Warren County Boy Scout Troop marks fall accomplishments.

Boy Scout Troop 141, which serves the Belvidere, Phillipsburg, Washington, Oxford and Harmony areas, recently held its fall Court of Honor. The event recognized scouts' rank advancements and merit badges earned throughout the summer, including those earned at summer camp.  

The following scouts earned a total of 74 merit badges: Dan Blackwood, James Bronico, Liam Chapman, Ty Clark, Andy Cundiff, Carter Dolan, Travis Fichner, Braedon Hale, Ervin Jones, Brady Kardos, Riley Kardos, Daniel Kull, Aaron Losco, Louis Spann, Thomas Sperduto, Adam Stanneck, Andrew Stanneck, Alex Stanneck, Kameron Steckel and Liam Tipton.

Four scouts advanced in rank: Dan Blackwood advanced to the rank of Life Scout, and Travis Fichner, Louis Spann and Thomas Sperduto all achieved the rank of Second Class. 

The troop meets every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Scout Home located on Race Street in Belvidere. All boys ages 11 through 17 are welcome to join or visit a troop meeting at any time.  For more information about Boy Scout Troop 141, contact Allen Smith, Scoutmaster, at 908-268-1393. 

Do you have Scout news to share? To see it posted here and possibly in The Express-Times and Warren Reporter, send me an email.

The man was also reportedly wanted in Easton.

Phillipsburg police and the Warren County Tactical Response Team just after 6 a.m. Saturday took a man into custody at 15 Reese Court in town.

It wasn't immediately clear what charges the man -- who was dressed in blue jeans, a light-colored T-shirt and dark shoes -- faces. He did not appear to resist as he was removed in handcuffs from the end row home, which had a small Christmas light display in the tiny front yard on the out-of-the-way street off South Main.

MORE: Worker allegedly forged pastor's name

A neighbor watched the arrest from a second floor window.

A town police dog was brought into the home after the arrest.

While police have yet to release a name, dispatches indicated the 19-year-old was also wanted on a bench warrant out of Northampton County related to Easton drug charges.

Town police didn't immediately respond to a request for more information.

Freelance photographer Tim Wynkoop provided information for this post.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The major project is part of broader plans for the town's Delaware River shores.

Plans continue to develop for the future of Phillipsburg's riverfront.

Town officials recently approved nearly 450 new homes -- a mixture of townhouses and apartments -- for the long-discussed Riverview at Delaware Station development, part of a broader ongoing effort to build up the town's Delaware River shores.

Mayor Stephen Ellis has called redeveloping Union Square, the area at the New Jersey end of the Easton-Phillipsburg free bridge, his top priority. The town has surveyed residents about what they would like to see, and there has been talk of making it a destination akin to San Antonio's Riverwalk.

Most recently, on Nov. 28, the town land use board gave the nod to the Riverview development, proposed by Bethlehem-based developer and Phillipsburg native Michael Perrucci's Peron Construction.

The proposal replaces a plan for stacked townhouses that was approved in 2006 with a mix of 136 three-bedroom townhomes and 312 one- and two-bedroom apartments. The development along Howard Street, expected to house 955 people, will be accessed off Stockton and McKeen streets, and will include a recreation center and in-ground pool.

The average asking price for a three-bedroom townhouse is projected to be $220,000, according to prior planning board documents.

A river-spanning rail trail? That's the plan

Town engineer Stan Schrek said the development of an on-site promenade will provide a key link in Phillipsburg's trail system, calling the project "very, very important to the town," according to a report from WFMZ.

In 2014, the project was granted a 30-year tax break by the town, allowing Peron to pay an annual service charge in place of property taxes. Phillipsburg will collect $1.7 million in annual service charges, according to projections at the time.

Residents have previously expressed concerns about impact on schools and traffic.

As for other developments along the river, the mayor on Facebook laid out a rough procedure. A plan for the Union Square area is being developed and will go to the land use board and town council for approval. The town should be in a position to accept work proposals by late spring or summer, he said.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Phillipsburg police and the Warren County Tactical Response Team raided the home early Saturday.

A Phillipsburg teen had a shotgun, heroin and marijuana during an early morning raid Saturday in the first block of Reese Court, police said.

Charged is Evan Siemasko, 19, who also previously lived in Allentown.

Phillipsburg police and the Warren County Tactical Response Team just after 6 a.m. entered the home with a search warrant and arrested Siemasko. He did not appear to resist as he was removed in handcuffs from the end row home, which had a small Christmas light display in the tiny front yard on the out-of-the-way street off South Main.

