SmartAsset, a New York financial technology company, recently released a study uncovering the counties across America with the lowest per capita debt or lowest debt on average, per person.

How bleak is your debt picture?

If you live in Hudson or Mercer counties, there's a chance that you may have less debt than if you lived elsewhere in New Jersey.

SmartAsset, a New York financial technology company, recently released a study uncovering the counties across America with the lowest per capita debt or lowest debt on average, per person. They studied debt-to-income ratio across three categories: credit cards, auto, and mortgage.

Relying on information from the Federal Reserve of New York and the U.S. Census bureau, the counties were analyzed by the amount of debt residents held across those categories. The debt was then compared to local income.

In New Jersey, Hudson County residents have, on average, the lowest debt-to-income ratio in the state. Mercer County is second.

Residents in Hudson County earn an average income of $32,641, carry a credit card debt of $3,210 a year, giving them a credit card debt-to-income ratio of 9.8 percent.

Hudson County residents each carry, on average, an auto debt of $2,055 and a mortgage debt of $35,404, which is 108.5 percent of their annual income.

In Mercer County, the average resident's income is $37,465, they carry a credit card debt equal to about 9 percent of their income and an auto debt of 7.5 percent. The average mortgage debt carried each year is $46,028.

Further down the New Jersey list are:

• Morris County, where residents have an average income of $48,814 a year and carry $4,310 a year in credit card debt, $70,152 in mortgage debt and $3,620 in auto debt;
• Somerset County, where residents have an average income of $47,803 a year and carry $4,210 per year in credit card debt, $72,094 in mortgage debt and $3,495 a year in auto debt.
• Atlantic County, where residents have an average annual income of $27,391, carry an annual credit card debt of $3,140, an annual mortgage debt of $38,044 and an auto debt of $2,749.

Among the least desirable places for debt in New Jersey are Ocean, Sussex and Passaic counties, where residents carry a credit card debt of $3,360 to $4,460 a year and carry an average mortgage debt of $43,043 to $53,706 a year.

Passaic County ranked the lowest overall debt-to-income rank in New Jersey, with the average resident's income at $27,152 a year and an auto debt-to-income ratio of 10.5 percent and a mortgage debt of $43,043 a year.

Nationwide, Connecticut was the state with the highest per capita income at $36,209, and New Jersey was second at $35,504.

"What this shows is the diversity of the people who live within the arbitrary lines that make up our counties," said Marc Pfeiffer, assistant director of the Bloustein Local Government Research Center at Rutgers University.

Pfeiffer said Hudson County residents probably fared better in the study because many of them are renters who have no mortgage to pay and no auto debt because they use mass transit.

"Also, you have a phenomenal mix of incomes in Hudson County," he said.

Densely populated Passaic County may have more residents deeper in debt because of lower income overall, the need to own a car and purchase a home, he said.

"When you own homes and have to have a car, it's going to drive up your debt," he said.

 

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

The FEMA money covers the cost of replacing seven power controls and 150 signs damaged or destroyed by the super storm's high winds.

TETERBORO -- Three years after Superstorm Sandy touched down at Teterboro Airport, a $3.1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover the cost of replacing lighted runway signs and controls damaged by the storm.

The Bergen County borough that gives the airport its name was spared the kind of flooding that submerged nearby towns along the Hackensack River, and the Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro served as a shelter for evacuees.

RELATED: FEMA should recover $3.2 in Sandy funds from Spring Lake, audit says

Even so, officials said flooding and winds clocked at 72 miles per hour hit the airport, a general aviation facility about five miles west of the George Washington Bridge, operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and used largely by charter operations and corporate jets.

The FEMA grant for the general aviation airport run by the Port Authority in Bergen County was announced late Thursday, two weeks ahead of Sandy's Oct. 31 anniversary, by the state's two Democratic U.S. Senators, Robert Menendez and Cory Booker.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Village police said Friday they were investigating a "suspicious incident" where a man possibly followed two juveniles.

Ridgefield Park police said they were looking to speak with a man in a reported suspicious incident in the village Oct. 14, 2015 (File photo) 

Two juveniles were walking south on Hudson Avenue on Wednesday between 3 and 3:30 p.m. when the man reportedly got out of a vehicle and started walking in the same direction, police said in a news release.

