New York, New Jersey, Connecticut News: Newark

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Monday, 17 September 2012

Newark negotiating merit pay, four-tiered rating system

Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- Teacher evaluations are coming to the state-controlled school system in Newark, New Jersey, and it will have a big impact on teachers' paychecks.

The state and the Newark Teachers Union are negotiating a form of merit pay that would rely on a four-tier rating system.

Teachers rated as effective or highly effective would be eligible for pay increases based on their experience.

Lower rated teachers would get smaller pay hikes.

The current system bumps annual salaries based solely on years of experience.

The pay scale would be groundbreaking in New Jersey if it is approved. Teachers unions there are among the strongest in the country. The state's largest teachers union is opposed to merit pay.

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Saturday, 28 April 2012

Baby security breach closes Newark terminal

SAMANTHA HENRYNEWARK -- A terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport was shut down for over an hour Friday after officials discovered that a baby hadn't been properly screened, Transportation Security Administration officials said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, described the incident as a security breach that occurred at around 1:15 p.m. at a security checkpoint. Terminal C was evacuated and passengers had to go through security screening again.

TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said a mother and baby went through a metal detector when the machine sounded an alarm. The mother handed the child to the father, who had already been screened. The mother was cleared, but the baby hadn't been properly screened. The parents and baby left the checkpoint and headed to their gate, Farbstein said.

TSA officers searched for the family in the secure area of the terminal and notified Port Authority police as per protocol, but they emphasized that it was a low-risk situation, Farbstein said.

A TSA official said they had explained the circumstances of the breach to the Port Authority police and recommended against evacuating the terminal since it was a low-risk situation.

Steve Coleman, a Port Authority spokesman, said that it took the TSA more than 30 minutes to notify police of the lapse and that officers "took immediate action to make sure the breach did not endanger passengers or our facility."

"We're not going to second-guess a real-time decision made by our police department to err on the side of caution and protect passenger safety," he said.

The terminal and checkpoint were closed from 1:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Passenger Jennifer Pallanich said she was on a Houston-bound flight scheduled to depart at about 2 p.m. and boarding had been completed, but because of the breach, the passengers had to evacuate and go through security screening again.

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Wednesday, 4 January 2012

NJT between NY and Newark Penn suspended

Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- New Jersey Transit train service between New York and Newark Penn Stations is suspended in both directions because of an issue with the Portal Bridge.

The bridge, which carries trains over the Hackensack River, is stuck in the open position.

The bridge was opened at 8:55 p.m. Wednesday for marine traffic.

They attempted to close it at 9:20 p.m. but it got stuck.

There is no estimate of restoration time, so this could be an issue for the Thursday morning rush.

Midtown Direct trains are diverted into and out of Hoboken Terminal. NJT tickets and passes accepted on PATH, NJT Bus and Private Carrier buses to/from Port Authority Bus Terminal.

For the very latest, visit http://www.njtransit.com/

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Monday, 26 December 2011

Desperate search for elderly Newark woman

Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- A Newark woman is spending her Christmas searching for her elderly mother who vanished among the throngs of tourists in Times Square.

They were eating at a Sbarro's on Broadway at 49th street on Saturday.

The daughter got up for a moment and when she returned, her 73-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia, was nowhere to be found.

She also never returned to the assisted-living facility where she lives in Newark.

The missing woman's name is Nellie Beamon. She answers to the name Gemini.

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Friday, 9 December 2011

SUV careens into living room in Newark

Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- A woman in New Jersey got quite a scare when a car crashed into her living room.

No one was seriously hurt when the SUV slammed into the home in Newark.

Police say the driver lost control, drove up the sloped lawn and launched through the front windows around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

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Tuesday, 5 July 2011

4 shot, 3 fatally, in 3 unrelated shootings in Newark

Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- Four people were shot, three fatally, in a span of less than an hour in Newark overnight Tuesday.

The string of shootings, apparently unrelated, marked the end of the July 4th holiday weekend and came as the city battles its annual summer crime uptick with less officers on the force.

In the first, an off-duty female correction officer was fatally shot at her Columbia Street house just after 12:30 a.m.

Police say 37-year-old Katrina Owens was attending a barbeque with a male friend when the domestic dispute occurred. Owens is a married mother of three who became a corrections officer in 2003. At the time of her death, she was employed at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.

Within 10 minutes, 21-year-old Shaun Miller was fatally shot in the backyard of his home at 169 Elizabeth Avenue. There was speculation drugs may have been involved, but his family says that is not true and that his death is a tragedy because he leaves behind a 7-month-old daughter.

In the next 10 minutes, two people - a man and a woman - were each shot multiple times in the chest at 349 Osborne Terrace.

