Pets throughout New Jersey await adoption in shelters and rescues.

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

* Dogs only sweat from the bottoms of their feet, the only 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.

* 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.

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

Who were the best of the best?

Who's the best of the best?

N.J. athletes shined over a three-day stretch at nationals.

Arthur Barclay, a south Jersey Democrat, is also a former high school basketball star from Camden.

Arthur Barclay, a south Jersey Democrat, resigned from the state Assembly on Monday, a little more than two weeks after he was arrested on a charge of simple assault related to domestic violence.

The 36-year-old Camden County lawmaker -- a former high school basketball star -- stepped down "effectively immediately" for "health reasons," according to Camden County Democratic Party Chairman James Beach, who is also a state senator.

Arthur Barclay 

Messages left with Barclay's legislative offices were not immediately returned Monday. 

But Barclay confirmed the arrest to political news website New Jersey Globe, which was the first to report the incident Monday.

"It happened," he told the website.  "I don't want to talk about it.  It is what it is.  It happened.  I just want to move forward."

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, said he was "appalled to learn" of Barclay's actions.

"It is my understanding that he is doing the right thing and will resign from the General Assembly immediately," Coughlin added in a statement. 

Barclay was arrested in Camden a little after 7 p.m. on June 7 for "simple assault domestic violence," according to an arrest report obtained by NJ Advance Media and other news outlets. 

He is scheduled to appear in Camden municipal court on June 28. 

Further details were unavailable late Monday night. A Camden County spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Barclay has been a member of the Assembly since January 2016, representing south Jersey's 5th legislative district, which includes parts of Camden and Gloucester counties -- including the city of Camden.

He was vice chair of the Assembly's law and public safety committee and a member of its judiciary committee.

A Camden native, Barclay was a basketball standout at Camden High School in the late 1990s.  The 6-foot-8 forward, who graduated in 2000, scored 1,259 points in his career.

Barclay later played three seasons for the University of Memphis basketball team under famed coach John Calipari.

He was inducted into the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. 

It is now up to Democratic committee members in Barclay's district to pick a replacement for his seat. Whoever is chosen will serve until a special election in November for the final year on Barclay's two-year term.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Noah Cohen and Chris Sheldon contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

A proposed off-track betting parlor in Cherry Hill could offer sports betting.

Gamblers in South Jersey won't have to leave their end of the state or even travel to Atlantic City to make a sports bet, if lawmakers' plans come to fruition.

When sports betting was made legal this week, the site of a former racetrack in Cherry Hill -- that for the past 11 years has had local approvals for an off-track betting facility -- was included in the law as a future site for wagers.

But whether it'll actually get built by the site owners Penn Gaming and Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment is anyone's guess.

A 11-year-old site plan approval for the facility that's already been extended once runs out this month, and township officials said they haven't heard any movement from Penn Gaming in the past year, since it was granted a one-year extension on its site plan. Township officials hadn't even been clear on whether sports betting would be legal at that site, but Assemblyman Burzichelli, a sponsor of the sports betting bill, said this week that's been their intention all along.

That was news to officials in Cherry Hill. They said the land -- on a barren 10-acre parcel next to a bustling, big-box shopping mecca and residential development on Route 70 --a major road connecting Philadelphia to the Shore -- would not qualify because the new law said it was "excluding premises other than the land contained within the race course oval" for wagering.

"The new ruling with respect to sports betting, where the sports betting is going to be permitted, is very specific when it applies to a former racetrack," said Erin Gill, chief of staff to Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn. "It's not everywhere on that property. It's not the entire racetrack property. So, the OTB site wouldn't qualify."

The gateway to the former Garden State Park horse-racing course may be the entrance to a new sports betting parlor in Cherry Hill.Bill Duhart | For NJ.com 

Burzichelli admits the new law inked this week by Gov. Phil Murphy is at times confusing. But he said the inclusion of Cherry Hill and the former Atlantic City Race Course was also always intended.

"If there is a technical error on how a former racetrack is defined we would need to do some housing keeping," Burzichelli said this week. "The intention was to protect the lower backdoor of the state and the former Garden State site is intended for that. It's an outpost to guard against an outflow of economy."

The final version of the legislation sought to redefine exactly where sports betting can take place.

"'Racetrack' means the physical facility and the land, as of the effective date ... where a permit holder conducts a horse race meeting with wagering under a license issued by the racing commission ... and includes any former racetrack.'"

Requests for comment from Penn National Gaming and Greenwood over the past two weeks were not returned.

