One option on the table is closing the office and contracting with the Middlesex County Medical Examiner's Office.

TRENTON -- Mercer County's two medical examiners plan to retire at the end of this year and that has county officials mulling several options on the future of the office.

One option on the table is closing the office and contracting with the Middlesex County Medical Examiner's Office, which assumed Monmouth County's medical examiner duties earlier this year, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes said Thursday.

Other options include joining one of the two state-run regional medical examiner offices, as well as hiring new medical examiners and expanding the Mercer office and possibly taking on another county's duties and becoming a regional office.

"Sharing services is driving this discussion," Hughes said.

Hughes said Dr. Raafat Ahmad and Dr. Daksha Shah both plan to retire at the end of 2016.

Dr. Raafat Ahmad and the autopsy table at the Mercer medical examiner's office in this file photo. 

Ahmad, who runs the office, has been with the county for 36 years and Shah, who is part time, is a 35-year veteran.

Ahmad earns an annual salary of $154,993.00 and Shah $54,500.

The office has a full-time clerical staff of two, plus contracted employees. If the county closes the office, Hughes said, they plan to reassign the two full-time employees to other county offices.

Hughes said leaders at the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office's Homicide Task Force recently toured Middlesex County's facility in North Brunswick - which Middlesex County describes as state-of-the-art.

It's the most geographically logical choice, Hughes said, because it's an adjoining county.

Middlesex County announced earlier this year they were absorbing all Monmouth County medical examiner duties as of April 1, and that autopsies and examinations would occur at their North Brunswick office.

Monmouth County will pay Middlesex $1.4 million annually as part of a 10-year agreement.

The two counties have had a relationship since 2009, when Middlesex County assumed administrative oversight of Monmouth County's medical examiner services.

Hughes said one of the issues in expanding the Mercer office is that it's currently on the grounds of the Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing.

Although the airport is county owned, the FAA requires the medical examiner's office to pay rent to the airport's owner - Mercer County - because it's performing a non-airport use on airport grounds.

Hughes called the setup a "complicated breaking even process."

No official plans have been drafted, and Hughes said his administration still needs to hammer out what it would cost Mercer to join the Middlesex/Monmouth arrangement.

Other offices that perform medical examiner services are the two state offices: the Northern Regional Medical Examiner Office, which serves Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Somerset counties, and the Southern Regional Medical Examiner Office, which covers Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties.

Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties operate a regional facility, as well as Morris, Sussex and Warren counties.

Hughes said his his overall goal is to present a plan to the county freeholder board that will control county taxes.

"We're taking a look at all the possibilities we have," Hughes said.

Earlier this year, Hughes announced he wanted to effectively close the Mercer County Correction Center in Hopewell Township and enter into an agreement with Hudson County, which would jail 600 inmates for Mercer County.

The plan, in which Mercer County would pay Hudson County about $21 million per year in a two-year contract, would lead to layoffs and was met with vehement opposition from correction officers and jail staffers.

Hughes has touted the plan as a $20 million savings for Mercer County once up and running.

In March, Mercer County decided to hire consultants to study two parts of its plan, which slowed the pace of the plan.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A bracket-by-bracket breakdown with the key to each sectional final

A motor vehicle crash has caused lanes to be closed on Route 18 in New Brunswick.

File Photo 

NEW BRUNSWICK -- The northbound express lanes on Route 18 have been closed due to a motor vehicle crash Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from police.

At around 4 p.m., officials said in the statement that northbound traffic would be detoured onto local lanes.

Motorists traveling in the area should anticipate delays, officials added.

Route 18 southbound lanes remain open, the statement said.

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

There's a new wrinkle that should cause quiz scores to spike.

Big change in this week's NJ.com news quiz. You're going to get links to the stories that were the inspiration for each of the questions in this week's quiz. So if you feel you need to prep, all you need is right here. I took the liberty of changing one headline that totally gave away the answer to one question, but the rest are legit.

I expect this new feature to cause a huge spike in quiz scores.

