A look at the stars from each conference in Week 1 of New Jersey football.

The football team kneeled for the national anthem on Saturday prior to a game against Highland to draw attention to social issues and economic disparities.

The relatives were charged after police executed a search warrant at their Route 539 home in Manchester Township.

MANCHESTER - A mother and son were charged with drug-related offenses Tuesday after police searched a home on Route 539 in the Whiting section of town, police said.

The search at 10 a.m. Tuesday uncovered evidence of a marijuana grow operations, as well as two long guns and a high-capacity rifle magazine, police said. 

Approximately 2.5 pounds of marijuana were seized, in addition to paraphernalia associated with the growing, harvesting, packaging and distribution of marijuana, police said.

Joseph W. Schweitzer, 23, and Karen M. Schweitzer, 67, both of Route 539 in Manchester, were arrested. Police said the pair were mother and son.

Joseph Schweitzer was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana over 50 grams, possession of a high capacity magazine and possession of drug paraphernalia.  He was taken to the Ocean County Jail after being unable to post his $25,000 bail with a 10-percent option.

Karen Schweitzer was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.  She was later released on a summons.  

Members of the Manchester Police Department's Investigations and Patrol Bureaus along with the K-9 Unit, and Lakehurst Police Department assisted the Narcotics Enforcement Team at the scene.

Manchester Township residents were reminded that drug related tips can be reported to the Manchester Police Division anonymously at 732-657-6111 or online via the Department's website at  www.manchesterpolicenj.com.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Doting dad was described as a warm, generous and kind-hearted soul at his funeral.

NORTH PLAINFIELD -- Three years later, Darren Cole, Jr. is still seeking closure, the void in his young life seems to get bigger everyday, he fears the person who took his dad and best friend away from him will never be brought to justice.

Darren J. Cole, Sr., of Brick Township, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver at approximately 8:28 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2013 on Route 22 westbound near the intersection of Wilson Road. The driver of the vehicle remains at large.

Cole, Sr. was 42 years old.

Wednesday is the third anniversary of Cole Sr.'s senseless death and his family prays that there will one day be an arrest in the case. The family plans a quiet day of reflection at home, flipping through pictures, sharing memories and shedding tears.

"Though finding who did this doesn't lessen our loss the fact that someone is out there who struck and killed my father and left him for dead without at least stopping certainly leaves a huge hole in all of our hearts," said Cole, Jr., 21, of Toms River, the oldest of three kids - Kendall Cole 20, and Adam Cole, 6 are the others - Cole, Sr. left behind.

"Life is and always will be different without my father with us and we miss him dearly. He and my mother divorced but they remained best friends. We have a close family. We want to keep his name alive. We don't want this case to be forgotten. The person who killed my dad is still out there."

Cole, Sr., who worked at a nearby car dealership, was at work when he was killed, said Cole Jr. He was apparently crossing Route 22, perhaps going to a store, when he was struck, said Cole, Jr.

Ex-firefighter killed in hit-and-run

Authorities don't have any leads as nearby surveillance videos yielded little, said Cole, Jr. It's believed that the vehicle that struck his dad was a Ford Explorer, he said. 

Capt. Jack Bennett, spokesman for the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, said the investigation into the fatal hit-and-run is ongoing.

Darren J. Cole, raised in Brick Township and a graduate of Brick Township High School, loved to surf and golf, said his son. The pair were extremely close. Cole, Jr. reminisced about the kid-sized set of golf clubs his father bought him as a child and their days together at Myrtle Beach, enjoying the surf and golfing.

"My dad was one of my best friends," said Cole, Jr., a junior at Kean College at Ocean County. "It's been so hard not having him to go to and talk about life and the difficult decisions you have to make. I would always go to him for advice on everything."

Crime Stoppers of Somerset County has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the driver and the Cole family has matched that, said Cole, Jr.

Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding the accident to call the Somerset County Crime Stoppers' Tip Line at 1-888-577-8477 or go online at www.888577tips.org or www.scpo.net and click on either "Crime Stoppers" or "TIPS HOTLINE." All tips will be kept confidential.

"Everyday is hard but the holidays are always the hardest," said Cole, Jr. "That's when the whole family gets together and you always feel like you're missing a link."

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

The opening of a beachside bar amid unspoiled nature of Island Beach State Park draws raves and concerns.

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP -- For more than a half century, Island Beach State Park has been the place to go for New Jersey nature lovers looking for unspoiled beaches, wind swept dunes and wildlife ranging from songbirds to humpback whales.

Now parkgoers can top off their day in the park with a $3 Miller Lite or a pineapple dream cocktail.

