The Music in the Park event held Wednesday was sponsored by the Phillipsburg Area Veterans.

The first performance at the Veterans Rally Point in Lopatcong Municipal Park was a Music in the Park event, held Wednesday.

It was sponsored by the Phillipsburg Area Veterans and was free to the public.

Music in the Park featured the Nakked Soul Band, a local band that plays blues, jazz, funk, R&B and rock.

The pavilion was dedicated May 29 and it memorializes the late Terry Lee, a U.S. veteran and former Warren County clerk. It includes a sitting wall and memorial bricks.

Follow lehighvalleylive.com on Twitter at @lehighvalley. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The mayor's business administrator pick left a school board over plagiarism in 2005, and was charged with DUI in 2014.

A case of plagiarism that embroiled a Morris County school board more than a decade ago could change the way Phillipsburg picks its municipal staff.

The town's business administrator, appointed in May, stepped down from the Madison board of education in 2005 after copying a columnist's graduation speech -- a fact that Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis said was unknown to him until he was asked by a reporter on Wednesday.

A DUI charge, which was eventually dropped, also didn't come up before she was appointed.

Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis (Erin Gallagher | For lehighvalleylive.com)
 

"The credentials were there. There were no indication to worry about her character. ... She was doing a fine job," Ellis said later after talking with Business Administrator Melissa Elias.

The mayor said background checks are not done for all appointed positions, but may soon be instituted as a result.

"We're going to be in discussion about this," Ellis said. "I'm not ready to make a decision yet on the future of our municipal staff here, in general."

Selection

In Phillipsburg, the business administrator oversees office functions within the municipal building. Elias, 60, of Madison, was appointed after a months-long selection process involving interviews with six or seven candidates, the mayor said.

The three-person interview team of the mayor, attorney Christopher Troxell and planning board Chairman Kent Corcoran rated resumes and questionnaires, then voted on their recommendation, which was presented to the full town council May 17. Troxell and Corcoran could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

At the May meeting, Council President Todd Tersigni asked for reassurance that Elias was thoroughly vetted.

"I believe there needs to be discussion about her at the next open meeting," Tersigni said Wednesday.

Background

In a brief statement, Elias said she is "a competent and dedicated longtime volunteer in Madison." She is also the executive director of the County College of Morris Women's Shelter.

In 2005, she resigned from the Madison school board over an allegation of plagiarism. She publicly apologized for not crediting columnist Anna Quindlen in a graduation speech that year, according to The Star-Ledger's archives. Reports from the time show Elias' speech closely mirrored one by Quindlen in 1999.

In 2014, Elias was charged with driving under the influence and related counts after crashing into a utility pole in Millburn Township, Essex County, and continuing into adjacent Madison.

Millburn court staff on Wednesday said Elias was guilty of leaving the scene of an accident, resulting in a six-month license suspension and $439 fine. Other charges were dismissed.

Council compromises on attorney appointment

Elias is well-respected in the Madison community, officials there said, and was appointed last year to the local zoning board.

Madison Borough Administrator Raymond Cody said Elias was "honorable" in her resignation because the plagiarism accusations came at a time when the district was going through a multimillion-dollar referendum.

"Her track record otherwise tells me she was a good choice for the position" in Phillipsburg, said Madison Mayor Bob Conley.

What's next?

Phillipsburg Mayor Ellis said he plans to meet with attorneys and other officials starting Thursday to determine how to handle the situation, and how to institute background checks on mayoral appointments.

Though the revelations were a surprise, he said there is nothing there that would prevent Elias from doing her job.

Tersigni said he would like to see at least two council members involved in the interview process going forward. Ellis said he would be agreeable to the proposal.

"We are going to look into it further and probably be a little more diligent going forward," the mayor said.

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

I confess that I have characterized kids growing up in the age of the smart phone as less creative than their parents; I was wrong.

Please straighten me out.

I was either completely out of the loop as a child, or "duck, duck goose" was just not a game played in South Jersey.

Recently, I watched children play "duck, duck goose" in an airport and I had to ask someone the object and rules of the game. The adult who kindly answered my questions clearly had played before.

I understood the "goose" part, but wasn't really sure about the need for "duck, duck." I was sure, however, that I never played this particular game as a child.

