Find out how many DWI arrests were made in each town.

Events are also being held in Newark and Camden.

TRENTON -- They arrived in metal gun boxes, rifles bags and socks. 

One woman approached the check-in line in front of Friendship Baptist Church on Perry Street without anything in her hands. Then she pulled a small pistol from her bra.

Authorities doled out cash payments for residents wishing to hand over firearms Friday morning on the first day of a three-city, two-day gun buyback. Events were also being held in Newark and Camden.

It opened at 8 a.m. and by 10:30 a.m., officers cataloged 400 firearms, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said.

The 'no questions asked, no identification needed" events hope to bring in unwanted weapons in the name of gun safety.

The events, coordinated by the state Attorney General's Office, uses forfeiture funds, and pays $100 per rifle, $120 for handguns and $200 for an assault weapon.

Pellet guns, airsoft guns, BB guns and inoperable firearms are also being accepted for $20 each. Residents can hand over three weapons at an event.

New Jersey's 3 gun buybacks: What you need to know

Criticisms of such buybacks are that most of the guns turned in are done so by law-abiding people clearing out their homes of old long guns they no longer use or want - which gave rise to the term "attic guns."

Authorities know that criticism, Trenton Police Director Ernest Parrey Jr. said. Mirroring comments by state authorities, he said if just one weapon surrendered saves a life, "That's a good thing."

Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson was surprised at how many rifles and shotguns were boxed up. "I thought there'd be more handguns," he said.

Final tallies will be made public  next week, but rifles and shotguns appeared to outnumber handguns in Trenton Friday morning.

The officers collecting the weapons took in some very old guns too, like flintlocks, and other classic, curved-wood pistols.

The buybacks will take place until 8 p.m. tonight, then Saturday again from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations:

• Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church, 88 Lyons Avenue, Newark
• Friendship Baptist Church, 111 Perry Street, Trenton
• Antioch Baptist Church, at 700 Ferry Avenue, Camden

More information is available at the Attorney General's Office buyback website.

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

The state-sponsored two-day gun buyback concludes Saturday.

CAMDEN -- People stood 12-deep in a line outside an annex of Antioch Baptist Church here Friday afternoon, all of them clutching guns.

There were rifles, handguns and shotguns, all cloaked in either form-fitting leather carrying cases, makeshift backpacks and, in one case, a fleece blanket.

It was the first of two days of a state-sponsored gun buyback event held in Camden, Trenton and Newark. Officials paid $100 for rifles and shotguns, $120 for a handgun or revolver and $200 for an assault weapon.

Additionally, the gun owners also got peace of mind.

"Had these guns sitting in the closet and I don't need them," said Pete Brown, 60, a construction worker from the Cramer Hill section of the city. "They were just old utility rifles my uncle used to use to hunt rabbits."

Brown said he hunts himself and has other weapons. But he wanted to take advantage of the buyback to turn in some older guns he had that were passed down through the family. 

He wasn't alone. Officials said they were collecting 100 guns an hour through the first the five hours. The event was scheduled from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

"Getting these weapons out of homes and off the street is an incredible help to law enforcement and our overall public safety," Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli said in a statement. "Whether these guns were in someone's attic or floating around the streets, accepting them, cataloging them and destroying them is the right thing to do."

Money collected from statewide drug busts was used for the payouts, officials said.

The incident occurred overnight in Camden.

CAMDEN -- Flames ripped through a rowhouse here just after midnight leaving a child dead and six injured, including four children and two adults, according to municipal and relief workers at the scene and a broadcast news report.

The two-alarm blaze was reported shortly after midnight in the 1200 block of Morton Street. The flames were shooting from both floors when firefighters arrived and witnesses said some children were dropped from windows to neighbors below.

City Fire Chief Michael Harper said he did not initially see signs of foul play and there were working smoke alarms in the home, 6ABC reported. Harper did not immediately return a call for comment Saturday morning.

Eleven people occupied the two-story brick twin home, said June Sernak, executive director of Red Cross for Southwest New Jersey, who was at the scene shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday morning. She said a 4-year-old girl died here.

"It's devastating loss for the community, especially because of the child," Sernak said. "We pray for the family."