The park's first ever bar, dubbed The Red Fox Tiki Bar and Grill, opened quietly Sept. 8 near an existing snack bar and a concession area in the ten-mile long park. Whether its arrival is worth toasting, however, depends on your point of view.

Named after the commonly spotted foxes that roam the park, state officials hope the open air tiki bar will provide another lure for visitors and raise much needed revenue for a cash-starved state parks system.

"Our park system is in need of services to help it become more self-sustaining,'' said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Larry Hajna. "There's just not enough revenues coming in and we don't have to raise our entrance fees for people, especially for our state residents. "

Hajna said the approach is based on that of the U.S. National Park Service, which has private contractors running restaurants, hotels and other attractions throughouth national parks across the country.

"It's certainly not different from what other communities are offering and it offers a service that will help keep the park sustainable" Hajna said.

But the Christie administration's efforts to parks to more private business has been the source of long-simmering controversy, with Liberty State Park being the primary flashpoint so far.

The appearance of the tiki bar on the most pristine stretch of the state's heavily developed shoreline is raising concerns among environmentalists that they could face a similar fight there.

In June, the DEP hired the food vendor that operates the adjacent snack bar, PPCF Inc., to open the small 100-seat bar at the park's northern swimming beach, according to the DEP's website. The company also operates Chippy's Fresh French Fries on the Point Pleasant boardwalk, and Jimmy's Cucina restaurant in Brielle.

Hajna said information on how much PPCF was paying the state for the liquor concession was not immediately available. While he could not provide exact figures, PPCF owner Jim Miller said his five-year-contract calls for him to turn over a percentage of of his sales revenue to the state. 

Possession of alcohol is limited to within a fenced-in area that includes the plywood-constructed bar, a tent over the bar and 20 small tables on a patio.

Visitors to the park are still prohibited from possessing alcohol anywhere else in the park.

On a sparkling late summer day Tuesday, visitors appeared taken aback by the appearance of a full service bar on their favorite beach. Several beachgoers lugging their chairs to the beach stopped and stood slack-jawed at the sight of a sandwich board advertising a list of beers and cocktails. "We were so happy to see it,'' said Anita Marchetti of Manchester Township, sipping a Pineapple Dream cocktail at the bar while Bob Marley music played over the speakers. "It's been the only thing missing from this beach."

Seated two stools over, Marchetti's nephew's wife visiting from Pennsylvania for the day called the idea "sheer genius."

But not everyone is ready to party.

On the Facebook page operated by the concession operators, several commenters worried the arrival of a bar -- and the bar crowd -- would alter the vibe of a place many head to specifically for its lack of bars and other commercial attractions. Jeff Tittel, head of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club, said he had no problem with a small "beer and a burger" operation opening up in the park.

But he worried about what he called the latest step by the Administration of Gov. Chris Christie to privatize and introduce larger scale commercial businesses into state parks. 

"I'm concerned this is like the camel's nose in the tent," he said. "Sometimes things start small and then get big. My main concern is that this doesn't open up the park for bigger development or commercialization."

Tittel added the administration's efforts to bring more commercial ventures to other state parks and plans to install a sewer line into Island Beach State Park raise concerns that more commercial ventures could be in the works for the barrier island park. 

In a 2011 report entitled "Sustainable Funding Strategy for New Jersey State Parks" state officials said "safe and reliable access to state parks is at risk" due to staff reductions and budget cuts.

The report called for new initiatives to increase revenue for parks, but also cited Island Beach State Park as the only state park that generates more revenue than it costs to run.

Jim Miller, the owner of the new bar, said he has no plans to expand the capacity beyond the 100 seats allowed by his contract, but does hope to replace the temporary tent with a more permanent open-air structure. 

"We're not looking to make it like a boardwalk with flashing lights," Miller said. "We're trying to keep it pretty conservative and just have a place where people can go and relax."

Brian Donohue may be reached at bdonohue@njadvancemedia.com Follow him on Twitter @briandonohue. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The suspect claimed he dropped the dog while cleaning her, authorities said

Nicholas Piccolino(Ocean County Jail) 

TOMS RIVER -- A Seaside Heights man has been charged with beating a dog to death while her owner was away, authorities said Wednesday.

Nicholas Piccolino, 33, told the dog's owner that he dropped the pet while he was cleaning her, but a necropsy showed the dog, a 10-year-old female Bichon Frise name Booshu, suffered multiple blunt force injuries to her head and body which contributed to her death, authorities said.

The charge against Niccolino on Wednesday was filed the same day investigators received the necropsy report and finished interviewing witnesses, said Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and NJ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals president Steve Shatkin.

Niccolino was alone with the dog around 9:55 p.m.  on Aug. 19 when a resident of the house who was upstairs heard several loud bangs and the sound of a dog yelping downstairs, Shatkin and Coronato said.

