A look ahead to the group semifinals for girls lacrosse.

Officers were pursuing a suspected drug suspect man when he crashed into a 22-year-old woman's vehicle

Nearly two years after 22-year-old Deja Farrior-Quinones was killed by a driver who was being pursued by state troopers, her family has filed a civil lawsuit seeking to bring the driver and officers to court. 

And the lawyers working with the woman's family are also working with state senator to try and pass legislation that would address police chases in urban areas. They want to call it "Deja's Law." 

Farrior-Quinones was driving to visit her nieces in Hamilton Township one night in September 2016 when Chandler Heaviside, then a 22-year-old Jackson man, crashed into her car at an intersection while fleeing police. 

Deja Farrior-Quinones (Family photo) 

Officers had allegedly seen Heaviside involved in a drug deal in Trenton's West Ward, and pursued him for several miles at high speeds on two highways around Mercer County.

At South Broad Street and East Park Avenue, Heaviside ran a northbound red light and t-boned Farrior-Quinoes' car, authorities have said.

She died shortly after from her injuries. 

New Jersey State Police troopers had just cut off the pursuit moments earlier, authorities said, and came upon the wreck moments later.

Heaviside was reportedly high at the time of the pursuit, authorities said. He was arrested at the crash scene and later charged with causing her death.

Robin Lord and Clifford Bidlingmaier, the attorneys representing Farrior-Quinones' family, though, point to the pursuing police in the incident. They question why troopers pursued Heaviside for such a distance over an alleged drug offense.

The complaint alleges four State Police officers and one Trenton police officer were reckless in their driving, and their regard for policies and procedures regulating police of pursuits, when they took off after Heaviside - eventually leading to the young woman's wrongful death.

The complaint names the state, the City of Trenton, Heaviside, as well as the following state police officers: Detective Kartik Birudaraju, Detective Sgt. Ricardo Diaz, Detective Carlos Estevez and Detective Sgt. Jeffery Gauthier. An unknown Trenton officer is also listed among the defendants.

Police pursued vehicle on 2 highways before fatal crash

It identifies Birudaraju, Diaz and Estevez and the unnamed Trenton officer as all pursuing Heaviside recklessly for several miles throughout Trenton and Hamilton Township.

The complaint also claims that Gauthier was the supervisor of the vehicle driven by Estevez and that he and the drivers were "negligent, careless and/or reckless" while driving and with New Jersey State Police policies and procedures.

The complaint says the family is seeking the defendants be tried in court for compensatory and punitive damages 

"What her family is going through should not be experienced by anyone." Lord wrote to NJ Advance Media in an email. "No mother should have to bury her daughter because of actions of overzealous cowboy troopers who think the laws do not apply to them."

Spokespeople with the New Jersey State Police and state Attorney General's Office did not immediately return requests for comment about the suit.

As for the legislation, Lord said she's been working with state Sen. Shirley Turner, (D-Mercer) about drafting new legislation addressing police chases in urban areas.

Turner told NJ Advance Media that she had met with Farrior-Quinones' family to adopt a "Deja's Law."

"There's just too many people who are subject to get in the way in urban areas," during a police chase stemming from a non-violent crime, Turner said. "We don't want to obstruct officers from doing their jobs, we just want to give proper consideration to innocent bystanders."

Meanwhile, Heaviside was indicted on 15 crimes last year in relation to the crash, including aggravated manslaughter, eluding, death by auto, assault by auto, aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and drug offenses.

His criminal case is pending in Mercer County Superior Court.

Spokespeople from the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Attorney General's Office declined to comment. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Stephen Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter last month

A man will serve 27 years in prison after admitting to stabbing his stepfather multiple times last August.

Stephen Paul, 44, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter last month, according to a news release from the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

Paul faced a first-degree murder after he was arrested for the stabbing death of Edward Williams, 70, at an apartment in Burlington City. A relative, suspecting Williams to be inside the apartment, called police after Paul did not let them in. Police later entered with permission and found Williams' body.

Williams lived in Westampton. It's not clear what led to the fatal confrontation.

Prosecutors, acting on the plea deal reached with Paul, requested a 30-year sentence. Judge Philip E. Haines sentenced Paul to 27 years after a hearing on Friday.

