The bat was removed from a Haddon Heights home Aug. 10.

HADDON HEIGHTS -- Tests have confirmed that a bat removed from a borough home earlier this month did have rabies, county officials announced Friday.

The Courier-Post reports that Camden County officials said the bat was found inside a home Aug. 10. The county's statement did not say whether any of the household members had been bitten or touched by the bat.

"The household members were notified of the result and advised to seek" treatment for possible exposure to rabies, the county told the newspaper.

The bat was sent to a Public Health & Environmental Laboratories in Trenton for testing after it was removed from the house, according to the statement. The county was notified Tuesday of the positive test results.

The release did not identify the family or the address where the bat was found.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The line of blue paint appeared in the middle of West Clinton Avenue Friday.

OAKLYN - A small Camden County borough came up with a new way to show support for its police officers, and all it took was some blue paint and a little elbow grease.

The borough's Department of Public Works on Friday painted a blue line down the middle of West Clinton Avenue, set right between the double yellow lines dividing the lanes.

The blue line on Clinton AvenueOaklyn Borough 

On its Facebook page, the police department said that officers were humbled and grateful for the "thin blue line" and the support it signified.

The line stretches from White Horse Pike to Kendall Boulevard, police said, running by the municipal building that houses the police department.

Police Chief Mark Moore told the Courier-Post that DPW Director Rick Hawco asked if he could paint the line, and did so after the county gave its permission.

He told the newspaper that the 14-member department always feels supported by the community, "and even more so lately, with everything that's been going on."  

Gym owners and coaches call it the "Olympic effect," the surge in enrollment after the summer Olympic games.

It happens every four years, when gymnastics is on primetime television for a week straight during the summer Olympics.

Parents suddenly enroll their children - mainly little girls - at their local gymnastics center with visons of a gold medal slung around the child's neck a decade later.

Gym owners and coaches call it the "Olympic effect."

This year, it's more like an Olympic gold rush at Monmouth Gymnastics, where New Jersey's breakout star and 16-year-old double-medalist Laurie Hernandez trains with the MG Elite team.

"The phone's ringing so much, it's actually getting comical," Monmouth's manager Christine Mallas said.

Fall classes are full, they're getting 100 emails a day requesting information and they're begging coaches and instructors to work extra days this fall session. And they're chipping away at a rolling batch of 50 voicemail messages.

 "I've been here for eight years and I expected it, but nothing like this," she said. "I don't know if we were truly prepared."

Mallas said they have enrolled about 200 extra children since Hernandez - dubbed he human emoji - rocketed to fame as a member of the gold medal-winning Final Five women's gymnastics team.

They expect more too when families get back from vacations and summer ends. "Right now, I cannot even squeeze one more kid in," she said.

Mallas said one little girl's uncle arrived at the Morganville gym in person and paid for the entire year in full because his niece promised him: "I am going to go to the Olympics."

Most of the surge in enrollment is for classes for toddlers, who take class with their parents and they start as young as 15-months.

And the gym's even had to deal with some upset parents, standardly late in enrolling their returning kids for the fall, who did not get the class time they expected.

In addition to the spike in enrollment, Mallas said they've had some interesting moments recently.

One mother drove 90 minutes from North Jersey just to show her daughter where Hernandez trains, she said. The mom started off the encounter with, "I hope you don't think I am crazy, but..."

Through it all, Mallas said the gym staff, coaches and parents have been proud of Hernandez for years, and many have known for some time that she was on her way to world-class competition. "It's been very exciting and we're very proud."

As for the last week and half, "It's a wild ride here, and it's been pretty fun too," Mallas said.

Laurie Hernandez will celebrate her Olympic gold medal at Wawa

At other New Jersey gyms, the Olympic effect has started, just not at Monmouth's pace.

Tony Gehman, owner of North Stars Gymnastics in Boonton, started coaching at the gym in 1979 before buying it in 1985.

The Olympic effect, he said, started in 1984, when Mary Lou Retton captured the country's first all-around gold medal at the Los Angeles games.

He said that success elevated competitive gymnastic teams from rented spaces in church basements to profitable businesses with their own facilities.

And with the Rio squad putting up the best medal performance by an American team ever, many gyms will profit.

And it can be gradual, picking up once the games end this weekend.

Gehman has an open house scheduled this Saturday, where the competitive team will show off their talents.

"We're having he normal effect now, but were going to get (an increase)," Gehman said. "It's gonna happen."

At schools like the Gymnastics and Cheerleading Academy (GCA) in Cherry Hill, and ENA Gymnastics in Paramus, Rio successes are already translating into more kids signing up.

"And everybody's happy about it," GCA director Steve Tobin.

"Every Olympic year we get a huge benefit, and this year there's been an uptick," said ENA co-owner Craig Zappa.

