U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez traveled to Moonachie to urge homeowners to ask FEMA to review their insurance claims.

WASHINGTON -- Hurricane Sandy homeowners who feel they didn't get a fair shake from their insurance companies now have until Oct. 15 to ask the government to reopen their claims.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency extended its deadline to handle as many as 141,800 requests from homeowners who were not in litigation, about 70,000 of them from New Jersey. The decision came as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development joined other federal agencies in agreeing not to try to recoup benefits already provided homeowners.

"I understand why many families have been skeptical about making the call," said U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). "You're tired and frustrated and reopening your claim may seem like reopening an old wound that still hasn't healed. 

The agency initially agreed to reopen the claims process following a meeting with Menendez and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in response to allegations that insurance companies or their engineering firms were minimizing the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in order to reduce their payments.

Menendez traveled to Moonachie on Friday to urge New Jersey homeowners to file appeals with FEMA before the new deadline. He was joined by Sonny Markoski of Long Beach Island, who with his wife Dawn did ask FEMA to review their claim and received an additional $56,000.

EARLIER: FEMA extends deadline for Sandy homeowners

"To other Sandy survivors, if you're too tired to reopen the claim, I totally understand that," Sonny Markoski said. "We've all been through a lot. But you know what, this is money you deserved, money you paid for in your insurance policy. You've got nothing to lose, and maybe a whole lot to gain. And it really was not that hard."

As of Sept. 16, 23,593 homeowners have contacted FEMA, 14,201 have asked the agency to review their cialms and 825 have been approved for additional payments.

MORE POLITICS

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

The long-delayed project in the Meadowlands is expected to open in late summer 2017.

EAST RUTHERFORD -- The list of retailers planning to open stores in a long-delayed mall and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands is growing. 

The developer of the American Dream project on Monday announced 10 retailers who have committed to setting up shop at the East Rutherford site, including Aritzia, a women's fashion boutique, and Lululemon, a yoga-inspired athletic apparel company.

Banana Republic, Gap, MAC, Microsoft, Pink, Uniqlo, Victoria's Secret and Zara will also be tenants, according to a news release.

MORE: Big tax break for American Dream project gets green light 

The mall's developer, Triple Five, announced earlier this month that Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue were going to open locations at American Dream. The luxury retailer Hermes is also set to open a store there.

"This is just the beginning of the promise we made to build the world's greatest shopping, entertainment and dining destination," Triple Five President Don Ghermezian said in a statement.

The mall and entertainment complex is expected to open toward the end of summer 2017, more than a decade after construction first started on the project. Triple Five, which took over in 2011, is working on securing the financing needed to finish the development, which will include an indoor amusement and water park.

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

The officer was making a left turn onto Lake Street from a parking lot when he and a driver traveling west on the street collided, police said.

An Upper Saddle River police officer and a female driver were hospitalized on Monday after a crash on Lake Street. File photo 

UPPER SADDLE RIVER--An Upper Saddle River officer and a woman were hospitalized for minor injuries Monday morning after a crash on Lake Street, police said. 

The officer was making a left turn onto Lake Street from a parking lot when he and another driver traveling west on the street collided, Detective Lt. Ed Kane told NJ Advance Media.

The crash damaged the fronts of both the patrol car and the woman's vehicle and forced airbags in both cars to deploy, Kane said. The two were taken to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood for minor injuries. 

No charges or summonses will be filed in connection to the crash, Kane said. He would not release the names of either driver. 

Kathryn Brenzel may be reached at kbrenzel@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @katiebrenzel. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

 

A judge on Monday approved the sale of 95 A&P-owned stores, including 39 in New Jersey, to Acme and Stop & Shop

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A judge on Monday approved the sale of 95 A&P-owned stores, including 39 in New Jersey, to Acme and Stop & Shop, The Record reported.

More than 10,750 people will keep their jobs under the deals, approved by Judge Robert Drain in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains.

A&P will now accept bids for 19 stores, including three New Jersey locations, included in a bid offer by Key Food, and for 153 remaining stores not bid on by Acme, Key or Stop & Shop. Acme plans to buy 72 stores for $246 million, while Stop & Shop is purchasing 24 stores for $124 million.

