Horse Bowl, Horse Judging and Hippology test members' equine knowledge.

Recently, the members of the Warren County 4-H Equine Science Team swept the three state level 4-H horse knowledge competitions: Horse Bowl, Horse Judging and Hippology.

Horse Bowl is a quiz bowl style game where teams go head to head in a battle of knowledge and speed on the buzzer. Horse Judging tests the competitors' knowledge and ability to judge a class based on conformation as well as present and defend their placings to a panel of judges. Hippology (the study of the horse) is a combination of exams, oral team problems, and stations where the competitors have to identify various items of equine equipment, feed, medicine, etc.

Warren County teen is Equestrian of the Year

Members of the senior team (9th through 13th grade) included Madeline Crisp, Pier Semanchik, Brittany Smith, Rachel Vence, and Ivana Waldele. Junior team members included Rhiannon Bernard, Eva Commisso, Colleen Cowell and Elizabeth Santini. Crisp is a member of the Stablesmates 4-H Club, Semanchik is a member of the Horsin' Around 4-H club, Bernard, Cowell, Santini, Smith and Waldele are all members of the Outlaws Model Horse and Horse 4-H Club, and Commisso and Vence are currently members of the Little Derby 4-H club.

The senior team took first place at the Horse Bowl competition, which was held in Atlantic County, first place High Team Overall in Hippology and first place High Team Overall in Horse Judging. The Hippology and Horse Judging competitions were held together in Salem County in April. The team also took first place in Team Problems in Hippology as well as first place Oral Reasons in Horse Judging.

Semanchik, the current Warren County 4-H Equestrian of the Year, also took first High Individual Overall at the Hippology competition.

Crisp, Semanchik, Smith and Vence have all qualified to be on the New Jersey team that will compete at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Round-Up held in November in Louisville, Kentucky. This is the second time that Warren County has swept all three State 4-H Horse Knowledge events since 2011.

It's the first step toward restoring equity in property values, a local official says.

For a law designed to protect water, New Jersey's Highlands Act can be ... well, dry.

Wading through the complexities of the 2004 act can be daunting. It affects some 800,000 acres in seven North Jersey counties, applying varying degrees of development restrictions based on scientific data.

So one could be forgiven for not thinking twice about a proposed loosening of the rules governing septic systems.

But it could have some significant impacts: At least one local lawmaker says it is a start to restoring property values diminished by the legislation. Meanwhile, environmental groups say it weakens the act and threatens the water supply for thousands of New Jersey residents.

Let's break it down.

What is the Highlands?

First, the basics: The 2004 Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act is meant to preserve open space and a major source of drinking water. It applies restrictions on development on a swath of the state from the New York border in Bergen and Passaic counties to the Delaware River in Warren and Hunterdon.

Among those rules is a restriction on what is called septic density. Currently, the act allows new properties to have one septic system per 88 acres in forested areas, and per 25 acres elsewhere. The rule doesn't apply to lots already existing when the Highlands was enacted.

What is changing?

Based on new data, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is proposing loosening the septic density rule, among other changes.

Depending exactly where you are, the new rule would allow one septic system on new lots between 11 and 23 acres.

What does that mean for me?

Environmental groups say that loosening Highlands restrictions will lead to more development and threaten sources of drinking water. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

That depends how many acres you own. Most Highlands homeowners will probably never notice the proposed change because they don't have a property big enough to be divided.

But for someone like a farmer, for whom property value is a sizable investment, it could be significant, said Warren County Freeholder Ed Smith. The ability to divide and develop a property increases its value, some of which was lost when the Highlands Act became law.

"They had a lot taken away from them," Smith said, who complained the changes don't go far enough. "They were never compensated for this. ... This is the first attempt at trying to create any sort of equity here."

So what's the problem?

Environmental groups are critical of the proposal, saying it opens up the protected region to more development.

The Highlands Coalition sent to its members a list of suggested talking points ahead of a Wednesday hearing on the changes. Among them: That the proposal violates the spirit of the Highlands Act and lets developers circumvent the law.

Township puts dam removal to voters

"It will actually make it more cost effective to build roads, subdivisions and McMansions on top of the environmentally sensitive mountains," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "This not only threatens our drinking water, but will lead to over-development and sprawl, putting people at risk."

The DEP rebutted, saying the new rule permits one septic per 362 acres of the Highlands' most protected areas -- about 12 percent more septic systems than currently allowed -- and only in specific areas.

