When Pope Francis came to down, businesses selling food and beverages were at the mercy of the festival ground boundaries.

PHILADELPHIA -- The difference between losing out or cashing in on food and drink sales during Pope Francis' visit could be summed up in the three favorite words of every real estate agent.

"Location, location, location."

"The regulars were scared away," Cheri Willner, who co-owns Knead Bagels on Walnut Street with her husband, said just before dawn on Sunday.

On both Saturday and Sunday, businesses selling food and drink outside the festival grounds griped about thin crowds on an otherwise beautiful fall weekend. Some resorted to slashing prices, bashing city planners or giving away stockpiles of product so it didn't go to waste.

As employees set up tables and chairs along a deserted Walnut Street, Willner said her typical weekend customers would form a line out the front door and wrap around to the side of her business. Not so on Saturday -- and she didn't think things were going to get better on Sunday.

"It hurts so bad," she said, adding that the business bought barriers for line control and offered a limited menu to expedite serving the crowds that never came.

While attendance estimates called for at least one million people flocking to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis, Saturday's turnout was in the tens of thousands. Sunday's official tally remains to be seen, but it certainly looked like stronger.

"We just believed all the hype," said Willner.

Inside the security checkpoints, options for food and drink were limited to a handful of restaurants and other small outlets, a 7-Eleven across from LOVE Park and the numerous booths run by Aramark. The global food and clothing vendor was named as the official retail provider of event merchandise back in June.

Anna Quarti, a resident of Brazil, was sitting down for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. along the Ben Franklin Parkway. Her meal? A $5 fruit salad from the official food vendor that came in a small plastic dish.

During her two-day stay on the festival grounds, Quarti said she'd spent about $100 in food. Asked what that translates to when factoring in the exchange rate, it's $300 -- and that tab was all hers.

"I love it here. It's very nice and organized," she added.

Inside the Reading Terminal Market, which was just far enough away from the Ben Franklin Parkway to be mostly free of congested foot traffic, business was also affected.

"It's slower," Amy's Place employee Zoe Brown said around noon. "I think people are ready to go out to the Parkway."

Asked about any sort of advice or warnings from market management, Brown said there was preparation, but the store was "ready to go with however things unfolded."

As the day unfolded, lines in front of security checkpoints had grown blocks-long by mid-morning. For those running a food and beverage business situated alongside one of those lines, business was good.

Bridget Barras, a City Tap House employee, barely had time to talk.

As patient pilgrims shuffled down 18th Street along Arch Street, Barras and co-workers fielded orders from their operation that was set up along the sidewalk. Offering a variety of sandwiches plus a water bottle for $8, City Tap House prices were considerably less than the ones on the inside.

Prices inside the festival grounds ranged from $2 for chips or popcorn, $3 for soft pretzels, $5 for a granola bar, $7 for a salad and $9 for most sandwiches.

"We found out a few weeks ago," Barras said of the line running right past their business. "This has been great."

A little farther up 18th Street, Matt and Marie's co-owner Marie Capp said Saturday was a much more somber situation that Sunday's pandemonium.

"We started selling them for $5," Capp said of sandwich sales on Saturday among other discounting efforts.

Just 24 hours later and she and co-workers could barely keep up with the thousands of customers passing right by her front door.

"We're trying to get all our employees in," she said after taking another order from the opposite side of crowd control gates.

What a difference a day makes.

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

 

A 6-year-old Sicklerville child was killed Saturday afternoon in a two-vehicle accident on the Atlantic City Expressway, police said.

HAMILTON TWP. -- A 6-year-old Sicklerville boy was killed Saturday afternoon in a two-vehicle accident on the Atlantic City Expressway, state police said.

Jillian Nimmo, 26, of Sicklerville, was traveling westbound in the left lane near mile marker 16.2 when she attempted to move to the center lane, said New Jersey State Pollice Sgt. First Class Gregory Williams.

Nimmo's Hyundai Tuscon sideswiped a Toyota Carolla driven by Jerome Fogel, 89, of Westmont.

The vehicles ran off the roadway, traveled down an embankment and struck several trees before coming to a stop, Williams said.

The child in Nimmo's vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The child's name was not released.

Fogel and a passenger in his vehicle, Loretta Gregorio, 82, of Haddonfield, were airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for treatment. Details of their injuries were not available Sunday.

Nimmo was transported by ambulance for evaluation.

The expressway was temporarily closed following the 2 p.m. crash as a medical helicopter landed at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation and no charges had been filed as of Sunday afternoon.

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

 

 

A city man was found shot to death early Sunday morning, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

CAMDEN -- A city man was found shot to death early Sunday morning, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Police responded to Ablett Village apartments shortly after midnight for a report of a shooting.

Officers found David Lorenzo, 30, on the floor inside his residence. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutor's Office Detective John Hunsinger at 856-365-3239 or Camden County Police Detective John Waida at 856-757-7420.

Tips may also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

 

 

At first the pilgrims were hopeful, but soon exhaustion and frustration set in.

PHILADELPHIA -- After more than four hours of waiting in line with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, some decided it just wasn't worth it.