Acme initially planned to buy 76 stores but backed out of buying four New York locations, Lohud.com reported.

The Montvale-based Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company filed for bankruptcy in July. The company plans to close or sell all of its stores.

The New Jersey stores Acme is purchasing are:

•     A&P (2007 State Route 35, Wall Township, NJ)
•     A&P (137 Lake Street, Midland Park, NJ)
•     A&P (125 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah, NJ)
•     A&P (1260 Springfield Avenue, New Providence, NJ)
•     A&P (2160 Lemoine Avenue, Fort Lee, NJ)
•     A&P (520 Chestnut Ridge Road, Woodcliff Lake, NJ)
•     A&P (123-125 Main Street, Denville, NJ)
•     A&P (125 18th Street, Jersey City, NJ)
•     A&P (45 Demercurio Drive, Allendale, NJ)
•     A&P (801 Kenilworth Boulevard, Kenilworth NJ)
•     A&P (907D Oak Tree Road, South Plainfield, NJ)
•     A&P (5774 Berkshire Valley Road, Jefferson Township, NJ)
•     A&P (530 Route 515 Unit 1, Vernon, NJ)
•     A&P (507 Prospect Avenue, Little Silver, NJ)
•     A&P (614 Clinton Street, Hoboken, NJ)
•     A&P (510 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ)
•     A&P (1060 Raritan Road, Clark, NJ)
•     A&P (5 Ortley Plaza, Ortley Beach, NJ)
•     A&P (455 Route 23, North Sussex, NJ)
•     A&P (152 Route 94, Blairstown, NJ)
•     A&P (199 Kinderkamack Road, Park Ridge, NJ)
•     A&P (103 Knollwood Road, Greenburgh, NY)
•     A&P (55 Riverwalk Drive West New York, NJ)
•     A&P (990 Shrewsbury Avenue, Tinton Falls, NJ)
•     A&P (3500 Route #9, Old Bridge, NJ)
•     A&P (75 Mayhill Street, Saddle Brook, NJ)
•     A&P (177 Washington Valley Road, Warrenville, NJ)
•     Pathmark (321 Stadium Plaza, Jersey City, NJ)
•     Pathmark (58 Broad Way, Elmwood Park, NJ)
•     Pathmark (481 River Road, Edgewater, NJ)
•     Pathmark (4100 Park Avenue, Weehawken, NJ)
•     Pathmark (80 New Bridge Road, Bergenfield, NJ)
•     Pathmark (281-295 Ferry Street, Newark, NJ)
•     Pathmark (5100 Wellington Avenue, Ventnor, NJ)
•     Superfresh (609 East Bay Avenue, Manahawkin, NJ)
•     Superfresh (800 West Avenue, Ocean City, NJ)
•     Superfresh (2400 Delaware Avenue, Wildwood, NJ)

The New Jersey stores Stop & Shop is purchasing are:

•     A&P (400 Demarest Avenue, Closter, NJ)
•     Pathmark (407 Valley Street, South Orange, NJ)
•     Pathmark (25 Kinnelon Road, Kinnelon, NJ)

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

A Bergen County man has been charged with vehicular homicide and other offenses in connection to an Aug. 30 crash that killed his father.

FREEHOLD - A Bergen County man has been charged with vehicular homicide and other offenses in connection to an Aug. 30  crash that killed his father, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced Monday.

Shortly before 3 p.m. on Aug. 30, 35-year-old Andrew Halder, of Woodcliff Lake, was operating a 2007 Mini Cooper with his father, Gary Halder, on board as they left a local golf club where they played a round of golf earlier in the day.  

Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

An investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Colts Neck Police Department determined that after leaving the club, Andrew Halder attempted to drive the vehicle onto Route 18 North from 537 West in Colts Neck, but that upon entering the ramp to Route 18, the vehicle hit the curb.  

After hitting the curb, the car flipped, rolled and Gary Halder was ejected from the vehicle, the prosecutor's office said.

The father was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he later died due to the injuries he sustained in the collision, officials said.

The investigation further determined that Andrew Halder was operating the motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration in excess of .08 percent, the legal threshold for intoxication in New Jersey, the prosecutor's office said.

