Sandy Hook on Sunday, officials said.

The tragedy took place in the first beach that people enter the Gateway Recreation Area — an area where signage says that swimming is prohibited.

According to park officials, six people from a family entered the water in Beach B before they started struggling and had to be rescued by divers. The boy, who remained underwater the longest, according to witnesses, was pulled out of the water at around 4 p.m.

Cell phone video showed the frantic moments in which onlookers and EMTs rushed to save the 15-year-old’s life.

“The mother was screaming his name,” a witness said.

He was taken to Monmouth Medical Center, but, unfortunately, did not make it and was pronounced dead.

The tragedy unfolded in an area where there are no lifeguards on duty and where signs warn that swimming is prohibited.

Two other victims were taken to Monmouth Medical Center, while two more were taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center. Their conditions are unknown.

Officials urge beachgoers to be mindful of the signs around a beach and take caution — all in hopes of preventing another tragedy from taking place.

Martin Muniz, 41, was charged in Cuyahoga County in January with multiple counts of aggravated murder as well as attempted murder, assault and other charges in a shooting in Cleveland in January.

Prosecutors in Camden County, New Jersey, said last week that after his arrest in Cleveland, Muniz “provided information” that resulted in New Jersey prosecutors charging him with first-degree murder in the October 2013 slaying of 45-year-old Jaime Molina in Camden.

The (Cherry Hill) Courier-Post reports that a weapon seized from Muniz during a December 2013 arrest matched a shell casing found near Molina’s body, according to a probable cause statement in support of the New Jersey charge.

Muniz is being held in lieu of $5 million bond in the Jan. 13 slayings in Ohio. Cleveland police alleged in a criminal affidavit that Muniz shot each of the victims in the head in a different room in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood home, then flagged down a police cruiser and directed officers to the scene.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified three people pronounced dead at the scene as 69-year-old Miguel Gonzalez, the defendant’s father; 34-year-old Angelic Gonzalez, his sister; and her 16-year-old son Jayden Baez. A 48-year-old man later died at a hospital and his 8-year-old daughter was critically wounded.

Camden County authorities said they had been investigating for almost a decade after Molina was found shot on a Camden street in October 30, 2013. His wife told WPVI-TV in 2014 that she believed her husband’s drug habit may have played a role in his death, and when two friends came to get him on the day of the shooting she told him not to leave.

It’s unclear whether Muniz has an attorney in the New Jersey case. The Associated Press left a message seeking comment from his attorney in the Ohio case.

While many know of the most popular spots to cool off and have some summer fun, there are a few lesser known spots that may have a different kind of appeal: hidden beaches to escape crowds and noise, and enjoy a more serene seaside experience.

The travel website Family Destinations Guide surveyed 3,000 families in the U.S. to find the hidden beaches people most want to check out this summer, and a couple of tri-state places made the list.

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At No. 5 in the U.S. was Sedge Island, in New Jersey. The area just north of Barnegat Light, in Ocean County, offers a “unique and secluded coastal experience.” Unlike much of the Jersey Shore, there is no board or commercial development at all, instead offering a variety of wildlife and nature, including nesting birds and crabs.

Though there is one fairly large obstacle that may prevent people from being able to enjoy the soft sands and calm waters: It can only be accessed by boat.

For those hoping to find a slightly more accessible beach, No. 19 on the list was Amsterdam Beach State Park, on Long Island. Located just east of Montauk (pretty much as far east as you can go on Long Island), the beach is far from the more popular beaches of the south shore, as well as the highly regarded sands of the Hamptons.

To find the only other Long Island beach to make the list, head to the north shore, on the other side of the fork. Orient Beach State Park was ranked 40th on the list. Only one other beach in New York made the list: Chimney Bluffs, found up in Wayne County, on the south shore of Lake Ontario, was voted as No. 46 on the list.

Other New Jersey named to the hidden locales list include: Pearl Beach (49) in Cape May and Gunnison Beach (85) in the Gateway National recreation Area in Sandy Hook.