A woman neighbors identified as one of the occupants of the home sat on a neighbor's porch on Saturday morning. When asked what happened, she declined to comment, and then wiped a tear from her eye.

Sernak said the Red Cross was providing shelter and support for the 10 surviving occupants of the home, including six who were hospitalized after the fire.

Bob Bak, a next door neighbor, said he heard what sounded like an argument shortly before the blaze.

"I looked out the window and saw an orange glow," said Bak, 54, who said he called the fire department.

Bak, a port worker, said he tried to put the fire out with a garden hose, but quickly realized it was having no effect.

"I was in the back of the house, trying to keep it suppressed," he said.

He said he has lived here all his life and said the fire victims had lived there for about two years. He said the home has been on fire on at least three previous occasions.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A 4-year-old girl died in the blaze.

CAMDEN -- Two people remain hospitalized after an early Saturday house fire claimed the life of a 4-year-old girl.

Lai'Yannie Williams died in the two-alarm blaze on the 1200 block of Morton Street and six others were injured.

Of the two still hospitalized, one is a 10-day-old boy, according to a report by Fox29.

Lai'Yannie's grandmother, Sherri Williams, shared a photo of the child on Facebook, where many offered condolences to the grieving family.

While the cause of the blaze remains under investigation, fire officials do not believe it was intentionally set. They also noted that the house had working smoke detectors.

In all, 11 people from four families were displaced by the blaze, according to the American Red Cross, which provided assistance.

"Our hearts are with the families as they cope with this devastating loss," Ana Montero, regional CEO of the American Red Cross New Jersey Region, said in a statement released Saturday. "Our compassionate volunteers provided assistance to the families this morning and will remain available for support and counseling needs."

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

Atlantic City Rail Line service is suspended for two weeks between Philadelphia and Cherry Hill.

NJ Transit released images of damage caused when a truck struck a rail bridge in Pennsauken. (NJ Transit)
 

PENNSAUKEN -- Service on the Atlantic City Rail Line between Philadelphia and Cherry Hill will be suspended for two weeks after a trash track struck a rail bridge, NJ Transit reported.

The truck struck the bridge at River Road near Derousse Avenue in Pennsauken on Friday afternoon.

Inspectors determined that the tracks sustained extensive damage and a construction firm has been called in to assist with repairs.

Substitute bus service will run between Philadelphia and Cherry Hill while repairs are completed, NJ Transit reported.

Also, PATCO, River Line light rail and all NJ Transit South Jersey bus routes will cross-honor Atlantic City Rail Line tickets.

Rail service will continue as normal between Cherry Hill and Atlantic City.

A report from 6ABC described the vehicle that struck the bridge as a boom truck belonging to Robinson Waste Disposal of Bellmawr and indicated that the driver didn't know the boom was extended when he tried to pass under the rail bridge.

The truck driver was issued a summons for careless driving, NJ Transit reported.

The agency did not indicate how much the repairs would cost.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

A man who claimed he was suicidal was shot by responding police in 2012.

Two Camden County towns have agreed to pay $275,000 to the estate of a man shot by police in 2012 after he threatened to commit suicide.

Michael Wood, 37, placed a series of 911 calls on the night of April 26, 2012, in which he claimed he wanted to kill himself. He was staying in his brother's apartment in Bellmawr at the time.

Officers from Brooklawn and Bellmawr responded and one of the officers shot Wood as he was holding a knife.

Wood's sister, Deborah Wilson, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her brother's estate, naming both towns and the officers who responded to the call.

Wilson said her brother was very depressed and drunk that night and that police should have called in a trained crisis negotiator and used restraint in how they dealt with him.

In court testimony over the claims, the officers provided differing accounts of whether Wood, who was holding the 14-inch knife as officers pleaded with him to drop the weapon, posed an immediate threat. They also disagreed about weather Wood was agitated or calm.

IT consultant pleads guilty in federal child porn case

As they knocked on the apartment door, dispatchers reported that their attempts to regain contact with Wood after his initial calls were unsuccessful and that their calls went straight to a voicemail message with a recording by his brother, Chris, stating, "Hi, it's Chris Wood. I'm dead ... You probably got the wrong number ..."

