Both lawsuits claim Stage Dolls should have been better prepared for a brawl, based on its history.

A second patron stabbed during a brawl at a Warren County go-go bar has sued the establishment arguing the business should have been better prepared for violence based on its history.

Two patrons of Stage Dolls in Independence Township claim in separate lawsuits that they were stabbed during a brawl there on Jan. 31, 2014. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

A fight allegedly broke out between patrons Jan. 31, 2014, at Stage Dolls on Route 46 in Independence Township.

During the commotion, Washington resident Kirk Banis turned around and was stabbed, suffering "catastrophic wounds," according to the civil suit, filed last month in state Superior Court in Belvidere.

The allegations almost exactly mirror those of another patron, Sussex County resident Joseph Rubino, who filed suit against the bar in December. That filing claims some of the clientele that night were members of the Hell's Angels.

Warren County strip club sued over alleged brawl, stabbing

Both suits allege negligence and related counts and seek unspecified damages, claiming the Maggiores did not provide adequate security training or staffing.

They cite prior incidents dating back to 2010 as proof the club's ownership should have known what could happen there. The examples mostly include fights among patrons, occasionally involving employees, sometimes resulting in criminal charges.

It was not clear if any criminal charges were filed as a result of the brawl that injured Banis and Rubino. The lawsuits say their attackers remain unknown.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The men were sworn in at a recent township meeting.

Officers of the Lopatcong Township Fire Department were recently sworn in at a meeting held the township municipal building.

Matthew Pisciotto was sworn in as chief; Bandon Stires and Jaryd Brisson, assistant chief; Tim Weiss Jr. and Cody Kolp as captains; Brandon Jessamine, Brad Fagan, Frank Gara and Mike Verdjak as lieutenants.

A different man was convicted of murdering his mother while a third man allegedly killed his girlfriend's 2-year-old son

A Union County man was convicted of beating his mother to death with a barbell. An Atlantic County man was charged in the murder of his then-girlfriend's 2-year-old child. An Essex County man killed a former girlfriend before he took the lives of a different ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, authorities said.

Those three are among a collection of people either charged with, indicted for, convicted of or sentenced in a wide array of crimes that made news across New Jersey in the past week.

Click through the gallery above to catch up on any law and order news you might have missed. Here's some of what's there:

A 47-year-old Plainfield man was found guilty of murder, theft and weapons possession offenses. He beat his 69-year-old mother with the weight and then used her bank card during a spending spree, mostly at bars and liquor stores.

An Atlantic City man who allegedly killed his now-wife's 2-year-old son last year in North Carolina was arrested in his hometown. The 21-year-old married the child's mother less than a week after her son died.

The East Orange man charged in three murders shot his 23-year-old former girlfriend and her 28-year-old boyfriend to death in a Newark home, officials said. Less than a day earlier, he strangled a 21-year-old woman he once dated, according to authorities. 

A Dunellen man who tried to burn down a former girlfriend's home while her family was inside has been sentenced to five years in prison. The 24-year-old, previously acquitted of attempted murder charges, was found guilty of three counts of third-degree arson for a crime a judge described as "heinous" and "depraved."

In Sussex County, a Sparta man was convicted of killing three bears outside his home. The 78-year-old was found guilty of having a loaded firearm for the purpose of killing an animal within 450 feet of another occupied building. He said he was acting in self-defense.

The son of a former Giants football player admitted to various offenses following a hit-and-run that seriously injured a man.  The 23-year-old Hillsborough resident  faces up to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault by auto, fourth-degree possession of hollow-point bullets, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In Trenton, a 37-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly attacking her boyfriend with a baseball bat and scissors. The city resident was charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses. 

Not every alleged crime was violent -- a 30-year-old security guard at Bergen Community College stole a $1,900 computer, police said. 

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

Two hour tours will be offered for groups of 15 or more.

Rutherfurd Hall, designated as a national and New Jersey State Historic Landmark is inviting groups of 15 or more to visit its facility and learn the history of this 18,000-square- foot Tudor country home in Allamuchy Township.

