When Republicans in Middlesex County vote June 7, they will have to decide who to nominate for sheriff.

David Pawski, left, and Pedro, "Peter" Pisar, right, are running for Republican nomination for SheriffDavid Pawski & Middlesex County Republican Organization 

NEW BRUNSWICK --For the first time in decades, Middlesex County Republicans have a choice when they go to the polls June 7 and vote for their party's nomination for sheriff.

They can vote for the man who won the party's backing at the nominating convention in March -- retired sheriff's officer Pedro "Peter" Pisar, 61, of South Amboy, or David Pawski, 32, of Sayreville, a current sheriff's officer under Middlesex County Sheriff Mildred Scott, the incumbent Democrat who is running for a third three-year term.

State Senator Sam Thompson (R-Middlesex), who is the chairman of the county Republican organization, insisted the primary race does not indicate any split in the party.

"It doesn't happen very often," Thompson acknowledged. "There isn't an organized movement behind the second man. He just decided to run."

The senator said Pisar won the party's backing because he had a "better background in law enforcement."

Pisar said he retired three years ago from the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department after 18 years, starting as a dispatcher and working his way up to sheriff's officer and has worked in the department's investigative division.

Pawski has been with the department for the past seven years and is assigned to the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick.

He said he chose to run in the primary because the vote at the convention was close, 102 to 84, or an 18-vote difference.

"I talked to some people and they encouraged me to run," Pawski said. "They told me it was the first time it was that close."

He said he has found a lot of support "from people both inside and outside of the party," as he has gone around the county campaigning.

"I think it is going well," Pawski said of his efforts.

Whoever wins June 7 will compete against Scott in November.

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

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

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

Alright, probably not.  

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

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

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

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

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

Jump to the final results map  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Otherwise, buyer beware.  

View the final results on the map below

Click on towns for voting details.

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

NJ.com will be your place to follow all six games across the state

NJ.com will be your place to follow all six games across the state

The 40-round MLB Draft is June 9; NJ.com takes a third and final look at top players' stock.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th Dist.) is pushing for legislation aimed at telecommunication resiliency in the event of a catastrophic event.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th Dist.)Star-Ledger File Photo 

EDISON -- One of the major problems the state encountered during Hurricane Sandy was the breakdown of telecommunications.

Wednesday marks the official start of the Atlantic's hurricane season, and some legislators are pushing for additional measures to ensure sufficient recovery in the event of another catastrophic event like Sandy.

U.S. Rep Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th Dist.) visited a telecommunications tower in Edison on Tuesday to discuss legislation he is pushing for called the Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act (SANDy Act).

The legislation would require wireless cellphone carriers to "share information and advance wireless network resiliency before, during and after disasters and emergencies," according to a statement from Pallone's office.

"Sandy had a dramatic effect on all of us and one of the things we will never forget is how important communications are during an emergency," Pallone said in the statement.

He added, "The SANDy Act ensures that we can all communicate, even when the worst occurs. We must do everything we can to be better prepared for the next time disaster strikes."

Pallone in his statement said the SANDy act "would make sure all communication providers -- radio, TV, Internet, and phone -- can fix outages faster, even across state lines" and would "begin a process to provide 911 services over Wi-Fi hotspots during emergencies."

The measure passed the House last week, he told NJ Advance Media, and he believes the bill would soon be able to make it onto President Obama's desk and signed into law.

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

See the major highights of Tuesday's action

A printing company has been banned from printing blank prescriptions after illegally issuing 25,000 blanks.

Steve Lee, acting director of the state Division of Consumer Affairs, seen in this file photo.Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

A New Brunswick printing company has been banned from printing blank prescriptions after a state probe revealed the company issued 25,000 blanks to unauthorized individuals, according to a statement from the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs on Wednesday.

The Downtown Printing Center of New Brunswick is no longer authorized to print blank prescriptions for at least three years and must destroy or surrender to the state all equipment and materials used to produce the blanks.

"We have strict security regulations in place to ensure that only authorized prescribers whose licenses are in good standing have access to prescription blanks," Steve Lee, acting director of the DCA, said in the statement. "Any vendor that fails to follow those procedures, whether through negligence or by design, will be penalized."

According to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, which conducted the investigation, between August 2012 and December 2014, Downtown Printing "filled six orders totaling 25,000 blank prescriptions in the name of three individuals claiming to be licensed physicians," the statement said.

The three individuals, however, were not New Jersey licensed physicians, according to the statement.

