Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, who was raised in Raritan, is the only U.S. Marine awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart.

SOMERSET -- Despite the nationalism that engulfed the country following attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, John R. Pacifico, chairman of the John Basilone Memorial Parade, said an alarming number of young people still don't know about America's proud military history and its many fallen war heroes.

One such hero will be honored on Sunday when Raritan Borough remembers one of its bravest -- World War II veteran John "Manila John" Basilone -- with the 34th annual John Basilone Memorial Parade, a half-mile march through the borough towards the John Basilone statue.

Basilone, whose story was memorialized by HBO's 2010 television mini-series "The Pacific," became a national hero during World War II by leading more than a dozen gunners against thousands of Japanese soldiers at Guadalcanal in 1942. He came home to receive the Medal of Honor, but returned to combat in 1945 and was killed in action on Feb. 19 at Iwo Jima at the age of 28. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The parade, Pacifico said, isn't just to pay homage to Basilone but to also say thanks to veterans across the nation, especially World War II veterans -- many of whom are now in their 80s and 90s.

Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, who was born in Buffalo, N.Y. but raised in Raritan, has the distinction of being the only United States Marine to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart for his heroism in World War II.

"Many of our young people hardly know George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, so you know they have no idea of who John Basilone was," said Pacifico, 88, an Army command engineer veteran.  "In order for us to keep this parade alive we need the young people. They're our life blood."

"But they don't think about this country as we did growing up," he said. "We used to sing our country's song and say the Pledge of Allegiance every day in school. Our parade isn't just to preserve the memories of John and other veterans but to revive patriotism. We want people, especially our young people, to be aware of what our military does to protect us and preserve our freedom."

The parade, which begins at 1 p.m. and is expected to attract a crowd of 5,000, will feature more than 150 units, including several young military organizations such as the Lebanon Civil Air Patrol, the United States Navy Sea Cadets of Lawrence, the Rahway High School Marine Corp Jr. ROTC, the Linden High School U.S. Navy Corp Jr. ROTC and the Colts Neck Naval Jr. ROTC among others.

There will also be military groups and veterans' organizations, Marine detachments, military vehicles, floats and many civic and patriotic groups. Twenty marching bands are scheduled to participate.

Col. Jon D. Duke, a commanding officer of the Marine Corps Special Operations Command in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will be the guest speaker.

The Grand Marshall of this year's parade is World War II Navy veteran Tony Lettieri, a Raritan native who now lives in Howell. During the war, he served on the USS Nicholas, a highly-decorated destroyer that spent the war in the Pacific Ocean. The vessel was awarded 16 battle stars and The Presidential Unit Citation and survived four attacks from kamikaze plane formations off the coast of the Philippines from Nov. 27 through Dec. 5, 1944.

During the Japanese surrender ceremony on Sept. 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the USS Nicholas was anchored beside the USS Missouri because of its extensive battle record throughout the war.

"This is quite an honor," Lettieri said. "Raritan is my home. This means a lot to me. I remember being at the first John Basilone Parade (in 1943). I met him. He was a very nice and humble guy."

Lettieri said he had several close brushes with death during his two years on the USS Nicholas from 1943 to 1945. He was stationed aboard the destroyer after leaving boot camp and never left the vessel until the end of the war, he said.

"Some people say we shouldn't have dropped the Atomic Bomb but if we didn't, I don't think I would be here," he said. "The Japanese had over 8,000 suicide planes. I saw other ships get blown up. We had some close calls. I was one of the lucky ones."

Prior to the parade, the John Basilone Museum at the Raritan Public Library will be open at 10 a.m. and a Memorial mass will be celebrated at St. Ann's Church at 10:30 a.m.

On Saturday, the 26th John Basilone Commemorative Concert, presented by the Summerswing Orchestra, will take place at 7 p.m. at The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College.

Basilone's memory can be found throughout Raritan. There's the John Basilone Veterans Memorial Bridge across the Raritan River, Basilone Place, Basilone Park, and the memorial statue at the intersection of Canal Street and Somerset Street, where the parade ends with an official ceremony each year.

For more information log onto www.basiloneparade.com.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

He was released on $1,000 bail.

PISCATAWAY -- Leonte Carroo, the star Rutgers University wide receiver, pleaded not guilty to charges that he slammed a woman onto concrete after a football game. 

His lawyer Peter Gilbreth entered the not-guilty plea by fax, waiving the first court appearance, according to records in Piscataway municipal court. Carroo was charged by university police with simple assault under domestic violence and released on $1,000 bail. He had been "known to date" the victim, authorities said. 

Gilbreth declined to comment about the case.

"Whatever I'm going to say or talk about is going to be said in the courtroom," Gilbreth said. 

Gilbreth said such letters announcing a not-guilty plea are customary in such matters. 

Because Carroo is charged only with simple assault -- a disorderly persons offense -- the case will remain in the municipal court, Gilbreth said.

Carroo is due in court on Oct. 1, and remains in indefinite suspension from a football program beset by controversy. In an unrelated matter, four players were kicked off the team after they were accused of assaulting a Rutgers student on Delafield Street. In another unrelated matter, two players and two former players were charged in a series of home invasions; Dre Boggs and Lloyd Terry were removed from the football program. 

According to a complaint filed in Piscataway municipal court, Carroo picked up the victim and slammed her down onto concrete, injuring her left hip, her palms, her left elbow and the left side of her head. The complaint was first reported by The Record of Bergen County.

NJ Advance Media reporter Ben Horowitz contributed to this report. 

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

One person was pronounced dead at the scene while one other in the same vehicle was taken to the hospital in serious condition, according to the report.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene while one other in the same vehicle was taken to the hospital in serious condition, according to the report.File photo 

SOUTH PLAINFIELD - One person died and two others were injured Wednesday in a two-vehicle crash, according to Tap Into South Plainfield.

