Police, fire and emergency medical personnel are dispatched. Watch video

A four-unit apartment building at 690 Wilbur Ave. was significantly damaged by fire just after 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in Phillipsburg.

Emergency personnel went to Thomas Street and Wilbur Avenue as flames poured from windows to the rear of the yellow-sided structure.

No one was hurt, fire Chief Richard Hay said. Warren County fire Marshal Joe Lake and town police were there as the investigation into a cause and ignition site were beginning about 9:45 a.m.

The upper floor to the rear appeared to sustain the most damage. There are three apartments in the main portion of the building with a studio nearest where the flames were seen, a tenant of another apartment said.

Frederick Newman wasn't having the best of 35th birthdays. He was called at work and alerted about the fire. His apartment is in a one-story extension on the left side of the building the farthest from the fire. He wasn't sure whether his unit was smoke or water damaged.

Windows were broken out on the second floor to the front of the main structure. A hole was cut into the roof. A chain saw about 9:30 a.m. was digging through the attic wall nearest where the fire had been.

Newman said he saw the resident of the studio apartment on Tuesday night but hadn't seen her Wednesday morning.

He said he didn't know much as he stared from behind a firetruck across Wilbur Avenue from his home.

"I have no clue what's going on," he said, adding he hadn't been allowed to look into his apartment, where he's lived for five years. He said he doesn't have renter's insurance.

The building is owned by Brian and Sheri Nehlia of Forks Township, property records show. It was built in 1940.

Hay said he would try and release more information later in the day.

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

A mass and some honors for members of the Phillipsburg' Police Department were some of the events held at St. Philip and James school.

St. Philips and James Catholic School, in Phillipsburg, recently celebrated Catholic Schools Week with a Mass that honored members of the Phillipsburg Police Department and observed the feast of St. Blaise.

Phillipsburg Chief Robert Stetter receives an illustration of the word "brave" from student Lucas Anmolsingh. Students were asked to describe police officers and then made artistic word cloud illustrations with the words they felt best described the officers. (Courtesy photo) 

Father John Barbella was the celebrant of the Mass.

During the Mass, Fr. Barbella blessed the throats of those who came forward.

It is believed that St. Blaise, a bishop and martyr in 316 AD, saved a young boy who was choking while he was imprisoned.

A prayer is said asking in part "may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness."

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

The Jersey City man has won nearly $700,000 from the two jackpots.

A Jersey City ironworker has hit the Jersey Cash 5 jackpot twice in the past year.

James Callahan won $613,104 on Nov. 27, 2015 and then another $75,854 on Nov. 7, 2016, state lottery officials said earlier this week.

James Callahan of Jersey City won the Jersey Cash 5 jackpot twice in less than a year.New Jersey Lottery

He bought both lucky tickets at QuickChek on East 53rd Street in Bayonne. Callahan said he doesn't have any special numbers he plays -- he always lets the computer choose his numbers with QuickPick tickets.

The odds of a $1 Jersey Cash 5 ticket matching all the winning numbers are 962.598 to 1.

Callahan told CBS New York he took his fiancee on vacation to Hawaii. He told lottery officials that he and his fiancee will also help her daughter plan a dream wedding.

Callahan recently worked on the Oculus structure which canopies the new World Trade Center transportation hub. He still spends about $40 a day on lottery tickets, he told the television station.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

HIGH HONOR 6th Grade Hannah Adams, Matthew Benowitz, Daniella Carrion, Gretta DeGerolamo, Jasmine Gerns, Amiaha Gonzalez, Angelica Hacker, Amiracle Harris, Justin Hoadley, Shahd Hossein, Brooke Hunter, Jonathan Landon, Holly Markus, Arame N'Diaye, Litza Nieves, Aiden O'Shea, Betzy Reyes, Gabriel Reyes, Erika Reyes Garcia, Lovepreet Singh, William Sussko, Regan Thompson, Esmeralda Torres Hernandez, Caitlyn Wierzbicki 7th Grade Emma Allen, Ra-Zyiah Brown-Smith,...

