Founded as Queen's College in 1766 to train future ministers for the Dutch Reformed Church, the school grew into the state university of New Jersey.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- The old bronze bell atop Rutgers University's administration building doesn't ring out very often.

Donated by Henry Rutgers in 1826 -- when the Revolutionary War veteran gave a $5,000 bond to save the school from financial doom -- the bell tolls only on the most special occasions, such as commencement day or significant anniversaries.

Today will be one of those occasions. With the Scarlet Knight on horseback and students dressed in colonial costumes, Rutgers plans to ring the bell as it kicks off its 250th anniversary celebration, a year full of commemorative events and initiatives leading up to its 250th birthday next November.

The ringing of the bell, used to signal the change of classes when the campus was much smaller, underscores the significance of the upcoming year for America's eighth-oldest college, Rutgers President Robert Barchi said.

"It's not any one thing, it's the whole year," Barchi said of the celebration. "It's making a statement about Rutgers and to make sure people appreciate the fact that we have been around 250 years."

RELATED: New image for university is 'distinctly Rutgers,' university says 

Founded as Queen's College in 1766 to train future ministers for the Dutch Reformed Church, the school was renamed Rutgers College in 1825 and grew into a land-grant institution and, eventually, the state university of New Jersey in 1956. 

It added campuses in Camden and Newark, including law schools, and in 2013 acquired its first medical school from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. 

"We have been here through the entire history of our state, through the entire history of our country," Barchi said. "Rutgers has reinvented itself many times as society has changed, as the state has grown, as the needs of the people who look to Rutgers for an education has changed." 

The university will honor its history over the coming year through a series of events, lectures, classes, concerts, books and films. The celebration culminates with alumni speakers returning to all three campuses for a "Day of Revolutionary Thinking" on Nov. 10, 2016. 

Rutgers created a website with the full details for its 250th anniversary events. 

Between 4 p.m. and 5:30 on today, when Rutgers will ring the bell atop Old Queens, students and alumni can try on a tricorn hat, take a picture in a photo booth, test their Rutgers trivia knowledge and watch the Rutgers 250th anniversary film. Alumni will be dressed as important figures from throughout Rutgers history. 

Barchi said he hopes the anniversary celebration helps students and alumni see that Rutgers is in a different category than other colleges. 

"A lot of universities are having their 50th anniversary, and a lot of them are having their 150th, but there aren't very many that are celebrating 250 years," he said. "That's a long time."

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

The tickets for the $1.33M prize were sold in Bergen and Middlesex counties

Tickets sold in North Brunswick and Elmwood Park split a $1.33 million Jersey Cash 5 jackpot on Saturday.New Jersey Lottery 

The holders of two Jersey Cash 5 tickets will split the game's largest jackpot of the year.

The winning tickets for the $1,330,192 prize were sold in the state's two most populous counties. 

One was purchased in Bergen at All Star Food Wine & Liquor on Broadway in Elmwood Park; the other in Middlesex at Racemart on Route 1 south in North Brunswick, state lottery officials said.

Saturday's winning numbers were:  3, 25, 26, 29 and 32.

Each ticket holder will receive $665,096 before taxes are removed.

The last time a Cash 5 payout was larger came on Nov. 22, 2014 when winning tickets sold in Brick and Long Branch split a $1,582,562 jackpot.

In February, three winners shared a $1,155,801 prize.

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

 

Rutgers 250th celebration starts today. Get in the spirit with these seven videos from NJ.com. Watch video

Today Rutgers is kicking off a yearlong celebration for its 250th anniversary.

The university will have commemorative events throughout the year -- from lectures and classes, to concerts, art exhibitions, and films -- culminating on Nov. 10, 2016 with a showcase of alumni speakers called, "A Day of Revolutionary Thinking".

To get you in the spirit, here's a look at seven scenes from Rutgers -- including cannon explosions, marching band performances, and the introduction of the new Rutgers mascot.