The house was built in 1904 and designed by Whitney Warren (who also designed Grand Central Station in New York City) and Wetmore Architects (1903-1911).

Rutherfurd Hall, known by the family as the "Big House," was designed for Winthrop Rutherfurd (1862-1944) who was the son of Lewis Morris Rutherfurd (1816-1892) and Margaret Chanler Stuyvesant (?-1890). Many important people, including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, were "entertained" in this remote landscape, a sanctuary out of the urban.

Starting in the spring, bus tours will also be offered. These will run about an hour and fifteen minutes and highlight the history of Allamuchy. 

The mansion is located at 1686 Route 517, just off exit 19 on Route 80.

For more information, visit Rutherfurdhall.org or call 908-852-1894 Ext. 138.

Centenary College counselor earns membership in international education association.

The Lehigh Carbon School Counselors Association this week named Lehigh Career & Technical Institute's Regina Naradko its 2016 Ralph Kidd Memorial Counselor of the Year.

The LCSCA presented Naradko with the award during the School Counselors Week Networkshop at Lehigh Carbon Community College. The award presentation was a surprise for Naradko, a North Whitehall Township resident ,who joined LCTI's guidance staff in January 2006.

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Tina Tang (Courtesy Photo) 

Hong Rong (Tina) Tang, International Student Admissions Counselor in the School of International Programs at Centenary College, was been accepted into the 13^th Class of the NAFSA Academy for International Programs. 

NAFSA is the leading professional association dedicated to international education.

Ms. Tang began working in her present position in July of 2010. 

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Joanna Mizak, of Glen Gardner, was one of more than 50 Susquehanna University students to participate in the school's annual leadership program in January. Mizak is a 2013 graduate of Voorhees High School, and a daughter of Greg and Pat Mizak.

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The following local students are among those chosen as National Youth Correspondents for the 2016 Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University.

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Peter Moukoulis, a student at Liberty High School; Alexandra Palmisano, a student at Bethlehem Catholic High School; and Julia Glassmacher, a student at Phillipsburg High School.

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Melissa Bilza, of Easton, was selected as a finalist in the women's freshmen division during a singing contest sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing last fall at Susquehanna University. Melissa is a freshman at Lycoming College.

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Alexandra Irr, of Bethlehem, was one of several Misericordia University students who organized an April 2 5k run/walk called "Don't Tell Me to Slow Down" in support of National Stuttering Association. The event takes place at the Anderson Outdoor Athletic Complex on the campus of the Dallas, Pa., university.

Police said they caught a break when the driver returned, with branches broken off and sticking out of her Buick.

Hackettstown police said they nabbed a hit-and-run driver when she drove by the scene as police were investigating.

Hackettstown police investigating a hit-and-run crash Feb. 4, 2016, said they caught a break when the driver returned to the scene, with branches broken off in the crash sticking out of her Buick. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo) 

Branches torn from a bush struck by the vehicle were sticking out from under the hood, police said in a news release.

Town police had responded about 11:25 a.m. Thursday to the crash in the area of Grand and Second avenues, finding a street sign and mailbox had been struck in addition to the shrubbery, the release states.

MORE: Lehigh Valley sobriety checkpoint planned for second straight weekend

While officers were still there, they saw a vehicle matching the description of the one that had fled the crash driving past the scene, according to police.

Police determined the driver, 28-year-old Lindsay Varga, of Great Meadows, was driving a 1999 Buick north on Grand Avenue when she veered off the northbound side of the road and hit the road sign, then careened to the southbound side and hit the mailbox before continuing on Grand Avenue.

No one was reported injured.

After finally stopping the vehicle on the return pass, police found Varga had a hypodermic needle and was under the influence of a controlled, dangerous substance, the release states.

She is charged with driving while under the influence and being under the influence of the substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, careless driving, failure to maintain lane, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to report an accident.

Police said they released Varga pending a court appearance.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Northampton, Warren and Hunterdon county authorities say they are looking for three individuals.