HIGH HONOR

6th Grade
Hannah Adams, Matthew Benowitz, Daniella Carrion, Gretta DeGerolamo, Jasmine Gerns, Amiaha Gonzalez, Angelica Hacker, Amiracle Harris, Justin Hoadley, Shahd Hossein, Brooke Hunter, Jonathan Landon, Holly Markus, Arame N'Diaye, Litza Nieves, Aiden O'Shea, Betzy Reyes, Gabriel Reyes, Erika Reyes Garcia, Lovepreet Singh, William Sussko, Regan Thompson, Esmeralda Torres Hernandez, Caitlyn Wierzbicki

7th Grade
Emma Allen, Ra-Zyiah Brown-Smith, Ethan Callahan, Gabriel Cortez, Dylan Flynn , Alexia Gonzalez, Ahnasia Goulbourne, Stephanie Grube, Lauren Guions, Arly Hernandez, Andrew Hoch, Aleah Kita, Nicholas Melillo, Danielle Mestell, Jacob Miller, Sage Morris, Isabella Neto, Amanda Parr, Lauren Rautenberg, Harmanjot Singh, Matthew Smith , Emma Vangeli

8th Grade
Angie Alejandro-Ortega, Tyler Brey, Leonor Fontanez, Kaylie Hanisak, Madeline Horvath, Hailey Kozak, Tyler Marason, Christian Rehman, Isaura Reyes Garcia, Pedro Reyes Munoz, Jessica Simins, Sarah Sylverne, Mikayla Zander

HONOR ROLL

6th Grade
Sarah Allende, Xavier Arrington-Mitchell, Shane Aufschlag, Michael Bay, Joshua Cicudad, Victoria Cortez, Pamela Echeverria Gonzalez, Rachel Frank, Peter Godshalk, Jonas Gruver, Liam Hall, Kiely Higgins, Destiny Hoadley, Acacia Moore, Kaylee Moulton, Anthony Pariso, Kayley Pearson, Keyla Ponce Reyes, Xiomara Raffaele, Jesus Rivera, Mandy Rivera, Roberta Salgado, Jacob Slack, Rachel Stefancin, Na'Zyia Taylor, Iyjanae Walker, Jordan Whilte, Kumani Wiltshire, Brandon Wyant, Alivia Zagra

7th Grade
Kiara Andreychak, Adin Bittenmaster, Faith Cherosnick, Leo Cline, Kallyse Douglas, Ryan Ferguson, Jonathan Fortuna, Alexandra Goble, Mya Goodman, Andrew Grainda, Aleck Hernandez, Skylar Hyndshaw, Gursimran Kaur, Cory Longacre, Sean Macapagal, Jacob Manish, Benjamin Melcher, Ezekiel Montes, Sarah Price, Eddi Purnell, Daniel Rosado, Jennifer Ruano, Jake Simins, Allison Vacha, Anthony Weaver, Marissa Wenzel, Victoria White

8th Grade
Lauren Au, Alazia Boulding, Te'mycia Broughton, Destiny Carrion, Brianna Dennis, Hailey Ebner, Megan Garren, Benjamin Heymach, Linda Hidalgo, Diana Hoffman, Steven Malatos, Iyanna Matthews, John Olson, Gurpreet Singh, Imani Smith, Mer'rill Spears, Stephanie Van Dine

The four Wilbur Avenue apartments are temporarily uninhabitable. Watch video

A Wednesday morning fire in Phillipsburg started in a second-floor apartment, leaving it and the other three apartments temporarily uninhabitable, according to the town's fire chief.

The fire was reported at 8:36 a.m. in the building at 690 Wilbur Ave., and it was brought under control in about 25 minutes thanks to the efforts of the approximately 40 Phillipsburg firefighters who responded, Fire Chief Rich Hay said in an afternoon news release. None of the occupants were home and no one was hurt.