"This continued for approximately two blocks until the juveniles entered a private home an adjacent street," police said in the release. "After entering the private home, one of the juveniles looked out the window and observed the subject standing across the street."

ALSO: Boys attack 14-year-old in suspected bias offense, cops say

The man reportedly fled from the area, according to police.

"It should be noted that the subject did not make any verbal or physical contact with the juveniles," the news release said.

The man was described as Hispanic, about 5-feet tall, possibly in his early 30s, clean shaven with black hair and a stocky build, police said. He was wearing a black hat with orange or red stripes, sunglasses, a black shirt and blue jeans.

He was driving an older four-door sedan, which was possibly silver or gray, police said.

Detectives only want to speak with the man, according to the release.

Police said the encounter was reported Thursday.

Anyone with information was asked to call investigators at 201-641-6400.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Assistant prosecutor Matthew Murphy offered all five defendants plea deals in exchange for their testimony.

SOMERVILLE -- Five members of an alleged ring of scam artists that targeted the elderly pleaded not guilty Friday in Somerset County Superior Court.

Sonny Mitchell, 44, of Rahway; Sonny George, 46, of Medford, Mass.; Stanley Mitchell, 37, of Edison; Steven Miller, 46, of Edison; and Ericka Mitchell, 32, of Cliffside Park each entered their plea before Judge Julie M. Marino.

These five individuals are allegedly members of a scam ring that was dismantled by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Burglary Task Force in August, when 12 individuals were indicted on 51 counts of racketeering and related crimes committed through the tri-state area, authorities said.

Others charged in the indictment were:

• Tim Mitchell, 41, of Cherry Hill
• Sonny Stanley, 43, of Cliffside Park
• Frankie Mitchell, 47, of Chicopee, Mass.
• Patrick Anthony Stanley, 27, of Cliffside Park
• Sable Sofia Edwards, 26, of Cliffside Park
• Nicky Anderson, 38, of Rutherford
• Teresa Vanessa Butch, 28, of Fort Lee

Bench warrants were issued on Tim Mitchell (fugitive), Sonny Stanley (Rikers Island), Frankie Mitchell (fugitive), Teresa Vanessa Butch (fugitive) and Sable Edwards (Rikers Island), none of whom appeared in court. Patrick Anthony Stanley pleaded not guilty last month. Nicky Anderson is due in court next week.

Assistant prosecutor Matthew Murphy offered Sonny Mitchell and Sonny George a plea deal that included a seven-year prison sentence in exchange for their testimony against their co-defendants. He offered Stanley Mitchell and Steven Miller five-year prison terms and Ericka Mitchell was offered 180 days in county jail and probation in exchange for their testimony.

The defendants' next court date is Nov. 13 for a status conference.

An affidavit filed by Detective Jeffrey Vandergoot of the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Burglary Task Force in March previously noted the arrests of Stanley Mitchell, Steven Miller and Sonny Mitchell.

The affidavit also reported similar residential distraction burglaries and thefts committed throughout the state by "Gypsy Travelers," who are frequently of Romanian or Eastern European descent. The prosecutor's office did not refer to the group in its most recent press release or in phone conversations as "Gypsy Travelers." It has, however, identified Steven Miller from the March arrest as Steve John from the recent indictment.

The investigation began in Dec. 2014 when the prosecutor's office investigated a "distraction burglary" committed in Somerville. A lone man approached a 90-year-old man who was raking leaves on his property on North Adamsville Road, authorities said.

The man claimed to be "with the water company" and asked to inspect the water pipes in the victim's basement, the prosecutor's office said. The homeowner escorted the man into the basement of his home, and, shortly thereafter, the man said the pipes were clear and exited the home, authorities said. The man later realized a safe containing his life savings had been stolen.

Between December 2013 and March 2015, male members of the enterprise specifically targeted the homes of elderly persons for distraction burglaries and thefts, authorities said.