One Connecticut beach made the list as well, Dubois Beach in Stonington, which came in at No. 92.

What was the top overall spot? No surprise, it’s a small beach in Hawaii — the state that had three of the top five results. The No. 1 beach was the secluded Awahua Beach on the island of Molokai. Lanikai Beach, on the east coast of Oahu, and Kauapea Beach, on the north shore of Kauau were also in the top five, as well as Florida’s Shell Key Preserve.

Wildwood has banned the possession of alcohol on the beach and boardwalk ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of summer.

Commissioners for the City of Wildwood unanimously passed the ordinance, which mirrors ordinances in other shore towns that aim to crack down on the possession of alcohol — all after receiving yearly complaints on the matter. Designated restaurants or permitted events on the beach and boardwalk are the only exceptions.

“Alcohol of any kind has always been prohibited on the beach and boardwalk. In fact, there is already a sign at every street entrance to the beach. This new ordinance not only prohibits the drinking and/or open display of alcohol, but also says the mere existence of any kind of alcohol is prohibited,” Mayor Pete Byron.

This ban comes after numerous complaints every year, according to officials.

“Every year, the city receives numerous complaints about drinking, marijuana use and smoking on the beach and boardwalk. This is how we are responding to those complaints,” Deputy Mayor Krista Fitzsimons said.

The Commissioners also approved a Breach of Peace ordinance to help the police crack down on juvenile curfew violations, excessive noise, littering, vandalism, illegal fireworks and riding bikes on the boardwalk after hours, among other complaints.

“This is a matter of public safety. We understand people are on vacation and want to have a good time. We want everyone to enjoy Wildwood. Drinking, especially in the sun on vacation, often leads to excess and unruly behavior, not to mention increased health risks,” Commissioner of Public Safety Steve Mikulski said.

According to sources, investigators want to know if the gifts – which would be valued in the tens of thousands of dollars – came from the owner or associates of an Edgewater business that won a controversial exclusive contract to perform Halal meat certification with the Egyptian government – even though United States Department of Agriculture officials complained that the New Jersey firm had no previous experience in this field.

“I am sure it is going to end up in absolutely nothing,” Menendez said last week denying any wrongdoing in connection with the ongoing federal corruption investigation.

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Sources familiar with the matter say Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, along with FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigations agents are looking into whether the senator and his new wife Nadine Arslanian improperly took gifts from the owner or associates of IS EG Halal – and whether the senator took any action in return.

Menendez, a Democrat, serves as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee helping to oversee billions of dollars in aid to Egypt.

“Prosecutors would obviously want to look if money, apartments, cars were given to the senator or someone close to him in return for one of his official acts,” NBC News legal analyst Chuck Rosenberg said.

In addition to the investigation into any possible quid-pro-quo scheme, sources familiar with the matter said IRS criminal investigators are looking into whether the alleged gifts were properly accounted for on tax filings by the senator and his wife. None of the items appear listed on Menendez’s senate disclosure forms.

Senate rules state in part that gifts to a member or someone close to him are considered gifts if a senator “has reason to believe the gift was given because of the official position.”

A spokeswoman for Menendez declined to comment when asked if the senator or his wife received a Mercedes, free rent, money or jewelry from the IS EG Halal business or associates. She referred NBCNewYork.com to past statements where the senator acknowledged an ongoing “inquiry” and that “should there be any official inquiries, the senator is available to provide any assistance requested of him or his office.”

In 2019, IS EG Halal was awarded an exclusive contract with the Egyptian government to certify Halal meat exports worldwide. Seven long-time companies across the globe were suddenly fired by the Egypt government and those firms lost out on millions in business to the Edgewater firm – a firm run by a Christian with little prior experience in Islamic certification of international meat imports and exports.

One U.S.-based executive whose company contract was suddenly delisted said the industry across the board was “shocked, stunned, blindsided.”

“It defies logic,” said Peter Paradis, the former deputy assistant inspector general at the USDA.