While the blaze was contained to the apartment where it started, the building sustained heat, smoke and water damage, Hay said. The building is insured and can be repaired but residents are staying with relatives or friends in the meantime, he said.

The building is owned by Brian and Sheri Nehlia, of Forks Township, property records show. It was built in 1940.

The exact source of the fire is under investigation by Phillipsburg police, the Warren County fire marshal and the county prosecutor's office, Hay said.

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

The Stateliners beat Columbia in a state tournament meet.

Phillipsburg girls swimming team won a state tournament meet for the first time in program history on Tuesday.

The Stateliners posted a 97-73 home win over Columbia in a NJSIAA North 2 Group 4 first-round meet.

It comes after the girls team combined with the boys to sweep Easton on Saturday for the first time ever. Last year, the Stateliners girls beat the Red Rovers for the first time and made the state tournament for the first time in program history.

Olivia Powers won the 50 freestyle in 25.25 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:15.03 on Tuesday. Her breaststroke time broke the 21-year-old record at Phillipsburg. 

The seventh-seeded Stateliners will face No. 3 North Hunterdon in the quarterfinals at 3 p.m. Friday at Raritan Valley Community College.

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

The Stateliners rolled past Woodbridge.

Phillipsburg wrestling team rolled to a 51-19 home win over Woodbridge on Wednesday night in a North 2, Group 4 semifinal.

The top-seeded Stateliners will host second-seeded Middletown North in the sectional final on Friday night. Middletown North beat North Hunterdon 53-17 in the other semifinal.

Kyle Tino (3:52 at 132 pounds), Jayson Zinsmeister (1:32 at 152), Robert Melise (2:32 at 220), Cullen Day (5:59 at 106) and Travis Jones (1:23 at 113) all had pins for the Stateliners.

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

Two men were taken for questioning hours after a woman was struck and killed on Rt. 248, near the Palmer Park Mall. Watch video

UPDATE: Victim of deadly hit-and-run ID'd as Phillipsburg teen

A car was impounded early Thursday in Phillipsburg and people were questioned as part of an investigation into a fatal pedestrian crash Wednesday night in Palmer Township, police said.

Phillipsburg and Palmer police found a black Mazda 6 about 2:20 a.m. parked in the 200 block of Morris Street in town, according to an on-scene report.

Palmer Township police early in the morning of Feb. 9, 2017, photograph a Mazda in the 200 block of Morris Street in Phillipsburg. The car was impounded as part of an investigation into of a fatal pedestrian accident the night before on Route 248 in Palmer. (Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor) 

Two men spoke to police and were then put in handcuffs and taken to town police headquarters, according to the witness account. Township and town police went into the police station.

Car kills pedestrian near Palmer Park Mall

A tow truck removed the car, which had damage to the right-side front, and brought it to the town police station, township police said. One of the men told police it hit a garbage can, the witness said.

Palmer detectives at 4:45 a.m. were conducting interviews at the Phillipsburg headquarters.

A woman crossing Route 248 about 9:10 p.m. Wednesday in Palmer was struck by a northbound vehicle that didn't stop, authorities said. The road was closed in both directions well into the night.

Authorities did not release more information on the victim. More is expected later in the day, township police said.

Freelance photographer Tim Wynkoop provided information for this report.

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

The woman who was struck and killed on Route 248 in Palmer Township was an 18-year-old from Phillipsburg, the coroner said. Watch video

The victim of a deadly hit-and-run pedestrian crash near the Palmer Park Mall has been identified.

Zakaiyah Halley (Courtesy GoFundMe) 

Zakaiyah Halley, 18, of the 200 block of Washington Street in Phillipsburg, died in the crash that happened about 9 p.m. Wednesday on Route 248, just north of Park Avenue in Palmer Township, the Northampton County coroner said.

Coroner Zachary Lysek said Halley died of blunt force injuries. Her manner of death is pending completion of the investigation, Lysek said.