Police forced open the door and arrested Chris. At this point, Michael Wood called out from a bedroom indicating he was the one police wanted. An officer spotted Michael through the open bedroom door sitting on the floor and twisting the knife into his thigh.

Police spoke with him for several minutes before he closed the bedroom door. He emerged a few minutes later and the shooting soon followed.

Open public records advocate John Paff first reported on the settlement agreement.

Under the confidential deal, which was signed in June, the defendants admit no liability in the case. 

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

Consider adopting from a shelter or rescue for your next pet.

Some notes on homeless animals in New Jersey:

* According to the State of New Jersey Office of Animal Welfare, "it is estimated that the number of free-roaming cats in the United States may be equal to that of owned cats, approximately 70 million. If left unchecked, free-roaming cats will breed and their populations increase at locations where they find suitable shelter and food."

The office goes on to note that pet cats that are abandoned will not easily fend for themselves outdoors. Unfortunately, most of these cats and their offspring will suffer premature death from disease, starvation or trauma.

* Among shelters and rescue groups around New Jersey, the top 10 reasons for owners relinquishing a dog are: (1) moving; (2) landlord issues (3) cost of pet maintenance; (4) "no time for pet;" (5) inadequate facilities; (6) "too many pets in home;" (7) pet illness; (8) "personal problems;" (9) biting; and (10) no homes for litter-mates.

Other interesting facts from the Office of Animal Welfare:

* As many as 25 percent of dogs entering shelters across the country each year are purebreds.

* One unspayed female cat and her unaltered offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years.

Here is a gallery of homeless animals from northern and central New Jersey. Consider visiting a local shelter or contacting a local rescue group when looking for a pet for your family.

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

A 36-year-old Winslow man has been arrested and charged. Watch video

WINSLOW -- It was caught on a home surveillance video.

It shows a man walking past a 78-year-old woman, turning on his heels, pulling out a "hunting knife" and pressing it against her neck before grabbing her purse, police said. That evidence helped lead police to a township man who is now charged with armed robbery and related charges.

Jamal Gadson, 36, of 19 Lehigh Court, in the Sicklerville section here, was arrested Friday. The robbery occurred a week earlier on Lerner Court in the Lehigh Manor Development just before 3 p.m. Police say he got away with $20 and the purse and credit cards of the victim.

Investigators found a home surveillance video of the incident Thursday. Twelve hours later, Gadson was picked up in the same development, wearing the same clothes he had on in the video.

Gadson was picked up on an outstanding warrant for another offense. A subsequent search of his home turned up the woman's purse and the knife, police said. He was held at Camden County jail pending a court hearing.

The girl died in a fire in Camden on Saturday.

CAMDEN -- Four-year-old Laiyannie Williams was the only victim of a fatal fire here Saturday in which 10 other people, including five children, escaped, Fire Chief Michael Harper said Monday.

The two-alarm blaze ripped through a two-story, brick twin home in the 1200 block of Morton Street in the city's Centerville section shortly after midnight Saturday, officials said.

Laiyannie was found near the front door of the home, Harper said. Several other family members escaped out of a second-floor rear window onto a roof and dropped some of the children down to others on the street, Harper said witnesses told them.

The fire appeared to have started on the first floor, Harper said. 

"To have any fatality is a tragedy," Harper said. "But to have it be a child is even worse."

The chief said four ladder companies with at least five fire trucks had the fast-moving blaze on the narrow street under control by 12:43 a.m., 31 minutes after being called. A next-door neighbor who said he called 911 for help said firefighters were there within minutes. 

"The fire advanced so quickly," Harper said. "A fire can double in size every minute."

All 10 of the other occupants who escaped from the home were taken to the hospital afterward. All have since been released and no other injuries were reported. Harper said the fire is still under investigation but there seems to be no sign of foul play.

There was at least one working smoke alarm there, he said. The family was renting the home, Harper said.

The chief commended his firefighters, who included some who were facing their first incident in which a life was lost. He said they all seemed to handle it well but counselling is available for any who need it.

"It's a tough way to start a career," he said.

A Gloucester Township man is being held in Montgomery County.