Police were searching for Siemasko. He had a bench warrant out of Northampton County related to Easton drug charges this past spring.

Siemasko, who then lived in the 100 block of North Fourth Street in Allentown, was pulled over at 11 p.m. June 13 driving a 2002 Hyundai Sonata in the 100 block of South 14th Street in Easton.

An officer detected a strong odor of marijuana during the stop, city police previously said. Siemasko and his passenger said they previously smoked a blunt in the car, according to police.

Officers found a small amount of marijuana residue in the car, as well as a loaded.22-caliber gun, police said. Neither man had a valid conceal-carry license.

Investigators on June 14 obtained a search warrant for the car. Marijuana, a digital scale and clonazepam (brand name Klonopin), amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, Alprazolam (brand name Xanax) and mollies (known as ecstasy) pills were recovered, police had said.

Siemasko was charged in the June case with four counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, DUI involving a controlled substance and a firearms violation. All charges filed at that point were held in a July preliminary hearing in Northampton County Court.

More charges -- the third and fourth possession with intent counts -- were added during a Sept. 29 formal arraignment in county court, in which Siemasko did not attend, court papers say.

Man arrested in early-morning Phillipsburg police raid

Siemasko then violated conditions of his 10 percent of $5,000 bail, court records show. It was posted twice, revoked three times and increased to 10 percent of $10,000, eventually resulting in a Northampton County Court bench warrant on Sept. 29 for his arrest, court papers say.

Criminal court was canceled Oct. 10 and then rescheduled 9 a.m. Monday, but that appearance too was canceled, records show.

In Saturday's case, Siemasko is charged with third-degree heroin possession, fourth-degree unlawful distribution of marijuana and second-degree unlawful possession of a shotgun while distributing a controlled dangerous substance.

Siemasko was sent to Warren County jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. He remained there Monday.

Reporter Tony Rhodin contributed to this report.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

This second and final state of New Jersey's 2016 bear hunt coincides with firearms season for white-tailed deer.

The second and final stage of New Jersey's 2016 black bear hunt got off to a slow start Monday.

Two months after 562 bears were killed over six days, the state's five weigh stations were reporting very little activity, state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Robert Geist said.

Segment B of New Jersey's bear hunt coincides with the state's six-day firearms season for white-tailed deer.  

At the Whittingham Wildlife Management Area, where Geist was based, only three hunters had arrived with dead bears as of 2:30 p.m., under the watch of about two dozen protesters based across the street.

Asked about the hunt, Alison Long of Sussex Borough said, "I'm hoping that it stops."

"They deserve to live in peace," she said of bears.

At least nine state police and conservation officers were present but there were no arrests. That was in contrast with the opening day of the October hunt in which three demonstrators were charged with disorderly conduct and other offenses after allegedly straying beyond the area reserved for demonstrators.

Geist said that on that day, Oct. 10, he recalled a line of cars leading up to the scales in Fredon. The five check stations collectively registered 206 bears.

Reward offered in slain elk probe

Geist, while stating he would not receive an official tally until the evening, said all indications were that Monday's count would be far short of Oct. 10.

"I'm probably at the most active area," Geist said, adding, "Everyone is telling me that we're slow across the spectrum."

Geist speculated that colder weather prompting additional bears into hibernation was a factor, in addition to the reduction stemming from the October hunt.

Monday's pace also increased the likelihood that the hunt's second stage will continue through Saturday.

Under the rules of the hunt, DEP is to order an early end if the cumulative percentage of "tagged," or previously recorded, bears reaches 30 percent of that population.

With 46 of the 197 bears that were tagged in 2016 killed in October, another 14 would trigger the 30 percent threshold.

In prior years, the bear season was limited to December.

None of the three bears brought to Fredon by 2:30 p.m., including a 565-pound male, were tagged, Geist said.

Monday's slow start was little solace to the protesters.

They held signs and chanted in unison, "Stop the killing, stop the injustice," at one point jeering a hunter, Nick Bockbrader of Allamuchy, who was accompanied by his children when he arrived around 1:30 p.m. with a 565-pound male bear.

Bockbrader was the third hunter at the station. The first two brought in an 85-pound male and 44-pound female and neither gave their names.

All three exited without further commenting.

Geist said the hunt is only one aspect of a bear management plan in New Jersey. He said it also includes educating residents of bear country about the importance of securing their garbage.

"Obviously, the harvest in something people differ on," he said, using the word DEP typically substitutes for hunting.