Thousands of people were stuck outside of the security checkpoints well past the beginning of the Papal mass Sunday afternoon.

Huge crowds gathered near the big screen TVs outside the parkway perimeter to watch Pope Francis' Mass after they weren't able to get through security. (Joseph P. Owens | For NJ.com)Jessica Beym | For NJ.com 

While some gave up, thousands more were patient and --even minutes before Pope Francis' nearly two-hour Mass ended -- they were still optimistic they'd get a glimpse of the Holy Father in person. 

Aeletha Kelly, who lives in Vermont, said she had been in line since around 1 p.m.

"We are still standing here so hopefully will get it in there," she said.

Three hours before the Mass began, the 20^th Street entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway had a line past Arch Street, a mere three blocks away, but what should have been a five-minute walk on a normal day took hours to traverse.

At first the mood was joyful with discussion of the ongoing Eagles game, chants, prayers and even the wave going through the crowd.

By 4:30 p.m., however, the mood had shifted and the crowd quieted.

Exhaustion began setting in.

Conversation shifted from football to how much longer the line would be. People began turning around, fighting the tide back to a space free of the masses.

A block over on 19^th Street -- which was a general admission entrance -- the experience was similar, according to Liz Parks who had traveled from Pennsville to see Pope Francis.

The line has come to a complete standstill by 4 p.m. and she was wondering if they were even letting people in anymore, but she was still optimistic about the experience.

MORE: Pope Francis is a big hit in the Big House | Mulshine

"Surprisingly no one's temper is flaring up," she said. "It is what it is. We're still having a good time. We don't want to give up."

A spokesman for the Secret Service attributed the delays to choices people made about which security checkpoint they would try to go through. He said the Secret Service and the city issued maps well ahead of the event that showed where checkpoints would be, and it was up to people to chose the one they wanted to enter through.

Minutes after the Mass began, the city's Joint Information Center -- which was staffed by Philadelphia Police, U.S. Secret Service and other agencies -- issued a statement saying all security checkpoints would remain open and people would continue to be screened. 

But those in line didn't seem to think that was the case. 

"We're disappointed," Boston resident Mary Correia said after the Mass ended. She came all the way from Boston with her church group and had been waiting since 11:30 a.m. 

"I don't think they prepared for the event," said fellow church member Odair Ramos.

Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

Gloucester Township police said two men, ten minutes apart, took photos of the front of Highland High School on Sunday, Sept. 13.

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP -- Police are asking for the public's help in identifying two men recently caught on camera photographing Highland High School 10 minutes apart in two separate incidents they're calling suspicious.

In a media release posted on the department's Facebook page on Monday morning, police said the incidents occurred on Sunday, Sept. 13, when a young white male in a dark sedan was caught on video surveillance around 1:20 p.m.

MORE: Gloucester Township police launch 'virtual neighborhood' reporting tool

The video shows the man stopping on Erial Road in front of the school and taking photos of it with his phone. The driver's side hubcap is missing from the car. 

Just 10 minutes later, at 1:30 p.m., an older white male is seen driving a small red car into the school parking lot and circling the rear lot. He then drives to the front lot, gets out of his car and takes several pictures of the school. Police said a passenger was also seen in the vehicle, which is possibly a Ford. 

Police are asking anyone with information about these incidents, men or vehicles in the video to contact them directly at 856-228-4500, through their anonymous tip line 856-842-5560.

Tips can also be be texted to police by texting the word TIP GLOTWPPD and the tip to 888777. Tips can be submitted via the web at https://local.nixle.com/tip/alert/5170177 

Michelle Caffrey may be reached at mcaffrey@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyCaffrey. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

 

 

Reports say the students were returning from a fundraising trip for the school's student-run charity, THON.

CHARLESTOWN TWP., Pa. -- A Penn State student was killed and six others were injured in a crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Sunday afternoon, according to published reports.

The accident happened near mile marker 319 at about 2 p.m. Sophomore Vitalya "Tally" Sepot, 19, of Branford, Connecticut, was pronounced dead at the scene.

We regret to announce that 1 student has died after a vehicle accident today in Chester County following THON canning http://t.co/pb7Tjp0ax6

-- Penn State (@penn_state) September 28, 2015

Among the six other people injured in the crash, two were from New Jersey -- Brooke Kalodner, 18, of Voorhees, and Sarah Bixby, 18, of Flemmington.

The others were identified as Max Titlebaum, 20, of Merion Station, Pa., Victoria Barrett, 18, of Gibsonia, Pa., Claire Fountas, 19, of Barrington, Ill., and Matthew Hrynkow, 20 of Annondale, Va., according to a report by 6 ABC.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the students were on their way back from a fundraising trip for the school's student-run charity, THON.

The turnpike was closed between King of Prussia and Downington for part of the afternoon, and it is unclear what caused it, according to the report.

Alex Young may be reached at ayoung@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AlexYoungSJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

 

 

A Cherry Hill Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant is entitled to a new trial in a slip-and-fall personal injury case, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Monday.