Piccolino told Booshu's owner that something was wrong with the dog and the owner later found her pet dead on the bathroom floor, according to the investigation by NJSPCA Detective Sgt. Larry Donato and Seaside Heights police.

Piccolino claimed Booshu "dirtied" herself in her crate and that he dropped her while he was cleaning her, Coronato and Shatkin said.

Booshu was taken to Red Bank Animal Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival, authorities said.

Piccolino was charged with torment, torture, unnecessarily or cruelly beating a living animal resulting in death, a third-degree offense

He was being held in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River in lieu of $35,000 bail.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Police said the teens were part of a larger group caught vandalizing another building near the yeshiva

LAKEWOOD -- Lakewood police arrested a pair of teenagers who they say were responsible for spray-painting swastikas and other anti-Semitic messages at the playground of a yeshiva in town last month.

Officers Dennis Dowden, Matthew Richardson and Joshua Spagnuolo were dispatched Monday to a building on Second Street on a report of trespassing, said Lt. Gregory Staffordsmith, spokesman for the Lakewood Police Department.

When they arrived, the officers found six teenagers vandalizing the building by breaking out several windows with a sledgehammer, Staffordsmith said.

Because of the proximity of that building to Yeshiva Ketana School, whose playground on Second Street was vandalized on Aug. 25, Detectives Michael Cavallo and Oscar Valmon investigated further and determined two of the teens were responsible for the swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti at the yeshiva, Staffordsmith said.

The teens - 13 and 14 years old - were charged with bias intimidation and criminal mischief, he said. He said the four other teens - also males- were charged in Monday's incident.

Today, smart phones make it easy, expected, in fact, to take a picture of everything and anything.

I love photographs, and I especially love poring through old photographs.

I just wish more of them were my own.

Picture-taking is such a common part of our lives today that it hardly requires a second thought. Camera phones make it so easy to record everything that's going on to share with others.

You look away for just a second ... and it's pie-time for the dog.Courtesy of the Hatala family 

But it wasn't so easy in the 1960s and 1970s when I was growing up. Cameras had limited shots on their film rolls, and there was no way of knowing if the picture had come out until it was developed. Film cost money, and so did developing. Polaroid instant cameras were relatively expensive as was the film, and kind of bulky to carry around.

I think a lot of this added up to getting only "perfect shots" and "special events."

Yet for all the pretty bulky eight-track tapes I kept in my car, it never occurred to me to keep a little Instamatic camera and fire off a few shots every now and again of hanging out with friends.

Today, smart phones equipped with cameras and huge memory make it easy, expected, in fact, to take a picture of everything and anything. Candid photos, therefore, are shot all of the time these days.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

So, perhaps candid photos taken in "the old days" are all the more valuable.  I truly wish I had more than just mental memories of classic moments that could have been recorded on film, but weren't.

Here's a gallery of pictures taken by people who did bring along their cameras to capture vintage slices of life in New Jersey. Make sure captions are enabled to know all there is to know about these classic snapshots.

Can't get enough? Here's a link to our last candid gallery.

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

Take a look at where the top runners in N.J. are ranked

Michael Gibson, a 22-year-old from Toms River, now faces 20 years in prison.

TOMS RIVER - An Ocean County jury found a township man guilty of first-degree robbery on Wednesday even though the bank he was targeting in 2015 was locked by the time he got there.

Shortly before 5:15 p.m. on Oct. 6, 2015, a man - later identified as Michael Gibson, then 22, of Toms River - entered the vestibule of the TD Bank at 2292 Hooper Ave. in Brick Township and displayed what appeared to be a gun, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

He banged on the glass door and tried to get into the bank, but the inner doors were locked because the employees were locking up for the evening.

Toms River resident Michael Gibson admitted to police that he entered the vestibule of a TD Bank with a firearm with the intention of robbing the bank, only to find the doors locked, authorities said. (Ocean County Prosecutor's Office) 

Bank employees and customers still inside the bank hid behind the teller desk until the defendant left, and then contacted police, authorities said.

Gibson left in a blue Toyota, police said.

A person followed the man as he fled the parking lot and followed the Toyota to Beaverson Boulevard, police said. 

Brick Township Police Officers John Ziobro, Brian Farnkopf and Brick Detective Waleski stopped the car in the area of Beaverson Boulevard and Shorrock Street, at which time the defendant was arrested and a black Airsoft handgun was recovered from inside the vehicle, the prosecutor's office said.

Authorities said Gibson admitted in an interview with Detective Thomas Cooney that he brandished the handgun in the vestibule.

Two TD Bank employees, a concerned citizen, patrolman Ziobro and Farnkopf, and detectives Waleski and Cooney testified during the trial. 