The site plan for the proposed OTB was approved in 2007 during a redevelopment of the former racetrack which closed in 2001. Since then, a bustling retail mecca  has populated the site.

The gateway to the former Garden State Park horse-racing course is located on Marlton Pike, state Route 70 in Cherry Hill.Bill Duhart | For NJ.com 

Penn National Gaming also owns and operates Freehold Raceway, which is also eligible for sports betting, and two OTB parlors, Favorites, in Gloucester Township and Toms River. The company also operates dozens of other locations in 17 states and Canada. The Gloucester Township and Toms River sites are not eligible for sports betting.

Pennwood once owned the entire parcel that is now Towne Place at Garden State Park. It held on to its remaining parcel but left it undeveloped. It stuck out as a grassy lot with the only structure a weather-beaten brick and wood gateway to the former racetrack.

The site was so desolate, Cherry Hill explored declaring it in need of development in 2014 that would trigger measures that could have led to the township acquiring it through eminent domain.

Gill said the owners cleaned up the property enough to head off that effort but they now face another challenge to becoming the backstop Burzichelli envisions. The site plan for the OTB facility expires at the end of this month.

Another use application and hearing will need to take place if the site is to become what legislators hope it will be. Until then, all bets are off.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

NJ Advance Media has selected 36 players as All-State picks in 2018.

NJ.com highlights the best players in N.J. from the 2018 season.

This company said they had to sue to get info that's a matter of public health.

A national advocacy group is seeking to raise awareness about the need for transparency in information from public utilities and driving the point home with a lawsuit against Camden.

Food & Water watch is in the midst of a national campaign to highlight the dangers from municipal water service shutoffs on public and private health.

"These shutoffs threaten public health, community wellbeing and basic human dignity," a statement from the group said. "Without running water, people cannot cook, clean, shower, wash their hands or flush their toilets."

The group said 40 percent of New Jersey residents get their water service from a private, for-profit company compared to a national average of 10 percent. Private companies charge 79 percent more for than public utilities in the Garden State, which adds up to $230 more per year, the activists said.

In Camden, one of the poorest cities in the nation, the typical yearly water bill is $377, which is not affordable to a third of city residents who have a yearly income of about $15,000. Food & Water watch compiles its statistics from public records requests around the country.

A Superior Court lawsuit filed last week accused the city of Camden of hiding "behind the veil" of private contracts with utility companies like New Jersey American Water, and not disclosing information about the amount of municipal water-service shutoffs.

The information was requested through an Open Public Records Act request last month. Food & Water Watch, the national advocacy group, claims city officials said they did not have the information and it needed to be retrieved from a subsidiary of New Jersey American Water Service, which has a contract to operate the municipal water service. The group said the company failed to respond to them in a timely manner and the suit was filed Thursday.

Food & Water Watch compiled similar data from other municipalities in New Jersey but Camden was the only municipality in which a lawsuit was initiated. The group has still not received information from its OPRA request, said Lena Smith, of Food & Water Watch.

Vince Basara, a spokesman for Camden Mayor Frank Moran, said last week the group's OPRA request asked for "personal" information, such as addresses at which shutoffs had occurred. He said the city was not obligated to share that information. But he said it could have redacted the information and shared information that was public. However, it did not.

The group said city officials referred them to American Water Contract Services for statistics  about the amount of shutoffs. 

"This is supposed to be a matter of public record and they are trying to be shielded by a private water contract," Smith said.

Basara said Friday 30 households had water service suspended in Camden in 2017 and so far this year only four shutoffs had occurred. He said he retrieved the information from his city's law department, which got it from the water company.

"We don't want anyone's water cut off," Basara said. But he said the city does provide the protocol for shutoffs by the contracted water service. 

Denise Venuti Free, the director of communications and external affairs for New Jersey American Water Company referred comments to Basara. The company owns a third of the water lines in Camden and the city owns the remainder.

The city has over 77,000 residents and 24,000 households, according to Census data.

Smith said their lawsuit would go forward in an effort to establish full disclosure about matters of public information. 

"People shouldn't have to sue to find out basic information about their water systems from secretive companies," Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch said in a statement.

The group has done similar studies nationwide. In 2015, about one in five customers in New Orleans and Gary, Indiana had their service cut off. In cities like Detroit, Birmingham and Youngstown, Ohio, about 1 in 8 customers had lost service.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

The top high school baseball players in New Jersey this season.

