Check out the best the state has to offer in Week 6.

Shawneeq M. Carter, of Camden, was killed while house-sitting in Woodbury.

WOODBURY -- Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information on who killed Shawneeq M. Carter.

Carter, 26, of Camden, was housesitting for a friend on Hopkins Street when her body was found in the home on Sept. 23.

Shawneeq M. Carter, 26, of Camden, was found murdered in a Woodbury home. (Facebook)
 

She died of blunt force trauma, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.

The GCPO and Woodbury Police Department are offering the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of those responsible for her death.

"We are asking the community to come together to assist us in bringing those responsible for this devastating crime to justice," said Woodbury Police Chief Thomas Ryan. "Woodbury is a close-knit, strong city that will not stand for these types of acts. With the combined efforts of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, the Woodbury Police Department and the great citizens of Woodbury, we will secure justice for Ms. Carter's family."

Carter's 5-year-old son and another child staying at the home found her body, according to family and friends. The kids left the home Saturday evening and walked around the corner to a Broad Street barbershop, where they told stylist Brandon Parker what had happened. Parker walked the kids back to the house and summoned police when no one answered the door.

Vigil held to remember mother murdered in Woodbury

Investigators have offered few additional details, but acknowledged last week that Carter suffered what appeared to be knife wounds in the assault.

Police previously stated that -- based on their investigation so far -- there is no danger to the community.

About 10 detectives are working the case.

"Our investigators' efforts to close this case have been tireless," Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton said in Wednesday's announcement. "We will be grateful to anyone in the community who can help them."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Patrick Goggin of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office (609-929-1888 or 856-384-5500) or Detective Carl Villone of the Woodbury City Police Department (609-970-9107 or 856-845-0065).

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

CAMDEN -- Attorney General Christopher Porrino issued a warning Wednesday after a wave of overdoses sent more than a dozen people to the hospital. Porrino said the victims, who numbered about 14, had taken heroin laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid similar to heroin but far more potent and dangerous. How fentanyl became Jersey's deadliest drug  NBC 10 in Philadelphia...

CAMDEN -- Attorney General Christopher Porrino issued a warning Wednesday after a wave of overdoses sent more than a dozen people to the hospital.

Porrino said the victims, who numbered about 14, had taken heroin laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid similar to heroin but far more potent and dangerous.

How fentanyl became Jersey's deadliest drug 

NBC 10 in Philadelphia reported that the overdoses all occurred in a four hour span beginning around 10 a.m. The victims were all found in the south Camden area.

An arrest has been made in connection with the overdoses, NBC also reported.

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

Who knew balogna had a first name?

Some had it goin' ON in the '70s ... and then, there were folks like me. 

I grew up in the '70s.

So, as a guy who went from pre-teen to adult during the decade, I'd like to share a few random facts about those good ole days:

* The population of the U.S. in 1970 was 204,879,000, the national debt was $450 billion and the average annual salary was approximately $7,800 per year.

* The Beatles kicked off the decade by announcing they were splitting up in April 1970. Bummer.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

* What could be termed the greatest one-hit-wonder of all time came in the 1970s with Don McLean's "American Pie" in 1972. Plenty of people know every word of the song, which runs 8 minutes, 33 seconds.

* Advertising led to catchphrases that were repeated ad nauseum, including "Please don't squeeze the Charmin," "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!" "Flick your Bic," "Is it live or is it Memorex?" ... and we learned that our bologna had a first name, O-S-C-A-R.

* As if one oil crisis (1973) wasn't enough, we had another one in 1979, and, I'll admit it now, I switched license plates a couple of times so I could buy gas on "even" and "odd" days.

Here's a gallery of New Jersey in the 1970s. And here are links to other galleries you might find interesting.

Vintage photos of the 1940s in N.J.

Vintage photos of the 1950s in N.J.

Vintage photos of the 1960s in N.J.

Vintage photos of N.J. in the 1960s

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

This week's list of bold predictions features upset picks, winning streaks and close finishes that could affect playoff races.

The U.S. is taking a smaller share of the world's growing refugee population, a Pew Research Center study finds

A look at the top sophomores in New Jersey.

Which teams, players and coaches have earned midseason honors?

