Get a taste of which forwards will be worth watching this season.

The 46-year-old had the drug hidden in a secret compartment of a tractor-trailer's cab

TRENTON -- A man caught with about 64 pounds of methamphetamine in Woodbridge last year has been sentenced to more than five years in prison, the U.S Attorney's Office said Friday.

Tomas L. Beltran, of South Gate, California, was living in an apartment in the Fords section of Woodbridge when investigators watched him and another man put a suitcase in the cab of a tractor-trailer parked in South Amboy. 

When Beltran was pulled over in nearby Woodbridge, a search of the truck turned up a hidden compartment containing additional drugs as well as $73,500 in cash, authorities said. 

He pleaded guilty in April to one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Beltran previously told investigators he planned to distribute the drugs and cash to a Georgia resident. 

Beltran was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti during a hearing in a federal courtroom in Trenton. Beltran will also be subject to three years of supervised release after concluding his stint in federal prison.

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

West Windsor is partnering with the nonprofit, The Unforgotten Haven

WEST WINDSOR --  The West Windsor Volunteer Fire Company is hosting an item donation event for Hurricane Harvey victims Saturday morning at its firehouse. 

The department is partnering with The Unforgotten Haven, a nonprofit that donates food and clothing to those in need and the Junior League of Greater Princeton.

On Saturday, Sept 9, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., volunteers will collect baby and pet items as well as nonperishable food at the firehouse, 153 South Mill Road in West Windsor.

The items will be driven to the southern United States in the coming weeks. 

Lauren Bird, a firefighter who helped organize the event, said they're looking for specific essential items, like baby formula and pet food so they're not bombarded.

"I'm not sure what I would do if I couldn't give my child a bottle or change a diaper," Bird said.

The drive started last week when the damage to the Houston area began, but as Hurricane Irma also closes in on the U.S., organizers are looking to collect as much as they can. 

Items will be collected at the firehouse next Saturday Sept. 16 too, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., and a rented truck will transport the donations the weekend of Sept. 23.

The Unforgotten Haven will also collect money for transportation costs.

"Just being able to go down there and say, 'we're working for you, from Jersey to Texas, or Jersey to Florida,'" Bird said. "We all have the same needs."

The Plainsboro Fire Company, at 405 Plainsboro Road, is hosting their annual 9/11 car wash Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will benefit Houston firefighters who lost their homes in Hurricane Harvey. 

The statement said all money raised will go to the Terry Farrell Firefighter's Fund to aid the 73 Houston firefighters lost their homes.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

All the scores, stories and stats from games around N.J. on Friday night.

KEY LINKS
• Week 1 mega-coverage guide
• Top 20 for Sept. 3 
• Statewide picks and schedule
• Full Week 1 schedule/scoreboard 
• 19 can't-miss match-ups in Week 1

RELATED: Complete 2017 football season preview

FEATURED GAMES

FRIDAY

No. 7 DePaul 35, No. 2 Paramus Catholic 14
• Look back at live updates
• Game story
• Box score

No. 16 Bridgewater-Raritan at Hunterdon Central, 7
• Live updates
• Game story
• Photo gallery
• Box score

Woodrow Wilson at Highland, 7
• Live updates
• Kneeling in protest: 1 year later
• Game story
• Photo gallery
• Box score

Madison at Lenape Valley, 7
• Live updates
• Game story
• Photo gallery
• Box score

Manasquan at Long Branch, 7
• Live updates
• Game story
• Photo gallery
• Box score

Westwood at Mahwah, 7
• Live updates
• Game story
• Box score

Colonia 18, Woodbridge 0
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

RELATED: Top 20 for Sept. 3

No. 5 Timber Creek vs. Delsea, 7
• Game story
• Box score

No. 12 Vineland 27, Bridgeton 8
• Game story
• Box score

No. 13 Rancocas Valley at Hopewell Valley, 7
• Game story
• Box score

North Arlington at Secaucus, 7
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Shawnee at Cherokee, 7
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Sayreville at East Brunswick, 7
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Hamilton West at Lawrence, 7
• Game story
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Washington Township at Hammonton, 7
• Game story
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

RELATED: Where are N.J. alums playing in the NFL?