1.) Boom! Rutgers cannon crew keeps history and football tradition alive

2.) Rutgers crew savors long history, proud tradition

3.) Rutgers' Marching Scarlet Knights play important role in gameday experience

4.) After 140 years, Rutgers nixes 'be a man' and rewrites alma mater with gender-neutral lyrics

5.) Taste testing the new Rutgers Scarlet strawberry

6.) Tasting history: Rutgers celebrates 250 years with journey through New Jersey food

7.) Rutgers unveils new Scarlet Knight mascot

Adya Beasley may be reached at abeasley@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @adyabeasley. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

After a week of waiting, Democratic challenger Andrew Zwicker is poised to declare an upset of Republican incumbent Donna Simon for a state Assembly seat in central Jersey's 16th District — by a mere 78 votes

TRENTON -- After a week of waiting, Democratic challenger Andrew Zwicker is poised to declare an upset over Republican incumbent Donna Simon for a state Assembly seat in central Jersey's 16th District -- by a mere 78 votes.

That was the final tally Monday after election officials spent the last week counting provisional ballots in the razor-thin race, said Mark Matzen, an adviser to Zwicker. 

But the battle might still not be over.

The difference is still close enough that Simon could seek a recount. The GOP has until next Wednesday to file one, but it was unclear as of Tuesday morning whether the party will do so.

Technically, Matzen said, Republicans would first ask for officials to "run all the machines again" to double-check the total. Then, they could to file for a "challenge" to recount every vote -- which they would have to pay for.

MORE: N.J. Assembly Democrats eye transportation fix after election victories

"I don't expect there to be a challenge," Matzen said Tuesday.

Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union), the top Republican in the chamber, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.

If the result holds, it would mean Democrats picked off four seats in this year's Assembly elections, tightening their control of the lower house of the state Legislature. 

Zwicker's win would give Democrats 52 of the 80 seats in the chamber -- their largest majority since 1979. (The party also controls the state Senate, the upper house of the Legislature.)

Zwicker -- a South Brunswick resident and Princeton University physicist who ran an unsuccessful bid for a seat in Congress last year -- would become the first Democrat to hold a legislative seat in the district since its creation in 1974. The district includes parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties.

He had actually delivered his concession speech on election night after the Associated Press declared that Simon -- an Assemblywoman since 2012 -- and her running mate, Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciatarelli, had won re-election for the district's two seats.

But the AP announced just after midnight that the margin was too thin to make a final declaration. Zwicker led by 29 votes -- a margin that increased to 78 after provisional ballots were counted over the last week.

The final count shows Zwicker with 16,308 votes and Simon with 16,230.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

The 22-year-old victim told police he was abducted after one of the suspects, Christian S. Reyes, 24, of Lyndhurst, found out the victim had conspired to burglarize his apartment.

LYNDHURST - Three people have been charged in the kidnapping of a Mahwah man who was beaten, burned with a cigarette and had his body hair shaved off, according to police.

The 22-year-old victim told police he was abducted after one of the suspects, Christian S. Reyes, 24, of Lyndhurst, found out the victim had conspired to burglarize his apartment.

"The victim explained that when Reyes found out about the plan, he duct-taped his hands and feet together and used electrical cord to tie him to a chair," Lyndhurst police Capt. John Valente said in a statement.

"It was at that time that the victim had his head and eyebrows shaved with a razor and his hair cut off with a knife," Valente said.

The victim was ordered into Reyes' vehicle at gunpoint and told to text his friend to come to Lyndhurst to pick him up. The friend had been involved in the alleged plot to burglarize Reyes' apartment, police said.

"The intent was to assault him as well," Valente said.

The friend, a 23-year-old man from North Caldwell, arrived a short time later but fled when he spotted Reyes' vehicle, police said.

Reyes, along with two other suspects, followed the friend to Route 23 in Wayne, where the friend called Wayne police to report an aggressive driver chasing him, police said.

Police arrived to find the two vehicles on the side of Route 23. Inside one vehicle, they found the 22-year-old from Mahwah who had several injuries, including abrasions above his eyes and a swollen jaw.

The victim also had a "noticeable injury to the surface of his tongue, which was consistent with his claim that one of the suspects had burned his tongue with a lit cigarette," Valente said.