The charge is subject to the No Early Release Act, which means Paul must serve about 23 years before parole eligibility.

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

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Authorities said they identified the Trenton man but have not yet reached his family

The death of a Trenton man whose "badly decomposing" body was found in an alley on Memorial Day has been ruled a homicide, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday.

The medical examiner's office identified him as a 56-year-old from Trenton who had been stabbed to death. Authorities are withholding his name as they attempt to find his family, the prosecutor's office said.

The body was found near the intersection of Taylor and Poplar streets.Google Maps 

His body was found on Monday near the intersection of Taylor and Poplar streets around 4:23 p.m.

The prosecutor's office has not yet commented on how long they suspect he was dead.

The investigation is still ongoing, and no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Mercer County Homicide Task Force Sgt. Gary Wasko or Detective Roberto Reyes at 609-989-6406.

Gianluca D'Elia may be reached at gdelia@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @gianluca_delia. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Less than a month after he'd been released from prison, a Trenton man's been charged with shooting a man due to a dispute over drug money

Surveillance video near the scene of a near-deadly April shooting in Trenton shows a gunman chasing down and shooting the victim, even after the man crumpled to the sidewalk.

The gunman is Damon Norman, 26, and the victim owed an acquaintance drug money, prosecutors alleged in Mercer Superior Court Wednesday. The video was played in court at Norman's detention hearing.

Judge Ronald Susswein ruled in favor of detaining Norman, who was charged with the attempted murder earlier this month.

"The defendant hunted down, chased down and shot the victim multiple times at close range," he said in his decision. "As attempted murders go, this is about a serious as they get. It's a chilling crime in this case."

Damon Norman 

Prosecutors allege Norman tracked down the victim, 31-year-old Cecil Blake, on the 100 block of Walnut Avenue while riding in a rented Nissan Altima. 

The footage reviewed at the detention hearing shows an Altima rolling by Blake, who was walking on the sidewalk. When the vehicle drives out of view, Blake is shot once and falls into the street.

A suspect wearing a black hooded sweatshirt then walks into the frame and stands over Blake, pointing a gun. He fires multiple shots at close range and flees the scene.

Pedestrians and drivers near the scene stopped to aide Blake, and call for emergency responders. The video showed the arrival, in just a few minutes, of emergency services and the police's Shooting Response Team.

Blake was taken to an area hospital and treated for multiple gunshot wounds and remains in critical condition. On April 19, he identified Norman as his assailant when police showed him a series of photos of men, prosecutors said. 

Prosecutors also allege the black Altima was rented by Norman's acquaintance in a known drug-dealing family and was returned an hour after the shooting took place.

Confidential informants, and Trenton police investigators, allege Norman, who's street name is "DJ," was the shooter, prosecutors said. 

Norman's attorney, Robin Lord, argued Blake was possibly under physical stress and the influence of pain medication when he made his identification.

Lord also said Blake's character should be scrutinized -- he was charged early this month for his part in the January murders of two men from Philadelphia. 

In that case, prosecutors allege Blake and two other men executed two young men inside of a parked Ford Taurus in Trenton's Chambersburg neighborhood.

Prosectors and police have made no connection between the incidents.

Assistant Mercer County Prosecutor Lauren Martinez asked the judge to consider the fact that Norman had a previous record of committing new offenses when released from incarceration or while out on probation.

Norman was released from custody in March for drug and weapons crimes, she said.

Lord said she'd try the case tomorrow if she had the chance. 

"They have absolutely no evidence against my client," she said after the hearing. "It's the functional equivalent of going through city lockup and picking a repeat offender and saying, 'Isn't this the guy that shot you?'" 

After disputes about whether the procedure used to identify Norman will be admissible in court after it was filed with the wrong document, Judge Susswein ruled Norman a danger to the community. 

Norman will remain in Mercer County Jail until his trial. His next court date is scheduled for June 25. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Police found a car struck by more than 20 bullets, and a man inside with a gunshot wound

Two male teenagers were injured in a shooting early Wednesday morning outside the entrance of Greg Grant Park in Trenton, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said.

