Princeton University leads the pack in New Jersey. Is number two Rutgers or The College of New Jersey?

PRINCETON -- Princeton University trails only two other schools in a new national ranking of America's best colleges, based on return on investment. 

The Ivy League university ranked third in America's Top Colleges 2016, a list generated by Forbes magazine.

Only Stanford University and Williams College, a private liberal arts college in Massachusetts, are ranked higher than Princeton. 

Forbes compiles the list annually with a focus on return on investment. It's designed to give prospective students a snapshot of the best schools to attend if they want to get a good job and graduate on time without incurring substantial debt. 

No other New Jersey college or university is ranked in the top 100 nationally, but Rutgers and The College of New Jersey both ranked within the top 200. Browse the photo gallery above to see the top 10 colleges in New Jersey based on the Forbes ranking. 

The rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education and other sources on post-graduate pay and alumni success, according to Forbes. Learn more about the methodology here. 

Princeton, which has a sticker price of $61,160, was ranked as the second-best college in the Northeast and the second-best research university. Most students from middle-class and low-income families receive grants from the university so they are able to graduate without student debt. 

Harvard University is ranked fourth in the national rankings, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology earned the final spot in the top five.  

Yale University is sixth, followed by Pomona College, Brown University, Wesleyan University and Swarthmore College. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Get ready for another steamy day across the Garden State, with intense heat and scattered storms in the afternoon.

Think it felt hot outside on Wednesday? It could be even hotter in many areas of New Jersey on Thursday before scattered storms soak the state.

A steamy air mass remains planted over our region, which will push the mercury up to the 90s throughout the Garden State. The summer heat paired with the humidity levels will make it feel like it's 100 degrees or higher at points during the day.

Nation Weather Serivce 

An excessive heat warning remains in effect for the suburban Philadelphia region of New Jersey -- Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties, as well as northwestern Burlington County -- all day Thursday and through 6 p.m. Friday.

Daytime temperatures in those counties are expected to soar into the mid-90s on Thursday and Friday, and the high humidity will make it feel dangerously hot, around 100 to 102 degrees, the National Weather Service said. Even at night, there won't be much relief, with temperatures dropping no lower than the mid-70s.

For city commuters, The Big Apple is still under a heat advisory, which isn't expect to expire until 7 p.m. Friday.

Throughout the rest of the state, temperatures will top out in the lower 90s, as sunny skies give way to strong scattered storms in the early afternoon.

The likely showers and thunderstorms in North Jersey have triggered a flash flood watch for most of Morris, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth, Essex, Bergen, Passaic and Union counties. The watch is in effect from noon through 6 p.m. The afternoon thunderstorms could produce up to 2 inches of rain in a short period of time, the NWS said.   

Storms are also expected throughout the rest of state before 3 p.m. Heavy rain is possible. The rain should cool off the state a bit, with temperatures dropping down into the 80s, according to forecasts.

And for the second straight day, ground ozone levels will be high, prompting the state Department of Environmental Protection to issue another code orange air quality alert for each of New Jersey's 21 counties. The alert is effective all day Thursday and continues through 6 p.m. Friday, but for Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties, the alert is active from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday.

The bad air quality could cause breathing problems for children, elderly people and anyone suffering from asthma, heart disease and other lung ailments, officials said.

The threat of thunderstorms will linger overnight. Temperatures will drop into the lower 70s in most of New Jersey.

Friday's forecast calls for a hot, sunny day to close out the week, with highs in the 90s again. Scattered storms may develop in parts of the state during the day again. At night, rain is likely. Lows will be around 72 degrees.

Hottest places on Wednesday

On Wednesday, the hottest location in New Jersey was Hawthorne in Passaic County, where the mercury hit 96 degrees. Not far behind were Cream Ridge in Monmouth, Hamilton in Mercer, Newark in Essex, and Mansfield and Oswego Lake in Burlington, all of which hit 95 degrees.

At one point during the day, Toms River had a temperature of 92 degrees, but the humidity of 53 percent made it feel like 100 degrees. New Brunswick's temperature hit 94, but the "real-feel" temperature -- known as the heat index -- also was a steamy 100 degrees.

For more information on ground-level ozone and fine particles in the air, check www.airnow.gov. Tips on how to avoid heat-related strokes and other heat-induced ailments can be found on this page of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management: www.ready.gov/heat. 

More New York weather

More Philadelphia weather

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

SouthSTAR, one of 2 publicly-funded medical helicopters, is calling it quits after 28 years. Here's why.

A boy is thrown from an ATV in a wooded area of the Pine Barrens. A man loses control of his motorcycle on a rural road. A mother is ejected from her car in a multi-vehicle pile up on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Amid the flashing lights of police cars and first responders, the whir of a helicopter's blades can be heard overhead, preparing to land and rush the patients to a nearby trauma center in an effort to save their lives.

Over the past 10 years, the number of air medical helicopters serving New Jersey has increased, but as of last week there will be one less medevac -- the longest-running and largest in size -- responding to calls.