Valerie Devine of Parsippany, a protester, said she has been protesting the bear hunt ever year since 2010, when the annual season resumed under Gov. Chris Christie.

"My big thing is, what did the bear do to you," she said in explaining her attitude toward hunters.

Jerome Mandel of Newton had attached a black ribbon to his clothing.

Mandel said it represented "the bears who have lost their lives, approximately 3,000, under this governor."

The first hunter arrived just after 10 a.m. Monday. He said he shot the bear at 7:50 a.m, but declined to say where he shot it, other than it happened in Sussex County.

Sussex is one of eight counties where the hunt is taking place. More than half of the bears killed in the October hunt were in Sussex.

In addition to Sussex, the bear hunt is taking part in Warren, Morris, Bergen, Hunterton, Mercer, Passaic and Somerset counties.

Diane Milleson of Middletown said she drove about 90 minutes to reach the demonstration.

She was holding a sign reading, "RIP Pedals," in a reference to the famed bipedal bear believed to have been killed in the October hunt.

"I'm here for him, and the cubs, and their mothers," she said.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Four charged with distribution and money laundering after Hunterdon County bust.

TRENTON -- State Police seized more than 50 pounds of marijuana from four individuals after watching them swap packages from the trunks of their cars in a middle school parking lot in Hunterdon County, authorities said.

A State Police detective spotted the exchange outside the Union Township Middle School around 8:30 p.m. Sunday evening, according to a statement from the division.

The detective, Bruce Sanderson, watched a silver sedan with Maryland plates pull into the empty parking lot, where it was later joined by a silver van with Pennsylvania plates.

"Two men then exited from each car, opened their trunks, and exchanged several packages," the statement said.

The detective and several troopers approached the men and began asking questions before calling in a K9 unit from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office, which indicated the presence of drugs, police said.

Troopers seized 50 pounds of marijuana from the van and more than $39,000 from the sedan, authorities said.

Troopers revive man on turnpike

They arrested four individuals: Tyrone Durrant, 34, and Kadian McFarlane, 33, both of of Reading, PA, Chester Fyffe, 47, of Islip, New York, and Sasha Fyffe, 25, of Brooklyn.

All were charged with possession with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute in a school zone, and money laundering.

Fyffe, Durrant and McFarlane were being held at the Hunterdon County Jail on $150,000 bail and Fyffe was released pending court, authorities said. It was not immediately clear whether they had retained attorneys.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Stateliners will be strong at the top and bottom of the ladder.

Phillipsburg

Conference: Skyland Conference Raritan Division

Classification: North 2 Group 4

District: District 9 at Phillipsburg

Region: Region 3 at West Orange

2015-16 record: 17-3, 6-0 division; Group 4 state champions

Key contributors: Sr. Tyris Manley (120); Sr. Danny Fisher (182); Sr. Drew Horun (195); Sr. Robert Melise (220); Sr. Justen Caraballo (285); Jr. Cullen Day (106); Jr. Travis Jones (113); Jr. Josh Ramos (132/138); Jr. Lance Wissing (138); Jr. Brian Meyer (145/152); Jr. Shamyr Brodders (160/170); So. Brenden Fox (113); So. Cody Harrison (126); So. Kyle Tino (132/138); So. Jayson Zinsmeister (145/152); So. Austin Roth (160/170).

Outlook: Proven up top, strong down low, a few questions in the middle: meet the Stateliners. Not many teams will match their power up top, led by the incomparable Melise, a 2016 state runner-up. Few can equal the lightweight strength of the powerful Day and Harrison, a state qualifier for Warren Hills last season. In the middle, though, other than the rapidly-improving Meyer, who became Phillipsburg’s second Fargo medalist and should challenge for state honors, what P’burg has is a lot of talent and a whole lot of athleticism without a whole lot of past success and experience. If that group firms up and becomes solid dual-meet wrestlers, the Stateliners won’t lose very often. How the team wrestles in its new gym (first home dual Jan. 4 versus Bound Brook) is a bit of a wildcard, but the 100 percent team-first passion of Phillipsburg won’t ever change. There should be a lot of hardware around to put in the new school’s trophy cases come March. Individually, Melise seems a favorite to win a state title and Day, Harrison, Meyer and Horun should contend for medals.

From coach Dave Post: “We hope to win Phillipsburg's 21st Group state championship and beat Easton. We hope to have four wrestlers place at the state tournament with at least one champion.”

Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

Look who made the honor roll at Phillipsburg High School.

Phillipsburg High School announced its first marking period honor roll.