Paradis played no role in the current criminal investigation into the senator and his relationship with IS EG Halal. But Paradis points to past USDA reports on the controversy including one that stated IS EG Halal “has no preexisting relationship with the US beef industry or Islamic organizations.”

“This corporation has no track record of doing these types of certifications – and yet the country in question earmarks them as the sole entity to perform that task?” Paradis said.

A spokeswoman for Wael Hana, IS EG Halal’s owner, issued a denial.

“Allegations about cars, apartments, cash, and jewelry being provided by anyone associated with IS EG Halal to Senator Menendez or his wife at all, let alone in exchange for any kind of favorable treatment, are totally without basis,” said Hana.

Sources familiar with the matter said as part of the ongoing investigation, the FBI is looking into whether any IS EG executive or associate paid any bribe to any Egyptian official. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service officers based in Egypt have turned over related-documents to the Justice Department, the sources said.

“If representatives of this company were paying Egyptian officials for consideration, for favors, for an advantage in business, that’s a crime,” Rosenberg said. He explained any such payment could violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

IS EG Halal has said the firm won the contract on the merits and deny any wrongdoing.

A spokeswoman said the IS EG Halal firm won the contract “without any assistance from the senator or any other U.S. public official. Nor is there any evidence whatsoever that the contract was awarded based upon bribery or corruption in Egypt – and nothing like that has ever even been alleged.”

A spokesperson for the Egyptian embassy in Washington, D.C. did not return several requests for comment.

Sources close to the IS EG Halal said owner Wael Hana has been long-time friends with the Senator’s wife – and that friendship existed long before Nadine Arslanian even met the senator. One source familiar with the company said Arslanian had received gifts including jewelry over the years from the owner.

Sources familiar with the matter said investigators want to know if Egyptian officials knew of the ties between IS EG Halal and the senator’s wife and whether there was any effort by any Egyptian official to try to run a foreign influence operation connected to Menendez – who serves as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“A senator can certainly help somebody in his or her state,” Rosenberg said. “They can make connections. They can set up meetings. They can advocate for businesses within their juristictions. What they can’t do is take money or gifts in exchange for an official act.”

A spokesperson for Senator Menendez declined to comment on any of the allegations citing the ongoing “inquiry.”

In recent years, the US Supreme Court has issued a series of decisions narrowing the definition of public corruption. In 2018, Senator Menendez had criminal charges against him dropped after a separate corruption the trial had ended in a hung jury. Allegations in that case were Senator Menendez took gifts and free private jet trips from a now convicted Medicare fraudster Salomon Melgen.

US Attorney Damian Williams is overseeing this latest criminal probe, according to sources and individuals who have received subpoenas. US Attorney Spokesman Nicholas Biase declined comment. A spokesman for the FBI and a spokeswoman for IRS-CI also declined any comment.

This investigation into Menendez appears to have grown in scope in the last couple of weeks after a new round of grand jury subpoenas were sent out including one to North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco. The new subpoenas do not appear related to any IS EG Halal-related matter but separate questions relating to the senator and state legislation relating to a proposed development deal, people familiar with the matter said.

Say hello to Taylor “Swift” Ham, Egg and Cheese.

“Usually, we let you call it what you want but since we have a superstar coming to town we know all too well, we should commemorate the occasion. So today, we are declaring the official state sandwich of New Jersey a Taylor Swift ham, egg and cheese,” Murphy said in a video posted on Twitter.

The official proclamation Thursday is in honor of pop star Taylor Swift — whose Eras Tour is coming to MetLife Stadium over Memorial Day Weekend.

“We have been waiting for you and it would have been a “cruel summer” without you,” Murphy went on to say.

Thousands are getting hyped for the New Jersey leg of the tour that could feature 44 songs and 16 outfit changes. Crowds of Swifties are expected to take over not only the stadium, but descend upon much of New York City and surrounding parts of New Jersey as well.

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The stunning new surveillance video from outside the Lincoln Tunnel Motel shows the bloody brawl in North Bergen begin Wednesday morning, with fists flying between two men who eventually wrestled each other to the ground — and it only continued from there.