Tobin said the gym his parents started in 1974, sees anywhere from a 15 to 25 percent increase the fall after a summer games, "Even if the team doesn't do so well," he said.

"This team did amazing though," Tobin said.

Tobin said more than the competitive side, the spotlight that gymnastics gets from the networks broadcasts really lets parents with kids who "roll around the floor and jump around the house" that there's a program for them.

"The general public does not really understand gymnastics training, and lot of the times we help them with the 'How do we get them involved?' questions," Tobin said.

"There's a real positive effect on schools," Tobin said.

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

Authorities seek help finding Samuel James, the suspected shooter in Saturday's killing.

BURLINGTON CITY -- Authorities are looking for the 26-year-old man they believe shot a man in the head in Saturday's shooting.

Samuel James (submitted photo)Don E. Woods | For NJ.com 

Samuel James, 26, of Route 130, in Burlington Township, was charged with murder and weapons offenses. Burlington County Prosecutor's Office and Burlington City Police Department are asking the public's help in finding James.

James is known to spend time in Burlington City and Camden. Authorities describe him as a black male, 6-feet tall and approximately 140 pounds.

Police were dispatched Saturday around 7 p.m. to the 100 block of East Federal Street for a shooting. When authorities, arrived, they found Bryon Turner, 24, of Burlington City, shot in the head outside his home.

A 5-year-old girl was injured as she attempted to escape the gunfire and was released from Lourdes Medical Center in Willingboro. According to the prosecutor's office, she was not struck by gunfire.

Turner was sent to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was pronounced dead at 10 p.m.

The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office and Burlington City Police Department are handling the investigation. Authorities charged James with the shooting Sunday morning.

Anyone with information about the James and his whereabouts is asked to contact police by calling 609-386-0262 or message the department's official Facebook page. Authorities can also be reached by calling Burlington County Central Communications at 609-267-8300.

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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

There's summer heat, and then there's oppressive summer heat.

Courtesy of biscuitacres.com 

We've experienced some of the latter recently, and while we do everything we can to keep ourselves cool, it's important to remember our pets as well.

"If it's hot to you it's just as hot for your dog or cat, and probably even worse," said John Gickling, a board certified veterinarian in emergency and critical care. "We're better equipped to handle the heat because we perspire."

Some tips on making sure your pets can deal with excessive heat:

* If you walk your dog, pick the coolest time of the day you can, use a shady route and bring water along with you for your pet.

* Certain pets suffer more in high heat. Overweight dogs and cats, dogs with short sboutts such as bulldogs and older pets.

* If your pet is outdoors, make sure it has a cool place to lay and that water is always available. Avoid taking your pets anywhere that has concrete or blacktop until temperatures normalize.

* Dogs may be overheating if they can't get up, aren't alert or can't stop panting. If you suspect overheating, hose your dog off but never use ice water, which worsens the situation. If this doesn't work, a visit to a veterinarian is important.

How hot is too hot for pets? Consider that if humans think it's too hot ... and aren't covered head to toe in fur ... it's almost certainly too hot for pets.

More pets in need of adoption can be viewed by clicking here and here.

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

Family of a woman rescued her when she was trapped in flood waters, report says.

CAMDEN -- A woman was rescued by her friends and family after she was trapped in her car in flood waters Sunday night, 6abc reports.

The woman was driving her car when heavy rain fell, causing serious flooding on Martin Luther King Boulevard at roughly 6:30 p.m., according to reports.

She was rescued when relatives showed up to get her out safely.

6abc says there were no injuries.

Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Jersey is one of the wealthiest states in the country. But it may surprise you how many $1M homes there are in the Garden State. We mapped every single one.

The games don't count yet, but the stage is being set for the 2016 football season in scrimmages.

The incident occurred on the 5900 block of Mansion Boulevard Saturday night.

This story was updated at 2 p.m. to include information from the prosecutor's office.

PENNSAUKEN -- A Pennsauken man has been charged with murder after police said he beat his girlfriend's toddler to death Saturday.

Zachary Tricoche, 24, of 5920 Mansion Blvd., beat the 2-year-old sometime Saturday, according to the Camden County prosecutor's office and Pennsauken police.

Emergency responders rushed to the home at 11:28 p.m. after getting a 911 call about an unresponsive child. The boy was taken to Cooper University Hospital where he died from his injuries shortly after midnight, according to the jointly-issued statement.

Detectives Frank Simpson of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and John Kelly of the Pennsauken Police Department investigated the death and concluded that there was enough evidence to charge Tricoche, the live-in boyfriend of the boy's mother.

He has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held at the Camden County Jail. He will be arraigned before Superior Court Judge Edward J. McBride Jr. on Tuesday.

NBC 10 reported that the boy died of blunt force trauma to his torso and organs.

On Monday afternoon no one answered the door at the home, located on the corner of Mansion Boulevard and Frosthoffer Avenue. Neighbors said that they rarely saw the child and did not know his mother or her boyfriend.