HIGH HONOR ROLL

Amr Ahmed Fouad, Audrey Boice, David Botros, Andrew Burke, Juan Casiano, Vincent Cooper, Thomas Coury, Julia Dalrymple, Julia Eckard, Delaney Fiore, Abraham Frey, Kirsten Fritts, Marissa Gabriel, Michael Gomez, Kush Galati, Mark Luke Gural, Casey Hawk, Tyler Hudak, Reanna King, Lexus Lovering, Sophia Martinez, Marlee McCormick, Megan McCormick, Jessica Nagar, Alexis Perminter, Olivia Powers, Benjamin Ries, Dominick Russo, Dale Schofield, Kayla Skirbst, Taylor Smyly, Alexa Thompson and Melanie Woj.

HONOR ROLL

Noelle Abbott, Sabrina Abode, Courtney Abruzzo, Amber Ackerman, Gabriel Adams, Oluwakemi Adedoyin, John Aller, Mahmoud Alminawi, Heather Anderson, William Anderson, Keegan Andreychak, Kevin Angeles, Christiana Anselmo, Patrycia Antoniak, Imari Areizaga, Nathaniel Areizaga, Nicholas Austin, Kayla Avitabile, Spencer Aydelotte, Kyle Back, Lawrence Badway, Michael Bai, Emily Bailey, Emily Baker, Sage Banfield, Tyler Bantel, Morgan Barna and Kelly Battaglino.

(file photo)

Also: Kylie Baxter, Evan Baylor, Kendra Bayne, Matthew Bermudez, Bella Beviss, Bryan Boger, Safia Bokhari, Brianna Bolorin, Julia Bond, Rebecca Borges, Maxwell Braughton, Casserine Brotzman, Lauren Brown, Jada Bullock, Skylar Burt, Jack Butler, Alexander Cabrera, Leah Calabro, Teagan Campbell, Heather Campion, Amanda Camunas, David Capitini, William Capron, Tyler Carapezzi, Elijah Carrick, Kristin Casinelli, Anthony Castellanos, Brandon Cenci, Jerry Chambergo, Angela Chan, Jia Chen, Omar Chishti, Christian Chiulli, Hannah Chiulli, Savannah Cito, Ashlie Claxton, Ny-Asia Clemmons, Dylan Cline, Kevin Conroy, Hillary Constanza Barrientos, Andrew Contiliano, Abigail Cook, Robert Coury, Corrina Creekmur, David Cromin, Woodrow Crosby-Piszczek, Angelica Crosson, Delmy Cruz, Amanda Curtis, Crystal Daniels, Karl Dano, Alyssa Darden, Olivia Darmstadt, Hannah Davis, Alyssa De Borja and Alec DeGerolamo.

Also: Nica Dela Rama, Mikkaila DeLuca, Janell DeMarco-Woolf, Alexis Derrick, Arnav Dhammi, Colleen Diesch, Jason Divinagracia, Abigail Donnelley, Lauren Dragun, Peter Dragun, Justine Drake, Michael Drakeford, Gabriella Dudek, Cheyenne Dushok, Dylan Dushok, Jack Eagleburger, Alexandra Echeverria, Abigail Eck, Nicole Eck, Cierra Eckhardt, Payton Elling, Veronica Erdman, Maria Erz, Abbigale Evans, Kate Falkowski, Cameron Farley, Elizabeth Farley, Madison Faychak, Brooklyn Fellner, Brandon Ferry, Darius Figgs, Giana Firetto, Louis Fonseca, Abigail Fontana, David Foster, Hallie France, Logan Frankle, Meghan Fuchs, Jaxxon Fulper, Theresa Furnari, Charles Garabo, Christian Garabo, Giuliana Garcia Santos, Amanda Gargone, Kendra Gatyas, Philip Gatz, Erin Glassmacher, Anthony Goodell, Samantha Goodell, Justin Graham, Matthew Greenen, Ashley Griesmeyer, Grace Grundt, Santiago Guevara and Catherine Gural.

