Check back Tuesday evening for updates as results come in for the Mercer County 2015 races.

MERCER COUNTY -- Here is a guide to Tuesday's general election in Mercer County.

The polls will open Tuesday at 6 a.m. and remain open until 8 p.m.

Key Mercer County races include the senior at West Windsor-Plansboro High School running for the township's school board, the contested seats for county executive, county clerk and three freeholder seats, and the mayoral race in Hamilton.

PLUS: More N.J. Assembly news

Check back with nj.com/mercer tomorrow after the polls close for a list of Election Day results. For complete results from across the state, go to nj.com/elections.

Here is the list of all those running for a contested seat (an asterisk denotes an incumbent).

Mercer County

COUNTY EXECUTIVE 

One 4-year term

Brian Hughes (D)*

Lisa Richford (R)

COUNTY CLERK 

One 5-year term

Paula Sollami Covello (D)*

Susan Bagley (R)

COUNTY FREEHOLDER 

Three 3-year terms

Ann Cannon (D)*

Pasquale "Pat" Colavita (D)*

Samuel Frisby (D)*

Anthony "Tony" Davis (R)

Ira Marks (R)

Jason DeFrancesco (R)

East Windsor

COUNCIL

Four 3-year terms

Janice Mironov (D)*

Marc Lippman (D)*

Peter Yeager (D)*

John Zoller (D)*

Paul "PJ" Hummel (R)

Steven Uccio (R)

Darren Feist (R)

Sean O'Connor (R)

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Kennedy Paul*

Alice Weisman*

Paul Connolly*

Ewing

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Anthony Messina*

Maria Benedetti*

Scott Rogers

Kenneth Bradley*

Lisa Hall McConnell

Hamilton

MAYOR

One 4-year term

Amy Inman (D)

Kelly Yaede (R)*

COUNCIL

Two 4-year terms

JoAnne Bruno (D)

Donald Ryland (D)

Ileana Schirmer (R)*

Ralph Mastrangelo (R)

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Gregory Mahon

George Fisher

Susan Ferrara

John Kroschwitz

Jen Barnock Riddell*

Albert Gayzik*

Michelle Episcopo

Richard Kanka*

Hightstown

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Two 3-year terms

Seth Kurs (D)*

Susan Bluth (D)*

Lynne Woods (R)

Douglas Mair (R)

BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Tracy Carroll*

Hopewell Borough

BOROUGH MAYOR

One 4-year term

Paul Anzano (D)*

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Two 3-year terms

Debra Lehman (D)*

Roxanne Klett (R)*

Hopewell Township

TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

One 3-year term

Julie Blake (D)

Harvey Lester (R)*

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Two 3-year terms

Lisa Wolff*

Leigh Ann Peterson*

Lawrence

TOWNSHIP COUNCIL

Three 3-year terms

Michael Powers (D)*

Cathleen Lewis (D)*

David Maffei (D)*

One 2-year unexpired term

Chris Bobbitt (D)

Robert Bostock (R)

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Joyce Scott

Kevin Van Hise*

JoAnn Groeger*

Pennington

MAYOR

One 4-year term

Anthony Persichilli (D)*

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Two 3-year terms

Deborah Gnatt (D)*

Joseph Lawver (D)*

BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Joanna "Jenny" Long

Princeton

COUNCIL

Two 3-year terms

Heather Howard (D)*

Arden "Lance" Liverman (D)*

Lynn Lu Irving (R)

Kelly DiTosto (R)

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Elizabeth "Betsy" Kalber Baglio

Dafna Kendal

Patrick Sullivan*

Robert Dodge

Robbinsville

COUNCIL (non-partisan)

Three 4-year terms

Christine Ciaccio*

Ronald Witt*

Dan Schuberth

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Leslie Dee

Craig Heilman

Amman Seehra

Faith Silvestrov*

West Windsor

COUNCIL (non-partisan)

Three 4-year terms

George Borek*

Alison Miller

Ayesha Krishnan Hamilton

Hemant Marathe*

Virginia Manzari

Gerald Halloran

BOARD OF EDUCATION 

One 3-year term

Michele Kaish*

Jordon DeGroote

Burlington County

BORDENTOWN CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Joshua Fausti

Joann Dansbury

Christine Brennan*

BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

Two 3-year terms

Steve Benowitz (D)*

Eric Holliday (D)

Thomas Dalton (R)

Mark Drew (R)

BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Kevin Creegan*

 

The new fitness and dance studio in the neighboring shopping center not only allows it to expand, but also to reconfigure its current space

TRENTON -- The dance classes at the YMCA of Trenton have proven so popular that parked cars often lined both sides of Pennington Avenue and there was little space left for other programs.

"On a night when you might have 100 dance students and parents, it was difficult for us to run basketball programs, difficult for us to do almost anything," CEO Samuel Frisby said.

On Monday, the YMCA celebrated the opening of its new fitness and dance studio in the neighboring shopping center -- a move that not only allows it to expand, but also to reconfigure its current space.

The YMCA partnered with Wells Fargo to convert the former bank branch into a space that now houses two studios, two bathrooms and six offices.

"We wanted to get the corporate staff out of the building next door so we could really use the space next door for programming," Frisby said.

