• 33 high school students injured after bus veers off highway into woods

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    By David Chang and Dan Stamm, NBCPhiladelphia.com

    Thirty-three high school students were injured after their school bus crashed into the woods along New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway on Monday afternoon.

    By Monday evening, everyone hurt in the crash was evaluated and released from local hospitals, with only four students suffering more than minor injuries.

    “The bus is about to tip over and I thought I was going to die,” said Infinity Watson, a student at Charter Tech who was on the bus at the time of the crash, which occurred just before 3:30 p.m.


    State police said that the driver lost control of the bus, veering off the parkway and into trees on the side of the road. The bus left deep skid marks in the grass on the side of the parkway.

    It appeared the crash was caused after an outer-rear wheel came off the bus while it was still in motion, investigators told NBCPhiladelphia.com. An inner-rear tire was also found to be attached to a bent axle. Investigators were still trying to determine the exact cause of the crash.

    Tom Dugan, the owner of the bus company Safety Bus, confirmed that the bus recently needed re-inspection after an earlier annual inspection revealed problems that needed correcting.

    Chopper 10 / NBC Philadephia

    A bus carrying 36 New Jersey high school students careened off the Garden State Parkway on Monday afternoon, crashing into the woods on the side of the road.

    Driver praised
    Parents and students on the bus praised the driver for swerving off the roadway instead of into traffic.

    “My daughter did say the bus driver did everything she could not to run into a car or hit the biggest tree possible,” said parent Michelle Griffin.

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    All of the 36 students on board, as well as the driver, were taken to local hospital. Four students refused medical evaluation and left with their parents.

    Most of the injuries were described as bumps and bruises, with some students complaining of neck and back pain.

  • In storm-hit states, some locations changed for balloting on Election Day

    By Tom Curry, NBC News national affairs writer

    Updated 7:48pm ET In the storm-ravaged states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, officials have moved some Election Day voting locations, although many remain unchanged.

    As of noon Monday, Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill said that utility companies in her state have reported that electricity has been restored to all but two of 773 voting precincts in the state.

    Gov. Cuomo signed an order allowing any voter to vote at any polling place on Tuesday – and in New Jersey, it's possible to vote via email or fax. NBC's Ron Allen reports.

    Her Web site posted the two voting place changes:

    · Bridgeport’s Longfellow School polling place has been relocated to Aquaculture School, 60 St. Stephens Road, Bridgeport.

    · New London’s Ocean Beach polling place has been relocated to Harbor School, 432 Montauk, Ave, New London.

    Recommended: Romney, Obama hit must-win states in 'barnburner' campaign day

    In New Jersey, storm-displaced voters who are temporarily staying in a part of the state where they are not registered, are permitted to go to any polling place in New Jersey on Election Day and vote by using a provisional ballot. The ballot will be forwarded to the county of the voter’s residence.

    Tim Aubry / Reuters

    Utility trucks and first responders navigate flood waters on the main stretch of road in Peahala Park, N.J., in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, in this photograph taken on October 30, 2012 and released on Oct. 31.

    Displaced New Jersey voters also have until 5 p.m. ET on Election Day to fax or e-mail a request for a mail ballot to their county clerk.

    More information is available at the New Jersey Division of Elections website, on voting by fax or e-mail.  The voter must transmit the ballot to the county board of elections no later than 8 p.m. ET on Election Day.

    Some counties in New Jersey have posted changes in voting locations or have alerted voters about the status of voting locations in their area.

    Here are a few:

    · Union County: County officials have posted an announcement that “almost all polling places are expected to be open on Election Day, Tuesday November 6. An updated list will be available later today.”

    ·   Ocean County: The county has posted a list of changes in voting locations here.

    ·  Atlantic County: The elections board has posted a list of changes in voting locations here.

    ·  Monmouth County: The county has posted a list of locations here.

    The county also says: “Provisions have been made for residents in two of the most severely storm-ravaged boroughs to vote in neighboring communities. Sea Bright residents will vote at the Fair Haven Fire House on 645 River Road in Fair Haven. Loch Arbour residents will be voting at the Allenhurst Fire House on 311 Hume Street in Allenhurst. All other residents will vote in their own community.”

    Recommended: Romney adds Election Day stops in Ohio, Pennsylvania

    In New York, as of Monday morning, some counties were still in the process of finding new voting locations but had not yet posted them on their Web sites.