After nearly three decades of service, SouthSTAR -- one of the two publicly-funded air medical helicopters serving New Jersey -- ceased its operations as of July 1. Officials with the New Jersey State Police and Virtua Health, who jointly operate the program, point to the crowded skies, full of privately-owned air medical operations, as the reason they're grounding their own flights.

The influx of private choppers in New Jersey -- and nationwide -- has left questions about what the future of air medical services will look like in New Jersey and just how much it will cost.

28 years and 25,000 missions

Since 1988, the state has helped provide air medical services for trauma situations through a publicly-funded program overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. The New Jersey State Police maintain and provide the pilots for the two helicopters -- known as NorthSTAR and SouthSTAR, or JEMSTAR combined -- and hospitals staff the aircraft with nurses and paramedics.

Every three years, the hospitals -- Virtua in the south and the University Hospital in Newark in the north -- have to submit a bid to the state to be eligible for the grant money that supports the program. A $3 surcharge on motor vehicle registration feeds the dedicated fund for air medical services. 

But this year, after 28 years of service and more than 25,000 missions, Virtua opted not to reapply, saying the growing competition has drastically decreased their number of flights and patients

"After careful analysis and review, Virtua determined that the significant decline in SouthSTAR's flight volume makes the program no longer sustainable," Virtua said in a statement.

No other hospitals have put in a bid, according to health department spokeswoman Dawn Thomas

"The department is still determining how to proceed from here," she added.

Private choppers change the game

The state police emblem on the side of SouthSTAR was easily recognized as the helicopter took off from Hammonton airport, landed in fields or on state highways and escorted patients to Cooper Hospital's trauma unit in Camden, and other surrounding hospitals.

But over the past decade, more medevacs with different names can be seen on emergency calls -- PennStar, Air Two, Medevac 5. Aside from SouthSTAR, there are six air medical helicopters servicing south Jersey. 

In 2006, the state started licensing private medical helicopters to initially be used for inter-hospital transfers. Overtime, these private helicopters started assisting the state helicopters at accidents and emergency situations. Later, state law was changed to dictate that whichever helicopter was closest -- not just SouthSTAR --should respond to the scene.

"Due to the increasing number of air medical providers serving South Jersey, over the past 10 years, SouthSTAR flights have fallen from an average of 75 per month in 2006 to an average of just 20 per month in 2015, and 14 per month during the first quarter of 2016," Virtua said in a statement.

Virtua has been at odds with the private helicopters and hospitals that support them for the past few years. In 2011, the hospital filed a complaint against the state health department, claiming the licensing of a new helicopter at Cooper University Hospital, called Air Two, would have a negative effect on medical services in South Jersey.

Adding another helicopter into the system - with the volume of flights remaining stable from year to year - means that our nurses and paramedics will have fewer opportunities to maintain their skills," Scott Kasper, Virtua's Corporate Director of Emergency Services, said at the time.

Cooper University did not return requests for comment. PennSTAR, another competitor that flies into New Jersey from across the Delaware River, said last week it was aware of SouthSTAR's end and is "working closely with other air medical operators in the area to ensure continued service" in south Jersey.

What it's going to cost you

While the quality of care is a concern, finances are a big factor in the emergency medical services field. 

In the past 10 years, the funds generated for the program have more than doubled. According to a state report from 2007, $9 million was generated for JEMSTAR that year. In 2015, $22 million was collected for the program, according to the state's treasurer's office. Years ago an in-flight ride on SouthSTAR would cost a patient $1,300, but due to the increase in funds, SouthSTAR costs nothing out of pocket to anyone using the service. 

But a flight in a private medical helicopter could be tens of thousands of dollars. Patients throughout the country have reported being billed upwards of $40,000 for what can be a 15-minute life-saving flight that insurance companies are refusing to cover, according to an ABC News report in May. 

To reduce costs, an industry-trade group, The Association of Air Medical Services, is asking federal lawmakers to help increase Medicare payments to the helicopter companies, according to a New York Times report.

In New Jersey, its unclear how the millions of dollars dedicated to air medical services will be spent. State officials in the health department did not respond to requests about how much money remains in the fund now that SouthSTAR won't be receiving any. 

Private companies aren't eligible for the funding, according Vince Robbins, president and CEO of MONOC, which provides air medical services in Monmouth and Ocean counties with the company MedTrans. 

Robbins said the state should reconsider the publicly-funded program and redirect the funding to the private companies. 

"The public should know that private MedEvac providers are so prolific in NJ that the historical state MedEvac program is now obsolete and the funds previously used to sustain that program, should be redirected to offset the cost to patients who must use private services," Robbins said. "Why does the state continue to insist on supporting an obsolete program that has essentially already been replaced by the private sector?"

Staff writer Jessica Beym contributed to this report.

CJ Fairfield may be reached at cfairfield@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @fairfielc4. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Crimes and incident reported to the Hamilton and Robbinsville police departments.

ROBBINSVILLE

June 24

Narcotics arrest, traffic charges - Interstate 195 - Heather Barra, 31, Frenchtown

June 25

Theft - Wyndham Place - Purple Diamond Back girls bicycle valued at $300 removed from porch.

