Double power points awarded to North Jersey teams leave some teams incapable of achieving top seeds.

St. Augustine Prep football coach Mark Reardon’s goal is to compete against – and defeat – the power Non-Public Group 4 teams up North.

He knows as well as any how talented they are, having been sent home from the playoffs the last four years by one of those teams.

Reardon has wholeheartedly supported a rule change this year that gave automatic entry to the playoffs for the nine teams in the Super Football Conference Red and White Divisions. Last year, a 3-5 Paramus Catholic team didn’t qualify for the eight-team Non-public Group 4 field.

But the change to the power-point system – one that caught many in South Jersey off-guard – this year where teams were awarded 2x or 1.5x power points for playing a team from one of the two divisions isn’t one Reardon supports. The problem with the system, according to Reardon and many in South Jersey, is that teams are receiving points for winning even when they lose and receiving double power points for playing each other.

POWER POINTS: Through Week 3

While the proposal was voted on and approved after last season as a way to encourage non-power teams to play one of the top teams – and not force them to go out of state for games – members of South Jersey’s West Jersey Football League balked in September when finding out some of the rules they said had been slipped into the proposal without their knowledge.

Currently, DePaul has 90 power points to lead the entire state, which is 53 more than Camden Catholic, the second-highest point-getter in Non-Public Group 3. But the Spartans – who won the state Group 3 title as a seventh seed and finished just 6-6 last year – are  0-3 with losses to Paramus Catholic, Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco.

Paramus Catholic received 13.5 points for beating DePaul, while DePaul has received 32 points for losing the game.

St. Augustine, which is 4-0, is sitting in fourth place in Non-Public Group 4 with 60 power points – four behind 0-3 Seton Hall Prep, which is not considered one of the state’s powerhouse teams but does play some of them. And after all the power points are handed out in the next few weeks, the Hermits could run the table and still finish no better than the seventh seed.

Using last year’s formula, DePaul would have five points currently and Seton Hall Prep would have four.

“My thing with it is if a public school wants to play them and get double points win or lose, that’s fine,” said Reardon. “If Montclair agrees to play St. Joe’s, then that’s fine. But to give it to teams within the conference when they’re already playing each other …. When Seton Hall Prep is 0-3 and has more power points than us, when DePaul is 0-3 and has 90 and we have 60, how does that make sense? I had no idea they were getting double power points for playing each other.

“I do agree, their schedule is daunting. When Bosco has three out-of-state games, then plays St. Peter’s, St. Joe’s (Montvale) and (Paramus Catholic) back-to-back I have no problem with you getting them in. But giving a team double power points for losing. … I don’t know the specifics of how this got in there, I don’t want to question anybody’s integrity, but I’m starting at a 7 or 8 seed and I don’t love it. At this point, there’s no reason to look at the power points any more. There’s no variables to the system. It’s done.”

Last year, St. Augustine was the No. 1 seed in Non-Public Group 4 but lost in the first round to St. Joseph (Mont.). Reardon agreed the Hermits probably shouldn’t have been No. 1. But he sees no reason they shouldn’t be in the mix for a home game with a perfect record over a team which is sub-.500.

There was plenty of discussion at the League and Conferences meeting about revisiting the proposal once everyone knew what they were voting on, but NJSIAA assistant director Jack DuBois said this week there won’t be any changes this season.

The West Jersey Football League will likely continue to seek a complete North-South split of the playoff system for non-public schools this winter, a proposal that was first presented but shot down after the rule awarding automatic qualification was put in place last year. Under that format, a 6-2 Paul VI team would have been left out of the postseason last year in place of 3-5 Paramus Catholic.

“We can’t change it mid-stream, so we’ll see how it plays out and take a look at it at the end of the season,” said DuBois. “But if the WJFL legislative proposal passes, it’s probably a moot point.

Reardon said the system has put his Hermits in an unfair situation with no ability to secure a coveted home game. He dismisses the argument he has heard that St. Augustine should go play one of the powerhouse teams and get in on the double-power-point bonanza.

“I don’t need to go play them, I need to get in that division,” said Reardon. “One game isn’t going to do me any good. I need to be in that division and get double power points four or five times. But I’m not driving 2 ½ hours every week for a conference game.

“Everybody should be playing by the same rules and we’re not. This system had no regard for St. Augustine or anybody in South Jersey. I don’t care if I’m 1, 2, 3 or 4. If I’m one of those seeds, I’m at home (the first round). To go on the road three straight weeks and beat one of those teams Is rough. It was great last year for the community, for the kids, for people to come see them play win or lose in the playoffs.”

St. Augustine is the team most affected by the changes but they trickle down through the other non-public groups – and to some of the North Jersey publics for the few teams that agreed to take on a game against a White or Red Division team.

St. Joseph (Hamm.) has won seven straight small-school non-public titles but will likely finish behind Hudson Catholic – the team it beat for the non-public Group 2 title last year – because the Hawks play White Division teams DePaul and Pope John.

Wildcats coach Paul Sacco said he didn’t know Hudson Catholic was going to be affected by the rule, believing it just impacted the bigger schools. He added, though at this point, it’s not really his concern.