What can I do?

The DEP is accepting comments on the proposed rule change. A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Highlands Council building, 100 North Road in Chester.

Comments can also be submitted electronically at www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments.

More information on the proposal can also be found on the DEP's website.

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

Police said the male resident was threatening suicide, according to family members who dialed 911.

Authorities in Warren County took a male resident into custody Tuesday after he allegedly barricaded himself in a room of his home and was threatening suicide.

Family members dialed 911 from inside the home in the 300 block of Belvidere Avenue in Washington Township, according to township police Chief Tom Cicerelle.

Police responded about 3:45 p.m. and called in the Warren County Tactical Response Team as a precaution.

"We were unable to make any contact with him and we weren't sure if he had any access to weapons in the house," Cicerelle said.

About a dozen officers responded as part of the team, and police were also assisted by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, according to the police chief.

Police were still trying to make contact with the resident when he came out, unarmed, and surrendered, Cicerelle said.

MORE: What a Highlands rule change could mean

The male, whom police did not identify, does not face charges. He was taken by ambulance to St. Luke's Hospital in Philipsburg for a crisis evaluation.

Police were continuing to investigate whether any weapons were in the home at the time of the incident.

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

Belvidere officials say it's a financial decision. The library says it's a political agenda.

The Belvidere Free Public Library was established by a public referendum.

It could be closed by one, too.

The choice goes to voters in November: Should the town continue to fund its local library, or should it instead join the county system?

"This is a financial question for the people of Belvidere," Mayor Joseph Kennedy said Tuesday.

Library representatives have said it's politics.

"There has been an aggressive movement by a small amount of people who have an agenda," said Teresa Aicher, the library's director. "It's been very frustrating the way things have been handled."

The Belvidere Free Public Library is located at 301 Second St. The county library headquarters is about 2 miles away. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The town council voted 5-2 on May 16 to put the referendum on the ballot, with Kennedy joined in the vote by Charlie Makatura, Kathleen Miers, Louis Miller and Laurel Napolitani. Dissenting were Desmond Fitzgerald and Walt Tutka.

The library at 301 Second St. dates back to 1937 and operates on a thin budget, open mostly afternoons and evenings. It boasts more than 2,500 members, according to its website. Aicher said 2,231 different library cards were used last year.

Belvidere residents can already pay for a county library card -- the headquarters is in White Township, about 2 miles from the town library. The town can only join the system by public referendum, said county library Director Maureen Baker Wilkinson. If voters approve, residents would pay a county library tax instead of the town's current library tax.

Finances have proven to be a source of contention for the Belvidere library in recent years. The town funds the library at the minimum required, which this year was about $60,000.

Aicher said she applies for grants to cover the budget's balance and has scaled back staff and hours. Kennedy said a trust fund that is also used is dwindling.

Some on council balked in 2012 when Aicher asked for, and was granted, $6,234 for unused vacation time. Library board President John Clemmer said political attacks have continued recently.

"There have been personal diatribes and assaults on our staff causing significant harm. We will not accept this condition and call upon all the good people of Belvidere to join us in demanding an end to this unacceptable behavior," Clemmer said in an open letter to residents. The letter included a warning to "perpetrators" that "prosecution will be considered" -- Clemmer said the town code allows a $500 fine for threatening or otherwise interfering with library staff.

Aicher said the library was not informed ahead of the council's vote that a referendum would be considered.

The mayor called the political accusations "bloody nonsense," saying Aicher is doing the best she can given the current budget.

With expenditures including a new public works building and firetruck looming, the town must choose how best to use its money, Kennedy said. Town meetings are being scheduled to discuss the referendum.

"The library is just a small part of the finances that the town of Belvidere is going through right now," he said. "I think it would be fair to start asking the taxpayers some of these questions."

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

The wreck is just off Interstate 78 on South Main Street in Greenwich Township. Watch video

A tractor-trailer overturned Wednesday morning on South Main Street in the vicinity of the exit ramp from Interstate 78 West in Greenwich Township.

The driver was treated for what appeared to be minor injuries. Township police said he was transported t a hospital as a precaution.

The truck was coming off I-78 and was turning right onto South Main, police said. There is a yield sign for right turns, so the truck didn't have to come to a stop, police said.

The truck was hauling plywood and came to a rest near the bottom of the exit ramp. The investigation is continuing to determine if the driver will face charges. The driver's name wasn't immediately available.