The accident occurred about 11 a.m. in the area of West End Avenue and Hamilton Boulevard.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene while one other in the same vehicle was taken to a local hospital in serious condition, according to the report.

A person in the second vehicle was taken to JFK Hospital in Edison with unspecified injuries, the report said.

 

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

The victim, who is an Elizabeth resident, attempted to cross the highway near Wood Avenue against the traffic lights and outside of the crosswalk, police said.

The victim, who is an Elizabeth resident, attempted to cross the highway near Wood Avenue against the traffic lights and outside of the crosswalk, police said.File photo 

WOODBRIDGE - A 75-year-old man bracing himself on a walker was struck and killed by a car early Wednesday as he attempted to cross Route 27, authorities said.

The victim, who is an Elizabeth resident, attempted to cross the highway near Wood Avenue against the traffic lights and outside of the crosswalk, according to police.

The man was struck about 4:30 a.m. by a 1995 Ford Escort traveling north on Route 27, said Sgt. Eric Nelson of the Woodbridge Police Department's traffic unit.

The victim's name has been withheld pending notification of relatives.

Police said the 70-year-old driver of the vehicle, who was headed to work, has not been charged. He was not identified.

The accident resulted in the closure of Route 27 Wednesday morning between Wood Avenue and the Garden State Parkway.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Nelson or Officer Kevin Hawley at 732-634-7700.

 

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

Kyle Flood has been suspended as Rutgers football coach after a university investigation.

PISCATAWAY -- Kyle Flood has been suspended for three games as Rutgers football coach and fined $50,000 following a university-led investigation into rules violations and amid a recent string of off-field transgressions involving players on his team, university president Robert Barchi told NJ Advance Media.

Barchi spoke to NJ Advance Media only 15 minutes after notifying Flood of the suspension and fine, he said. The suspension is effective immediately.

Barchi said players had not yet been notified. Associate head coach Norries Wilson will take over game-day responsibilities, athletic director Julie Hermann said.

"This suspension is the result of the very detailed extensive investigation that we carried out over the past several weeks regarding the allegations that the football coach had an inappropriate contact with a faculty member who was the instructor of one of our football players, a contact that is in violation of the university policy,'' Barchi told NJ Advance Media. "That is what it's about. That is what it's in response to.''

A NJ Advance Media reporter approached Flood as he exited Barchi's office building on the Old Queen campus, and Flood ignored requests for comment.

Asked how Flood accepted the suspension, Barchi said: "I think that Kyle accepted responsibility fully. I think he's been fully cooperative, I think he's devastated by what he feels is a loss of trust in him or the feeling that people may think differently about his own ethics and morals.

"And he's committed to make sure that he accepts responsibility, that he moves forward, that it never happens again, and he rebuilds that trust.''

The suspension comes three days before the Scarlet Knights are set to play Penn State in the Scarlet Knights' Big Ten opener this Saturday. Flood will miss home games against Kansas (Sept. 26) and Michigan State (Oct. 10).

MORE: Read the full Rutgers report on Kyle Flood here

Three weeks ago, NJ Advance Media first reported that the university's office of ethics and compliance, with help from outside counsel, was investigating an email Flood sent from a personal account to a Mason Gross faculty member regarding the status of Nadir Barnwell, a junior cornerback whose academic eligibility had been in doubt since May.

In a letter to the Rutgers community on Wednesday, Barchi outlined the critical findings:

• Flood met with the professor off-campus, and contacted the professor through subsequent emails, after he was told by a member of the academic support staff "that he is not to have contact with any faculty member regarding a student's academic standing."

• When the faculty member agreed to "review an additional paper" to possibly help Barnwell's standing in the class, Flood helped Barnwell by providing "grammatical and minor editorial suggestions to the submitted paper."

Practice ended at 11:55 a.m. on Wednesday, and Flood was seen walking down the steps five minutes later. He hugged a longtime high school coach in the parking lot before walking to the front of the Hale Center.

Before the entrance he met with associate head coach Norries Wilson and they walked into the football headquarters together.

The 15-member Rutgers Board of Governors met last Friday, addressing "athletics matters and anticipated or pending litigation." Citing the legal issues involved, Barchi declined to address the specifics of the meeting, but Board member Martin Perez said the discussion centered on "very serious issues'' involving the football program.

Flood faced suspension or termination if he were found to have acted contrary to institutional policy by initiating contact with a faculty member with regards to a player's academic standing.

Flood's program also has been besieged by off-field problems recently.

Six players have been kicked off the team in the past two weeks as the result of arrests. Two players, cornerback Dre Boggs and fullback Lloyd Terry, have been charged in home invasions. The other four players -- Barnwell, cornerback Ruhann Peele, safety Delon Stephenson and fullback Razohnn Gross -- face assault charges.

On Sunday, Flood suspended star wide receiver Leonte Carroo indefinitely as a result of an incident that took place following Saturday night's loss to Washington State outside the team's football headquarters. Carroo was arrested by Rutgers University police and charged with simple assault in a domestic violence incident. Carroo pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

As per the terms of his contract, Rutgers "may suspend Flood without pay pending the outcome of a compliance investigation.''

PLUS: Flood discusses circumstances surrounding Carroo's suspension

University policy dictates: "All contact with faculty members or instructional staff, if necessary, should be handled by the Academic Support staff'' and doesn't permit "coach-initiated contact of any type (e.g., oral, written, etc.) ... between any member of the coaching staff and any Rutgers faculty member or associated instructional staff (teaching assistant, co-adjutant, part-time lecturer, etc.) with respect to any student-athlete.''

The document -- labeled on the school's website under the heading: "Contacting Faculty and Academic Officials'' -- dictates that staff members, including coaches, "must strictly abide'' by the policy and "must make prudent judgments regarding their level of involvement in a student-athlete's academic life so as to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.''