Also: Emma Haberl, Megan Haberl, Kaleigh Hacker, Krisan Hall, Liam Halloran, Ashley Handwerk, Alexander Hanisak, Hayley Hardenbergh, Ashley Harrison, Jenna Hartzler, Lauren Hartzler, Kamal Harvey-Woodard, William Haussman, Corey Hawk, Mikayla Hayes, Madison Hendrix, Quincy Herdlein, Victor Hermes, Rachel Herrman, Paige Hezel, Bridget Hoey, Jordan Holman, Kelly Horner, Omar Hossein, Jenna Howell, Paisley Hunt, Sofia Inchausti, Julia Iorio, Jonathan Isaacs, Emma Jagiello, Lindsey Jameson, Rebeka Jofre, Marykate Juliano, Patrick Juliano, Sean Kane, Malaysia Kellem, Leah Kelly, Bria Ketchledge, Peter Kobasa, Alexander Kollias, Alexandra Koluch, Ashley Korbeil, Anna Korzeniewski, Joseph Kowalczyk, Matthew Kowalczyk, Christopher Kromar, Kevin Kuznierczak, Chelsea Labar, Mariah Lambert, Angela Largo, Anna Lathrop and Ryan Lattner.

Also: Kaylee Laubach, Olivia Leahy, Matthew Lebron, Meghan LeMar, Sarah LeMar, Masie Leifer, Zachary Leong, Faith Lettire, Derek Liguori, Brian Lizarzaburu, Kyle Long, Collin Longacre, Casey Longo, Matthew Lopes, Argylle Lubang, Carly Malavarca, Thomas Mandry, Christopher Mann, Jessica Manners, Anastasia Marciello, Jared Marcuccilli, Curran Marron, Madeline Marron, Robert Martin, Samuel Mashburn, Daniel Mattie, Grace McAnally, Daniel McAuliffe, Nicholas McAuliffe, Quinton McCarter, Logan McDonald, Jonathan McLaughlin, Ava Mele, Sorriet Melendez Rivera, Kevin Melillo, Brian Meyer, Sylvia Michnej, Olivia Migliaccio, Grace Miller, Julie Miller, Ryan Miller, Sara Miller, Haley Mitchell, Hannah Mitchell, Madison Mitchell, Tanner Moore, Laura Mora Orenday, Miranda Moreau, Grace Moser, Samantha Moser, Michelle Moss, Kyle Mullen, Jonathan Murdoch, Marcus Murdoch, Nathanael Musera and Kayla Mutchler.

Also:Caleb Myott, Justus Neumeister, Kyle Nolan, Ryan Nollstadt, Robert Orth, Christina Pace, Trisha Pakkala, Skylar Patricia, Lindsey Paul, Ronny Penalo, Dean Peppe, Juan Pereanez-Bermeo, Kathryn Perino, Kiana Perst, Lily Petrillo, Priscilla Philip, Julia Pieklo, Kieran Pisani, Erin Pisciotto, Ryder Poliseo, Gaston Pombo Alcaire, Grace Postiglione, Jacqueline Powers, Benjamin Price, Sean Quinn, Ashley Rajan, Michelle Rajan, Luiza Ramos Pinto, Aditya Rao, Jenna Rapsis, Brittany Rego, Emily Rego, Keely Rehman, Douglas Reitemeyer, Estrella Reyes, Conan Ritt, Carmelo Rivera, Victoria Rivera, Devery Robb, Jazmin Rodriguez, Amanda Roles, Crystal Roskilly, Alexandria Ross, Christopher Ruiz, John Sabo, Angela Saccaro, Zoraiya Saltos, Kyle Samarelli, Eddie Sanchez, Luis Sanchez Morales, Saul Sandoval Medina, Ana Santiago, Adam Scalzo, Henry Scalzo, Ian Schneider, Michael Shaffer, Ashley Sheehan, Eyad Shehawy and Kailee Siedelhofer.

Also: Aleah Sims, Julia Sinkbeil, Ashley Smith, John Socci, Joseph Socci, Kyle Sofhauser, Carolynn Southwick, Emma Spencer, Abigail Stadelmann, Christian Stallbohm, Destynee Stallings, McKeeley Stansberry, Alexander Stasiulaitis, Eric Stazzone, Sela Stazzone, Sierra Stein, Kristian Suite, Shakia Sullivan, Julianna Sweeney, Meghan Sykes, Calli Taggert, Jacob Takacs, Lawrence Tammaro, Peyton Taylor, Sarah Tepper-Fazzari, Owen Thomas, Daniel Thompson, William Thompson, Kyle Tietjen, Henry Tighe, Jazmin-Kiara Tison, Jules-Krysti Tison, Matthew Trochim, Zachary Troxell, Raul Uriostegui, Brian Vianden, Jeffrey Vitale, Greta Walen, Sterling Walker-Sutton, Karl Wambold, Wade Warner, Ashley Weightman, Morgan Weindel, Meghan Weisel, Emily Weiss, Teresa Wershonski, Corinne West, Brian Whalen, Jacob Whitehead, Jessica Wikstrom, Jacob Wicks, Stephen Willey, Julian Williams, Jaclyn Wootton, Emily Yodis, Pamela Yong, Maggie-Jo Zeeman, Conner Zeigman and Mark Zgoda.