South Main Street was closed in both directions near the ramp until about 8:30, police said.

The exit was closed for a time but the highway entrance was still accessible.

The Warren County Department of Public Safety reported the crash at 6:20 a.m.

Greenwich EMS and Stewartsville firefighters also responded.

Freelance photographers Dave Dabour and Rich Maxwell contributed to this report.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The program recognized 28 veterans, as well as high school students and staff.

Students at Phillipsburg High School honored and learned from military veterans this week.

The school hosted a Mission to Honor program Tuesday that featured 28 veterans dating to the Korean War. Veterans were recognized during an assembly and they visited classrooms to share their experiences with students.

Organizers also recognized high school faculty and staff who served, as well as students who intend to join the military after graduation.

The school choir, band and jazz ensemble performed.

Scroll through the photos atop this post for a look.

Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.

We tallied more than 70,000 votes in our quest to definitively examine the breadth and depth of loyalty to the two prevailing terms for our most prized salted pig product.

Once and for all, we can finally put the Taylor ham versus pork roll debate to rest. 

Alright, probably not.  

Nonetheless, over the past week, we tallied more than 70,000 votes in our quest to definitively examine the breadth and depth of loyalty to the two prevailing terms for New Jersey's most prized salted pig product. We received votes from all 565 municipalities in New Jersey 

We analyzed the results in a number of ways and found that the seemingly even divide between Taylor ham and pork roll is no myth - New Jersey is almost dead evenly split on the issue.  

But who won?  Well it depends on how you look at it.  

If we just take the popular vote, pork roll wins handily. More than 38,000 votes were logged for pork roll, which is the technical term for the product in the federal government's eyes.

About 32,000 votes were cast for Taylor ham, the original brand name for the product for 50 years, before regulators forced a change around the turn of the 20th century.  

Jump to the final results map  

But a popularity contest doesn't hold much statistical weight, and may just show that New Jersey's pork roll aficionados are more active online.  

So we decided to turn to New Jersey's upcoming presidential primary rules for a bit more guidance. As in most states, Democrats and Republicans have different ways of awarding delegates in New Jersey. 

Republicans award delegates here on a winner-take-all basis. That is, whoever wins the primary takes all the delegates. So we applied that on a municipal level to our Taylor ham/pork roll fight -- awarding a point to each term for every municipality won.  

The result? Pork roll once again wins, this time fairly handily. Here are those results, by county:

The results change, however, if you award things proportionally, as the Democratic party does in New Jersey.

Northern New Jersey carries the majority of the state's population, so a straight geographic win for pork roll is a bit misleading. So for another look, we applied the percentage of the vote for each term, by town, to each municipality's actual population and re-tabulated it.

Analyzing the data this way produces a win for John Taylor and his band of supporters. Under this more refined analysis, Taylor ham emerges with 4.56 million people to pork roll's 4.30 million.  

So does that leave us back where we started? Not entirely.

Ardent supporters of either term were likely to take their choice to the grave regardless of what we determined.  

But one thing we can more definitively show with our analysis is where the border of Taylor Ham and pork roll country meet.  

According to our voters, the border runs across along the border of Middlesex and Union counties before cutting straight through Somerset and Hunterdon counties, roughly along Interstate-78.  

While there's certainly disputed territory, the line was fairly distinct throughout voting and did not move much at all as votes came in. Move the slider below to the left and right to compare maps.

Generally, New Jersey's regional dialects or sports allegiances will cut along the Keith Line, the rigid line that runs from southeast to northwest across the state, once separated the territories of East and West Jersey and which visibly forms the eastern border of Burlington County today.    

But the Taylor ham/pork roll line is farther north.  Pitted against the borders of North, Central and South Jersey (above) from our analysis last year, it is almost identical to the border of North and Central Jersey.  

So while Central Jersey generally sides with the north, it appears on the issue of salty swine specialties, they side with the south and call it pork roll.  

Now obviously, none of this is strictly scientific. We're applying statistical analysis to a completely subjective and amorphous topic.  

But let the record show that the people of New Jersey have spoken. The dispute may never die, but the borders have been drawn. This project produced 70,000 votes, gathered more than 25,000 Facebook shares and thousands of tweets on Twitter, replete with...colorful and passionate language.

So if nothing else, this project has shown New Jersey is passionate about the question of Taylor ham or pork roll. So next time you're traveling through the Garden State, perhaps consult the map before you order our native pig product.