GLOUCESTER TWP. -- A 32-year-old township man has been arrested and charged with soliciting sex from a minor in a Pennsylvania sting operation, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said Monday.

Troy Reese, of the 100 block of Brighton Court, was arrested in Conshohocken on July 21. Authorities patrolling the internet said Reese began sending messages to the address of what he thought was a 13-year-old girl. It was actually an undercover officer, police said.

The undercover officer repeatedly identified himself as a 13-year-old girl before Reese allegedly began sending sexually-explicit photos of himself, the charging statement said. Reese was eventually arrested in Conshohocken when officers identified him there in an effort to meet to have sex with the officer posing as a minor.

Reese was held on $50,000 bail pending a hearing on Aug. 3.

Natashia Johnson was sentenced to 5 years in state prison for an armed robbery on April 23, 2015.

WOODBURY-- A woman has been sentenced to five years in state prison for her role in the armed robbery of a Washington Township gas station, authorities said.

Natashia N. Johnson has been sentenced for armed robbery, officials say. (Salem County Correctional Facility) 

Natashia Johnson, 32, of Berlin pleaded guilty to participating with two others in the holdup of the Gastrol station on the Black Horse Pike April 23, 2015.

Superior Court Judge Kevin Smith sentenced Johnson Monday in Woodbury.

Two co-defendants -- Samuel Tolbert, 37, of West Berlin and Geana Carr, 29, of Haddon Township -- are awaiting sentencing, officials said.

Johnson brandished a handgun when she and Tolbert entered the gas station where the two threatened the clerk and stole $600 in cash as well as scratch-off lottery tickets and several cigarette packs, according to officials.

Three charged in armed robbery where suspected was dragged away from getaway car

Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree armed robbery in April.

Tolbert was charged at the same time as Johnson and was returned to state prison for violating parole and is awaiting sentencing on Oct. 2, officials said.

Carr, believed to be the driver of the getaway car in the robbery, has been admitted to drug court, officials said.

Justin Decker may be reached at jdecker@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Justin Decker on Twitter @Justin_A_Decker. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Officials said the maximum punishment for the crimes is an 800-year sentence and a $10 million fine.

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. -- Court records show that a 52-year-old Voorhees man was prepared to go to trial Monday on dozens of wire fraud charges that, together, could have seen him fined up to $10 million and sentenced to as long as 800 years in prison.

But Michael Hoffner, owner of the Brown Street Pub in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, will likely escape the maximum penalty after he instead opted to plead guilty Monday to 40 counts of wire fraud in federal court in Philadelphia.

Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen announced the plea in a release.

According to Lappen, Hoffner admitted that between September and December of 2012, he used a stolen credit number to make 40 charges on various credit and debit cards.

The average charge was about $2,000, Lappen said, and added up to over $87,000. The money all went into an account Hoffner controlled, Lappen said in the release.

Hoffner was first indicted on 23 counts in 2015, but the prosecuting attorneys, Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Ignall and Christopher J. Mannion, added more charges as their investigation continued over two years, according to court records. The records show that jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday.

Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg has not scheduled a sentencing date.

Also collaborating to investigate the case were staff from the U.S. Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, according to the release.

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

The NJSIAA announced the revised high school football classifications for the 2017 season on Tuesday.

Justices rule that prosecutors don't have to present live witnesses at hearings to get defendants thrown in jail.

TRENTON -- Prosecutors do not have to present live witnesses when trying to convince a judge to throw someone in jail under New Jersey's new criminal justice system, the state's highest court ruled on Tuesday.

The New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously rejected arguments from public defenders and civil liberties advocates that the constitution guaranteed criminal defendants the right to confront witnesses at hearings that determine whether they should be held until trial.

The case was the latest to tackle a technical but high-stakes issue raised by New Jersey's massive criminal justice system overhaul, which eliminated cash bail for most defendants.

It involved an arrest in Camden just over an hour after the new system took effect.

According to court records, police saw Amed Ingram wielding a .45 caliber handgun at 1:08 a.m. that day and arrested him on weapons charges including possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

In court documents, police provided few details about the circumstances of the arrest other than to say they saw Ingram holding the gun.