Oh for Pete's sake, I forgot the rules to this game too.Courtesy of shorpy.com 

The point is, though, it was nice to see these children playing a game that apparently was passed from one generation to another.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

I confess that I have characterized kids growing up in the age of the smart phone as less creative than their parents. Well, I was wrong. Now that it's summertime, I'm noticing kids outside playing the way we did in the '60s and '70s.

They are busy on the beach building sandcastles and jumping in the surf; they ride bikes, boards and scooters and play baseball, volleyball, four square and hopscotch.

Sometimes the names change. My son speaks of a game called "volley cheese" -- volleyball where the ball can bounce once before going back over the net. I told him we played the exact same game as kids, but his generation gets brownie points for creative naming; we called it (I'm so embarrassed) "one bounce."

So, I apologize en masse to all of today's youth for having employed the tired cliche of modern children doing nothing but texting and playing video games.

It's summertime - time for children and adults to have fun outdoors; here's a gallery of vintage photos from around New Jersey of folks doing just that. Make sure captions are enabled to see all the information for each photo.

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

William McCarthy, 45, of Great Meadows, is now facing charges out of two Pennsylvania towns.

TAMAQUA, Pa. -- Hours before a Washington Township police officer was arrested at a roadblock in Hazelton, Pa. after allegedly crashing into cars while under the influence, police say he was involved in another hit-and-run crash in a nearby town.

Authorities say Washington Township police officer William McCarthy III was involved in a DWI crash in Hazelton, Pa. on Thursday. Pictured, McCarthy's Nissan Armada SUV.Courtesy of WNEP-TV 

William McCarthy, 45, of Great Meadows, allegedly drove the wrong-way on a one-way street in Tamaqua -- a town about half-hour away from Hazleton -- at about 2:34 p.m. on June 16, sideswiped a parked vehicle with his Nissan Armada SUV and then fled the scene north on Route 309, according to Tamaqua police.

Police later learned a vehicle matching the description of McCarthy's Nissan was involved in motor vehicle crashes in Hazleton and were able to positively identify McCarthy as the driver involved in the Tamaqua crash.

McCarthy is now facing charges out of Tamaqua for allegedly driving in the wrong direction on a one-way roadway, accidents involving damage to an unattended vehicle or property and duty to give information and render aid. 

Shortly before 8 p.m. on June 16, McCarthy was arrested at a roadblock in Hazleton after hitting several vehicles in that town -- two of which were occupied. His vehicle had heavy front-end damage when it was stopped and McCarthy had been driving the vehicle even though the airbag had deployed.

Hazleton police charged McCarthy with DUI, resisting arrest, reckless driving, accidents involving damage to attended vehicles and duty to give information and render aid. 

Authorities haven't provided any additional information on the events leading up to the crash, but they have confirmed McCarthy was allegedly involved in a domestic violence incident in New Jersey prior to the Pennsylvania crashes.

The crashes in Hazleton and Tamaqua occurred nearly a year to the day after McCarthy was arrested on a DWI charge in Blairstown. During that incident on June 20, 2015, he was found parked on the shoulder of Route 94 in a daze and with an open bottle of tequila between his legs, according to arrest reports obtained by NJ Advance Media.

McCarthy, who'd been kicked out of the house a day before the Blairstown DWI last year, told the officer who stopped to check on his condition that he saw dead people and asked if the officer also saw dead people. McCarthy refused to submit to field sobriety tests and to provide breath samples.

According to the arrest report, his wife told Blairstown police there were family issues at home, that he'd been drinking heavily since 2002 and that they tried to get him help before. McCarthy denied having a drinking problem, according to the arrest report.

McCarthy's license was suspended for 90 days this past August for a first-time DWI violation in connection with the Blairstown incident. At the time of his arrest on June 16, his driver's license was valid.

McCarthy has been suspended without pay from the Washington Township Police Department pending the outcome of the investigation into the most recent incidents, police Chief Jeffrey S. Almer said in a statement on Friday. 

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Check out who is first, second- and third-team all-state

Check out who is first, second- and third-team all-state

Who was honored in NJ.com's season in review?

Who was honored in NJ.com's season in review?

The Memorial Motor Madness Car Show is an annual event, hosted by the Hackettstown Rotary Club.