A man who lives next door said he never heard any kind of commotion from the house and did not know anything was wrong until he saw many police cruisers outside of the residence Sunday morning.

A search of New Jersey Superior Court records showed no previous criminal convictions for Tricoche.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Andrew Hazelton died early Sunday as a result of the incident.

PHILADELPHIA -- A stabbing inside an Old City bar early Saturday left a Camden County man dead as a result of injuries sustained during the incident.

Andrew Hazelton, 33, of Blackwood, was at the Bleu Martini bar at 2nd and Market streets when an argument broke out, according to police, who said in an incident report that Hazelton was stabbed in the neck.

Hazelton was out with five women when an argument between those at his table and patrons seated nearby broke out. A man seated at that table allegedly stabbed Hazelton, who ran outside and was later transported to Jefferson University Hospital, where he died just after 1 p.m. Sunday.

'Lay down our guns, not our children'

The man, whose identity was not released, was arrested by police. It's not clear what type of object was brandished during the argument, but media reports say the man detained by authorities has been charged and that the incident remains under investigation.

Philly.com reports that the stabbing brings the city's homicide total for the year to 181 people. Late last month, a 24-year-old Lindenwold man out with friends at Cavanaugh's River Deck was fatally shot following an argument inside the night club.

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Investors Bank donates to YMCA camp and non-profit based in Cherry Hill

Everyone belongs at YMCA Camp Ockanickon Inc., and that has never been truer now that two grants totaling $5,000 have been presented to the camp from the Investors Bank Foundation and the Roma Bank Community Foundation. The funds will be used to send children and teens to the camp, who would not otherwise be able to afford the experience.

Camp Ockanickon's outdoor experiences build an appreciation for the natural world and provide the settings for children and youth to develop lifelong values. Healthy living is fostered through camp, creating social responsibility.

At Camp Ockanickon, located in Medford, campers can enjoy water inflatables on several lakes, an air-conditioned gym, boating, archery, a craft center, trails, a nature center, challenge courses, zip lines, horseback riding, and creative expression classes featuring drama, photography, and more. 

Camp Ockanickon applied for the grants from the Investors Bank and Roma Community Bank Foundations, which support non-profit organizations that enrich the diverse communities served by Investors Bank. Roma Bank became part of Investors Bank in December 2013.

Investors Bank recently presented two checks totaling $5,000 to Go4theGoal from the Investors Bank and Roma Bank Community Foundations. Presenting the checks to Go4theGoal are Investors Bank representatives: Hector Melendez, assistant vice president and Voorhees branch manager, far left; Carmine Pannullo, senior market manager, second from right, and Marylynn Harkinson, assistant vice president and Cherry Hill branch manager, far right. Accepting the check are Go4theGoal's Carina Trenka, assistant director, second from left, and Samrah Kamal.Submitted photo 

One non-profit based in Cherry Hill, really is going for the goal -- of aiding and assisting those with pediatric cancer. Go4theGoal, which helps children with cancer achieve their goals, is even closer to the finish line thanks to two $2,500 grants from the Investors Bank Foundation and the Roma Bank Community Foundation.

Go4theGoal will use the funds to further the organization's mission of improving the lives of children battling cancer through financial support, unique hospital programs, innovative research, and the granting of personal wishes.

Go4theGoal applied for the grants totaling $5,000 from the Investors Bank Foundation and Roma Bank Community Foundation, which supports non-profit organizations that enrich the diverse communities served by Investors Bank; Roma Bank became part of Investors Bank in December 2013.

Investors Bank representatives presented a check to the Samost Jewish Family & Children's Service. Presenting the check are Investors Bank representatives: William Wojciech Woloszyn, vice president and financial adviser, Investors Financial Group, far left; Carmine Pannullo, senior market manager, second from left; Marylynn Harkinson, assistant vice president and Cherry Hill branch manager, third from left; and Hector Melendez, assistant vice president and Voorhees branch manager, far right. Accepting the check are Marla Meyers, MSW, JFCS executive director, third from right, and Beth Wynne, JFCS director of institutional advancement, second from right. Submitted photo 

People in Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester Counties, from cradle to rocking chair, can continue to rely on social services from the Samost Jewish Family & Children's Service (JFCS) of Southern New Jersey, thanks in part to a $2,500 grant from the Investors Foundation.

JFCS, headquartered in Cherry Hill, has been providing comprehensive, caring social services strengthening South Jersey residents of all ages, faiths, and economic backgrounds for more than 70 years. Licensed professionals assist the community's most vulnerable members with a wide range of issues including separation and divorce, bereavement, depression, anxiety, and chronic mental illness. JFCS also provides comprehensive programming for individuals with special needs, so that they can achieve their highest potential and lead more independent and fulfilled lives. Additionally, the agency offers programming for seniors, including numerous in-home services to help the aging population enjoy their golden years gracefully and independently at home.  