Northampton County authorities seek Charles Bugbee - fugitive of the week

Warren County authorities seek Patrick Amato - fugitive of the week

Hunterdon County authorities seek Mohamadsa Bekalsaegh - fugitive of the week

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

See which New Jersey counties had the highest and lowest average property tax bill in 2015

TRENTON -- Property tax burdens in New Jersey run the gamut, averaging more than $11,000 in some counties in northern New Jersey to just below $4,000 in counties down south.

No tax bill, measured as a countywide average, topped $11,000 in 2014. But two of the 21 counties, Bergen and Essex, crossed that threshold last year. Four others, including Union, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties, also exceed $9,000, according to new statewide data.

Statewide, the average property tax bill rose 2.4 percent, or $191, from $8,161 in 2014 to $8,353 in 2015.

The state installed a 2 percent cap on property taxes five years ago that the Christie administration emphasized Friday, and Gov. Chris Christie boasts often, is preventing the single-year, 7 percent tax increases of the past.

Here's how much property taxes went up (again) in N.J. last year

Annual tax increases since the cap was aggressively tightened from 4 percent to 2 percent through a law that also reduced the exceptions municipalities could claim "have consistently lagged neighboring state and regional averages," state officials said.

In 2015, nine counties, mostly along the shore or in the southern part of the state, rang up below $7,000 per home. Cumberland County, which borders Delaware, has the distinction of the lowest average tax bill in the state, at $3,921, according to data released Friday by the state Department of Community Affairs.

Expressed as dollars, Essex County residents are, on average, paying the most and had to cough up the most year over year from 2014 to 2015. Their bill climbed $351. Burlington County had the largest percent increase, which cost them $236, on average.

In all, homeowners in eight counties had to dig deeper into their pockets than the average taxpayer statewide, who had to pay another $191.

But Atlantic County, where taxes rose 7.4 percent from 2013 to 2014, had the only countywide reduction from 2014 to 2015 -- down 1.3 percent, or $82 back in their pockets. The average tax bill also rose in a hurry from 2013 to 2014 in Hudson County, 7.6 percent, but property owners there last year saw only a 1.9 percent increase.

The smallest year-to-year bumps, by percent change, were in Sussex, Passaic and Mercer counties, while average tax bills bumped up higher than 3 percent in Salem, Essex, Cumberland, Ocean, Gloucester and Burlington counties. 

Here are the average 2014 and 2015 property tax bills for the Garden State's 21 counties:

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Tom McKay seeks sole power to fill positions but lacks "any legal basis," says the firm he's seeking to replace.

The law firm Lopatcong Township's embattled mayor is trying to replace says he has no legal basis to do so.

Lopatcong Township Mayor Tom McKay, who is facing a recall effort, has sued members of the township council and other officials, claiming they are defying his authority to make municipal appointments. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo) 

A response to Mayor Tom McKay's lawsuit against three council members and other township officials was filed Friday by the Hackettstown law firm McKay has said he no longer recognizes.

"It is submitted that (the mayor's) application is utterly devoid of any legal basis" and is "frivolous," says the response filed by Lavery, Selvaggi, Abromitis & Cohen. The firm has represented Lopatcong since 2004.

In the suit filed this week, McKay and his attorney, William Caldwell, argue that the mayor should be able to make certain appointments without the council's consent. On Wednesday, McKay acted to make those appointments -- including naming Caldwell the township's interim municipal attorney. Caldwell said there is no conflict of interest.

McKay is facing a recall effort that launched in December.

Why Lopatcong's mayor is suing council members

The nine-count civil lawsuit filed Monday in state Superior Court in Belvidere names as defendants council members Joseph Pryor, Louis Belcaro and Maureen McCabe; township Clerk/Administrator Beth Dilts and the township's legal representation of the Hackettstown law firm Lavery, Selvaggi, Abromitis and Cohen, including attorney Michael Lavery himself. Councilwoman Donna Schneider, an ally of McKay's, is the only council member not named as a defendant.

Michael Lavery (lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

The structure of Lopatcong's government is set under a state law called the Faulkner Act, which specifies that "an assessor, a tax collector, an attorney, a clerk, a treasurer and such other officers as may be provided by ordinance" are appointed by the mayor with the council's consent.