“I’m just trying to play for a home game,” admitted Sacco. “When you’re talking about Immaculata, Hudson Catholic, (Montclair Kimberley) … Normally at this point I’m following those teams up North, but this year I’m not. I have a tough game against Pennsville this week, then I have Oackrest, Cedar Creek, St. Augustine. We need to win some football games.”

Asked if the system seems fair to him, Sacco said he always believed the problems were all in North Jersey.

“From the word go, I thought it was their problem, let them take care of it,” said Sacco. “But you look at it and you have St. Augustine, who is probably going to be undefeated, and they’re going to end up in a bad way with a lower seed.”

And that is exactly what has Reardon so upset on the rare occasions he glances at the power points, which shows the inevitability of his team’s fate.

“This is about the kids. It’s not about the adults, it’s about the kids,” said Reardon. “And my kids lift weights, practice hard and work their butts off and all they want is to be able to reap some of the rewards but the system is set up against them.”

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.

Authorities say Patrick Trushell took a salary from three different energy companies but produced little to no business for them. Instead, he stole their sales leads and customer information.

TOMS RIVER -- A township man was indicted Wednesday on charges he stole sales leads for his benefit from three companies that he supposedly worked for but produced little businesses, authorities said.

The indictment, handed up by a grand jury in Ocean County, charges Patrick Trushell II, 38, with theft by deception, theft, impersonation/ID theft and credit card theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced Thursday in a news release.

Authorities say Trushell worked for three different energy companies -- The Legacy Energy Group, Keytex Energy and Connexcture Energy -- concurrently as a salesman but "produced almost no business for these employers."

Instead, authorities say, Trushell, who was allowed to work from home, used sales leads and customer information from these companies for his benefit. Trushell owned his own energy company, Berkeley-based Chrono Energy.

Patrick Trushell, 38, of Toms River. (Ocean County Prosecutor's Office)

In an interview with the Asbury Park Press in August, Trushell boasted about his ability to produce sales leads.

"I think I have the gift of gab," Trushell said. "Just talking to people helps with people feeling comfortable about who they do business with."

When asked what surprised Trushell the most about running a business, he responded: "That people love to help give referrals. If you do a good job, people want to help."

All three of the companies he was employed by, which are based in three different states but conduct business in New Jersey, paid him a salary, which authorities say he "obtained by deception." 

"Each of the employers would not have hired him had they been aware of the true state of affairs," Coronato said in the press release.

Trushell also stands accused of obtaining two American Express credit cards under the pseudo name "Barrett Kidner" that used the personal information of a Delaware-based business associate. Authorities say Trushell charged more than $23,000 in unauthorized transactions in multiple towns throughout New Jersey and in other states.

Trushell and his wife, Jenna, who also had a stake in Chrono Energy, were indicted for failing to file state income taxes for 2013 and 2015, filing a fraudulent state income tax return for 2014 and failure to pay their state income tax in 2013, 2014 and 2015, authorities say. They allegedly owe more than $13,000 to the state.

An attorney representing Trushell, Bradley Billhimer, said he could not comment on the case until after seeing the discovery. 

"I'm still reviewing the indictment," Billhimer said. "I'll review the discovery once it's provided." 

Authorities asked anyone with additional information to contact Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Sgt. Mark Malinowski at 732-929-2027 ext. 4032.

The prosecutor's office's Economic Crimes Unit led the investigation. 

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

The doctor received kickbacks for referring his patients to specific New Jersey labs for testing

CAMDEN - A Toms River doctor, who referred patients to specific lab companies in exchange for cash payouts, was sentenced to just over a year in prison Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced in a statement. 

District Judge Joseph Rodriguez sentenced Vincent Destasio, 55, of Toms River, to a year and a day in prison Thursday, after the doctor pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to accept cash bribes.

Destasio is a doctor with offices in Toms River who specializes in osteopathic medicine, according to the statement. 

The money came from two sales representatives, Daniel Gilman, 63, of Ocean Grove, and Kenneth Robberson, 47, of Wall, who ran PROMED, a marketing and sales company that worked specifically with blood and DNA testing labs, according to U.S. Attorney's Office.

'Robin Hood' doctor sentenced for fraud

Over the course of a year - from March of 2014 to May of 2015 - the representatives paid Destasio thousands of dollars to refer his patients to a specific blood testing lab and another specific DNA testing lab, according to the statement.

Gilman and Robberson got the money in monthly commission checks from the two lab companies, then paid Destasio a certain amount from those checks, based on the number of patients he had referred, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated in the news release.

For their part, Gilman and Robberson also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe a physician. Gilman was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Robberson's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 5. 

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

An 18-year-old West Windsor resident is charged with felony assault and weapon charges in connection with the incident.

WEST WINDSOR -- An Ocean County man suffered stab wounds to his hands and and forearms during a road rage incident with a teenager recently, West Windsor police said.

Following the Sept. 13 incident - which was two separate fights moments apart - led police to charge Taylan Postalci, 18, of West Windsor with felony assault and weapon charges.