He was arrested Monday and charged with one count of second-degree vehicular homicide, as well as the motor vehicle violations of reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, and displaying a fictitious inspection sticker. 

Halder was released after posting $100,000 bail, with a 10-percent option, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Honora O'Brien Kilgallen. 

If convicted of vehicular homicide, Halder could face up to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison, subject to the provisions of the "No Early Release Act," which would require him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for parole.

This case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Meghan Doyle. Halder is represented by James P. Patuto, of Hackensack. 

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

 

Josanne Archibald isn't sure what her family would have done without Harboring Hearts.

RIDGEFIELD PARK -- Josanne Archibald isn't sure what her family would have done without Harboring Hearts.

Her son Mason, born June 5, needed a heart transplant. She and her husband Damion would need to miss work to be at the hospital almost every day until a donor was identified.

Harboring Hearts, a New York-based non-profit, offered the Ridgefield Park family three months of rent.

"We probably would have had to borrow money from friends and family," Archibald said. "We're just so blessed to have them."

Archibald went through a normal pregnancy before Mason was born. Doctors at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center kept him for observation because he was breathing quickly.

When his breathing failed to improve, a nurse ordered X-rays, revealing an enlarged heart. Mason was transferred to Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, where he was diagnosed with left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

Doctors first tried medication to help his heart contract, but it didn't work. At only a week old, a heart transplant was the only remaining option Josanne, a pharmacy technician, and Damion, who works in sales, would need to be at the hospital nearly every day while awaiting a donor.

They were connected to Harboring Hearts through a hospital social worker. The non-profit works with patients awaiting heart transplants or critical heart surgery whose families are at or below the median income level.

Aside from financial assistance, Harboring Hearts also holds events with food and live music at its partner hospitals, Mt. Sinai, New York Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center, to ease the burden on patients and families, Missy Rahman, deputy director of the non-profit, said.

Michelle Javian and Yuki Kotani founded Harboring Hearts in 2009 after their fathers received heart transplants. The non-profit assisted 72 families in 2014, and has assisted more than 80 this year, Rahman said.

Archibald was told Mason could remain on the transplant list for six months to a year. She didn't have to wait that long.

Mason received a heart transplant on July 23 and returned home to Ridgefield Park. However, he's since returned, after the amount of a medicine used to coax his body to accept his new heart reached dangerous levels.

But the worst is over, Archibald said. Mason should return home as soon as his levels return to normal. They wouldn't have been able to do it without Harboring Hearts, Archibald said.

"We're grateful for them," she said. "They're a great organization."

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

A judge on Monday set a March 21 trial date for a Garfield man charged with murder and weapons offenses in the 2012 shooting of a 33-year-old in Cliffside Park

A Garfield man will face trial March 21, 2016 for the shooting death of a Fairview man. (File Photo) 

HACKENSACK -- A judge on Monday set a March 21 trial date for a Garfield man charged with murder and weapons offenses in the 2012 shooting of a 33-year-old in Cliffside Park, The Record reported.

Michael A. Sampson, 41, and his girlfriend Jacquelin Pierro were arrested July 8, 2012 in connection with the shooting death of Hector Zabala, of Fairview, police said at the time. The shooting followed an argument at TJ's Boom Boom Sports Dining Lounge in Cliffside Park.

Sampson is being held at Bergen County Jail on $3.1 million bail, sheriff's records show. He's charged with murder, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, distribution of drugs and child endangerment.

Pierro allegedly left the scene with Sampson and left the couple's 4-year-old child in his car while police were looking for him. She's charged with child endangerment and hindering apprehension.

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

A Bergen County couple was indicted Monday for allegedly bilking their insurance company out of $53,000 and falsifying a bankruptcy application that forgave $175,000 of debt, the state Attorney General announced.

TRENTON -- A Bergen County couple was indicted Monday for allegedly bilking their insurance company out of $53,000 and falsifying a bankruptcy application that forgave $175,000 of debt, the state Attorney General's office announced.