Despite Gibson's claim that he had abandoned his purpose to rob the bank, and that the gun was fake, the jury found him guilty of first-degree robbery and third-degree possession of an imitation firearm.

First-degree robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and carries a mandatory period of parole ineligibility of 85 percent of the sentence imposed.  Third-degree possession of an imitation firearm is punishable by up to five years incarceration.

The driver of the vehicle - identified as Sydir Gibson, 20, of Stony Hill Road in Eatontown - was also arrested and charged with robbery, authorities said.

Gibson is being held in the Ocean County Jail without bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for November.   

The state's case was presented by Assistant Prosecutor Ashley Tito, who was assisted by Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Sheehan.

Detective Michael Lepore from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office assisted in the investigation and preparation of the case for trial.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Who is No. 1 in this week's rankings?

A councilman's idea to start allowing dogs on the beaches during the evening never reached any formal discussions.

OCEAN CITY -- The dog beach plan is dead.

The plan, developed by a councilman, would have allowed dogs on the beach during the summer but it never reached any formal discussions after it received stiff resistance from beachgoers.

City Council President Keith Hartzell said he flirted with the idea of allowing dogs on the beaches from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the summer when the popular Shore destination swells in size to more than 115,000 people.  

But Hartzell quickly rescinded the idea after he saw the plethora of negative responses to a local news outlet's story and received emails and phone calls on the issue. 

"When you're in a Shore town, you don't need a controversy," Hartzell said. "If it's not broken, don't fix it. That's really where I ended up."

Like other popular Shore destinations, dogs are not allowed on the beaches in Ocean City from May 1 through Sept. 30. In the offseason, dogs are permitted on most of the city's beaches, but they must be held on a leash.

One of Hartzell's plans included putting a dog-bag stand at every entrance along the 2.5-mile beach, and then charging beachgoers $10 tags to bring their dog on the beach. He said the revenue made from the passes would have offset the costs of the bag stands and the tag-checkers.

But the probability that every single dog owner would not clean up after his or her dog derailed the plan.

"At the end of the day, it would really depend on owners being responsible," Hartzell said. "It started to appear that it would become cumbersome, and people did not believe owners would pick up after their dogs."

He said the last thing he needed for Ocean City, which consistently ranks as one of the top beaches in the Garden State, was for a beachgoer to find dog feces one morning.

"It would go viral," Hartzell said.

Local officials at popular Shore destinations have long grappled with ways to accommodate dog owners who want to enjoy the beach with their companions.

In Manasquan, officials decided to designate one portion of a popular recreation area as a dog beach. In Asbury Park, during the summer, dogs are only allowed on one beach from 6 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. That changes from Oct. 1 through May 15 when dogs are permitted on that same beach all day.

Hartzell said he considered proposing designating one beach in Ocean City as a "dog beach," but then it wouldn't be fair to people who live close to that beach and oppose the idea. Also, it wasn't practical to think that there would always be parking available near the designated dog beach, the councilman said.

For now, Hartzell is scrapping his idea but said he is open to suggestions from residents and tourists alike.

"I'm leaving it open right now," he said.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The two vehicles apparently had a road rage incident approaching the Garden State Parkway

LAKEWOOD -- A school bus driver was reportedly fired after being involved in an apparent road-rage incident with a Fed Ex tractor-trailer in Lakewood exposed by a motorist who recorded the encounter.

The video, posted on Facebook on Wednesday, shows a full-size yellow school bus from Jay's Bus Service behind the tractor-trailer on Airport Road in Lakewood.

As the video progresses, the bus is seen approaching the tractor-trailer from behind at a red traffic light. When the tractor-trailer gets a slow start out of the light, the bus passes the truck on the left and the FedEx driver, not to be outdone, steers to the left, forcing the bus briefly farther into the opposing lanes. No cars were approaching at the time.

The incident ended when the bus took the exit for the Garden State Parkway and the Fed Ex truck continued along Airport Road.

A message left at Jay's Bus Service, which is located in Lakewood, was not immediately returned.

A Fed Ex representative said the company is aware of the video and is reviewing the matter.

"We take safety very seriously and are looking into the matter," the company said in an email.

An unidentified employee of the bus company told the Toms River Patch that the bus driver was fired Wednesday night and that there were no students on board at the time. The employee told the news site that the bus was driving for a district in Ocean County but would not identify the district.

Stephen O'Connor, the motorist who shot the video, said he was behind the bus for at least a mile and watched it drive erratically -- at times crossing over the double-yellow line as if to allow the driver to see past the truck to try to pass it along Airport Road around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

O'Connor, who was on his way home to Lyndhurst after working at Lakewood Industrial Park, said the FedEx driver then slowed down to the point where O'Connor was driving about 18 mph.