As prom season winds down, NJ.com compiled a collection of some of the best dressed prom attendees from 2018.

As prom season winds down, NJ.com compiled a collection of some of the best dressed prom attendees from 2018.

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for the blue link "buy photo" below the photographer's credit to purchase the picture. You'll have the ability to order prints in a variety of sizes, or products like magnets, keychains, coffee mugs and more.

Be sure to check out the complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Find NJ.COM on Facebook.

This is the time of year this time of year, when the party in power takes advantage of the frenetic pace of budget season and tries to push through controversial measures that may not fly at quieter times of the year.

With tense budget negotiations consuming most of the political oxygen inside the Statehouse, the state Assembly budget committee Monday approved a bill that would beef up the annual pension for a few elected officials who lost money under under a reform measure enacted more than a decade ago. 

The measure, if signed into law, would allow elected officials to add as many as three years to their pension balance, Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex, said Tuesday.

McKeon said Democrats leaders in the Assembly asked him to sponsor the bill. He said he personally will derive no benefit from it.

The request is not unusual this time of year, when the party in power takes advantage of the frenetic pace of budget season and tries to push through controversial measures that may not fly at quieter times of the year. 

News of the bill's introduction was first reported by Politico New Jersey.

McKeon said the bill "cleans up" an unintended consequence of a 2007 law that required newly elected officials to join a 401k plan instead of getting a pension through the underfunded Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS.

Gov. Chris Christie signed a law before his departure in January, however, which allowed some politicians to re-enroll in the state's Public Employees' Retirement System after being kicked out because they had changed elective offices. This law also benefitted relatively few officials, but most prominently it gave then-Camden Mayor Dana Redd a big boost.

Christie signs bill giving ex-Camden mayor, other politicians bigger pensions

McKeon's bill wouldl allow elected officials who were switched out of the public pension system to rejoin it, receive credit for the time they lost, as well as a retroactive payment for the money they lost, according to the bill, (A4176).

The Office of Legislative Services, a nonpartisan adviser to state lawmakers, told McKeon it is likely benefit only a couple of elected officials. He's asked OLS for a breakdown on how much the bill is likely to cost.

Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, said he is aware that he's a beneficiary if the bill passes. But he said he didn't ask Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex or other party leaders to introduce the bill. And he won't vote on it.

"I'm not getting involved. Ethically, I can't do it," said Caputo, a former Essex County Freeholder.

Sen. James Beach, D-Camden, a former Camden County Freeholder and county clerk, would also benefit, according to Politico. Beach could not be reached for comment.

The bill was among a massive list of items the Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee approved by a 9-4 vote during a marathon hearing Tuesday. There is no Senate sponsor yet for the bill.

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

If you can't find something good to eat in New Jersey, you aren't hungry.

As if we needed to be told ... 50states.com tells us that "New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is sometimes referred to as the diner capital of the world." According to nj.com's own Pete Genovese, we have more than 600 diners to choose from.

The Cornelius Low House Museum in Piscataway hosted an exhibit on diners in 2015, and Mark Nonestied, the museum's division head of historic sites and history services, offered this as a reason why New Jersey rules when it comes to diners.

This classic diner table scene was part of the Low House exhibit on diners.Courtesy of the Cornelius Low House

"New Jersey had a very early, highly developed transportation system. When people drove, they needed to stop and eat," he said. "Diners filled that need -- and our location between New York and Philadelphia along with this road network through New Jersey becomes part of the reason why there were so many."

According to Nonestied, the diner's success in New Jersey also had to do with people who lived in the state. That is, "Initially, when diners became popular, they were places where working class communities could get a good, cheap meal to eat at any time of the day. And New Jersey had a very diverse working-class population--and diners became that go-to place to get a good meal."

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

As for the future of the diner, Nonestied remains optimistic: "I think there will always be a need for them. Diners reinvent themselves as society changes, and each time, they seem to find a way to keep up with the new pace of things--and flourish."

Just like the residents of the state that they call home.

Here's a gallery of vintage photos diners and eateries around New Jersey; if you don't see one of your favorites, check the links below to earlier galleries. And if you still don't see it ... send in a photo for our next gallery!

Vintage photos of N.J. diners

Vintage photos of diners in N.J.

Vintage photos of diners and eateries in NJ

Vintage photos of eclectic eats in N.J.

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

Welcome to the hall Arthur Barclay, who just quit the Assembly under a cloud of domestic violence charges.

Just because the resignation of a South Jersey state lawmaker under a cloud of domestic violence accusations was accomplished so rapidly after the public heard of the charges doesn't mean the situation is not worthy of comment.