Female members of the enterprise targeted elderly men for theft by deception, including operating a psychic shop in Fort Lee for the purpose of committing theft by deception, authorities said. They also allegedly conspired together to commit health care claims fraud and insurance fraud by filing fraudulent slip-and-fall claims with insurance companies and third party administrators, authorities said.

Authorities said the male defendants have been indicted in residential burglaries and thefts, as well as attempted burglaries and thefts, committed in Somerset, Bergen, Camden, Hudson, Middlesex, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties.

Similar distraction burglaries and thefts were committed or attempted in New York in Westchester and Queens County.

The three female defendants allegedly conspired together to target octogenarian men for theft while simultaneously committing insurance fraud. Specifically, the indictment alleges that between December 2012 and July 22, 2015, Sable Edwards, along with her cousins Ericka Mitchell and Teresa Butch, were responsible for submitting 18 fraudulent personal injury claims to insurance companies and third party administrators who represented commercial businesses.

Authorities allege that phony slip-and-falls were staged at a number of businesses throughout the tri-state area.

The total amount of the fraudulent claims exceeded $150,000 of which the defendants netted approximately $36,000 from the scheme, authorities said. While many of the claims were denied by insurance adjusters, other claims were negotiated and settled, authorities said.

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

A motorist was seriously hurt, one dog in his car was killed and three others rescued after a crash in the borough late Friday, a published report said.

A dog was killed and a driver seriously hurt in a crash in Oradell late Oct. 16, 2015, a report said. (Stock image) 

Borough firefighters and Paramus fire crews responded around 11 p.m. to the crash at Oradell and Forest avenues, the Oradell Fire Department said in a statement.

Firefighters cut away a car door to rescue the driver who was trapped after the wreck, the department said. Three dogs in the vehicle were also removed.

One dog was killed and another ran away, NorthJersey.com reported.

Two people in the other vehicle declined medical treatment, the report said.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

A crash on I-95 in the Leonia-area caused traffic delays Saturday night, according to the state Department of Transportation.

A crash on I-95 in Bergen County caused delays near Leonia Oct. 17, 2015 (511nj.org) 

All northbound express lanes were blocked, south of Exit 71 and Broad Avenue, as of 7:20 p.m. the transportation department's 511nj.org website said.

A four mile delay was reported in the area, according to 511nj.org.

Additional details were not immediately available. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Police, fire officials on scene with a heavily damaged car.

New Jersey State Police and fire officials are on the scene of a fatal vehicle incident  on the Garden State Parkway at exit 165.  

According to state police, one person was killed in the incident, which they said occurred at 11:35 a.m.

Tim Darragh | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

A traffic camera near the exit in Paramus is showing a heavily damaged vehicle at the toll plaza. 

Entry to the toll plaza is being blocked by police and fire vehicles. 

According to 511NY-New Jersey, there is a 1.5 mile backup on the northbound parkway. 

Check back on NJ.Com for updates.

Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans this winter to put forward a cleanup plan for groundwater contaminated with cancer-causing chromium under a Garfield neighborhood, the Record reported.

GARFIELD -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans this winter to put forward a cleanup plan for groundwater contaminated with cancer-causing chromium under a Garfield neighborhood, the Record reported.

Scientists may try a combination of cleanup methods.

They are considering injecting vegetable oil underground to generate bacteria that can break down chromium to a less toxic form. They would also pump water to the surface near the E.C. Electroplating plant on Clark Street--the source of the pollution--and treat it there.

The EPA still lacks the money to complete the project. Judith Enck, the EPA regional administrator for New Jersey and New York, estimated at a hearing in 2014 that the cleanup would cost tens of millions of dollars.

Chromium has been leaching into the soil near the E.C. Electroplating plant since a spill in 1983. The plant ceased operation in 2009.

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

A man died Sunday after being pulled unconscious from a pool at a Montvale health club, police said.

A man drowned at a Montvale health club, Oct. 18, 2015, borough police said. (Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

MONTVALE -- A man died Sunday after being pulled unconscious from a pool at a Montvale health club, police said.

The middle-aged man had been pulled out of the pool before police arrived at Lifetime Fitness on Van Riper Way at 10:52 a.m., Montvale Police Chief Jeremy Abrams said in a press release.