Shortly after that, the bus made its passing maneuver, he said.

O'Connor, who called it a road-rage incident, said he was "shocked" to see what played out in front of his eyes and was thankful there were no other cars traveling in the opposite direction along that stretch of road that's usually quite busy. 

"Who knows what could have happened?" O'Connor said. "It was disturbing."

Still recording, O'Connor got onto the northbound lanes of the Parkway -- his usual route home -- behind the bus and drove alongside it to get the name of the company and the number of the bus. Because the windows of the bus were tinted, he said he couldn't tell whether there were children on board.

He said that after posting the video on his Facebook page for his friends to see, it's been making the rounds on the internet and he's been getting messages from people thanking him for bringing the incident to light.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

"I just want justice," the woman's father said after the court appearance for her accused killer Thursday.

TRENTON -- On Monday night, 22-year-old Deja Farrior-Quinones got into her car and drove to visit her nieces and kiss them goodnight.

On Thursday morning, her extended family filed into a Mercer County courtroom to face the man accused of killing her as she drove through a Hamilton intersection Monday night.

A prosecutor - and her family - say she is an innocent victim.

Deja Farrior, 22, was killed in a crash following a police chase (Facebook profile photo used with permission from the family) 

Chandler Heaviside, 22, of Jackson, is accused of crashing into and killing Farrior-Quinones after fleeing from State Police troopers during a pursuit from Trenton to Hamilton.

Mercer County prosecutors have said he was high on drugs, carrying heroin and ran from troopers after the crash on South Broad Street.

Heaviside appeared by video during a bail hearing Thursday morning, during which Superior Court Judge Timothy Brown raised his bail from $572,500 to $650,000. Brown cited the seriousness of the crime and Heaviside's history of drug offenses as reasons for the increase.

For Farrior-Quinones' family, who came out in droves Thursday morning, the hearing was obviously emotional.

Her father, Terence Farrior, hung his head and sobbed as Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Skylar Weissman described the Monday night events. 

Weissman said the incident began when troopers believed they witnessed a drug deal and tried to pull over a Chevy Trailblazer they thought was involved. The SUV - which Heaviside was driving - took off, and troopers gave chase.

Officials have said the alleged drug transaction took place in Trenton's West Ward.

State Police said Wednesday the chase proceeded to Route 29, and then Interstate Route 195, first eastbound, then westbound, before Heaviside got of the highway at Exit 2 - which leads to South Broad Street in Hamilton.

The State Police have said Exit 2 is where the troopers ended the pursuit.

But Heaviside continued on, Weissman said Thursday, adding that Heaviside finally stopped when he crashed into Farrior-Quinones' car on South Broad Street and then fled the area on foot.

He was captured by state police a short distance away and was arrested, along with the other two men in his car, Lawrence Sears, 28, and Harry Remington III, 25.

Family seeks justice for daughter

"He took an innocent life here," Weissman said, before asking Brown to increase Heaviside's bail to $1 million. He added that Heaviside has a litany of prior charges, including drug offenses and assault.

"If he does make bail... who knows what he might do again?," Weissman said.

Kathleen Redpath-Perez, a public defender representing Heaviside, said the 22-year-old's family relied on him for money and that locking Heaviside away would cause them financial hardship.

Heaviside isn't a flight risk, she said, because he needs to stay in the area to support his family. 

"Isn't that part of the reason this action has occurred? Because he was a flight risk?" Brown asked in court.

In response, Redpath-Perez raised questions about the state troopers' response Monday night and the investigation in general.

Redpath-Perez said it was possible that Heaviside wasn't the driver of the car and that, in the hectic aftermath of the crash, troopers could have arrested and accused the wrong man.

Redpath-Perez also questioned whether troopers were right in pursuing Heaviside's car for as long as they did. She said that despite State Police claims that they stopped the pursuit immediately after exiting the highway, some witnesses have said troopers continued chasing Heaviside into the city.

Chandler Heaviside 

It's a question shared by Robin Lord, an attorney representing Farrior-Quinones's family, who sat with them in court Thursday.

After the hearing Thursday, Lord said she had also spoken with witnesses around the scene who have said three unmarked vehicles, two with lights, were still pursuing Heaviside just before the crash.

She also questioned why troopers chased Heaviside so far for a drug stop. Lord added that she plans to file an internal affairs complaint against the state troopers involved.

For family members who gathered outside the courtroom after the hearing Thursday, the pain of the loss was still very raw.

"I just want justice," Farrior-Quinones' father said after the court appearance.

One cousin of Farrior-Quinones', who didn't identify himself, called Farrior-Quinones the "baby of the family."

He and Farrior-Quinones grew up together, he said, and he recalled late nights when the two would sneak snacks from the kitchen as children. Her family members did not worry about her, he said.