• Clinton cancels Thursday campaign event in N.J.
• N.J. town bans leaf blowers
• Driver lands on top of 2 parked vehicles in church parking lot
• Don't vote for Trump, [SOMEBODY] tells primary voters
• The results of our great pork roll vs. Taylor ham battle divide N.J.
• 1st baby born in N.J. hospital with Zika-related birth defect
• Meet the Super Bowl champ likely to run for governor

 Ready? Let's go ...

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter, and find NJ.com on Facebook.

Boynton Beach featured rides and attractions, bathing and rowboats, and dancing.

WOODBRIDGE TOWNSHIP -- This photo of the Schroeder family holding Boynton Beach flags was taken between 1905 and 1910.

According to Joseph Demuth, the Schroeders were regular visitors to Boynton Beach, where they would picnic and swim.

The Woodbridge Township Historic Preservation Commission notes that local manufacturer Cassimir Boynton purchased waterfront land on the Arthur Kill in what is now Sewaren and opened an amusement park and beach resort in 1877. Boynton Beach featured rides and attractions, bathing and rowboats, and dancing with a live orchestra on Saturday evenings.

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.

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

 

Pepper would likely make a nice addition to most any home.

Pepper 

EAST BRUNSWICK -- Pepper is a 3-year-old cat who lost her home due to a family member's severe allergies.

Currently in the care of New Beginnings Animal Rescue, volunteers say she is a "super soft" cat who gets along well with other felines and would likely make a nice addition to most any home.

Pepper is FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Pepper, call 732-238-1348 or email info@newbeginningsanimalrescuenj.org. New Beginnings is an all-volunteer group committed to finding homes for pets in Middlesex County. The group is currently caring for 45 cats and five dogs.

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.

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

 

The state's crackdown on municipalities that have stalled ordering revaluations has gone unheeded in in Middlesex County.

TRENTON -- Middlesex County is the lone holdout among three New Jersey counties the state considers bad actors for failing to order long-overdue revaluations in municipalities under their control.

Union County last week voted to order Westfield and Winfield to undergo revaluations and reset property values, NJ Advance Media has learned. And in the last two months, Hudson County has sent similar decrees to East Newark and Harrison.

That leaves Middlesex County, home to nine boroughs and townships that haven't reassessed in at least 25 years, as the only county where the state Division of Taxation's crackdown on local governments has gone unheeded.

"The Union and Hudson County boards of taxation are making some progress with respect to delinquent revaluations, however, the Middlesex County Board of Taxation has not," Treasury Department spokesman Joe Perone said. "Middlesex has the only county tax board in the entire state that has not ordered a town to conduct an involuntary revaluation."

State busts cities for violating reval orders

Revaluations can be costly and unpopular, as ultimately some taxpayers will wind up paying more, even as others pay less. 

Middlesex County Board of Taxation Administrator Irving Verosloff did not return repeated messages requesting comment. Richard Lorentzen, president of the Board of Taxation, declined to comment on Thursday.

The state took aim at these three counties in November, announcing it was opening investigations into municipalities within each that had allowed their property valuations to fall out of compliance with state rules.

Thirty-two New Jersey municipalities had not held reassessments or revaluations in at least 25 years when the state launched this effort last winter. All but two of those are in Middlesex, Union and Hudson counties. Pemberton Township in Burlington County and Port Republic in Atlantic County were also on the list but both have revaluations underway. 

In April, the division ordered the three targeted municipalities -- Jersey City in Hudson County, Elizabeth in Union County, and Dunellen in Middlesex County -- to set revaluations in motion.

In announcing those orders, Acting Director of the Division of Taxation John Ficara blasted the county tax boards, saying their "failed supervision" was partly to blame.

"The county tax boards were complicit in this conduct by their abject failure to provide oversight of these municipalities," Ficara said. "They have a fiduciary responsibility to recommend revaluations, where warranted, in their respective taxing districts. Instead, they ignored the mandates of the state Constitution and, thereby, shirked their responsibilities."    