Triboro Ambulance and paramedic units tried to revive him before taking him to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, Abrams said. He was pronounced dead there.

Police have not been able to identify the man, Abrams said. He was in swimwear with no identification.

A manager at Lifetime Fitness did not immediately return a request for comment.

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

N.J.-based Hess Toy Truck will also sell the toys online, despite the closure of the gas stations

The Hess truck's back -- but not at the gas stations.

Since Hess stations have closed, this will be the first holiday season that Woodbridge-based Hess Toy Truck will roll out its inventory solely online and at a handful of malls in the area.

Online sales of the 2015 Hess Fire Truck and Ladder Rescue, announced Monday, will start Nov. 1 at hesstoytruck.com.

The red firetruck, which costs $30.99 -- $1 more than last year's truck -- is equipped with a pivoting LED searchlight, hose nozzles, slide-out ramp and four different sound effects. The accompanying ladder rescue truck has a movable nozzle and friction motor.

Hess sold its gas stations to Marathon Petroleum in 2014, making that year the last that parents, grandparents and collectors could scoop up the toys at gas stations in the run-up to the holiday season. Marathon's Speedway gas stations are not selling Hess toy trucks. 

In New Jersey, starting on Nov. 12, the toy will be sold at Paramus Park, Woodbridge Center, Willowbrook and Cherry Hill malls at kiosks made to look like Hess trucks. Six other malls in New York and Pennsylvania will have the kiosks. 

The toys may have outlived the gas stations, but in the absence of the annual trip to the stations for the trucks -- which had become a holiday tradition for many families -- the company wanted to provide an offline alternative.

"There is this nostalgic pilgrimage to the store," says Justin Mayer, general manager of Hess Toy Truck. "The malls do allow folks to replicate that experience." 

But Mayer says a large portion of those buying the trucks are buying online, though he would not divulge how many customers made purchases on the website in 2014.

"We saw a ton of folks come online this year," Mayer says. Trucks bought online come with free shipping.

"It's not where they come from, it's about who gave it to you," he says. 

Mayer says he tested out the firetruck and ladder rescue on his children, who are in first grade and kindergarten, this past weekend. They proceeded to dust off their stockpile of other Hess firetrucks and go to town with latest addition to their collection.

"It's all about the rescue and imagining the play of rescuing somebody," he says. "The kids love speed. It moves fast when you push it. That's the play value." 

The Hess empire had modest New Jersey beginnings in 1933, when a 19-year-old Leon Hess remade his father's Asbury Park oil delivery service. The first Hess station opened in 1960 in Oakhurst. 

Hidden among Hess' 2015 holiday haul will be 100 silver, individually numbered versions of the truck. All trucks come with five batteries. 

In 2014, Hess celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Hess toy truck, which debuted in 1964. In the decades since, the fleet of Hess toys has moved well beyond the first iteration -- a gas tanker with oil funnel -- to encompass helicopters, monster trucks, motorcycles, and spaceships. 

An education program at Bergen Community College for adults with intellectual disabilities will receive funding for another five years, officials announced Monday.

PARAMUS -- An education program at Bergen Community College for adults with intellectual disabilities will receive funding for another five years, officials announced Monday.

Bergen Community College received a grant worth up to $2.5 million for its "Turning Point" program.

The program, for 18- to 30-year-olds with intellectual disabilities, teaches vocational, social and life skills over a two-year period. The college partners with employers to place graduates at jobs.

Turning allows young adults with intellectual disabilities to continue their education. Many run out of options once they reach adulthood, Bergen Community College President B. Kaye Walter said.

"When students with disabilities finish out our technical schools they have no place else to go," she said.

Melanie Weisberg, an advocate and mother to a 24-year-old son with intellectual disabilities, said many parents run out of options once their children with intellectual disabilities become adults.

"Some of the young adults unfortunately stay home," she said.

The college has received the grant's first installment of $499,449, with the rest contingent on meeting the grant's goals. Bergen Community College has established a fund to help grow the program beyond the 10 to 15 students per year it currently serves.

Sen. Bob Menendez spoke at the college Monday to announce the grant.