Otherwise, buyer beware.  

View the final results on the map below

Click on towns for voting details.

Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.

A 30-year-old from Hackettstown is charged with aggravated assault.

A Hackettstown man is accused of hitting another person in the head with a chair and punching them in the face during an argument over a cellphone, according to town police.

Luis Ortega-Calle, 30, is charged with aggravated assault with a weapon and lesser counts after police were called about 7 a.m. Tuesday to an apartment in the 100 block of Main Street, according to a news release.

The victim was in a stairwell and bleeding from the face, and Ortega-Calle was in the apartment with blood on his hands, police said. During the argument, Ortega-Calle allegedly ripped a door off its hinges before attacking the other person.

The victim was taken to Hackettstown Medical Center. Ortega-Calle was sent to the Warren County jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

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

Dancers from the Lopatcong Township studio end season with many awards and honors.

Students at Showbiz Kidz Dance Center, in Lopatcong Township, ended their season with a Platinum score at all four of their competitions this spring for their production routine "Don't Stop Dancin'."  

The teams took home many awards this season including two Best Overall Choreography Awards, a Showmanship Award and the overall Sportsmanship Award.

Students enjoy day of filming

Students, ages 7 to 18, come from all over the area including Washington, Lopatcong and Pohatcong townships, Phillipsburg, Alpha, Easton and Bethlehem.

Do you have community news to share? To see it posted here and possibly in The Express-Times and Warren Reporter, send me an email.

The Non-Public football playoffs format will not be changed for 2016.

The Non-Public football playoffs format will not be changed for 2016.

On June 2, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and New Jersey Equestrian of the Year Pier Semanchik kicked off the Month of the Horse with a visit to Centenary University's Equine Program where they toured the Equine Center and watched a riding demonstration. Governor Christie signed a proclamation declaring June 2016 the Month of the Horse...

On June 2, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and New Jersey Equestrian of the Year Pier Semanchik kicked off the Month of the Horse with a visit to Centenary University's Equine Program where they toured the Equine Center and watched a riding demonstration.

Governor Christie signed a proclamation declaring June 2016 the Month of the Horse in New Jersey.

"New Jersey has long been known for its diverse equine industry which offers everything from pleasure riding to world-class horse shows and horse racing," said Secretary Fisher. "This month, we celebrate our State Animal, the horse, by highlighting this important segment of New Jersey's economy."

Pier Semanchik, an 11^th grader at Hackettstown High School, was named New Jersey Equestrian of the Year by the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board in January.  Her duties include representing the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board and attending functions hosted by the Board.

"The horse is a huge part of our lives in New Jersey, with the equine industry contributing millions of dollars to our economy annually," said Semanchik. "During the month of June, members of New Jersey can give back to the industry by supporting horse rescues, therapeutic riding centers and 4-H. Volunteering is an important aspect in promoting the horse. Becoming a 4-H leader allows you to spread the word and knowledge of the horse industry within our beautiful state."

Centenary University, formerly Centenary College, in Long Valley is the only four-year institution in the state that offers Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Equine Studies. Last year, it also launched a Bachelor of Science in Equine Science (Pre-Veterinary Track). As of May 2016, there are 94 Equine Studies majors and 25 Equine Science majors.

"Our Equine Studies program has received national recognition and our graduates go on to make their mark in the industry," said Dr. Barbara-Jayne Lewthwaite, President of Centenary University. "It is such an honor that Centenary was asked to host the Department of Agriculture's Month of the Horse kick-off event and have Secretary Fisher at this celebration."

Graduates of Centenary's programs are highly sought after as industry professionals, including competitive riding coaches, trainers, instructors, breeders, therapeutic riding and dressage specialists, barn managers, veterinarians and communications specialists.

While the Equine Studies program attracts bright students who are successful in their academics, Centenary University is also known for its incredibly strong riding teams. The American National Riding Commission (ANRC) Team has won two of the last three National Championship titles. In the past seven years, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Team has won three National Championship titles and a Reserve National Championship title. Additionally, throughout the years, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) Team has consistently placed amongst the top five teams nationally.

Centenary also offers a therapeutic riding program called TRAC, which has served children and adults with disabilities since 2003. In addition, a program is offered for veterans called Operation Centaur.