Students on social media said a note was written in a high school bathroom.

UPDATE: Bomb threat was cause for disruption to school day

Phillipsburg High School was on lockdown late Tuesday morning, but officials weren't immediately saying why.

Lopatcong Township police cars at 11 a.m. were blocking the main entrance to the new school at Roseberry Street and Belvidere Road.

Police said the school was on lockdown and it wasn't clear when it would be lifted.

Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis clarified to say it was a soft lockdown, meaning movement is permitted within the school but no one can enter or leave.

Students on social media shared a photo of what they described as writing on a bathroom wall. The writing said a bomb would go off and there would be gunfire at 11:30 a.m.

This image from SnapChat was making the rounds among Phillipsburg High School students. 

High school senior Tyler Simon said a number of students had exchanged a picture of the note. Simon was unable to get back into the high school after attending a program at Warren County Community College.

A person who answered the phone at the school referred all questions to the Education Center.

Superintendent George Chando didn't respond to phone messages and texts, and township police Chief Jason Garcia couldn't immediately be reached.

Photographer Saed Hindash contributed to this report.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The shelter in place has ended at the Lopatcong Township school.

What Lopatcong Township police described as a shelter-in-place order after a bomb threat on Tuesday at Phillipsburg High School has ended, according to a news release.

New Jersey, Warren County and local authorities determined the threat was "low level" and "law enforcement implemented best practices as recommended by Homeland Security and the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad," township police Chief Jason Garcia said in the news release.

EARLIER: Phillipsburg High School on lockdown

An official said the new school in Lopatcong Township was searched.

A student, citing a shared photo, said the incident began when someone scrawled "There will be a bomb going off at 11:30 a.m. and gunfire" on a bathroom wall.

This image from SnapChat was making the rounds among Phillipsburg High School students.

Garcia wouldn't confirm or deny the student's report.

Once it was determined there was "no credible threat," the shelter in place was lifted, Garcia said.

The shelter in place, which "shares the same understanding" with a soft lockdown, began about 10 a.m. and was over by 11:40 a.m., he said. A soft lockdown means people can't enter or leave the school but they can move around inside.

Police remained on the campus off Roseberry Street and Belvidere Road as classes resumed, Garcia said.

Campus visits were restricted but will return to normal at dismissal, Garcia said.

The investigation is continuing and further information won't be released for now, Garcia said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Phillipsburg, North Hunterdon and Warren Hills had representatives.

The Skyland Conference girls tennis coaches selected their all-stars after the season.

In the Valley Division, Phillipsburg's Jessica Minardi shared first-team honors at No. 1 singles with Laura Suarez of Bound Brook. Maria Martucci of Warren Hills made the second team at No. 3 singles. Michelle Rajan of Phillipsburg and Kiana Wiggins of Warren Hills were honorable-mention picks.

In the Raritan Division, North Hunterdon's Alexa Vasile shared first-team honors at No. 1 singles with Sharon Jin of Gil St. Bernard's. The Lions also had first-team selections with Kiera Horun at No. 2 singles, Hannah Trinity at third singles and Caroline Paul and Juliette Shore at No. 2 doubles. Catrina Gutescu and Ana Vlad of North Hunterdon made the second team at No. 1 doubles.

Josh Folck may be reached at jfolck@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshFolck. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

Slick conditions were expected to continue throughout Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said.

UPDATE: How much did it snow in the Valley and the Poconos?

Portions of the Lehigh Valley could see slippery conditions continue throughout Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said.

The weather service at 8:35 p.m. issued a winter weather advisory in effect until 1 a.m. Wednesday for an area of the Lehigh Valley region including Northampton and Warren counties.

"Freezing rain is ongoing in spots and will continue for the next several hours," the advisory states. "Temperatures will warm above freezing overnight."

Snow and sleet still occurring in parts of Northeast PA and Northwest NJ. Be safe and slow down if out driving. #njwx #pawx

-- NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) December 7, 2016

Lehigh County wasn't escaping the potential for trouble, and remained under a hazardous weather outlook issued by the weather service throughout Tuesday night due to some icy spots.

Potential for this snow depends on where you are

In the winter weather advisory area, minor snow and sleet accumulations were forecast, along with a trace of ice accumulation was forecast.

"Ice and snow accumulations may create slippery conditions and sidewalks," the advisory reads.