The response on Lavery's behalf -- filed by partner Lawrence Cohen -- says the law is not on McKay's side. State statute "clearly demonstrates that an attorney cannot be appointed as municipal attorney unless the attorney ... receives the advice and consent of council. That clearly has not occurred."

If the lawsuit is honored, the filing says, the township will be left without an attorney because "no replacement has been properly appointed."

The legal response also objects to the mayor's claim that the firm was an improper "holdover" appointment. Though its appointed term ended in 2014, no replacement was named and the firm continued representing Lopatcong in 2015, without objections or challenges by the mayor until Wednesday, the firm says.

The response was filed with superior court Judge Thomas Miller in Somerville. Caldwell has said he hopes the court will hear the case next week.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Tom McKay and his attorney say the mayor's ability to appoint positions should override dissent from council.

When the mayor makes an appointment and the council doesn't like it, who gets the last word?

That is the question Lopatcong Township Mayor Tom McKay and his attorney say they want the court to answer with a lawsuit he filed against three council members and other township officials.

Lopatcong Township Mayor Tom McKay, who is facing a recall effort, has sued members of the township council and other officials, claiming they are defying his authority to make municipal appointments. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo) 

After the litigation was filed this week, the mayor announced at Wednesday's council meeting that he was appointing an auditor and labor attorney as well as interim positions for the township attorney and municipal engineer without the council's consent.

At a prior meeting, council members opposed the mayor's nominations because of a perceived conflict of interest. The labor attorney and interim township attorney have personally represented the mayor in litigation involving other township officials.

"Having a prior personal or professional relationship with a member of the governing body does not constitute a conflict of interest," said William Caldwell, who filed the current lawsuit on the mayor's behalf and also was named by McKay as the township's interim municipal attorney.

How a political appointment ensnared Phillipsburg, and how it might move on

The mayor would not comment directly on the lawsuit. He said the effort is not a response to a recall campaign launched against him in December.

"It has to do with getting the township to operate the way the charter says it should operate," he said.

Appointments and consent

The structure of Lopatcong's government is set under a state law called the Faulkner Act, which specifies that "an assessor, a tax collector, an attorney, a clerk, a treasurer and such other officers as may be provided by ordinance" are appointed by the mayor with the council's consent. At Wednesday's meeting, the mayor cited a related part of the statute that allows the mayor to appoint positions not otherwise specified in the law.

The nine-count civil lawsuit filed Monday in state Superior Court in Belvidere names as defendants council members Joseph Pryor, Louis Belcaro and Maureen McCabe; township Clerk/Administrator Beth Dilts and the township's legal representation of the Hackettstown law firm Lavery, Selvaggi, Abromitis and Cohen. Councilwoman Donna Schneider, an ally of McKay's, is the only council member not named as a defendant.

At its crux, Caldwell said, it seeks to have the court define the mayor's authority to make appointments. He argued that municipalities are required to have legal representation, and that the mayor's appointment should be honored even without council consent.

The litigation contends that the Lavery law firm's term expired in 2014 and was never reappointed for 2015 when the mayor and council disagreed, and that the firm's retention as a "holdover" was improper.

On Wednesday, McKay said he would not recognize the firm and appointed Caldwell as an interim attorney for 90 days, which Caldwell said is within the mayor's authority.

The Lavery firm filed a legal response Friday.

Firm responds to Lopatcong mayor's 'frivolous' lawsuit

The other 90-day interim appointment the mayor made Wednesday was municipal engineer Paul Sterbenz. McKay had previously said he would not appoint Sterbenz until he could get assurance that the engineer's firm, Maser Consulting, would cease donations to a local political action committee that in turn aided the campaigns of McKay's opponents last year.

"It's not retaliation in any way," McKay said Friday, adding that Maser's PAC donations were "a sneaky way of doing things." He said he has not decided on a long-term engineer appointment.

Caldwell said the other appointments -- the auditor and labor attorney -- did not require council consent because they are not specifically identified in the law.