New Jersey has many top equine centers, facilities, and events.  The Equine Science Center at Rutgers University, a valuable resource for everything equine in the Garden State, is dedicated to better horse care through research and education.  The United States Equestrian Foundation headquartered in Gladstone funds programs that train and support top athletes and horses to compete at the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games and other top international competitions.  The Horse Park of New Jersey at Stone Tavern in Allentown is a world-class equestrian destination, attracting equine enthusiasts of every discipline. And, the Gloucester County Dream Park is a state-of-the-art equestrian complex created to provide opportunities for horse owners to participate in shows and competitions and for the public to experience horse events firsthand.

To learn more about New Jersey's equine industry, visit www.jerseyequine.nj.gov.

To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA1 and @JerseyFreshNJDA.

For current equestrian news see Horse News or check out the online version of the print edition.

Horse News covers everything equestrian in the mid-Atlantic area and can be reached at horsenews@hcdemocrat.com

To subscribe to the print edition call 908-948-1309.

For advertising e-mail mchapman@N.J.advancemedia.com. Find Horse News on Facebook

Ralph Atkinson "murdered my friend," a woman said outside the courtroom, "and he's going to get away with it."

Claims of insanity by the New Jersey man accused in separate cases of murder and child sex assault will be evaluated by the state.

Ralph A. Atkinson, of Knowlton Township, is accused of killing his girlfriend on May 14, 2014, at the woman's home in Washington. (Courtesy photo)

Ralph A. Atkinson, 40, appeared Friday at state Superior Court in Belvidere, a presence that seemingly came as a shock to one woman who left the courtroom in tears.

"He murdered my friend," the woman told court staff in the hallway, saying that she was in court for a different case. "It's a horrible thing and he's going to get away with it because of an insanity plea."

Atkinson, of Knowlton Township, was shackled and wearing green prison garb for his brief appearance Friday.

He has been imprisoned since May 2014, when he is accused of killing his girlfriend, 45-year-old Margaret Graf-White, with a knife and hammer at the woman's West Stewart Street home in Washington. In that case, he has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge and related counts.

He was separately indicted on a charge of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and related crimes for allegedly recording sex acts with a child between 2012 and 2014.

Both cases were heard simultaneously Friday.

11 major cases and where they stand

Assistant prosecutors Victor Jusino and Kevin Brotzman said Atkinson's attorney, John McGuigan of the public defender's office, had provided medical records but that the state will seek more documentation and seek out mental health professionals who treated the defendant.

A follow-up hearing was set for Sept. 9.

"An evaluation of the defendant is going to take time," Jussinno said.

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

The contest's aim was to combat alcohol use and abuse.

Over 30 students from Warren County schools were honored at a ceremony at Warren County Community College in recognition of their successful entries in a poster contest to combat alcohol use. 

Titled "Follow Me, I Choose to Be Alcohol Free," the third annual contest was co-sponsored by the Warren County PTA Council and The Coalition for Healthy and Safe Communities, a program of the Family Guidance Center.

Contest winners were: 

In the 4^th-grade category, Elle Galusha from Greenwich Township Elementary School, won first place. Other winners were Alexandria Mulligan, Alana Maxwell, Angela Lopes, Erinne Hathaway, Aivy Ho, Emily Cooper, Sierra Perst and Ella Choi.  

In the 5^th-grade category, Bridget McGrath representing Oxford Central School earned first place honors. Other winners were Connor Macalalad, Kyle Heinrich, Billy Gemma, Brian Migliaccio, Beth Kelly, Daniela Suarez, Keya Gulati and Bryelle Gritz.  

For 6^th- through 8^th-grades, first place went to Diana DeVincenzi, of Knowlton Township School. Additional winners were Kourtnie Dwornikoski, Olivia DiGuiseppi, Aidan McLaughlin, Michele Ganova, Emma Hickey, Emma Dalrymple and Madison Paseler.

In the high school category, Gretchen Ginsberg and Acadia Herbst of Hackettstown High School took first and second Place, respectively. Abigail Allardice, Nicole Roberts, Christina Stanton, AJ Lea and Emily Quinones were also recognized.

Do you have education news to share? To see it posted here and possibly in The Express-Times and Warren Reporter, send me an email.

The group recently celebrated the completion of their book-writing project.

Third grade students in Darlene Noel's class at Green Street School in Phillipsburg celebrated the completion of their book project this week.

Each student researched an animal of their choice and wrote their own hard-covered book complete with a table of contents, a glossary and an "about the author page."