Disorderly Conduct arrest- Police Headquarters - Thomas Conley, 28, Robbinsville

July 1

Narcotics, firearm arrest - Route 130 - Jaimeson Froggatt, 22, Hightstown, possession of a firearm. James Sundermann, 22, East Windsor, possession of drug paraphernalia.

File photo 

July 3

Drunken driving, related traffic offenses - Route 130 - Jabree Nicholson, 35, Willingboro.

HAMILTON

June 25

Criminal Mischief - 200 block Randall Ave.

Criminal Mischief - 100 block Connecticut Ave.

Criminal Mischief - 300 block Lynwood Ave.

Theft to auto - Brookwood Rd.

Theft - 500 block Norway Ave.

Theft - 100 block Churchill Ave.

Theft - 300 block Hobart Ave.

Shoplifter - 4400 block S. Broad St

Shoplifter - 1000 block Whitehorse Mercerville Rd.

June 26

Criminal Mischief - Pasadena Ave.

Burglary to auto - 100 block Reed Ave.

Burglary to auto - Armour Ave.

Burglary to auto - 100 block Julia Ave.

Burglary to auto - Chewalla Blvd.

Robbery - 1500 block Hamilton Ave.

Shoplifter - 100 block Marketplace Blvd.

Shoplifter - 2100 block Nottingham Way

June 27

Criminal Mischief - 200 block Reeves Ave.

Theft to auto - 1700 block Chambers St.

Theft to auto - N. Johnston Ave.

Theft - 600 block Rt. 130

Burg to auto - 400 block Hutchinson St,

Burglary to auto - 100 block Westcott Ave.

Burglary - 1100 block Rt. 33

June 28

Criminal Mischief - Livingston Dr.

Graffiti - 400 block Edward Ave.

Theft - 4300 block Nottingham Way

Theft - 1300 block S. Olden Ave.

Burglary to auto - 100 block Wilfred Ave.

Burglary to auto - 3700 block S. Broad St.

Robbery 200 block Reeves Ave.

Shoplifter - 400 block Marketplace Blvd.

Shoplifter - 1900 block Greenwood Ave.

June 29

Theft - 600 block Atlantic Ave.

Theft - Moffatt Ave.

Burglary to auto - 500 block Whitehead Rd.

Shoplifter - 1700 block Kuser Rd.

June 30

Theft - 200 block Randall Ave.

Theft - 1600 block Whitehorse Ave.

Burglary to auto - 2100 block S. Broad St.

Shoplifter - 1900 block Greenwood Ave.

July 1

Criminal Mischief - 100 block Hauser Ave.

Theft - Elmont Rd.

Theft - 300 block Rt. 33

Burg/Auto - 100 block Lafayette Ave.

Burg/Auto - 300 block Rt. 33

Burglary - Patterson Ave.

Burglary - 1700 block Chambers St.

Shoplifter - 2100 block Hamilton Ave.

July 2

Criminal Mischief - 1600 block Whitehorse Mercerville Rd.

Criminal Mischief - 500 block Old York Rd.

Criminal Mischief - 2400 block S. Broad St.

Theft to auto - 1700 block S. Olden Ave.

Burglary - 1100 block Nottingham Way

Shoplifter - 2400 block S. Broad St.

July 3

Criminal Mischief - 200 block Woodlawn Ave.

Criminal Mischief - Bradford Ave.

Criminal Mischief - Livingston Dr.

Assault - Sutton Dr.

Burglary to auto - 1300 block Rt. 33

Burglary to auto - Sylvan Ave. /Edwin Ave

Burglary to auto - 100 block Redwood Ave.

Burglary to auto - 1000 block Whitehorse Mercerville Rd.

Burglary - 800 block Rt. 33

Burglary - 2400 block Nottingham Way

July 4

Criminal Mischief - Klockner Rd. / Kristin Way

Criminal Mischief - Bearbranch Rd.

Theft to auto - Victor Ave.

Theft - 900 block Cedar Lane

Theft - 100 block Atkins Ave.

Theft - Great Oak Rd.

Theft - 300 block Sloan Ave.

Burglary - Bradley Ct.

Burglary - 300 block Johnston Ave.

July 5

Criminal Mischief - Reeger Ave.

Theft to auto - 900 block Rt. 33

Theft - 2400 block Sylvan Ave.

Theft - 300 block McClellan Ave.

Burglary - Wickom Ave.

Burglary - Miry Brook Rd.

Burglary - 200 block Joan Terr.

Shoplifter - 300 block Rt. 33

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

Lyron Robinson was arrested after an investigation tied the 20-year-old to an April shooting, police said.

TRENTON -- A Trenton man is facing assault and weapon charges after police say he was identified as the alleged perpetrator in a mid-April shooting.

Lyron Robinson is charged with assault and weapon offenses. 

Lyron Robinson was arrested on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. on the 500 block of Rutherford avenue after an investigation by the city's joint Shooting Response Team tied the 20-year-old to the shooting, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn said. 

Varn did not elaborate on how exactly the team linked Robinson to the shooting.