TRENTON -- A Cherry Hill Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant is entitled to a new trial in a slip-and-fall personal injury case, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The justices unanimously found that the trial court's instructions to the jury improperly included a burden of proof exemption that the state Supreme Court says is exclusive to self-service businesses like cafeterias and grocery stores where customers handle products and equipment. 

A jury awarded Janice Prioleau $138,000 after she claimed she slipped and fell outside the restroom at the chain's South Jersey location during a rainstorm.

Prioleau didn't seek immediate medical attention but did visit the emergency room when she returned home to Delaware, claiming she'd experience pain, numbness or tingling in her back, arms and legs. She attended a few days a week for about two months, according to the ruling.

ALSO: N.J. Supreme Court expands police authority for warrantless car searches

Her attorney argued the employees had created the slippery conditions by tracking grease from the kitchen to the bathrooms they shared with restaurant patrons.

In this type of injury case, the customer typically has to prove the business was aware of the hazardous conditions. There's an exception, called the "mode-of-operation" rule, to the  burden of proof that applies if the business's practices, or mode of operation, created the dangerous conditions.

The trial court instructed the jury to consider that doctrine as it deliberated, according to the ruling. The appellate court found the doctrine had been applied in error, reversed the decision and vacated the jury's judgment. 

In the opinion, written by Justice Anne Patterson, the Supreme Court said the mere fact that the restaurant cooks with oil and grease that may have been tracked to customer areas doesn't warrant the mode of operation jury instruction. The court maintained that the doctrine is limited to self-service business models, which has included grocery stores and cafeteria settings where there is a "reasonable probability that a dangerous condition would occur."

"The distinction drawn by these cases is sensible and practical," Patterson wrote. "When a business permits its customers to handle products and equipment, unsupervised by employees, it increases the risk that a dangerous condition will go undetected and that patrons will be injured."

In a prior case involving a supermarket customer and a string bean, the court said "When greens are sold from open bins on a self-service basis, there is a likelihood that some will fall or be dropped on the floor. If the operator chooses to sell in this way, he must do what is reasonably necessary to protect the customer from the risk of injury that mode of operation is likely to generate..."

Glenn Montgomery, Prioleau's attorney, said Monday he'd hoped the high court would expand the boundaries of the mode-of-operation rule.

The attorney for KFC could not immediately be reached for comment.

"If the accident occurred because restaurant employees tracked oil and grease from the kitchen to the restroom area, it resulted from the preparation of food in a kitchen area off limits to patrons, a component of the business in which customers played no part," Patterson wrote. "While the evidence might support a finding that a plaintiff need not show actual or constructive notice because the condition was created by defendant or its employees, it does not implicate the mode-of-operation rule."

In ordering a new trial, the court determined that the improper mode-of-operation rule may have influenced the jury's decision. 

MORE POLITICS

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

 

Mount Holly's Spellbound Brewing and Somerdale's Flying Fish Brewing Co. were the only New Jersey breweries to medal at the event.

DENVER -- Two New Jersey breweries that made the trip to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival are coming home with some hardware after winning medals in the festival's beer competition this weekend.

Spellbound Brewing of Mount Holly and Flying Fish Brewing Co. of Somerdale were the only breweries from the Garden State to win medals at the festival.

Flying Fish's RedFish won a bronze medal in the Extra Special Bitter category, it was RedFish's second medal in as many years.

RedFish just won bronze at GABF, silver last year. Four medals in 3 years. Great job team Fish!

-- Flying Fish Brewing (@jerseyfreshale) September 26, 2015

Spellbound took home its first GABF medal, a silver in the wood- and barrel-aged category for its Palo Santo Wood Aged Porter.

Omg. We are in shock. Gabf silver in wood aged category for Palo Santo. Humbling and having high five injury arms.

-- Spellbound Brewing (@Spellboundbrew) September 26, 2015

The Great American Beer Festival takes place in Denver every year, and featured more than 750 breweries pouring about 3,500 different beers.

Rutgers University was plagued with computer problems again Monday.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University's computer network was crippled by a cyber attack Monday, leaving much of the state university without internet access for the fifth time in less than a year.

It is unclear if the hacker responsible for the attack was the same cyber criminal or criminals who targeted Rutgers with similar "denial of service" attacks last fall and during the spring semester.

The attack is affecting Rutgers' websites, internet connectivity and wifi access, said E.J. Miranda, a Rutgers spokesman.

"IT is working to resolve the issue," Miranda said.

The university community will be notified when the system is back online, Miranda said.

Rutgers University's main campus in New Brunswick. (Star-Ledger file photo) 

A "denial of service" attack uses a series of "bots," or compromised computer addresses, to flood an institution's  servers with requests, slowing the network and crippling the website.

The attacks are considered an annoyance and rarely result in a company or institution losing data or information.

The FBI was called in to investigate the four "denial of service" attacks at Rutgers in the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. Neither the FBI nor Rutgers officials have commented on the status of the investigation.

Rutgers hired at least three consulting firms in the last year to help upgrade its cyber security efforts. The university planned to spend $2 million to $3 million this year to strengthen its online security and protect the university's computer systems.