In addition, coaches are given explicit instructions at annual compliance meetings not to directly engage with professors over any academic issue related to their student-athletes, two people familiar with Rutgers athletics operating procedures told NJ Advance Media.

Flood has said that he has relationships with university professors, saying "our faculty are part of our program'' and adding that he welcomes "interactions'' with faculty members.

"I have a lot of communication with teachers,'' Flood said on Aug. 25 after NJ Advance Media broke the news that he was being investigated by the university. "We're all part of the same university. We all want the same things for our student-athletes.''

Flood was subject to discipline without pay if he was found to be "violation of university regulations, policies (or) procedures,'' according to the terms of the contract he signed when he became Rutgers head coach on Jan. 31, 2012. The compliance provisions of his contract dictate that he "shall be subject to all university regulations, policies and procedures, and legal requirements'' applicable to Rutgers employees, "including ethical standards and conflict of interest requirements.''

Hired on the eve of the February recruiting signing day following Greg Schiano's abrupt departure to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012, Flood led the Scarlet Knights to a 9-4 record and a share of the program's first Big East title in his first season.

The Scarlet Knights have appeared in bowl games in all three of his seasons, including an inaugural Big Ten campaign last year that resulted in an 8-5 record and Quick Lane Bowl triumph.

Flood, who was set to earn $1.25 million this season, had the distinction of owning the fifth-best career winning percentage (23-16 record, .590) among Big Ten coaches behind Ohio State's Urban Meyer (.845), Michigan's Jim Harbaugh (.682), Michigan State's Mark Dantonio (.660) and Penn State's James Franklin (.596) heading into the 2015 season.

Flood, who is the lowest-paid head coach in the Big Ten, signed a two-year contract extension through the 2018 season on Sept. 11, 2014, that resulted in a guaranteed increase of $3.4 million for the lifetime of the contract.

As part of the extension, Rutgers agreed to pay Flood a $1.4 million buyout if he is terminated without cause at any point through Feb. 28, 2019.

"Coach Flood exemplifies our university's standards and values both on and off the field,'' Rutgers President Robert Barchi said last September after executing the extension. "He has put together a strong coaching staff that supports our mission to compete well both in the classroom and on the field.''

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.

"It's the greatest magic show out there right now," swears the "Mindfreak" star. "I've seen them all and nothing compares to this." Watch video

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Criss Angel performs his dazzling Las Vegas stage show, and its series of death-defying illusions, 10 times a week.

With travel gigs tacked on, that's a whopping 450 shows per year for the magician deemed best "of the century" by his peers in 2010.

But Angel's relentless schedule, which over the last seven years has pumped out more than 2,800 performances at Luxor hotel and around the world, has still allowed time for a new, perhaps even more ambitious project.

Angel has worked since 2005 to develop a captivating ensemble show, in which he designs the stunts and tricks himself -- a few even overlap with his daily "Believe" residency show. But he does not perform, and instead allows a hand-selected group of his colleagues to steal the spotlight.

Such is the premise of "The Supernaturalists," a new, world magic conglomeration headed for State Theatre in New Brunswick this weekend.

MORE: 29 awesome fall concerts heading for New Jersey

"It's the greatest magic show out there right now," swears the "Mindfreak" star. "I've seen them all and nothing compares to this."

In a recent interview with NJ.com, Angel touts his latest creation as "revolutionary." 

The show debuted at Foxwoods resort in Connecticut June 25 and sold more than 40,000 tickets through its four-week engagement, a record for an ensemble magic show's premiere.

And as it prepares for its second stop -- for four performances in New Jersey beginning Friday night -- Angel cites the sheer talent of the magicians chosen, and the breadth of styles, as the source of the show's success.

"These magicians are the best of the best," he says of a field that includes grand-scale illusionist Landon Swank, famed mentalist Banachek and even an award-winning "dog conjurer" named Johnny Dominguez.

Also on the bill is Spencer Horsman, who made the news Tuesday when the escape artist failed to remove himself from a suspended "water torture chamber" during a show promotion in New Brunswick, and was hospitalized after a last-moment rescue. Last month, Angel himself was forced to climb the apparatus and save the magician during a rehearsal of the same stunt. A dramatic video of the incident went viral online.

"It could have been a horrific moment, but it's a situation I've been in many times myself, so I know the tell-tale signs," Angel says.

While all the stunts were organized by the magic mogul in his 60,000-foot Las Vegas warehouse -- which he likens to a magic "candy store" -- there is very little overlap between the "Supernaturalists" and Angel's nightly Sin City performances.

"I wanted to do something that felt like a video game or a movie, very pop-culture," he says. "I have a DJ who does the music live, it's very different approach and I think for the audience it's an experience that's very unique."

Angel, 47, maintains a remote presence during each show, and manages to host the performance live from Las Vegas via Skype on LED monitors.

Otherwise, it's the nine-piece group's task to entertain, as they manifest a full-size helicopter on stage, slice a woman in half with a circular saw blade and Horsman again attempts to escape his plexiglass cube.

Magic mogul Criss Angel has created "The Supernaturalists," a new, world magic conglomeration headed for State Theatre in New Brunswick this weekend. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Angel notes the chance of catastrophe as inherent, and "The Supernaturalists" performers are perpetually at risk of injury.

For instance, the show's junior magician Krystyn uses five, real-world razor blades during her set.

"They are all sharp and she's flipping in her mouth and linking them together," he says. 

But hopefully, terror will not be the audience's primary emotion when they leave the theater.

"I want the audience to be empowered by this show," Angel says. " When you leave the show, you've seen nine people who have come from all walks of life, from all parts of the world, to do what they're passionate about, what they love. It really says that anything is truly possible when you believe in yourself. You can achieve your dream." 

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Myles Hartsfield, whose college plans were derailed after news of the Sayreville High School hazing scandal broke last fall, has found a new home at East Coast Prep in Barrington, Mass. The 6-0, 195-pound wide receiver/defensive back made his debut two weeks ago in a 20-14 victory over Bryant. Hartsfield intercepted a pass and returned a kick 35 yards,...