"New Jersey is fighting a prescription drug epidemic that's ruining lives and tearing apart families, and we need everyone to do their part in keeping drugs out of the hands of dealers and abusers," said Acting Attorney General Robert Lougy in the statement on Wednesday. "Issuing prescription blanks without verifying they're going to licensed prescribers only does harm to our efforts to fight this epidemic."

The Division of Consumer Affairs said in the statement that the names of the individuals would not be released because they weren't "involved in the scheme" and were "unaware their names were being used on the orders."

The final consent order terminating the company's authorization to print blank prescriptions can be viewed here.

In August 2012, the company shipped 5,000 blank prescriptions in the name of a "physician" -- identified only as G.W. -- to an address in Sayreville, the statement said.

Between January and November 2013, the company received several orders totaling 10,000 blanks in the name of a "physician" identified as C.A. They were placed by "an individual who claimed she was a nurse in C.A.'s Toms River practice," and over 11 months, "the orders were filled and shipped ... to a residential property in Toms River."

There were two other incidents -- one in November 2013 and another about a year later -- that totaled 10,000 more blanks issued without proper verification.

The investigation revealed that the company violated various regulations, including failing to verify that the blanks were being issued to authorized and licensed prescribers whose addressed were listed in the Division of Consumer Affairs' database and to verify.

After three years, the company may reapply for authorization to print blank prescriptions. If approved, however, it would be subject to a probationary period and audits.

The DCA said people who believe they have been subjected to consumer abuse by a business can file a complaint with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting www.njconsumeraffairs.gov or by calling 1-800-242-5846 or 973-504-6200.

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

With the public sectional finals set for Friday, the race to be No. 1 in the NJ.com baseball Top 20 turns into a sprint.

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

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

Police have arrested two men who they believe could be involved in multiple burglaries in a section of the city.

File Photo 

OLD BRIDGE -- Two men were arrested Wednesday afternoon on theft and burglary charges in a residential neighborhood that has been plagued by several burglaries over the last couple weeks, officials said.

The men were arrested around noon in the area of Farrington Road and Staghorn Drive, according to Capt. Steven Daroci, of the Old Bridge Police Department.

During a patrol, an officer spotted two men "acting suspiciously," carrying a bag, coming from the residential area, Daroci said.

The officer apprehended one of the men, and a second officer caught the other.

Police identified one of the men -- 36-year-old David Ricart, of South Amboy. The other man, police said, could not be identified at this time because his name had not been entered into the police computer system yet.

Daroci said an initial investigation revealed a sliding-glass door had been pried opened from a home in the area.

He said the men have been charged with burglary, theft and possession of stolen property, but that additional charges were likely.

He also said it is possible the two men are responsible for other burglaries in the area, which he noted had experienced several burglaries within the last couple of weeks.

The men are expected to be taken to the Middlesex County Correctional Facility, Daroci said.

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

Artists from the New Jersey Plein-Air Society and The Center for Contemporary Art put paint to canvas in Willowwood Arboretum and Park.

FAR HILLS --  With brushes, paint, pastels and bug spray in hand artists from The New Jersey Plein-Air Society and The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, took advantage of the nice weather Wednesday and converged at the Willowwood Arboretum to capture beauty of the park on canvas.

After finding the perfect spot in the Chester park, the artists begin their work, which sometimes lasts a few hours or until the heat of the day gets to be too much.

"Painting outside is energizing," says Catherine Whithead, a Plein-Air painter from Glen Gardner, "It connects you what you are trying to capture, with what you feel."

The arboretum is part of the Morris County Park System, and with its rolling hills, flowering plants and trees the park attacks many visitors. The site dates back to 1908 when the land was purchased by two brothers from New Your City, Robert and Henry Tubbs.

Robert Sciarrino may be reached at bsciarrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SciarrinoRobert. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Route 1 was shut down in both directions when a car went up in flames on the shoulder.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- A woman's vehicle was engulfed in flames and smoke Wednesday morning on the side of Route 1, causing the highway to be shut down until the blaze was put under control, officials said in a statement.

Officer Sal Fama, of the South Brunswick Police Department, was driving south of Route 1 at around 9 a.m. when he saw a vehicle driving on the north side "with smoke coming out of it," according to a statement from the police department.

Fama found the car pulled over on the shoulder of Route 1 near Northumberland Way with the driver -- a 59-year-old woman from New Brunswick -- standing outside the vehicle, the statement said.

The woman, according to police in the statement, said she was "just driving her black Volvo when smoke started to appear."