Which boys have already given their verbal commit to play men's soccer?

Get caught up instantly on NJ.com's high school football coverage of Week 6 with the mega-coverage guide

Below is NJ.com's mega-coverage guide for Week 6. Keep track of schedules, predictions, previews, features and breaking news from around the state all the way up until kickoff.

ESSENTIALS 
• Midseason awards: N.J.'s best at midway point
• 25 must-see high school football games for Week 6
• Week 6 schedule/scoreboard
• Schedule/scoreboard by conference
• Statewide stat leaders through Week 5
• NJSIAA football power points after Week 5
• Statewide standings through Week 5

UPDATE: ‘They tried to kill my son.’ Frosh parents say star players caused PC brawl

RANKINGS 
• Top 20
• Group and conference rankings

PICKS 
• NJ.com predicts every winner in the state
• Scores and predictions for Top 20 teams
• Picks for each of N.J.'s six conferences 

PLUS: Midseason awards: N.J.'s best at midway point

MUST-READ CONTENT 
• Midseason awards: N.J.'s best at midway point
• ‘They tried to kill my son.’ Frosh parents say star players caused PC brawl
• Playing with heart: How N.J. teen went from death’s door back to football field
• Piscataway survives a scare and 21 more bold predictions for N.J. football Week 6
• ‘The whole town is ready for football’: Michael Cipot ignites No. Brunswick
• SJT Game of the Week: Highland's challenging schedule continues with improved Sterling
• New Jersey's 43 undefeated football teams after Week 5
• Concussions in football: 21 recent developments you need to know in 2017
• West Deptford's Collier has grown -- literally and figuratively
• Hunterdon County football update: South Hunterdon breaks 16-game losing streak; County stat leaders
• The 12th Man TD Club of Trenton announces weekly football honors
• Times of Trenton Football Players of the Week: Hun's Henderson, Trenton's Alfred
• After 200th win, South River coach Rich Marchesi more focused on 5th state title
• High school football triple-header scheduled for Saturday at Rutgers
• Times of Trenton Football Notebook: Lawrence gets back on the right track
• Former 'benchwarmer' WR, soph Kavon Lewis puts up elite stats as Penns Grove QB
• WATCH: Bosco football player's vicious hit on ex-teammate intensifies feud with SJR

A LOOK BACK AT WEEK 5
• Results and links for Week 5
• Who were the best N.J. football players last week? Here are 50 Week 5 stars
• N.J. football hot takes: Thrilling finishes highlight wild Week 5
• Week 5 stat leaders 
•  Best photos from Week 5

RECRUITING NEWS  
• Film review: Breaking down Rutgers QB commit Zamar Wise's junior mid-season highlights
• Which Rutgers football recruits put forth top performances this past weekend?
• Film review: Breaking down 5-star N.J. junior DL Antonio Alfano's 2017 debut
• What have N.J.'s top 50 football recruits been up to?

Joe Zedalis may be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @josephzedalis. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.

14 people overdosed in just 4 hours from ingesting fentanyl and a 54-year-old man was arrested for distribution.

CAMDEN -- The day after 14 people overdosed on fentanyl-laced heroin, life moved on in downtown Camden.

A steady stream of huddled masses came and went Thursday from a methadone clinic at Fifth and Market streets, next to a parking lot for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and across the street from Camden City Hall.

Less than a half mile away, along Broadway, a once seedy corridor in the process of being transformed by hundreds of millions of dollars from local universities and hospitals, is where the overdoses were reported between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday. They were all treated at nearby Cooper University Hospital.

How fentanyl went from obscurity to N.J.'s most dangerous drug

No one died, Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen said. But the state Attorney General Chris Porrino tweeted about the "mass overdose." Camden County has had 256 reported overdoses this year, which is an average of less than one a day.

The locals in front of the clinic weren't surprised about the incident Wednesday. Some said they've seen worse.

"I just helped save a girl's life last week," said a man in front of the clinic who only identified himself as Kyle and said he was 31 years old. "Her friends call me over because they weren't strong enough to pick her up. I picked this girl up and stretched her out straight so her friend could give her mouth to mouth and she was blue. Blue! As blue as your shirt. It was terrifying."