    Suburban Nassau County, which was hit especially hard by last week’s storm surge and flooding, has posted a list of the voting locations that have been moved or consolidated, here.

    In addition, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order on Monday that will allow displaced voters from one of the federally-declared disaster counties, such as Nassau, who may temporarily be in a county other than where they live to vote by affidavit ballot.

    The affidavit ballot will be sent to the board of elections where the voter is registered. According to Cuomo’s press office, these votes by affidavit ballot will count for the office of president and United States senator “and for any other candidate and ballot initiative that appears on the official ballot where the voter is registered.”

    Listed below are links to the polling place search tools that each state offers, but be aware that in some cases changes in polling locations might not be reflected in the voter lookup tool databases.

    · Search tool for New Jersey voters here.

    · Search tool for New York state voters here.

    · Search tool for New York City voters here.

    · Search tool for Connecticut voters here.

    For voters who want to use early voting or an absentee ballot, here’s some information:

    · In New York, a voter needs a specific reason to vote by absentee ballot, such as being out of the state on Election Day, having a disability, or being in prison due to having been convicted of a non-felony offense. The State Board of Elections has announced that the deadline for applying in person for an absentee ballot is Monday. Absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than Monday, Nov. 5. Those mailed ballots have until Nov. 19 to arrive at the local Board of Elections.

    · In New Jersey, any voter can vote by mail. A voter may apply in person to the County Clerk until 3:00 p.m. ET Monday. Vote by mail ballot must be received by the County Board of Elections no later than 8 p.m. ET on Election Day.

    · In Connecticut, voting by absentee ballot is limited  to the sick and disabled, those in active service in the armed forces, and those absent from their town for all of Election Day. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Monday and the deadline for returning the absentee ballot is 8 p.m. ET on Election Day.

  • Runaway New Jersey teen who caused Twitter stir found safe, police say

    nbcnewyork.com

    A person believed to be Kara Alongi is seen with a suitcase at a transit station in Rahway, N.J.

    By Brian Thompson, NBCNewYork.com

    The runaway 16-year-old New Jersey girl who set off a Twitter firestorm after she falsely indicated an intruder was in her home and then disappeared has been found safe, police say.


    Kara Alongi was located walking along the side of the New Jersey Turnpike about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

    "Kara Alongi was found safe and unharmed,” said Alan Scherb, spokesman for the Clark Police Department, in a statement. “She was discovered by troopers with the New Jersey State Police walking along the side of the Turnpike near Exit 1.”

    View NBCNewYork.com's complete coverage of Twitter hoax teen

    Alongi was transferred to a north Jersey hospital for evaluation and was released a short time later and returned home.

    Alongi gained thousands of followers after asking people on Twitter to call 911 Sunday because an intruder was in her home and then vanishing. People re-tweeted her message and #helpfindkara trended on the social network.

    Investigators later said it appeared Alongi had voluntarily called a taxi company and gotten a ride to the Rahway train station, which police say was confirmed by a surveillance photo captured of her at the depot.

    Police: No foul play in missing NJ teen Kara Alongi case

    Alongi's case continued to polarize the Twittersphere Tuesday, as some insisted she had met foul play and prayed for her safe return. 

    Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com

    Others were skeptical from the get-go, pointing out a Tweet that allegedly popped up on Alongi's account shortly after her initial call for help that said: "Why is everyone saying I'm missing? I was jkin haha" and was deleted a short time later.      

    When NBC 4 New York called the missing girl's home, someone quickly answered "no comment" and hung up. No one answered the door at the Alongi's residence.

    NBC News' Sevil Omer contributed to this report.

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  • Budget spat wipes out toilet paper supplies in New Jersey's capital city

    By msnbc.com staff and news services

    A budget battle in New Jersey's capital city has some extremely unpleasant fallout, including a toilet paper shortage at police headquarters, fire stations, senior centers and municipal offices.


    "It's serious right now," Lauren Ira, spokeswoman for the city administration of Trenton, said on Tuesday.

    Supplies have been dwindling down to almost nothing in the months since a spending fight broke out among the City Council in November over a $42,000 spending request for a year's supply of paper products, including toilet paper.

    “I’m embarrassed,” Council president Kathy McBride told the Times of Trenton. “I’m a little disgusted, and I feel we’re doing an injustice to the residents of the city and the employees.”