The stabbing victim, a 50-year-old from the Forked River section of Lacey, was treated at a local hospital and released the same day.

Police spokesman Sgt. Mark Lee Patrol said the incident began at about 4 p.m. on New Village Road.

Postalci and the victim first argued after their vehicles came to a stop and both drivers got out. That confrontation ended when the forked River man grabbed Postacli's lanyard key chain and threw it into a grass area, Lee said.

Minutes later, both vehicles wound up in a line of traffic on Edinburg Road at Old Trenton Road and the rage continued.

Lee said Postalci punched the tail light of the victim's vehicle, which prompted the victim to get out of his vehicle. Postalci, though, retreated back to his car, Lee said.

When the victim reached into Postalci's vehicle through the driver's window, Postalci alleged stabbed at the victim several times with a multi-tool utility knife, Lee said. 

The victim got the teen's keys, returned to his vehicle and drove a short distance away and called police, Lee said.

When officers arrived, Lee said, they found a substantial amount of blood in the street where the second fight occurred.

The officers detained Postalci and called an ambulance for the victim.

Postalci was charged with aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief. He's since been released from police custody, pending an appearance in Mercer County Superior Court.

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

With nearly a dozen interstates and the third-largest port in the nation, as many as 55,000 trucks pass through N.J. daily — all battling for less than 3,000 legal parking spots.

At night they're where they aren't supposed to be -- on the shoulder of the interstate, by highway on-and-off ramps, tractor-trailers parked in illegal spots.

In Mahwah, officials say they are at their wit's end with trying to stop tractor-trailers from lining up daily on a stretch of Route 287.

With nearly a dozen interstates and the third-largest port in the nation, as many as 55,000 trucks pass through the Garden State each day -- all battling for less than 3,000 legal parking spots.

"This problem is far too common," said Scott Grenerth, regulatory affairs director for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. "You can't find a driver who doesn't want a safe place to rest."

Yet there is only one less-than-adequate truck stop on I-287 in New Jersey. It's a similar situation at the truck stop on I-80 in Allamuchy Township -- few parking spots, reeking port-o-potties and garbage spilling out of trash cans.

Drive further west, however, and just before the Pennsylvania border you'll find the Norman Knight Travel Center run by TA in Columbia. There are multiple restaurants at the trucking oasis, including a country buffet, a laundry room, auto-mechanics and even a movie room.

Inside Mahwah's illegal truck stop

By 8 p.m. on a recent weeknight, there were only a handful of spots left out of the available 200 at the expansive TA truck stop. 

"There are spots here but we are a long way from the congestion, this isn't the bad part," Trucker Micki Maurer said referring to areas closer to NYC. "I don't even come to the Northeast if I can avoid it."

Trucking continues to dominate the freight industry, with three million trucks moving goods across the nation. In 2015, trucking accounted for more than 80 percent of the nation's freight bill and brought in more than $720 billion, according to the American Trucking Association.  

While trucking is projected grow more than 40 percent over the next 30 years, new parking spots for those trucks is lagging far, far behind.  

"Truck parking shortages are a national safety concern," reads a federal report dubbed the Jason's Law Study, named after Jason Rivenburg, a trucker who was robbed and murdered in 2009 when he parked in an abandoned gas station when he couldn't find a spot.

Nine out of 10 of drivers interviewed for the Jason's Law Study reported struggling to find safe and available parking during night hours.

While the issue of truck parking affects the entire country, New Jersey might be the worst offender. Over 7,000 independent truck drivers listed the state as the worst for truck parking, according to the Jason's Law Study.

"In a state like New Jersey it's a very tough issue, even if you had the local support, the cost of real estate is too high," said Thomas J. Phelan, an engineer and New Jersey resident who played key roles in two truck parking studies. "When they do find the appropriate land, they decide it's better for other use like malls or residential developments."

In 2008, Phelan worked on a study with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority to look at the issue of truck parking in Northern New Jersey.

The study identified four areas that had the biggest need for parking -- the interchange of I-78 with the NJ Turnpike,  I-287 corridor, the area around the Vince Lombardi rest area and in Newark.

A sample facility in the study looked at a 40-acre parcel of land in Newark between Route 1 and 9 and by the NJ Turnpike. The study found that a truck stop built there with a retail convenience store, full service restaurant, fast food, truck maintenance facility, fuel pumps, and 200 truck parking spaces would generate 120 jobs and $13.5 million in sales for the city and Essex county.

Often the development of truck parking falls to private companies due to struggling DOT budgets and a growing list of demands, such as asphalt and bridge repairs. Of more than 300,000 parking spots nationwide noted in the Jason's Law Study, only 36,000 were public.

Even when companies like Pilot and TA try to build truck parking, residents in local communities fiercely oppose them. In Ramsey, residents have stalled the construction of a Wawa due to possible truck traffic.

In Mahwah, residents fought and won to limit the size of a now-packed Pilot truck stop while it was being built.

"Local communities need to identify where they keep having this problem, I always get stuck in the same spots," said Desiree Wood, trucker and President of Real Women in Trucking. "(The Mahwah stop) is a horrible place, but there is nowhere else to go. That area is a staging area for New York and New Jersey and for 70 miles there's nowhere to park."

State Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson (D-Mercer/Middlesex) reintroduced a bill this year that would examine truck parking in the state.

"The bill has two main purposes: To examine where the trucks can park now and to look at the lack of parking and where we can build," Benson said.

Benson was alerted to the issue after a number of accidents and concerns with truck parking, most notably the 2014 death of three Mercer County teens after a drunk driver plowed into a truck parked on the shoulder of an off-ramp.

Benson said the bill is set to go nowhere soon due to the current transportation funding crisis, since the bill is dependent on stalled DOT studies.

The trucking industry, however, is making an effort combat the problems themselves.

Englewood-based Unilever, one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world, which produce products like Dove soap, Breyer's ice cream and Lipton teas, recently partnered with trucking company Kriska to allow drivers to park overnight at their facilities.

"The single biggest thing that can be done is for shippers and receivers to allow space for parking overnight," said Grenerth, also a member of a national coalition that is looking for a solution to truck parking. "Even if they allowed one or two trucks to park in the facility, that frees up other parking spaces."

But the state stalls on solutions to the truck parking issue, the problem is likely to grow with the recent completion of Panama Canal Expansion that will allow larger ships through the canal and in turn increase trucking on the East Coast and in New Jersey.

The bustling Port of New York and New Jersey, which saw record growth last year and handled 11,000 trucks a day, is spending billions to accommodate the expansion. Upgrades include giant cranes in Bayonne and increased container space in Newark.

An interview request with state Transportation Commissioner Richard T. Hammer on the issue was denied. Instead, spokesperson Steve Schapiro said the state is working on the issue.

"It's a challenging issue, particularly in New Jersey with the state's high population density, lack of available rights-of-way, and truck rest areas have been met with local opposition," Schapiro wrote.  "NJDOT is in the initial stages of developing a freight plan that will encompass the issue of truck parking."

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration made the issue of truck parking worse when they revised the rules on required resting for drivers, industry officials said. Before 2005, a trucker could split up the amount of hours they worked and rested however they saw fit.

The revised rules, however, called for a continuous eight hour rest period to mimic a natural rest cycle. The result was more truckers pulling over at night when they hit their required rest period.

Fausto Giovanny Pinto may be reached at fpinto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @FGPreporting. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A new virtual reality coaster experience will be offered to riders on Skull Mountain at Six Flags Great Adventure through Oct. 31. Watch video

JACKSON - If the world's salvation depended on me fighting raging gargoyles from the cockpit of a helicopter... we'd all be doomed.

This was made very clear to me - with detailed imaging, in fact - when I rode the new "Rage of the Gargoyles" virtual reality roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure on Thursday.

For the first time on a roller coaster at the theme park, riders on Skull Mountain - which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year - have the opportunity to take part in an interactive virtual reality gaming experience as the coaster speeds, twists and dips along its 1,377-foot tracks.

A new virtual reality coaster experience will be offered to riders on Skull Mountain at Six Flags Great Adventure through Oct. 31. (Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

"At Six Flags, innovation is really in our DNA. So we're always looking for that next step to make something exciting for our guests," Six Flags Great Adventure spokeswoman Kaitlyn Pitts said. "Here at Six Flags Great Adventure, Skull Mountain has always been kind of an iconic ride for our guests and we wanted to take it and make it a cutting edge thrill especially for Fright Fest."

The experience starts with riders sitting in one of the coaster's cars and putting on the Samsung Gear VR headgear.

The headgear shows a virtual reality helicopter hangar from the inside of a helicopter's cockpit.

As the ride starts to move forward and up the incline of the tracks, the roof of the virtual hangar opens and the helicopter exits into a city under siege by demonic gargoyles.

Instead of trying to make out the twisting tracks ahead of them in the darkness of the indoor Skull Mountain coaster, riders who opt to wear the headgear watch as their helicopter dips in between - and through - skyscrapers of an nondescript city. If the tracks turn left, the helicopter turns left. If the tracks drop straight down, so does the helicopter.

"The headgear totally immerses you in a whole new world. You can look left, right, up and down, and you're a fighter pilot attacking the gargoyles and trying to save the city before the ride is over," Pitts said. "It really adds some extra visuals to a ride that has always been in the dark. ... It's also a competitive gaming experience, because you can battle with your friends and compare your scores at the end."

Initially, a button on the side of the headgear enables the riders to fire at the gargoyles, but then they can fire at the gargoyles my simply looking in their direction, which allows the more-nervous riders to maintain their grip on the handles of the coaster's lap bars as the ride speeds around the tracks.

As the ride comes to an end and the coaster moves slowly back toward its starting point, the screen shows a giant gargoyle using a chain to slowly pull the helicopter toward itself.

However, the pilot is still able to unleash fury on the gargoyle - potentially saving himself and the entire world - by firing at the gargoyle during the typically dull waiting period at the end of a roller coaster ride.

Riders must be at least 13 years old to wear the Samsung Gear VR headgear on Skull Mountain, which will be offering the virtual reality experience through Oct. 31, in conjunction with Six Flag's popular Fright Fest event.