JFCS applied for the grant from the Investors Foundation, which supports non-profit organizations that enrich the diverse communities served by Investors Bank. The funds will be used for general support of the organization.

These items submitted by Laura Bishop Communications.

Samuel James, 26, of Burlington Township, was arrested in Camden County Monday.

BURLINGTON CITY -- Police announced Monday afternoon that the man they believe shot another in the head Saturday has been arrested.

Samuel James (submitted photo)Don E. Woods | For NJ.com 

Samuel James, 26, of Burlington Township, was arrested Monday in Camden County by the Burlington County Sheriff and U.S. Marshals, according to a statement from Burlington City Police. The department's officers and the Burlington County prosecutor's office also assisted in the arrest.

The shooting around 7 p.m. Saturday 100 block of East Federal Street left a 24-year-old man dead and a 5-year-old girl injured, although she was not shot. Family members told Fox 29 that she was playing in the yard and injured herself running away from the gunshots.

The man who died has been identified as Byron Turner of Burlington City.

James is facing charges of murder and weapons offenses. He has convictions going back to 2008 on charges including illegal possession of an air pistol, resisting arrest, making threats of violence and making false bomb threats, according to court records.

Man critical after 2nd shooting in Burlington City in 3 days

Police found Turner in front of his home, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced cead at Cooper University Hospital at 10 p.m., according to the prosecutor's office.

In an earlier release, the prosecutor's office said James is known to spend time in Burlington City and Camden. 

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A woman was stabbed to death while her husband is in critical condition, report says.

COLLINGSWOOD -- A woman was found stabbed to death inside her bedroom late Monday night in her Collingswood home, 6abc reports.

The woman's husband was also critically injured with stab wounds police believe he did himself, according to reports. Three children were home but none of them were injured.

It is unclear at this time whether police believe the wife, who is in her 30s, was stabbed by her husband. 

Police and emergency personnel responded to the home in the area of White Horse Pike and Collings Avenue where the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The husband was taken to Cooper University Hospital and had surgery, 6abc says,  and he is in critical condition.

Identities have not been released and it is unclear at this time what led up to the stabbing.

Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Jersey off-road riders are with three options: private land, pay as you go or break the law. Watch video

WINSLOW TWP. -- In some ways, the two boys struck by a pick-up truck while riding an ATV earlier this month are lucky -- they suffered broken bones where others have died.

In other ways, New Jersey's off-road enthusiasts say such a tragic accident epitomizes the risks of life, limb and law they face whenever they throw a leg over their machines.

"I've already had criminal trespassing charges pressed against me," said 23-year-old Dylan Frey, fresh off a track in Millville that's filled a void in South Jersey for legal riding. "I'd rather not say where I go to ride for fun. If I say it, I might get in trouble with the law and I don't wanna do that."

Having been squeezed out, shooed away or slapped with fines, riders are left asking themselves, "Where else are we supposed to go?"

'A sad situation'

A relative of the two boys injured in last weekend's accident in Winslow said they were riding along a sidewalk before attempting to cross a roadway and were struck.

It's not the first time an accident involving an ATV has occurred there, police said, with one in 2008 claiming the life of 14-year-old girl and another the year prior leaving a 13-year-old girl dead after the ATV she was riding on was struck by an NJ Transit train.

"You legally can't ride them anywhere," Winslow police Lt. Chris Dubler said of quads and dirt bikes that lack headlights and turn signals. "It's a sad situation, however I don't know what the answer is."

His department has been in talks with railroad company CSX to report illegal riding near train tracks and is working on securing grants to help pay for an ATV to use when checking out hot spots. Plans were also in place to soon deploy plain-clothes officers to areas were people often ride where they shouldn't.

"We're 58 square miles. There's plenty of trails from one end of the town to the other and even towns beyond," he said.

Sand trap

Backlash over efforts last summer to curtail illegal off-road riding in Wharton State Forest  -- long the place to go for miles upon miles of unfettered riding -- "came from all quarters," state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) spokesman Larry Hajna said.

The Motorized Access Plan presented at community meetings last year has since been "walked back," Open Trails NJ member John Druding said. His group, which advocates for fair use of Wharton, has teamed up with the DEP to restrict access to threatened Pine Barrens sites like Jemima Mount.

Off-road riding in this instance means leaving the sand roads that cut through the forest and "barreling through wetlands and vegetation" instead. That, Hajna said, is illegal.

The DEP has since "bolstered enforcement" within the state forest, issued "hundreds of summonses" and installed signs to deter off-road riding that deviates from the main routes through the 125,000-acre site, Hajna said, adding that fines start at $250.

"I think the word has gotten out in the motorized community," he said.

Fields of pipe dreams

New Jersey's plans to build three ATV parks across New Jersey date back to 2010.  The only one to ever open, located in Woodbine, got off the ground "for a short time," but Hajna said the fact that it "simply wasn't being used very much" eventually prompted its closure.