Council had objected to the labor attorney appointment because he represents the mayor in a harassment complaint filed against him by the township clerk.

Caldwell also defended the mayor's decision to file suit, then take action before getting a response from the court.

"The court didn't act; there was a meeting, the mayor acted," he said, later adding: "Government's got to move forward."

Action and reaction

McKay's action has raised hackles around Warren County.

Lopatcong's council president, Joe Pryor, said he find the mayor's litigation "wasteful" but within his rights.

"I think I speak for the majority of council when I say the mayor's lawsuit has no factual or legal basis," Pryor said Saturday. "Out of respect for Lopatcong's residents and the legal process, I'm not going to try and argue the case in the newspapers ... I'm going to let the process unfold and I look forward to hearing the decision of the court. I wish the mayor had done the same instead of rushing to take unilateral action at the Council meeting on Wednesday night."

A post on the recall campaign website calls the mayor "law-breaking" and "unstable," accusing him of trying to set up "a dictatorship."

"We are appalled and embarrassed for our township," the post says.

"The lawsuit is completely and utterly absurd," said Jeff Russo, the attorney representing the clerk in her pending harassment lawsuit. "But even worse, it directly continues the mayor's relentless retaliatory campaign against my client."

Robert Larsen, chairman of the Leadership PAC for Better Government to which the Maser engineering firm donated, objected to McKay's stance. He said that donations to political action committees are legal and monitored, and that any issues with the process should be brought up on the state level.

"At the end of the day, political donations are a part of politics and the process in place. To say that it's unfair for that firm to donate, you would have to preclude any potential company from donating to any political action committee," Larsen said.

How a harassment investigation further politicized Lopatcong

"At this point in time, more importantly than political donations in Warren County," he continued, "the citizens should be concerned with the mayor's competency and ability to lead. That's the real issue."

"We have an identical form of government to Lopatcong," Pohatcong Township Mayor James Kern III posted on Facebook. "My role as mayor is to preside over the meetings with a voice and vote. ... It is too bad for the taxpayers of Lopatcong that they have to pay for a lawyer to give them that same explanation."

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The change affects all Mars candies as well as other company brands Watch video

Mars, Inc., the company that makes M&M's as well as the candy brands Snickers, Twix, Dove, Milky Way and 3 Musketeers, has announced that it will removing all artificial coloring from the products. 

The company relayed the change on Feb. 5, saying the measure would affect all of its "human food products" -- Mars also makes pet food -- including the famous round, multicolored candies that are manufactured in a plant in Hackettstown, which is also the headquarters of Mars Chocolate North America. The company's global chocolate headquarters is in Mount Olive. 

"Artificial colors pose no known risks to human health or safety, but consumers today are calling on food manufacturers to use more natural ingredients in their products," the McLean, Va.-based company said in a statement. "Against this backdrop, Mars will work closely with its suppliers to find alternatives that not only meet the its strict quality and safety standards, but also maintain the vibrant, fun colors consumers have come to expect from the company's beloved brands."

Other Mars brands include Uncle Ben's and Wrigley (Doublemint, Skittles, Altoids, Jucy Fruit, Starburst and Life Savers are among the products under that heading). 

"Eliminating all artificial colors from our human food portfolio is a massive undertaking, and one that will take time and hard work to accomplish," said Grant Reid, Mars president and CEO. "Our consumers are the boss and we hear them. If it's the right thing to do for them, it's the right thing to do for Mars."

The company said it would implement the change over a five-year period. The removal of the artificial coloring comes amid increasing criticism surrounding the origins of food products and a push for natural ingredients.

Tracey Massey, president of Mars Chocolate North America, told NJ Advance Media in 2015 that calorie counts are listed on the front of candy packaging to help consumers make decisions about their sugar intake. 

"Chocolate is an indulgence," she said. "It's a treat. It's not a food."

The Stateliners advanced to the county quarterfinals.

Phillipsburg High School's girls basketball team advanced to the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex quarterfinals on Saturday night with a 58-43 victory over Hackettstown.