The man, identified as 24-year-old Marques Robinson, later died. The woman, believed to be his girlfriend, remains in critical condition at the hospital.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker released the following statement:

"In 45 minutes last night we had three tragic shootings. We mourn for the victims. Newark will not be deterred from our central mission to drive crime down. I remain grateful for all the many pulling together this summer. We are making progress. Violence is still down significantly from last summer. We have work to do. Our challenge really isn't the violent actions of a few bad people but the stark inaction of too many good people in Newark."

(Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Sunday, 5 June 2011

Shooting, chase, and a deadly end in Newark

Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- A shooting, and then a car chase, and finally a crash into a third vehicle. When it all came to end, an innocent man was dead in Newark.

The crash happened on Sanford Avenue on Saturday morning.

Witnesses say a gun was found at the found at the scene.

The incident allegedly began when shots were fired from one car at another car. A chase ensued that ended in a collision with the third car.

The driver of the third car was pronounced dead at the scene. Three others suffered injuries.

The force with which the cars hit is as evident from their blasted front ends and shattered windshields as it is from a now-battered intersection, with a light pole cut in half, a fire hydrant toppled and part of a brick building in pieces on the ground.

Three people from the first two cars are hospitalized and have been charged with aggravated assault and weapons charges. Their identities and the identity of the victim were not immediately released.

Newark police and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office are investigating.

(Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Sunday, 29 May 2011

4 shot, 1 killed in Newark shooting spree

Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- Police in Newark are investigating a deadly shooting in the city's south ward.

One person was shot and killed and three people were injured in the shooting near 399 Irving Turner Boulevard.

It happened shortly after 7 p.m.

Two men and a woman were each shot once in the leg.

Another man was shot once in the arm and died at the hospital.

Police are in the early stages of their investigation.

So far police have not identified a motive for the shootings.

Investigators are still searching for the suspect.

Police ask anyone with information about this or any other crimes to call the Department's 24-hour "Crime Stoppers" anonymous tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).

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Thursday, 19 May 2011

Retired cop shot in wild shootout in Newark

Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- A retired police officer was shot and wounded during an attempted robbery in Newark Thursday morning.

One of the two suspects was also wounded.

The incident began at the intersection of Prospect and Elm streets and ended on Lafayette Street, where one of the suspects crashed his getaway car and was subsequently arrested.

Police were processing the suspect's station wagon late Friday morning and early afternoon.

Newark police say a retired Florham Park officer, who now works as a security guard delivering money, was ambushed by two gunman as he made a dropoff.

The victim was also armed.

"As he got out of his car, he was approached by two suspects, holding guns," Newark Detective Hubert Henderson said. "A shootout ensued. The retired cop was hit a couple of times. He's at the hospital. One suspect fled on foot and is still at large. The other one got into his car and fled the scene and crashed moments later. He was found with several weapons in his possession. He was also wounded, and he had the monies from the robbery in his possession."

The incident happened around 11 a.m. Henderson said it appears the suspects knew the delivery was to be made and were waiting for the victim to arrive.

Nearby Lafayette Street School was on lockdown since the other suspect remains on the loose.

The retired officer is hospitalized, but is expected to survive.

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Saturday, 14 May 2011

Dalai Lama opens Peace Education Summit in Newark

Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- The Dalai Lama is in Newark this weekend for a summit to end violence.

The Peace Education Summit began yesterday with opening remarks by the religious leader. The event brought a crowd of more than 1,000 people to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is taking place.

"The change in human society, the initiative, must start with the individual," said the Tibetan Buddhist who won a Noble Peace Prize in 1989.

Organizers are focusing on peacemaking as a way for individuals, communities and nations to resolve conflict.

"The 20th century was the century of bloodshed," said the Dalai Lama. "The 21st century should be the century of dialogue."

He also countered that despite America's problems he believes democracy to be the best structure for working toward peace.

The panel featured several other speakers, including Wilbert Rideau, an award - winning journalists and author who served more than 12 years on death row for a murder conviction, and Nobel laureates, American Jody Williams and Iranian-born Shirin Ebadi, who joined the Dalai Lama on stage.

Local community speakers have also been invited to speak at the event.

The conference is being organized by New York-based Tibet house U.S. and a foundation run by Drew Katz, a philanthropist and longtime supporter of anti-crime efforts in Newark.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a Democrat who has gained a national profile for his efforts to transform Newark into a national model of urban renewal, said Friday the city was honored to play host to the event.

Organizers are offering discounted entrance tickets to students, and scholarship tickets for the local young people.

Several eighth-graders from the Quitman Street Community School in Newark were chosen as volunteers to help direct people to the conference's different venues.

"I hope this really helps our community, because there's a lot of violence in the streets," said 14-year-old Eric Martinez of the Peace Summit. "To actually have this here in Newark - it's incredible."

The event continues tomorrow at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

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