The lease at the popular facility in Chatsworth expired in 2008 and with it went a viable option for weekend warriors. The possibility of an ATV course at the former Jungle Habitat in West Milford was studied, but never realized. Months of meetings to address Jersey Shore Motocross' plans in Tinton Falls died before the local zoning board.

Riders say that essentially leaves four options: Raceway Park in Oldbridge Township, Field of Dreams in Millville, privately-owned land where it's perfectly legal to ride or taking your chances out in the woods and quarries.

"We do try to cater to that family demographic," said Kyle Dodge, marketing manager for the Field of Dreams. "We're big on the youth."

Mark Hufnagle, Field of Dreams' manager, said the place provides a "safe place to ride ... Here's where I work and ride. Because there's nowhere else to ride."

Eric O'Neal, who traveled two hours from Kitnersville, Pennsylvania to go riding with his 9-year-old son Caleb, was stocking up on supplies at a Wawa in Millville before hitting the Field of Dreams.

He said track and terrain variety is what brings them all the way down to Cumberland County.

"Of course you worry about him," O'Neal said when asked about turning his son loose on the track or in the woods. "But I've spent the time with him. I know his abilities."

'Private, pay or run the risk'

Reflecting on the popularity of New Jersey's few legal off-road courses like the one in Millville, Hajna said riding there -- and only there -- is what the future of the sport was starting to look like to him.

That's hardly what riders want to hear, but the not-in-my-backyard mentality has left them with hardly an option beyond their backyards.

Private: Ty Plummer, of Vineland, brought his 9-year-old son Tyler out to the Millville track last week for a hot and dusty afternoon of dirt bike racing. Plummer said the family belongs to a riding group that gives them access to about 100 acres of private property in the Port Elizabeth section of Cumberland County.

Pay: "Really, that's the way it's shaping up," Hajna said of riding opportunities at places like Millville and Oldbridge.

Run the risk: Bob Wallace, who owns Central Jersey Cycle in Monmouth County, is 60 but said the same rules have applied since he was 15. Sprawling development -- not to mention "tree-huggers," he said -- have eventually led to places were police turned a blind eye to illegal riding being forever off-limits.

"It's private, pay or run the risk," he said.

The push comes following a drowning report and ATV accident involving children. Watch video

WINSLOW TWP. -- In light of this month's possible drowning in a local quarry and an ATV accident involving two children, township police spent more than 48 hours this weekend investigating oft-frequented locations for illegal off-road riding and swimming.

The result of the undercover assignment that was assisted by state law enforcement: more than 20 trespassing tickets while letting offenders know there are legal ways to enjoy these areas.

"Most people don't have acreage to go ride a quad on so that's why everybody goes out to the state game lands and different forest areas or quarries," Winslow police Lt Chris Dubler told NJ Advance Media last week regarding the recent close calls.

This weekend's push, with help from five uniformed New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife officers, began late Friday evening and didn't wrap up until 7 p.m. Sunday. Targeted areas included the "Blue Hole" on Piney Hollow Road, Penbryn Lake on Penbryn Road, Oak Pond located in a wooded section off New Brooklyn Road and Hanson Sand and Gravel, located on Williamstown Road.

Searching for N.J.'s legal off-road riding

"The enforcement action primarily targeted trespassing on the properties involving illegal activities such as swimming in the quarries, riding ATVs and consumption of alcoholic beverages and other violations that are strictly prohibited at these locations," police said Monday in a press release.

Authorities noted that none of the offenders were from Winslow and some even told the undercover cops to be careful, as "the rangers are in the area and they will write you up." Police said one woman was overseeing children ages 2 to 16 swimming in the Blue Hole area, which features underwater drop-offs of more than 50 feet and steep cliffs.

In all, 30 citations for illegal swimming, 23 citations for trespassing, 10 citations for the consumption of alcohol in a public place, three warrant arrests, two citations for being in a park after dark, two for fishing without a license, two motor vehicle violation and four fish and game violations were issued.

"We do not want to discourage people from visiting these areas, but those who do visit, to visit safely and follow the rules," police said Monday, adding that additional information on what is permitted may be found on the fish and game division's website.

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

For Brenna Weick, 'runner-up' became a way of life, until she won Watch video

At the Miss New Jersey competition, Brenna Weick has been something of a resident Susan Lucci.

It didn't start out that way. In fact, Weick, now headed for the 2017 Miss America competition in Atlantic City, had all the makings of the next Miss New Jersey seven years ago, when the Mantua Township teen won Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen and competed at the sister competition to the televised pageant, where she nearly won Miss America's Outstanding Teen. 

"I'm a perfect example of how the program works," says Weick, 22, looking back on nearly a decade of pageants after completing a series of sprints, lunges and sit-ups at Training Aspects, a boutique gym in a strip mall in Voorhees, Camden County.