The annual Hackettstown Rotary Club Memorial Motor Madness car show at MARS Chocolate/NA May 29 was a fundraising success for the local individuals and nonprofit organizations supported by the club.

Welcoming more than 2,200 spectators and 500-plus very special cars on view, this event in its 20th year generated more than $20,000 net profit for the Hackettstown Rotary Club.

Hackettstown Rotary honors two

Under beautiful weather conditions, the show produced winners in 16 different car categories and a Best in Show won by a 1956 convertible Cadillac. 

Car show organizers are already at work preparing for the 2017 show, which is held, traditionally, on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Visit hackettstownrotaryclub.org for more information.

Can you get a perfect score in NJ.com's weekly quiz?

Time to see how well you know New Jersey news. Below are seven questions that will test how well you recall the biggest New Jersey stories of the week gone by. But fear not: The links below have all the answers to all of the questions below. If you don't think you're ready to take on the quiz without a little extra cramming, review each story so you can ace this test. Remember to brag on your score in comments.

• Pedals the bear is back!
• How Christie's controversial plan can impact you
• These fire chiefs make more than $175K
• Update on teachers fired after calling students 'negroes'
• Weather-related tsunami hit Jersey shore Tuesday
• 9 facts you need to know about proposed gas-tax hike
• What we know about trio caught with cache of guns outside Holland Tunnel

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter, and find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Jersey has changed dramatically in recent decades. But in many places, deep segregation still exists.

Pets in need of adoption from shelters and rescues throughout northern and central New Jersey.

While New Jersey was never known as "Hurricane Alley," recent visits by hurricanes Irene and Sandy have shown that big storms can and do strike the Garden State.

These recent storms have led to many of us learning more about being prepared as people ... it's also important to consider preparing for pets' needs in the event of another big blow.

Experts from BluePearl Veterinary Partners have put together some tips for pet owners that apply to natural disasters including hurricanes, floods and earthquakes:

*  Make sure that people who have agreed to give you a place to stay if you have to leave your home can also accept your pets; during a storm is not the time to discover unknown pet allergies.

*  Knowing in advance of any pet-friendly hotels in your area could make a big difference if friends and relatives are also escaping the situation.

*  If you've prepared an emergency 'kit' for you and your family, make sure it has items for your pets including food bowls, resealable bags that can hastily be filled with food, toys and blankets or bedding.

*  Store your pet's veterinary documents where you keep your own important papers; should your home be damaged in a storm, those important items could be destroyed.

*  Hoping that a boarding facility or veterinarian's office will be open and available when a storm approaches or is in progress is not planning; pets are members of a family and deserve to be a part of your emergency preparation plan.

Here is a gallery of just a handful of the pets in need of adoption in northern and central New Jersey. Make sure captions are enabled to see all the information about each dog or cat. More adoptable animals can be seen here and here.

Pa. State Police accused Joshua A. Mohlmann of having a years-long sexual relationship with the girl, an ex-student.

The case involving a New Jersey teacher charged with sexually assaulting a former student from his seventh grade math class might never get to Northampton County Court.

Joshua A. Mohlmann, 40, of the 500 block of Laurel Hill Road in Upper Mount Bethel Township, left district court in Bangor on Monday after a frustrated district judge issued a 10-day continuance.

Senior District Judge Sherwood Grigg took issue with Assistant District Attorney Anthony Casola's plan to present hearsay evidence in the case.

During a preliminary hearing, Grigg must determine if there is enough evidence to send the case onto county court or possibly throw it out.

"Never to my knowledge have I sent a case to county court based on just hearsay ... because the rules prohibit it," Grigg told Casola.

Mohlmann is facing felony charges of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse involving a victim younger than 16, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault involving a victim younger than 16 and institutional sexual assault.

Additionally, Mohlmann is charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, indecent assault on a victim younger than 16 and furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor.

Mohlmann taught for the Harmony Township School District in Warren County when the alleged sexual relationship began. Dressed in a suit and tie Monday, Mohlmann did not speak during the district court appearance.

Police said the relationship began in 2008 when the 14-year-old girl began babysitting for Mohlmann and continued until March 2015 when the victim was 21.