No further widespread hazardous weather was forecast Wednesday through Monday, according to the weather service.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

'Had the Pohatcong Township officers not responded so quickly and efficiently, my dad wouldn't be here with us today.'

The trauma may prevent Jeremy Hewens from remembering all the details of the crash. But they're clear to his family.

"Unusually warm weather for January, a typically deserted road, a blind corner, a distracted driver, and my dad (who probably could have won an award for bicycle safety, if there was such a thing) all collided in one terrible moment. Timing was everything, as I guess it usually is when accidents occur," his daughter, Chelsea Hewens Davis, said in a statement thanking Pohatcong Township police for their aid.

Jeremy Hewens (Courtesy photo) 

Hewens, of Hunterdon County's Holland Township, stood with family and officers in a photo posted with the statement.

He was 66 at the time of the Warren County crash, and the assistant director of Hunterdon Family Medicine at Delaware Valley, where the grandfather and 2014 New Jersey Family Physician of the Year had spent his entire medical career.

On Jan. 7, he was riding north along the Delaware on River Road when he was hit by a car going in the opposite direction.

He suffered serious head trauma. During his recovery, the family's statement said, he had to be reminded of details of the crash and those who helped him.

"Had my dad left a minute later on his bike ride, or stopped for a few minutes longer to take pictures of the river or a passing train, perhaps the accident never would have happened," Hewens Davis said. "But it did, and that same precise timing is what also saved my dad's life. Had the Pohatcong Township officers not responded so quickly and efficiently, my dad wouldn't be here with us today."

The family's full statement is below:

The singers and bell ringers performed at the Phillipsburg Senior Center.

Phillipsburg Elementary School students entertained guests at the Phillipsburg Senior Center. The "Reach for the Stars" singers, under the direction of Kristal Thomas, and the PES Bell Choir, led by Desiree Kratzer, helped brighten the holiday for seniors.

The fourth- and fifth-graders will be holding a performance at the school at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20.

Do you have education news to share? To see it posted here and possibly in The Express-Times and Warren Reporter, send me an email.

The 59-year-old driver suffered a medical emergency prior to losing control, according to Greenwich Township police.

A 59-year-old Warren County man was flown by medical helicopter for treatment following a single-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon on Route 57, authorities said.

Frank Umbrello, of Thatcher Avenue in Stewartsville, Franklin Township, experienced a medical emergency while driving east, veered off the road and hit the sign for Beacon Street before striking a large tree in the 700 block of Route 57 in Greenwich Township, according to township police Lt. Dennis Cahill.

Umbrello was trapped in the Honda Element and had to be cut free by the Greenwich Township Emergency Squad, police said.

He suffered minor injuries in the crash and was flown by a New Jersey State Police helicopter to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, due to the medical episode, Cahill said. Citing privacy laws, police declined to elaborate on the medical emergency.

Tractor-trailer tangles with tree

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, which occurred about 3:25 p.m., and Umbrello had no passengers at the time, police said.

In addition to the squad and state police, Greenwich Township police were assisted at the scene by Lopatcong Township police and the Stewartsville Volunteer Fire Company, and at the landing zone by the Franklin Township Fire Department.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Batts was 14 when he shot two men in Easton, in an effort to impress members of the Bloods street gang.

A case before Pennsylvania's highest court on Wednesday could soon produce new sentencing rules for juvenile homicide defendants in the state who are facing the possibility of life in prison without parole.

The state Supreme Court heard oral arguments in an appeal brought by Qu'eed Batts, 25, who was convicted of killing a teenager with two point-blank shots to the head and wounding a man in a gang-related attack in Easton a decade ago.

Batts, of Phillipsburg, was 14 when he shot the two men in an effort to impress members of the Bloods gang. He was originally sentenced to life without parole and received the same penalty in a new sentencing hearing after a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles.

The state court, in taking Batts' appeal, said it wanted to figure out whether steps should be taken to make sure that juvenile life-without-parole sentences are handed down only in rare cases, as stipulated in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. In deciding Batts' appeal, the court could set a higher bar for the imposition of juvenile life-without-parole sentences or require experts to testify in such cases.

The justices also are considering whether juveniles facing life should get the sorts of legal safeguards now in place for defendants facing the death penalty.

Life sentence upheld for then-14-year-old murderer

Batts' lawyer, Marsha Levick, told the justices that his sentence is unconstitutional and does not meet the federal standard that the most severe sentences be reserved for those who are irreparably corrupt, irretrievably depraved or permanently incorrigible.