"We want to give every student of Bergen County, and the country, the opportunity to go to the max of what they can do personally."

Bergen Community launched Turning Point in 2010 after receiving another $2.3 million federal grant. Over its first five years about 100 students have enrolled.

Turning Point students took part for the first time this year in the college's commencement ceremonies. Students receive certificates of achievement upon completing the program. Walter said the students are part of the college community, with many working campus jobs.

"We intend not only to continue to ask for grants to grow the program, but we're working with our foundation to establish and grow a fund so it can continue," she said.

Police on identified a man who died after he was pulled unconscious from a pool at a Montvale health club on Sunday as a Norwood resident, the Record reported.

A man died after being pulled from a swimming pool at a Montvale health club, Oct. 18, 2015, borough police said. (Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

MONTVALE -- Police on identified a man who died after he was pulled unconscious from a pool at a Montvale health club on Sunday as a Norwood resident, the Record reported.

An autopsy will determine the cause of death for Alexandro Antzoulatos, 50, Borough Police Chief Jeremy Abrams said.

It's not clear if Antzoulatos drowned in the pool at Life Time Fitness on Van Riper Way or if he suffered a fatal medical problem, Abrams said. Jason Thunstrom, a spokesman for Life Time Fitness, based in Chanhassen, Minn., said Antzoulatos had a "medical emergency" while in the pool on Sunday.

Antzoulatos had been pulled out of the pool before police arrived Sunday morning, Abrams said Monday. He was pronounced dead at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.

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

A former abortion doctor has been ordered to appear in court Wednesday to explain why he failed to turn over ownership of his chain of clinics when his license was revoked a year ago.

TRENTON -- A former abortion doctor has been ordered to appear in court Wednesday to explain why he failed to turn over ownership of his chain of clinics when his license was revoked a year ago.

Dr. Steven C. Brigham appeared before the board of medical examiners in 2010. (The Star-Ledger File Photo)  

Steven C. Brigham has been ordered to appear in state Superior Court in Essex County to explain why he did not respond to a subpoena from the Attorney General's Office in June seeking information about the clinics, according to court records.

Deputy Attorney general Bindi Merchant also made nine inquiries with Brigham and his attorney, Joseph Gorrell seeking annual reports and contracts associated with Brigham's four corporations: American Healthcare Services, Advanced Professional Services, Alpha Real Estate and American Wellness Services, according to the records.

Brigham has not been allowed to practice since 2010, when the state Board of Medical Examiners found he had skirted state law by starting late-term abortions with five women. He administered a drug that killed the fetus in his South Jersey office, and ordering them to drive to his Maryland clinic, where the surgical procedure was completed.

Last year, Brigham lost an appeal and the board revoked his license.

Without his license, Brigham was required by state law to divest himself from the clinics he owned in Elizabeth, Mount Laurel, Paramus, Phillipsburg, Toms River, Woodbridge and Voorhees. He turned over the business to the company's medical director, Vikram Kaji.

But when an investigator from the Division of Consumer Affairs performed an unannounced inspection at a clinic in Hamilton April 22, Kaji denied he was the owner. During a closed-door hearing of a committee of the board on May 5, Vikram Kaji "repeatedly testified under oath that he was not the owner," according to the complaint filed June 16 by Deputy Attorney General Bindi Merchant.

"He expressly testified that there is no other person around, (Brigham's) the only one who runs the show,'' according to the complaint obtained by NJ Advance Media.

RELATED: N.J. abortion doctor appeals license revocation, divests from clinics

Marie Tasy, executive director for New Jersey Right to Life, has asked the Attorney General to shut down the clinics and bring new charges against Brigham for his deception.

"It is shocking that these (clinics) are still operating at all," Tasy said in recent letter to the Attorney General's Office.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

 

A fire on River Street will force at least 10 people to relocate, fire officials said.

LODI -- A fire on River Street will force at least 10 people to relocate, fire officials said.

The fire broke started at about 4 a.m. Tuesday on the second floor of a brick multifamily home at 61 River St. and spread to the second floor of a neighboring multifamily home at 59 River St., Lodi Fire Marshall Paul W. Wanco said.