Authorities said he was found shot near 28th Street and Pierce Avenue Sunday night.

CAMDEN -- A city man who was found shot Sunday night died in the hospital Monday morning, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's office.

Camden County Police were called to the area of 28th Street and Pierce Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. by reports of a man being shot in the area.

Officers arrived and found a man -- identified as Jose Franco, 34 -- lying in the street. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital for treatment.

At 5:45 a.m. Monday, Franco was pronounced dead at the hospital.

No arrests have been made, and the investigation of the shooting is ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to call Camden County Prosecutor's Office Detective Sherman Lee Hopkins Jr. at 856-225-8623 or Camden County Police Detective Mark Lee at 856-757-7420.

Alex Young may be reached at ayoung@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AlexYoungSJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

 

Getting to see Pope Francis during the papal Mass on Sunday was a matter of time and location — when you showed up and which checkpoint you picked.

PHILADELPHIA -- It took about 45 minutes to make it through a security checkpoint along 20th Street at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Those who thought showing up three hours early to Pope Francis' Sunday Mass would be enough were sorely mistaken.

Patience is a virtue and many pilgrims were tested on Sunday.

"We put out a lot of folks with handheld (magnetometers) to speed this up," Rob Hoback, a U.S. Secret Service spokesman who was in charge of Philadelphia's Joint Information Center during the papal visit, said of efforts on Sunday.

According to infographic maps distributed by the Secret Service and city prior to this past weekend's festivities, there were 16 checkpoints outside the festival grounds. Not all of them had the same amount of magnetometers in use, Hoback cautioned.

Although the Secret Service doesn't conduct attendance estimates, Hoback said the area between City Hall and 20th Street could fit about 150,000 to 200,000 people. Another 80,000 could have fit within the ticketed-only area that extended from 20th Street west toward the main stage.

Unofficial estimates place the number of people who attempted to access the Ben Franklin Parkway on Sunday at 860,000 -- which isn't too far from the 1 million expected. The 1979 visit of Pope John Paul II drew at least 1.2 million people to Philadelphia, according to reports.

However, if even less than expected showed up on Sept. 26 and Sept 27, why didn't they all get in?

For starters, Hoback believed that the 860,000 figure represented the entire attendance across Center City and not just those who made it past the security checkpoints and into Mass.

Planners also distributed three updates via on Sunday to those who signed up to receive them, Hoback said.

The first came in the morning and reminded those who planned to attend Mass to show up early. Getting past the same 20th Street checkpoint at 6 a.m. on Sunday took all of about 30 seconds.

The second update noted the change in policy at the 20th Street entrance from ticketed-only to also accepting non-ticketed pilgrims. That move was done because it was the closest entrance to the festival grounds portion that allowed ticketholders and non-ticketholders alike to move to their appropriate locations.

The third update came at around 4 p.m. -- when the Mass began -- and listed all security checkpoints and whether they were ticketed or not.

At the end of the day, Hoback said making it through the security points really depended on what time you arrived. Some managed to make it in on the north side of the art museum far sooner that those closer to Market Street; others had just as poor luck with the entrances near Spring Garden Street.

Secret Service officials estimated a wait time of between two to three hours for those who showed up once the lines started to build. That certainly turned out to be true, with some people giving up after more than four hours.

According to figures released by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), 28,575 passengers used Regional Rail stations on Saturday and another roughly 34,000 on Sunday. About 40,000 people used the Broad Street Line from the Walnut-Locust stop to get back to the sports complex following Mass.

"Surprisingly no one's temper is flaring up," Liz Parks, a Pennsville resident, said on Sunday while waiting along 19th Street. "It is what it is. We're still having a good time. We don't want to give up."

Aside from three arrests by city police on minor charges, Hoback reported no major incidents he was aware of.

"From our perspective, we thought it was a very successful event," said Hoback.

Exfocus, an alleged hacker, posted a series of messages on Twitter before Monday's attack on Rutgers' computer network.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- An alleged hacker appeared to taunt Rutgers University officials Monday as a cyber attack paralyzed the school's computer network.

The university was hit with a "denial of service" attack Monday morning that crashed Rutgers' websites and cut off internet and wifi access to tens of thousands of students, faculty and employees.

An alleged hacker who uses the screen name Exfocus took credit for several similar attacks on Rutgers' computer networks during the 2014-2015 school year.

Several taunting tweets appeared on Exfocus' Twitter account Monday before and after the latest attack.

"where internet go?? 3m dollar gone?" read one tweet, posted around noon.

The tweets were later removed, but several students captured screen shots of Exfocus' Twitter page while the tweets were still visible to the public.

The $3 million referenced in Exfocus' tweet appears to refer to the $3 million Rutgers officials recently said they plan to spend upgrading the university's cyber security system in reaction to the series of "denial of service" attacks over the last year.

The university also hired at least three consulting firms in recent months to help test its networks and upgrade its computer security.

In another tweet posted shortly before Monday's cyber attack began, Exfocus wrote "RIP rutgers cas 2k15."

The tweet appeared to refer to crashing Rutgers' Central Authentication Service, the site where Rutgers students and staff enter their identification names and passwords to access the university's networks.