Police in Camden arrested Alexander Velazquez, 54, on Wednesday on distribution charges related to the 14 overdoses, a Camden County spokesman said Thursday. A robust police presence was evident along Broadway Thursday with a police car on every other corner for blocks and a police bike patrol riding up and down the strip.

Kyle and several others who said they had just received their daily methadone treatment said they don't think much will change.

"There's not even any heroin in the bags anymore," said Kyle. "They're selling bags of fentanyl and calling it heroin. People are dropping like flies. People are used to using a bag or two of heroin and they're getting straight fentanyl and it's killing them."

Many of the regulars at the clinic said the heroin problem in downtown Camden may be fueled by the Walter Rand Transportation Center on Broadway, which can be seen block away. 

Deaths from fentanyl, 50 times more powerful than heroin

The transportation center is also the hub that brings students to the burgeoning renaissance of colleges and university buildings for Rutgers and Rowan universities and Camden County College.

Lee Davis, 23, said he was once a student-athlete at Rutgers Camden. He said his life took a turn after an off-campus knee injury and he was prescribed Percocet, an opioid pain-reliever during his recovery.

"It went downhill from there," Davis said.

Darryl Smith, 57, stood nearby. He believes Davis' experience is not unique.

"Those college students are the ones that are most easily distracted," Smith said.

Rutgers recently bought the property at Fifth and Market streets in which the methadone clinic is located. It plans to construct a new business school building on the site.

Camden Recovery Holdings, which runs the center that treats nearly 1,000 a day, is planning to relocate just over a mile away at Sixth Street and Atlantic Avenue in a semi-industrial area.

Davis and Smith said that could spell trouble for them. Both say they are now clean but fear the new location could tempt them back into decline.

"That's my old stomping ground," said another man who identified himself as Kenny P., 25, of Stratford. "That's where I used to do all my dirt."

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

Who has impressed at midway point of the soccer season?

A look at how New Jersey alums did on the diamond during the 2017 season.

Three people were charged with arranging sex acts between the victim and several clients at South Jersey motels.

TRENTON -- A Camden woman who admitted to trafficking a minor for sex was sentenced to 6 years in prison this week, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Aja M. Easley, 24, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of sex trafficking of a minor in 2015.

She lured the victim via a social media website, promising her money, food, clothing and shelter, federal prosecutors said.

"Easley told the victim about a 'dating website,' and said that the victim could make money through the website by going on 'dates,'" according to documents filed in the case.

Easley introduced the victim to Aaron J. Gray, 30, of Camden, and Kenneth A. Mertz, 36, of Collingswood, who were also charged in the case.

The trio agreed to advertise the minor online for "commercial sex acts" and drove her to a motel in Cherry Hill where she had sex for money with several people who responded to the online ad. The money was split between the three defendants and the victim.

Trafficking victim was 'young, vulnerable,' authorities say

The next day, they traveled to a motel in Mount Laurel where the victim had sex with additional customers. Later that evening, the defendants told her they were taking her to Atlantic City, where a customer had agreed to pay $1,200 for an entire evening with the minor.

On the way to this appointment, they allowed the victim stop at a residence in Gloucester City, where she contacted the police for help.

Gray pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor and was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison. Mertz pleaded guilty to a charge of violating the Travel Act and will be sentenced in November. The Travel act forbids the use of interstate or foreign travel to engage in certain criminal acts, including prostitution.

In addition to prison time, Easley was also sentenced to 5 years of supervised release.

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

A look at some of the hot topics around N.J. HS girls soccer.

Your one-stop shop for everything you need.