Tenants of the home where the fire started said they noticed smoke coming from a wall outlet before the fire started, but fire investigators won't be able to determine the exact cause of the fire since the building is unsafe and will be demolished, Wanco said.

RELATED: 200-gallon vat of cooking oil catches fire in Bayonne, fire chief says

Five people at 61 River St. and another five people at 59 River St. will have to relocate, Wanco said. The owner of 59 River St., who lives on the first floor, may have to relocate as well if building inspectors deem the house unsafe.

No one was injured, Wanco said. Firefighters were greeted by heavy fire once they arrived.

The fire was under control by about 5:20 a.m., Wanco said.

Mutual aid came from fire departments in Little Ferry, Garfield, Rochelle Park, Hackensack, Wallington and Saddle Brook.

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

Tweet your pics #JerseyWeen

You see them around your neighborhood at this time every fall: The house that goes overboard for Halloween. A strand of orange lights and a creepy spider aren't enough for some people. Motorized skeletons, creepy music and homemade headstones hit the spot during Halloween season. Do you go overboard decorating your house for October 31, or have you seen a ghastly display nearby? We want to see them too.

Post pics of New Jersey Halloween decor in comments below. Make sure you tell us where in New Jersey the picture is from, and give us details about the best parts of the display. You can also tweet Halloween decor photos @njdotcom with the hashtag #jerseyween. We'll highlight the best decorations on NJ.com next week.

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

Ramapo Mountain State Forest reopened Tuesday after a two-week closure prompted by fears over reported encounters between hikers and possibly aggressive black bears, officials said.

One of New Jersey's estimated 2,500 black bears shown in this NJ Advance Media file photo. (file photo)  

BERGEN COUNTY -- Ramapo Mountain State Forest reopened Tuesday after a two-week closure prompted by fears over reported encounters between hikers and possibly aggressive black bears, officials said.

The adjacent Ramapo Valley Reservation was also reopened, based on a recommendation from state wildlife officials, according to the Department of Environmental Protection. The county-run reservation was closed for a week after a report that a bear chased eight hikers in the 3,300-acre park. 

The decision to reopen the parks came after an assessment from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, the DEP said. State biologists have been monitoring traps near several reported encounters between people and "one or more potentially aggressive bears." 

RELATED: 4 bears killed, parks closed amid encounters with hikers, officials say

State biologists killed four adult bears in a little over a week after the animals showed no signs of fearing people, Division of Fish and Wildlife Director David Chanda said Wednesday. 

Those bears appeared to have become accustomed to people, possibly by illegal feeding from hikers or nearby residents, wildlife officials have said. 

Late last week, a bear that matched the description from an Oct. 11 reported encounter with hikers in Ramapo Valley Reservation in Mahwah was caught and killed, according to DEP spokesman Bob Considine. 

Another bear was trapped at the Ramapo Mountain State Forest and released after it showed natural fear of people, Considine added. 

The investigation into possible illegal feeding was ongoing and no charges have been filed, the spokesman said. 

"Additional signage has been posted at the state forest and county reservation warning hikers and other visitors to not feed bears, as this can create aggressive behavior in the animals and is illegal," according to the DEP statement.

Officials launched an investigation after a 21-year-old woman and 7-year-old boy reported that they were followed and chased by a bear in the Ramapo Mountain State Forest Sept. 19.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Hernandez also gave out fatal overdoses in March and in July

Angel Hernandez (Passaic County Prosecutor) 

CLIFTON -- A 38-year-old Elmwood Park man has been arrested on charges that he caused two men to die by supplying them with heroin in two separate incidents in Clifton, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

Angel Hernandez was charged by the Passaic prosecutor and Clifton police with two counts of strict liability for drug induced-death, said Passaic Prosecutor Camelia Valdes.

Hernandez allegedly caused the heroin overdose deaths of Eric Somesia, 24, of Paterson, in March, and of Daniel Renois, 23, of Clifton, in July, according to the prosecutor.

The prosecutor's statement does not say whether Hernandez was a user of the heroin.