Brenda Ross-Dulan, Wells Fargo's Southern New Jersey region president, said the collaboration between the two groups is an example of how businesses and nonprofits can work together.

MORE: Private funds, public purpose: Nonprofit aims to revitalize Trenton

"Nonprofits provide so much to the fabric of our communities and what they do to the community and for the community ... is unmatched so what can we do to make sure that those services remain viable and accessible to the community?" she said. "One of their major restrictions is money and space and this is what we had."

It took about three years for the YMCA to bring its vision to fruition, Frisby said.

The Dance Academy -- the largest in the county -- caters to 250 students ranging in age from 3 years old to seniors who take everything from tap, ballet and hip-hop to African and modern dance.

Renee Riddle-Davison, the director of dance, fitness, special events and youth sports, said the new space is better suited for dance and fitness classes can now run simultaneously with dance classes, keeping both parents and kids active.

"To be able to walk into a space that exudes dance, it just takes them to a different level," she said. "What we're hoping to really accomplish is that the children know this is a place that's a safe haven and that dance helps you to be able to express yourself so that if there's anything that's going on, we want you to bring that here and get it out through dance so you leave better than you came."

Frisby said the expansion allowed the YMCA to gut its main building and create a more functional space.

Work is underway to create a glass atrium, two fully functional locker rooms with individual showers, two dance studios, a computer center and nearly double the size of the fitness center and outfit it with brand-new equipment and free weights.

The preschool classrooms were redone and a new hardwood floor was put on the basketball court, which starting next week will serve as Trenton Central High School's gym for the next four years.

In a second phase, a bubble will be built over the outdoor pool and the number of parking spaces will go from 32 to 80 after the YMCA bought the green space between its building and the shopping center.

"This Y's been promising people since 1980 when they went bankrupt that they were going to change or build a brand new Y," Frisby said. "Well this is the year of kept promises. We've been able to add this space and the goal is now to finish up this."

Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

Leaders from various religious groups invited residents to Trenton to vow to "Stand Up for the Other" in a rally held Sunday afternoon.

TRENTON - Leaders from various faith groups in Trenton invited the community to come out Sunday to take a pledge vowing to "Stand Up for the Other."

The rally - held at the New Jersey State Museum - is also being held in cities around the world, including Paris, Morocco, Berlin, London and New York City.

Walter Ruby speaking at the "stand Up for the Other" rally in Trenton on Sunday Nov. 1.Lindsay Rittenhouse 

The goal is to get people of different faiths to work together to bring peace and end prejudice.

"We have to pledge to stand together against bigotry and hatred," said Walter Ruby, Muslim-Jewish program director of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.

"Especially now, with bigotry and hatred affecting people of all backgrounds," Ruby continued. "People of all faiths have to say 'enough.'"

The pledge, presented by Dr. Ali Chaudry, president of the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge, states those who sign should not only vow to be tolerant of all religions but to speak out if they hear others being intolerant or hateful.

"How is it all this work we've done for decades on the inter-phase of religions has not produced results?" Chaudry asked the crowd of people sitting in the state museum's auditorium on Sunday.

MORE: 'Maya Angelou of Iraq,' Jewish poet collaborate for peace

The rally featured speeches about the many ways religious prejudice still exists today, such as in politics and on college campuses, and what people can do to help end it.

Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef and Dr. Jonathan Golden spoke about the enormous presence of Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism in America.

Choir performances were held in between speeches at the "Stand Up for the Other" rally on Sunday Nov.1.Lindsay Rittenhouse 

"Where does this bigotry come from?" Shareef asked. "There is no hatred in religion. There should be no component of hatred shown to someone of another faith. All of us are from that one creator."

The Rev. Darrell La Rue Armstrong - speaking about intolerance in political discourse - called on the audience to go further than confronting prejudice in religion and to stop all hatred.

"God is bigger than our religion," Armstrong said. "God is bigger than our race. God is bigger than our region. Let us not get caught in extremism as well as bigotry, prejudice and hatred."

The rally was organized by the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, the New Jersey Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee, the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge, the New Jersey State Association of Jewish Foundations and the Jewish Catholic Muslim Dialogue of Southern New Jersey.

Along with performances by the Shiloh Baptist Church Choir and the Adath Israel Choir, state senators also were present on Sunday.

"We need to get to know each other not by just name and face but by content," Shareef said. "And that content has beauty."

Lindsay Rittenhouse may be reached at lrittenhouse@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Residents reported smelling another odd smell at an AvalonBay construction site Tuesday - for the second time in recent weeks.

PRINCETON - The second odd smell in a few weeks coming off of an AvalonBay construction project prompted town officials to meet with the company once again to fix the problem

The smell was coming from an oil-based paint AvalonBay was applying on a parking lot at the site on Witherspoon Street, according to town health officer Jeff Grosser, who stopped by the site Monday following a phone call about the smell.

He said the smell is not dangerous but that he did ask the company to only paint between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. - ensuring that children walking to and from school wouldn't have to inhale the fumes.

The company agreed to paint within the six-hour window. 

ALSO: Residents voice concerns over AvalonBay site at a council meeting

The garage is part of AvalonBay's 250-unit housing project, which sits at Henry Avenue and Witherspoon Streets, situated between the high school and elementary schools.