An online fundraiser was launched to help Halley's mother, identified as Alma Johnson, with funeral expenses.

Palmer Township police early in the morning of Feb. 9, 2017, photograph a Mazda in the 200 block of Morris Street in Phillipsburg. The car was impounded as part of an investigation into of a fatal pedestrian accident the night before on Route 248 in Palmer. (Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor)

Hours after police said the driver that struck the woman didn't stop, police seized a black Mazda with front-end damage from a Phillipsburg neighborhood.

Police questioned two men in the 200 block of Morris Street, placed them in handcuffs and took them to Phillipsburg police headquarters.

There has been no word so far on any charges in connection with the case.

Palmer Township police said late Wednesday that the victim was struck by a northbound vehicle as she was crossing Route 248.

Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.

Four Wilbur Avenue apartments are temporarily uninhabitable. Watch video

The investigation into how a Wednesday morning fire started in Phillipburg is continuing, but so far there is nothing to indicate any wrongdoing, according to the Warren County prosecutor.

Authorities previously said the fire started in a second-floor apartment at 690 Wilbur Ave. It was reported at 8:36 a.m. and brought under control in about 25 minutes, fire Chief Rich Hay said. No injuries were reported.

On Wednesday night, Prosecutor Richard Burke said the initial investigation into the cause revealed nothing suspicious.

While the blaze was contained to the apartment where it started, the building sustained heat, smoke and water damage, Hay said. The building is insured and can be repaired but residents are staying with relatives or friends in the meantime, he said.

The building is owned by Brian and Sheri Nehlia, of Forks Township, property records show. It was built in 1940.

In December, two Firth Street homes were damaged in a fire that investigators say was intentionally set. In that case, 22-year-old Erik J. Gall, of Milford in Hunterdon County, is charged with attempted murder.

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

Eighteen-year-old Zakaiyah Halley "was a loving, caring and happy person," her mom said.

Having worked in hospice care, Alma Johnson has dealt with death and grief before.

But this is different.

"I'm devastated," she said Thursday, less than a day after her 18-year-old daughter Zakaiyah Halley was killed in a hit-and-run pedestrian crash in Palmer Township.

Zakaiyah Halley, 18, of Phillipsburg, was killed in a hit-and-run pedestrian crash Feb. 8, 2017, near the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township. (Courtesy Facebook) 

"I keep thinking that it's not real," Johnson said. "I keep thinking she's going to come through the door, or call."

Halley, of the 200 block of Washington Street in Phillipsburg, died in the crash about 9 p.m. Wednesday on Route 248 near the Palmer Park Mall, the Northampton County coroner said. Palmer Township police said late Wednesday that the victim was struck by a northbound vehicle as she was crossing Route 248, and the vehicle didn't stop.

Hours later, police seized a black Mazda with front-end damage from a Phillipsburg neighborhood. Police questioned two men in the 200 block of Morris Street, placed them in handcuffs and took them to Phillipsburg police headquarters.

There has been no word so far on any charges in connection with the case. Phillipsburg police acting Chief Robert Stettner said no one has been detained or arrested, but deferred to Palmer police for more information.

Johnson said she didn't know much about the circumstances, just that Halley had been out with her girlfriend.

Halley went to Phillipsburg High School but did not graduate. Like many 18-year-olds, she had different ideas about what she wanted to be, her mom said. Halley was funny and loved music, but more recently wanted to do makeup and hair styling.

"She was a loving, caring and happy person," her mother said, adding that she had many friends. Several posted messages of mourning on social media.

Halley has four sisters and two brothers, Johnson said. Some watched cartoons at home around midday Thursday as others gathered in the house.

"I'm not good," Johnson said softly but firmly. "I'm trying to stay as strong as I can."

A GoFundMe online fundraiser has been launched to help Halley's mother, who said it was set up by a colleague and supported by friends and coworkers who want to help.

"It means a whole lot," she said.

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

WCCC's Therapeutic Massage program offers supervised student-performed sessions.