Myles Hartsfield, whose college plans were derailed after news of the Sayreville High School hazing scandal broke last fall, has found a new home at East Coast Prep in Barrington, Mass.

The 6-0, 195-pound wide receiver/defensive back made his debut two weeks ago in a 20-14 victory over Bryant. Hartsfield intercepted a pass and returned a kick 35 yards, his first game action since Sayreville cancelled its season last October.

RELATED: Football returns to Sayreville for first time since hazing scandal with victory

Last week, he had three catches for 66 yards and three touchdowns in 55-0 win over Norwich.

"Myles is a superior athlete," former Sayreville head coach George Najjar said. "He can do anything with the ball in his hands. He can run, jump and play multiple positions at a high level. I'm not surprised he's doing well (at East Coast Prep).

"He started as a freshman for us and was a four-year letter guy. He has all the tools and has great instincts. He's the full package and he's certainly a Division 1 college football player."

Attempts to reach Hartsfield for comment were unsuccessful.

In three games at Sayreville last season, Hartsfield had 416 rushing yards, 166 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

He had committed to play at Penn State but the staff there withdrew the offer, according to news reports last October. Penn State has not officially addressed Hartsfield's status.

Seven Sayreville players were charged in connection with a series of hazing incidents in the school’s locker room last season. Six players pleaded guilty to charges ranging from hazing to simple assault, Middlesex County prosecutor Andrew Carey announced last month. Those six are on probation from one to two years.

The seventh player is awaiting trial in family court.

None of the seven has been named by the prosecutor’s office.

Hartsfield addressed the hazing scandal at a track meet in January, denying any involvement. Four months earlier, police were observed at his home in October on the night several players were taken into police custody.

Prior to committing to Penn State, Hartsfield had several scholarship offers, including Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Pitt and others.

Braulio Perez may be reached at bperez@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BraulioEPerez

PERTH AMBOY — This undated photo shows a side view of the Parker Castle at Front and Water streets in Perth Amboy. Information from the Library of Congress states that the stone portion of the structure was built by John Parker in 1702; the wooden section was added prior to the start of the Revolutionary War. James Parker II, a...

PERTH AMBOY -- This undated photo shows a side view of the Parker Castle at Front and Water streets in Perth Amboy.

Information from the Library of Congress states that the stone portion of the structure was built by John Parker in 1702; the wooden section was added prior to the start of the Revolutionary War.

James Parker II, a descendant of John, was mayor of Perth Amboy from 1771 to 1774 and was appointed one of the delegates to the provincial congress at the start of the Revolutionary War.

Parker's son, James III, served as mayor of Perth Amboy, in 1815 and again in 1850. James Parker III also was elected to the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Congresses of the U.S.

The Parker family continued to live in the castle and be influential members of the Perth Amboy community for years to come; succeeding generations occupied the mansion until 1914.

Unoccupied for more than two decades afterward, the building fell into disrepair and was razed as a safety hazard in 1942.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to middlesex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

Find all of Wednesday's stories on Flood's three-game suspension in one spot.

NJ Advance Media had Rutgers' investigation into football coach Kyle Flood covered from start to finish.

NJ Advance Media reporter Keith Sargeant broke the news on Aug. 25 that the university was investigating Flood for possibly violating a policy prohibiting coaches from contacting faculty members in regards to a student's grades. A week later, Sargeant followed up with a story that detailed the ways in which Flood ignored warnings from academic support staff members about contacting a professor. Then on Wednesday, Sargeant was the first to report that Flood had been suspended for three games and fined $50,000 as a result of the investigation.

Sargeant's report led to numerous follow-up stories, as university president Robert Barchi, athletic director Julie Hermann and Flood weighed in.

Here are the NJ.com stories on Flood's suspension from Wednesday:

*Rutgers football coach Kyle Flood suspended three games

*Read president Barchi's letter suspending Kyle Flood

*Ex-Rutgers lineman Anthony Davis tweets support for Kyle Flood

*Who is Norries Wilson? A closer look at Rutgers' interim head coach

*Why didn't Rutgers fire Kyle Flood? Because it will after the season | Politi

*Rutgers coach Kyle Flood releases statement on suspension

*Read the full report on Kyle Flood's suspension

*Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann releases statement on Kyle Flood

*Rutgers faculty union president says Flood punishment "a slap on the wrist"

*Ray Rice on Kyle Flood: "He cares about kids winning on and off the field"

*Will Kyle Flood's suspension affect recruiting?

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.

Highlighting some of the most notable information revealed in the report.

PISCATAWAY -- The report released Wednesday on the investigation of Rutgers coach Kyle Flood's improper contact with a professor was full of intriguing details that explain why Flood was hit with a three-game suspension and $50,000 fine.

You can read the entire 21-page report, but there's a lot to digest. Here are some of the key points that stand out:

* On or about May 18, final grades were posted. At that time, Barnwell and the academic support staff knew the junior cornerback would be ineligible for the 2015 season.

* On May 18, Barnwell emailed the professor, explained that he would be ineligible and asked if there was a way for him "to work something out." The professor replied, with a copy to an academic advisor and the chair of the professor's department, stating "I'm ... very sorry that your grade will cause problems for you. However, I cannot change your grade."

* On May 20, an academic advisor notified Flood that Barnwell would be ineligible for the 2015 season. Flood and the advisor agreed it was a "lousy situation and that the publicity was going to be difficult because the student was considered a top recruit."

* On May 28, an academic advisor reiterated to Flood that Barnwell would be ineligible. On June 5, Flood requested that Barnwell draft a letter to the professor explaining (redacted) the last semester. The letter was not sent at that time.