Police responded to a shooting in progress at 5:30 p.m. on April 19 on the 300 block of Monmouth Street, Varn said.

When officers arrived, they found a 21-year-old man who was shot in the arm, Varn said. The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Robinson is charged with aggravated assault, weapon possession and unlawful use of that weapon. 

Thomas Regan may be reached at tregan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thomas_P_Regan. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The daytime shooting of a Galilee Baptist Church funeral left three injured.

TRENTON - Two brothers were sentenced Wednesday for their roles in the 2014 shooting of a funeral service that wounded three people at North Trenton's Galilee Baptist Church.

Samuel Vincent, 20, received a seven-year sentence. His brother, Samier Vincent, 22, received a five-year sentence after they both pled guilty to second-degree aggravated assault.

Prosecutors say those sentences fall under New Jersey's No Early Release Act, ensuring the brothers will not be eligible for parole until 85 percent of their sentences have been severed.

The sentences also come with three years of parole supervision upon release, prosecutors say.

Neither of the men spoke at their sentencing, but prosecutors say one of their attorneys expressed regret on one of the men's behalf.

Trenton church funeral shooting

In total, five men were indicted in connection with the daytime shooting.

Prosecutors say Terrance Maddox, 23, has also pleaded guilty to second-degree aggravated assault for his role. Maddox will return to court for sentencing next week.

Prosecutors say his recommended sentence time is seven years.

Lawrence Sutphin, of Trenton, and Richard Holman, of Chesterfield, were also named in the indictment for their roles in the crime, however neither of their charges are related to the firing of weapons into the church, prosecutors say.

Suphin's charges are related to weapon possession charges, and Holman's case has already been resolved, prosecutors say.

Two men and a woman were wounded during the April 2014 shooting at the church.

Hundreds of people were gathered for the funeral of Cagney Roberts, a 19-year-old who was shot and killed, when gunfire erupted outside.

Greg Wright may be reached at gwright@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregTheWright. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Shooting victim Charles Thompson was arrested after police say officers found a handgun and heroin in his car.

TRENTON -- A Trenton man shot late last month has been arrested on drug and firearm charges after investigators searched his car after the shooting and found a handgun and heroin, police said.

Officers went to the first block of Chambers Street at 9 p.m. on June 28 on the report of a shooting

Charles Thompson is charged with drug and weapon possession. 

Charles Thompson, 22, told officers he was driving on Walnut Avenue when he heard gun shots and felt a pain in his back, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn said.

The city's Shooting Response Team later conducted an investigation, including the search of the victim's car, Varn said. During that search, officers found a handgun and heroin.

Thompson was treated for the injuries and late released, Varn said.

On Wednesday, at about 5:30 p.m., officers located Thompson and took him into custody.

He is charged with weapon possession, drug possession, possession with intent to distribute and intent to distribute within 500 feet of a park.

The investigation of the shooting remains under investigation, Varn said. 

Thomas Regan may be reached at tregan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thomas_P_Regan. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The video is for "IDK" by performer Elite Motivated, and it was filmed and directed by Patrick Byas, from Hightstown. Watch video

HIGHTSTOWN -- A borough resident has made an official complaint to Hightstown's council about a hip hop video partially filmed at the borough's volunteer fire station that features its apparatus.

The video is for a song called "IDK" by New Jersey performer Elite Motivated, and it was filmed and directed by Patrick Byas, an actor and director from Hightstown.

The shoot took place in the spring and the borough's fire chief, Scott Jenkins, arranged for two fire company trucks to be pulled to the front of the station and have their emergency lights activated for Byas.

And that - and the video's themes - are big issues for Douglas Mair, who ran for mayor in 2014.

Mair said he questions whether Jenkins should have allowed the shoot, if permits and insurance were needed or other permissions. Plus , and he's concerned that the borough was not represented in a good light, considering some of the video's content.

"He's a volunteer chief, the taxpayers own the property and that is borough equipment (the trucks)," Mair said. 

Noting the borough recently took delivery one of the trucks - a ladder truck known as Ladder 41 - at a cost of nearly $1 million, Mair said: "We want this fire truck to save lives, not be in videos."

"It's really poor judgement," he said.

Mayor Larry Quattrone confirmed the borough is looking into the matter, after Mair complained.

A meeting is scheduled next week with borough officials and Jenkins.

The mayor said the main issue is the filming at the station with the trucks. "I don't know if the chief had 100 percent of authority to do that," he said.

As for permitting, the mayor said he's found nothing in the borough's ordinances about needing one.

"Whether it was good policy or not, I don't know," Quattrone said.

Fetty Wap apologizes for drug-themed video filmed in school

Jenkins could not be reached for comment Thursday. Last week, he told NJ Advance Media he didn't see an issue. 

Some volunteer firefighters vouched for Byas and the shoot did not impact the town or take very long. The firefighters simply pulled out the trucks for a short time, he said.

The chief said he was was just trying to be friendly and accommodating to Byas, a known resident.