Riders must also must be at least 44 inches tall to ride Skull Mountain with an adult, or 48 inches tall to ride alone. 

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

Authorities arrested the suspect a week after the robbery of the Wells Fargo bank in Toms River

Richard Winivaski(Ocean County Jail) 

TOMS RIVER -- A Toms River man wanted in connection with a bank robbery has been arrested, authorities said on Friday.

U.S. marshals arrested Richard Winivaski Jr., 30, in Paterson on Thursday after authorities tracked him down through surveillance operations and interviews, said Ralph Stocco, spokesman for the Toms River Police Department.

Stocco said Winivaski was found around 2 p.m. hiding in the bathroom of a friend's house.

He was taken to Toms River police headquarters where he was charged with one count of robbery and then sent to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River in lieu of $75,000 bail, Stocco said.

Investigators identified Winivaski last week as the suspect in the Sept. 22 robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank on Route 27.

Authorities said he entered the bank around 9 a.m. and demanded money from the teller. He ran off with an unspecified amount of cash, police said at the time.

Authorities were able to identify him after members of the public recognized him from surveillance photos on social media, Stocco said.

He was apprehended by members of the U.S. Marshal's fugitive task force and the Ocean County Sheriff's warrant division.

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

Stories, features, schedules and everything you need for Week 4.

Below is NJ.com's high school football mega-coverage guide, your one-stop shop for everything you need to get ready for Week 4. Check back throughout the week as the page gets filled with new links and stories. 

WEEK 4 CONFERENCE SCHEDULES/SCOREBOARDS
Pages automatically update with links as scores come in
• Greater Middlesex Conference
• North Jersey Super Football Conference
• North Jersey Interscholastic Conference
• Mid-State 38
• Shore Conference
• West Jersey Football League 

WEEK 4 ESSENTIALS 
• Friday: LIVE updates, results & links (still to come)
• Saturday: LIVE updates, results & links (still to come)
• Bold Predictions for Week 4 (Still to come)
• 13 can't-miss games in Week 4
• Statewide group and conference rankings
• Statewide stat leaders through Week 3 
• How did N.J. alums fare in Week 3 of the NFL | NCAA 
• Top 20 for Sept. 25

BEST STUDENT SECTION: Voting begins on Thursday

WEEK 3 PICKS 
• Top 20 picks (still to come)
• Picks by conference (still to come)
• Quick picks: Our selections for every game in N.J. (still to come)

TOP FEATURES 
• What we learned from around the state
• 1 year later, community still healing from death of Evan Murray
• 3 players added to Player of the Year watch
• St. Peter's Prep breaks in new 15,000-square-foot facility
• Watch and vote for the top plays in N.J. 
• Who has the best student section? Voting begins Thursday
• Bergen Catholic cracks MaxPreps' National Top 25 with SJR meeting looming
• Jabrill Peppers did what? Weekly look at Michigan's Heisman hopeful

GAMES OF THE WEEK 
• Star-Ledger: Bergen Catholic vs. St. Joseph (Mont.) 
• Trenton Times: Princeton at WWPN
• South Jersey Times: Lawrence at Princeton

OTHER MUST-READ STORIES 
• 4-star DT Dalyn Wade-Perry has Rutgers in Top 6, will he take official visit?
• Buoyed by support, Woodrow Wilson football team still kneels for national anthem
• Newark superintendent: ‘I respect and support’ football team’s national anthem protest
• Can Rutgers flip Michigan commit and N.J. native Brad Hawkins?
• Decision could be coming soon for 4-star Rutgers OT target Carter Warren
• 10 teams that missed the cut of the NJ.com Top 20
• Top performers: Helmet stickers for Week 3 

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

The 59-year-old Ocean County resident fashioned the bikini out of clear plastic wrap and then wore it on a public beach, police said.

BEACH HAVEN - A 59-year-old Stafford Township man was charged with lewdness after allegedly wearing a bikini he fashioned out of plastic wrap on a Long Beach Island beach.

 

Stephen Wojciehowski, 59, of the Cedar Run section of Stafford Township, was charged with lewdness after he allegedly wore plastic wrap bikini on a Long Beach Island beach. (Beach Haven Police Department) 

The Beach Haven Police Department launched an investigation into alleged lewdness on the Ocean Street beach that was reported by several eyewitnesses, the police department announced in a Facebook post Wednesday.

As a result of the subsequent investigation, police determined that Stephen Wojciehowski, 59, of the Cedar Run section of Stafford Township, spent two days on the beach "wearing a homemade, clear plastic wrap bikini, where his genitals were clearly exposed and observed" by other people on the public beach, police said in the post.

Wojciehowski was arrested on Monday and charged with lewdness.

He was released pending future court proceedings.

The Beach Haven Police Department thanked the members of the public for their assistance with the investigation.

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

Rumors of schools throughout South Jersey being on lockdown because of clown sightings were unfounded, according to officials.

A threat on social media of clowns planning to kill teachers and kidnap students has spread like wildfire on the Internet, leading school districts and local law enforcement in New Jersey -- and nationwide -- to tell parents and students to calm down.