"I called her a goody two shoes," her cousin remembered, crying as he spoke Thursday. "She wanted the best for anybody."

They say that was evident in her final act - when Farrior-Quinones got in her car late on Monday evening to kiss the her nieces good night.

"That's just the kind of person she was," he said.

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman.

A big change occurred when the Trenton school shifted from a punitive approach to a system of early intervention.

TRENTON -- Thirty two percent of Trenton public school students are "chronically absent." according to a new study by the Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ).

The ACNJ study, their second annual "Showing Up Matters: The State of Chronic Absenteeism in New Jersey," defines "chronically absent" as missing 10 percent or more of the school year -- or about 18 days -- including excused and unexcused absences.

The study found 26 percent of K through 3rd graders in the the city - and 50 percent of juniors and seniors - were also chronically absent with the highest rates being amongst kindergarteners and high schools seniors.

Chronic absentee rates trended higher in inner city districts in general, the study says.

But one city school is working hard to buck the trend -- and is beginning to see results.

Teachers, staff and administrators at the city's Hedgepeth-Williams Middle School of the Arts held a meeting with the ACNJ on Wednesday at the school to talk about the study, and tout theirsuccesses.

"Students in high-poverty districts such as ours often face very real obstacles involving family responsibilities, difficulties at home, health problems, and transportation issues that affect their daily attendance," Lucy Feria, Interim Superintendent for Trenton Public Schools, said.

"That's why it's critical that we identify at-risk students early on and help them get back on track," Feria said.

Hedgepeth-Williams Principal Adrienne Hill said that after receiving a report in August of last year showing chronic absenteeism rates as high as 22 percent at the school, she and her staff began thinking of ways to bring that number down.

Hill says that the school began identifying which students were consistently absent and began talking with students and parents to find out why those children weren't in class.

Once the reason was identified, teachers and administrators began developing plans with those parents to alleviate the reasons.

Students honor school's mothers to close out Black History Month

A big change occurred when the school shifted from a punitive system, to a system of early intervention and correction.

"I'm big on being corrective versus being punitive," Hill said. "Sometimes traumatic things happen to a lot of our students and the absences are just how it manifests itself."

Hill says the school has established a team of faculty members who do everything from sending postcards to the student saying 'Come back, we miss you,' a phone call from their teacher or a home visit from administrators.

Now, Hill says, the number of chronically absent students has fallen by about 6 percent in one year. And one month the number was even down to 7 percent.

Hedgepeth-Williams measures the rate monthly, she said.

The ACNJ praised Hedgepeth-Williams approach as exemplary and said that other schools have seen similar results using comparable methods. These actions were consistent with the study's findings as to how schools can best reduce the rate of absenteeism.

In the Lakewood school district, chronic absenteeism rate fell from 32 percent to 22 percent in one year after officials realized many students were missing school due to work because they had to help their families make ends meet.

District officials there then developed an alternative school that started later in the day to give kids more flexibility to attend class.

"We hope more schools and communities will to follow in implementing promising and proven strategies to reduce absenteeism because this is an issue that has a lasting impact on educational and life outcomes." Cynthia Rice, ACNJ's senior policy analyst and co-author of report, said.

There is currently no state definition of what constitutes chronically absent.  

Schools traditionally focus on "average daily attendance" or "truancy" instead, which don't consider suspension or excused absences as being absent, but "a day out of school is a day out of school," Peter Chen, co-author of report, said.

Two bills (A2352 and S447) have been proposed in the New Jersey Legislature to address the issue of identifying and correcting chronic absenteeism reporting.

The ACNJ study also found that Hamilton schools saw a chronic absenteeism rate rate of 7 percent district wide, with 22 percent of juniors and seniors falling into the category.

Princeton Regional schools also had a 7 percent chronically absent rate overall, with 32 percent of juniors and seniors being chronically out of class.

Greg Wright may be reached at gwright@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregTheWright. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Senate passed a water resources bill to address lead in water and protect N.J. communities against flooding.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a water resources bill providing funds to remove lead water pipes and test for contamination.

The measure also approves projects designed to reduce flooding in areas of New Jersey and restore the Delaware River Basin.

The bill passed, 95-3, with both U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) voting aye. It now goes to the U.S. House.

It will "protect New Jerseyans from the threats of river flooding and coastal storms, improve our aging water infrastructure, limit our children's exposure to lead-contaminated drinking water, and restore the environmental health of our waterways and estuaries," Menendez said in a statement.

Lawmakers seek help for Delaware River Basin

The Water Resources Development Act of 2016 provides millions of dollars for states and communities to address the problem of lead leaching into water systems.