Police said the fight started when the suspect was helping a friend who had just been evicted. Sometime later, the victim arrives, and police believe he and the suspect knew each other. Almost instantly, the two get into a fight.

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One of the men got into a car and drove straight toward the other man, who investigators said was hit in the legs. As the car lurched forward one of the times, it plowed into the door of one of the rooms, leaving the door badly damaged.

Police said the victim was struck about three or four times in all, and while he suffered injuries, none were considered to be life-threatening.

As police arrived at the scene, the suspect then backed up into an officer’s vehicle before he could get away. But he was trapped in and soon after exited the car, his hands in the air, his face bloodied. The 42-year-old driver from West New York faces charges including aggravated assault.

His Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, was left a complete mess.

The motel owner, Brian Arya, was working during the incident and is still in disbelief. It was during the same shift that a man became irate after trying to rent a room, then started throwing rocks at the motel’s windows — and even smashing the back window of Arya’s car.

“This is pretty scary but we’re trying to clean up this place,” Arya said, adding that it won’t deter him.

Arya has gained quite the following on TikTok, as his nearly one million followers tune in to his videos showing what it’s like running a motel on a day-to-day basis. He also garnered lots of attention after offering free rooms to people who are in need.

The motel has a bad reputation with local police, who said they get called there about three times a day. They’re working with management to help clean it up.

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A state grand jury voted to file a criminal charge against a police officer who shot and killed a man who had called 911 to report intruders outside his home in Mantua Township, New Jersey, back in 2021.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Wednesday that the grand jury returned an indictment against Mantua Township Police Officer Salvatore Oldrati, charging him with manslaughter in connection to the death of Charles Sharp III, 49, of Mantua.

“Mr. Sharp was shot multiple times outside his own home by one of the very officers he had called upon for help. His life was cut short seconds after Officer Oldrati arrived at the scene, while Mr. Sharp was still on the phone with a police dispatcher,” Attorney General Platkin said. “When residents call 9-1-1 for service, they are concerned, they need assistance, they seek protection — and they trust the officers responding to their calls will respond accordingly and help them. Tragically, that did not happen here.”

The incident occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. on September 14, 2021, after Sharp called 911 to report that two men and a woman were trespassing on his property on Elm Avenue in Mantua, including a person armed with a gun. 

“One guy was in my shed. In my shed door,” Sharp told the dispatcher in the five-minute call released by the Attorney General’s Office. “I came around to go outside to confront them. And there was a guy in my truck.”

Sharp told the dispatcher he tried to scare the intruders off by throwing a quarter stick of dynamite at them. He also claimed that he had a handgun that was passed down to him by his grandfather. 

“My grandfather willed me a .45. I don’t know what I’m allowed to do about that,” Sharp told the dispatcher. “So I threw a couple quarter sticks at them.” 

Sharp remained on the phone with the dispatcher and stood in his front yard as Officer Oldrati and another Mantua Police Officer arrived at his home in response to the call, investigators said.

Body camera footage shows the officers arriving at Sharp’s home and spotting him outside. While Oldrati exited his police vehicle, the other officer yelled, “he’s got a handgun on him, right there,” investigators said. Officer Oldrati then pulled out his weapon and fired multiple shots at Sharp, shooting him at least once, according to officials. Investigators said a detailed replica of a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun was then found near Sharp.

The officers rendered first aid before Sharp was rushed to Jefferson Washington Township Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:49 a.m. that morning, investigators said.

The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) investigated the incident and presented their findings to the grand jury. The investigation included interviews of witnesses, collection of forensic evidence, a review of the video footage and analysis of the autopsy results. After hearing testimony and evidence, the grand jury concluded deliberations on Monday and determined a manslaughter charge against Officer Oldrati was warranted.

“Less than five seconds elapsed between when Officer Oldrati stepped out of his police vehicle and when he began firing at Mr. Sharp.” Thomas J. Eicher, Executive Director of OPIA, said. “Officer Oldrati gave no verbal commands or warnings before shooting Mr. Sharp. The grand jury determined that his conduct was not justified and warranted the return of an indictment for manslaughter.”