Pennsville at Woodstown, 7
• Game story
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Nottingham at Hightstown, 7
• Game story
• Box score

West Windsor-Plainsboro South at Ewing, 7
• Game story
• Box score

Williamstown at Kingsway, 7
• Game story
• Box score

TOP 20 RESULTS
• No. 2 Paramus Catholic at No. 7 DePaul, 7 pm
• No. 5 Timber Creek vs. Delsea, 7 pm
• No. 9 Millville at Egg Harbor, 6 pm
• No. 10 Irvington vs. Lincoln, 7 pm
• No. 12 Vineland vs. Bridgeton, 6 pm
• No. 13 Rancocas Valley at Hopewell Valley, 7 pm
• No. 14 Manalapan vs. Marlboro, 7 pm
• No. 16 Bridgewater-Raritan at Hunterdon Central, 7 pm
• No. 17 Red Bank Catholic at Middletown South, 7p m
• No. 18 River Dell 22, Pascack Valley 21
• No. 19 Ridge at Montgomery, 7 pm

SATURDAY

No. 1 Bergen Catholic vs. Archbishop Wood (Pa.), 2:30
• Live updates
• Game story
• Box score

No. 6 Don Bosco Prep at Seton Hall Prep, 2
• Live updates
• Game story
• Photo gallery
• Box score

No. 15 Montclair vs. Passaic Tech, 1
• Live updates
• Game story
• Photo gallery
• Box score

No. 20 Westfield vs. Linden, 1
• Live updates
• Game story
• Box score

North Hunterdon at Summit, 2
• Live updates
• Game story
• Photo gallery
• Box score

Paulsboro at Woodbury, 10:30
• Game story
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Paul VI at Cherry Hill East, 11
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Northern Burlington at Steinert, 12
• Game story
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

West Deptford at Audubon, 11
• Game story
• Box score

Princeton at Pemberton, 11
• Game story
• Box score

Lenape at Trenton, 1
• Game story
• Box score

Royal Imperial Collegiate (Canada) at Hun, 1
• Game story
• Box score

Glassboro at Salem, 2
• Game story
• Box score

Bristol (Pa.) at Pennington, 2:30
• Game story
• Box score

TOP 20 RESULTS
• No. 1 Bergen Catholic vs. Archbishop Wood (Pa.), 2:30
• No. 3 St. Joseph (Mont.) vs. St. John's College (D.C.), 2
• No. 4 St. Peter's Prep vs. St. Joseph's Prep (Pa.), 7
• No. 6 Don Bosco Prep at Seton Hall Prep, 2
• No. 11 Lenape at Trenton, 1
• No. 15 Montclair vs. Passaic Tech, 1
• No. 20 Westfield vs. Linden, 1

FULL SCHEDULE/SCOREBOARD

Matt Stypulkoski may be reached at mstypulkoski@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @M_Stypulkoski. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

The company blamed for the workplace accident plans to appeal the verdict.

NEWARK -- A New Jersey ironworker who fell off of a ladder while at work five years ago has been awarded a $1.5 million verdict to help ease the pain of his injuries.

Marco Moreira, 38, of Newark, was working at a site in Piscataway on Dec. 1, 2012 when he fell 10 feet from a ladder to the concrete floor below, according to his attorney Robert Baumgarten.

Moreira suffered a litany of injuries including a fractured elbow and ruptured Achilles tendon, Baumgarten said.

In a suit against JSM at Fairways, the firm heading construction on the mixed use development that hired the company Moreira worked for, the man claimed the company violated OSHA's weather-protection regulations.

The site, Baumgarten said, "was open to the elements." Ice the company had not cleared from the floor was responsible for Moreira's fall, the attorney said.

Construction worker partially blinded on the job wins $2M

The injuries have had "a substantial impact on his life," Baumgarten said, noting that while Moreira has now gone back to work for a different company, he does have lasting "limitations" from the four surgeries.

After a week-long trial that ended last month, an Essex County jury awarded Moreira a $1.5 million verdict, plus an additional $180,000 in lost wages and other expenses, Baumgarten said.

An attorney for JSM did not return a request for comment, but did reportedly tell the New Jersey Law Journal he planned to file a motion seeking a new trial.

Baumgarten confirmed the move. "He's going to appeal it, and I'm going to fight it," he said. If Moreira does get to keep the $1.5 million, "it'll help tremendously," he said.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Opening weekend proved to be a thriller in the Garden State.

The indictment was a step in the case of Quazir Reddick, who is accused of fatally shooting Michael Eargle

ELIZABETH -- A grand jury has handed down an indictment of a 20-year-old Edison man previously charged in the killing of a former star football player at Elizabeth High School, court records show.