The Warren County Community College Continuing Education Department's Therapeutic Massage Certificate Program requires students to participate in a 100-hour massage clinic where the students are supervised while conducting a typical client-therapist session.

 

These low-cost massages are offered to the public at-large.

All massages are held at the college's Phillipsburg Education Center, 445 Marshall Street, every Friday through May 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Appointments are mandatory and all massages are given in Room P107. The fee is $25 for full body massage (approx. 1 hour 20 minutes), $20 for active adults 55-plus. To schedule an appointment call (908) 835-2453.

Appointments will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call the phone number and leave your name, phone number, and AM or PM appointment preference. Your appointment will be confirmed.

The Phillipsburg Education Center also offers a variety of personal enrichment programs. For spring offerings please visit www.warren.edu and click on Careers/ Continuing Education.

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

Check out this collection of aerial photos of the biggest storm of the winter season so far.

Just the mention of snow makes some cringe. But others welcome the white stuff. 

For folks like that, Thursday was a good day.

After the skies cleared in the afternoon with a storm that dumped 7 inches of snow across the Lehigh Valley, I flew a drone over a few spots in the Easton area to get a bird's-eye view.

Check out the gallery above for a look at some of the scenes.

Saed Hindash may be reached at shindash@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SaedHindash. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.

The train car once was part of freight trains that went from Allentown and through Easton and P'burg on the way to New York.

An historic wooden caboose was gutted by fire early Friday morning outside the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians Museum, officials said.

Two railroad cars were damaged in the fire, said town fire Chief Richard Hay, adding that more information would be released later in the day. The blaze was reported just before 4 a.m., Warren County records show.

A town police official said, as far as he knew, no one was hurt.

The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway Caboose No. 16 was built about 1944, Phillipsburg Railroad Historians Inc. President Paul Carpenito said Friday morning. The museum has the largest collection of that railroad's hardware, he added.

The World War II-era caboose was on tracks along with other future restoration projects outside the museum, Carpenito said.

It is "priceless," he said.

"It was one of only six of those cars produced," he said. "... I can't put a value on that car."

It was being used for parts and to take measurements while its "sister" caboose, No. 18, is being restored in the museum. That project will soon be completed and that caboose will be unveiled likely this summer, he said.

The museum is available to the public about nine times a year for seasonal open houses and town events, said Carpenito, who has been president of the group since 1999. But its volunteers meet often to work on and plan various projects, he said.

No. 16 was to be restored and now will be rebuilt, he said, noting the extensive down-to-the-metal damage.

All the restorations will be worked on as "time, money and labor" allow, he said.

The caboose was the end car on freight trains that went from Allentown, through Easton and Phillipsburg on the to Maybrook, New York, near where the railway was headquartered, Carpenito said.

A brakeman would ride in the caboose and look out the cupola windows to make sure the train was properly functioning, Carpenito said.

Cabooses were eventually replaced by a sensor on the last coupler that provides similar information to the engineer, Carpenito said.

The Lehigh and Hudson became part of Conrail in the 1970s, part of what makes the caboose historic, Carpenito said.

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

While more investigation must be done, some things "didn't line up," a detective says.

A preliminary investigation into a car impounded early Thursday morning in Phillipsburg after a fatal hit-and-run crash in Palmer Township "is not turning out the way" township police expected, a detective said.

Eighteen-year-old Zakaiveh Halley, of Phillipsburg, died at the scene, Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said.

Investigators attempted to recover DNA evidence from the steering wheel and the front bumper of the black Mazda 6 sedan after a search warrant was executed in a town police evidence garage, Detective Jim Alercia said.

But some things about the damage "didn't line up" with what was expected after the 9:12 p.m. crash on Wednesday on Route 248 near Palmer Park Mall, Detective Jim Alercia said.

No one was charged in the incident, although two men were removed in handcuffs from a home in the 200 block of Morris Street, Alercia said. One of the men said the front-end damage was caused by hitting a garbage can, a witness said. The men were questioned, but they were not arrested on township charges.