If convicted, Oldrati could face up to 10 years in prison.

Neighbor Grace Vulpio told NBC10 Sharp was a military veteran who was well-liked in the neighborhood.

“He was a nice guy,” she said. “He just moved in, just got a new dog, so that’s how we kind of talked because the dogs were together.”

Rapper Fetty Wap was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday for operating a large scale drug conspiracy that sold kilos of cocaine in New Jersey.

Fetty Wap, who hails from Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in August to a conspiracy drug charge, which carries a mandatory five-year prison sentence, admitting that he participated in a massive drug trafficking racket that moved drugs from the West Coast to Long Island.

Prosecutors alleged he distributed 25 kilograms s of cocaine in New Jersey after picking it up on Long Island.

During Wednesday’s sentencing, he apologized, saying: “I truly am sorry for any pain I caused. I hurt my community, people who look up to me. My family and myself.”

His attorneys said he was simply trying to support his family when his music income dried up during the pandemic lockdown. That led him to make the worst mistake of his life, his lawyer said.

But Judge Joanna Seybert presided over the sentencing and had strong words for the rapper, whose real name is Willie Maxwell.

“Despite your background and all you overcame, you threw it all away,” Seybert said.

The judge sentenced Maxwell to a year more than the minimum sentence, despite the large number of letters from those supporting Maxwell urging he receive the minimum.

His family and friends left court without speaking to reporters.

Initially, Maxwell’s plea during the summer in Central Islip came before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven Locke, who had revoked his bond and sent him to jail. Prosecutors previously said that Maxwell threatened to kill a man during a FaceTime call in 2021, violating the terms of his pretrial release in his drug case.

The rapper was initially arrested in Oct. 2021 on charges alleging he participated in a conspiracy to smuggle large amounts of heroin, fentanyl and other drugs into the New York City area.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances, the top charge in an indictment against him, though the plea pertained only to cocaine. The plea spared him from a potential life sentence if he had been convicted on all the charges he faced.

Maxwell and five co-defendants were accused of conspiring to possess and distribute more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine between June 2019 and June 2020. Two codefendants also have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

The scheme allegedly involved using the U.S. Postal Service and cars with hidden compartments to move drugs from the West Coast to Long Island, where they were stored for distribution to dealers on Long Island and in New Jersey, prosecutors said.

Maxwell rose to prominence after “Trap Queen,” his debut single, reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015.

The Long Island arrest was not his first. In 2019, he was arrested in Las Vegas for allegedly assaulting three employees at a hotel-casino. He was also arrested in November 2017 on a DUI charge after police said he was drag racing on a New York City highway.

In fact, Judge Paul G. Gardephe noted, Alexei Saab, 46, has become a model prisoner since his 2019 arrest, helping others incarcerated at New York City’s federal jails to get high school equivalency certificates, learn English and find relief from psychological problems.

Gardephe called Saab’s 2005 exit from his relationship with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah Islamic Jihad Organization and the “peaceful and productive” life he lived in the New York City area afterward among “inconvenient facts” that made it impossible to grant the government’s request that Saab be incarcerated for 20 years.

A jury at a trial last year heard prosecutors portray Saab as a highly trained terrorist who scoped out landmarks in the U.S., France, Turkey and the Czech Republic. Prosecutors said Saab was a sleeper cell waiting to activate if Iran was attacked by the United States.

But the jury was unable to reach a verdict on a material support for a terrorist group charge. It convicted him of receiving military-type training from the Hezbollah organization, conspiring to commit marriage fraud and making false statements. It acquitted the Morristown, New Jersey, resident of three other charges.

At sentencing, the judge also noted that Saab cooperated fully with FBI agents when they asked to interview him in 2019. He was interviewed 11 times over four months, and each time was allowed to go home, the judge said. He finally was was informed of his rights and arrested after his 12th session. He has been jailed ever since.

Gardephe said the “facts and circumstances” suggest Saab was no longer a danger to the community and there was little risk he would commit new crimes.