Quazir Reddick was indicted Sept. 1 on charges of murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Michael Eargle this spring. 

"He is going to be entering a plea of not guilty at the arraignment and looks forward to having his day in court," Reddick's lawyer, Kevin Roe, said Friday.

Authorities searched multiple states for Reddick for three weeks before Memphis police arrested him without incident there in late May, the Union County Prosecutor's Office has said. 

Shots broke out on the 1800 block of Lafayette Street in Elizabeth around 4:30 p.m. on April 11, officials said. They found Eargle on the ground and pronounced him dead at the scene, they said.

Witnesses said three groups of people were fighting before five or six shots rang out, but it is unclear what provoked the gunfire. 

Eargle was a popular figure in Elizabeth, where he grew up and graduated from high school in 2007. He went to Lackawanna College on a full scholarship for two years and then transferred to Purdue University, his relatives said. Eargle graduated with a degree in business administration in 2012. 

He was a maintenance worker at the Ford Leonard Towers public housing complex. He was also a rapper, a photographer and a music video producer who made a YouTube series about growing up in Elizabeth. 

Eargle had a 9-year-old son and was expecting another son with his girlfriend when he died. 

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

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Thousands of people made their way to Asbury Park's annual three-day Oysterfest to enjoy seafood at the Jersey Shore.

ASBURY PARK -- Seafood lovers enjoyed pleasant temperatures and plenty of sun during Asbury Park's annual Oysterfest on Saturday.

In addition to oysters of all types the event offered traditional festival fare. People enjoyed crabcakes, seafood kabobs, gourmet barbecue, empanadas and other culinary delights from more than 25 vendors.

The three-day event, which began on Friday, also featured more than a dozen craft beers, wine, various craft vendors, live music and activities for children.

This year's event was held in Bradley Park in front of the historic Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall.

A portion of the $3 weekend entry fee supports the Community Affairs Resource Center.

The Oysterfest stays open until 10 p.m. on Saturday and runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

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

The biker was thrown from his Suzuki after the motorcycle struck the rear of a sedan.

SAYREVILLE -- A 39-year-old man from Elizabeth was killed Saturday night when his motorcycle crashed on the Garden State Parkway, State Police said.

Jesus Delhaya was riding in the left lane at 10:26 p.m. when his Suzuki motorcycle struck the rear of a Nissan Altima sedan, Sgt. Lawrence Peele said.

Delhaya was thrown from the motorycle, Peele said, and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver was the lone occupant of the Nissan and complained of head and neck pain following the crash, Peele said, adding that he did not know if the driver received medical treatment.

No other vehicles were involved and an investigation into the crash is ongoing, Peele said. 

Peele said two lanes on the northbound side were closed for 90 minutes following the crash, which occurred at Mile Marker 126.9

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Two firefighters taken to area hospital Sunday night.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- A blaze caused "extensive damage" to the Best Western hotel on Route 1 in South Brunswick Sunday night, according to police.

Two firefighters were taken to an area hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion, the South Brunswick police said on the agency's Twitter account. Several area fire departments were at the scene around 9 p.m.

Only one lane was open on Route 1, south of Route 522, police said.

Photos posted on Twitter showed flames shooting from the upper floor of the two-story hotel. It was not immediately clear if the fire had been brought under control as of 9:30 p.m. 

Multiple fire companies working on Best Western hotel fire on Rt 1 pic.twitter.com/hThbibUpFJ

-- So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) September 11, 2017

Best Western hotel fire on Rt 1. Multiple fire departments on scene. Highway down to 1 lane south of Rt 522 pic.twitter.com/x1sF4zaYTu

-- So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) September 11, 2017

Where are the top games this week?

Animals throughout New Jersey await adoption from shelters and rescues.

Petfinder, the for-profit internet company that operates the largest online pet adoption website serving all of North America, put this list together of common adoption myths in the hope that more people will adopt dogs and cats from shelters and rescues.

"I don't know what I'm getting."

There is likely more information available on adoptable animals than pets for purchase in pet stores. Many of the pets from rescue groups are in foster care, living with their fosterer 24/7; information on their personality and habits is typically vast. Even shelters have a very good idea about how the dogs and cats in their care behave with people and other animals.

"I can't find what I want at a shelter."

Not only are their breed-specific rescue groups, but some rescues and shelters maintain waiting lists for specific breeds. There are even means on Petfinder.com to be notified when certain breeds are posted for adoption.