WEEK 6 ESSENTIALS 
• Top photos of Week 6
• Top recruit loses scholarship after brawl
• Mega-coverage guide 
• Midseason awards: N.J.'s best at halfway point
• 22 bold predictions
• 25 can't-miss games
• Top 20 picks and schedule
• Picks for all 6 conferences
• Week 6 schedule/scoreboard
• Rankings: Top 20, Group & conference

RELATED: ‘They tried to kill my son.’ Frosh parents say star players caused football brawl 

FRIDAY'S FEATURED GAMES 
Mountain Lakes 14, Whippany Park 7
• Late rally leads to OT win
•  Photo gallery 
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

Clifton 32, Paterson Kennedy 26, OT
• Comeback city sees dramatic victory
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

Camden Catholic 25, Shawnee 21
• Stunning rally erases 18-point deficit in fourth
•  Photo gallery 
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

Summit 31, Cranford 13
• Staunch D, Jackson Tyler's big plays lead way
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

No. 10 Manalapan 49, No. 18 Howell 28
• Mayfield breaks loose for 5 TDs
•  Photo gallery 
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

Northern Highlands 42, Mahwah 0
• Mario Agyen helps team move closer to playoff spot
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

MIDSEASON AWARDS: N.J.'s best at halfway point

St. Joseph (Hamm.) 58, Allentown 26
• Three-headed monster overwhelms Redbirds
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

North Bergen 41, Dickinson 6
• Great Santini game leads way
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

West Windsor-Plainsboro South 48, Princeton 13
• WWPS snaps home losing streak
•  Photo gallery
•  Max Bruno discusses victory
• Box score

Delsea 49, Kingsway 32
• Borquet's crazy 3rd quarter decides it
• Box score

Voorhees 23, Delaware Valley 13
• Vikings snap 8-game series losing streak
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Sterling 29, Highland 14
• C.J. Barrett produces 3 TDs
•  Photo gallery 
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

RELATED: Who is N.J.'s best mascot? Nominations open 

Middlesex 22, Shore 21, OT
• Ground team wins it in air
•  WATCH Godfrey talks about team's effort
• Box score

Bridgeton 37, Mainland 7
• Bulldogs roll behind William, Saunders
• Box score

Bordentown 45, Palmyra 28
• Grueling ground game too much
• Box score

Moorestown 28, Hightstown 7 
• Hightstown can't overcome slow start
• Box score

Belvidere 28, South Hunterdon 0
• David Kinney scores 3 TDs
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

TOP 20 SCOREBOARD
• No. 7 Millville 49, Hammonton 14
• No. 8 Rancocas Valley 28, Winslow 13
• No. 10 Manalapan 49, No. 18 Howell 28
• No. 16 River Dell 50, Ridgefield Park 22
• Old Bridge 24, No. 19 Piscataway 22
• No. 20 Old Tappan 37, Teaneck 7

RELATED: The 43 N.J. football teams that remain unbeaten

SATURDAY LIVE UPDATES
• No. 1 St. Peter’s Prep at No. 2 Bergen Catholic, 1
• No. 6 Pope John at No. 4 St. Joseph (Mont.), 1
• No. 17 Westfield vs. Elizabeth at Rutgers, 1
• Orange at Nutley, 1
• Seneca at No. 12 Lenape, 7

SATURDAY'S FEATURED GAMES 
No. 1 St. Peter’s Prep at No. 2 Bergen Catholic, 1
• Live updates
• Game story
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

No. 4 St. Joseph (Mont.) vs. No. 6 Pope John, 1
• Live updates
• Game story
• Box score

Orange at Nutley, 1
• Live updates
• Game story
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Paulsboro at Haddonfield, 1
• Live updates
• Game story
• Box score

Seneca at No. 12 Lenape, 7
• Live updates
• Game story
• Box score

Gloucester at Salem, 12
• Game story
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

No. 17 Westfield vs. Elizabeth at Rutgers, 1
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Clearview at Vineland, 2
• Game story
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Hamilton West at Northern Burlington, 2
• Game story
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Rumson-Fair Haven vs. St. John Vianney at Rutgers, 4
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Notre Dame at Nottingham, 12
• Game story
• Box score

Hopewell Valley at Steinert, 12
• Game story
• Box score

Lawrenceville at Peddie, 3
• Game story
• Box score

TOP 20 SCOREBOARD
• No. 1 St. Peter’s Prep at No. 2 Bergen Catholic, 1
• No. 3 DePaul at Delbarton, 1
• No. 6 Pope John at No. 4 St. Joseph (Mont.), 1
• Morristown at No. 11 Montclair, 1
• Seneca at No. 12 Lenape, 7
• No. 17 Westfield vs. Elizabeth at Rutgers, 1
• Long Branch vs. Red Bank Catholic at Rutgers, 7

STATEWIDE SCOREBOARD

There was a chill in the air, but the action on the football field was hotter than ever. Week 6 featured close calls, frenzied finishes, winning kicks and No. 1 falling.