Rumors of schools throughout South Jersey being on lockdown because of clown sightings were unfounded, according to officials.

Still, there was a bit of a panic in numerous districts Friday morning -- including Deptford, Glassboro, Clearview, Kingsway, West Deptford, Vineland and Toms River -- when a social media post began circulating, prompting calls to the districts and rumors to spread on Facebook.

The chaos is being traced back to a Facebook message posted by an account called Aint Clownin Around that read "we will be at all High schools this friday to either kidnapp students or kill teachers going to they cars." The post, which has since been taken down, didn't specify a school and was shared throughout the country, causing alarm. 

What started out weeks ago as creepy clown sightings in South Carolina and people in costumes in the woods watching children, has spread to states including North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

In Gloucester County, a "true, routine, faulty fire alarm" at the Kingsway Regional School District Friday morning only added to the concern from parents who thought the evacuation had to do with the clown threats, according to Superintendent James Lavender.

"We followed normal evacuation procedures and before we knew it parents started sending around this clown nonsense," said Lavender. "They had no ill intention, I'm sure, but their decision to start spreading unfounded threats that originated outside of the district and potentially outside of the state, complicated our procedures."

"It was a faulty alarm," he said. "The alarm was wet from the rain which caused it to go off." 

Since the alarm sounded just after 7 a.m. when buses began arriving, students were asked to remain on their buses as opposed to standing in the rain. 

"We're trying to handle their kids, take care of their kids, and they're causing this hysteria through Facebook posts," he added. "If you were really, truly under the impression that killer clowns were behind the alleged threat at the school, why wouldn't you call 911 instead of posting it on Facebook?"  

A 'killer clowns' Instagram account posted a photo of Deptford High School, the group's alleged next target. The photo was shared on social media by parents in a community group to raise awareness of the potential threat. (Photo provided)
 

Concern at Deptford High School was heightened when an Instagram account called "bewarekillerclowns" posted a photo of the school. According to a post in a Deptford community group, residents reached out to police and before long the photos were removed from the account. 

West Deptford Police also took to Facebook on Friday afternoon to acknowledge the unfounded rumors, but said they would be providing an added presence at schools during afternoon dismissal. 

"We have been working closely with the West Deptford School Administration and we have determined that there have been no threats made toward any of our schools, students, or staff," West Deptford police said.

Other districts in New Jersey -- including Vineland in Cumberland County and Toms River in Ocean County -- dealt with the same social media claims on Friday. 

Vineland Superintendent Mary Gruccio told the Daily Journal reporters that the district sent out an automated message to the community, "not intended to raise alarm, but rather to make you aware."

"The district's Security Department and law enforcement are aware of the message and prepared, as always, to respond to any situation," the message said in part. 

In Toms River, police stepped up patrols at all of the schools, even though authorities acknowledged that the social media threats originated outside of New Jersey and weren't credible in this area. 

"At this juncture any rumors regarding early dismissals or lockdowns are not accurate," the Tom River police said in a statement. "Please do not call the police department or schools to discuss this matter." 

While the threats to the South Jersey area remain unfounded, there have been multiple reports of actual clown sightings in Phillipsburg. 

Police reported that on Sunday three clowns allegedly came out of the woods and chased a child in Walter's Park and three more were reported Monday in Warren County. Someone was seen dressed as a clown on Hudson Street and a jester holding some kind of sword reportedly ran after a child on Shafer Avenue. The final report was of a dark-colored truck seen driving down Mercer Street with clowns hanging out the window.

Officers in that area reportedly discouraged the idea of "hunting" clowns and said in an earlier report that the suspicious person may be a juvenile prankster and that violence will lead to more trouble.

Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Central Regional, the host of the 2016 outdoor Meet of Champions, has decided not to host the meet this spring for various reason

Central Regional High School has pulled out of hosting the NJSIAA Track and Field Meet of Champions this spring, and a ruling by the NJSIAA to ban Central's football team from the postseason this year was a factor, according to Tom Parlapanides, the Central Regional Superintendent of Schools. 

In a letter obtained by NJ.com (read the letter below), Parlapanides informed the NJSIAA earlier this week that Central Regional, which hosted the Meet of Champions for the first time last spring, has decided not to host the meet in 2017, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 10.      

Parlapanides said there were multiple factors for this decision, including the NJSIAA's ruling to ban Central Regional from competing in the NJSIAA football playoff this year after 3 players from Central Regional and 3 players from Toms River East were ejected after an altercation during a game this season. Toms River East has also been banned from the NJSIAA football playoffs this season.   

"The first reason was we got the Meet of Champions late last year and didn't realize the magnitude of it,'' said Parlapanides. "It put a lot of strain on our police force, and it put a lot of strain on Berkeley Township. It was very stressful for the whole community. The other thing is that the Meet of Champions is supposed to be on June 10, and our graduation is June 9. So we'd have all the chairs on the field and everything.''

Parlapanides also mentioned that he was hoping for more ways to increase revenue to help pay for the wear and tear on the property and the track. 