According to police, Quessy Acevedo, 21, of Avenel and Jasely Alvarez, 21, of East Rutherford were present and participate in the attack.

"Acevedo was said to have struck the victim about the face while Reyes at one point pulled out a gun and held it to the victim's neck," Valente said in the statement.

"Alvarez burned the victim's tongue and threatened to kill him with a knife but instead used it to cut off his hair. (The suspects) then took a razor and shaved his head, eyebrows and body," Valente said.

The victim was taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, where he hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

All three suspects were taken to the Bergen County Jail.

Reyes, Acevedo and Alvarez are charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault and criminal restraint. Reyes and Acevedo are also charged with making terroristic threats. Reyes and Alvarez also face weapons charges.

Reyes is being held on $500,000 bail, no 10 percent option. Acevedo and Alvarez are being held on $400,000 bail, no 10 percent option.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

The attorney for Michelle Lodzinski told a judge Tuesday morning an Arizona man has come forward and implicated someone else in the murder of Lodzinski's son, Timothy Wiltsey in 1991.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- An Arizona man has come forward and implicated someone else in the murder of 5-year-old Timothy Wiltsey in 1991, the defense attorney for his mother Michelle Lodzinski told a judge Tuesday morning.

Gerald Krovatin is asking Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves to let Damien Dowdle, 42, testify during Lodzinski's murder trial that Bernard Joseph McShane, 53, told Dowdle years ago that McShane lured a small boy away from his parents, and was about to sexually assault him, but became afraid of detection and strangled him instead.

Lodzinski, 47, was indicted in August 2014 for the murder of her son. Her trial is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2016.

The story is similar to one of several different statements that Lodzinski gave to police. She originally told police that she and Wiltsey went to a carnival in Sayreville the evening of May 25, 1991, and he disappeared when she went to a stand to buy a soda.

Krovatin filed the papers Tuesday, when a hearing on other pre-trial motions were scheduled to be argued before Nieves.

In Krovatin's motion papers, Dowdle said McShane told him about strangling the child in New Jersey. McShane did not say specifically where he killed the child.

McShane made this confession to Dowdle after McShane returned to Arizona in the summer of 1991. The two men were cellmates at the Marin County jail, and knew each other as teenagers.

Dowdle contacted Krovatin in October 2015 about McShane, several months after Dowdle was released from prison. Dowdle said using the Internet, he did research and "was struck by the similarities" between McShane's confession and the story of Wiltsey's disappearance.

RELATED: Timmy Wiltsey's mom asks judge to throw out murder charge against her

In separate matters Tuesday, prosecutors asked the judge to let jurors hear statements Lodzinski gave to the FBI in 1994 when she faked her own abduction as part of a hoax.

Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Joie Pideriet told the judge that the statements show a "consciousness of guilty" on Lodzinski's part, and that her motive for the bizarre hoax was that "nobody believed her about her son Timothy."

But Krovatin argued using statements from 1994 in a case from 1991 is "an indication of how desperate the state is."

Prosecutors are also asking the judge to let them call a forensic psychiatrist to explain to the jury why a mother would her kill child.

Wiltsey's remains were found in a marshy area in Raritan Center in Edison 11 months after his disappearance.

In the months and years following Timmy's death, Lodzinski's behavior was puzzling and bizarre, authorities said. In addition to changing the story she gave law enforcement several times, she was later arrested twice -- once for faking her kidnapping and again in 1997 for stealing from an employer.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A police officer investigating a stolen car out of Woodbridge ended up in a struggle with the driver who allegedly pulled a knife on him and then tried to escape, police said.

A man pulled a knife on an East Brunswick cop, police said. (File photo)File Photo 

EAST BRUNSWICK -- A police officer investigating a stolen car out of Woodbridge ended up in a struggle with the driver who allegedly pulled a knife on him and then tried to escape, police said.

Authorities said Patrolman Bruce Diamond conducted a motor vehicle stop Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, on a 2000 Honda Civic in the parking lot of the American Office Mall on Route 18. The car had been reported stolen out of Woodbridge the day before, police said.

