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A large rush of people in Florida have been trying to escape to New Jersey, with reports of soaring ticket prices adding to the turmoil.

Patch Staff

NEW JERSEY — A large rush of people in Florida have been trying to escape to New Jersey ahead of Hurricane Milton, with reports of scarce flights and soaring ticket prices adding to the turmoil.

The dangerous storm – which has been vacillating between a Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane – is expected to reach land on Wednesday. Weather forecasters and officials have been sounding the alarm in Florida, where a state of emergency has been declared for more than 50 counties. Mandatory evacuations for several zones went into effect Monday. Read More: Hurricane Milton 'One Of Strongest' Gulf Storms With 180 MPH Winds

As might be expected, the hurricane has been causing chaos at Florida airports. Some will close or suspend operations – including the airports in Tampa and Orlando – and others plan to monitor the storm and take action if necessary.

More than 1,000 flights across the U.S. have been canceled so far on Tuesday, according to Flightaware.com. Several airlines are letting passengers headed to or from Florida change their tickets for no extra charge, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Many travelers have been reporting that finding a plane ticket has been incredibly difficult as they try to flee Florida for other states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Some of them include Garden State natives who were on vacation or attending college when the hurricane warnings started going out.

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Residents of Edison, Maplewood, Stewartsville and River Vale were among them, telling News 12 New Jersey that they managed to find tickets back home – but only after scrambling and lucking out. One passenger said that his flight was about $600, a big jump from what the cost was before the hurricane warnings began.

Some travelers have paid up to six times the average ticket price, iHeartRadio reported, with even higher prices being reported on social media.

The fallout from Milton comes less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene – the second-deadliest to hit the U.S. mainland – left Florida and several other Southeastern states in shambles and in mourning for their dead.

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"This event celebrates the rich diversity of our community by connecting culture, business, and technology."

Patch Staff

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of EqualSpace. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

EqualSpace, a one-of-a-kind workspace and incubator located in Newark, recently announced an exciting lineup of speakers, work sessions, social activations and hands-on startup competitions as part of its annual Newark Tech Week conference. Being held from October 14-18 and with sponsorships and participation from over 30 businesses and organizations, Newark Tech Week is the most comprehensive, free and multi-cultural tech convention in the city.

"This event celebrates the rich diversity of our community by connecting culture, business, and technology. We believe tech shouldn’t exist in a silo; it must be part of our everyday lives,” said Citi Medina, organizer of Newark Tech Week and Founder of EqualSpace. “By bringing together investors, startups, and diverse voices, we ensure that everyone has a seat at the table and an opportunity to shape the future of tech."

Audible, the leading provider of premium audio storytelling and an anchor institution in Newark, is spearheading efforts to attract innovative companies to the city through its Business Attraction Program. “Newark Tech Week showcases how our city is paving the way for the next generation of innovators,” said Aisha Glover, Global Head of Urban Innovation at Audible, a supporter of Newark Tech Week. “Audible is thrilled to continue its support of Newark’s entrepreneurs and to foster connection, collaboration, and progress in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

Aaron Meyerson, Chief Innovation Economy Officer of Newark Alliance added, “As Newark continues to emerge as a hub for technology and innovation, I’m immensely proud of the welcoming startup culture that’s uplifting so many local businesses.”

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With a large influx of tech and innovation companies choosing Newark because of its rich industrial history, access to universities and supportive business environment, the event sets the stage for a productive week of learning and cross-collaboration. Inspired by the theme “Shaping the Digital Future,” the interactive and informative tech experience will feature 15+ events/activations across five days including:

October 14

The event will showcase speakers, fireside chats and panel discussions from the influential leaders and visionaries who are driving innovation in Newark.

This jazz festival mixer will bring together entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts and industry leaders for an evening of networking and live music.

October 15

An immersive session on the exciting world of collegiate esports! As part of Tech Week, this interactive talk will give you a deep dive into the rapidly growing esports industry, focusing on how universities are integrating esports into their athletic programs, building competitive teams, and fostering student involvement.

Co-hosted by Audible, the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), the Newark Alliance, and Lair East Labs, this pitch competition will bring together the brightest minds in tech to showcase their groundbreaking ideas. Guest judges will provide expert commentary and additional exhibition booths will provide opportunity for networking amongst investors and innovators alike.

A fun and relaxed evening hosted by the creators of the popular Code & Coffee meetup.

October 16

Hosted by Gymble, lace up your sneakers for the convergence of tech and fitness. This run is more than just a workout – it’s an opportunity to network, collaborate and get inspired.

Join us for an insightful workshop on employee compensation, tailored for leaders who are ready to build their teams with a focus on fairness, gaining significant advantages in the process.

For current and aspiring innovators, changemakers, social entrepreneurs, technologists. The people forging new path & creating new solutions. Come and meet people doing cool stuff in a venue that’s all about helping startups.

The VC Hot Seat event is designed to bring venture capitalists into the spotlight, offering a unique platform for them to share their experiences, insights, and vision for the future of tech entrepreneurship. It will also include a panel highlighting accelerators and alternative funds to VCs.

October 17

Sponsored by Atlantic IT, this tech-focused speaker session will focus on how you can safeguard your company’s online assets.

Unlock the power of storytelling in your tech marketing with Marketing Your Tech, an insightful workshop hosted by Shared Story Consulting. This event is designed to equip tech entrepreneurs and organizations with the tools they need to craft and communicate a clear, honest story that resonates.

This gathering celebrates the achievements, challenges and insights of the powerhouse women in tech.