Police responded to the 900 block of East State Street just after 12:30 a.m. and found a parked Audi riddled with more than 20 bullet strikes.

A 19-year-old was found in the car with a gunshot wound to his head. He is currently being treated at an area hospital and is considered to be in critical condition, the office said.

A second 16-year-old victim was struck in the leg, prosecutors said, and was released.

By 2 p.m. Wednesday, the car was gone, children were out playing in the park, and shattered glass from the Audi was still on the pavement outside.

The prosecutor's office did not offer any suspected motive for the shooting. The office said the investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Gary Wasko or Detective Roberto Reyes at 609-989-6406.

Gianluca D'Elia may be reached at gdelia@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @gianluca_delia. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

After he attacked the woman and child-locked his car to trap her last year, she escaped and survived by throwing herself into the street.

A Bucks County, Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the stabbing of a woman in his car outside Caesars Palace in Atlantic City, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.

David Legette 

The woman suffered 19 knife wounds.

David Legette, 54, of Bristol Township, Pa. was arrested in July 2017 three weeks after he pulled out a knife and attacked the woman while parked at the casino's parking garage, the office said.

Legette activated child locks on his doors so the woman could not escape, but she was able to reach out of a window, open the door from the outside, and throw herself out of the car and into the middle of Atlantic Avenue.

The woman's injuries included multiple stab wounds, a partially eviscerated intestine, and a lacerated liver and spleen.

After witnesses called the police, the woman was able to identify Legette as her attacker, the prosecutor's office said.

Legette is scheduled to be sentenced to 16 years in prison on July 20, as part of a plea agreement, the prosecutor's office said.

Gianluca D'Elia may be reached at gdelia@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @gianluca_delia. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

"Linnette Lebron's Law" would reduce the waiting period and requirements for couples who want to enter into a marriage or civil union when one of the partners is terminally ill.

When Linnette Lebron lay dying of stage four stomach cancer in a Camden hospital, the man she loved knew only one thing: That he wanted to marry his beloved before it was too late.

But there was the matter the mandatory 72-hour waiting period New Jersey requires before issuing a marriage license. Only a Superior Court judge can waive the waiting period in cases of emergency.

So Omar Estevez was forced to tear himself away from Lebron's bedside - five precious hours when doctors warned her death was imminent - to complete the paperwork necessary for a wedding to proceed.

With the help of family and friends, Estevez did succeed in getting the paperwork. He and Lebron exchanged "I do's" in the hospital - one day before his bride died.

Now a bill moving through the state Legislature would guarantee that couples facing similar challenges would not have to endure the same agony.

"Linnette Lebron's Law," named in honor of the young wife who died in 2015, would reduce the waiting period and requirements for couples who want to enter into a marriage or civil union when one of the partners is terminally ill.

"This can be a rare situation for a family, but one that deserves special attention and provisions under the law," said Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Burlington), one of the bill's sponsors.

The bill passed the Assembly recently 74-0, with six members not voting. It heads to the Senate for further action.

As the law now stands, if you want to marry or enter into a civil union in the Garden State, you must first obtain a license from a licensing officer and deliver it to the person who will be officiating.

There are also those mandated 72 hours of waiting, from the time you apply until the license is issued, unless the Superior Court has issued an order waiving the time.

Under the proposed change, co-sponsored by Democrats Annette Quijano (Union) and Adam Taliaferro (Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem), the mandatory waiting period would be waived for unions involving a terminally ill patient who is hospitalized, providing the treating physician certifies the illness to the licensing officer.

Under the terms of the bill, "terminally ill" means the patient can reasonably be expected to die within 12 months of less.

This is a compassionate measure, aimed at easing the burden on couples when they see their precious time slipping away. During those hours and days. they should be able to focus on helping each other find comfort and grace, not on jumping through legal hoops.

Thankfully, few engaged couples find themselves in this nightmarish scenario. For those who do, Linnette Lebron's Law would be a blessing.

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

He was a major part of the Yankees run to within one game of the 2017 World Series. Watch video

Adam Warren has been an effective relief pitcher for the New York Yankees, since he made his debut with the team in 2012.

Wednesday night, Warren got a chance to do something he has not done in the major leagues since 2016 with the Chicago Cubs: start a game.