Byas also posted a second video from the shoot, a "making of" version, and Jenkins appears for a few seconds, climbing into a fire chief's vehicle. Someone can be heard thanking Jenkins for "coming through" for the crew.

Byas graduated from Hightstown High School - where he's filmed other footage for videos by Elite Motivated, who now goes by Dread Marley - said Thursday he films in town because he loves Hightstown.

He also said the shoot in question was a spontaneous idea that was shot with a small, hand-held camera and did not take very long.

"There is nothing negative on what we do and we are specifically representing our town, Hightstown," Byas said. "We continue to show love to our community who has been supporting us throughout the years. 

Byas is also an actor who's appeared in the television shows "Blue Bloods" and "Blacklist," and had a role on episode of "Person of Interest" this spring.

Mair said he knows Byas in passing and knows of his strong connections to the borough, but he said some of the Elite Motivated's lyrics are demeaning to women and racially charged.

With a backdrop that features Hightstown, Mair said it could give a viewer the impression that Hightstown backed the video and its message. It could have been different, Mair said, if the request for filing had come through council.

Mair said he's a fan of the shows Byas has appeared in, but any Byas film shoots in Hightstown should represent the borough positively, and he does not think the video accomplishes that.

"I understand what he's trying to do," Mair said.

"I represent Hightstown, and it's all positive," Byas said.

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

Four residents were arrested Wednesday after police found several drugs and weapons in a Trenton home.

TRENTON -- Four Trenton residents are facing drug and weapon charges after the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force concluded a two-month investigation on Wednesday by raiding an East Ward home.

Police stopped the investigation's target, Antoine Green, 41, in his Buick LaCrosse as he was driving in the area of Hampton and Walnut avenues, Mercer County Prosecutor's Office Lt. James Francis said in a statement.

Detectives detained Green and took him and his car to a house on the 400 block of Garfield Avenue, Francis said.

There, the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force found Christopher Wallace, 51, and his two daughters Danielle Wallace, 26; and Erin Wallace, 18, Francis said. They were detained there.

The task force then searched Green's bedroom and found one gram of cocaine, a small amount of marijuana, three decks of heroin marked "War," a digital scale and a plastic "Glock" gun case with two empty magazines.

Francis said investigators also found a box of "Federal" .40-caliber ammunition containing 25 rounds. In a third-floor bedroom, they found $1,391 cash, Francis said.

Officers further found a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a fully loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun along with six grams of cocaine and a digital scale in a shed behind the house.

Officers found $917 on Green, one brick of heroin in his car along with four grams of cocaine and $138, Francis said.

Green is charged with possession of a handgun during a drug scheme, three counts of distribution of drugs, four counts of intent to distribute within 500 feet of a park and another four counts for intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school, and related charges.

Wallace and his daughters were each charged with possession of a handgun during drug scheme, intent to distribute within 500 feet of a park and within 1000 feet of a school, distribution of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Thomas Regan may be reached at tregan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thomas_P_Regan. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Tyrus Jones Jr. is charged with robbery after allegedly taking a man's cell phone, police said.

TRENTON -- A Trenton man was arrested Wednesday evening after police say he jumped in the passenger side of a driver's car and put the driver in a chokehold and snatched his phone.

A file photo of a Trenton police car 

Police arrested Tyrus Jones Jr., 28, after the victim flagged down officers after seeing the Jones walking on North Broad Street the next day, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn said.

On Tuesday, the 23-year-old victim called police and told them he was dropping a friend off when Jones entered the passenger side of his car and sat down, Varn said. 

Jones demanded the victim hand over money and when the man refused, Jones put him in a chokehold, grabbed the man's phone and fled the area, Varn said.

Jones is charged with strong-arm robbery. 

Thomas Regan may be reached at tregan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thomas_P_Regan. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

PennEast says it'll continue conducting surveys for the proposed pipeline where there's landowner permission.

SOMERVILLE -- A judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a group of New Jersey residents claiming surveyors working on the proposed $1.2 billion PennEast natural gas pipeline had trespassed on private property.

Judge Margaret Goodzeit, sitting in Somerset County, also rejected a request by Homeowners Against Land Taking, or HALT, PennEast and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation to force the pipeline company to turn over results of past surveys.

The judge ruled that the group didn't assert any claim of injury because of the alleged trespassing. In addition, Goodzeit said that the group failed to prove "there is continuing and ongoing trespass, which would entitle them to an injunction against further trespass."

Goodzeit said the lawsuit stems from the group's efforts to block a permit for the pipeline, which "this court has no power to address."

PennEast has denied trespassing while conducting surveys for the pipeline, which would traverse Mercer and Hunterdon counties.

"We respect the rights of every landowner, and have worked tirelessly to engage in a respectful dialogue that has, in many instances, resulted in modifications to the route and reduced landowner impacts," said Pat Kornick, spokesperson for PennEast.

Kornick said PennEast will continue to conduct surveys where there is landowner permission.

"Unfortunately, some outside interests are willing to say or do anything to mislead the public," Kornick said. " We're pleased the Court agreed with PennEast and dismissed the claims. It's unfortunate that HALT has wasted the Court's time and taxpayer resources with this filing."