Democratic Party apparatus probably hoped the troubles of Assemblyman Arthur Barclay, D-Camden, would fly under the radar, conveniently buried under an avalanche of news about toddlers being ripped from the arms of immigrant mothers and mass shootings at art festivals. Camden County Republicans think Democrats tried, unsuccessfully, to keep Barclay's secret under wraps until after his vote could be recorded for lawmakers' version of the state budget.

Regardless, Barclay should be called out for being a bad dude, if his arrest report is accurate. The 5th District assemblyman seems to have admitted that it is. Barclay, 36, hasn't spoken at length about the circumstances. He faces a June 28 hearing, but told the political website New Jersey Globe: "I don't want to talk about it. It is what it is. It happened. I just want to move forward."

Barclay was arrested on 7:17 p.m. June 7 in Camden for "simple assault domestic violence," according to a police report that had much of its information redacted.

So far, no apology from Barclay. Word of his Assembly resignation came Monday via a release from Camden County Democratic Committee Chairman James Beach, himself a state senator in the neighboring 6th District.

Beach stated that Barclay's Assembly exit was for "health reasons." It's not clear if the same health reasons prevent him from doing his $60,000-a-year, double-dipper job as a supervisor at the Camden County Department of Events and Community Outreach. Camden County taxpayers might want to inquire about this.

To leave the potential #MeToo implications of Barclay's actions to the justice system for now, be aware that, as an assemblyman, he represented a large chunk of Gloucester County, not just Camden City, and not just Camden County.

No Gloucester County resident to our knowledge has ever held any of the three legislative seats in the modern 5th District, even though Gloucester now has more than a third of its population, and district boundaries reach into suburban-rural Harrison and Mantua townships, a constituency that can be at odds with a "Camden City" district. Democratic Party committee members from district towns should keep this in mind when they appoint someone to take Barclay's Assembly seat in a few days. It's expected that a special election in November will fill the seat more permanently.

Republicans often field Gloucester County nominees in the 5th, but this is such a "safe" Democrat district that anybody their party appoints to the Assembly is likely to stay there. Democrat power broker George Norcross III pretty much can call who gets to cast 5th District votes in Trenton, so semi-disenfranchised Gloucester County residents shouldn't hold out much hope.

Complicating matters is that Barclay, a former city councilman and Camden High School basketball standout, was the only Camden resident in the current legislative trio. State Sen. Nisla Cruz-Perez and Assemblywoman Patricia Egan Jones both live in Barrington. So, it wouldn't be surprising if another Camden resident replaced Barclay, and Gloucester County was shut out again. With two women, including a Latina, representing the 5th, the delegation is otherwise diverse.

After adding Arthur Barclay to New Jersey's ever-growing Hall of Disgraced Lawmakers, Gloucester County officials should remember that redistricting takes place in 2021, and push for changes to give its roughly 77,000 5th District residents more of a say.

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

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Highlighting the state's top players after a busy spring full of softball action.

Where is the best place to see fireworks in New Jersey? What time does fireworks start? Fourth of July 2018 fireworks events and displays near you. This complete listing includes all 21 counties.

Gabby Hill-Carter was about to enter the third grade when she was killed.

An eight-year-old girl killed by crossfire in Camden will get some kind of justice.

Tyhan "Butt Butt" Brown, 20, of Camden, was found guilty of manslaughter Thursday in the shooting of Gabby Hill-Carter on August 24, 2016, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said.

Brown was found guilty of aggravated manslaughter, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and weapons charges after a trial before Judge John T. Kelley.

Trial transcripts show that Brown, a member of the Bloods, was disputing with another man, Amir Dixon, a member of the crips. That turned violent the night of August 24, when Brown and others fired at Dixon on South 8th Street, prosecutors said. 

A stray bullet hit Hill-Carter and she died in a hospital two days later. She was about to enter the third grade. 

Gabby Hill-Carter, file photo 

Brown went to his girlfriend's house in Sicklerville and then flew to Nashville, Tennessee, about an hour from his godfather's home of Clarksville.

And that's where U.S. Marshals arrested Brown on Sept. 23, 2016 after a search for suspects.

At trial, jurors heard a recording of a call Brown made from jail, streamed live on his Facebook page. Detectives told the jury and Assistant Prosecutor Christine Shah that Brown had a cellphone in jail, and placed a call to his girlfriend. She then logged into Brown's Facebook page and put the call on speakerphone so friends and family could see. The post was captioned "Words from Butt."