Authorities claim Katreecea Cline, 46, improperly reported Hurricane Sandy-related damages to her son's dorm room in Hudson County, her apartment in Elmwood Park, and property stored at her brother's home in Keansburg from October 2012 to November 2013, according to acting Attorney General John Hoffman said. United States Automobile Association (USAA) paid Cline $53,800, the maximum allowed under her policy, Hoffman said.

Cline also reported her recreation vehicle containing $20,000 worth of construction equipment and other belongings were stolen in May 2013, officials said.

MORE: 5 charged with Hurricane Sandy relief fraud

In February 2013, a federal bankruptcy court judge accepted Cline and her 44-year-old husband Stevie Mitchell's bankruptcy application and set aside approximately $175,000 worth of debt.

Stevie Mitchell, 44, of Elmwood Park was indicted for submitting a false bankruptcy application. (Courtesy of N.J. Attorney General's Office
 

The Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor determined the documents submitted were fraudulent the damages fictitious, Hoffman said.

"It is extremely deplorable that this couple took advantage of a natural disaster, one that caused such tremendous loss for so many victims, to cheat their insurance company," said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. "This type of conduct drives up the cost of insurance premiums for honest homeowners."

Cline was was indicted on  two counts of insurance fraud, theft by deception, attempted theft by deception, and forgery. Both were indicted on counts related to the fraudulent bankruptcy.  

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

A Waldwick post office may soon bear the name of a fallen Marine, more than three years after his death in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Joseph D'Augustine 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A Waldwick post office may soon bear the name of a fallen Marine, more than three years after his death in Afghanistan.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Thursday on legislation that would rename the U.S. Postal Service office at 1 Walter Hammond Place in Waldwick after Staff Sgt. Joseph D'Augustine.

The Waldwick native was killed in action on March 27, 2012 in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 8th Engineer Support Battalion of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. and was trained to dismantle bombs and land mines.

D'Augustine was on his fourth tour of duty overseas, and his second in Afghanistan. The 29-year-old graduated from Waldwick High School in 2001.

Rep. Scott Garrett initially introduced legislation to rename the Waldwick post office in 2012, a release from his office said. When the House passed the bill unanimously in 2014, the Senate declined to take it up.

The Senate finally passed a bill introduced by Sen. Cory Booker in May. If the House follows suit Thursday, it will go to President Barack Obama's desk, Chris Carofine, a spokesman for Garrett, said.

D'Augustine had been scheduled to return home 15 days after he was killed for the wedding of his sister. He was killed diffusing an explosive device in Helmand.

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

City firefighters brought a Berry Street house fire under control in about 15 minutes Tuesday morning, officials said.

HACKENSACK - City firefighters brought a Berry Street house fire under control in about 15 minutes Tuesday morning, officials said.

Crews responded shortly before 9 a.m. and found smoke coming from the porch roof at the 21/2 story home, near DeWolf Place, according to the fire department.

Firefighters conducted a search and found everyone was out of the building. Officials said one occupant of the house was checked by emergency medical services at the scene.

No firefighters were hurt, the department said. The city's fire prevention bureau was investigating what caused the blaze.

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

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has alleged Michael Ettz was driving drunk on Route 46 westbound when he rammed into the back of Officer Daniel Breslin's car on April 19, 2014 and then fled the scene.

HACKENSACK -- A Lodi High School teacher accused of DWI for a crash in which he allegedly crashed into a police vehicle and critically injured a police officer plans to file motions seeking to suppress statements and physical evidence in his case, The Record reported.

As previously reported by NJ Advance Media, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has alleged Ettz was driving drunk on Route 46 westbound when he rammed into the back of Officer Daniel Breslin's car on April 19, 2014 and then fled the scene. Breslin was pulled over in the right lane of the highway assisting another officer who was pulled over in the shoulder.

Breslin, who was in a medically-induced coma for weeks after the crash, was hospitalized for nearly four months after suffering a fractured skull and broken ribs.

Ettz has been suspended without pay from the high school since he was indicted by a grand jury in Aug. 2014. He has previously pleaded not guilty.

Correction: Officer Daniel Breslin's vehicle was in the right lane at the time of the crash.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

A borough police officer arrested a 28-year-old man who was caught leaving the scene of a burglary Monday, authorities said.