Township police are attempting to have the car brought to the township so a more thorough investigation can be performed, Alercia said.

Security removed Halley and a friend from the mall after the two had an argument, Alercia said. It was just before the 9 p.m. closing time and the women -- along with others, including people connected to the car that was later impounded -- gathered outside the mall, Alercia said.

If the police investigation rules out the Mazda, investigators still have another option to move the probe forward, Alercia said.

A piece of plastic from a vehicle's undercarriage was found at the scene in the northbound lane of Route 248 between Park Avenue and the mall entrance, Alercia said. The debris had a serial number and police will use that number to try and figure out from what kind of vehicle it came, Alercia said. Police have a description of a black, dirty, "rounded" car driving away from the scene.

There is no external video at the mall -- something new management has been working to correct, Alercia said.

A serial number on a piece of a car helped lead to charges in a 2015 hit-and-run death in which the defense lawyer claims the victim may have been lying in the road before being fatally struck in the darkness of the very early morning.

Collin Jeffrey Cashau, of the 1500 block of Broad Road in Bushkiil Township, is charged in the Dec. 5, 2015, death of 35-year-old Kyle Smith along Belfast Road. The case is scheduled to go to trial June 5, court records say.

Alercia said he was discussing that case on Thursday night with the coroner.

"That's how they solved that," Alercia said.

The Palmer investigation is continuing and more information will be released when it becomes available, Alercia said.

If anyone has information about the fatal crash, they are asked to call Alercia at 610-253-5844, Ext. 1208.

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

It's a big day in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Saucon Valley, Nazareth and Bethlehem Catholic wrestling teams continue their quests for PIAA gold on Friday at Hershey.

In New Jersey, Phillipsburg and Delaware Valley look for sectional titles.

Follow updates from the busy day in wrestling in the comments section below.

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

Zakaiyah Halley, 18, of Phillipsburg, was struck and killed near the Palmer Park Mall, and the investigation continues. Watch video

Palmer Township police late Friday afternoon released the description of a car possibly involved in Wednesday night's hit-and-run crash that left a 18-year-old woman dead.

The car is described as a dark-colored or black 2006 to 2016 Chevrolet Impala sedan, with damage to its passenger-side front undercarriage or wheel-well area, police Detective Sgt. Timothy Ruoff said in a news release.

It was last seen headed north on Nazareth Road (Route 248) from Park Avenue near the Palmer Park Mall.

That's where Zakaiyah Halley, of Phillipsburg, was struck and killed shortly after 9 p.m. after an argument with a friend at the mall that led to them being escorted out just prior to closing, police said.

'I'm devastated': Mother mourns P'burg teen

The vehicle description and direction are based on information from witnesses and evidence collected at the scene, Ruoff said.

Police early Thursday impounded another sedan, this one a black Mazda6, from Morris Street in Phillipsburg. Investigators processed that car for evidence but were unable as of Friday to link it to Wednesday night's crash.

No one was said to be in custody as of Friday evening, and township police are continuing to investigate the incident.

Police ask anyone with information to call 610-253-5844, ext. 1211. The incident number to reference is 17-00728.

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

The Stateliners won their 36th sectional title on Friday night.

Phillipsburg High School's wrestling team won its 36th sectional championship on Friday night, defeating Middletown North 36-27 in the North 2 Group 4 final.

The Stateliners meet Kingsway 2 p.m. Sunday in the NJSIAA Group 4 semifinals.

Follow the links below for full coverage of the Friday's sectional final:

Rapid Recap: Phillipsburg roars back to win 36th sectional title

Manley, Phillipsburg lightweights do heavy lifting in sectional title win

P'burg wrestling's Horun gets the message, and gets momentum back

Sectional dominance is a priority, not an afterthought, for P'burg's Post

Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KyleCraigSports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

4 officers charged last year with abusing inmates at New Jersey women's prison.