Warren took the ball to start the game against Reading, in the second game of three with the Fightin Phils, as part of his rehab assignment from a back strain. He threw three innings, allowing just one hit, while striking out three, in his first appearance in Trenton since his time with the Thunder back in 2010. 

More importantly, he felt much better than he did Saturday, when he started for Triple A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.  Warren gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning, in a 10-3 loss to Syracuse.

"I feel much better," Warren said. "Much more polished. I was just a little rusty the other day, and I felt like I was attacking the zone much better. I feel really good about where my pitches were at. I feel good.

"I just tried to be more aggressive. I think I was trying to be a little too perfect last time, and trying to do too much, coming back from an injury. So I tried to simplify it today, and pound the zone.

"I was (a little tentative) early on, but I have gotten to the point where I trust it now. That is how it is going to be with any injury. But I feel good, with no issues."

Warren will not spend much time in Trenton. The pitcher will join the Yankees in Baltimore tomorrow, for the beginning of a four-game series with the Orioles.

"They told me I am going to Baltimore," Warren said. "I don't know what that means, but hopefully good things. 

Warren, who is 0-1 with a 3.24 ERA in eight appearances (8.1 innings) for the Yankees this season, has not pitched in the majors since the April 20 game against Toronto.

He was a major part of the Yankees run to within one game of the 2017 World Series. Warren had 46 appearances last season, and went 3-2, with a 2.35 ERA in 57.1 innings of work. He allowed just 35 hits, and struck out 54.

Warren joins the Yankees as they attempt to haul in Boston for best record in the major leagues. The Red Sox are 39-17, while New York is 34-17, two and a half games back.

"They are fun to watch," Warren said. "It has been tough, being away from it. I was there for a little bit, when they really started going on that winning streak. You just kind of want to be a part of it. I am excited to get back with the guys, and contribute."

Thunder return home, after Amburgey salvaged road trip in Erie

The Thunder pitching staff has been the main reason the team is within a half game of New Hampshire for best record in the Eastern League, and five games up on Binghamton for the second playoff spot in the Eastern Division.

Tuesday night, another one of the Yankees top pitching prospects, of which there are many (16 of the top 20 prospects in the organization are pitchers), shined for Trenton.

Trevor Stephan, who is ranked number 14 on the list of prospects, rebounded from a tough Double A debut in Akron last week to shut down Reading for 5.2 innings. He left the game after reaching his pitch count (84 pitches), and also after he was hit on the foot with a line drive.

Stephan allowed just two hits, and no runs, with seven strikeouts, and is now 3-2, with a 2.65 ERA, in his nine 2018 starts at Tampa and Trenton.

Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean

The Knickerbockers, who had a #20 hit in 1966 with "Lies" (they sounded a lot like the Beatles), took their name from their hometown's main street, Knickerbocker Road in Bergenfield.

When I was growing up, my father was the photographer in the family.

courtesy of the Hatala family 

He started shooting home movies in the '60s. And, when we set off on a trip somewhere, the home movie would start with scenes taken through the front window of the car, complete with his knuckles on the steering wheel.

He said he was "establishing the route" or something and we, of course, made fun of him for it.

Now when we look at them again, he has the last laugh because those scenes of the streets and roads we were traveling are the ones people perk up for. "Look! There's so-and-so's store!" or "I forgot the such-and-such used to be there!"

The photos in this gallery and galleries like it we've done in the past serve the same purpose. It's fascinating to see what streets we might drive down every day looked like 40 years ago ... 60 years ... 80 years. In one instance in the gallery, there's a photo of a street in my hometown from more than 150 years ago.

Enjoy these scenes of streets and roads in New Jersey, as well as these links to other galleries. And if you have photos like the films my Dad used to take, by all means send them in, knuckles and all.

Vintage photos of N.J. street scenes

Vintage photos of streets and roads in N.J.

Vintage photos of New Jersey street scenes

Vintage photos of street scenes in N.J.

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

New leader and six teams unranked a week ago

Acevedo has been healing with a time-honored tradition for pitchers around baseball: pickle juice.

Yankees number eight prospect Domingo Acevedo recently found himself in two positions he had not been in for years.