"Tell the gang to stay away from John Burgos," Brown said of the state's key witness. He called Burgos "a rat" and said he was "different, he's changed."

"He's smoking Newports with the police," Brown said.

Besides the Facebook post, cell phone records placed Brown in Camden at the time of the shooting, contrary to what he told detectives: that he was in Sicklerville with his girlfriend at the time.

It was only a few days before the shooting that Brown had seemed to renounce any gang ties. 

"When it comes to this street s--t, count me out," he wrote in a post that was read into evidence. "I'm tired of keeping my mom up all times of the night worried about me, stressing her out." He ended the post with a hashtag: #OnAMissionToMakeMyMommaProud. 

Brown faces a sentence of 20 to 50 years, the prosecutor's office said. Kelley will hand down the sentence on July 27 in his Camden courtroom.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Pups and pints. What's more American than that, one brewery owner asked.

Matt Czigler is all for a new measure introduced in the state Legislature on Thursday to allow customers to bring dogs into microbreweries while being served.

"Since day one of our opening back in June 2016 we have been allowing dogs in the tasting room and in our outdoor biergarten," said Matt Czigler, owner of Czig Meister Brewing Company in Hackettstown. "Only recently with the realization that breweries were considered retail food establishments and dogs wouldn't be allowed inside, did we have to suspend having our four-legged friends indoors. Once we were informed of this by the county health department we immediately started petitioning for a change in the law."

Czigler said he and other supporters started a petition on change.org to change the law. 

"We ask that the state lawmakers review the current law, realize that there is a major difference between what a 'retail food establishment' does, and what we actually do at breweries across the state," the petition said

Sen. Mike Doherty, R-Hunterdon, Somerset, has introduced S2753 that would allow dogs to accompany their owners during tastings at microbreweries. It was not immediately clear if Czigler's petition influenced his decision to introduce the legislation.

Doherty's legislation would allow owners to bring dogs into microbreweries, but not in areas where items produced for consumption might be contaminated, a statement said. The legislator was in Trenton Thursday and did not return a request for comment.

"New Jersey's microbrewing industry is growing at a rapid pace, but it needs our support to continue expanding," Doherty said in the statement. "We've heard from brew pub operators that many customers who stop in for a tasting have their dogs in tow, which creates conflict with public health officials who don't like pets in establishments where food or drink is consumed."

Kathy Abate, co-owner of Devil's Creek Brewery in Collingswood, also supports the effort to change the law.

"You're walking down a street and you stumble upon a brewery and you love beer and you have your dog, you can just come in and sit down and have a refreshing beer," said Abate, who owns Devil's Creek Brewery, with her husband in Collingswood. "That's the way it should be. One of the reasons we moved here is this is considered Main Street America and what's more American than the family pet being able to sit down with you while you enjoy your beer?"

Kathy Abate, co-owner of Devil's Creek Brewery, Collingswood. (Submitted photo)SJN 

Abate said they have allowed some pet owners to bring dogs inside of their tasting room. She said they would sometimes screen owners who called to ask if it was allowed.

But Abate said a complaint to the Camden County Department of Health led to warnings from officials that dogs are not allowed on the premise.

"Non-service dogs are prohibited by NJAC 8:29 in any facility that manufactures either food or beverage including bars and restaurants," Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen said. "Complaints from the public about a craft brewery that triggered the enforcement."

"As microbrewing has grown nationwide, a number of states have begun to address the challenge of how to handle the dogs that are frequently brought to taprooms," Doherty said. "We can be among the leaders in addressing this issue in a way that's good for customers, good for business, and good for public health."

Even though Doherty represents parts of Somerset and Hunterdon counties, Abate, whose business is in Camden County, is still giving him a thumbs up.

"For us, it's a great thing," she said. "The brewery is walkable and we get families in here with strollers and young children. Of course, if it's a family pet, they want to be able to bring the dog in, as well. For us it's ideal to be able to allow the dogs in."

As prom season winds down, NJ.com compiled a collection of some of the best dancing from prom attendees in 2018.

As prom season winds down, NJ.com compiled a collection of some of the best dancing from prom attendees in 2018.

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for the blue link "buy photo" below the photographer's credit to purchase the picture. You'll have the ability to order prints in a variety of sizes, or products like magnets, keychains, coffee mugs and more.

Be sure to check out the complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Find NJ.COM on Facebook.

The best of the best in New Jersey track and field