The judge said there were also “inconvenient facts” against defense arguments that Saab serve no more than a decade in prison.

He noted that Saab, born in poverty-ridden Yaroun, Lebanon, and raised by middle-class parents who were public school teachers, did not stop his affiliation with the Hezbollah organization after he came to the United States in 2000.

Saab took photographs of and researched weak points in U.S. landmarks and provided the information to “one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations in the world,” Gardephe said.

Prosecutors said the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, and airports, bridges and tunnels were among over 40 locations that Saab surveilled in New York alone.

Defense attorney Marlon Kirton wrote in a presentence brief that his client went through a transformation after arriving in America as he “began to experience the feeling of true freedom.”

He said Saab was 23 years old and “loved how Americans lived passionately and fearlessly” and he decided he wanted that for himself. The lawyer portrayed his client as a victim of Hezbollah.

By 2005, he became a U.S. citizen and obtained two master’s degrees. He decided that “while he still feared Hezbollah, he felt safe in the United States, knowing that the organization could not touch him,” Kirton wrote.

Tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans are expected to descend on the New York City area. Given that the East Rutherford stadium can hold 82,000 people, and there are three shows scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

That’s upwards of a quarter-million fans flocking to the region.

Whether you fought “The Great War” with Ticketmaster and were one of “The Lucky One[s]” to snag a ticket, or if you’re still holding out hope of getting to see the show – here’s everything you’ll need to know.

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“The Very First Night”

Taylor and opening acts Phoebe Bridgers (Friday-Sunday), GAYLE (Friday), Gracie Abrams (Saturday) and OWENN (Sunday) play the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Friday, May 26, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.: Taylor Swift with Phoebe Bridgers and GAYLE

Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.: Taylor Swift with Phoebe Bridgers and Gracie Abrams

Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.: Taylor Swift with Phoebe Bridgers and OWENN

Getting Into the Show: It’s a “One-Way” Ticket

MetLife Stadium says tickets are valid for one scan only; there is no re-entry. If you’re saying to yourself, “how’d we end up on the floor anyway?” Fans with floor tickets (Sections 1-15) can use any gate for entry and head to HCL Tech Plaza for floor entry. 

Be sure to “Pick Up the Phone” because MetLife gate attendants will be looking for the Ticketmaster App. Have your mobile ticket downloaded, out and ready before getting into the security line. 

The stadium said it will “strongly encourage” those without tickets to not come to MetLife during days of the show.

How to Get There: Will You Need a “Getaway Car”?

New Jersey Transit is urging Swifties to purchase round-trip train tickets in advance, ideally on the NJ Transit app. However, NJ Transit says they will not cap the number of tickets sold. 

According to their website, fans traveling on NJ Transit trains to MetLife Stadium should purchase their roundtrip tickets from their originating station to Meadowlands Station to avoid boarding delays. Tickets purchased on the train will include a $5 surcharge for each ticket. 

MetLife Stadium says NJ Transit service will operate from Secaucus to MetLife Stadium starting at 4:07 p.m. on Friday and 4:17 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 

Coach USA Bus, the 351 Meadowlands Express, will operate from Port Authority in NYC to MetLife Stadium starting at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Return service to Port Authority runs for 60 minutes after the concert ends. Tickets are available here.

If You’re Driving, Will You Need to Park “Behind the Mall”?

MetLife Stadium says you must have a ticket corresponding to that evening’s show for access to all parking lots. Lots open at 12:30 p.m. the day of each show. It’s $40 per car, $100 per limousine and $160 per bus.

Credit cards and cash are accepted. Reminder: the rest of the stadium is cashless. Only credit and debit are accepted.

If we’ve learned anything from TikTok, there will be traffic, so plan accordingly. Prepaid parking is not available. No pictures to burn here, take a picture of your spot so you can find your car after the show. 

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That will come as a relief to many. However, MetLife Stadium says no additional parking spots may be used. 

Taylor Will Never Go Out of “Style,” But What Bags Are Allowed at the Shows?