Monday marks the second time in recent weeks that residents in the area have reported smells coming from the site, though Monday's fumes were not as strong as a reported smell two weeks ago, Grosser said.

In the earlier incident, residents started calling the town in late-October, complaining of fumes created by an epoxy AvalonBay was using to coat the same garage. The town completed an investigation and report which showed that the epoxy had the potential to be hazardous to people working at the site. The coating project was completed over a week ago.

Grosser said the new smell is coming from a different substance that's not harmful to the public. He said the painting project is only supposed to last around one more week.

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

Kenny Dillon started a petition on change.org Friday, titled: "Oppose Rider University's Decision to Cut Majors, Minors, and Graduate Degrees!"

LAWRENCE -- A Rider University student's online petition opposing Rider University's decision to cut 13 majors and layoff professors attained 1,000 signatures Monday night.

Kenny Dillon started the petition on change.org Friday, titled: "Oppose Rider University's Decision to Cut Majors, Minors, and Graduate Degrees!"

Times File Photo 

John Roper started a similar petition on change.org to save the piano major at the Westminster Choir College, part of Rider's music school. That petition had over 1,100 signatures.

On Thursday, the university announced it plans to cut 13 majors and one minor and eliminate more than 20 jobs, including 14-full-time faculty members.

The cuts are expected to save more than $2 million a year as Rider tries to close its deficit, which is already at $7.6 million of this year's $216 million budget, the university said.

"This is all being done in an attempt to close a $7.6 million budget deficit faced by the university, and cutting these programs would save the university around $2 million. But at what cost to education?" Dillon's petition asks.

One of the most popular comments on the petition comes from Rider French professor Dr. Mary Poteau-Tralie. French is one of the majors being eliminated next fall.

"For EVERY student and for ALL alumni, regardless of major or minor, your degree will be seriously diminished if this plan goes through," Poteau-Tralie wrote.

The 25-year Rider veteran said she's loves her students and is devoted to their well-being and preparation for life. "Unlike this President who has been here for all of 4 months," she wrote of Rider's President Gregory Dell'Omo, who took office in August and announced the cuts at a town hall meeting with faculty and staff.

MORE: Rider University slashing 13 majors, laying off professors

Poteau-Tralie said in the post that all of Rider's Fulbright scholar winners have come from the German program - also being cut - and that every single Rider student who has applied for the prestigious French Consulate Assistants program in France has been accepted.

"For the sake of ALL of our students in all programs, please fight this," Poteau-Tralie wrote. "There is reflected glory in all that we accomplish. When educational programs are cut, the lifeblood of an institution is gone."

The majors being cut are art and art history, advertising, American studies, business education, French, geosciences, German, marine science, philosophy, piano and web design. The bachelor of arts program in economics and the graduate program in organizational leadership will also be eliminated. 

Three majors -- business economics, entrepreneurial studies and sociology -- will be offered only as minors, and the school's minor in Italian will be eliminated. 

Current juniors and seniors will be able to complete degrees in their major, but sophomores and freshman will need to switch majors or transfer, the university has said.

In total, 272 students, including 123 sophomores and freshman are in the affected programs.

Rider said in a statement that the changes were not made lightly and will have a profound impact on those who are directly affected. "But they are needed to put Rider on a more progressive path and position the University more strongly in an increasingly competitive environment."

Dillon has been promoting the petition on his Facebook page and has organized with four others the group, Save My Major Coalition.

"We are aware of this petition and we understand that this was difficult news to hear, however, we believe that these changes will strengthen Rider University," university spokeswoman Kristine Brown said the Dillon petition.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

Council is not set to vote on the three-year, $2.4 million contract until Thursday

TRENTON -- The city's new IT contractor started work on Monday, even though it has yet to receive approval from City Council.

File photo of Trenton City Hall on E. State St.Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com 

Columbus-based FCC Consulting Services replaced the city's longtime IT provider ADPC Inc. this week, but council is not set to vote on the three-year, $2.4 million contract until Thursday.

"This is criminal," Councilman George Muschal said. "How can you give a company the authority to go in and get these passwords for the City of Trenton ... when they're not even authorized."

Business Administrator Terry McEwen said the two-month RFP process to choose a new vendor concluded with the recommendation of FCC.

"That vendor has agreed to assist us over the next four days to ensure the integrity of the systems," he said.

He said the procurement process allows the city to have access to a firm pending council's approval when it is necessary, as is the case with maintaining the city's hardware and software systems.

PLUS: Councilwoman takes issue with chief of staff's mistaken text

Acting Law Director Marc McKithen said the move does not tie the hands of council or disregard its vote come Thursday.

"There was no way for either firm to be extended without a contract and this is the first opportunity the city has to get approval from council," he said. "Was it better to go with the old firm with no contract or the new firm with no contract? That is a choice the administration had to make."

Of the 12 firms that submitted a bid, ADPC and FCC were the ninth- and tenth-highest bidders, respectively, but McEwen and McKithen said that cost was one of many factors that were considered in making a decision, including technical skill sets, experience and level of management.

"Bid price is not the defining criteria," McKithen said. "It's one of many factors that we consider, but we're looking at the overall best proposal."

ADPC has provided IT services for the city for 28 years. In years past, the city has tried to cancel or not extend contracts with ADPC, leading to several lawsuits and a scolding from a Mercer County Superior Court judge.