Residents denied survey injunction

On May 10, the judge refused to issue a temporary injunction banning PennEast from conducting surveys. At that time, the judge said she found no evidence that PennEast conducted illegally surveys on homeowners' property.

Washington, D.C.-based attorney Steven Richardson of Wiley Rein, who represented HALT, said he'll continue the fight.

"We're disappointed, but litigation takes a lot of patience and perseverance," said Richardson. "We're pleased the court did find that several allegations of trespass could be tried by the court after addition pleading.

"We'll study the court's decision carefully to evaluate whether to appeal part or all of her order. This isn't the end. It is at most the end of the beginning."

Attorney Kevin H. Marino of Marino, Tortorella and Boyle, which represents PennEast, called the decision a "resounding victory for PennEast."

The proposed 118-mile pipeline is under review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has final say over whether it can be built.

PennEast workers threatened

About 70 percent of property owners in the proposal's route in New Jersey have refused to let the company survey their land. Every municipality in Hunterdon and Mercer counties has passed resolutions opposing the pipeline and both counties have banned the company from public land.

PennEast needs to survey lands along its proposed path to refine the final route and to submit plans to the federal agency weighing its approval.

Time to see how well you recall our biggest stories.

Time to see how well you recall this week's biggest local news stories. All the questions in the quiz below are based on top NJ.com news stories from the past week. Once you're done, share your score in comments. If you need a little last-minute study time, here are the stories used to create this week's quiz.

• Newark loses a record it probably never wanted anyway
• Road projects near you that will shut down
• Casino workers to strike for July 4 weekend
• Fastest shrinking towns of New Jersey
• The bloody 4th of July that led to N.J.'s fireworks ban
• Another rare animal found in South Jersey lake
• Suspended cop found not guilty on drug charges wants her job back

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvnacemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter, and find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities were dispatched to the crash in the Glen Afton neighborhood at 7:30 p.m.

TRENTON -- A man was killed Thursday evening when the vehicle he was driving crashed into a tree on Route 29 at River Drive, police said.

Authorities were dispatched to the crash in the Glen Afton neighborhood at 7:30 p.m.

A Trenton police spokesman said the driver's vehicle hit a tree and the person was pronounced dead a short time later. 

The driver's identity was not available Thursday evening. City police detectives are investigating the circumstances of the crash.

The police spokesman did not have any information on the vehicle's direction before the crash.

The Trenton Fire Department said Engine Co. 9 was one of the first units on scene and attempted to aid the driver, but the firefighters soon realized he was dead.

At least two other motorists also stopped to assist, the fire department said.

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

Hamilton needs to move forward with efforts to consolidate its fire districts, but the effort needs to be led by township officials, not unions.

The case for consolidating Hamilton's myriad fire districts into one unified fire department was clearly reinforced by the Colonial Volunteer Fire Company when it recently asked the county to help provide backup to cover a shortage of volunteers.

The lack of volunteers has led to fire apparatus being unable to respond to emergency calls during the evening and overnight hours, according to officials and documents obtained by NJ Advance Media.

The volunteer turnout has been so low in the past few months that the company's  fire chief, Joseph Scharnitz, Jr., sent a letter to Mercer County's dispatch center in May asking for indefinite backup for Colonial's response area, which encompasses Fire District 8.

The letter asks for an extra fire engine from another fire station to be dispatched to all fire calls from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. on weekdays and all weekends.

Hamilton fire report could be ready by end of July

A crew of career firefighters that works for District 8 is on duty at the Kuser Road station on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hamilton's two career fire unions have been leading the effort to consolidate the township's nine separate fire districts. They point to Colonial's volunteer shortage and another example of why consolidation is necessary.

"This is why we have been calling for consolidation, and this is nothing new," said Shane Mull, firefighters' union vice president.

We certainly welcome the fire unions' support for consolidation because without it, it would be a tough slough to overcome the inertia of doing things the way they've been done for so many decades.

But let's face it; the unions have a vested interest in consolidation. The more firefighters they represent the more power they have.

But who is looking out for the taxpayer? That should be the role of our elected representatives.

While most of the council members and the mayor are on record as supporting consolidation, their voices have not been as loud as the unions.

Fire district consolidation faces delays

The unions should be part of the consolidation process, but they should not dominate the process. That's where the mayor and council have to step up and give this process direction.

Granted, there are hurdles that have to be cleared before the council can formally begin considering consolidation. For example, there is the cumbersome petition process that has to be met in all nine fire districts, which was complicated even further when it was discovered that nearly 10,000 township voters were assigned to the wrong fire district.

But thanks to the diligent efforts of those supporting consolidation, it appears that will become a reality.

Still to be determined is what that consolidation will look like.

Hopefully a recently completed study by the state Department of Community Affairs will offer guidance on creating a unified fire department. A draft of the study is due to be released this month.

In addition to leadership from our elected officials as the consolidation effort bumps along, Hamilton must ensure that the process is transparent and that the public has a voice.

The residents of Hamilton deserve fire service that is efficient, professional and affordable.