N.J. jail populations fall after bail reform

In a section meant to describe how police became aware of the underlying facts of the arrest, a police officer wrote simply "officer observations." In another document, the officer wrote that he had recovered shell casings from the scene and a second officer also saw the incident.

Ingram also had a lengthy criminal record and received the highest possible score on a public safety assessment, a tool used by the courts to gauge a defendant's potential risk of flight and danger to the community. 

Under the new system, if prosecutors want a judge to lock someone up until trial, they have to hold a detention hearing within 48 hours. At that hearing, public defenders argued Ingram had a right to confront the witnesses testifying against him, which in this case were the police officers themselves.

A trial judge said it was not necessary for the police officers themselves to show up in court, and public defenders appealed, but an appellate panel also sided with prosecutors. 

While the right to confront witnesses at trial is well-established in constitutional law, the question is less clear at a detention hearing, where the burden of proof is lower because the judge is deciding only whether to lock someone up until trial. 

"We think the decision to lock someone up is a critical one, especially before they've been convicted of anything," said Alexander Shalom, senior staff attorney at the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which joined public defenders in their appeal. 

In court papers, state prosecutors argued the tight timeline of the pretrial hearings would mean live witnesses -- including, in some cases, victims of crimes -- would have to make court appearances in short order in nearly every case, creating "an extraordinary burden on the criminal justice system."

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, writing for the court, held that the underlying documents supporting the state's case was enough for a pretrial hearing, citing case law in the federal courts to support the justices' decision. 

Rabner wrote that law enforcement should provide more details in their filings to support having a defendant jailed, but that police don't have to follow "a mathematical formula" in writing their reports.

The justices also held that individual judges can order witnesses be called if they aren't convinced by the state's case. 

State Attorney General Christopher Porrino praised the ruling, saying it prevented the "harassment and intimidation of victims and witnesses who would otherwise have to come to court to testify and be cross-examined within days of the crime."

Joseph Krakora, the state public defender, said he was "disappointed" with the decision but "heartened" that the justices provided new guidelines for police so their court filings "comport with basic principles of due process."

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

At least 12 cars were disabled Wednesday morning.

MOUNT EPHRAIM -- At least 12 cars were damaged and stopped on the side of the road of one of the busiest highways in New Jersey on Wednesday after the vehicles hit a hole caused by a dislodged storm drain, the state police said.

511nj.org traffic cam
 

The incident was reported at the Route 42, I-295, I-76 interchange at 5:15 a.m. The drain cover was replaced by the state Department of Transportation by 5:29 a.m., but a dozen cars were disabled with blown out tires and other possible damage on the shoulder of westbound I-76 by then, State Police Sgt. Martin Walsh, of the Bellmawr barrack said.

It was not immediately reported if the road was ever closed or if any of the cars needed to be towed. Police said DOT crews are expected to continue work on the road today.

The prosecutor's office is asking the public to help identify the man in surveillance photos. Watch video

Authorities are asking the public to help identify a man they believe is connected to a string of armed robberies in Camden County.

The Camden County prosecutor's office said in a release that surveillance cameras in stores in Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Mount Ephraim captured still images and video of the man, including a clip of him running through an alley around the time of one of the robberies.

Authorities described him as a balding man, possibly in the his late 30s to mid-40s, standing between 6 feet or 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing approximately 250 or 260 pounds.

Buybacks in Newark, Trenton and Camden brought in historic haul, authorities said.

NEWARK -- A statewide gun buyback in three major New Jersey cities brought in 4,775 firearms over two days, authorities said.

The program, which offered between $100 and $200 per firearm, no questions asked, was the largest of its kind in state history, according to state Attorney General Christopher Porrino.

The buybacks were held last weekend at Antioch Baptist Church in Camden, the Friendship Baptist Church in Trenton and the Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church in Newark. 

The haul included 1,973 handguns, 1,142 shotguns, 1,025 rifles and a range of other firearms including 129 police described as "assault weapons."

"Those are weapons of war," acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick said, referring to the semi-automatic and automatic weapons collected during the event. "Those are weapons that were designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. Those weapons are no longer on the streets of New Jersey."