McEwen said that FCC understands that its contract is still pending the approval of council.

The transition from ADPC to FCC is still ongoing and issues are still being worked through, McKithen said.

"It's not a matter of handing over keys," he said.

If council rejects FCC's contract on Thursday, the city would have to go through the RFP process again and present a recommendation to council.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," McKithen said.

Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

Police have arrested 15 people, including five teens, on paintball-related charges since Oct. 7, police said.

File photo of a Trenton Police vehicle (Michael Mancuso | The Times of Trenton) 

TRENTON - Police have arrested 15 people, including five teens, on paintball gun-related charges in the city since Oct. 7, police said.

In the latest arrests, four men and a teen were charged Monday after residents complained that cars were being hit by paintball gunfire, police said.

Officers were called to the 400 block of Cleveland Avenue on reports of paintball gunfire around 8:30 p.m. and arrested Billy Woodward, 20; Sayvon Bennett, 21; Andrew Brown, 25; Daquan Laster, 22 and a 16 year old boy. All were charged with weapons possession after police found them with paintball guns, Lt. Stephen Varn said

Laster, who ran from police, also was found with 9 bricks of heroin, 5 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and $243 when he was caught by police a few blocks away. He was also charged with obstruction, resisting arrest and drug possession and distribution offenses, Varn said.

Laster's bail was not immediately available.

MORE: Police seek person who shot 5-year-old with paintball gun

It was the seventh time that police have responded to complaints of paintball gunfire in a month and the third time they were called to the 400 block of Cleveland Avenue, Varn said.

The first reports involving paintball guns came from Cleveland Avenue on Oct. 7 when residents complained about cars being hit by paintballs. No arrests were made, Varn said.

Police were called to the same block weeks later and arrested Fredrick Brown, 22, with a paintball gun on Oct. 23 following resident complaints that a group of people were shooting each other, passing cars and pedestrians with paintballs, Varn said.

Blocks away in the area of Cook and Tioga Streets, Luis Lopez, 29, of Trenton, was arrested on the 100 block of South Cook Avenue Oct. 29, charged with possession of weapons when police found him with a paintball gun.

Hours later, three others were arrested at North Cook Avenue and Freeman Lane after residents reported a paintball battle between a group of people was also hitting passing cars and pedestrians with paintballs, Varn said.

Iziaah Perkins, 19, Carey Scott, 26, Shiheem Young, 19, were arrested around 12:30 a.m. and charged with weapons possession.

Around 8:30 p.m. that night, four teens and an adult were arrested at the North 25 housing complex  when police investigated paintball complaints. Two 16-year-olds and two 15-year-olds were charged. Leno Parham, of Bristol, Pa., was arrested and charged on a outstanding warrant for aggravated assault, Varn said.

Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

The interim suspension began in September following allegations that the Sigma Pi violated the university's rules governing fraternities and sororities

EWING - The College of New Jersey suspended its chapter of the Sigma Pi fraternity while the college investigates the organization for possible rule violations, university officials said.

Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com 

The interim suspension began in September following allegations that the Sigma Pi violated the university's rules governing fraternities and sororities, according to according to David Muha, university spokesman.

Muha refused to say what the allegations were or comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

But according to the university's policy, an interim suspension can only be placed on a sorority or fraternity in the event of "exceptional circumstances to ensure the health, safety or welfare" of students or university property.

MORE: New TCNJ clinic offers more affordable testing for learning disabilities

Muha said the university administration is handling the investigation, with the help of the campus police. 

Ewing Police are not involved in the investigation, according to Captain Rocco Maruca. 

The interim suspension bars Sigma Pi from recruiting or holding social events, Muha said.

The national chapter of Sigma Pi could not be reached for comment. No one from the TCNJ Sigma Pi chapter could be reached. The website for the TCNJ chapter of Sigma Pi is offline and the chapter's listing on campus websites has been scrubbed. 

Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

Wanda Jackson, 48, was charged with aggravated assault after police arrested her for pouring bleach on the 32-year-old woman who lives above her

TRENTON - A Trenton woman was arrested and charged with pouring a bottle of bleach over the head her upstairs neighbor, police said.

A file photo of a Trenton police car 

Wanda Jackson, 48, faces an aggravated assault charge. She is accused of pouring bleach on the 32-year-old woman who lives above her in an apartment building on the first block of Chambers Street, Lt. Stephen Varn said.

The woman was taken to St. Francis Medical Center, where she was treated for her injuries and released, Varn said.

The woman was standing on a stoop in front of the apartment building around 8:30 p.m. when Jackson walked up and poured the bleach on her. The woman pushed Jackson off the stoop, and Jackson fell backwards, hitting her head, Varn said.

Jackson's bail was not immediately available Tuesday.

Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

Mercer County Presiding Judge Gerald Council will be transferred to Middlesex County on Wednesday.

TRENTON - Mercer County Presiding Judge Gerald Council, who's facing disciplinary action for mistreating a coworker, asked to be transferred to another county court last month.

His request was granted by State Supreme Court Justice Stuart Rabner this week.

On Wednesday, Council will leave the presiding judge position he's held for eight years and take his newly assigned position as a judge in the family division of the Middlesex County Superior Court, according to an order from the state Supreme Court Monday.

Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw will take over Council's position as the new Presiding Judge for Mercer County Superior Court.

RELATED: Panel urges unpaid suspension for judge 

It was unclear Tuesday why Council asked for the change. In his request letter, Council wrote, "Given the present climate, I believe that my continued presence in the Mercer Vicinage would only serve as a distraction."

His request comes on the heels of a 56-page presentment to the Supreme Court from The Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct in September. The presentment went over accusations that Council mistreated employees in the Drug Court program in 2012.

State Judiciary Spokeswoman Winnie Comfort said Tuesday that the decision to move Council was based solely on request, not as discipline following the claims.

The presentment detailed Council's interactions with a female subordinate in 2012, claiming that he called the woman "my problem child," put a hand on her back to move her and grabbed her by the ear to pull her out of a room. The committee wrote that the woman was "purposefully and publicly humiliated" by Council's actions.

They also claimed that he gave defendants inappropriate nicknames like "Farmer Mosely," and "cry baby."

The committee recommended in September that Council be suspended without pay for one month following the accusations. That recommendation is still under consideration. Oral arguments - during which Council will have a chance to deny the accusations - will be held December 2. 

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

The ship was found in an upright position, its stern buried in approximately 30 feet of sediment. The navigation bridge and the deck were separated from the vessel and the voyage data recorder has yet to be located.

WASHINGTON--Investigators have confirmed that wreckage of a sunken ship found over the weekend is the El Faro, the missing cargo vessel lost during Hurricane Joaquin.

The National Transportation Safety Board said a U.S. Navy remotely operated vehicle made a positive identification of the remains of the cargo vessel, owned by New Jersey-based  TOTE Inc. of Princeton.

The sunken wreckage was discovered on Saturday.

The 735-foot cargo ship with 33 crew members aboard, went missing on Oct. 1 while being battered by winds and seas up to 50-feet, on a regular weekly cargo run between Jacksonville, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

According to the NTSB, El Faro was in an upright position, its stern buried in approximately 30 feet of sediment. The navigation bridge and the deck were separated from the vessel and were not immediately located. The Navy also has yet to recover the voyage data recorder, the ship's "black box" that will help investigators determine exactly what happened to the ill-fated ship .

The ship, which went down in the Bermuda Triangle, was found at a depth of about 15,000 feet, east of the Bahamas in the vicinity of its last known position.

Before communication with the ship was lost, its captain reported that it had lost propulsion, was taking on water and was listing.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

An undated photo provided by TOTE Maritime shows the cargo ship, El Faro, which departed Jacksonville, Fla., on Sept. 29, 2015 when Joaquin was still a tropical storm. The ship had 33 crew members. (TOTE Maritime via AP)

While the state Assembly races topped the ballot, five Mercer County seats were contested in the race for county executive, county clerk and three freeholder seats.

MERCER COUNTY -- The polls are now closed in New Jersey and the votes are being tallied in key Mercer County races, including the mayoral election in Hamilton.

While the state Assembly races topped the ballot, five countywide seats were contested in the race for county executive, county clerk and three freeholder seats. 

PLUS: N.J. Assembly general election results 2015

An asterisk denotes an incumbent and a check mark "" denotes a winner. Results for uncontested races will not be reported.

Be sure to refresh this post often or click this link to reload for the latest results.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE

One 4-year term

Brian Hughes (D)* 30,700

Lisa Richford (R) 15,288

COUNTY CLERK

One 5-year term

Paula Sollami Covello (D)* 29,204

Susan Bagley (R) 15,421

COUNTY FREEHOLDER

Three 3-year terms

Ann Cannon (D)* 28,410

Pasquale "Pat" Colavita (D)* 28,893

Samuel Frisby (D)* 26,710

Anthony "Tony" Davis (R) 15,952

Ira Marks (R) 15,197

Jason DeFrancesco (R) 15,788

- results of Mercer County races with 242 of 243 voting districts reporting

COUNCIL

Four 3-year terms

Janice Mironov (D)* 2178

Marc Lippman (D)* 1994

Peter Yeager (D)* 2024

John Zoller (D)* 1956

Paul "PJ" Hummel (R) 1004

Steven Uccio (R) 1002

Darren Feist (R) 983

Sean O'Connor (R) 1038

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Kennedy Paul*

Alice Weisman*

Paul Connolly*

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Anthony Messina* 2,259

Maria Benedetti* 2,109

Scott Rogers 1,505

Kenneth Bradley* 1,592

Lisa Hall McConnell 1,628

MAYOR

One 4-year term

Amy Inman (D) 6,606

Kelly Yaede (R)* 9,645

COUNCIL

Two 4-year terms

JoAnne Bruno (D) 7,555

Donald Ryland (D) 6,805

Ileana Schirmer (R)* 8,058

Ralph Mastrangelo (R) 8,267

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Gregory Mahon 3,788

George Fisher 3,813

Susan Ferrara 5,075

John Kroschwitz 3,716

Jen Barnock Riddell* 2,721

Albert Gayzik* 3,148

Michelle Episcopo 4,215

Richard Kanka* 5,787

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Two 3-year terms

Seth Kurs (D)* 477

Susan Bluth (D)* 449

Lynne Woods (R) 230

Douglas Mair (R) 224

BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Tracy Carroll*

BOROUGH MAYOR

One 4-year term

 Paul Anzano (D)*

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Two 3-year terms

Debra Lehman (D)*

Roxanne Klett (R)*

TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

One 3-year term

Julie Blake (D) 1,852

Harvey Lester (R)* 1,570

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Two 3-year terms

Lisa Wolff*

Leigh Ann Peterson*

TOWNSHIP COUNCIL

Three 3-year terms

Michael Powers (D)*

Cathleen Lewis (D)*

David Maffei (D)*

One 2-year unexpired term

Chris Bobbitt (D) 2,370

Robert Bostock (R) 1,594

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Joyce Scott

Kevin Van Hise*

JoAnn Groeger*

MAYOR

One 4-year term

Anthony Persichilli (D)*

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Two 3-year terms

Deborah Gnatt (D)*

Joseph Lawver (D)*

BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Joanna "Jenny" Long

COUNCIL

Two 3-year terms

Heather Howard (D)* 2,773

Arden "Lance" Liverman (D)* 2,704

Lynn Lu Irving (R) 1,067

Kelly DiTosto (R) 988

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Elizabeth "Betsy" Kalber Baglio 2,096

Dafna Kendal 1,771

Patrick Sullivan* 2,012

Robert Dodge 1,528

COUNCIL (non-partisan)

Three 4-year terms

Christine Ciaccio*

Ronald Witt*

Dan Schuberth

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Three 3-year terms

Leslie Dee 1,227

Craig Heilman 1,131

Amman Seehra 906

Faith Silvestrov* 1,018

COUNCIL (non-partisan)

Three 4-year terms

George Borek* 1,957

Alison Miller 1,968

Ayesha Krishnan Hamilton 1,979

Hemant Marathe* 2,056

Virginia Manzari 1,910

Gerald Halloran 1,717

BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Michele Kaish* 2,191

Jordon DeGroote 1,597

BORDENTOWN CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Joshua Fausti

Joann Dansbury

Christine Brennan*

BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

Two 3-year terms

Steve Benowitz (D)*

Eric Holliday (D)

Thomas Dalton (R)

Mark Drew (R)

BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP BOARD OF EDUCATION

One 3-year term

Kevin Creegan*

Chianese woke up on Election Day Tuesday to find about two dozen Kelly Yaede campaign signs planted in his front yard.

HAMILTON -- Former Hamilton Republican chairman Michael Chianese did not support Republican Mayor Kelly Yaede in this year's election and someone apparently pranked him about it.

Chianese woke up on Election Day Tuesday to find about two dozen Yaede campaign signs planted in his front yard.

The placards also bear the names of her running mates, council candidates Illeana Schirmer and Ralph Mastrangelo.

Chianese does not believe Yaede had anything to do with the signs, but "entitled, immature people associated with her."

MORE: Mercer County election results 2015

He did not call the police or file a report with them. He said whoever planted the signs trampled his lawn, but caused no serious damage.

"It's embarrassing, the neighbors call you and ask what's going on," Chianese said. "It's childish."

He said he stayed out of the latest local election cycle and does not support Yaede at all. He disagrees with many things she does, but has nothing bad to say about her.

"I just want to be left alone," Chianese said.

Dave Kenny, a Hamilton councilman who ran Yaede's campaign, said he knew nothing about the incident. " I have no idea who would do that."

"That wouldn't be the first campaign prank in history," Kenny added.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

Incumbent Michele Kaish won out over teenager Jordon DeGroote in the Board of Education election this year

WEST WINDSOR - Incumbent Michele Kaish took the win Tuesday in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education election - just beating out high school senior Jordon DeGroote.

Michelle Kaish 

Kaish was re-elected with over 58 percent of the vote. She was elected in 2012 and currently serves as vice president of the board.

"I'm feeling very proud of the work I've done on the board for the last three years," Kaish said Tuesday.

She said she hopes to continue to focus on serving the "whole child, academically and socially." She added that she would like to continue discussions about stress among students in the school district. 

RELATED: N.J. teen hopes to join board of education 

Coming in behind Kaish was her sole opposition, 18-year-old West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South senior Jordon DeGroote, who took around 42 percent of the votes. Two votes went to personal choice.

Though he didn't win, DeGroote said he was glad to have the opportunity to make his opinions heard.

He was running largely on a platform of increasing transparency between the board and the community - something that he hopes the board will take into consideration despite the election results.

Jordon DeGroote, a senior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. (Provided photo) 

DeGroote said he had a little bit of an "uphill battle" in the election because of his age. Still, DeGroote said he respects Kaish's years of service in the community and he was glad to have a lot of support from the public in his campaign.

"I'm happy we were able to voice our concerns," DeGroote said. 

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

 

Incumbents across Mercer County swept to re-election Tuesday, including victories for County Executive Brian Hughes and Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede

MERCER COUNTY -- Incumbents across Mercer County swept to re-election Tuesday, including victories for County Executive Brian Hughes and Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede.

Hughes bested Republican Lisa Richford to win a fourth term by 67 to 33 percent. His victory, alongside that of other county incumbents, maintains Democratic control over county government.