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"We wanted to make sure there was no confusion," one administrator said.

EWING -- The College of New Jersey is trying to end any ambiguity about when a student is alert enough to agree to have sex.

The public college this week revised its definition of sexual consent, emphasizing that students cannot grant their consent for sexual activity if they are sleeping or incapacitated. 

It's a revision based both on federal guidance and on experience; alcohol is involved in many of the sexual assaults reported to the university, administrators said. 

"I think in order for us to do our job as educators we need to have the conversation with our students about consent and what it means to be under the influence and attempt to get somebody's consent," said Amy Hecht, the college's vice president of student affairs. "We want them to make smart, informed decisions about any type of sexual activity, especially involving alcohol." 

These N.J. colleges reported the most rapes

TCNJ, which reported three rapes on campus in 2014, is reviewing its policies as sexual assault and how colleges' respond to reported assaults has become a divisive topic on campuses across the nation.

Two years ago, the White House put a spotlight on the issue and called on colleges to be more proactive in preventing rapes and other assaults on campus.

The federal government is currently investigating nearly 200 colleges and universities, including several in New Jersey, to see if school officials properly handled sexual assault complaints. 

At TCNJ, the new definition of effective consent will replace the word "intoxicated" with "incapacitated." 

The policy states that effective consent "is informed, freely and actively given mutually understandable words or actions which indicate a willingness to participate in mutually agreed upon sexual activity."

A person may be unable to give consent because of his or her age, or "because the person is physically helpless, mentally incapacitated, or incapacitated from alcohol or other drugs." 

The college also added a lengthy definition of the term "incapacitated" that specifies that an individual cannot give consent if they lack control over physical movements or are unable to communicate.  

"We wanted to make sure there was no confusion about a person's ability to give consent," said Jordan Draper, the college's Title IX coordinator. 

Along with enhancing its definition of sexual consent, The College of New Jersey is also changing its process for the investigation of sexual violence cases, Draper said. 

Reported sexual assaults will no longer be investigated through university hearings, where both the alleged victim and assailant appear in the same room while the facts of the case are presented to a panel of administrators, faculty member or students, she said. 

Instead, an investigator will collect facts from both sides privately and present a report to the administration. Students and faculty members will no longer take part in determining whether a sexual assault has occurred, Draper said. 

In the past, the hearing process has sometimes served as a barrier that prevented students from moving forward with allegations of sexual assaults, said Angela Chong, the college's dean of students.

"The thought of being in a formalized hearing where there were more people in the room to hear a very private, personal story was a deterrent to them," Chong said. 

Currently, four New Jersey universities -- Princeton, Monmouth, Rider and Seton Hall universities -- are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for their handling of reported sexual assault cases. 

A similar investigation of TCNJ that began in 2000 concluded that the college failed to disclose several campus sexual assault investigations in publicly available crime statistics. 

A follow-up in 2010-11 found no problems with the college's sexual-assault reporting, according to the U.S. Department of Education. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Another day of dangerous heat and scattered late-day thunderstorms are expected across the Garden State on Friday.

New Jersey's weather outlook for Friday is shaping up to be a carbon copy of Thursday's weather, with oppressive heat and humidity sticking around, and the threat of showers and thunderstorms developing late in the day.

"It's going to be very similar" to Thursday, said Lance Franck, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's regional office in Mount Holly.

Accuweather 

Temperatures will push into the 90s across much of the Garden State, as the first heat wave of the summer hits the East Coast. Once again, the high humidity will make it feel like it's about 100 degrees or even hotter in parts of New Jersey.

For the third straight day, an excessive heat warning is in effect through 6 p.m. Friday for the suburban Philadelphia region of New Jersey -- Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties, as well as northwestern Burlington County. It will feel dangerously hot in those areas, with high humidity and daytime temperatures in the mid-90s, the weather service said.

Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop in North Jersey sometime after 4 p.m. Highs during the day in the northern parts of the state will be in the low 90s. 

The good news is that after two days of air quality alerts across the state, none have been issued for New Jersey on Friday. 

There won't be much relief from the heat overnight, with muggy, warm conditions in the forecast and temperatures stuck in the mid-70s.

PHOTOS: Sweltering heat hits N.J.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. throughout the state. Some storms could produce strong winds and heavy rain.

North and Central Jersey residents will get a break from the 90-degree weather on Saturday.The pesky heat wave is expected to linger into the weekend in South Jersey, with temperatures hitting the low to mid-90s, Franck said.

Temperatures may not even break into the 80s in some areas, but it will be humid and more storms are likely. 

But after that, things are looking up.

"It looks like we'll have some improvement after Saturday night, and temperatures will return close to normal for a while," Franck said.

Sunday's mercury is expected to top out in the mid-80s, and the air will be noticeably dry, making it feel much more comfortable to be outside.

More New York City weather

More Philadelphia weather

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Senior citizens with be able to receive checks for fresh produce with The Farmer's Market Check Program

TRENTON -- Senior citizens in Mercer County can receive vouchers to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables at participating farm stands, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes said.