The 6-7 righty had been sidelined for over six weeks, with a blister problem that he dealt with back in 2015.

He was also unfamiliar entering from the bullpen in the middle of a contest.

But Monday, Acevedo was more than happy to come into the game for three innings in relief of Ryan Bollinger, if it meant that the he would finally be back on the hill in a competitive game.

Acevedo piggy-backed on Bollinger's five inning outing in Erie Monday, and got the win, as the Thunder came back from a two-run deficit to win 6-5. The victory was Acevedo's first of the season, which has seen him make just three appearances and spend more than six weeks on the DL due to a blister that ripped open, and a concussion he got while on the DL.

Trenton's opening day starter was excited to get back on the mound competitively for the first time since an April 11 outing against New Hampshire. He faced the minimum nine batters in his three inning stint, and struck out three. Acevedo needed just 38 pitches (26 for strikes), and his velocity on his fastball was back up into the mid-to-upper 90's.

"I feel good," Acevedo said. "I feel good, and I am excited to get back to pitching, which is my thing. I am good."

This is not the first time a blister issue has hampered the start of a season for Acevedo. In 2015, he began the season with Class A Charleston, but pitched just once before missing two months. When he finally returned with Staten Island in late June, he had no more issues with his finger.

This time, the injury was compounded when the blister ripped.

"From my research, the rip is a long process," Acevedo said. "In 2015 at Charleston, then Staten Island, it was quicker to get back to my routine. This time, I had to take it easier, because the team wanted to make sure that it does not happen any more." 

Yankees reliever Adam Warren makes rehab start with Thunder

Acevedo has been healing with a time-honored tradition for pitchers around baseball: pickle juice.

"I put my fingers every day in the pickle juice," Acevedo said. "The trainers say to put it in the pickle juice. It has helped me. The juice has been good, because my skin is now stronger. It feels better now."

As for the relief outing, he will do the same on Saturday, when he is scheduled to piggy-back with Brody Koerner in Bowie.

"I don't know too much about the schedule," Acevedo said. "It will probably change a little bit. I know I will pitch Saturday. I will piggy-back again, and I will pitch three innings."

In his 72 minor league appearances at all levels of the Yankees organization, Monday was the first time he did not start the game since his very first time on the mound, June 22, 2013, with the Dominican Summer League Yankees. 

Acevedo also came out of the bullpen for all seven of his appearances in the 2015 Arizona Fall League, while pitching with the Surprise Saguaros.

'That is my first time relieving since the 2015 Arizona Fall League," Acevedo said. "I was a little nervous (Monday), because I did not want to start throwing balls, and walking a lot of guys. But I feel good now. I feel more comfortable, and more strong. I feel much better."

Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean

The 56-year-old man was from Trenton.

Authorities have identified the 56-year-old man found in an alley on Memorial Day, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said Thursday. 

Anthony Anderson, of Trenton, was found in an alley in the area of Taylor and Poplar streets in East Trenton Monday afternoon. Police said the body was "badly decomposing," and they didn't know how long it had been there. 

The medical examiner's office ruled this week that Anderson had been stabbed to death, although officials have not yet released how long they believe he has been dead. 

The prosecutor's office did say Wednesday that his death has been ruled a homicide. 

The investigation is still ongoing, and no arrests have been made.

Individuals who may have information are encouraged to call Mercer County Homicide Task Force Sgt. Gary Wasko or Detective Roberto Reyes at 609-989-6406.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Thursday's winners move to Saturday's finals

The teen lived in Hamilton and played basketball at Nottingham High School

One of the teenage victims of a shooting in Trenton early Wednesday morning has died, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said Thursday morning.

Authorities identified him as 19-year-old Kuyler Fowler, of Hamilton.

Fowler was a basketball player at Nottingham High School from 2015 to 2017, and he enjoyed studying physics, according to his Facebook page. Boys varsity basketball coach Chris Raba tweeted that he was heartbroken by Fowler's death.

In a public Facebook post, Fowler's cousin Meesha Robinson said, "I changed his diaper and fed him as a baby. He had so much curly hair and used be crawling fast backwards... We said he was moonwalking. I can never forget you."