Weick finished her first attempt at Miss New Jersey in 2013 as runner-up to Cara McCollum, a Princeton University student from Arkansas who was new to the pageant scene. She pulled off a repeat performance the following year: first runner-up. Then, in 2015, she dropped one place to become second runner-up.

She wondered if she should just end her run for the crown. 

"I knew that I wanted this, so I was not going to throw it away," says Weick, wearing a neon green tank top, her brown bangs clipped back after sweating it out in the gym (little more than two weeks remain before swimsuit competition). The fourth time proved to be the charm at the 2016 state competition in Ocean City this past June for Weick, who won as Miss Seashore Line.

Social media scrutiny 

Weick attributes her win to a change in attitude. Her new personal mantra: "Accept and adapt." After she suffered a knee injury, Weick, who graduated in May from High Point University in North Carolina with a bachelor's degree in psychology, changed her pageant talent from dancing -- she was a member of the college dance team -- to singing (At Miss America, Weick, a soprano with a "Disney princess" voice, will be singing "Someone Like You" from the musical "Jekyll & Hyde").

"You're not going to be able to control everything," she says.

Recently Mantua Township announced it would honor Weick with a proclamation. Surveying the news on social media, Weick says she was dismayed to find a comment from a woman calling the dress she was wearing inappropriate. 

"It's kind of crazy to me," she says, but also directly relates to her pageant platform -- "A World of Difference: Navigating the Cybersphere," which she says is about recognizing the positive potential of social media as much as generating awareness about online bullying. To that point, she now mans the Miss New Jersey Twitter account but keeps her personal account private. "It can be a really scary place, the cybersphere," Weick says -- but also an important tool for community.

Following the death of Cara McCollum, Miss New Jersey 2013, after a car accident in February, former Miss New Jersey contestants came together over social media to mourn the 24-year-old former pageant queen, a news anchor for SNJ Today in Millville. Weick, an aspiring investigative reporter, considered her a sister. 

"We really leaned on each other a lot," says outgoing Miss New Jersey Lindsey Giannini, 22, another journalist hopeful who returns to Rowan University this fall. At this year's competition, contestants watched a slideshow memorializing McCollum. 

"We were just holding each other," Weick says. 

Miss New Jersey 2015 Lindsey Giannini crowns Brenna Weick Miss New Jersey 2016 in Ocean City this past June. (Tim Hawk | For NJ.com)
 

Strong over skinny

Weick lives in Mantua with her parents, Robert, a senior technologist for Motorola, and Kelley, a hairdresser and former volunteer for the Miss Gloucester County pageant, and Zoey, their Yorkshire terrier. The Weicks, including Brenna's older brother Bob, a research specialist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, will be moving to their family summer home in Ocean City for pageant week. 

"She's really big about worrying about herself and not competing with everyone else," Kelley Weick says of her daughter.

Brenna's boyfriend, Chris Grabert, 22, has been dating Weick since their senior year at Clearview Regional High School. Now a graduate student at the University of Central Florida, he'll be flying back home for the pageant. Though a Miss New Jersey hasn't taken the national title since 1984 -- when Mays Landing's Suzette Charles had to sub in for Vanessa Williams following a nude photo scandal -- Grabert thinks Weick is ready for the challenge. 

"She's had four years to sharpen her skills," he says. 

If Weick has an ace up her sleeve at Miss America, it may be her performance in "Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit," since she got a nod for swimsuit in state preliminaries.

"Pound for pound Brenna will beat out the majority of guys when it comes to working out," says Kirill Vaks, her trainer of three years. Weick, who says she used to struggle with body image, lost five percent of her body fat but now weighs 10 pounds more, thanks to muscle gain. Yet the requisite bathing suits and heels often made Weick hide her pageant side. 

Weick at the tail end of her pre-pageant workout. (Tim Hawk | For NJ.com)
 

"It puts a target on your back," she says. If Weick could choose, she'd pick fitness over bikinis. Still, the current trend of strong over "thin" has been translating to the pageant world -- not only does Miss America's Outstanding Teen have a fitness routine instead of a swimsuit strut, but Miss Teen USA also dropped its swimsuit contest this year favor of athletic wear. 

Weick considers the interview portion of the pageant her other strength. She turned down a job offer to become a production assistant at NBC 10 to wear the crown and says that if she won Miss America, she'd likely use the $50,000 scholarship to pursue a graduate degree in journalism. 

"I always say no question is a bad question," Weick says, even after reigning Miss America, Betty Cantrell, then Miss Georgia, got thrown a polarizing curveball at last year's pageant with a question about Deflategate -- "Legalities aside, did Tom Brady cheat?" (Yes, she answered, if there was a reason to suspect that he did.)

"It was kind of a funky question," Cantrell later said. "I'm not a football player and I really wasn't there to feel that ball to see if it was deflated."