Phillipsburg educator a finalist

Do you have education news to share? To see it posted here and possibly in The Express-Times and Warren Reporter, send me an email.

Warren County Community College program gets certification.

The Enactus Team from Centenary University (formerly Centenary College) proved that it is a force to be reckoned with when it finished in the top 16 of the 469 colleges that competed in the National Competition in St. Louis, Missouri last month. 

Centenary University Enactus Team members show their excitement upon scoring 16th out of 469 participants at a recent event. (Special to lehighvalleylive.com) 

The win gives the team the bragging rights of finishing in the top 3% of the teams in the nation. The team was the only New Jersey Enactus Chapter to advance to the semi-finals. 

Enactus is an international organization that connects student, academic and business leaders through entrepreneurial-based projects that empower people to transform opportunities into real, sustainable progress for themselves and their communities. Centenary University students have been part of Enactus (formerly SIFE) for over 23 years.  

The team also won runner-up in the AIG Wearable Technology Competition.  This competition was based on a project proposal based wearable technology initiated to keep employees safe.  The team planned to create an application to run with the Fitbit.  It will be customized to keep truck drivers healthy while on the road. They plan to partner with a local trucking company, H&S Trucking, to bring this project to fruition.

The team is comprised of Brittany Weinstein and Brianne Lechner, of Hackettstown; Kyle Maris and Darrian Steward, of Stewartsville; and Jessica Martin, Chris Kiesel, Megan Miller and Ariana Selimi.

WCCC dental program gets certification 

Warren County Community College's Dental Assisting students are now eligible to obtain national certification through the Dental Assisting National Board. The Dental Assisting program at WCCC was recently awarded National Entry Level Dental Assisting certification by the Dental Assisting National Board. WCCC is the only school to hold this distinction in Warren, Morris, or Sussex counties.

This 579-hour DANB accepted Dental Assisting program is held on the Washington campus where students attend classes three days per week and are assigned to a participating dental office two days per week.

Donna Schneider defended the mayor and took parting shots at council as she stepped down.

A Lopatcong Township councilwoman stepped down this week, taking parting shots at the rest of council while encouraging support for the township's embattled mayor.

"How about council majority, instead of trying to destroy the mayor, support his efforts for change the vast majority of residents voted for," Donna Schneider wrote in a prepared statement read at Wednesday's meeting.

"You hold the good residents of this town in utter contempt by going against their wishes and keeping the machine running."

Schneider, a Republican, was elected in 2013. Her immediate resignation comes six months before the end of her term.

Mayor Tom McKay, who has been facing a recall effort that appears to be nearing an end, said on Friday that he is sad Schneider -- a frequent supporter on council -- was leaving.

"She's one of the few people that entered into government for the right reasons. ... She did a lot of good for the town," he said.

Council President Joseph Pryor said he was surprised at Schneider's announcement.

"I didn't know she was going to resign," Pryor said. "I felt that I'd always dealt with her professionally and I'm disappointed she felt she had to resign in the manner she did."

Schneider's statement, provided to lehighvalleylive.com, accuses current and former elected officials of acting against McKay and residents.

She criticized an investigation and eventual censure of McKay on a remark taken "out of context" -- the mayor allegedly told an investigator that the township clerk was a "man-hater." Schneider said council exhibited a double standard by not censuring Councilman Lou Belcaro when he said at a meeting that he "doesn't get his rocks off censuring the mayor."

Judge rejects mayor's township attorney pick

Schneider and McKay are both defendants in a pending lawsuit from Clerk/Administrator Beth Dilts alleging harassment.

In her resignation, Schneider also said the council should allow McKay to hire his chosen professionals, such the township attorney position, to investigate "conspiracy theories." McKay recently sued the council when his hirings were blocked, though the court sided against him.

At the end of her statement, Schneider thanked residents for their support and encouraged a change on the council.

"I have put my life on hold to help the residents and bring about change and transparency," she said, "but change will never be made unless you vote the old regime out next election."

What happens next?

The township Republican committee has 15 days to nominate three people to take Schneider's council seat. The council then has another 15 days to select or reject the nominees.

If selected, an interim councilperson will serve until the day after the November general election. If no one is selected and the committee doesn't offer any new nominees, the seat will remain vacant until that time.

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

Six hospitals are suing Horizon, N.J.'s largest insurance company, to force their way into a competitive new plan called OMNIA.