Police said the driver, identified as Devin Seara, 26, of Woodbridge, started to get out, but Diamond told him to him to get back in, at which time, authorities said he tried to reach under the steering wheel to restart the car.

The patrolman told him to stop and tried to pull him out of the vehicle at which time "Seara reached with his right hand into the front part of the center console and pulled out a knife," according to a news release from the East Brunswick Poilice Department.

MORE: Middlesex County news

The release said the two struggled, but Diamond was able to gain control of the hand holding the knife. As Diamond tried to arrest him, Seara ran toward the Crosspointe Condominium development, located off Tices Lane, and the patrolman chased him, calling dispatch for help.

Following a foot pursuit, Seara was caught hiding in a bush and, after resisting arrest, was taken into custody by Patrolman Robert Theoret, according to the press release. The knife was found near where Seara was hiding.

Seara was charged with theft of the vehicle, aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, having prohibited weapons and devices, hindering his own apprehension, receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Diamond and Seara were treated at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for injuries they received in the scuffle and released.

He is in the Middlesex County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

John Muller will also have to undergo counseling and pay the victim's expenses.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- A former South Plainfield police chief was sentenced to four years of probation after he admitted that he shoved a woman and threatened her grandson at a picnic, prosecutors say. 

John Muller, 73, was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to third-degree aggravated assault and harassment, a petty disorderly persons offense. Muller reached the plea agreement with assistant Middlesex County prosecutor Russell Curley. 

PREVIOUSLY: Former police chief accused of threatening child, shoving grandma to the ground

A lawyer for Muller previously said the dispute began with water pistols at an Elks Labor Day picnic in 2013. An 8-year-old boy squirted Muller with water, and then went to a cooler to refill. Authorities said Muller grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and threatened him.

When the boy's 58-year-old grandmother intervened, authorities said, Muller shoved her. She fell and broke her wrist. 

Muller served as police chief of the northern Middlesex County borough from 1992 to 1996. He will have to undergo anger management, alcohol counseling and must pay the woman's medical expenses, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a news release. 

Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Some mall visitors were outraged this past weekend after seeing N.J. mall Santa displays that featured a futuristic glacial setting. Here's what they said on social media

Many social media users were not happy with Simon Property Group holiday displays at a few N.J. malls. Pictured, a Santa Claus sits in his chair as children visit in Upper Saucon Township on Dec. 20, 2014. (NJ Advance Media File Photo) 

ROCKAWAY -- Some mall visitors became outraged this past weekend after seeing new holidays displays at certain N.J. malls that featured Santa sitting in a futuristic glacial setting -- or a white, arched setting -- rather than the traditional Christmas tree grandeur.

RELATED: Christmas trees return to N.J. mall Santa displays after boycott threat

After calls for a boycott, Simon Property Group, the company that owns these malls, issued an apology and pledged to bring back a more familiar red-and-green display, according to reports.

In New Jersey, The Shops at Riverside Square in Hackensack featured the much maligned Santa's glacier while Rockaway Townsquare and Menlo Park Mall in Edison blended "traditional decor and refreshed elements," according to Simon Property Group.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Salvador J. Santiago, 25, of Union City is charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, criminal restraint and related charges in connection with the victimization of a 22-year-old man Sunday in Lyndhurst, police said.

LYNDHURST - A fourth person has been charged in the kidnapping of a man who was beaten, burned and had his head and body hair shaved, according to police.

Salvador J. Santiago, 25, of Union City is charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, criminal restraint and related charges in connection with the victimization of a 22-year-old man Sunday in Lyndhurst, police said.

The victim told police he was tied up with duct tape and an electrical cord after Christian S. Reyes, 24, of Lyndhurst, found out the victim had conspired to burglarize his apartment.

According to police, Quessy Acevedo, 21, of Avenel and Jasely Alvarez, 21, of East Rutherford were present and participate in the attack.

PREVIOUSLY: N.J. man kidnapped, burned with cigarette, shaved of body hair, cops say

The victim said he was held at gunpoint while Acevedo struck him in the face and Alvarez burned his tongue with a cigarette.

The suspects cut off his hair and shaved his head, eyebrows and body with a razor, police said.