"I can get a pet for free from a friend or acquaintance; why pay an adoption fee?"

The 'free pet' from a source other than a shelter or rescue group isn't necessarily free. Adoption fees usually cover a number of services and treatments including spay/neuter and veterinary checkups. Covering these costs on your own would call for spending the following estimated amounts:

* Spay/neuter: $150-$300

* Distemper vaccination: $20-$30, twice

* Rabies vaccination: $15-$25

* Heartworm test: $15-$35

* Flea/tick treatment: $50-$200

* Microchip: $25-$50

"Pets are in shelters because they don't make good pets."

Here are the main reasons animals end up in shelters or with rescue groups:

* Owners have to move, pets not allowed

* Allergies

* Owner having personal problems

* Too many, no room for littermates

* Owner can no longer afford a pet

* Owner's health does not allow for pet care

While no one can say that every pet adopted from a shelter or rescue will work out perfectly, it's important to remember that misinformation about these homeless animals often keeps them from finding loving homes.

All guests have been relocated from the Best Western hotel on Route 1 in South Brunswick

SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- The Best Western hotel that caught fire Sunday night will be uninhabitable for the foreseeable future, police said Monday morning.

Guests in all 50 rooms have been relocated following a two-alarm blaze at the Best Western on Route 1, according to police.

Officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.

Two of the 60 firefighters who battled the fire were hospitalized with heat exhaustion, according to police.

A video shot by a passerby and posted on Twitter showed flames and smoke coming from a room on the upper floor of the two-story motel.

A South Brunswick police car sits outside the damaged Best Western hotel on Route 1 early Monday after a blaze ripped through the building. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Fire at Best Western Hotel in South Brunswick. Credit: Megan Stefanidis pic.twitter.com/orR4vBSLAW

-- Taso Stefanidis (@tasostefanidis) September 11, 2017

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

What were the most shocking results from the first week of the boys soccer season?

The new grocery story will be the 18th Whole Foods location in New Jersey

METUCHEN -- A new Whole Foods Market is slated to open in Middlesex County next month.

When the 45,000-square-foot store opens in Metuchen at 8 a.m. on Oct. 11, it will be the 18th Whole Foods location in New Jersey, the company said in a statement Monday.

It will feature a Tex-Mex cantina called "Comida Fresca" that serves appetizers, drink and entrees. It includes a full bar and outdoor seating.

Whole Foods-Amazon price drops: What you need to know

The store at 645 Middlesex Ave. will employ about 160 people.

On opening day, there will be giveaways, special sales, and product demonstrations. 

The nearest Whole Foods location to the Metuchen area is just across the Union County border in Clark, about eight miles away. 

Amazon recently completed the purchase of the Whole Foods in a $13.7 billion deal.

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

Carla Brady had been charged with official misconduct for harboring her fugitive boyfriend in 2013.

SOMERSET -- A state judge accused of hiding her fugitive boyfriend in 2013 can't be prosecuted for official misconduct, but should still face lesser charges of hindering, an appeals court ruled Monday.

Carlia M. Brady, a judge in Middlesex County, had been indicted in 2015 on an official misconduct charge for allegedly harboring her fugitive boyfriend, Jason Prontnicki, in June 2013, and not making an attempt to notify police that he was in her home.

Prontnicki had been wanted in the armed robbery of an Old Bridge pharmacy a couple months earlier at the time.

In its 42-page decision on Monday, the appeals court panel agreed with a March 2016 ruling by a Superior Court judge dismissing the official misconduct indictment.

The state failed to prove that, in this instance, Brady had a "duty to enforce the order of another court," when acting as a private citizen outside the courtroom, according to the appeals court ruling.

Whole Foods store to open next month in this N.J. town

The appeals court, however, ruled that two additional charges for which Brady had also been indicted should not be dismissed, including third-degree hindering by harboring or concealing Prontnicki within her home and third-degree hindering by offering to provide or aid Prontnicki with money, transportation or clothing to assist him in avoiding arrest.

Brady allowed Prontnicki "to enter her home on two occasions for significant periods" despite being wanted for armed robbery at the time, the appeals court ruled.

On June 11, 2013, Brady "specifically told him when she would be home, knowing he intended to gather some of his belongings and leave," the ruling said.

Brady remains on suspension without pay from her $165,000-a-year-job. Her attorney previously said that her ultimate goal is to be reinstated as a judge.