Follow the links below for full coverage of the contest:

Rapid Recap: Phillipsburg tops Hackettstown in H/W/S tourney

Phillipsburg girls basketball keeps cool in rugged H/W/S victory

It's gotta be the shoes: Phillipsburg's Brown uses sneakers to focus

H/W/S loss doesn't mar Hackettstown basketball's turnaround or future

Box score

Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KyleCraigSports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

Weather forecasters continue to track a combination of two systems.

Tuesday has the potential to be a slippery mess by the time motorists begin their early morning commute, weather forecasters say.

Motorists should allow for extra travel time Tuesday morning with icy travel conditions predicted in the Lehigh Valley and northwest Jersey. AP Photo 

Motorists should allow for extra travel time Tuesday morning with icy travel conditions predicted in the Lehigh Valley and northwest Jersey.

"It will not be heavy, heavy snow, but it'll be a couple of steady periods of snow overnight (Monday into Tuesday)," said meteorologist Brad Miller with Hackettstown-based WeatherWorks.

The National Weather Service says currently, there is a combination of two systems -- one coming off the Atlantic coast and the other, coming from the upper Midwest -- to watch out for.

Monday will begin as a battle ground more for South Jersey with Northern Jersey and the Lehigh Valley seeing a coating at best, Miller said.

Snow accumulation likely will amp up more in the New York City to Long Island areas. New England is predicted get "hammered" by snowfall, noting the Cape Cod area already is receiving blizzard warnings, Miller said.

Temperatures Monday are predicted to have a high of 38 degrees with the threat of major snowfall starting in the late evening and continuing overnight. The chance of precipitation is 60 percent with snowfall by Tuesday totaling 1 to 2 inches, the National Weather Service says.

Accuweather also predicts 1 to 2 inches Monday into Tuesday. Miller says Tuesday morning also could have a few lingering flurries.

Then, there likely will be a small break around noon Tuesday and then, additional snowfall starting later Tuesday afternoon. He expected snow to fully taper off by early Wednesday, not effecting Wednesday morning travel.

"Overall, we should see 2 to 5 inches between the two systems -- Monday to Wednesday," Miller said.

Temperatures then are expected to plummet further by next weekend with single digits Saturday evening.

Friday is expected to have a high of 28 degrees with a low Friday evening of 12 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The weather services predicts a high of 24 degrees for Saturday with a low of 3 degrees for Saturday evening.

"Valentine's weekend will be brutally cold," Miller said.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The mayor's litigation against council members is the latest tumult in the township.

When Lopatcong Township's mayor sued council members and other officials last week, it was just the latest tumult in the township.

Lopat's leaders have gotten litigious a few times over the last year, for various reasons.

Here's a rundown, starting with the latest. All are still pending resolution.

The mayor vs. 3 council members, the clerk and the attorney

Tom McKay (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo) 

Mayor Tom McKay filed suit last week against council members Joseph Pryor, Louis Belcaro and Maureen McCabe; township Clerk/Administrator Beth Dilts and the township's legal representation at the Hackettstown law firm Lavery, Selvaggi, Abromitis and Cohen.

At its core is the mayor's ability to make certain appointments, which his attorney William Caldwell argues can be done without council consent. When the court didn't immediately respond, McKay attempted to make his appointments anyway -- including Caldwell as an interim municipal attorney -- despite the council majority's objections of conflicts of interest.

Caldwell said he hopes for a resolution this week.

MORE: Why Lopatcong's mayor is suing council members

The tax assessor vs. the clerk and a volunteer

Lopatcong's former tax assessor in October accused Clerk Beth Dilts and Kathryn Devos, a member of the rent leveling board, of waging a "campaign of retaliation" against her. Among the claims: Devos would allegedly follow Degan home and drive up and down her street after Degan refused to reduce her tax assessment. It also claims that Dilts accused Degan and another township employee of making sexually inappropriate comments about her, which led to an investigation.