Fama guided her back to his police cruiser, which he moved further away from the smoking vehicle when the car "became engulfed in smoke and flames," the statement said.

No one was injured.

Route 1 had to be shut down in both directions until firefighters from the Monmouth Junction Fire Department extinguished the fire.

Officials in the statement said the "exact cause of the fire is unknown."

Officials reopened the highway at around 10:15 a.m.

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

A school in Edison was placed on lockdown after a mysterious substance caused a smokey, powder cloud.

File Photo 

EDISON -- A school for special-needs children was placed on lockdown Wednesday after the "disposal of an unknown substance" briefly caused a mysterious "smokey or powdery cloud" from a Dumpster near the school, according to a statement from the township fire department.

The Lakeview School and Treatment Center on Tall Oak Road was locked down for roughly 90 minutes Wednesday afternoon "as firefighters and hazmat crews searched the dumpster for the source of the cloud," the statement said.

However, firefighters could not find the source, said Capt. Andew Toth, the town's emergency management coordinator, in the statement.

"Hazmat came up empty-handed," he said. "There was no fire, but whatever caused the smokey or powdery cloud quickly dissipated or burned itself off."

According to the statement, witnesses told authorities that shortly before 1 p.m. they saw a "smoke or powder cloud emanating from the Dumpster" -- which is strictly used by the school.

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

Woodbridge announced an aggressive campaign to destroy mosquito breeding grounds, like abandoned pools and buildings.

WOODBRIDGE -- Two Middlesex County towns Wednesday made announcements about new efforts to eliminate the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus, and to make summer safer.

Woodbridge officials combined two of their programs and launched an aggressive attack on possible mosquito breeding grounds -- abandoned properties and pools.

Perth Amboy is partnering with the Middlesex County Mosquito Control Commission to bring awareness to residents about the Zika virus and how to avoid the Asian tiger mosquito and getting bitten.

Standing in front of an abandoned home on Crampton Avenue, Mayor John McCormac said the abandoned homes, and even more so the pools, not only serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes but are also a safety risk.

"It doesn't take much for mosquitoes to breed in these abandoned pools or in standing waters on these properties," McCormac said. "But these pools are also a safety risk. Neighborhood children can get into them and drown."

He said the pool being removed Wednesday afternoon had a fence around it, but the garage door to the house was open and "kids could have gotten through to the pool using the garage."

McCormac said Woodbridge officials have identified more than a dozen abandoned pools throughout the township and plan to empty and remove them. But officials are relying on the public to help, hoping residents report abandoned pools and properties.

The mayor said he is hoping the increasing alarm brought on by the Zika virus will make people doubly aware of how important it is to also police their own properties and make sure there is no standing water around that could be used by mosquitoes to breed.

Dennis Green, the township's health official, said the township work's closely with the Middlesex County Mosquito Extermination Commission in an effort to eliminate as many mosquito breeding areas as possible, but he said residents need to help.

"Every resident has to do his or her part," Green said. "They need standing water to breed. Check your property regularly for standing water. Empty flower pots, pet food and water dishes, bird baths, buckets, barrels and cans at least once a week."

Green and the mayor said residents should call the township's hotline - 732-726-2325 - to report abandoned pools and properties to the township's Department of Public Works.

Perth Amboy is also working with the county mosquito commission, and is asking residents to eliminate or manage all sources of standing water on their property, at least once a week.

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

A New Brunswick man was arrested and charged with first-degree distribution of cocaine, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

FRANKLIN TWP. -- A New Brunswick man who allegedly sold an undercover detective more than 200 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of $20,500 has been arrested, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office announced in a release Wednesday.

Pablo Juarez-Ortega, 47, of Somerset Street, allegedly met with an undercover detective assigned to the county's Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force on three separate occasions before he was arrested in the sting operation, it was stated in the news release.

Pablo Juarez-Ortega (Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)

Juarez-Ortega has been charged with first-degree distribution of cocaine and is being held in Somerset County Jail on $200,000 cash-only bail.

It was stated in the news release:

On May 12 at approximately 8 p.m., Juarez-Ortega allegedly met with the undercover detective on Somerset Street and sold him 15 grams of cocaine.

On May 26 at approximately 7:30 p.m., the pair met again in the area and the detective allegedly purchased 30 grams of cocaine.

Then, on May 31 at approximately 2:30 p.m., they met a third time in the same area and Juarez-Ortega allegedly sold the detective 160 grams of cocaine.