Fentanyl isn't as well known as heroin, but its lethal properties are making it the biggest worry as New Jersey steps its fight against addiction.

In an odd spin on truth in labeling, perhaps we should stop referring to a dangerous, addictive drug as "fentanyl-laced" heroin or "bad" heroin.

Consider the 14 overdoses reported in Camden City in just four hours the other day that were linked to a combination of heroin and the more powerful synthetic opiate fentanyl. State Attorney General Christopher Porrino, in a warning tweet about what was being sold on the streets, referred to it "lethal fentanyl laced heroin."

The thing is, it's become clear that fentanyl is being sought out by some addicts looking for a bigger high. Even users who don't demand fentanyl know that heroin is unlikely to be the sole active ingredient in the concoction they buy. 

The day after the Camden overdose spike, NJ Advance Media obtained this chilling quote from a recovering addict under methadone treatment who identified himself only as Kyle: "There's not even heroin in the bags anymore. They're selling bags of fentanyl and calling it heroin. People are dropping like flies. People are using a bag or two of heroin, and they're getting straight fentanyl, and it's killing them."

If the drug dealers of Camden and other distribution points truly are distributing pure fentanyl, let's make the distinction more clear.

State and local officials have started to recognize how fentanyl has changed the game in fighting opiate addiction. But it remains to be seen if adjustments can be made soon enough to minimize overdose deaths.

Fentanyl is least 50 times more potent than heroin. It's cheaper, and it's also available as a legal prescription drug. It was involved in 878 reported New Jersey deaths in 2016, twice the number recorded in 2015.

Last week, Gov. Chris Christie authorized first responders to carry larger doses of Narcan, or naxolone, the miracle, overdose-reversing drug of the first wave of the opiate crisis. The change was made, the governor said, because the smaller dose is often insufficient to reverse a fentanyl overdose.

We applaud the governor's action, but other strategies will be necessary to combat this shift in the face of addiction.

For instance, earlier this month the state sued Insys Theraputics Inc., which markets a fentanyl product called Subsys that is indicated for severe cancer pain. The lawsuit alleges that Insys sales agents pushed doctors to prescribe Subsys for less-severe pain, in one case leading to the death of a Camden County woman who had fibromyalga. New Jersey believes it has standing to sue because its public health plans paid for Subsys prescriptions for unauthorized uses. 

It's good that New Jersey has joined enlightened states going after manufacturers who allegedly push overprescribing of fentanyl, virtually assuring that more pills, patches, etc., will end up in the illicit marketplace. 

Last week's mass overdose in Camden also produced some subtle positive news. Word got out quickly, there were no deaths, and the multiple overdoses subsided following the arrest of Alexander Velaquez, 54, who was charged with distributing the lethal batch.

Fentanyl's killing power may also be making people like Kyle less reluctant to speak about their own experiences and what they've witnessed on the street. Just out of the emergency room, Michael Corsello, 27, told NBC10, "I want every kid to understand, if they can stay away from this, I've ruined three families." He identified himself as one of the 14 who had overdosed.

It's worth repeating: We've HAD an opiate epidemic for years. Now, we HAVE a fentanyl epidemic.

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Five new games are up for vote.

Five new games are up for vote.

Rescues make great pets.

Some fun and interesting facts about cats and dogs from Nationwide pet insurance:

* Dogs only sweat from the bottoms of their feet, the only other way they can discharge heat is by panting. Cats do not have sweat glands.

* Dogs have about 100 different facial expressions, most of them made with the ears.

* A cat can jump as much as seven times its height.

* Dogs do not have an appendix.

* Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

* Using their swiveling ears like radar dishes, experiments have shown that dogs can locate the source of a sound in 6/100ths of a second.

* A cat's tongue is scratchy because it's lined with papillae--tiny elevated backwards hooks that help to hold prey in place.

... and when faced with the choice of going the way around something that untangles herself or the way that makes it worse, my dog will choose the wrong way 101 times out of 100.