A Fair Lawn police officer arrested a 28-year-old man after a burglary in the borough Sept. 21, 2015, police said. (File photo) 

Steven Sabatino, a borough resident, faces charges of burglary, theft of movable property, possession of burglary tools and criminal mischief, police spokesman Sgt. Brian Metzler said in a news release.

Officer Brian Rypkema was first on the scene of a burglary in progress reported around 12:30 p.m. at an apartment on Wagaraw Road, Metzler said. One unit in the complex had its front door forced open.

Rypkema arrested Sabatino after he saw him walking from the complex carrying video game controllers, rubber gloves and a chisel in his pockets, the spokesman said.

Officers also found a Playstation 4 game console and video games on front steps across from the burglary scene, according to police.

Sabatino was ordered held in lieu of $35,000 with a ten percent option, Metzler added.

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

 

The board voted to hire Richard Katz, who currently oversees the Saddle Brook School District in Bergen County

EAST WINDSOR -- The East Windsor Regional Schools has named a new superintendent after more than a year-long search.

The board on Monday voted to hire Richard Katz, who currently oversees the Saddle Brook School District in Bergen County.

Former Superintendent Edward Forsthoffer announced his resignation in February 2014 and later took the top post in the Bordentown Regional School District. He was succeeded by two interim superintendents, James Baker and Thomas Gialanella.

PLUS: Trenton superintendent headed to 10th largest district in U.S.

A starting date for Katz has not yet been determined, a school official said Tuesday.

"We are very pleased to appoint a seasoned professional we believe is the right person to lead the East Windsor Regional School District to the next level," school board President Alice Weisman said in a statement.

Katz began working as a teacher before later becoming an administrator in the Ringwood and South Orange-Maplewood school districts. Before joining Saddle Brook, he served as the superintendent, principal and director of special services in the Clinton-Glen Gardner School District.

He is also an adjunct professor at Montclair State University.

"I look forward to working with all stakeholders in the educational community to ensure that we uphold the great traditions of the school system while simultaneously leading the district into the future," he said.

Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

Teen allegedly tried to ignite home with 4 people inside

 

GARFIELD -- Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for an 18-year-old city man wanted for aggravated arson after he attempted to start a fire at a house with an infant and three other people inside, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. 

Authorities say that Shakyl Ivy attempted to set 183 Palisade Ave. alight  around 9:21 p.m. Sunday following a dispute. A resident of the home told police a group of teenagers had earlier congregated outside a home next door and were being noisy. When the tenant asked the youths to quiet down or leave, Ivy began to argue with the tenant, then made a threat and left, police said.

Shortly after, tenants told police they heard Ivy shout "this is my block," then saw Ivy attempt to start a fire. Ivy left before police arrived, the prosecutor's office said.

Arriving officers saw and smelled gasoline dumped around the front door, the prosecutor's office also said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Ivy is asked to contact the Garfield Police Department at 973-478-8500 or the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Confidential TIPS Line at 201-226-5532.

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

 

A 17-year-old boy was arrested Tuesday after he made threats online against the White House and President Obama, authorities said.

A Hackensack teen was accused of making threats against the White House and President Obama, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said. (Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media) 

HACKENSACK - A 17-year-old boy was arrested Tuesday after he made threats online against the White House and President Obama, authorities said.

The Hackensack teen also made "threatening references to being involved in an attack at the 9/11 memorial, and to having 'friends' in ISIS who were planning to attack New York City," according to Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli.

The threatening messages were sent "via various forms of electronic media," prosecutor's office spokeswoman Maureen Parenta said. 

"The defendant is no longer considered a threat," the spokeswoman said. 

Authorities arrested the boy without incident and served a search warrant at his home, the prosecutor said in a statement.

Molinelli said a separate investigation launched by police in New Albany, Indiana, identified the boy as a suspect in several swatting hoaxes in their jurisdiction. Police, the prosecutor said, traced the threats to the boy's home.

ALSO: Swatting in N.J.: Easy to do, harder to investigate

More charges were possible as computer crimes detectives analyzed electronic devices seized at the teen's residence, according to Molinelli. New Albany authorities were also expected to file charges in the swatting cases.