"I'm really pleased that the people of Mercer County have given me the opportunity for a fourth term," said Hughes, who was first elected in 2003.

He said he didn't appreciate the negative campaigning done by Richford, but said that voters on both sides of the aisle acknowledged that "we are a hardworking administration, that we run a transparent government and that we deliver good government for the people of this great county and that we'll continue to do so."

MORE: Mercer County election results 2015

Looking ahead, he said some priorities include addressing the problems inherent in the corrections department, health care costs and services and the Trenton-Mercer Airport, which is increasingly becoming an economic engine for the county.

"Do we improve the airport that we have, do we build a new one, can we attract a new airline to the existing one?" Hughes said. "These are all big questions that we have moving forward. They're non-partisan questions where we're going to have to build consensus throughout the county and that's hopefully what my tenure as county executive has been all about."

Freeholders Ann Cannon, Pat Colavita and Samuel Frisby won re-election and County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello was elected to her third, five-year term.

In Hamilton, Yaede won a second term, fending off Democratic challenger Amy Inman by 59 to 40 percent. Her fellow Republicans Ileana Schirmer and Ralph Mastrangelo also won, but by narrower margins.

Yaede, who was appointed mayor in December 2012 following the resignation of former Mayor John Bencivengo and easily won a two-year term the following year, will now serve her first full, four-year term.

"I am deeply humbled and appreciative to the residents," she said. "How we arrived at this point and how we've governed as a team -- the council and administration -- is a source of pride because it proves that good government is a priority by the team we have running Hamilton Township."

Yaede said the administration has been tested over the years, but has risen to the challenges, pointing to last year's health crises as an example.

"My focus is to make sure that Hamilton continues to be a thriving town that future generations will want to call home," she said.  

In East Windsor, Hightstown and Princeton, the Democratic incumbents beat their Republican challengers.

In Lawrence, Democrat Chris Bobbitt was elected to fill the unexpired term of the late Councilman Steve Brame, who died unexpectedly in July from congestive heart failure.

In Hopewell Township, Mayor Harvey Lester, who switched his party affiliation to Republican in March, lost to Democrat Julie Blake by 282 votes.

Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

A race that could give Democrats an even larger majority in the state Assembly than initially projected was too close to call early Wednesday morning

TRENTON -- A race that could give Democrats an even larger majority in the state Assembly than initially projected was too close to call early Wednesday morning.

Democratic challenger Andrew Zwicker and Republican incumbent Donna Simon were separated by just 29 votes for one of two Assembly seats in central Jersey's 16th District, according to the Associated Press.

The AP had initially declared Simon the winner. And Zwicker -- a Princeton University physicist who ran an unsuccessful bid for Congress last year -- had even delivered his concession speech. But the AP said just after midnight that said the margin was too thin to make a determination.

MORE: Full N.J. Assembly election results

A surprise upset by Zwicker would mean Democrats picked up four new seats in Tuesday's Assembly elections.

That would give the party 52 seats in the lower house of the state Legislature as of January. Democrats also control the state Senate, the upper house -- which was not on the ballot Tuesday. Democrats had already secured three new seats in the races.

MORE: Complete election results from across N.J.

Simon has represented the district -- which includes parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties -- since 2012.

Her running mate, Republican incumbent Jack Ciattarelli, won re-election Tuesday.

Stay tuned to NJ.com/Politics for updates on the story.

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

Allentown High School freshman wildcat quarterback Sadik Queen was a big reason why the Redbirds rolled Hightstown 38-8 on October 16 despite being down four vital players.

ALLENTOWN -- Allentown High School freshman wildcat quarterback Sadik Queen was a big reason why the Redbirds rolled Hightstown 38-8 on Oct. 16 despite being down four vital players, including their quarterback.

Queen, along with teammate Brett Masci, filled in as a signal caller and racked up 12 carries for 136 yards (11.3 yards per carry) and a touchdown.

The 6-foot-1, 165-pounder's score came in the second half and put the game away. In the third quarter of action, Queen broke loose for a 48-yard scamper that he took all the way to the house.

"That score by Sadik, right after the break, was a momentum changer," Masci told NJ Advance Media after the victory. "We saw the energy drain from them. They played a great game and they were on the same fence as we were. We were both 2-3, and we were just fighting for our lives. We tried to do everything in our power to win."

"Now we have to just do what we have always been doing," Masci continued. "We all buy into the program and that is what makes us successful."

Allentown head coach Jay Graber, who explained that the four absent players had been suspended from the game due to a violation of team rules, was understandably proud of Queen and the Redbirds' efforts.

"I am happy with the resilience that we showed," Graber told NJ Advance Media after the win. "We lost two games in a row and we have been down, so we showed a lot of resiliency in this game and I am happy to get the win and shift our focus to next week."

Queen explained that his dominant performance was fueled by his suspended teammates.

"We had to get it done for those guys," Queen told NJ Advance Media after the game. "They made a mistake and we had to recover for them. You can't throw someone out of the family when they mess up, so we are going to welcome them back."

"I felt like I was doing my job for the team and I am so proud to be here as a freshman, helping contribute to a win like this," Queen said. "I am going to do whatever coach needs me to do for the team." 

Rich Cuccagna may be reached at rcuccagna@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RichCuccagna. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

The town of Princeton was named best small city in the country by a financial website recently.