TRENTON -- A group of hospitals suing Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey for excluding them from a new line of discount health plans claims they have proof the insurance giant based its decision not on quality or cost, despite its marketing claims.

Horizon selected the largest hospital chains when it assembled the OMNIA tier 1 network to force "the most expensive network hospitals to moderate their prices," according to the latest version of the lawsuit, filed last week in state Superior Court in Bergen County. 

Documents obtained through the discovery process revealed the six hospitals suing Horizon for relegating them to "tier 2" status met all of Horizon's patient safety and quality standards, according to the amended lawsuit. And because Horizon did not use any "pass or fail" score on quality measures, its choices were arbitrary, according to the complaint.

By Horizon labeling their hospitals "tier 2," their reputations suffered a blow, according to the lawsuit. 

"Our hospitals satisfied their criteria to be tier 1," said Michael Furey, the attorney representing the six hospitals. The court has sealed the specific scores hospitals received so he said he could not discuss them specifically.

"Horizon led the public and state legislature to believe it was selecting the partners who were the best hospitals in the state based on quality, population health, and an attitude towards 'value-based health care,' " a payment strategy that rewards hospitals and doctors for keeping people healthy.

The documents have "confirmed some of our suspicions. The selection process. . . was flawed," he added. "The most overwhelming factor was the size of the hospitals systems."

Both sides say they won Horizon-hospital war

These six tier 2 hospitals - independent, city-based institution serving many low-income residents - sued Horizon in December for violating their contract that states Horizon must give them 60-days notice before any new insurance products are launched. Horizon officials announced the OMNIA plans on Sept. 10 without advanced notice.

Horizon spokesman Tom Vincz dismissed the hospitals' latest allegations and declined to address them.

"Like the original allegations, these too are baseless," Vincz said. "Horizon will continue to fight to lower the cost of healthcare for people who are being crushed by outrageous medical bills.  We want to encourage, and not prevent, consumers from having greater control over their health costs."

Horizon has aggressively marketed the OMNIA plans as a less expensive and quality-focused product, and an answer to the spiraling cost of healthcare in New Jersey. The initial response has been strong: more than 234,000 people signed up in the first open enrollment period that ended in late 2015.

Consumers who buy OMNIA plans will pay 15 percent less in premium costs compared to other Horizon plans, and save potentially thousands of dollars more in copays and deductibles by using 36 "tier 1" hospitals and medical professionals, which have agreed to accept lower reimbursements in exchange for higher patient volume. 

Consumers may use "tier 2" hospitals and doctors, but they will have higher co-pays and more out-of-pocket expenses. And with Horizon's marketplace clout serving 3.8 million members, many tier 2 hospitals have filed lawsuits, enlisted the backing of state lawmakers and waged publicity campaigns to force Horizon to offer them tier 1 status.

According to the amended lawsuit:

• Horizon began discussing OMNIA with insurance brokers and some future tier 1 hospitals in 2013;

• Horizon has instructed its tier 1 doctors they must refer 25 percent of their patients to Tier 1 hospitals.

The hospitals suing Horizon are Capital Health System in Trenton and Hopewell; Centrastate in Freehold; Holy Name in Teaneck; JFK Medical Center in Edison; Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth and Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. St. Luke's Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg was among the plaintiffs but recently dropped out.

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

Northampton County authorities seek John Hall - fugitive of the week

Warren County authorities seek Keatha Watson - fugitive of the week

Hunterdon County authorities seek Bradley Cohen - fugitive of the week

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

The wild sectional tournament ride had some more thrills to give

Two longtime participants got married at the American Cancer Society event.

Phillipsburg's Relay for Life kicked off Saturday afternoon, a celebration of lives affected by cancer.

It was also a celebration of two lives coming together.

David Markle and Megan Martino, of Phillipsburg, took their wedding vows during the relay Saturday. In honor of a family member who died of cancer, they skipped the traditional first dance following the ceremony.

Instead they took a ceremonial first lap around the track together.

The Relay for Life continues until 6 a.m. at Phillipsburg High School, and has set a fundraising goal of $100,000. It is the 19th year the event has been held in Phillipsburg.

April Masters, a former Phillipsburg resident, made a different kind of donation. She pledged to cut off her hair in a dual fundraiser -- the hair goes to make wigs for cancer patients through Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program, and she sought to raise $600 through an online cancer society fundraiser.

More information on Phillipsburg's relay is available on the American Cancer Society website.

Photographer Saed Hindash contributed to this report.

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