It is unclear if Exfocus is responsible for the cyber attacks or an elaborate hoax. However, the taunting tweets appeared to begin shortly before the latest cyber attack began.

A Rutgers spokesman said the university began to experience computer and internet problems early Monday.

"The Office of Information Technology is working to resolve the issue and we will inform the Rutgers community as soon as we have more information," said E.J. Miranda, a Rutgers spokesman.

The university's internet technology department identified the problem as a "denial of service event," or an attack in which a hacker uses "bots," or compromised computers, to flood a network with requests. The bots overwhelm the network, crashing websites and affecting internet access.

By Monday afternoon, Rutgers' websites and internet access appeared to be returning to normal.

The attack was at least the fifth "denial of service" attack at Rutgers since last fall.

The FBI was called in to investigate the earlier attacks. But neither FBI investigators nor Rutgers officials have commented on the case.

Exfocus appeared to taunt Rutgers on Twitter, Reddit and other social media sites during last spring's cyber attacks.

In an interview with a local tech blogger, a hacker claiming to be Exfocus said he or she was paid $500 an hour in Bitcoin by a client with a grudge against Rutgers.

"Normally I don't show myself, but the entity paying me has something against the school. They want me to 'make a splash,'" Exfocus said in the interview, according to a transcript posted by the tech blogger.

Though it remains unclear if Exfocus was responsible for Monday's internet outage and website disruptions, many Rutgers students directed their frustration at the alleged hacker's Twitter account (@ogexfocus).

"Please stop. There are graduate students, including myself, who need the Internet to do research that can't happen with this," one student wrote on Twitter.

Other students directed their anger at Rutgers officials, who said in July the university was raising tuition partly to help cover the rising cost of cyber security.

"Please tell me why my tuition was raised if @ogexfocus is still able to hack our internet," another student wrote in a tweet directed to Rutgers' Twitter account.

Rutgers hired three cyber security consultants -- FishNet Security, Level 3 Communications and Imperva - over the last year to do behind-the-scenes work to upgrade cyber security on campus.

The firms are doing a variety of work, including testing Rutgers' networks for possible areas vulnerable to hackers. Rutgers also paid Imperva $160,000 for specialized filters to help protect against denial of service attacks, according to records obtained through the state Open Public Records Act.

After Jersey Unique Minds Paranormal Society investigated Harper's Pub in Clementon, Fox 29 reporter and Marlton resident Rohan Mohanty caught wind of the alleged haunting.

After Jersey Unique Minds Paranormal Society investigated Harper's Pub in Clementon on Sept. 9, the story of a possible haunting at the locations quickly circulated through the South Jersey area.

A story that appeared in the Sept. 14 edition of "Paranormal Corner" on NJ.com not only caught the attention of Harpers' loyal bar patrons and ghost enthusiasts throughout the area, but also Fox 29 "Chasing News" reporter Rohan Mohanty.

Mohanty, a Marlton resident and patron of Harper's Pub, contacted JUMPS Founder and CEO Doug Hogate Jr. to set up a meeting at the historic location, and film a segment for a Halloween special.

"I saw the story and used to come here all the time," he said. "It's a great story."

Harper's owner Mark Shernoff said, since the investigation, he has had several patrons come in asking about the ghosts who allegedly  live at the bar.

"I've had two of my suppliers, two friends, and another girl I know, say they read the story," he said. "All the responses have been positive."

Shernoff said some people will come in asking about the activity on the second and third floors.

"I'll ask them if they want to check it out, and they're like 'No, no we're cool,'" he laughed.

Hogate, along with several investigators, met Mohanty at Harper's on Sept. 28 at 10 a.m. for a follow up investigation.

Yes. A paranormal investigation during the daylight hours.

During the first visit, guest investigator D.J. Ruban of Toxic Radio, had an experience in a second-floor office -- one that has reportedly been active in the past.

When Shernoff purchased the pub in 2009, he was cleaning the office when he had his first strange experience.

"I left a box in front of the desk in the office and left the room," he said.

When he returned, he couldn't open the office door. The box -- the one he had left in the middle of the floor -- was now blocking his entrance into the room.

Just a few minutes after Ruban entered the office, the Kinect system -- a skeletal mapping program that utilizes a Kinect video game sensor and laptop -- picked up a small figure off to his left.

In the hopes of recreating that experience, Ruban returned to the office during filming for Fox 29's "Chasing News," however nothing happened this time.

Mohanty went into the room by himself to try to get something to appear, but the room remained quiet.

JUMPS investigator Samantha Sacavage went into the room and immediately felt "something."

"I feel like something's here, but it's not doing anything," Sacavage said.

Earlier in the investigation, Sacavage had been on the third floor where she did have an experience.

"I was in the hallway alone and I was asking if the little boy was there," she said. "The K2 lit up. Then I asked, if he was there, to hold my hand and it felt like he held my hand."

While most investigations take place late at night when it's dark and quiet, the evidence captured during this daytime investigation proves that spirits are present no matter what time of day or night.