The appeals court, noted however, that despite affirming the dismissal of the official misconduct charge, that if Brady is ultimately convicted of the hindering Prontnicki's apprehension, "she would forfeit her office."

The ruling remanded the matter to the state Law Division for further proceedings.

Prontnicki was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison for the April 2013 armed robbery of the pharmacy in Old Bridge in which he brandished a lug wrench during the robbery, according to previous reports.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Internal investigation found "a pattern of pulling over women" and rifling through their phones, AG says.

Marquice Prather, 38, of Linden.NJSP 

TRENTON -- A New Jersey state trooper pleaded guilty Monday to records tampering and other charges after authorities claimed he pulled over women on state highways to ask them out and tampered with police records to cover it up.

Marquice Prather, 38, pleaded guilty to charges of invasion of privacy and evidence and records tampering in front of Judge Benjamin S. Bucca in Middlesex County.

The fired trooper's attorney, Melvin Wright, disputed the state's characterization of the plea, saying his client denied "pulling over (women) for the purposes of trying to get dates."

Prather was suspended without pay in December after internal investigators uncovered "a pattern of pulling over women, ranging in age from 18 to 42, and soliciting them to go on a date with him or give him their phone numbers," according to the state Attorney General's Office. 

Authorities said Prather admitted searching the cell phones of several female drivers "without justification," rifling through their electronic personal data. In some cases, authorities said, Prather "reproduced intimate photos and videos of the women."

2 troopers accused of targeting women on highways

Wright argued his client pulled over the women for legitimate traffic violations and obtained their cell phones because they stored their insurance information electronically. In some cases, Wright said, the women had nude photographs on the phones, which Prather improperly obtained while searching them and forwarded the images to a friend.

Wright said his client regretted his behavior. 

"He has certainly matured exponentially from this experience," he said. 

Prather also admitted getting rid of suspected marijuana he had seized from the vehicle of a woman in one of the cases, and to falsely reporting the gender of drivers he pulled over to hide that a disproportionate number of them were women, according to the attorney general.

Under a plea deal, Prather must give up his job as a trooper and is barred from public employment in New Jersey, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice, which handled the case.

Prather is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 8. The state will recommend that he receive a term of probation. 

Prather was one of two troopers accused of similar behavior on New Jersey highways in a six month period.

Charges against the second trooper, Eric Richardson, are still pending. Authorities say the two cases are not connected. 

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The blaze started after a refrigerator coil overheated, causing carpet to catch fire, police said Tuesday.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- The fire that gutted a Best Western hotel Sunday has been ruled accidental after authorities determined an overheated refrigerator coil started the blaze, police said.

The two-alarm fire caused substantial damage at the hotel on Route 1 leaving in uninhabitable for the foreseeable future, police said. The overheated refrigerator coil caused the carpet to catch fire, police said Tuesday in a statement on Twitter.

Guests in all 50 rooms were relocated. Two of the 60 firefighters who battled the blaze were hospitalized for heat exhaustion, police said.

A video shot by a passerby showed flames and smoke coming from a room on the upper floor of the two-story hotel.

Fire leaves hotel uninhabitable. Guests in all 50 rooms relocated. 60 firefighters battled 2 alarm fire. Cause still under investigation. pic.twitter.com/udsGB9Sems

-- So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) September 11, 2017

Fire at Best Western Hotel in South Brunswick. Credit: Megan Stefanidis pic.twitter.com/orR4vBSLAW

-- Taso Stefanidis (@tasostefanidis) September 11, 2017

Luke Nozicka can be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @lukenozicka.

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NJ.com's football writers highlight 31 players who made a major mark on their games this past week

Todd Pagel, a borough resident since 2009, will replace Jay Muldoon, who was hired by the borough

METUCHEN -- Local Democrats have selected a replacement candidate for borough council after one of the candidates was hired as borough's administrator.

Todd Pagel, 35, a social studies teacher in the Edison and a member of the United States Coast Guard Reserve, will run in the November election in Metuchen for one of two council seats up for grabs. 

Pagel, a borough resident since 2009, will replace Jay Muldoon on the ballot. Sitting councilman and Pagel's running mate, Reed Leibfried, said the new candidate, "exemplifies the soul and character of Metuchen."

The Democrats face Republicans Richard Menziuso and Daniel Lebar in the election for the two three-year seats.

Pagel was nominated unanimously Monday night by the Metuchen Democratic Committee.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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