Reyes, Acevedo and Alvarez were arrested earlier this week.

Santiago was arrested about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night after police searched a home on Valley Brook Avenue and found evidence linking him to the crime.

All four suspects are being held in the Bergen County jail.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

17 of the officers work for the Middlesex County corrections department and one works for the Mercer County corrections department.

NJ Advance Media File Photo 

WEST WINDSOR -- Eighteen corrections officers graduated from the Mercer County Police Academy recently, the academy announced.

All work for the Middlesex County corrections department and one works for the Mercer County corrections department.

The Middlesex officers and their hometowns:

Mohsin R. Awan, Woodbridge; Felix Berlin, Old Bridge; Javier Bravo, Woodbridge; Giuseppe R. Fatula, Old Bridge; Robert M. Gentile, Piscataway; Scott L. Inderwies, Jr., Colonia; Dorota E. Kolodrubiec, Sayreville, Corey R. LaSala, Middlesex Borough; Michael G. Malaquias , Colonia; Ian V. Marino, South Brunswick; Joel A. Puntiel, Perth Amboy; Joseph R. Quartararo, East Brunswick; Nicholas S. Starace, Sayreville; Adriana E. Szymanski, Edison; Thomas J. Wilbert, Jr. , South River; Robert M. Wolf, Jr., South River; Corey J. Zager-Douglas, Milltown.

From Mercer County: Veronica Storley Williams, of Hamilton.

Quartararo earned the academic and physical training honors for the class,  Zager-Douglas won the firearms award and Wilbert was chosen as class speaker. The academy's corrections' training is a 10-week program.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

Prosecutor Andrew Carey said "there's still some cleaning up to be done."

EDISON -- The police department in the state's fifth-largest town is in the news yet again. 

The theft charge filed against recently retired police Captain Natale "Andy" Fresco last week was just the latest in a continuing string of embarrassing episodes for the Edison Police Department. But the man who filed the charge, and who also oversees the Edison's Internal Affairs bureau, said the department is headed in the right direction.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey speaks at a press conference as Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan, right, looks on. (Brian Amaral | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

"The Edison Police Department has come a long way in the last couple of years," Prosecutor Andrew Carey, the chief law enforcement officer in Middlesex County, said Monday in an interview at his office. 

The detective bureau, Carey said, is excellent. Even IA, whose officers had been accused of targeting political opponents of a former mayor several years ago, is "among the best in the state." Carey's office holds considerable sway over the goings-on in Internal Affairs, in part due to the controversies the police's police had generated. 

Carey added that a new hiring and promotions ordinance, passed last year, will help mend a troubled police department. 

"There's still some cleaning up to be done," Carey added. 

MORE: Ex-Edison police captain charged with theft

For Carey, like Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan, the new charges are a sign that reforms are working and misdeeds aren't going undetected -- rather than a sign that the department is spiraling out of control. State Sen. Peter Barnes, a former Edison councilman, has suggested that the attorney general's office take over the department's IA.

Fresco's attorney previously said that town officials were aware of his plans to take a new job at the mall while collecting sick time for a serious illness, and that his conduct was not illegal. Prosecutors allege Fresco stole $43,000 by doing so. 

In October, Edison fired a police officer who was accused of pressuring a woman to try on lingerie at a hotel room. He's fighting to get his job back. Carey's office is also preparing to try a case against four suspended Edison cops accused of engaging in an alleged retaliation scheme.

Bryan was in Internal Affairs for 14 years, and said that 20 officers lost their jobs during his tenure. 

"The department is a very good department," Bryan said. "The men and women are very dedicated, they do a great job. But when you take on the challenge of changing the culture that's been embedded for decades, it takes time." 

Still, the drumbeat continues -- even as Bryan argues that the data shows Edison is among the safest large towns in the state.

"Every time that happens, it's in the press, and it paints a picture that's bad for all the officers on the department that are good officers and do a good job," Bryan said. "It makes their job that much harder."

Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

More than 100 people saluted America's vets in Perth Amboy. Watch video

PERTH AMBOY -- More than 100 people gathered at Perth Amboy's Veterans War Memorial Wednesday to honor veterans past and present during the city's annual Veterans Day Celebration.  

Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz acknowledged all the men and women who have served the United States in the armed services.

 MORE: Which N.J. county has the most veterans, and other Veterans Day facts

"As a community we come here today to say thank you for their sacrifices," Diaz said. "We are sincerely indebted to you for your service to our nation." 

Peter Pelissier, Perth Amboy's business administrator, also addressed the crowd.  Pelissier was a captain in United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.  He served as a rifle platoon commander and 1st Lieutenant. Pelissier received the Naval Commendation Medal for combat valor and was honorably discharged after earning the rank of captain.

Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @psapone. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

MIDDLESEX — In 1963 the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Company sponsored a mustache contest as part of the borough's 50th anniversary celebration. The winner was George Hatfield, pictured fourth from left; the only other person identified in the photo is Chief George Schaub, third from left. According to the middlesexlibrarynj.org, in 1905 the men of the Lincoln section of Piscataway organized...

MIDDLESEX -- In 1963 the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Company sponsored a mustache contest as part of the borough's 50th anniversary celebration. The winner was George Hatfield, pictured fourth from left; the only other person identified in the photo is Chief George Schaub, third from left.

According to the middlesexlibrarynj.org, in 1905 the men of the Lincoln section of Piscataway organized a volunteer fire company, the Lincoln Hose Co. The company was the first fire department to serve Middlesex Borough, which was chartered in 1913.

Today, Middlesex Borough is served by four volunteer fire companies, including the Lincoln Hose Co., the Beechwood Heights Fire Co. and the H. C. Pierce Hose Co., both established in 1908, and the Parker Engine and Hose Co., which was established in 1921.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call (973) 392-5950 or send an email to middlesex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries on nj.com.

This is the eighth year the expo will be held in Edison and visitors from across the globe are expected, says event promoter Daniel Adams. Watch video

EDISON - A record turnout is expected this weekend at the Exxxotica adult expo, promoted as the largest adult event in the nation dedicated to love and sex.

This is the eighth year the expo will be held at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison. Visitors from across the globe are expected, said event promoter Daniel Adams.

"This is the only (Exxxotica) show on the East Coast and I'm getting press requests from Central America, South America and all over Europe," Adams said. "The interest has been phenomenal."

Advance ticket sales are up 32 percent over last year, according to Adams.

Exhibitors and sponsors have increased by 51 percent, he said.

"The show floor is pretty much sold out for the first time ever in New Jersey," Adams said.

PREVIOUSLY: Exxxotica organizers: Edison show most profitable of any in U.S.

For the fourth consecutive year, Exxxotica is offering a "Ladies Free Friday," when the $39.99 one-day fee will be waived for women.

"Friday night rivals Saturday in sheer attendance," due to the ladies-free offer, Adams said.

As in prior years, organizers are offering various seminars. Included are lectures on how couples can spice up their sex life and tips for breaking into the adult porn business.

Nina Hartley, a veteran of the adult-film industry, will answer questions about what it was like to enter the porn world in the early 1980s.

"She's been in the business over 30 years," Adams said. "She'll talk about how (adult films) went from VHS to DVD to Blu-Ray to the Internet."

Also at the show will be an endless array of performers hawking autographs and posing for photos and vendors selling products like lingerie and toys.

The show opens Friday afternoon and will continue through Sunday. For show times and other information, visit the Exxxotica website.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A fire displaced a Kendall Park family Saturday, police said.

Kendall Park firefighters responded to a blaze on Stockton Road, Nov. 8, 2015. (South Brunswick Police) 

SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- A fire displaced a Kendall Park family Saturday, police said.

The homeowner called 911 at 5 p.m. to report a fire in the laundry room of his Stockton Road home, South Brunswick police said.

The family evacuated safely, police said. The Kendall Park Fire Department contained the fire to the laundry and kitchen, but the house took heavy smoke damage.

The family is staying with friends in the area. The South Brunswick Fire Marshall is investigating the blaze, but it appears accidental, police said.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Only six malls out of 200 owned by Simon Property Group had the much maligned Santa's glacier display.