Weick's assessment: "She owned that."  

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.

The woman was stabbed to death and her husband stabbed himself, police told 6abc.

UPDATE: Husband charged with killing wife, Joseline Perez

COLLINGSWOOD -- A resident of the Heights of Collingswood said she rarely heard any loud arguments from her neighbors in apartment 216 in Building C, but Monday night was different.

Around 9:30 or 10 p.m., she said she heard a man raising his voice to a woman, and the fight seemed to escalate quickly.

"He was telling her to shut up," the neighbor, who declined to give her name, said Tuesday morning. "I heard a scream out loud and then him saying, 'look what you done!'"

Police told 6abc that the woman was stabbed to death in her bedroom and her husband inflicted stab wounds on himself, all while their children were in the apartment with them.

The man was rushed to Cooper University Hospital with critical stab wounds and underwent surgery Tuesday morning, the news station reported.

Authorities have not released their names or any other details on the incident.

They have not said if they believe the husband is responsible for his wife's death, but charges are expected to be filed in the incident, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

The door of apartment 216 was locked but not blocked off with police tape on Tuesday morning. The only sign that something had happened the night before was what appeared to be a smear of blood, stretching across the entire bottom of the door. 

Several residents said that as emergency responders took the bleeding man out of the building Monday night, a trail of blood was left in the lobby and was quickly wiped up.

Maintenance workers Tuesday morning were cleaning the floor of the lobby and had an area cordoned off with caution tape.

There were no police officers at the apartment building Tuesday, and the neighbor who overheard the fight said she had not spoken with police. In fact, she did not know that she had overheard anything more than a fight until Tuesday morning when she heard the news.

The television station reported that the husband and wife were in their 30s and had three children.

Collingswood deli owner accused of killing wife didn't do it, dad says

The neighbor said that in the month that the couple lived next door, she often heard the couple's children making noise, but heard nothing more than a few normal-sounding arguments from the parents.

"These walls are like paper," she said.

On Monday night, she said, the man was yelling at the woman, who said something along the lines of "I was just trying to call my mom."

"But it was like he wasn't satisfied," the neighbor said.

After she heard the woman "screaming for mercy" and the man's "look what you done" comment, it got very quiet, she said. She thought maybe the man had left because of the silence.

She walked to apartment door to ask them to stop their loud fighting, and the door was cracked open.

"I just saw this little boy," she said. While she stood there, the boy, who appeared to be about 11, told his father that the neighbor had called the police. The neighbor said she didn't and "just wanted a little peace."

She said she went downstairs and wasn't present when police and EMS arrived.

Many residents of building C, a 10-floor building in the sprawling Heights of Collingswood complex, said they didn't know anything unusual had happened until Tuesday morning.

But Kevin Johnson, who lives on the third floor, said he came home from a concert around 10:30 p.m. and residents sitting in the lobby told him the elevators were busy because of the police investigation into a killing on the second floor. Maintenance workers were cleaning the lobby, he said, and the police seemed to be wrapping up their work.

Residents Dan and Debbie Manna said they were shocked to learn of the killing. They occasionally see police responding to the buildings for domestic disturbances or other issues, Dan Manna said.

"Once in awhile, you hear stuff," he said, but they haven't seen anything as serious as a homicide in the three years they've lived on the eighth floor of Building C.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A Voorhees man who was injured on a ride at Sahara Sam's in Berlin can continue his lawsuit, the state Supreme Court ruled.

A gross negligence case filed against Sahara Sam's Oasis water park by a man who was seriously injured on one of its rides can continue, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

Roy Steinberg suffered a major spinal cord injury while riding on the FlowRider simulated surfing ride at the Berlin amusement park in 2010. According to court documents, he stepped onto a flowboard and was handed a rope, which he wrapped around one wrist and held in his other hand.

However, he fell from the board within seconds, hitting his head on the bottom of the ride. As a result of the injury he is now an "incomplete paraplegic."

While Steinberg signed a waiver, which he admitted he did not read, before riding the Flowrider, he argued in his lawsuit that Sahara Sam's did not have proper safety signs displayed regarding the dangers of the ride and that the attendants did not instruct him properly on how to ride it.

He said that the attendants failed to tell him that as a first-time rider he should lie on his stomach on the body board, rather than standing on it, and that if he was standing on the flowboard, he should not hold the rope with two hands, court documents state.

An employee at the amusement park conceded that operators did not tell first-time riders that they should lie down on the board.

Also, the signs posted near the ride were from a 2007 operator's manual, despite the fact that a 2008 manual had been provided to Sahara Sam's with updated safety information, the documents show. The 2008 signs included more detailed safety warning language, including saying that a rider "will fall" rather than the possibility of a fall. The 2008 signs also included drawings that illustrate the danger of the ride and safety techniques of riding which were not in the 2007 signs.