The state then launched a second round of investigations of five more: South River in Middlesex County, Harrison and East Newark in Hudson County, and Westfield and Winfield in Union County.

On May 26, the Union County Board of Taxation voted to order Winfield to complete a revaluation for 2018 and Westfield for 2019, Administrator Christopher Duryee confirmed this week, adding that the board is "looking at" whether it will take similar action against other towns in its jurisdiction.

Among the eight municipalities targeted by the state, only South River has escaped a mandated revaluation so far. It also remains the state's only open investigation.

Mayor John Krenzel has said this is the wrong time for South River to reassess its real estate stock, which is still dealing with the effects of Hurricane Sandy, during which "the river came in, made a mess, filled houses with mud, debris and mold," he said.

Nearly 60 homes have already been razed, and the borough faces the prospect of losing another 60, he noted.

Krenzel wasn't opposed to conducting a revaluation when he took office as mayor of the small, blue-collar community back in 2012. But Sandy shook up his borough's priorities, and certainly that deserves some consideration, he said.

"I know that it is necessary, and it will have to be done. But not now," Krenzel said. "2020, 2021, it's going to come. But not right now."

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

The university is warning all incoming students that the vaccination is "strongly recommended."

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University is advising all returning and incoming undergraduate students at its New Brunswick campus to get an extra vaccination this summer after two cases of meningitis at the university this spring. 

The vaccine is designed to protect against meningitis B, a strain not covered by the the routine meningitis vaccine students living in college housing are required to get under state law.

Though rare, the contagious infection that begins with with flu-like symptoms can kill or cause serious disabilities. 

Rutgers had previously warned returning students that they should get the vaccine whether or not they live on campus. The university this week informed all incoming students that the precaution is "strongly recommended." 

The Food and Drug Administration approved the meningitis B vaccines in 2014 and 2015. Rutgers is recommending students receive a vaccine available under the trade name Trumenba, which comes in three doses. 

The university advises students to receive both the first and second dose before the fall semester. The second dose is administered one or two months after the first, the university said. 

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

A look at New Jersey players in the NCAA Tournament

A look at the top boys track and field athletes of this century

The three drug deals took place in parking lots in Franklin Township in May

FRANKLIN  -- A New Brunswick man accused of selling 160 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of $16,000 to an undercover detective last month has been arrested, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday.

Josue Carrasco (Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)

Josue Carrasco, 33, of Andy Street, sold drugs on three occasions in May to the undercover detective with the county's Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force before he was arrested, authorities said.

Carrasco has been charged with first-degree distribution of cocaine and is being held in Somerset County Jail. Authorities didn't release his bail amount.

The drug deals occurred May 12, 19 and 31 in the parking lock of a Somerset Street restaurant and food store. In the third deal, Carrasco sold the detective 130 grams of cocaine and was arrested, authorities said.

The drug sting arrest was the second announced by the prosecutor's office on Wednesday.

Pablo Juarez-Ortega, 47, of Somerset Street in New Brunswick, was arrested after a similar sting in which he allegedly sold an uncovered detective more than 200 grams of cocaine during three meetings. The cocaine had an estimated street value of $20,500, authorities said.

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

Five people were arrested and drugs seized by police after a two-month investigation in East Brunswick.

EAST BRUNSWICK -- A two-month investigation into a drug distribution ring allegedly run by a township resident led to the arrests of five people last month, according to township police.

Police said when they executed the search warrant at a Dalston Street house in the early morning hours of May 17 that led to the arrests, they seized heroin, cocaine, various prescription pills, $5,000 in cash, a stun gun and a rifle.

Police said Friday morning the department's anti-crime unit, with the help of the department's SWAT, arrested Lazaro Ruiz, 46, on charges of possession of heroin, distribution of heroin, and possession and distribution of narcotics in a school zone.