Once the transaction was completed, authorities moved in and arrested Juarez-Ortega without incident, according to the news release.

For as long as cameras have been around to take pictures, there have been a wealth of celebrities in New Jersey to photograph.

When I was nine years old, President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin chose to have a political summit at what was then known as Glassboro State College, now Rowan University.

Glassboro didn't get on the cover of Newsweek all that often.from the author's collection 

It was a BIG deal.

Aside from the fact that these were, arguably, the two most powerful men in the world at that time, the more pragmatic reason for widespread excitement was that famous people just didn't stop by Glassboro very often ... or Vineland or Malaga or Elmer or Newfield or any other of the myriad towns I knew growing up.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

But that's not to say it was a particularly unusual event for New Jersey.

For as long as cameras have been around to take pictures, there have been a wealth of subjects in the state who were major players in their field. This gallery is just a small sampling of them - from poets and physicists to actors and airmen, players of sports and players of musical instruments, people whose fame came from their pursuit of peace or their interest in entertaining or educating us.

These aren't people New Jersey can claim as its own --  we'll visit with them in our annual gallery covering famous people from New Jersey. For now, enjoy these pictures of the well-known as they were passing through.

Can't get enough? Links to previous galleries are here and here. Maybe you'll find some of the other folks you're thinking about.

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

Softball: The NJ.com Top 20 for June 2

Top boys storylines to follow at the NJSIAA Group track & field championshps

Who will take it to the next level? Check out NJ.com's picks.

Attorneys for Matthew Sheridan are seeking to have his third-degree possession of cocaine charge dismissed.

SOMERVILLE -- Attorneys for Matthew Sheridan filed a motion Tuesday in Somerset County Superior Court seeking the dismissal of an indictment for third-degree possession of cocaine, claiming their client was promised he would not be prosecuted.

According to court documents filed by attorneys Henry E. Klingeman and Ernesto Cerimele, Matthew Sheridan also alleges he is being prosecuted in retaliation for his family's criticism of the investigation into the death of his parents, John and Joyce Sheridan.

The couple was found dead in the burning bedroom of the Montgomery Township they shared with Matthew home on Sept. 28, 2014, in what has been ruled a murder-suicide.

Their four sons have contested that determination, submitting evidence that contradicts the determination that John killed his wife, set their bedroom on fire and then stabbed himself. John Sheridan was the chief executive officer of Cooper Health System and a prominent figure in New Jersey politics. 

On the day their bodies were discovered, a small quantity of cocaine was allegedly found in Matthew Sheridan's vehicle after he returned to the home from a fishing trip to Fishers' Island in New York with his friend, William Couch, according to documents filed by Matthew Sheridan's attorneys.

Brother: Sheridan indictment is punishment

The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office and family spokesman Mark Sheridan did not respond to requests for comments. Klingeman, reached Thursday, said he had no further comment. "We said all we wanted to say in our filing," Klingeman stated.

A hearing on the cocaine possession charge is scheduled for June 15 before Somerset County Superior Court Judge Yolanda Ciccone.

The brothers -- including Peter, a federal judge in Newark; Mark, an attorney; John; Timothy; and Daniel -- had come to the Montgomery Township home after learning of the death of their parents. Couch was also present.

Who killed the Sheridans?

While at the home, Mark Sheridan reportedly discussed if they should speak to authorities without the presence of attorneys, according to court documents, which also state the brothers, along with Couch, agreed to be questioned without legal representation after Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Det. William Federico assured them they were not suspects.

Later that afternoon, a Somerset County Superior Court judge issued a probable cause search warrant for Matthew Sheridan's vehicle. In their filing, Klingeman and Cerimele argue that there was no probable cause for the search warrant to be granted.

According to the motion:

• On Oct. 3, 2014, Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Hawkes told Matthew Sheridan, 41, that charges against him would be dismissed if he agreed to be interviewed. The conversation was put in writing and in a text message to Mark Sheridan.
• The same day, former Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano told Mark Sheridan that Matthew Sheridan wouldn't be prosecuted. Furthermore, Peter Sheridan, the sons' uncle and a federal judge, was assured by Hawkes on Jan. 23, 2015, that Matthew Sheridan wouldn't be prosecuted.
• On March 17, Matthew Sheridan was indicted on a charge of third-degree possession of cocaine by a Middlesex County grand jury.
• The case, which was originally transferred to Middlesex County to avoid a conflict of interest, has been transferred back to be heard in Somerset County Superior Court, but will continue to be prosecuted by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

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