The Mercer County Nutrition Office will offer the voucher checks on July 15 between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Healthier Heart Farmer's Market at Trinity Cathedral at 801 West State St. in Trenton, Hughes said.

Those eligible for the program will receive checks to redeem for fresh produce at various Mercer County farmers markets and other vendors, Hughes said.

"The Farmer's Market Check Program offers older adults an increased opportunity to include a nutritious choice to their eating habits." said Hughes. "It also helps the older adult who may be struggling financially to get the most for their money." 

Hughes said these checks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis because of a limited check count this year.

The program was developed to provide low-income seniors the opportunity to purchase fresh produce.

A single person must not have an income exceeding $21,978 per year or $1,832 monthly, Hughes said. A senior couple's income must not exceed $29,637 per year or $2470 monthly.

Thomas Regan may be reached at tregan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thomas_P_Regan. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Police allege Eudean McMillan, of Trenton, protected her pills with a .38-caliber handgun and a sawed-off shotgun.

TRENTON -- A month-long investigation into someone selling prescription pain pills from an East Ward home ended with the arrest of the alleged dealer: a 71-year-old grandmother.

Police allege Eudean McMillan protected her pills - brands of oxycodone and other medications - with a .38-caliber handgun and a sawed-off shotgun.

Eudean McMillan 

Trenton police's Violent Crimes / Warrant unit apprehended McMillan at about 12 noon Thursday during a raid of her Chestnut Avenue home.

Despite the unit's name, officers familiar with the operation said McMillan was not violent, but cooperative and friendly - although allegedly well armed.

Officers said she also had a stock of juice boxes and small bags of chips - the kind parents usually pack for kids lunches - and offered them to her buyers.

She was allegedly selling pills for $20 a piece.

"Most unusual bust of my career," one veteran city officer said.

McMillan is charged with numerous drug possession, drug dealing and firearms violations - including maintaining a narcotics nuisance, and possession of a firearm during a drug scheme.

Before entering McMillan's home, officers arrested Kenneth Odom, 58, of Tyrell Avenue, moments after he allegedly bought pills from her. 

Officers found Odom with 251 pills - including the brands, Endo, Suboxone and oxycodone pills. He is charged with several drug possession and dealing charges.

Inside McMillan's home, investigators found $3,200 in cash, plus 165 pills, including Endo and Xanax, then the firearms.

McMillan posted $20,000 bail at 7 p.m. Thursday night and was released.

Odom was jailed on $50,000 bail and was still behind bars Friday.

Trenton police detectives Lt. Rolando Ramos and Sgt. Anthony Manzo led the investigation.

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

Members of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force arrested the teen at a relative's home in Newark Thursday night. Watch video

TRENTON -- Detectives have charged a 15-year-old from Newark with the fatal knifing of a man in Trenton's Chambersburg neighborhood last month, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said.

Members of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force arrested the teen at a relative's home in Newark Thursday night.

He is charged with murder, felony murder, robbery and weapon possession charges, the office said in a statement. He was not identified because he is a juvenile.

Authorities allege the teen attacked and stabbed Carlos Leiva-Oviedo, 27, on June 14.

Trenton police officers responding to a report of a man bleeding at Hudson and Genesee streets at 3 a.m. that night found Leiva-Oviedo bloodied in the street, collapsed near his car.

He died about four hours later at a Trenton hospital from multiple stab wounds and related injuries from a vicious beating, police said.

Last week, the prosecutor's office released surveillance footage of two males they were seeking in connection with the killing.

Man stabbed in Trenton early Tuesday dies at hospital

A prosecutor's office spokeswoman declined to discuss if any other suspects were being sought, or if the suspect was in the footage.

Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri did express gratitude to local media for publishing the footage, saying helpful leads were called in to investigators.

"This is a case that would not have been solved without all of the pieces: methodical, perseverant police work, help from the media, and the public doing their part by contactingthe authorities with information," Onofri said.

"When we work together, justice is served," the prosecutor said.

The teen is being held at the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center in North Brunswick.

Task force Detective Roberto Reyes is the lead investigator on the case. The Newark Police Department and the Essex County Homicide Task Force assisted the Mercer investigators Thursday night.

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

Nikeelan "Nick" Semmon died July 1. He was a senior corrections with the N.J. Department of Corrections.

TRENTON -- Hundreds of corrections officers from all over New Jersey lined a Trenton street Friday morning to show their support for an officer who died while on duty last week.

Nikeelan "Nick" Semmon died July 1 at an area hospital, shortly after collapsing at the Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility in Chesterfield, where he was a senior corrections officer with the state Department of Corrections.

Officials said Semmon, 36, suffered an apparent medical attack.

Semmon lived in Delran, but was a Trenton native, his obituary said. He is survived by his wife Ebony Monique Semmon and young son, Gavin Quincy Semmon.

A graduate of Trenton Central High School, Semmon also served in the U.S. Navy for four years, and two years in the Army National Guard.

Numerous state corrections officers escorted Semmon's body to and from a service at Friendship Baptist Church on Perry Street in Trenton.

He was interred at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery in North Hanover, Burlington County.

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