     Paper towel and toilet paper dispensers in the city senior centers, police department, fire department, museum, water filtration plant and City Hall aren't expected to last through the week, McBride and maintenance supervisor Paul Heater told the newspaper.

    Detective George Dzurkoc painted a desperate picture of conditions at police headquarters. He said the men's rooms are completely bare and just a few rolls are left in the women's rooms.

    Dzurkoc, head of the city's Policemen's Benevolent Association, filed complaints Tuesday morning with the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the state Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Program.

    "The bottom line is they have a health issue knocking at the door," Dzurkoc said.

    The City Council was scheduled to meet late on Tuesday to reconsider the spending request which has been stalled in debate each of the three times it came up for a vote since November. At issue was a line in the spending resolution that included a high unit price for hot drink cups.

    “We questioned the cost and why they needed them,” North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson told the Times of Trenton.

    That line has since been removed, but the debate has reportedly already tainted the city's reputation. “It is another black eye the city just doesn’t need,” Caldwell-Wilson told the newspaper.

    Dzurkoc told the newspaper he couldn't believe that supplies could be held up by a dispute over cup prices.

    “They’re just ridiculous over cups,” he said.  “It’s a circus-like atmosphere for sure.”

    This article includes reporting from msnbc.com staff and Reuters.

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  • NJ janitors allegedly bound boys with yellow tape at school

    By Brian Thompson and Roseanne Colletti , NBCNewYork.com

    Two New Jersey school janitors are under investigation for allegedly using yellow caution tape to tie up four young boys in a bathroom.

    Sources within the Long Branch school system indicate the employees thought they were "horsing around" with the Gregory Elementary School students during the incident last Thursday.

    All of the children involved are younger than 10 years old.

    "Regardless of their intent, it was a stupid decision they made," said Long Branch Superintendent Michael Salvatore, who reported the incident to police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor.

    Read NBCNewYork.com's coverage of NJ janitors investigation

    The boys, from two different classrooms, went to use the restroom and found the workers there, according to Salvatore. Procedure calls for a facility to be put closed whenever work is being done inside, he added.

    Salvatore said it was his understanding that yellow caution tape may have been used on the boys. He added that he was not told they appeared distressed.

    Nonetheless, he said they did report the incident to the school's principal, who then contacted the central office.

    According to Salvatore, investigators with the prosecutor's office are now handling the incident. He said he knew of no charges being filed at this time.

    The two maintenance employees, apparently including a plumber, had been sent to the school to make some repairs in the bathroom.

    Both workers were sent home early and have since been suspended from their jobs.

    One source who talked with the employees told NBC New York that the workers are "devastated" by how this turned out and that at no point was it intended as anything more than just having fun.

    Follow Brian Thompson on Twitter @brian4NY

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  • Feds probe belt use in fatal NJ school bus crash

    An Investigator views the scene of a school bus crash Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, in Chesterfield, N.J.

    By The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff

    Updated at 3:25 p.m. ET CHESTERFIELD, N.J. -- The National Transportation Safety Board is examining how seat belt use factored into the New Jersey school bus crash that killed an 11-year-old triplet and severely injured her two sisters and one other child.

    "(The accident) drew our attention because New Jersey is one of six states that has seatbelt requirements on school buses for passengers," Peter Kotowski, the NTSB's chief investigator for this accident, said during a news conference Friday afternoon in Chesterfield, the Burlington County community where the crash occurred.

    "The safety board has been interested in occupant protection on school buses for several years, and restraint systems are an important part of what we will be looking at here," Kotowski said.

    Students said belts were being worn when a dump truck crashed into their vehicle Thursday afternoon. But Kotowski said investigators need to determine if all students were indeed buckled up and the role — if any — the seat belts played.

    Natalie was upgraded from critical to stable condition Friday. Sophie remains in critical condition, along with one other student.

    Authorities said 25 children were on the bus when the crash occurred, and 17 were injured.

    Police have recorded 15 accidents at the same four-way intersection since 2007 — including a minor one on Friday.

    Chesterfield Police Chief Kyle Wilson said no charges have been filed and he declined to speculate if any would, noting the investigation is ongoing and much material still needs to be gathered.

    "We still have to wait for the toxicology tests to come back, which will take several weeks, and also review the forensics before we can go ahead and determine if any charges are warranted," Wilson said.

    Kotowski said NTSB crews would likely remain in the area for about a week to complete this phase of the investigation, but noted that the overall probe could take anywhere from 12 to 16 months to complete.