* On July 26, Flood forwarded a revised version of the June 5 email from Barnwell to the professor. In the email, Flood said he sent the message from his personal gmail account to the professor's personal account "to ensure there will be no public vetting of the correspondence." In the July 26 email, Flood said he fully supported the professor if the final grade stood, but he also asked if there was any extra work to be done to earn a grade change.

RELATED: Kyle Flood releases statement on suspension

* In the footnotes of the report it stated that in the fall of 2014, Flood visited the professor's class to introduce himself because a number of football players regularly registered for the class.

* During the interview with investigators, Flood said this was the first time that he had ever contacted a professor regarding a student's grade.

* On July 30, the professor replied to Flood, stating she didn't know how to change a grade so long after it had been submitted. Flood, who was in Chicago at the time for Big Ten media days, asked if he could meet the professor in person the next week. Between July 30 and Aug. 3, Flood wrote four additional emails to the professor scheduling the date, time and place of the requested meeting.

* On Aug. 3, Flood called an academic advisor's cell phone and they spoke for 3-4 minutes. The advisor said Flood asked about how a grade change works and said he used his private email to contact the professor so it wouldn't be subject to an OPRA (Open Public Records Act) request. The advisor said he/she told Flood that he couldn't have contact with a professor, especially regarding grades or eligibility. The advisor said Flood said the conversation "stays between you and me." The advisor said, "I want no part of this."

During Flood's interview about the conversation, he said he asked about how a grade change works, said he may have mentioned using his personal email to avoid an OPRA request and said he may have requested the conversation stay between them because he was worried about leaks. Flood said the advisor did not tell him it would be a problem to have direct contact with the professor.

* On Aug 5, Flood met with the professor for about 50 minutes outside of the Princeton Public Library. Flood said he didn't tell anyone on the athletics staff or Barnwell that he planned to meet with the professor. Flood told the professor he purposely didn't wear any Rutgers apparel so he wouldn't be recognized in public meeting with the professor.

During the meeting Flood again reiterated that he supported the professor in keeping the initial grade or allowing an opportunity for extra work. Flood and the professor discussed the unspecified "personal and academic struggles" Barnwell was facing. Flood explained that they were assigning a new mentor to work closely with Barnwell. The professor agreed to give Barnwell a chance to do extra work.

* The professor said Flood was "low key and collegial" in their meeting and his words weren't intimidating. But the professor said Flood's position as head coach "and as an important person for the university did have an intimidating effect." The professor said he/she felt unable to resist the implied pressure from Flood so he/she felt uncomfortable not agreeing to an additional assignment to allow Barnwell to become eligible.

PLUS: Robert Barchi says firing Kyle Flood "was on the table"

* On Aug. 6, the professor emailed Barnwell and gave him an assignment: to watch a video and write a paper on it. On Aug. 7, Flood emailed the professor asking when a grade change can be made in the system.

* On Aug. 11, Barnwell sent Flood a draft of his paper and then sent a revised version on Aug. 12. Flood did not read the paper until the morning of Aug. 16. Flood reviewed the paper with Barnwell and suggested some "minor grammar and punctuation changes." Barnwell made the changes and filed the paper in an email to the professor at 12:46 p.m. on Aug. 16. An hour later, Flood emailed the professor to confirm the professor had received the paper.

*On Aug. 12, President Robert Barchi was notified about Flood's potential violation after an academic advisor contacted their supervisor. On Aug. 13, the university retained an outside law firm to conduct the investigation. On Aug. 14, the professor was contacted by the university and informed that the issue had been reported.

* On Aug. 24, Barnwell emailed the professor asking if he/she received the paper. On Aug. 25, the professor emailed an academic advisor stating that Barnwell's grade won't change. The same day NJ Advance Media reported that the university was investigating Flood for potential impermissible contact with a professor.

* The report states the university has a clear policy prohibiting contact between coaches and faculty members regarding a student's academic performance. The report said Flood should have known because of annual compliance meetings (at least from 2005-12), guidelines in his contract that require him to know university and NCAA policies, and notification from a member of academic support.

Flood said he was not familiar with the policy because he didn't attend the annual compliance meetings and he didn't take steps to familiarize himself with the policy on the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics website.

*On Sept. 5, the lobbying for Barnwell became irrelevant because he was kicked off the team by Flood following charges of aggravated assault, riot and conspiracy to commit a riot stemming from an incident on April 25.

Here are the three conclusions reached by the report:

1. That Coach Flood violated university policy prohibiting contact by a coach with a faculty member regarding a student-athlete.
2. That Coach Flood's conduct potentially violated the university's code of ethics because he "apparently intended to secure a benefit for himself by ensuring that a key player would remain eligible for the football team."
3. That Coach Flood did not violate the university's academic integrity policy in editing Barnwell's paper.

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.

New Census data shows that poverty rate is around 11 percent and significantly higher than it was 10 years ago.

Nearly one million people live in poverty in New Jersey, an increase of just short of 250,000 people in the past 10 years, according to 2014 Census data released today.

The rate of state residents living in poverty dropped slightly between 2013 and 2014, from 11.4 percent to 11.1 percent, though an estimated 973,000 people live below the federal poverty line. 

In the past decade, the poverty rate in New Jersey has jumped from 8.7 percent to 11.1 percent, according to the Census data. There were about 739,000 New Jersey residents living in poverty in 2005. 

Still, experts say they are relieved that the poverty rate did not go up in 2014, as it had in previous years.

Melville D. Miller, president of Legal Services of New Jersey, called the .3 percent drop between 2013 and 2014 "not statistically significant," but said it does signal a leveling-off that is good news, despite the fact that the poverty rates in New Jersey are still at record highs.

Brandon McKoy, policy analyst for New Jersey Policy Perspective, said New Jersey experienced a slight rise in the poverty rate among the elderly population. The population over age 65 in New Jersey has seen a slight increase, so a rise in the poverty rate is troubling, according to McKoy.  