Hernandez is being held on a total of $300,000 bail, with no 10-percent option, and has a court appearance scheduled on Thursday, Valdes said.

Strict liability for a drug-induced death is a first-degree charge that imposes a maximum sentence of 20 years, 85 percent of which must be served before a defendant may be released on parole. Hernandez faces up to 40 years for the two counts.

Hernandez was charged following an investigation by the Clifton Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit, Valdes said.

Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

 

An abortion doctor who lost his license last year has avoided a court hearing Wednesday by finally turning over records subpoenaed by the state Attorney General to determine whether he has relinquished control of his clinics.

TRENTON -- An abortion doctor who lost his license last year will avoid a court hearing Wednesday because he finally turned over records the state Attorney General subpoenaed in June showing whether he had relinquished control of seven clinics.

State Division of Consumer Affairs spokesman Jeff Lamm confirmed Tuesday that Steven C. Brigham submitted annual reports and contracts associated with the abortion clinics he was expected to forfeit when the board of Medical Examiners revoked his license a year ago for gross negligence, deception and official misconduct.

Brigham also turned in records pertaining to his four corporations: American Healthcare Services, Advanced Professional Services, Alpha Real Estate and American Wellness Services, Lamm said.

RELATED: N.J. medical board revokes abortion doctor's license

Lamm said the records were not public because they are tied to a "pending matter" before the attorney general. He declined to comment on what the records said.

Deputy Attorney General Bindi Merchant sent a letter to Superior Court Judge Walter Koprowski, Jr. asking the hearing be cancelled, Lamm said.

When Brigham and his attorney, Joseph Gorrell failed to provide the records, Merchant asked the judge to order Brigham to appear in court.

Gorrell did not return calls and emails seeking comment.

Brigham has not been allowed to practice since 2010, when the state Board of Medical Examiners found he had skirted state law by starting late-term abortions with five women. He administered a drug that killed the fetus in his South Jersey office, and ordering them to drive to his Maryland clinic, where the surgical procedure was completed.

Last year, Brigham lost an appeal and the board revoked his license.

Without his license, Brigham was required by state law to divest himself from the clinics he owned in Elizabeth, Mount Laurel, Paramus, Phillipsburg, Toms River, Woodbridge and Voorhees. He turned over the business to the company's medical director, Vikram Kaji.

But when an investigator from the Division of Consumer Affairs performed an unannounced inspection at a clinic in Hamilton April 22, Kaji denied he was the owner. During a closed-door hearing of a committee of the board on May 5, Vikram Kaji "repeatedly testified under oath that he was not the owner," according to state records.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

 

The pair allegedly shot up the historic church on two separate ocassions in November and December, 2014.

A Somerville man and his cousin, both ex-Marines, pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges they used high-powered weapons to fire more than 40 bullets into a northern New Jersey church, The Record reported.File photo 

RIDGEWOOD -- A Somerville man and his cousin, both ex-Marines, pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges they used high-powered weapons to fire more than 40 bullets into a northern New Jersey church that is recognized as a nationally historic structure, according to a report in The Record.

Joseph Galli, 22, of Somerville, and Alexander Norrell, 23, of Ridgewood, allegedly riddled the Old Paramus Reformed Church in Ridgewood, built in 1800, with bullets on Nov. 16 and Dec. 26, 2014, causing more than $2,000 worth of damage, authorities have said. The church was empty on both occasions, authorities have said.

The pair have been charged in an eight-count indictment that includes weapons possession and property damage charges, the report said.

As previously reported by NJ Advance Media, Galli, who was a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina at the time of the incident, was the alleged shooter. Norrell, his alleged accomplice, left the Marines in Sept. 2014.

In the two incidents, an AR-15-style high-powered rifle was used to fire approximately 40 rounds into the empty building during the overnight hours Nov. 16 and Dec. 26, authorities have said. The gunfire rattled parishioners and prompted increased police patrols in the area, authorities have said.

Prosecutors have said the church was targeted because it was isolated, not because it was a house of worship and no bias crime charges have been filed against the men.

Galli was being held on $100,000 bail at the Bergen County Jail, according to jail records. Norrell is free on bail, according to The Record.

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