MetLife Stadium’s policy states that bags must be clear (a.k.a. see-through): 12” x 6” x 12” or less in size, and 1 bag per person. Small purses (clutch-type bags about the size of your hand) 4.5” x 6.5” or less in size (1 per person) are also allowed, and do not need to be clear.

No camera or binocular cases, backpacks, fanny packs, diaper bags, and briefcases/computer bags are allowed either.

For more information on what bags are allowed, click here.

Additionally, food or snacks in a clear plastic bag, factory-sealed, plastic bottles of water or soft drinks 20 oz. or less, empty reusable water bottles (plastic and aluminum) and small handheld portable phone chargers are allowed. 

Put simply, if you’re bringing a drink inside, it must still be factory-sealed. Otherwise, a reusable water bottle can be brought in, but it must be empty upon entry. There are water fountains located inside the stadium where the bottles can be filled.

As far as other common items not allowed, be glad the weather looks good for the weekend, because umbrellas are not allowed. Also, the MetLife Stadium site lists banners or signs as forbidden as well.

For a full list of what is and is not allowed, click here.

You May Be Spinning Like a Girl in a Brand New Dress, But What About Merch Stands and Trailers?

Taylor Nation, Taylor Swift’s official fan group, says ticketed fans can shop merch and the newly announced special edition CDs (more on that in a second) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at 12:30 p.m. The merch truck is located in Lot E. Merch is also available starting at 4:30 p.m. at MetLife gates and the Team Store. 

Again, as we’ve seen from TikTok, be prepared for long lines, however, it’s a great chance to make friendship bracelets. 

As for that new CD, Swift said in a tweet Wednesday there will be a new special edition CD will only be available on-site in East Rutherford. The CD sold at MetLife will have a “never before heard Midnights vault track called ‘You’re Losing Me.'”

The new Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) deluxe album will feature Ice Spice o the song “Karma” as well as newly recorded vocals from Lana Del Rey on “Snow on the Beach.”

Speaking of…Make the Friendship Bracelets, Take the Moment and Taste it:

Swifties from Glendale to Boston have been making friendship bracelets to trade at the shows. Think favorite song lyrics, Taylor Swift quotes, special dates…get creative. 

If You’re Hoping to Keep Your Hearing Stay “Safe & Sound”:

Swift fans who have attended previous shows have recommended concert-friendly earplugs. There are several options available online for under $20. The earplugs promise not to block all the noise or music, but to make the volume safer. 

Standing in a Nice Dress, Staring at the Sunset — How’s the Weather Looking?

Our resident Swifties from Storm Team 4 say the chance for “Midnight Rain” will stay south of the tri-state. But hey, maybe an old “Cardigan” couldn’t hurt for after the sun goes down.

If You’re Thinking About a Dive Bar on the East Side…

Some of Taylor’s favorite spots in the city and businesses around MetLife Stadium say they’re ready for Swifties. In fact, many are all too happy to get a potential boon for business during what typically is a down holiday weekend. Some restaurants are even offering shuttles to the stadium, which would save you money on parking.

She Wears Short Skirts, I Wear T-Shirts — But What Outfits Are Swifties Looking to Wear to the Show?

The outfit is a key element of the Taylor Swift concert experience (after all, she’s going to have more than a dozen outfit changes herself throughout each show), so it’s important to do your research into what everyone is thinking of wearing.

According to Pinterest data, “Speak Now” is the most popular era for outfit inspiration searches, followed by “Lover” and “Folklore.” So use that to help you form your ideas.

Keep a Wide-Eyed Gaze Around the Tri-State This Week:

Everyone from the Museum of Arts and Design to the NYC Ferry is saying, “Welcome to New York.”

All I Do Is Try, Try, Try…for Tickets:

The Eras tour is one of the largest and most sought-after concert tours in history — ticket sales in the first place caused a minor meltdown at Ticketmaster.

If you can feel your heartbeat on the High Line and are still trying to get tickets, be prepared to pay up. StubHub, Vivid Seats, TickPick and GameTime are just some of the secondary market sites that are offering seats, but they’ll cost a pretty penny.