Mohlmann engaged in sexual conduct with the victim, now 22, that progressed to intercourse just after her 17th birthday in 2011, police said. He allegedly provided the girl with vodka during this encounter and on multiple occasions prior to her turning 21, police said.

Pennsylvania State Police began investigating reports of the sexual assaults in July 2015, picking up an investigation opened by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office. Mohlmann turned himself in to police in May.

Teacher charged with sex assault of ex-student

Defense attorney Mark Minotti raised objections to any hearsay evidence -- the contents of which were not revealed Monday.

Minotti said prosecutors couldn't even determine if testimony they would be presenting was from the trooper prosecuting the case or another trooper who interviewed the victim.

"The interview that took place with her is (another trooper) not even here today," Minotti said.

Grigg asked why the victim wasn't testifying and why Casola planned to only use secondhand testimony.

"Do you have a witness here not based on hearsay?" Grigg asked. "I'm going to rule on whether a case can go to court on hearsay alone?"

Casola argued a Pennsylvania Superior Court decision in July 2015 ruled hearsay evidence was sufficient to determine probable cause at a preliminary hearing. The magistrate said he still wanted to know why the 22-year-old would not be testifying at the hearing.

"It's my understanding, in this particular case, this alleged victim is of age," Grigg said. "Why isn't she testifying?"

"Because we don't have to put her on, your honor," Casola replied.

"That's your answer?" Grigg asked.

"That's my answer," replied Casola.

The judge issued a continuance in the case for 10 days and ordered Casola turn over the evidence he wanted to present, as well as a recording of a statement provided by the victim.

Casola agreed, but told the judge he would not be presenting the recording at the preliminary hearing.

"It's a rare case," Grigg said. "I'm just trying to do it right."

Mohlmann was suspended from his teaching position following his arrest, Harmony Township Chief School Administrator Christopher Carrubba said previously.

"We are taking this matter very seriously and have been in touch with the prosecutor's office, and our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our students," Carrubba said in an email in May.

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

Town police were on scene Monday afternoon at Medimax Pharmacy, 580 Marshall St.

UPDATE: 2 sought in P'burg pharmacy holdup that netted drugs, cash

Phillipsburg police were investigating the robbery of a pharmacy Monday afternoon.

It was reported just before 2 p.m. at Medimax Pharmacy, 580 Marshall St.

Town police Detective Lt. Michael Swick confirmed a robbery was under investigation but had no details to release as of about 3 p.m. on anyone sought or any items reportedly taken.

The pharmacy just west of Roseberry Street was closed as police investigated. It was not immediately clear when it would reopen; no one answered the phone number for the business about 3:15 p.m.

MORE: Future unclear for N.J. teacher sex assault case

A police K-9 was on scene, along with several detectives, as the parking lot and an adjacent lot for 550 Marshall St. were closed off by police tape.

A device that appeared to be a laptop computer was visible on the asphalt of the pharmacy's lot.

Police ask anyone with information on the incident to call investigators at 908-454-1121.

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

Police say the pair used force to rob Medimax Pharmacy at 580 Marshall St.

Two male perpetrators used force to rob a Phillipsburg pharmacy of prescription medications and cash Monday afternoon, according to town police.

Authorities were continuing to hunt for the pair, town police Detective Lt. Michael Swick said in a news release Monday night.

Police were called about 1:40 p.m. to Medimax Pharmacy, 580 Marshall St., for the report of a panic alarm activation.

The assailants were last seen fleeing on foot from the pharmacy, which is just west of Roseberry Street. No one was reported injured.

Phillipsburg police described the pair as follows:

One was black, standing 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build and wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans, baseball cap (possibly New York Yankees) and a black bandanna covering his face.

The other had white or possibly olive-tone skin, and also stood 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, baseball cap and a bright-yellow work vest.

MORE: Have you seen this wanted man?

Monday's holdup follows a series of pharmacy robberies last week in Bethlehem and Easton; a woman was arrested Friday in connection with one of them.

Police ask anyone with information to call investigators at 908-454-1121.

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

A Phillipsburg High School teacher and Easton resident both competed in the Philadelphia qualifiers.

Everybody has a story.

Competitors on Monday night's episode of "American Ninja Warrior" told many as the physically challenging obstacle course competition visited Philadelphia for a qualifying round.