Reports that residents of Flint, Mich., had been drinking lead-contaminated water led to a nationwide concern of the safety of U.S. water supplies. In New Jersey, lead was found in drinking water in Newark public schools and other New Jersey districts. Earlier this month, high lead levels were found in the water supply at Rowan University in Glassboro.

The bill includes $100 million to help states cope with water emergencies, $70 million for loans to help improve water systems, $60 million in grants to replace lead pipes, $100 million over five years to test water in schools and child care facilities, and $50 million for lead poisoning prevention programs.

"We have a national lead crisis," Booker said in an interview after the vote. "There are some significant things in this bill that can help to make that better. When you start having environmental hazards to children and families that are so widespread, this cannot be ignored."

The legislation also creates a Delaware River Basin Restoration Program in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, similar to those that exist for the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound.

There would be $5 million a year in grants for projects designed to improve habitats and water quality and reduce the threat from floods in the basin.

The Delaware River Basin pumps around $25 billion a year into the regional economy and supports around 600,000 jobs. The watershed encompasses 26 percent of New Jersey's land area and 20 percent of its population.

Other New Jersey water projects include:

-- Hereford Inlet to Cape May Inlet. Authorizes construction of a dune to improve storm protection for North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and Lower Township in Cape May and Ocean counties.

-- Hudson Raritan Estuary. Requires the Corps to finish its report and then begin developing a project to restore the ecosystem throughout the estuary.

-- Rahway River Basin. Requires the Army Corps of Engineers to complete its study and then begin work to design a project to reduce the threat of flooding Rahway River Basin in Essex, Middlesex and Union counties.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

See if you can get a perfect seven in our weekly test of who knows local news.

Is this the week you finally get a perfect score in the weekly New Jersey news quiz? If not, you have no excuse: All of the questions are based on the most popular NJ.com local stories of the past week. As if that wasn't enough, we've teed up all of the stories we used to create the questions below. Once you're done with the quiz below, brag on your score in comments, Twitter and Facebook.

• Paterson's great falls to go dry
• A tiki bar in a state park? Not everyone is toasting
• Woodrow Wilson players, coaches kneel for national anthem
• A record 9,506 students skipped vaccines
• Another N.J. insurance company drops out of Obamacare
• ACLU has a message for Newark
• Savvy Miss Arkansas wins the crown

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

Victims included elderly women in their 70s and 80s

MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP-- Firefighters freed a 79-year-old Berkeley Township woman from a car following a crash Thursday morning on Rt. 37, Capt. Todd Malland of the Manchester Police Department said.

Police responded around 11:38 a.m. to the intersection at Colonial Road, where Clarissa Holland, 58, of Whiting, struck a Honda Accord from behind while it was stopped at a yellow light as Holland was travelling west on 37, Malland said. The impact drove the Honda and Holland's Infiniti SUV into the intersection.

Rose Hidi, who was sitting in the Honda's rear seat, was hospitalized after being extricated from the car by firefighters from Manchester and Ridgeway volunteer fire companies. The driver, Rita Jones, 78, and the front-seat passenger, Lena Ilg, 83, both of Berkeley, were also taken to Community Medical Center.

Holland was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries caused by her seat belt and airbag.  

The crash was under investigation by Ptl. George Smith of the Patrol Bureau.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Look back at Week 1's highlights and the big stories headed into Week 2

WEEK 2 CONFERENCE
SCHEDULES/SCOREBOARDS
(Pages automatically update with links as scores come in)
• Greater Middlesex Conference
• Mid-State 38 Conference
• North Jersey Interscholastic Conference
• North Jersey Super Football Conference
• Shore Conference
• West Jersey Football League

WEEK 2 ESSENTIALS
• 13 bold predictions for Week 2
• Friday's LIVE Coverage, results and links
• Saturday's LIVE Coverage, results and links
• Top 20 for Sept. 11
• Our Week 2 Top 20 picks
• Our Week 1 picks by conference
• Our predictions for every Week 2 game
• 15 can't miss games in Week 2
• What you need to know heading into Week 2
• NJSIAA power points through Sept. 11
• Complete statewide group and conference rankings
• Confusion, heated debate leaves double power-point regulation in limbo
• Vote for the best Week 1 play

RELATED: Who has the best student section? Nominate your school now

WOODROW WILSON KNEELS FOR ANTHEM
• Tiger players, coaches kneel to bring attention to social injustices and economic disparities
• Passionate opinions about Wilson's decision
• Camden School District supports coach, players
• Camden Diocese will suspend players who kneel for anthem
• Camden coach Dwayne Savage has mixed emotions
• Florida principal will eject student fans who don't stand for anthem, report says