She said prosecutors should bear the burden of proving to a jury that Batts would qualify under that standard, which she said was meant only for "the most rare and uncommon juvenile." Experts would have to weigh in, she said.

"The issue of permanent incorrigibility is inextricably linked with the science," she said.

Hugh Burns, arguing for the Northampton County district attorney, told the justices that since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, no state has enacted the type of procedures that Batts seeks. Burns also said the federal justices put the legal burden on defendants to demonstrate that they are not among the unusual juvenile murder defendants for whom life without parole remains justified.

"In the vast majority of cases, there isn't going to be a dispute" between defense and prosecutors, Burns argued.

In a July brief, prosecutors argued that "the establishment of a procedure to sentence juvenile murderers is inherently a legislative matter."

The General Assembly in 2012 passed a new law for punishing juveniles convicted of first- or second-degree murder but did not make it retroactive. Under that law, Batts would have been subject to a mandatory minimum of 25 years.

The justices accepted Batts' appeal after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that its 2012 ruling was retroactive.

Batts' brief filed this summer said his mother gave birth to him when she was 13 and his father was sent to federal prison when Batts was 8. The boy ended up in foster care.

About 500 Pennsylvania lifers were sentenced as juveniles before the court decisions, and a majority have been in prison for at least 20 years, Levick said. Their resentencing requests are grinding through the county courts. Nationally, the figure is about 2,500.

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The command hierarchy for the next several years, and a succession plan beyond that, is being developed.

The command hierarchy for the next several years within the Phillipsburg Police Department is taking shape.

Robert Stettner was named the department's acting chief effective Nov. 27. As captain, he served as officer in charge following Chief James Faulborn's retirement Aug. 1.

The long-term holder of the chief's position will be determined through a civil service test next spring, along with a plan for succession within the command structure, Mayor Stephen Ellis said. That becomes particularly important as higher-ranking officers near retirement.

As P'burg chief steps down, captain steps up

Beneath the chief are two captains, five lieutenants and five sergeants. There are 36 officers total on the Phillipsburg force -- along with two unfilled positions -- four or five of whom are in or near the 20-to-25-year range, Ellis said.

By setting civil service tests for the chief, lieutenants and captains in April, the mayor said a command structure through the remainder of this and the next four-year mayoral term should be in place by May, with a succession plan developed after that.

In the meantime, Stettner, who did not return a call for comment, heads the department.

Police chief salaries in Warren County

The acting chief title -- a provisional appointment pending the civil service test results -- was warranted to recognize Stettner's authority and merit, Ellis said.

"We want someone in a leadership role," the mayor said. He later added: "I'm comfortable right now that we have the right leadership structure in place."

Stettner was promoted to captain in 2012 when Faulborn became the full-time chief. He is the son of former town Councilman James Stettner and his brother, James Stettner II, is also on the force.

The step up to acting chief will boost his salary. The chief position, under an ordinance approved in March, has a base salary of $125,041.27 for 2016 with annual increases up to about $132,000 by 2019.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Where they stand before the season starts.

See who was the best on the courts this season.

Flames were coming from every window when firefighters arrived around 4:30 a.m..

A fire roared through a house early Friday morning at 590 Congress St. in Phillipsburg.

The fire was reported just before 4:30 a.m. and flames were ripping through the home -- pouring from every window --- when firefighters arrived.

The resident wasn't immediately accounted for and Fire Chief Rich Hay said a search was under way, although it wasn't certain the resident was in the home.

The flames were knocked down before 5 a.m. but the three-story, wood-frame home was gutted.

Siding melted on the house next door and the garage on the opposite side.

Neighbor Joan Mooris said she was awakened by the light.

"Then I looked out the window and saw flames coming out the window," the 24-year resident said.

She said she just a few days ago saw the woman who has lived for about 20 years at 590 Congress St.

"She gave me my Christmas present," Mooris said. "She's a wonderful lady."

Dan Eraza, 36, lives next door to 590 Congress. He made the 911 call, he said.

"When I came out, flames were engulfed everywhere," said Eraza, a volunteer firefighter in Pohatcong Township.

He didn't see his neighbor and "I didn't hear any screaming. I didn't hear anything," he said.

Eraza has lived for more than a year on the block and his neighbor isn't outside much, he said.

"She's quiet," he said. "She kept to herself. The perfect neighbor."

The siding melted on Eraza's home, but he said he wasn't concerned about that as he stood several feet away, calming his dog. Several firefighters worked to get into the neighbor's home.

Eraza said police were there in seconds and the fire department made "excellent time" in getting to the home.

"I commend them," he said. "They all did a great job."

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.