TRENTON -- A corrections officer accused of sexually abusing an inmate at New Jersey's only women's prison has pleaded guilty to official misconduct, authorities said Friday.

Thomas Seguine, 34, of Phillipsburg, was one of four officers at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women indicted last month on charges of official misconduct and sexual assault.

Under a plea deal, Seguine pleaded guilty to the second-degree misconduct charge and is barred from public employment, according to Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns.

According to a copy of the indictment, Seguine was accused of having sex with an inmate, identified only as "J. Doe," which is considered sexual assault under state law.

Seguine is scheduled for sentencing on April 21. His attorney could not be reached for comment.

Locked up, fighting back

Three other former corrections officers -- Brian Ambroise, 33, Jason Mays, 43, and Ahnwar Dixon, 38 -- were arraigned last week, authorities said.

The prosecutor's office is now working with internal investigators at the prison after a spike in allegations against staff last year.

An NJ Advance Media investigation published in January found a history of abuse claims at the Clinton facility, including a 2010 case in which an officer was fired after internal investigators found more than a dozen women said they were victims of his abuse.

That officer, Erick Melgar, has denied any wrongdoing and was never criminally charged. But a civil lawsuit filed against him by six inmates is scheduled to go to trial in March, and the prosecutor's office may be reviewing the case as part of their ongoing investigation.

Experts also told NJ Advance Media that state Department of Corrections data showing few substantiated claims of abuse in recent years suggests New Jersey is underreporting abuse behind bars.

State lawmakers have called on the Attorney General's Office to step in and investigate conditions at the women's prison.

Madie Everitt was a deacon at her church, traveled as a Christian missionary, and loved caring for children.

LAWRENCE -- At 76 years of age, Madie Everitt applied to work at a child care center last fall because she loves kids and wanted to keep busy.

It was a part-time gig, but in a matter of weeks, she started making an impact on the pre-schoolers and their parents at at Pennington Children's Academy in Hopewell Township, and seamlessly blended with the younger teachers, owner Ismat Shehzad said.

Madie and David Everitt 

Shehzad recalled the energy and ambition Everitt displayed in her interview, which is why she hired her, but she was continually awed over the next months at how quickly she got involved.

She bought supplies with her own money, kept an eye out for items with an owl, the school's logo, and just two months into the job, she bought Christmas gifts for her fellow employees.

"She was a great person, and she was just so good in the school," Shehzad said.

Everitt was killed Jan. 30 on Princeton Pike, her small car struck by a pickup truck driven by a man police believe was having a medical attack and crossed into her lane. Everitt died at the scene; the man survived.

Nice words about Everitt do not surprise her son, Steven Cuoco. 

Cuoco said his mother, who adopted him when he was 7 years old in 1982, followed God's path wherever it took her. 

A native of the Phillipsburg area, Everitt was a nurse by trade, working for many years at St. Luke's Warren Hospital. She currently lived in Lawrence.

Medical attack caused fatal crash, cops say

She was as faithful as one could get, he said. Everitt was a deacon at her church, traveled as a Christian missionary, and loved caring for children on many levels.

Depending on her work in the church, she held several assistant teacher jobs over the years, too. She was also a foster parent.

Cuoco grew up in an abusive, drug-addled home in Phillipsburg and Everitt literally saved his life the day she took him out of it, fostering him starting the day after Christmas in 1982. Madie and her husband, David Everitt, adopted Steven in 1984.

"I am where I am because of this woman's faith," said Cuoco, a model and publicist in Las Vegas.

Cuoco said his extended family was obviously thrown into horrific shock at her sudden death, but her strong faith has comforted them, knowing her life was filled with love.

This past Christmas, David Everitt played Santa Claus at the children's academy. The couple were married for 46 years.

And Madie Everitt was in the process of teaching the children sign language, Shehzad said.

"It's like she was on mission to work with the kids," Shehzad said. Despite her short tenure, "We have many memories of her. We miss her."

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