Tune in to Fox 29's "Chasing News" at midnight on Sept. 29 to see these experiences and more about JUMPS' investigation at Harper's Pub in Clementon.

Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

New Jersey's largest insurance company "schemed in secret" to "deliberately exclude" Catholic hospitals from a new plan that will lure away customers with cheaper premiums, the president of the Catholic HealthCare Partnership said on Monday.

TRENTON -- New Jersey's largest insurance company "schemed in secret" to deliberately exclude Catholic hospitals from participating in a new plan that will lure customers with cheaper premiums, the president of the Catholic HealthCare Partnership said Monday.

Sister Patricia Codey, the partnership's president, said she could draw no conclusion other than religious discrimination to explain why seven out of eight Catholic hospital systems were not invited to join Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's new line of health plans available next year.

Most Catholic hospitals scored high on the Leapfrog Group's national safety report card, she noted. And, they are accustomed to running leaner operations while treating more poor people compared to many of the largest hospital systems Horizon invited to join its OMNIA Alliance and the "tier one" network.

RELATED: N.J. hospitals excluded from Horizon's proposal worry about their future

"Horizon was not transparent and schemed in secret with select hospital systems while refusing to detail the criteria they used," Codey said. "So in the end, not only did Horizon deliberately exclude Catholic hospitals, but they have chosen some of the most expensive hospitals in New Jersey which will cost their customers even more."

"Insurance companies should not be able to dictate which of our state's hospitals succeed and which ones fail," she said. "However, that is exactly what Horizon - the state's largest insurer - is doing with its plan to designate Catholic hospitals as second-tier facilities. The implication of Horizon's decision is clear to Catholic patients."

Horizon denied religious affiliation had anything to do with the hospitals the selected for their new product.

"Horizon BCBSNJ engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate process in choosing the OMNIA Health Alliance based upon an understanding of the desire, ability, and demonstrated commitment by those health systems to move from fee-for-service to fee-for-value health care. We did not consider in our criteria, the health systems' tax status, religious affiliation, or governance structure," Horizon spokesman Tom Vincz said.

"Health systems were separately approached to join the Alliance and did not know of or play a role in choosing the others. The tier status is not a view of the quality of care provided by an individual hospital, but rather based upon their demonstrated commitment, capacity, resources and ability to move from fee-for-service to fee-for-value as an organized system of care," Vincz said.

The attack by the Catholic hospital group joins a growing group of critics concerned about the plan announced earlier this month by Horizon, insurance provider for 3.7 million New Jerseyans. Sens. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) and Nia Gill (D-Essex) last week asked Horizon for a 30-day delay before it introduces the new plans to state employees in October. The senators are holding hearing on the plan Oct. 5.

Horizon has signed an agreement with 34 of the largest hospitals, which will accept lower reimbursement in exchange for higher patient volume -- presumably achieved by consumers who choose "tier one" hospitals and get cheaper premiums. The centerpiece of Horizon's new plan is the creation of the OMINA Alliance, with 22 of the 34 tier-one hospitals earning more if they show they are providing quality care by keeping people healthier at a lower cost.

Horizon officials have said they expect the transition will be gradual with an estimated 250,000 people joining in 2016.

The biggest players in the state's hospital landscape are included in the alliance, such as Atlantic Health, with its flagship hospital Morristown Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Health, based in New Brunswick, Barnabas Health, based in Livingston, and Hackensack University Medical Center.

The St. Joseph Healthcare System in Passaic County is the only Catholic system participating in the new tiered hospital and physician network Horizon will begin phasing in next year. 

State lawmakers came to the defense of Catholic hospitals in their districts, including Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen).

"As a Catholic and as Chair of the Assembly Human Services Committee, I have seen firsthand the commitment Catholic hospitals have to the communities they serve, such as Holy Name Medical Center (in Teaneck) in my district," Huttle said. "I sincerely hope that Horizon did not intentionally keep Catholic hospitals out of its tier 1 plan. If Horizon wants to quickly dispel this claim, it should be transparent with the criteria it used to select the elite group of hospitals that would participate in this new alliance."

"Often, Catholic hospitals serve poorer communities. These are the residents who are most in need of less costly but still high quality healthcare. If these claims are true, they are unacceptable," she added.

Horizon recently created a web page explaining the plan, including endorsements from health insurance consultants and the chairman of the of the New Jersey Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

"Health care costs in the state are especially problematic for our small businesses and present a challenge that many of them simply can't meet any longer. By paying for the value, not volume, of health care being provided to lower costs, as OMNIA will do, it will ease the burden on both working families and businesses in New Jersey and create a friendly, more welcoming environment," Carlos Medina, the chamber's chairman said. "This is a new, innovative way of providing care that should be embraced across our state."

Codey said Horizon's refusal to detail how hospitals were selected and others excluded leaves the insurance giant open to accusations of discrimination.

"Just last week, Pope Francis spoke to Congress and talked about how we need to do more to help our poor and under-served communities. Horizon's decision will undoubtedly make it more difficult for Catholic hospitals to continue our mission of providing access to the healthcare for New Jersey's poor and uninsured citizens," Codey said.