A trial court initially ruled against Steinberg, saying the signing of a waiver eliminated his right to file a negligence claim, and a three-judge appeals court agreed in a split decision with one judge arguing that a gross negligence claim can be argued.

The Supreme Court agreed with the dissenting judge, ruling that a claim of gross negligence can be argued, reversing the appellate court's decision and sending the case back to trial court.

Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand.Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

The boy died from internal injuries early Sunday, officials said.

CAMDEN -- The Pennsauken man who allegedly beat his girlfriend's 2-year-old to death told the toddler to "put up his hands" to fight before knocking him out, a prosecutor said in court Tuesday.

Camden County Assistant Prosecutor Christine Shah said that Zacchery Tricoche, 24, punched the boy twice in the torso, both times sending him backwards so he hit his head on the wall of the Mansion Avenue apartment. The second time, the child was knocked out, she said.

The boy, who was 2 years and 8 months, died from his injuries. Tricoche is charged with first-degree murder.

He was identified in court only by his initials but his family said outside of the courthouse that his name was Jamil Baskerville Jr. 

At his arraignment Tuesday, Shah recounted the details of the encounter that the toddler's mother gave to police after calling 911 at 11:28 p.m. Saturday. While she spoke some in the crowded courtroom wept, covered their faces and hugged each other for support.

Standing nearby, Tricoche listened with his head hung low and his brow furrowed.

Judge Edward J. McBride Jr. set his bail at $1 million full cash, noting Tricoche's criminal history and the fact that he faces the most serious sentence in the state of New Jersey: life in prison without parole.

Shah seemed emotional as she told McBride that the boy was only 36 inches tall and 29 pounds.

Neighbor of Collingswood stabbing victim says woman screamed "for mercy'

The boy's mother told police that her boyfriend assaulted J.B. after the couple had gotten into an argument over her grocery shopping.

"Her failure was she didn't get anything the defendant like to eat," Shah said.

Tricoche pushed her, which caused her son to start to cry, she told police.

At that point, Tricoche punched the boy in the chest, sending him into the wall.

Tricoche told the boy to "put his hands up," Shah said, meaning "that he should form a boxing stance to fight this full-grown man."

The boy's mother called 911 to report that her son had vomited and then became unconscious. She told dispatchers that her boyfriend was performing CPR and that her son had bruises on his chest.

The incident happened in a small apartment in the rear of a home on Mansion Avenue, Shah said.

Emergency responders were unable to save the boy, and he died from his injuries shortly after midnight at Cooper University Hospital.

Shah said the postmortem showed contusions to the chest and head and a "devastating crush and laceration injury to the liver. While his cause of death is listed as blunt force abdominal trauma, she said, he essentially bled to death internally from his liver injury.

Tricoche only spoke in court to say that he understood the charges, to tell the judge how to pronounce his last name, and to say that he had a public defender. He did not name the attorney and no attorney stood with him at the arraignment.

In arguing for the high bail, Shah said Tricoche's criminal record includes a juvenile conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics as well as multiple adult convictions. They include a 2011 conviction on two counts of distributing drugs in a school zone, for which he served three years in prison, and a 2014 conviction for loitering to obtain a controlled substance. 

He also has two open cases that are scheduled for sentencing in September. Neither Shah nor McBride specified what the charges were.

McBride noted that in addition to skipping court dates, Tricoche "absconded from parole" after his state prison stay.

As he was led out of the courtroom, Tricoche eyed the judge and then glanced back towards the crowd seated in the courtroom.

A spokesman for the Camden County prosecutor's office said the family members of the victim were in court but did not willing to speak with the media Tuesday.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Dr. Xiomara A. Penn-Becoat will practice in Washington Twp. and Somerdale

Xiomara A. Penn-Becoat, M.D.David S Jackson 

SOMERDALE -- Pediatrician Xiomara A. Penn-Becoat, M.D., has joined Kennedy's Family Health Services, where she will practice full-time between both office locations, Washington Township and Somerdale.

Kennedy's Family Health Services offers an array of medical care -- including OB/GYN services, internal medicine, family medicine and podiatry -- along with support services for patients of all ages at its two convenient locations in Camden and Gloucester counties. Penn-Becoat joins fellow pediatrician Kamila Nemeh, M.D., who has practiced at Kennedy Family Health Services since 2009.

A resident of Blackwood, Penn-Becoat holds a Bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a Master's of Biomedical Science (MBS) from the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (formerly UMDNJ-SOM). A 2013 graduate of Drexel University College of Medicine, she completed her pediatric residency in 2016 at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, and is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Penn-Becoat has a special interest in newborn care, breastfeeding, asthma education and obesity counseling. To schedule an appointment with the doctor, call 856-309-7700 (Somerdale) or 856-218-2312 (Washington Township).

This item submitted by Nicole Pensiero, Kennedy Health.