The boy's name was not released because of his age. He was charged with juvenile offenses of making terroristic threats. 

Molinelli said the boy was turned over to his mother after the arrest.

Investigators with the United States Secret Service and FBI assisted county detectives in the probe, Molinelli added. 

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

 

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, originally established in Florida is working to establish a New Jersey base of operations. Miniature therapy horses Magic and Honor recently visited Reeves International (Home of Breyer Animal Creations) Pequannock, N.J. Magic, just 3 feet tall, has glossy black hair, blue eyes and four hooves. Magic and the dedicated team at Gentle Carousel Miniature...

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, originally established in Florida is working to establish a New Jersey base of operations.

Miniature therapy horses Magic and Honor recently visited Reeves International (Home of Breyer Animal Creations) Pequannock, N.J.

Magic, just 3 feet tall, has glossy black hair, blue eyes and four hooves. Magic and the dedicated team at Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses are changing the face of animal-assisted therapy one tiny hoof at a time.

Magic has been called one of America's most heroic animals by Time and CNN. She and her best pals Hamlet and Honor have worked with the children of Sandy Hook, Conn. and the families in Charleston, S.C. They have comforted people after the devastating hurricanes in Oklahoma and have even gone to the White House. And everywhere they go, they bring smiles and laughter and spread comfort and compassion.

Magic was the first horse to ever walk the halls of Congress where she accepted a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition on behalf of Gentle Carousel.

Magic and Gentle Carousel will be the topic of a book about therapy animals that is part of a national school reading program.

Magic was inducted into the United States Equestrian Federation/Equus Foundation Horse Stars Hall of Fame for her work as a humanitarian.

Magic visited Columbia University the first week in September for a class that Gentle Carousel is teaching at Columbia University Medical School about the use of therapy horses in hospitals.

Magic received a police escort through NYC to visit the 9/11 Memorial with family members.

According tot he Gentle Carousel website: When a real horse walks into the hospital room of a sick child or a veteran it is always a magical experience. Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity. The teams of tiny horses visit over 40,000 adults and children each year inside hospitals, hospice programs, and with children who have experienced traumatic events.

Gentle Carousel's award winning literacy program Reading Is Magic also brings also real horses inside schools, at risk youth programs and libraries to inspire young readers and "bring books to life."

For more information see http://www.horse-therapy.org/home.html

For current equestrian news see Horse News or check out the online version of the print edition.

Horse News covers everything equestrian in the mid-Atlantic area and can be reached at horsenews@hcdemocrat.com

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The 10 most valuable properties in Bergen County, perhaps not surprisingly, are dominated by malls.

BERGEN COUNTY -- The 10 most valuable properties in Bergen County, perhaps not surprisingly, are dominated by malls.

Half of the properties on the list are used for retail sales, according to 2014  assessments from the Bergen County Board of Taxation. The top 10 is rounded out by the Franklin Lakes corporate campuses of Becton Dickinson and Medco, now owned by Express Scripts.

While those corporate campuses are tucked away, they aren't as shrouded in secrecy as two other properties, the East Rutherford Operations Center for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the New York Stock Exchange Data Center in Mahwah. The two buildings, each surrounded by imposing fence and security guards, house operations for two of the largest financial institutions in the country.

The odd man out is Hackensack University Medical Center, which has welcomed patients since 1888. Check our slideshow to see where each property fell in the top 10.

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

Without any rain, reservoir levels have fallen below normal, spurring fears of the state's first drought in a decade.

A drought watch has been issued in parts of 12 New Jersey counties, encompassing more than two-thirds of the population, after months of dry, warm weather that have driven the state's water supply to worryingly low levels. 

Rainfall totals in parts of northern and central New Jersey have been just over 50 percent of average over the last three months, and long-term forecasts show little chance of significant rain into the first weeks of October. Streamflow and ground water levels have dipped significantly as a result and a warm September has extended the peak water usage season, allowing the state reservoir levels to dip well below average in recent weeks.