MORE: Lopatcong clerk led 'campaign of retaliation,' lawsuit claims

The clerk vs. the mayor and a councilwoman

Beth Dilts (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

This lawsuit is still pending, but it ties a lot of the township's political strife together. Notices were issued last summer to the township, McKay and Councilwoman Donna Schneider alleging Dilts was harassed and intimidated based on her age and perceived sexual orientation, that her job conditions were altered to create a hostile environment, and that the officials attempted to interfere with a separate contract Dilts has with the township's planning board.

Dilts' attorney, Jeff Russo, said a formal complaint has to be filed six months after the notice was issued, which will be up in a few weeks. He also said the mayor's latest lawsuit will be added to his complaint: "No matter what we do to stop his behaviors, he keeps intensifying them."

MORE: 'I am the victim here,' mayor says of censure, investigation

Dilts' initial harassment complaint spurred an independent investigation that found no wrongdoing by the accused employees. But council did act on the investigator's recommendation to censure McKay for calling Dilts and Devos "man-haters." The investigation and the censure have been invoked in a recall campaign against McKay.

In its conclusion, the investigation noted: "Local politics is a nasty business, and local politics in Lopatcong Township is particularly so."

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

There are a number of ways pet lovers can assist homeless animals.

If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.

Realistically, not everyone can adopt. People who live in apartments or residential complexes that have no-pets policies fall into that category, as do people with allergies or disabilities that will not allow them to care for pets of their own.

Adoptapet.com offers these suggestions for ways people who want to help can participate in caring for homeless animals.

* Help out at a local shelter. It's not glamorous work by any means, but it's vital and will be very much appreciated. You can do anything from help walk dogs to bottle feed kittens, help clean kennels or cat's cages or even help with bathing and grooming. Contact your local shelter to find out their policies regarding volunteers.

* If you're handy, you can lend a hand in many ways. Shelters usually need repairs of many kinds, so fixer-uppers can help out like that. If you sew, quilt or crochet, you can make blankets for your area shelter.

* Help out at an adoption event. Many shelters and rescue groups participate in local events by hosting a table with pets available for adoption. They also hold these program at malls, pet supply stores and banks, and can often use a helping hand.

* For galleries like this one and for online adoptions sites, often a shelter or rescue group doesn't have the time or equipment to shoot good photos of their adoptable pets. Something as simple as making yourself available to shoot and provide digital files of pet photos can be a big help.

* Donate. It doesn't have to be money; shelters need cleaning supplies, pet food, toys for the animals and often even things we don't think twice about getting rid of like old towels and newspapers. Every little bit helps.

If you don't know where your local animal shelter or rescue group is, a quick online search will reveal a number of results.

Here's a gallery of pets in need of homes in northern and central New Jersey. More homeless pets can be seen here and here.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

The County Seater junior's fall against Pingry clinched the match and a division title.

WRESTLER OF THE WEEK

Nick Cassidy, Belvidere

The County Seater junior bumped up to 138 pounds from 126 and pinned Pingry School’s Bao Pham in the match’s final bout Wednesday night to give Belvidere a 37-34 win that clinched the Skyland Conference Valley Division championship for the Seaters. Cassidy also went 2-0 with a technical fall and pin against Mount Olive and Plainfield in Saturday’s tri-meet.

Honorable Mention: Fr. Ryan Anderson, Bethlehem Catholic; Jr. Chase Bauberger, Delaware Valley; So. Caleb Clymer, Northwestern Lehigh; Sr. Evan Fidelibus, Easton; Jr. Devin Fontanez, Saucon Valley; Sr. Jimmy Saylor Easton; Jr. Travis Stefanik, Nazareth; Jr. Luke Werner, Liberty; Sr. Jarret White, Northwestern Lehigh; Sr. John Williams, Easton; Sr. DJ Wissing, Phillipsburg.

RELATED:  Wrestling team rankings for Feb. 8, 2016

Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook. 

Northwestern, Nazareth and Warren Hills are in action on Monday night.

The wrestling postseason continues on Monday night.

Northwestern and Nazareth will try to advance in the PIAA tournaments and Warren Hills looks to do the same in the NJSIAA North 1 Group 4 tournament.