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

 

An adult and three juveniles were taken to a hospital for treatment Monday night after a one-car accident on Route 55, according to state police.

FRANKLIN TWP. -- An adult and three juveniles were taken to a hospital for treatment Monday night after a one-car accident on Route 55, according to state police.

Kyala Orr, 20, of Cherry Hill, was driving southbound near mile marker 39 around 6 p.m. when she lost control of her Ford Focus, authorities said. The vehicle left the roadway and entered a wooded area.

All four occupants were trapped in the Ford, police said, and had to be extricated by emergency responders.

All were transported to Cooper University Hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.

The roadway was closed for less than an hour as a medical helicopter landed to transport the injured.

The accident remains under investigation.

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

 

 

The university was hit with a cyber attack Monday that left most of the 65,000-student university without internet access for much of the day.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University officials are working with local police and the FBI to find a cyber attacker who crippled the school's computer network earlier this week, campus administrators said.

The university was hit with a DDoS - or distributed denial of service attack - around 10 a.m. Monday that crashed Rutgers' websites and left most of the 65,000-student university without internet access for much of the day.

The attack was at least the fifth at Rutgers in less than a year.

"You should know that we are working with state and federal law enforcement officials on this matter," Don Smith, Rutgers' vice president for information technology, said in a message to the campus community Monday evening.

It is unclear if Monday's cyber attack is related to the other DDoS attacks that hit Rutgers during the 2014-2015 school year. In each of those cases, a hacker used "bots," or compromised computers, to flood Rutgers' networks with requests. That paralyzed Rutgers' internet and wifi access and left the public unable to get on most of the university's websites.

An alleged hacker using the name Exfocus took credit for the previous attacks on Rutgers'  networks in several social media posts and in an interview with a local tech blogger last spring. On Monday, Exfocus posted several taunting emails on his or her Twitter account before and during the latest Rutgers attack.

"where internet go?? 3m dollar gone?" read one tweet, posted around noon.

The tweets were later removed, but several students captured screen shots of Exfocus' Twitter page while the tweets were still visible to the public.

Rutgers officials previously said they plan to spend up to $3 million this year upgrading cyber security. The university has already hired three cyber security consulting firms to test its network and add new defenses, including new filters designed to help prevent DDoS attacks.

The school also upgraded its computer hardware, switched internet providers and added new layers of security.

Students are covering the cost of many of the upgrades. The added cost of computer security was one of the reasons Rutgers officials cited when they raised tuition this summer.

Smith, the Rutgers vice president overseeing the security upgrade, apologized to students, faculty and staff members for the inconvenience the "disruptive and annoying" attacks caused on campus.

But, he warned more attacks could be coming.

"DDoS attacks are becoming more frequent in cyberspace; they are being experienced in higher education, government and by commercial enterprises. There is no doubt that they will happen again," Smith said in his message to the campus community.

As of Monday night, Rutgers' internet access appeared to be working again, through some services and sites may still experience problems,  school officials said.

As with the previous cyber attacks, no student information or other data was stolen from Rutgers' networks.

"This was not a situation where any data was compromised," Smith said.

Chester High School was put on lockdown when a gun was found in a backpack Tuesday morning, but police later determined it was a toy.

CHESTER, Pa. -- The gun that prompted a lockdown at Chester High School this morning was a toy, according to a 6ABC report.

File photo 

A 15-year-old student was taken into custody and the school put on lockdown when a gun was found in a backpack around 10:50 this morning.

Police later determined the gun was a toy.

Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@southjerseymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. 

 

Paulsboro, Camden and Salem County will all benefit from railroad improvements thanks to Department of Transportation grants.

PAULSBORO -- More than $5 million in Department of Transportation grants have been awarded to the South Jersey Port Corporation and Salem County for freight rail improvements, Third District legislators announced Tuesday.

File photoRick Epstein | Hunterdon County Democrat 

The two grants -- which are intended to "help support economic activity by preserving and improving the existing freight transportation system" -- will be used to extend railroad tracks and rehabilitate existing tracks, according to a written release from the office of Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assemblymen John Burzichelli and Adam Taliaferro.

RELATED: Holt Logistics takes over Port of Paulsboro

South Jersey Port Corporation will receive $5 million to improve railroads at both its Paulsboro and Camden marine terminals. This will include extending the railroad tracks up to a wharf that will be built at the Paulsboro location, building two new grade crossings and an extension of tracks through the Paulsboro location. It will also be used to renovate four railroad crossings and the Camden terminal.

The second grant consists of $972,840 to rehabilitate the 18-mile shortline, which is owned by Salem County. Old rail and deteriorated rail ties will be removed and recycled through the project, according to the release.

Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@southjerseymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

 

They are the brothers and sisters in blue and Mass on Tuesday in Blackwood honored the sacrifices of police, firefighters, EMS personnel and other first responders. Watch video

GLOUCESTER TWP. -- They are brothers and sisters in blue and a Tuesday morning Mass in Blackwood remembered those lost over the past year and honored the ones who still serve.