"We have been carefully tracking precipitation, stream flows, groundwater and reservoir levels since the spring and over the course of the very dry summer," DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. "While it is not uncommon to see reduced stream flows and ground water levels by the end of the summer season, we are beginning to observe signs of stress in our water supply indicators, and this warrants closer scrutiny and public cooperation."

MORE: No drought about it, N.J. publishes faulty drought data

The drought watch, issued by the Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday, is the first formal action taken by the state and acts as a warning to the public and local officials that mandatory water restrictions could be in the offing if conditions worsen further.

The watch includes all or parts of 12 counties, including Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset and Union. It includes about 6.2 million state residents. 

While the drought watch itself does not enact mandatory water restrictions in the affected regions, local officials often use such declarations to do so on a municipal level. The state is urging residents in these counties to be mindful of how they are using water and to follow mandatory actions taken by their communities, should they occur.  

"There are two ways we can avoid mandatory water restrictions in this situation --  voluntary conservation and rain," said Dan Kennedy, the DEP's commissioner of water resources. "Obviously, we can't control whether or not it rains, but we can ask our residents to be part of our solution ... This step is being taken to avoid mandatory restrictions in the area we can control." 

The watch comes two weeks after an NJ Advance Media analysis found that the DEP had been publishing erroneous drought information on their website, understating the severity of dry conditions in the state's worst affected regions. While acknowledging the error, the DEP said it had no bearing on their decision to enact a drought watch.  

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A potential drought beginning at the start of fall can be deceptive, experts say. Water usage naturally ebbs as winter approaches, allowing reservoirs to naturally replenish. But dry conditions through the fall and winter can hinder that process, putting the state in a serious situation as the spring growing season approaches.

"When we come to the end of August, usually we see the peak demand stop. This year, because we've had such a warm September, it didn't," said acting State Geologist Jeffrey L. Hoffman. "We cant wait around for rains that might occur.  From a planning point of view we have to assume it is not going to rain.  We have to assume that this is the start of a major drought."  

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

 

Police interrupted a home invasion and arrested three men after a resident reported seeing a suspicious vehicle in the borough, authorities said Wednesday.

Fair Lawn police said they foiled a home invasion in the borough Sept. 22, 2015 (File photo) 

Officer Nicholas Snyder was patrolling Whitehall Street around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday when a resident flagged him down and pointed the officer to a Ford Explorer parked for a long time on the block, police said in a statement.

Snyder found the SUV in the driveway of a home and spoke to passengers Dariel Aybar, 25, and Rafael Hidalgo, 23, both of West New York, according to police. They claimed the driver was visiting his uncle at the residence.

When the officer knocked on the door, Travis Villalobos, 25, answered, police said. The officer asked to speak with the man's purported relative.

The 52-year-old victim came to the door, telling police that Villalobos grabbed him, forced his way inside and told him to claim they were acquainted, authorities said.

"Evidence of drug use, loose pieces of jewelry, electronics, gloves and burglary tools were found inside the vehicle," police said in the statement.

Villalobos was charged with burglary, conspiracy, assault, false imprisonment, providing false information and possession of burglary tools. Authorities said he was ordered held at the Bergen County Jail in lieu of  $150,000, with a 10 percent option.

Aybar and Hidalgo both face charges of burglary, providing false information, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said bail for the two men was set at $75,000, each with a 10 percent option.

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

 

Authorities on Wednesday asked for the public's help to identify a man they said was found dead in the Hudson River, near the George Washington Bridge.

TRENTON - Authorities on Wednesday asked for the public's help to identify a man they said was found dead in the Hudson River, near the George Washington Bridge.

The man's body was recovered Sept. 15, said Sgt. First Class Gregory Williams, a spokesman for the State Police.

The man possibly jumped from the bridge and there were no signs of foul play, Williams said. An investigation was ongoing.

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In an alert, State Police described the deceased as white, 45 to 50 years old, 5-foot-5 and 151 pounds, with blue or green eyes, a shaved head, scruffy beard and missing upper teeth. The agency's Forensic Artist Unit also developed a sketch of the man. 

He was pulled from the water wearing black Speedo swim shorts, a blue t-shirt and black Nike sneakers, according to State Police.

Anyone with information was asked to call the State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000 ext 2857 or Port Authority Police at 212-502-2514.

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