Authorities said Ruiz was renting a room from Michael Rangel, 29, in a residence on Dalston Street. Rangel was also charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The others arrested included Samantha Miller, 32, of New Brunswick, who was charged with possession of heroin, distribution of heroin and possession and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a school zone; Angelica Nicastro, 29, of Clifton (originally from East Brunswick), charged with possession of heroin, distribution of heroin, and possession and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in a school zone; and Phillip Painter, 31, of Staten Island, charged with heroin and possession of a hypodermic syringe.

Miller and Nicastro were remanded to the Middlesex County jail. Ruiz and Rangel are out on $100,000 bail and Painter was released on his own recognizance.

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

A 5-year-old boy was killed by a UPS truck on Thursday, police say.

WOODBRIDGE TWP. -- A UPS truck ran over and killed a 5-year-old Iselin boy Thursday evening as the boy chased a ball under the truck, police said.

At about 6:30 p.m., the driver of the truck -- a 38-year-old male whose name was not released by police -- had just finished making a delivery at an apartment complex on Cheryl Drive, officials said. 

The driver got back in the truck without seeing the boy, who was still under the vehicle, and as the man began to drive, the boy was run over and killed, according to Capt. Roy Hoppock of the Woodbridge Police Department.

No charges have been filed at the time, said Hoppock, who described the incident as "a tragedy."

"I can't imagine," he said, referring to the parents of the child.

The incident, however, remains under investigation, Hoppock said. 

Satya, a man who said he lived in Building 6 at the Village Apartments on Cheryl Drive, the same building as the boy's family, said he heard the soccer ball the boy was playing with pop when the child was struck.

"It sounded like a small explosion," said Satya, who declined to give his last name.

Satya, who has two 8-year-old twin boys, said he did not see the 5-year-old boy get hit, but said about 10 children were outside playing when the incident occurred. He is unsure of which kids saw what.

"It takes a split second to happen," he said. "He was just a little kid. He had a lot of years left."

The boy was an only child, Satya said. He said the family is still grieving and is not in the right state to talk about the incident.

Stanly Samuel, 34, and Esther Victor, 31, who for a year have lived across the street from where the boy was struck, said they were putting their two children, 2 and 4, in the car when they also heard the ball pop. 

Samuel said the UPS driver got out of his vehicle immediately and made a phone call. Police and emergency responders were on scene in about five to 10 minutes, he said. 

While there is a playground down the street, Samuel said one for older children needs to be installed so incidents like this don't occur. 

"We don't have a proper playground here for older kids," he said. 

Dwaraka Yallaturu, 45, who also lives in the same complex as the boy's family, said the family moved to the neighborhood from North Carolina about three months ago. They were planning on leaving New Jersey soon, he said, to head for Texas. 

As for Yallaturu, he said he does not know how to tell his twin 7-year-old boys about what happened. The child used to come over and play with him and his kids frequently. 

"One of my kids is very sensitive," he said. "I don't know how he is going to react. I don't know."

Reporter Luke Nozicka contributed to this report

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

Three men were arrested in the Fords section of Woodbridge for drug distribution following a lengthy investigation.

WOODBRIDGE -- An investigation by the township police department's special investigations unit into drug distribution led to the arrest of three men, seizure of drugs and a loaded handgun Thursday, police said.

A weeks-long investigation included extensive surveillance of the three individuals -- Anthony Smith, 37, and Antony Vaughn, 36, both of the Fords section of Woodbridge and Tarlton Jesse O'Neil, 36, Perth Amboy, Woodbridge police said in a news release.

Detectives tried to arrest Smith and O'Neil "during a suspected drug transaction at a hotel in the Fords section of town" on Thursday, but they fled and a "lengthy foot chase ensued," police said. The two were ultimately caught and drugs were found, the statement said.

Immediately after the arrests, detectives went to a home on New Brunswick Avenue where they arrested Vaughn and conducted a search. Vaughn and Smith lived at the home.

"It should be noted that Smith was a wanted fugitive out of Virginia in reference to a shooting and a loaded handgun was recovered at the residence," police said in the news release.