    Both drivers in the crash had no active points on their licenses, according to Motor Vehicle Commission records.

    MVC records showed that John Tieman, the 66-year-old school bus driver's most recent violation was for obstructing the passage of another vehicle, a non-points violation, in 2007. He also had a careless driving violation while operating a passenger vehicle in Delanco Township in 1994.

    The last violation for the dump truck driver, 38-year-old Michael Caporale, was a reckless driving citation in 2003 in Plumsted Township, according to MVC records. He was ticketed for speeding in Virginia in 1997.

    On Thursday, more than 200 mourners packed into pews at the Chesterfield Baptist Church, with more people outside, for a silent vigil, according to nj.com.

    “It’s a small town. They were sisters. It’s sad, and we all hurt together,”  Karen Wainwright, a friend and neighbor of the Tezsla family, told the website.

    Chesterfield Baptist Church Pastor Edward DeSilva told NBCPhiladelphia.com: “It’s sobering, it’s devastating. You think of your own kids. " 

    Lori Morrow, a mom of one of the children on the bus,  talked to NBC10's Lu Ann Cahn Thursday as she was on her way back to the hospital to be with her daughter.

    "She saw the dump truck coming at the bus and it didn't look like it was going to stop and she saw it smash right into the bus," Morrow told the NBC affiliate. "It was a couple of seats above her where it smashed into the bus. It was horrendous."

    Despite seat belts, the children were thrown about the bus, Morrow told the TV station. "All the kids got thrown into the aisles. They had their seat belts on apparently, but they didn't hold. It was horrible." 

    “The family’s grief must be enormous,” New Jersey's governor, Chris Christie, said in a statement Thursday night. “We can only imagine their pain, and lend our support and prayers in this most difficult of times. We are sure that all of Chesterfield Township, the family of State Police men and women, and indeed residents all across New Jersey, have the Tezslas in their thoughts and prayers. Our same concerns and prayers extend to the other children aboard the bus, particularly Jonathan Zdybel, the young boy who also remains hospitalized and in critical condition.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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    © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

  • Man, 19, accused in firebomb attacks on NJ synagogues

    This undated photo of Anthony Graziano was released by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 in New York.

    By Jonathan Dienst, Shimon Prokupecz and Joe Valiquette|, NBCNewYork.com

    A 19-year-old New Jersey man is accused of tossing explosives into two synagogues, including one in Rutherford where a rabbi and his family were sleeping, prosecutors said Tuesday.

    Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli identified the suspect as Anthony Graziano, of Lodi, N.J.

    Authorities believe he acted alone in both attacks, a week apart, and was motivated by anti-Jewish bias.

    No one was seriously injured when several objects, including a rigged aerosol can and a Molotov cocktail, were thrown into the synagogue in Rutherford on Jan. 11, but Graziano has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, bias intimidation and aggravated arson in that attack.

    Read the original story on nbcnewyork.com

    The building houses Congregation Beth El, a school, and a residence where Rabbi Nosson Schuman lives with his family.

    One of the firebomb devices crashed through Schuman's second-floor bedroom window at about 4:30 a.m., burning him on the hand. His wife, five children and mother- and father-in-law escaped unscathed.

    In the Paramus attack on Jan. 3, Graziano is charged with first-degree aggravated arson and bias intimidation.

    Authorities released photos of a possible suspect last week. He was seen on surveillance video wearing a red and black track suit, black sneakers and a red wool skullcap. He was carrying a camouflage backpack.

    Prosecutors say they received several tips after releasing the photos, and confirmed it was Graziano on Monday.

    It was not immediately known whether he had an attorney.

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  • Cops: Remains identified as missing NJ woman

    By NBCNewYork.com

    Police have identified the remains found on Monday in a Long Island marsh as those of Shannan Gilbert, a New Jersey woman who went missing in May 2010.

    The cause of death has not yet been determined.  

    The set of skeletal remains were found in the oceanfront marsh where police believed Gilbert, a prostitute, got lost and drowned in the middle of the night after fleeing a client's home in a nearby gated community.

    Complete coverage from NBCNewYork.com

    The remains were discovered about one-fourth of a mile from where several of Gilbert's belongings were located two weeks ago.

    Police believed that the location of her belongings in relation to the remains indicate she may have been trying to run towards the lights on Ocean Parkway, a nearby road, but could not find her way out of the marsh.