"If the poverty rate is going up among this population, they're not getting the help and services they need," he said.

Not all counties have seen their poverty rate go up over the last 10 years, though no counties that have recovered from the recession to their 2005 poverty levels, the data shows.

"It's the latest in a long line of things that show how slow and painful the recovery has been for people living and working in New Jersey," said Jon Whiten, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective.

Whiten said that New Jersey, one of the wealthiest states in the nation, has been in a "pseudo-recovery" for years, where it just hasn't kept pace with the recovery in the rest of the country.

Atlantic County, for example, jumped from a poverty rate of 8.9 percent in 2005 to see more than 14 percent of residents living in poverty in 2014. Cumberland County had the highest poverty rate in the state at 20 percent; just 12.6 of residents there lived in poverty in 2005.

A decade ago, Hudson County had the highest poverty rate in the state at 16.5 percent. It now ranks third, behind Cumberland and Passaic counties. Somerset, Hunterdon and Morris had the lowest poverty rates in both 2005 and 2014.

Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

At Saint Peter's University Hospital, Dr. Peter N. Fish has a unique but powerful informal protocol -- every patient admitted is asked: Are you a veteran?

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ANTHONY MENTO Mento survived Iwo Jima. He was on the island when the historic flag was raised on Mount Suribachi.

A few years ago, Mento learned that he was scheduled to receive a Meritorious Service Medal from the state of New Jersey. He was as excited as a child, says his daughter, Diane D'Imperio, and constantly reminded everyone in the family to attend. "You're going to be there? You're going to take off from work?"

But Mento never made it to the ceremony. Instead, he was in the intensive care unit of Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick. But, says D'Imperio, God was watching over their family.

Witness the work of Peter N. Fish.

An internist at Saint Peter's, Fish, too, had spent time in the service, more than a decade as a flight surgeon and Army medical officer, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He is the author of "Army Medical Officer's Guide," (Stackpole Books, 2014), a primer considered so critical that it's now given to all medical recruits. He also is an expert on men's health, and connects with patients by using metaphors of maintenance and repair.

At Saint Peter's, Fish has a unique but powerful informal protocol. At his request, every patient admitted is asked: Are you a veteran?

It's a simple question, but it yields potent results.

First, in diagnosis. Fish discovered, for example, that an 80-year-old white man from New Brunswick actually was suffering from a strain of malaria, the result of his tour in Africa decades ago. As a doctor, a diagnosis like that makes you look like a genius.

Second, to honor. For each veteran admitted, Fish makes a plaque to display outside their hospital room, indicating the patient's name and branch of service. It's an honor for the patient to be recognized, and it's an honor for members of the hospital staff, who are glad for the opportunity to give back.

Third, in results. Fish makes a point to talk to as many veteran patients as possible (about four or five are admitted each week).

What happens is amazing. Veterans with dementia, when asked about their war experiences, suddenly are lucid. One veteran, fidgety and restless for years, became quiet and focused during a visit with Fish. They talked about World War II and listened to Fish's iPod, full of music from the 1940s. Wives and children gathered at the veterans' bedsides, often hear war stories for the first time. And families sometimes learn about veterans' benefits for which they didn't realize they were eligible.

If you've served, says Fish, you understand. It's a powerful connection.

Peter N. Fish, an internist at Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick who also served as a medical officer in Afghanistan and as flight surgeon at a combat hospital in Iraq, stands in front of an MRAP (mine resistant ambush protected) ambulance at the "Queens Palace" near Darul Amanm, outside of Kabul, Afghanistan.Courtesy of Peter N. Fish 

Ask Fish about his time in the service and he'll likely focus on his experiences at a combat hospital in Iraq. The facility was understaffed, so Fish held several roles, as needed -- flight surgeon, communications officer, acting medical officer. Combat treatment, as Fish notes, was just one aspect. Most often the hospital dealt with the medical issues of any emergency room -- basketball injuries, stabbings, rape.

But, to Fish, a history buff, the geography is what was most inspiring. This region of the world is the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of Abraham, where the wheel was invented. Fish could see the Ziggurat of Ur.

"It felt sacred. When we had bad days, I liked going out and watching the sun rise over that pyramid and thinking about my small contribution to the history that was there."

Fish -- tall, cheerful and confident, and with the straight-line posture championed by the Army's field manual -- is matter-of-fact about his efforts. Others may find it extraordinary that he seeks out and honors veterans, including the patients themselves and their families, and even members of the hospital staff, who, frankly, are accustomed to extraordinary things happening in the ICU.

To Fish, it's a simple duty. "I'm honored to be able to do it," he says.

"It's hard to put into words. These guys sacrificed everything for us. But they would be first to say that the real heroes are the ones left behind on the battlefield."

To the Mento family, Fish's efforts went above and beyond.

Mento had been a parachute rigger in the Navy, a job that required his hands remain soft. He had no business being sent to Iwo Jima, but managed to survive that bloody, fierce battle. In the last years of his life, Mento was in and out of the hospital. More often than not, says D'Imperio, Fish was at his bedside. "Dad was a great storyteller, but there were some stories he never shared with us," she says.

D'Imperio is particularly grateful that Fish was somehow on rotation every time her father needed him. She's grateful, too, that the doctor agreed to speak on Veterans Day to the residents of Spring Hill in Somerset, where her parents lived, even though she was sure some residents fell asleep during the speech and even though she discouraged her father from asking the doctor in the first place. "Daddy, you can't bother him. He's a busy man."

To which her father countered: "Well, he gave me his phone number."

But her father's last day? She coughs with emotion.

Mento, 88, was in a coma, on life support and not expected to survive.

D'Imperio's brother-in-law had picked up Mento's Meritorious Service Medal and the family had been debating who should pin it on. Fish intervened. "It would be our honor to pin it on him."