Nottingham Basketball Family's heart is broken. RIP Kuyler. You will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/jy9d3GpYj7

-- Chris Raba (@coach_raba) May 30, 2018

Fowler was wounded in the 900 block of East State Street around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Police arriving at a reported shooting found him with a gunshot wound to his head in the front seat of an Audi that had been struck by bullets more than 20 times.

A 16-year-old male was also struck in the leg during the shooting, but has since been released from a hospital.

The prosecutor's office did not have any additional updates on the shooting. No arrests have been made yet, and there is no suspected motive for the shooting.

Gianluca D'Elia may be reached at gdelia@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @gianluca_delia. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Jersey is stuck in a gloomy weather pattern that favors damp conditions and rain storms, forecasters say.

This weather streak is one for the ducks: One dreary, rainy weekend after another. 

How many, to be exact? In many areas of New Jersey, Mother Nature has given us five straight weekends with at least some wet weather, ranging from a trace of rain to heavy downpours. 

To make matters worse, forecasters are calling for more rain this weekend. That would make it six consecutive rainy weekends -- and seven out of eight if you go back to the wet weekend of April 14 and April 15.

The only completely dry weekend we've had in the Garden State as of late was April 21 and April 22, according to daily climate data from the National Weather Service. Memorial Day weekend gave us one nice treat -- a dry, sunny day on May 26 -- but it was followed by nasty thunderstorms with drenching downpours in some counties on May 27.

So, who can we blame for this ugly gray May and upcoming June gloom?

"We're stuck in a very stagnant pattern, and it seems like it's going to be this way for at least a few more days," said Joe Slezak, a meteorologist at the WeatherWorks forecasting company, based in Warren County.

Basically, a large ridge of high pressure over a big chunk of the western United States has been giving that region mostly hot and dry weather, while a large area of the eastern U.S. -- including New Jersey -- has been stuck under a trough of low pressure, Slezak said. 

Hurricane season 2018: What to expect

During the past few weeks, waves of moisture have been feeding a series of storm systems that have formed in our area, giving us a lot of rain. The cool, drizzly weather that's annoying New Jersey on Thursday is related to an on-shore flow, basically lots of moisture drifting off the ocean.

More stormy weather on the way

Around or after sunset Thursday, steadier rain showers could move across New Jersey, and some could be embedded with thunderstorms, Slezak said. More thunderstorms are possible Friday afternoon and Friday evening, then again on Saturday, with the National Weather Service advising drivers to be aware of possible flash flooding.  

"Saturday looks like the worst day of the (next) three," the WeatherWorks meteorologist said, with thunderstorms possible at any time. 

The good news, if there is any? Heavy rain might not hit every part of the state this weekend. It all depends on where a "cutoff low" sets up, Slezak said.

A cutoff low is a storm system that becomes disconnected from the general flow of the atmosphere, he explained. "It's no longer a leaf in the stream. The leaf just kind of falls out and gets stuck here."

So, when will we finally get a string of nice sunny days?

Slezak says New Jersey might see some dry weather by the middle of next week, but it's not a lock, because some moisture could stick around. 

The bottom line, he says: "The pattern doesn't look that great for beach weather."

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Everything you need to know heading into Friday's action.

The suspect was apprehended in southern Virginia about a month after the 2015 crime

A Trenton man found guilty in March of killing 29-year-old Harvey Sharp in 2015 has been sentenced to 45 years in prison, the Mercer County Prosecutors Office said.

Horace Gordan, 38, shot Sharp during the early morning hours of the victim's June 24, 2015 birthday. Police found Sharp with a bullet in his chest on the 100 block of Cummings Avenue just after midnight. 

Authorities linked Gordon to the crime and charged him the next day. A U.S. Marshal's task force tracked him to southern Virginia the following month and took him into custody. 

The jury deliberated for only five hours after the trial closed in March, finding Gordon guilty of the murder.

Prosecutor's office spokesperson Casey DeBlasio said the office had asked for Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier to consider a life sentence. 

"This wasn't a case of who-done-it, but a case of why he did it," Mercer County Executive Assistant Prosecutor Amy Devenny said of the case. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Group championships are Friday and Saturday. Prepare yourself with our preview of all 12 meets at Franklin Township and Central Regional.