    The search for Gilbert more than a year ago led to police finding the bodies of several others in the deserted beachfront, who they believe to be sex workers like Gilbert.

    Suffolk County police have said they believe a single serial killer is responsible for the 10 victims, but theorize that Gilbert drowned and was not slain by the killer.

    Suffolk County DA Thomas Spota, though, said Thursday that he disputes the theory that only one person is involved in the death of the 10 victims.

    He insisted there is no evidence all the victims are associated with the "sex trade," as the police commissioner has suggested.   The Suffolk County Police Department Homicide Squad is continuing the investigation. 

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  • 257 bears killed on first day of NJ hunt

    K.C. Abel and Jimmy Colazzo of Wayne, N.J., pose with their 250-pound male black bear at that the Pequest Wildlife Management Area in Oxford, N.J., on Monday.

     

    By NBCNewYork.com

    New Jersey wildlife officials say a total of 257 black bears were killed on the first day of the state's annual hunt.

    The number is nearly identical to the first day of last year's hunt.

    State officials said the first bear killed was a 166-pound female shot in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area by an Arizona man. The second was a 205-pound male shot in Warren County by two teenagers from Wayne, N.J.

    "I called it out, I just said, 'Are you on him?' Said '3, 2, 1' then we shot on 'go' at the exact same time," said K.C. Abel, one of the teen hunters.

    In 2010, 592 bears were killed during the hunt. State officials predict a similar count this year. On the first day in 2010, there were about 260 killed.

    Environmental Protection Department officials are still tallying up the number of participating hunters.

    State officials say the hunt is needed to reduce the state's bruin population, now estimated at about 3,400.

    Read full story on NBCNewYork.com

    Critics claim the hunt is cruel and the state's bear management policy is flawed.

    After going to court Monday, the protesters were allowed the right to demonstrate at certain bear checkpoints during the hunt.

    A ruling in state superior court said up to 25 people can demonstrate at the Franklin bear check station in Sussex County between noon and 4 p.m. each day.

    A greater number will be allowed to demonstrate at two other weigh stations.

    Critics of the hunt had been pushing for the Franklin station permit as it is a high-visibility site.

    DEP officials felt it was too a dangerous a spot for a large gathering.

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  • NJ Guard chief, a Christie pal, to quit over relationship with female aide

    By The Associated Press

    TRENTON, N.J. -- The longtime commander of New Jersey's National Guard is resigning after being caught having a physical relationship with a woman who works for him, government officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.

    Julio Cortez/AP

    New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with National Guard Maj. Gen. Glenn Rieth, right.

    Maj. Gen. Glenn Rieth, a prominent member of Republican Gov. Chris Christie's Cabinet and a childhood friend, will retire effective Dec. 15, the governor said.

    "This is obviously a difficult time for his family, and General Rieth did the right thing by stepping down to address this as a personal matter," Christie said.

    Officials familiar with the matter said Rieth, who is married, and the aide were caught in his office last month touching each other. The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter.

    Rieth, 54, has commanded the National Guard for nearly a decade. He was appointed by Democratic Gov. James McGreevey, who had his own sex scandal involving a male Cabinet member.

    According to officials, Rieth reported the incident with his aide to the governor early last month and said it was being reported to the Army. He offered his resignation less than two weeks later, one of the officials said.

    The woman also is married and lives just a few miles away from the Rieth and his wife; the couples knew each other socially.

    As the commander of the state National Guard, Rieth leads more than 9,000 soldiers and airmen. He also oversees the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and all state veterans' programs, commissions and facilities in New Jersey. Rieth's wife, Linda Rieth, has long played a prominent role at National Guard functions.

    Glenn Rieth had a blemish-free record and was well-respected — a reason he was kept on by four governors.

    Christie was especially close to Rieth because they were raised in Livingston, just outside Newark, and their families knew each other — something Christie made a point of noting in January 2010, when he announced that he was keeping Rieth in the position.

    Christie on Thursday thanked Rieth for his service.

    "I thank General Rieth for dedicating his career to his state and country, including nearly 10 years as New Jersey's adjutant general," Christie said.

    Before being appointed as adjutant general of New Jersey in 2002, Rieth was the director of the State Army Aviation Office for the New Jersey Army National Guard. He attended The Citadel-Military College of South Carolina and has been in the military since 1980.

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    © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.