As of Wednesday morning, the cheapest ticket listed on StubHub for any of the Friday, Saturday or Sunday shows was for more than $1,400. The most expensive tickets were listed for more than $21,000.

If you’ve been scouring TikTok looking for tips and tricks, there are some people who have had luck with Ticketmaster the day of the show, even right after the shows have started. If you wake in the night, pacing like a ghost because of ticket troubles, be careful where you buy. Scammers are using different ways to dupe Swifties into sending money online for a ticket that doesn’t exist.

For more on scams, click here.

This May Be “The Last Time” You Get a Chance for Tickets…

The American Dream Mall, located right next to MetLife Stadium, will be hosting events each day before the concerts from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., and that includes a shot at a pair of tickets to the show that night.

In addition to a live DJ playing all of Taylor’s hits, Swifties will get a chance to sing karaoke, shop, grab a bite or a drink, and enjoy photo ops at the Tour Next Door event.

Those looking for a ticket can enter for a chance to win every day beginning Friday and ending Sunday, with the sweepstakes opening from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. Winners will be announced live onsite at 5 p.m. — but an important note: Winners will need to be onsite as well to collect tickets.

Those hoping to snag the free tickets can enter at AmericanDream.com.

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Kofi Addo came to the U.S. from Ghana in 2006 determined to work hard — and he did, six days a week, driving a school bus by day, a taxi by night. On the night he died, three teenagers reportedly called All Brunswick Taxi and said they needed a ride to the movie theaters. But evidently their motives were much more sinister.

“He was a beautiful soul to be taken away from us so soon. He had so much more on this Earth to do,” said his widow, Kecia Banks.

Addo had done so much already, having brought his two sons here from Ghana to give them a better life. He also worked to send money back to his village to help others do the same.

“Him being abroad, people reached out for help. He was helping people go to school, getting anybody who had problems back home. My dad was helping,” said his son, Hubert Addo.

He was behind the wheel of his taxi the night of May 11 when he got the call to come to a quiet block of Franklin Township — unaware that three teenagers, just 13 and 14 years old, allegedly lay in wait.

Neighbors captured images of them on doorbell cameras as they had loitered for over an hour. When Kofi pulled up, they allegedly got into his taxi, shot him point blank, took his phone and wallet and ran.

“All the years I know him, no complaints. Nice man, easy going, trying to make a living,” said Basam Abourjeily, who also worked at the taxi company. “He was a nice man, always laughing and joking. It’s a shame what happened to him.”

What happened that night sent spasms of fear through the typically peaceful neighborhood, which turned into an unimaginable crime scene. The fear still lingers.

“For somebody to lose his life senselessly like that, it changed all of us. Now we close our doors, we never closed our doors,” said neighbor Mem Jamiru, who was born in Ghana, like Addo. “We have a whole village back home that we take care of, people depending on us. When you destroy one person, you destroy a village. Its is pathetic.”

That village is now coming together to help send Addo back home to be buried. His son has set up a fundraising page for the father who funded his trip here and sent him to college. He is set to graduate from Kean University in 2024 with a degree in criminal justice.

“One day I was driving him to work and he told me ‘I never tell you stuff like this, but I’m proud of you.’ That stood out to me a lot, that before he left I heard ‘I’m proud of you’ before unfortunately he left,” said Hubert Addo.

The three teenagers who are charged with killing him are in juvenile detention. His widow, an educator, said that despite her family’s pain, she prays for them.

“Those are someone’s babies and my heart goes out to their families as well. I pray they have strength,” said Banks.

Patrol units responding to South Front Street on the waterfront just before 5 p.m. Tuesday found the torso of a white man floating where the Arthur Kill tidal strait, the area between Staten Island, in New York City, and Union and Middlesex counties, and Elizabeth River converge.

The man has not been unidentified.

Anyone with information about this matter is urged to call the Elizabeth Police Department at 908-558-2041.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477) or online at www.uctip.org. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered in the case.