Among the unusual story lines -- and there were many, including a show-stealing 64-year-old "Geriatric Ninja" -- were two Lehigh Valley athletes.

The Philly stop, filmed in May, was the fifth episode of "Ninja Warrior's" eighth season. After running a six-obstacle course, the top 30 competitors advance to a local finals round, also recorded in May. From there, the leaders head to the national finals in Las Vegas where a $1 million grand prize awaits.

P'burg teacher beats cancer, becomes ninja

Phillipsburg teacher Greg Smith

The first-year Phillipsburg High School algebra teacher from Milford, Hunterdon County -- who beat testicular cancer and called himself the "Scarred Ninja" -- faltered on the third obstacle, the Paddle Boards, which had competitors run across tilting pads.

But his night didn't stop there. Smith was seen in the episode's opening montage ("I want people to know that you can be on your deathbed and you can come back better than your were before," he said) and in a feature segment with his training partner, Anthony DeFranco, of Berkeley Heights.

The two were teammates on the Rider University track team, and they described their training together following Smith's successful cancer treatment. "I'm going to try to hit that buzzer for him," DeFranco said in the segment.

And he did. DeFranco finished the course in the night's fastest time -- 1 minute 44 seconds -- and won the round's top spot on the leaderboard. Smith cheered for his friend from the audience with DeFranco's parents and girlfriend.

Easton resident Tim Bream

Timothy Bream, of Easton, says he chose to train for "American Ninja Warrior" as a way to deal with grief after his father's death in 2013. (Courtesy photo)

The South Side resident didn't get any air time Monday, but his face appeared on the leaderboard at the end of the show.

Bream nearly completed the course, failing on the fifth, penultimate obstacle -- called Rolling Thunder. His 20th-place finish with a time of 1 minute 25 seconds put him in the finals, to be aired at a later date.

Rolling Thunder was a brutal obstacle, a metal wheel that ninjas hung from and rolled across 26 feet of track. The announcers called it a "ninja killer": Everyone in the top 30 either completed the course or was stopped there.

Miscellaneous notes

• It was a very strong night for female competitors: Four women finished in the top 30, the first time that's happened on the show.


• The "Geriatric Ninja" -- 64-year-old John Loobey, of Bristol, Tennessee -- had probably the best entrance of anyone, hobbling up to the starting line in a bathrobe and using a walker. When he took his shirt off for one obstacle, the crowd went nuts. He promised to come back next year, too.


• Seriously, they find the most interesting people for this show. Monday night's episode included America's No. 1-ranked boomerang thrower, a guy studying to become a rabbi, a few teachers, the Buffalo Bills' strength coach, and a third-generation electrician who was competing for his dad.

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

Joshua A. Mohlmann is accused of having a sexual relationship with a girl he once taught.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli has called a 2:30 p.m. news conference Tuesday to discuss a 10-day continuance ordered by a district judge in a sex assault case involving a New Jersey teacher.

Joshua A. Mohlmann, 40, of the 500 block of Laurel Hill Road in Upper Mount Bethel Township, left court Monday after a frustrated Senior District Judge Sherwood Grigg issued a 10-day continuance in his case.

The delay is the result of Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Anthony Casola's plan to present hearsay evidence in the case. The hearsay evidence was strongly objected by defense attorney Mark Minotti, who indicated another police trooper -- not present in the courtroom -- interviewed the victim.

Casola told the judge he also does not plan to put the victim on the stand to testify during a preliminary hearing because he "doesn't have to." Casola referred to a previous Pennsylvania Superior Court decision in July 2015 ruling hearsay evidence was sufficient to determine probable cause at a preliminary hearing.

Mohlmann is facing felony charges of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse involving a victim younger than 16, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault involving a victim younger than 16 and institutional sexual assault.

Additionally, Mohlmann is charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, indecent assault on a victim younger than 16 and furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor.

Mohlmann taught for the Harmony Township School District in Warren County when the alleged sexual relationship began. Dressed in a suit and tie Monday, Mohlmann did not speak during the district court appearance.

Police said the relationship began in 2008 when the 14-year-old girl began babysitting for Mohlmann and continued until March 2015 when the victim was 21.