HACKENSACK -- In the wake of the backlash over its futuristic glacial setting at several malls, Simon Property Group says it always intended to have Christmas trees and traditional decor at most of its locations.

"In six of our nearly 200 malls, Simon had developed a new Santa experience," said David Contis, president of Simon Malls in a statement. "It was our intention to experiment with delivering a modern interactive experience for the family. After listening to customer feedback, we immediately decided to reinstall our existing Christmas decor and hope our customers will join us in celebrating the Christmas season."

Over the weekend, a Facebook group called "Boycott Simon Malls" sprang up urging customers to boycott malls owned by the company until the holiday displays featured a traditional set-up. Petitions also popped up on Change.org pressuring Simon malls to abandon Santa's glacier.

RELATED: Christmas trees return to N.J. mall Santa displays after boycott threat

Only one northern New Jersey mall, The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, had the much maligned Santa's glacier -- where children could romp in an artificial snow bank that had no other traditional holiday elements except St. Nick. Both the Menlo Park Mall in Edison and Rockaway Townsquare, however, had "sets that blend traditional decor and refreshed elements," according to Simon Property Group.

Two photos on social media, however, show Santa sitting at the Menlo Park display waiting to take photos surrounded by illuminated arches, white reindeer cutouts and bare white tree cut outs. No Christmas tree was present at the time, but a Christmas tree was later added to the display days later.

A spokesman for the company told NJ Advance Media denied that the Christmas tree was added in response to public pressure, saying it was always part of the plan. The display was still being put together when photos surfaced on social media, according to the spokesman.

It's a week after Halloween and Santa has already arrived at Menlo Park Mall!! pic.twitter.com/JmGnYstSxg

-- Suzanne Russell (@SRussellMyCJ) November 8, 2015

Boycott Simon malls........ pic.twitter.com/DftNdj7uTx

-- Jennifer Rastiello (@JRastiello) November 10, 2015

Simon Property Group has not responded to questions about who designed the glacial set-up or how the idea for that display or the white-arched display at Menlo Park Mall came about.

In Morris County, a comment left on social media led to professional blowback for an employee of the Parsippany school district. Frank Atkins, a bus driver for the district, left an ethnically charged Facebook post that he later removed, according to Jefferson Patch.

"This mall used to be so great...And now they go politically correct and refuse to have Christmas decorations up so as to not offend the towel heads," Atkins said in the post. "WHAT ABOUT OFFENDING US THE CHRISTIANS! My kid will never visit Santa there and I work for the Parsippany school district. I am sending the word out to all our schools and all the others to boycott your mall!"

NJ Advance Media was unable to reach Atkins for comment. However, an individual who identified himself as Atkins in the comments of the Jefferson Patch post apologized for his remarks.

"I want to say that I meant no disrespect to whoever I offended with my ignorant words," he said. "I was mad at the mall and acted impulsively stupid. I am a divorced single dad with a little girl. I make only $20,000 a year. Give a guy a break. I want to say that I am sincerely sorry and I hope you all can forgive me."

MORE: Christmas-tree free N.J. mall displays blow up on social media

The Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education issued a statement following media attention on Atkins' post, saying it would handle the matter as a personnel issue.

"The district is aware of the statements that were posted by one of its employees,"  the board said in the statement. "The Parsippany-Troy Hills School district prides itself on its diversity and its acceptance of all individuals and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. This pride is reflective of over 1,700 employees who work each day with our students, parents, and community members."

It continued: "While we understand the value of free speech we do not condone any of our employees making discriminatory and offensive comments about any one particular group of people. The matter is being handled as a personnel issue."

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

The case will continue on.

PISCATAWAY -- The five people charged in a brawl outside the Hale Center in early September after a football game will have to wait until early next year to have their cases resolved. 

The incident led to the suspension of Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo, who was accused of slamming a woman onto the concrete amid the melee; in October, the charges against Carroo and only Carroo were dropped in a quickly-convened hearing when the alleged victim said she didn't wish to testify. Carroo was back on the football field a few days later. 