"We were hoping for like a dollar at the gate, food trucks, and charging for parking to help generate enough revenue so that when you do have the event five years in row and have to resurface the track you can keep it a state of the art facility,''Parlapanides. Those things weren't finalized, so that helped with the determinations.''

The final factor for Parlapanides was the NJSIAA's postseason ban on the football team, which is currently 3-1 on the season. 

"I am upset and I don't understand why this has to be a huge production,'' Parlapanides said of the ban. "Do I condone what happened? No, but this is the modern day era. There are videotapes. Look at the tapes. For my seniors on the football team, they can never go back in time. They will never have another senior year. Just do the right thing, and don't hurt my kids.''        

Bill Bruno, the NJSIAA Track and Field Tournament Director, is disappointed with the turn of events, but confident he will soon find new sites for the Meet of Champions and the South Jersey Groups 2-3 meet, which was also scheduled for Central Regional this spring. 

"I'm sorry that this decision was reached by their Superintendent,'' said Bruno. "But I'm certain that other school districts will step up and offer to host the sectional and Meet of Champions.''

Central Regional will obviously lose out on revenue by not hosting the Meet of Champions, but Parlapanides said Central only cleared approximately $6,000 from the meet last June.

"We didn't get any of the gate, the NJSIAA gets that,'' said Parlapanides. "We got the concession from the food, and you can charge a nominal fee for the track usage, but it's not astronomical.''

Parlapanides said he'd like to have Central host the Meet of Champions again one day?

"I just think we need to plan it out a little better and we can reapply the following year and see where it goes from there,'' said Parlapanides.

Here's a copy of the letter sent to the NJSIAA by Parlapanides.

Here is a letter written by Triantafillos Parlapanides, the Central Regional Superintendent of Schools, informing the NJSIAA that Central Regional will not host the NJSIAA Track and Field Meet of Champions this spring. (Screen shot)

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Check out live coverage, results and links for football games being played Saturday, Oct. 1 in Week 4 of the high school football season.

KEY LINKS
• Results & links: Friday | Thursday
• Schedule/scoreboard: Full | By conference
• Week 4 mega-coverage guide: All you need
•  Best photos from Week 4
•  Send us great videos or tips

FEATURED GAMES

No. 2 St. Joseph (Mont.) 17, No. 3 Bergen Catholic 14 (2OT)
• Complete coverage
• 5 biggest moments from the big game
• 10 quotes from the big game
• The Shoe helps Joe's survive
• Banged up BC falls short
• Bye week arrives at right time for BC
•  Video: Game-winning kick and celebration
•  Video: NJAM reporters break it down
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

No. 13 Don Bosco Prep 24, Delbarton 7
• Complete coverage
• Bosco back on track with win over Delby
• Bosco frosh doesn't play like one
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

 TOP VIDEOS: See or record something amazing this week? Let us know!

Madison 28, Pequannock 21
• Complete coverage
• Kearney's 4 TDs lift Dodgers
•  Video: Mulcahy's miracle grab
•  Video: Kearney's 4th TD wins it
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

Harrison 27, Lyndhurst 0
• Harrison off to rare 3-0 start
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Salem 28, Woodbury 16
• Desperate Salem rides Taylor's 3 TDs
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

Cherry Hill West 27, Trenton 19
• CHW rallies with key INT
• Box score

Willingboro 27, Ewing 17
• 'Boro front line pushes past Ewing
• Box score

Gateway 42, Maple Shade 7
• Jackson-Lee helps Gators to next level
• Box score

Middle Twp. 18, Gloucester Catholic 13
• Middle wins it with last-minute TD
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Nottingham 35, West Windsor North 17
• Fourth-quarter rally lifts Northstars
• Box score

Pemberton 16, Delran 6
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Lawrence 16, Princeton 7
• Mitchell-White shows versatility as Cards stay unbeaten
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

TOP FEATURES 
• ‘Unprecedented’ hand-foot-and-mouth disease outbreak hits Shore Conference
• Going strong: N.J.'s 15 active football coaches with the most wins
• Pennsville got its wish: A showdown with St. Joseph (Hamm.)
• 0-3 football team leads N.J. in power points, sparking outrage over new system  
• Miracle finishes set up showdown between No. 2 SJR and No. 3 Bergen Catholic
• This week's 13 can't miss games
• 11 bold predictions for Week 4
• Which NJ.com Top 50 recruits had big games in Week 3
• What we learned from around the state
• 1 year later, community still healing from death of Evan Murray
• 3 players added to Player of the Year watch
• St. Peter's Prep breaks in new 15,000-square-foot facility
• Watch and vote for the top plays in N.J. 

Pat Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

As sand becomes increasingly valuable, fisherman expect underwater ridges to be depleted, despite being home to large schools of fish and other sea life

The Army Corps of Engineers did an extensive beach replenishment this summer in Harvey Cedars, extensively depleting underwater ridges. Even before hurricane Hermine threatened to strip New Jersey's beaches yet again late last summer, skeptics questioned how the state and Army Corps of Engineers can commit to spending nearly $2 billion in beach replenishment through the...

River Avenue was temporarily closed, but is now reopened, police say.