About 10 grams of crack cocaine, more than 150 bags of heroin, pills, and marijuana, and a loaded 9mm handgun were found in the house.

Smith was charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession of controlled dangerous substances and resisting arrest.

Vaughn was charged with controlled dangerous substances offense with a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for unlawful purposes, certain persons not to possess a firearm, possession of controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute within 500 feet of public property, possession with intent to distribute, possession of controlled dangerous substances, endangering the welfare of children.

Bail for both men was set at $50,000 without the 10-percent option.

O'Neil was charged with possession of controlled dangerous substances, prescription legend drug offense and possession of marijuana. He was released on his own recognizance.

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

Comedian Tracy Morgan showed the team that returned him to health how well they did Thursday night from a comedy club stage.

NEW YORK -- Comedian Tracy Morgan's audience at Caroline's Broadway was very special to him -- it was filled with the team that helped rehabilitate him after an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike in 2014 nearly cost him his life.

The team is from JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison, where Morgan was taken after he recuperated enough from his injuries at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick to begin the arduous rehabilitation process.

"You are the people who saved my life. I can never really thank you enough," an emotional Morgan said Thursday night to the nurses, physicians, physical therapists and other members of the health care team that cared for him at the facility, according to a statement from the institute.

The team attended Morgan's stand-up comedy show so he could hand out the first 'Tracy Morgan Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation Nursing," created to honor a rehabilitation nurse at the institute, the statement said.

The award will be given out annually to a JFK Johnson nurse who exhibits the highest levels of skills and compassion in rehabilitation nursing, officials said.

The winner was Jackie Chirichella, who treated Morgan.

He said she always told him he would get better, "and I did," Morgan said, according to a statement from the institute.

Sara Cuccurullo, vice president and medical director of the institute, said, "we created this award to thank Tracy Morgan for the inspiration he continues to provide to our patients and for the light he shines on the skills, compassion and specialized training of rehabilitation nurses."

She said he talks about his story of recovery and puts a focus on rehabilitation nursing during his comedy routines.

Morgan suffered broken bones and head injuries in the June 7, 2014 crash in Cranbury that killed his friend, comedian Jimmy McNair, and injured two other fellow comedians as well as Morgan's assistant.

The limousine they were riding in was struck from behind by a Wal-Mart truck driven by a man named Kevin Roper, 37, of Georgia, who is now awaiting trial on charges of aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and eight counts of aggravated assault.

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

The school held the prom at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village in Plainsboro.

PLAINSBORO -- West Windsor Plainsboro High School North held their prom Friday night at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village.

The Times of Trenton and NJ.com were there to capture images of the students at the celebration. The prom's theme was New Orleans and Mardi Gras.

Check back for other local high school prom coverage in the coming weeks, and be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for a link in the photo caption or click here to purchase the picture.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Let's see your prom photos. Post your pictures on Twitter and Instragram with #njprom. We'll retweet and repost our favorites on Twitter @njdotcom and Instagram @njdotcompix.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

NEW BRUNSWICK — Students from Edison High School turned out in their finest for prom at the Hyatt Regency. The prom theme was "A night at the grammy's." Please check out our photos from before the event. Prom season is in full swing and NJ.com is capturing the moments for many New Jersey high schools. Check back at nj.com/middlesex for other local...

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Students from Edison High School turned out in their finest for prom at the Hyatt Regency.

The prom theme was "A night at the grammy's."

Please check out our photos from before the event.

Prom season is in full swing and NJ.com is capturing the moments for many New Jersey high schools. Check back at nj.com/middlesex for other local high school prom coverage in the coming weeks.

Be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for a link in the photo caption or click here to purchase the picture. You'll have the ability to order prints in a variety of sizes, or products like magnets, keychains, coffee mugs and more.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Let's see your prom photos. Post your pictures on Twitter and Instragram with #njprom. We'll retweet and repost our favorites on Twitter @njdotcom and Instagram @njdotcompix.

Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Find NJ.COM on Facebook.

The wild sectional tournament ride had some more thrills to give