It was Thursday, April 3, 2014. The family had decided to let their dad go. With 28 family members gathered around the hospital bed and with the national anthem playing from an iPhone, Fish and another physician, Douglas Frenia, a lieutenant colonel in the Army, both in full uniform, conducted the medal ceremony for Anthony R. Mento Sr., veteran of the U.S. Navy Air Corps serving during World War II. The ceremony ended with a salute and Fish pinned on the medal.

It was bittersweet, says D'Imperio, who, when she looking up, realized the hospital staff was crying just as hard as members of the family.

Mento died the following day.

"What they did was a beautiful thing. My father would have been so damn proud," she says. "I like to think he knew."

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Nigel Barnes, 24, was charged with burglary and theft in connection with the theft of a purse and an American Express card belonging to a pastor at Christ the King Church on Route 27, police said Thursday.

Nigel Barnes allegedly told people at area churches that he was homeless and seeking shelter before stealing from them, police say. (Photo courtesy South Brunswick Police Department) 

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - A Franklin Park man who presented himself as homeless to members of area churches has been arrested and charged with stealing a pastor's credit card during a church service, according to South Brunswick police.

Nigel Barnes, 24, was charged with burglary and theft in connection with the theft of a purse and an American Express card belonging to a pastor at Christ the King Church on Route 27, police said Thursday.

Barnes told people at that church and others in Middlesex County that he was homeless and seeking shelter, police said.

"He played on people's sympathies," said police Capt. James Ryan.

The South Brunswick theft took place during a 9:30 Sunday Mass on June 28.

The pastor didn't realize her purse had been stolen from her office until 6:30 p.m. when American Express called to say someone tried to use her credit card at a nearby Stop&Shop.

A few days later, a member of a Sandhill Road church - who had taken Barnes in after he claimed he was homeless - called police, Ryan said.

"The person reported that a man had come to the church looking for assistance. They took him into live with them, but then they grew suspicious of him," Ryan said.

Barnes, who also has an address in Brooklyn, was arrested on Friday, police said. He was charged with burglary for entering the church to commit a crime and theft for stealing the purse, according to police. He is being held at the Middlesex County jail on $25,000 bail. 

Ryan said detectives have linked Barnes to similar crimes at churches in New Brunswick and Princeton.

It was not immediately clear if Barnes had been charged in those thefts.

Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to call Detective Tighelaar at (732) 329-4000 ext. 7486.

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

The alleged victim broke her silence late Wednesday night.

The woman who accused Rutgers football wideout Leonte Carroo of slamming her head into concrete outside of the university's football headquarters has broken her silence.

Carroo was charged with simple assault in a domestic violence case and has pleaded not guilty.

The accuser, a 20-year-old from Bergen County who worked at the Hale Center, told The Record the incident began on Sunday when there was a confrontation between her and Carroo's current girlfriend, "who she said was part of a group that targeted her as she was leaving her job at the Hale Center."

The girlfriend wasn't happy the eventual accuser had "previous involvement" with the receiver, the accuser said. The accuser won't be identified by NJ Advance Media because she is an alleged victim of domestic violence.

A reporter for the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., who was covering Washington State that day, reported Carroo was warned not to head outside while the confrontation took place, but he did anyway.

MORE: Key points in damning report that led to Flood suspension

"[Carroo] picked me up and just dropped me," she said. "I remember that slam. I remember hitting the ground and seeing all those people around me. ... He knows his own strength. He shouldn't have done it. I'm 107 pounds. He shouldn't have thrown me into the concrete."

She said she blacked out for 10 seconds, then looked up to see about 15 people surrounding her, including one girl who attacked her with a traffic cone.

The woman ended up with injuries to her hip, palms and side of her head, she said. Chunks of her hair were pulled out, she said.

With Carroo facing a charge and suspended indefinitely from the team, the accuser hoped Rutgers fans don't blame the team's potential struggles on her. 

"Every day is a little better, that's for sure," she told The Record. "I'll give myself a month and then really tell myself it's OK."

One of six people charged in a 2013 home invasion and robbery pleaded guilty to robbery Tuesday in state Superior Court

NEWTON -- One of six people charged in a 2013 home invasion and robbery pleaded guilty to robbery Tuesday in state Superior Court, the New Jersey Herald reported.

Michael Johnson, 22, of New Brunswick admitted he took part in the home invasion, in which a Green Township woman was bound, threatened and robbed.

Johnson faces up to nine years in prison as part of his plea agreement. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13.

He and four other people went to the Green Township home of Larry Gribler, Dec. 28, 2013, New Jersey State Police said. When his wife answered, they bound her at gunpoint and filled a bag with possessions before fleeing.

Johnson, as well as Delquan J. Baskett, Jarrell C. Belle, Elizabeth A. Cooper, Donte R. Crumidy and Morgan Ivory were arrested three months later. Gribler arrested and charged with drug possession and distribution after police said they found marijuana, cocaine and $12,000 in cash in the home.

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

The accident occurred about 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, in the area of West End Avenue and Hamilton Boulevard.

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SOUTH PLAINFIELD - A second person has died of injuries following a two-vehicle traffic accident about 11 a.m. Wednesday in the area of West End Avenue and Hamilton Boulevard, according to police.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene while one other in the same vehicle was taken to a local hospital. That person died several hours later, according to South Plainfield police Chief James Parker.

"It appears that a vehicle was making a left hand turn from West End Avenue onto Hamilton Blvd when the impact occurred," Parker stated in an email.

RELATED: 1 dead, 2 hurt in South Plainfield traffic accident

A person in the second vehicle was taken to JFK Hospital in Edison with unspecified injuries.

Police have not released the names of the victims.

No charges have been filed, but the investigation continues. 

Witnesses are asked to call Officer Joseph Glowacki of the South Plainfield Police Department Traffic Bureau at 908-226-7678.

 

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

Rutgers police have not said whether there is surveillance footage.