PREVIOUSLY: Mom of Rutgers' Leonte Carroo assaulted victim in brawl, cops say

A court date for the five other people charged in the incident will take place in late January 2016. Prosecutors have dozens of recorded statements that lawyers for the defendants still have not reviewed, which is why the case was kicked off until next year. 

Police charged Lavern Carroo, Maria Vega and Juan Vega with assault in the incident. Later, Vega filed a cross-complaint for assault against the person police said was the victim, as well as another Rutgers student, Nichelle Hawkins. 

All were in Piscataway municipal court before Judge Dennis Fackelman Thursday morning to discover that the wait would continue. 

Several defendants wished to move past the incident, but Rutgers police officials are said to be resistant to dropping the charges against all of the alleged combatants. 

Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Middlesex County unveiled its memorial to fallen law enforcement officers Thursday afternoon at the police training center in Edison, with the names of 27 officers who have given their lives in the line of duty since 1856 located in full-color mural on a wall in the main hallway.

EDISON -- For Roberta McGilvery, the ceremony unveiling a new memorial honoring law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in Middlesex County since 1856 was special.

McGilvery's husband, Richard, a police office with the Rutgers University Police Department, was killed in 1978.

"As time goes by, you always get the feeling that people forget," she said Thursday afternoon as the memorial was unveiled at the Middlesex County Police Training Center in Edison. "It's a great feeling to know he'll always be remembered."

Richard McGilvery is one of 27 officers whose names are on the wall, called "Remember The Fallen."

RELATED: Middlesex County police chiefs to honor officers who died in line of duty

The full-color mural is located along the main corridor of the building. The area with the plaques, which includes the name and agency of each officer and the dates they died, is called, "Final Roll Call."

At the bottom of the mural is the phrase, "We Will Never Forget."

Police officers from throughout the county filled the main meeting room in the building for the unveiling ceremony.

About a dozen other family members of the fallen officers also attended the ceremony.

Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan pointed to the name of Officer Michael Dudash, who was killed in a motorcycle accident, on the memorial.

"He was a motorcycle officer," Bryan said. "The Dudashes are fourth generation police officers in Edison. Robert Dudash is currently on our department."

The chief said of the memorial, "I think this is a good thing to honor him (Michael) and all of the others."

Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey was the keynote speaker at the ceremony.

"Being a police officer is not an easy job," Carey said. "And it gets more challenging as time goes on. A police officer is expected to be a doctor, a social worker, a law enforcement officer, and all of that when something has failed and someone calls 911. These are men and women who run towards danger, not away from it."

He and South River Police Chief Mark Tinitigan, who serves as president of the Middlesex County Chiefs of Police Association, said they hope no one has to add any more names to the memorial.

"Twenty-seven is a significant number," Tinitigan said. "I hope it never increases. I hope this memorial serves to give the families of (of the fallen officers) solace.

The 27 names include members of the NJ State Police, Middlesex County Sheriff's Department, Rutgers University Police Department, municipal police departments, and the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission.

The Middlesex County prosecutor's office released a list of all the officers honored Thursday: 

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Monroe Township police are investigating a report that a man may have inappropriately touched a female juvenile at a drug store on Applegarth Road Wednesday evening.

Monroe Township police are investigating a witnesses report that a young girl was inappropriately touched by a man at the CVS on Applegarth Road Wednesday evening. The mother and girl left before police arrived.File photo 

MONROE -- Monroe Township police are investigating a report that a man may have inappropriately touched a female juvenile at a drug store on Applegarth Road Wednesday evening.

Police are asking a mother and daughter who may have been at the CVS on Applegarth Road between 6 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, to contact the Detective Bureau at 732-521-0222.

More: Middlesex County news

Police said a witness observed a man inappropriately touch the girl who was standing in the cosmetic aisle.

The suspect is described as a heavy set male, in his early 20's, with red hair, about 6-feet-tall, wearing glasses, tan pants, brown shoes, a brown polo style shirt and a blue hooded jacket.

Authorities said the unidentified male, the juvenile, and the juvenile's mother left the store prior to police arriving. Police do not know if the mother is aware of the incident, according to a press release issued Thursday by the department.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.