The 14th annual "Blue Mass" at St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, in Blackwood, drew police departments and first responders from across South Jersey.

"With courage and sacrifice, you do public service for us on your behalf," said Camden Diocese Bishop Dennis Sullivan, who led the hundreds in attendance in prayer throughout the hour-and-a-half service. "As guardians, you daily put yourself in harm's way."

According to scripture, the Blue Mass celebrates the feast of Catholic saints Michael, Gabriel and Rafael, who foretold events and defended humanity. The emphasis on police officers, firefighters, EMS crews and other first responders as guardians could not be overstated by those leading Mass.

Throughout the service, those seated in the pews at the Our Lady of Hope Parish were flanked by the flags of their respective police departments, the lines of faithful as they received the Eucharist and bagpipe processions that set a proud -- yet somber -- tone of reflection.

"We proudly hail you as guardians," Sullivan said, quoting Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson when he called his officers "guardians, not warriors."

Guardians bring peace and harmony to communities and bring healing to lives that are broken, Sullivan said. They combat devils who come as thieves brandishing guns or others selling drugs and destroying human life, he continued.

"I want to say, the work of you women and men in blue ... the work you do is carried on the wings of angels," Sullivan said.

David Harkins, Gloucester Township Police Department's deputy chief, said on behalf of the Mass' planning committee that he was "in awe" of the number of people who attended.

Gloucester County Clerk Jim Hogan, also Franklin Township's former police chief and county sheriff, spoke as a deacon on Tuesday when reciting the Gospel of John.

"My love is law enforcement so it's always great to see something like this," said Hogan, who was ordained in 2007. "It's uplifting to me personally."

Barbara Maulo, who lives at the Gloucester Township Senior Campus 1 with Bernice Brennan, said before the procession began that the event is a beautiful service.

Afterward, her opinion only grew stronger.

"Just thankfulness for all that we see," said Maulo. "It brings you great joy."

Brennan was proud to be in attendance, too. Her grandson is a cadet with the Camden County Police Department due to graduate in December.

And the cadet's father? He's Tom Brennan, chief of police in Lindenwold.

The late first responders honored Tuesday were:

- Lt. Cheri Sullivan, Camden County Deptartment of Public Safety

- Sgt Fred Muller Jr., Gloucester County Department of Corrections

- Sgt. Martin Peary, Northfield Police Department

- Trooper Anthony Raspa, New Jersey State Police

- Trooper Glen Almonte, New Jersey State Police

- Trooper Richard Pachuta, New Jersey State Police

- Officer Stephen Petruzzello, Cliffside Park Police Department

- Detective Scott Stevens, Ocean County Prosecutors Office

- Cpl. Scott Thompson, Manchester Township Police Department

Fifteen New Jersey schools were honored for excellence by the U.S. Department of Education

Fifteen New Jersey schools have been recognized by the federal government as National Blue Ribbon Schools, a designation that celebrates excellence in academics or progress in closing the achievement gap among groups of students.

The schools -- nine public and six private -- were among 335 nationwide given the prestigious label, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Tuesday.

Two high schools in the Essex County Vocational Technical School District -- Bloomfield Tech and Newark Tech -- made the list, elating Superintendent James Pedersen and former interim Superintendent Frank Cocchiola, now an assistant to Pedersen.

In an interview, both men credited the district's collaborative atmosphere, with administrators, teachers and students working in close cooperation to boost academic performance.

Pedersen said the Essex County vo-tech district also emphasizes professional development for teachers, constantly improving the level of instruction. That two of the district's four schools were granted the Blue Ribbon designation "says something about our district," he said.

"To have one is great," Pedersen said. "To have two is unbelievable."

Each of the 15 New Jersey schools was chosen for the "exemplary high performing" category, which weighs state or national tests, high school graduation rates and the performance of subgroups of students, such as those who are economically disadvantaged.

The National Blue Ribbon School program began 33 years ago. Since then, the federal Department of Education has recognized more than 8,000 schools.

An awards ceremony will be held Nov. 9-10 in Washington D.C.

Last year, 11 New Jersey schools were granted the designation.

The New Jersey public schools named to the program Tuesday include:

• Bergen County Academies, Bergen County Technical Schools, Bergen County
• Bloomfield Tech, Essex County Vocational Technical School District, Essex County
• Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School, Haddonfield Public Schools, Camden County
• Elizabeth High School, Elizabeth Public Schools, Union County
• H.W. Mountz Elementary School, Spring Lake School District, Monmouth County
• Liberty Corner School, Bernards Township School District, Somerset County
• Newark Tech, Essex County Vocational Technical School District, Essex County
• Southern Boulevard School, School District of the Chathams, Morris County
• Voorhees High School, North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional,  Hunterdon County

The private schools recognized include:

• Academy of Saint Paul, Ramsey, Bergen County
• Holy Cross Elementary School, Rumson, Monmouth County
• Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Moorestown, Burlington County
• Our Lady of Czestochowa School, Jersey City, Hudson County
• Oratory Preparatory School, Summit, Union County
• Trinity Academy, Caldwell, Essex County

Mark Mueller may be reached at mmueller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJMueller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.