Mohlmann engaged in sexual conduct with the victim, now 22, that progressed to intercourse just after her 17th birthday in 2011, police said. He allegedly provided the girl with vodka during that encounter and on multiple occasions prior to her turning 21, police said.

Grigg during the preliminary hearing must determine if there is enough evidence to send the case onto county court or possibly throw it out. Grigg told Casola he has never in his lengthy career sent a case onto county court based solely on hearsay evidence.

The judge ordered Casola to turn over all evidence, in which a recorded statement by the victim should be included. Casola told the judge he doesn't plan to use the recorded statement during the preliminary hearing.

Morganelli's news conference suggests prosecutors Tuesday afternoon will be discussing Grigg's decision. The district attorney states he will not be answering any questions prior to the news conference.

Pennsylvania State Police began investigating reports of the sexual assaults in July 2015, picking up an investigation opened by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office. Mohlmann turned himself in to police in May.

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

A Phillipsburg High School teacher and Easton resident both competed in the Philadelphia qualifiers.

Everybody has a story.

Competitors on Monday night's episode of "American Ninja Warrior" told many as the physically challenging obstacle course competition visited Philadelphia for a qualifying round.

Among the unusual story lines -- and there were many, including a show-stealing 64-year-old "Geriatric Ninja" -- were two Lehigh Valley athletes.

The Philly stop, filmed in May, was the fifth episode of "Ninja Warrior's" eighth season. After running a six-obstacle course, the top 30 competitors advance to a local finals round, also recorded in May. From there, the leaders head to the national finals in Las Vegas where a $1 million grand prize awaits.

P'burg teacher beats cancer, becomes ninja

Phillipsburg teacher Greg Smith

The first-year Phillipsburg High School algebra teacher from Milford, Hunterdon County -- who beat testicular cancer and called himself the "Scarred Ninja" -- faltered on the third obstacle, the Paddle Boards, which had competitors run across tilting pads.

But his night didn't stop there. Smith was seen in the episode's opening montage ("I want people to know that you can be on your deathbed and you can come back better than your were before," he said) and in a feature segment with his training partner, Anthony DeFranco, of Berkeley Heights.

The two were teammates on the Rider University track team, and they described their training together following Smith's successful cancer treatment. "I'm going to try to hit that buzzer for him," DeFranco said in the segment.

And he did. DeFranco finished the course in the night's fastest time -- 1 minute 44 seconds -- and won the round's top spot on the leaderboard. Smith cheered for his friend from the audience with DeFranco's parents and girlfriend.

Easton resident Tim Bream

Timothy Bream, of Easton, says he chose to train for "American Ninja Warrior" as a way to deal with grief after his father's death in 2013. (Courtesy photo)

The South Side resident didn't get any air time Monday, but his face appeared on the leaderboard at the end of the show.

Bream nearly completed the course, failing on the fifth, penultimate obstacle -- called Rolling Thunder. His 20th-place finish with a time of 1 minute 25 seconds put him in the finals, to be aired at a later date.

Rolling Thunder was a brutal obstacle, a metal wheel that ninjas hung from and rolled across 26 feet of track. The announcers called it a "ninja killer": Everyone in the top 30 either completed the course or was stopped there.

Miscellaneous notes

• It was a very strong night for female competitors: Four women finished in the top 30, the first time that's happened on the show.
• The "Geriatric Ninja" -- 64-year-old John Loobey, of Bristol, Tennessee -- had probably the best entrance of anyone, hobbling up to the starting line in a bathrobe and using a walker. When he took his shirt off for one obstacle, the crowd went nuts. He promised to come back next year, too.
• Seriously, they find the most interesting people for this show. Monday night's episode included America's No. 1-ranked boomerang thrower, a guy studying to become a rabbi, a few teachers, the Buffalo Bills' strength coach, and a third-generation electrician who was competing for his dad.

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

The number of homeless people in New Jersey declined by 12.4 percent this year compared to a year earlier

WASHINGTON -- The number of homeless people in New Jersey declined by 12.4 percent this year compared to 2015, according to the states's annual count.

The count, conducted on Jan. 26, found 8,941 homeless men, women and children, down from 10,211 in 2015, according to the count coordinated by Monarch Housing.