LAKEWOOD -- There was at least one person injured after a vehicle accident on River Avenue on Sunday, police said.

The scene is still active. The road was temporarily closed, but police have reopened the roadway, said Sgt. Maureen McCarthy.

Police had no further information at the time.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

In its 28th year, the annual Chowderfest signals the end of summer for Long Beach Island.

BEACH HAVEN -- The rain stopped just in time for thousands of revelers to trek through the muddy Taylor Avenue ballfield to get a taste of the 16 different clam chowder vendors at the 2016 Chowderfest.

For 28 years, Chowderfest has signaled the end of summer for Long Beach Island. However, the two-day festival was canceled in 2015 due to the threat of Hurricane Joaquin. And 2016's Chowderfest -- an annual clam chowder competition featuring local restaurants -- looked like it could be in danger of yet another washout.

While the sun never made an appearance on Sunday, festival organizers were spared of the inclement weather just long enough to hold the festivities, which feature music, activities and unlimited chowder tastings.

"It's perfect chowder weather," said Patti Herrman, a Beach Haven resident and one of the original organizers of the Chowderfest. "It's not too hot, not too cold, not too sunny where everybody's passing out. Perfect weather for chowder."

Sixteen different local Long Beach Island area restaurants competed in the 2016 Chowderfest. Festival-goers vote for their favorite chowders in three different categories: New England Chowder, Manhattan Chowder and Creative Seafood Chowder.

Hermann said Stefano's Restaurant and Country Kettle Chowda are consistently voted among the best three chowders.

For Matt Gianaella, 26, and Michelle Marsalisi, 32, of Rockland County, N.Y., Mud City Crab House Seafood Grill & Market was their overall favorite.

The two made the two-and-a-half-hour trip down from New York to the Chowderfest despite the bleak weather forecast.

"Trying all the different chowders and seeing the friendly competition, that's great," Gianaella said. "Seeing the whole community come together is just great."

Nick Conforti, a Bloomfield resident who's been vacationing on Long Beach Island for 63 years, said attending Chowderfest has become a family tradition. He said he has fond memories of coming to the festival in the early 1990s with his elderly aunt, who has since passed.

"It's just something we put on the calendar each year," Conforti said.

Hermann, the event organizer, said helping to run the Chowderfest is "generational."

Hermann said her parents used to run the voting and when they got too old to participate, her brother took over.

"It has grown so much," she said. "Some years we're up close to 13,000 to 15,000 people, it's gotten that big. It's evolved year after year."

The number of attendees probably didn't reach that level this year because of the inclement weather and localized flooding, Hermann said.

"I see a lot of people in here," she said. "I think it's a good crowd and hopefully a lot of people said, 'It's not that bad (out), let's get in the car and go.'" 

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

The bicyclist was struck by a vehicle on Saturday night in Lakewood, police said.

LAKEWOOD -- A bicyclist died after he was struck by a vehicle Saturday night, police said. 

Lakewood police Sgt. Robert Humeny said the collision happened around 9 p.m. in the area of Williams Street and Buttell Avenue. 

Humeny said the bicyclist died as a result of injuries suffered after he was struck by a vehicle. 

No additional information was available Sunday night. 

The crash remains under investigation by the Lakewood police Traffic Safety Unit. 

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

Homeless pets throughout northern and central New Jersey in need of adoption.

There are plenty of places to collect dog training tips.  Some folks take advice from experts on television, others consult websites and still others invite professionals into their homes to work directly with their pets.

Here, one expert offers insight on some dog training myths. Alyona DelaCoeur, who holds a certificate in applied animal behavior through University of Washington and is a certified veterinary assistant and AKC evaluator, addressed a few training questions.

According to DelaCoeur, founder of training website whydoesmydog.com:

* You can't teach an old dog new tricks. False! Sometimes it's actually easier to teach mature dogs tricks because they're less distracted. Certainly some unwanted behaviors will take longer to stop because the dog has had longer for them to become habits, but they can be retrained. Bear in mind, though, that older dogs will need more frequent rest breaks in training.

* Bribe your dog with food to get results. Positive reinforcement through motivation works best in dog training; the use of treats and food should not be the main focus. While treats and toys can be helpful, building a strong connection with your pet is the most important part of training.

* Training is guaranteed for life. One way dogs are like humans is that they can forget their good manners and learn new bad habits throughout their lives. One way to avoid this is to not introduce major changes into a dog's life; a dog who never begged before may start if someone gives him food from the dinner table, for example.

Here is a gallery of pets in need of adoption in New Jersey. More adoptable pets can be seen here and here.

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

The Barnegat Township Police Department is asking for the public's help to identify the suspect of a hit and run.

BARNEGAT - Township police are asking for the public's help to identify the suspect of a hit-and-run in the parking lot of a township supermarket Sunday.

At approximately 6 p.m., a man driving a Ford Explorer was involved in a hit-and-run in the parking lot of the Acme on West Bay Avenue, Barnegat Township police said in a Facebook post.

No other details on the crash were released as of Monday morning.

Police are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Barnegat Township Police Department at 609-698-5000.

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