PRINCETON - The town received national recognition after a financial website recently named Princeton the best small city in the country.

WalletHub.com gave Princeton the "Overall Best" spot in their ranking of over 1,200 of the country's "Small Cities."

The site broke down their ranking by four categories - affordability, economic health, education and health and quality of life.

While Princeton received the highest overall score and the highest ranking for "economic health," it fell short in affordability, coming in 1,144^th place.

WalletHub named Princeton 7^th in education and health and 41^st in quality of life.

Lexington, Massachusetts ranked first in education and health while Fredericksburg, Virginia took the top spot for quality of life.

RELATED: Princeton (the town) notches another number 1 ranking

This is not the first time Princeton has seen itself, its schools or Princeton University at the top of national rankings.

In October, financial website smartasset.com named it the "Best College Town to Live in."

Princeton University also took the top spot in university rankings this year and in the spring, Princeton High School was named one of the best high schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report. 

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

Hamilton and Robbinsville police blotter for Oct. 27- Nov.1

HAMILTON

 

Oct. 27
Criminal Mischief - 100 block Beal St.
Theft/Auto - 400 block Atlantic Ave.
Theft/Auto - Wharian Court
Theft - 1600 block Klockner Rd.
Theft - 100 block Grayson Ave.
Theft - Amsterdam Road
Burglary/Auto - Daily Drive
Shoplifting - 100 block Marketplace Blvd.
Shoplifting - 2100 block South Broad St.

Oct. 28
Criminal Mischief - 400 block Newkirk Ave.
Theft- Dewey Avenue
Burglary - Wilbert Way
Burglary - 100 block Joni Ave.
Burglary - Copperfield Drive
Shoplifting - 2582 block Whitehorse/Mercerville Rd.

Oct. 30
Criminal Mischief - Wesley Avenue
Theft/Auto - Whitehorse Avenue
Theft - William Street
Theft - 700 block South Olden Ave.
Assault - Irvington Place
Burglary/Auto - 100 block Partridge Ave.

Oct. 31
Criminal Mischief - 200 block Wilson Ave.
Criminal Mischief - Klockner Road
Criminal Mischief - Concord Avenue
Criminal Mischief - 200 block Lowell Ave.
Criminal Mischief - 100 block North Hamilton Ave.
Criminal Mischief - 200 block Rutgers Ave.
Criminal Mischief - 100 block Regina Ave.
Criminal Mischief - 200 block Elmore Ave.
Criminal Mischief - 700 block Rt. 130 
Criminal Mischief - Katie Way
Criminal Mischief - 100 block Kino Blvd.
Criminal Mischief - Kino Boulevard
Criminal Mischief - 2700 block Nottingham Way
Criminal Mischief - 100 block Concord Ave.
Criminal Mischief - 900 block William Valley St.
Theft/Auto - 600 block East Franklin St.
Assault - Route 130/ Spirit of 76 Boulevard
Assault - 1000 block Whitehorse/Mercerville Rd.
Burglary Attempt - Norcross Circle
Burglary - Colonial Avenue
Shoplifting - 1000 block Whitehorse/Mercerville Rd. - Arrested Alejandra Cortes.

Nov. 1

Criminal Mischief - Allen Street
Criminal Mischief - Bear Court
Criminal Mischief - 1200 block Chambers St.
Criminal Mischief - Woodlawn/Walnut avenues
Criminal Mischief - 800 block Estates Blvd.
Criminal Mischief - Uncle Pete's Road
Criminal Mischief - 300 block Schiller Ave.
Criminal Mischief - O'Rourke Drive
Theft/Auto - 100 block Andrew St.
Theft/Auto - 1700 block Greenwood Ave.
Burglary/Auto - 100 block Dewey Ave.
Burglary/Auto - 800 block Sloan Ave.
Burglary - 100 block Andrew St.
Robbery 1700 block Greenwood Ave.
Shoplifting - 1000 block Route 33

ROBBINSVILLE

Oct. 27
DWI -- Route 526 - Arrested: Akshay Patel

Oct.. 28
Narcotics -- West Manor Way - Arrested; Paul Morey

Oct. 30
DWI -- Hutchinson Road - Arrested: Kondal Chityala

Oct. 31

DWI -- Andover Place - Arrested: Joshua Gliem
DWI/Narcotics -- I-195 - Arrested: Edward Breimann
Narcotics -- Route 130 - Arrested: Breon Graffie

Nov. 1
DWI -- Route 130 South -- Isaiah Crudup
Narcotics -- Route 539 - Arrested: Anthony Dejessa

Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

 

Police did not name the school official, but said the man had was assaulted by a 15-year-old girl while breaking up a fight between her and a 17-year-old girl

FLORENCE - Two Florence Township High School students on Monday were charged with aggravated assault on a school official and disorderly conduct after a fight at the school, authorities said.

Florence Police 

Police did not name the school official, but said the man had was assaulted by a 15-year-old girl while breaking up a fight between her and a 17-year-old girl, police said.

While escorting the younger student to his office, the older girl hit him, knocked him to the ground and began kicking him, police said.

The 17-year-old was taken to the Burlington County Juvenile Detention Center. The 15-year-old was charged and released to her parents. The school official was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, police said.

Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.