"This year's count shows a significant decrease of individuals experiencing homelessness in New Jersey," said Katelyn Cunningham, associate at Monarch Housing.

Essex County had the largest number of homeless people, 1,782, or 19.9 percent of the statewide homeless population. Next was Burlington County, with 928 people, or 10.4 percent of the count; and Hudson County, with 829 people or 9.3 percent.

N.J. homeless population declines

Monarch Housing said there still were barriers to ending homelessness, including a shortage of shelter beds, a lack of rental apartments, low-paying jobs and the failure of Congress to increase funding for vouchers that help cover the cost of housing.

One concern was the increase in the number of individuals living on the street, in cars, in train stations, in abandoned buildings. These "unsheltered" individuals are distinct from those who have temporary lodging in a shelter.

That number rose by 48 percent to 1,442 in 2016 from 974 persons in 2015.

"The increase in the unsheltered population shows us that there is still a great deal of work to be done to expand the resources needed," Cunningham said.

In March, Gov. Chris Christie proposed spending more than $5 million for 500 more vouchers for the state's Rental Assistance Program. They would go to chronically homeless or people that rely on public assistance.

The Obama administration in 2010 began an effort to eliminate homelessness, and a national count is conducted on one night in January.

The report issued Tuesday said that more than one-fifth of the homeless, 21.4 percent, were asked to leave a residence they were sharing with other people; 13.5 percent lost their jobs or had their hours reduced; and 13.4 percent either were evicted or were going to be.

Last year's count showed that the number of homeless people in New Jersey declined more than in 45 other states in the last year, according to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. The number of reported homeless in the state declined by 1,573, a 13.5 percent drop.

From 2007 to 2015, the state had 7,216 fewer homeless individuals, the fourth biggest drop in the country and a 41.7 percent decline. During that same five-year period, the national homeless rate dropped by 82,550, or 11 percent.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Mansfield Township's DPW superintendent tried to conceal that he backed into a tree, police say.

A Mansfield Township employee faces charges after allegedly lying about how his township-owned SUV was damaged.

Kevin W. Ward, 56, is the superintendent of the township's public works department. On June 8, he allegedly told police that a tree limb had fallen on a township Ford Explorer on O'Brien Road, causing extensive damage to the rear hatch and roof, township police reported this week.

"The damage was inconsistent with what was reported," police said, and an investigation allegedly determined Ward had backed into a tree nearby.

Police also said that Ward tried to hide the damage on the tree by covering the spot with dirt, and that plastic from the Explorer had been thrown into the woods.

Cops: Armed robbery report was made up

Ward, of Lebanon Township, was charged on June 20 with making a false report to police, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, careless driving and littering. He was issued a summons pending a court appearance, police said.

Ward did not immediately return a call for comment late Tuesday morning. Nor did Mayor Shirley Kocher.

Ward's current salary is $74,148, according to state pension data. There appeared to be no change in his employment status with the township as of Tuesday, according to the municipal clerk's office.

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

Yvonne Reitemeyer will finish the term left by Donna Schneider's resignation.

Lopatcong Township has a new councilwoman, though only for the next six months.

Yvonne Reitemeyer (Courtesy photo)
 

Yvonne Reitemeyer, 46, was unanimously selected by the council Monday night to fill the rest of the term left by Councilwoman Donna Schneider's resignation this month.

"I have been attending council meetings on a regular basis for the past several years and, like many of our residents, I am concerned about how contentious and divided our wonderful town has become," Reitemeyer told lehighvalleylive.com.

"Though this position is temporary," she said, "my goal is to help our council work together to get back to the business of running the town and to help Lopatcong move forward in a positive and productive manner."

Resigning official: 'Vote the old regime out'

Reitemeyer is a financial adviser with Nationwide Financial in a Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania-based insurance office. The married mother of two said she has lived in Lopatcong for 16 years and volunteers with local organizations including the township PTA and athletic association.

She was among three nominees for the post after Schneider stepped down June 1.

Reitemeyer will serve the remainder of Schneider's term, which expires at the end of the year.

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

These schools will get polls this summer for fans to vote for the best-ever athlete alums.

These schools will get polls this summer for fans to vote for the best-ever athlete alums.