Porrino and Fitzpatrick announced the results of the program during an afternoon press conference at the Newark Police Communication Center, where thousands of individually tagged guns sat stacked high on tables and clustered in large garbage cans. 

The weapons will be melted down this week, authorities said. 

Buybacks have become increasingly popular in recent years, though experts doubt their effectiveness at curbing gun violence. Researchers say they mostly draw "attic guns" -- firearms turned in by people who simply had them stored in their homes and wanted to get rid of them. 

Porrino said that was fine by him.

"A gun that has been melted down can never be used to kill somebody, it can never be used to rob or threaten someone, and it can never end up, tragically, as the instrument of a curious child's accidental death," Porrino said.

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Authorities said the buyback is also part of a broader effort to stem gun violence in the Garden State.

In May, Porrino and Fitzpatrick announced they would share cases through a program known as Triggerlock, which allows local and state authorities to hand prosecution for gun crimes to the U.S. Attorney's office. Penalties are stiffer for gun crimes under federal law. 

To date, 19 state cases have been referred to federal law enforcement through the program, authorities said. 

At the state level, Porrino earlier this year directed prosectors across the state to automatically request detention for people accused of serious gun crimes under New Jersey's new bail system, which took effect in January. 

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

From hall of famers to one-hit wonders, pop music has a rich history in New Jersey.

A little New Jersey music trivia to go with our gallery about Garden State acts large and small.

* Frankie Avalon was not given his name as a play on the New Jersey shore town. Actually, he was born Francis Thomas Avallone in Philadelphia in 1939.

* Ella Fitzgerald had her version of Benny Goodman's "Jersey Bounce" on two of her albums, "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!" and "All That Jazz."

* "The Diamond Church Street Choir" by Gaslight Anthem is an ode to the New Brunswick bar at which the band played its first show.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

* "Everything's Going to Be All Right" by Naughty by Nature is a version of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" reworked to detail life growing up in New Jersey.

* Country and western superstar Clint Black was born in Long Branch. And that's his given name.

And as you go through the gallery, here's a little game you can play along; see how many of the songs you can hum or sing.

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

New Jersey's hospitals will receive an extra $33 million from the federal government to care for Medicare patients.

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's administration has agreed to extend for another year a policy that will mean $33 million in federal funding to help New Jersey hospitals treat Medicare patients.

The decision by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services means that New Jersey medical facilities will remain eligible under a program designed to reimburse rural hospitals for the actual costs of treating Medicare patients.

"This extension will bring millions of dollars to our state and will help our hospitals continue to provide quality care for the most vulnerable New Jerseyans," said Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd Dist.).

Hospitals in line for $33M

Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd Dist.) said the decision would "ensure our hospitals are able to continue serving New Jersey residents most in need."

The state otherwise would be ineligible because all of New Jersey's hospitals are classified as being located in urban areas. The funds are based on what doctors would get paid to serve rural communities.

"Providers in New Jersey are often excluded from policies designed to help address some of the unique needs hospitals face," said U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee that also has jurisdiction over health policy. 

All 14 members of the state's congressional delegation had urged CMS to reject a proposed policy change that would have excluded New Jersey.

The action will "help level the playing field for New Jersey's hospitals,'' said U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-9th Dist.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee that oversees health issues, urged the agency to permanently make New Jersey eligible for the funding. 

"Although this one-year extension is welcome news, I strongly urge CMS to address this issue permanently, so New Jersey hospitals aren't left in limbo year after year," Pascrell said.

The affected hospitals are:

-- Cape Regional Medical Center (Cape May Court House)

-- Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell (Pennington)         

-- Cooper Hospital (Camden)

-- Deborah Heart and Lung Center (Browns Mills)

-- Hackettstown Regional Medical Center

-- Inspira Medical Centers (Elmer, Vineland and Woodbury)

-- Kennedy University Hospital (Cherry Hill)

-- Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County (Willingboro)

-- Memorial Hospital of Salem County (Woodstown)

-- Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center (Camden)

-- R.W.J. University Hospital  (Hamilton)

-- St. Francis Medical Center (Trenton)

-- St. Luke's Warren Hospital (Phillipsburg)

-- Virtua Hospital (Voorhees)

-- Virtua Memorial Hospital (Mt. Holly)

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