GAMES OF THE WEEK
• Star-Ledger: Bridgewater-Raritan at Hillsborough
• South Jersey Times: St. Augustine at Williamstown
• Trenton Times: 2 games selected

OTHER MUST-READ STORIES

• 13 bold predictions for Week 2
• Kingsway to honor 37-year coach Tony Barchuk
• 11 games that will determine No. 1
• Kinnelon cancels game over hand-foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
• Unprecedented outbreak reaches fourth school
• Former Elizabeth coach John Quinn now Plainfield Supervisor of Athletics
• 7 players to watch in No. 1 St. Peter's matchup with Peddie
• No. 3 Bergen Catholic plays football the Jersey way
• Rahmir Johnson is Bergen Catholic's do-it-all player
• How to watch Arhbishop Moeller (OH) vs. Don Bosco Prep, Saturday, 7
• Will Jabril Peppers be a Top-10 pick in next NFL draft?
• Jersey guy Jonathan Casillas enjoying career resurgence with Giants
• Peddie coach Chris Malleo: "SPP the greatest team I've ever seen on film
• N.J. alums who made noise NFL Opening Week
• Bergen Catholic alum tears ACL in NFL game
• N.J.'s Kenny Britt joins national anthem protest
• N.J. alums who made impact in college football
• 2 new additions to Player of the Year Watch
• Injured Bergen Catholic QB Johnny Langan will be game-time decision
• Meet some of N.J.'s top potential QBs from Lucien Pass Academy
• Week 1 helmet sticker winners
• TRE, Central out of playoffs after ejections
• Scouting uncommitted seniors: Paramus Catholic's Drew Singleton

Bill Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports. Find the NJ.com High School Football page on Facebook by following this link.

Six Flags Great Adventure's annual Fright Fest event kicks on Friday, Sept. 16. Watch video

JACKSON - Six Flags Great Adventure's popular Fright Fest event kicks off this weekend, with the theme park promising that it will be its "biggest and scariest" ever.

Before visitors can get their pants scared off, however, Six Flags must first find the perfect zombies for the job.

Starting in July, undead wannabes took part in Fright Fest auditions that asked them to make a first impression on a panel of judges by screaming things, such as their favorite ice cream flavors or favorite animals.

The applicants were also asked to show off their acting talents by performing certain tasks, including pretending to be an animal or acting out a death scene, and of course, demonstrating their ability to scare others.

"For our zombies, we're really looking for creative people who are willing to go outside of their comfort zones and be able to go out night after night and deliver that terrifying scare that people come here looking for," Six Flags Great Adventure spokeswoman Kaitlyn Pitts said. "And we are looking for people who are able to do it throughout Fright Fest, because it just keeps getting scarier the farther we get out of September and into October."

In all, approximately 250 zombies are expected to make the cut.

"Fright Fest is one of our most popular times of the year," Pitts said. "With the abundance of Halloween obsession that keeps growing with things like "The Walking Dead", we really see more people coming out to see what we have to offer and we also see an influx of people auditioning who want to be zombies."

South Brunswick resident Jessica Stanislawczyk said she has visited Fright Fest for as far back as she can remember and always wanted to try out to be a zombie, but finally had to opportunity to do so for the first time this year.

"I really like the idea of scaring other people rather than people scaring me, because I'm a scaredy cat," said Stanisalwczyk, 21. "And I think they do a really good job of having a variety of monsters here, because not everybody is scared by the same things. So they have a mix of the type of people who will jump right out and scare you, but also the people who will just follow you around until you get creeped out."

Point Pleasant resident Frank Adao decided to audition for Fright Fest as something different to for his 40th birthday.

"I've never done this before, I've just been here as a guest. But I do the Zombie Walk in Asbury Park every year, so I figured for my 40th I might as well try out for Fright Fest," Adao said. "I just think that Six Flags does it really well here, as opposed to some of the other places that you'll go to. The makeup is done well, the scare factor is pretty good and it's just a great time."

This year's Fright Fest - which begins Sept. 16 and runs through Nov. 6 - will feature 10 shows, seven "Terror Trails" and five "Scare Zones", Pitts said.

The event will feature four news shows - The Skeletones, Slash, The Donniker Bros. Worlds of Mirth and the Bilkum, Burnham & Haugh's Side Show Spectacular - as well as a new prison lockdown-themed Terror Trail, called Cell Block 6.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, Six Flags is scheduled to host its annual Fright Fest Blood Drive, during which up to 200 guests who are at least 16 years old can donate a pint of blood to earn a free ticket to Fright Fest between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.  Reservations must be made by visiting: www.sixflags.com/greatadventure.

Six Flags will hold its final Fright Fest zombie auditions and technician calls on Sept. 21 and Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. in the park's employment center. For more information visit: www.sixflagsjobs.com.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.