PISCATAWAY -- The father of the woman who was allegedly slammed to the pavement by Rutgers University football player Leonte Carroo wants to hear the state university's plans to keep her safe.

So far, Rutgers officials haven't contacted him, he told NJ Advance Media in an interview Wednesday night. The woman is going to stay at Rutgers, against the wishes of some of her relatives, he said.

NJ Advance Media isn't identifying the woman -- who had a romantic relationship with Carroo -- because she is an alleged domestic violence victim. NJ Advance Media is withholding the father's name, too.

"I'm concerned," her father said. "I even asked the question out loud to the (police) officers -- what would you do as a dad?"

The incident took place outside the Hale Center after Rutgers' 37-34 loss to Washington State on Saturday. Carroo, a star wide receiver and one of the team's best players, has been suspended indefinitely.

Sources have said Carroo intervened in a dispute between the woman and Carroo's girlfriend. Nobody else has been charged in the incident. The alleged victim's father told NJ Advance Media that his daughter did not provoke the dispute.

Police have accused Carroo of slamming the woman on the pavement. Her father told NJ Advance Media she was taken to Saint Peter's University Hospital for her injuries. The woman, a Rutgers University student and athletics department employee, suffered bumps, bruises and cuts, and doctors performed tests to make sure she was okay after her head hit the ground, her father said. All tests were normal. He accompanied her to the hospital and, later, to the police department.

RELATED: Rutgers' Leonte Carroo charged with simple assault in domestic violence incident

Carroo's attorney declined to comment about the case; the Edison native and Big Ten standout pleaded not guilty to simple assault.

Her father's account, based on what the alleged victim told him, matched a report in The Record on Wednesday.

The woman told The Record: "(Carroo) picked me up and just dropped me. I remember that slam. I remember hitting the ground and seeing all those people around me."

The alleged victim has a restraining order against Carroo, and has quit her job at the athletics department, her father said.

According to her father, in the hours after the incident, Rutgers University police said in his presence they were confident that surveillance footage of the incident existed.

But the next morning, authorities at university police headquarters in New Brunswick told him there were no surveillance cameras in that area, her father said.

University Police Chief Kenneth Cop did not respond to numerous requests for comment. Rutgers investigators have said little about the case.

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

WOODBRIDGE — Orange Soda is a 5-month-old orange kitten in the care of Angel Paws Rescue. He was saved from a municipal shelter one day before he was to be euthanized. Orange Soda has been described as a "super friendly" cat who sits on people's shoulders. He gets along well with other cats, has been neutered and is up-to-date...

Orange Soda  

WOODBRIDGE -- Orange Soda is a 5-month-old orange kitten in the care of Angel Paws Rescue.

He was saved from a municipal shelter one day before he was to be euthanized.

Orange Soda has been described as a "super friendly" cat who sits on people's shoulders. He gets along well with other cats, has been neutered and is up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Orange Soda, call 732-340-1199, email info@angelpaws.org or visit the Pet Adoption Center at 492 Inman Ave. in Colonia. The center is open weekdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and weekends from noon to 3 p.m. The shelter is supported by the efforts of Angel Paws Rescue and is currently caring for 60 cats.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email middlesex@starledger.com.

At his first court appearance, Andre Boggs grinned widely for news cameras. On Friday, that grin was replaced by tears. Watch video

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Andre Boggs' first court appearance on robbery charges last week was the first time he'd ever been in legal trouble in his life, according to his lawyer.

So when an array of news cameras started snapping pictures of him, shackled and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, he lashed out -- a huge grin that was splayed across the Web, a lasting image of the accusations against Boggs and other former Rutgers football players. 

In a photograph from last week, Andre Boggs is seen grinning for news cameras. Dismissed Rutgers football player Andre Boggs is charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of conspiracy to commit an armed robbery, burglary while armed and attempted burglary while armed as he appears in Superior Court in front of judge Dennis V. Nieves in New Brunswick ,NJ 9/9/15 (Amanda Marzullo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Amanda Marzullo  

At his bail reduction hearing Friday, the facial expressions were gone, replaced by tears. 

"I took that as nervousness," said Judge Dennis Nieves. "I don't expect him to act like an adult. He's still a kid." 

His lawyer, Jim Donohue, said Boggs, 20, was angry about the cameras and felt like a "circus sideshow." It was the first time he'd been in the media for anything other than his outstanding performance on a football field. 

"He went from stardom to fighting for his life," Donohue said.

MORE: Lawyer for ex-Rutgers football player: 'Cases like these have warts all over'

Friday's proceedings were at times emotional. Boggs' mother, Danielle Beckett, sobbed during and after the hearing. In a show of support, about a dozen of Boggs' friends and family stood up in court when Donohue said Boggs had deep ties to the community and was unlikely to flee if he met bail. 

As Donohue read aloud a letter from a 12-year-old whom Boggs had mentored, Boggs dried his tears with his green prison jumpsuit.  

Nieves will issue a ruling in the coming hours or days on bail, which on Friday morning stood at $600,000. 

Prosecutors have said that two co-defendants have identified Boggs as an assailant in three home invasions on and around the Rutgers campus. Donohue said the victims and the co-defendants can't be trusted, and Boggs maintains his innocence. 

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

The shelter could be closed for up to a week.

EDISON -- The town-run Edison Animal Shelter will close temporarily and some cats and dogs will be quarantined after several pets showed symptoms of ringworm, officials said. 

"We took swift action to close the Animal Shelter and to begin cleanup procedures," town Business Administrator Maureen Ruane said in an email. "Our first priority was to protect our six-person staff, 87 volunteers and the public, and to treat the animals being cared for there." 

The shelter was closed Thursday after an inspection by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Middlesex County Health Department. 

Ringworm is a common and contagious fungal infection. The town has quarantined 13 dogs and 31 cats. The shelter could be closed for up to a week. Animals can be brought to the Woodbridge Animal Shelter in Sewaren for the time being. 

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