The Tigers wrestle Southern Columbia in the Class AA tournament at 6 p.m. and the Blue Eagles battle Cedar Cliff in the Class AAA tournament at 7:30 p.m. at Whitehall High School. The Blue Streaks host Mendham at 7 p.m.

Follow Twitter updates from those matches in the comments section below.

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Lehigh and Hunterdon, but not Northampton and Warren, are under the advisory ahead of snow forecast to begin late Monday night and continue through Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service said to look for snow developing late Monday night and continuing through Tuesday night across a region including Lehigh County.

This National Weather Service map generated at 3:39 p.m. EST Feb. 8, 2016, shows the snowfall forecast, in inches, across eastern Pennsylvania and much of New Jersey between 7 p.m. Feb. 8 and 8 a.m. Feb. 10, 2016. (Courtesy image | For lehighvalleylive.com) 

The weather service issued a winter weather advisory Monday afternoon for a region including Lehigh, Upper Bucks and Hunterdon counties, but not applying to Northampton or Warren counties.

Snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches are forecast across the advisory area, with less to the north and west. The advisory is in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

"The snow has the potential to fall at a moderate to heavy rate at times Tuesday and Tuesday night," Monday's advisory reads. "Accumulating snow will affect travel late tonight through Tuesday night, including the rush-hour commutes.

"The road conditions will likely deteriorate during times of heavier snowfall rates. Remember, bridges and other elevated surfaces tend to become slippery first."

Temperatures are forecast to drop into the mid- and upper 20s Monday night, then rise to around freezing on Tuesday. Winds are forecast from the northeast at 10 to 15 mph with gusts of up to 25 mph, according to the advisory.

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The snow is forecast as low pressure redevelops off the Mid-Atlantic coast late Monday night through Tuesday, according to the weather service. As this occurs, a surface trough will extend westward from the low, and this should be the main focus of the heavier snowfall.

"The location of where this feature sets up will determine the axis of the heavier accumulating snowfall," the advisory reads.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The Blue Streaks move onto the NJSIAA North 1, Group 4 semifinals.

The Blue Streaks beat Mendham on Monday night in the sectional quarterfinals.

There were lots of close decisions on Monday night in Warren Hills' NJSIAA North 1, Group 4 quarterfinal against Mendham.

Blue Streaks junior Matt Valli wasn't in the mood to follow the trend.

Valli racked up point after point to secure a 20-5 technical fall in 5:03 at 126 pounds to clinch Warren Hills' 36-15 home win.

"I just kept pushing the pace," Valli said. "My mindset was just keep going, keep going and pushing my opponent. Being aggressive and just not stopping. I just keep scoring points. That's what I like to do."

Valli had an 8-3 lead after the first period against Mendham's Alex Schlegel. After the second period, he held an 11-point lead. Following a few points picked up by Schlegel that cut the lead to 18-5, Valli recorded one final takedown to conclude the tech fall in 5:03.

Despite his impressive performance, the junior was quick to offer praise to his teammates for the victory.

"We wrestled really well tonight," Valli said. "Everyone did their job. Talyan (Zafis) had a nice pin. And Kyle Wulff and Codey O'Rourke sealing with decisions. And Jarod (Ostir) winning that close overtime match with that kid from Mendham (Troy Navarino) who's pretty good."

Bonus point victories came from Valli's tech fall, Zafis' quick pin at 285 pounds and Zach Nauta's 12-2 major decision at 138 pounds to close out the match.

"They did a great job. They did a great job pushing for the extra points," Warren Hills coach Jarrett Hosbach said. "And Zach Nauta at the end against a quality opponent (Chris Schlegel), kept working and trying to score and got himself back into the bonus. Bonus points are big in sectional matches."

The third-seeded Blue Streaks travel to No. 2 Old Tappan at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the sectional semifinals.

Valli plans on keeping his strategy the same.

"It felt nice but we have to take one match at a time because we can't overlook anyone," Valli said. "So whoever is next on Wednesday, we just have to wrestle one bout at a time and just keep pushing the pace and scoring points."

Josh Folck may be reached at jfolck@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshFolck. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.