October 18

An exclusive 3 to 4-hour activation session designed to elevate your productivity and creativity with Microsoft Copilot. This comprehensive session will introduce you to Copilot’s capabilities, showcasing its integration possibilities and real-world benefits.

Celebrate the success of Newark Tech Week with the ultimate Wrap-Up After-Party, hosted by Plusable PR. As the week of innovation, networking, and tech exploration ends, this event is your chance to unwind, connect, and enjoy an evening filled with entertainment and great vibes.

For more information about Newark Tech Week and for updates on programming, please visit https://newarktechweek.com/.

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Reading Partners will work with schools and community organizations in Newark to empower them to implement the evidence-based program within their communities to support student learning, GreenLight Fund said.Photo Credit: TAPinto.net File Photo

By Matt Kadosh

Published October 4, 2024 at 2:11 AM

NEWARK — The nonprofit GreenLight Fund of Greater Newark, citing an urgent need to address literacy gaps among local students, announced $600,000 will fund a program to strengthen reading skills through tutoring.

Reading Partners will work with schools and community organizations in Newark to implement the evidence-based program within their communities and support student learning, GreenLight Fund said in its announcement. Newark is joining many communities nationwide that have mobilized tutors to improve early literacy skills, Adeola Whitney, CEO of Reading Partners, said.

“Reading Partners has activated tens of thousands of supporters across the nation who believe, like we do, that reading is a civil right,” Whitney said in the news release. “Newark is not alone in this challenge of inequity in our education system, and we look forward to partnering with the Newark community to recruit tutors to help improve literacy rates and close the opportunity gap.”

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Over the next four years, the national nonprofit Reading Partners, which says its evidence-based curriculum is based on the science of reading, will help recruit paid and unpaid tutors who will deliver personalized literacy instruction, in-person and online, to an estimated 4,500 students and facilitate family literacy workshops for 3,700 families, GreenLight Fund said. The goal is over 80% of students engaged will reach their annual literacy goals.

GreenLight Fund Greater Newark Executive Director Tish Johnson-Jones said both the data and community conversations have shown improving literacy is a critical issue in Newark.

“By recruiting and training community members to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring, we will help strengthen reading skills and set our young people up for lifelong success,” Johnson-Jones said.

The 2023 New Jersey State Learning Assessments (NJSLA) exam found only 23% of students in Newark are reading at grade level. Third grade is a pivotal year for reading proficiency, and research shows that reading at grade level by third grade is essential for educational development and is indicative of later success in life.

According to the 2023 NJLSA exam, the percentage of Newark third-grade students reading on grade level remained stagnant at 19%, compared to the statewide average of 42%.

Mark Comesañas, executive director of My Brother’s Keeper Newark, an organization that creates opportunities to give back to boys and young men of color, said reading from an early age is key to ensuring skills for school, jobs and life.

“MBK Newark believes that all children should be reading at grade level by third grade because that is the time in which reading to learn – not just learning to read – becomes essential,” Comesañas said. “Bringing Reading Partners to Newark will help us collectively continue to advance the research that shows interventions in key moments during a young person’s life can have the greatest impact and be predictive of later success.”

GreenLight Fund said it will host a conversation with community members about early literacy later this month, offering engagement resources to families later this year, and will be sharing details about how community members can sign up to provide tutoring services next year.

A company hired to replace 18,000 dangerous lead water pipes in Newark billed the city for $10.2 million while using misleading photographs, federal authorities announced Thursday.

The CEO of JAS Group Enterprise and a company foreperson have each been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

CEO Michael Sawyer, 57, of Burlington, and his employee, Latronia Sanders, 55, of Roselle, are due in court Thursday.

Attorneys for Sawyer and Sanders couldn’t be reached Thursday morning.

JAS received a contract worth $10,209,870 to complete work at up to 1,500 sites, according to charging documents.

Hired by the city in 2019 for the Newark lead service line replacement, JAS didn’t bother to do the job, federal authorities said.

Instead of removing the lead pipes and installing copper ones, JAS allegedly submitted photos that represented the work was done or unnecessary, authorities said.

In spots where copper pipes were already installed, the company said it had installed them after taking out lead ones, authorities said.

Sanders, Sawyer and others then periodically submitted payment requests to the city, authorities said.

Crews later told investigators that Sanders directly told them not to replace lead pipes on multiple occasions, authorities said. One location cited in court documents was on Hawthorne Avenue, the other on Badger Avenue, authorities said.

No schools in Newark were part of the Newark Lead Service Line Replacement, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said at an afternoon press conference at city hall.

A city official said residents were never in danger because a corrosion control knowns as orthophosphate had been used to coat the lead pipes.

“I don’t want to be this assumption that people were at risk because they were exposed to lead,” Baraka said. “But we don’t want to minimize the decision this firm made. It’s horrible that people would intentionally cut corners to get paid for work they didn’t do.”

Newark uncovered the problem in 2016 when workers found high levels of lead in the drinking water at some schools. Further testing from 2017 to 2019 showed lead levels among the highest of any city in the country.

“For years, lead pipes that transport drinking water to homes in Newark remained buried in the ground after the city hired a company to replace them,” Newark FBI acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado said in a statement.

“The business, along with others, were paid to replace the water service lines because any amount of lead exposure is detrimental to people’s health, particularly for children,” Delgado said. “We will hold accountable anyone who sees a payday in ripping off governmental agencies entrusted to protect the communities they serve.”

Before being hired as a contractor, JAS also worked on the lead pipe replacement program as a subcontractor for another construction company.

Baraka said the lead pipes neglected by JAS have since been replaced, adding that the company was one of eight contractors hired by the city to do the work.

“The rest of the companies did an incredible job,” the mayor said. “I don’t want them to get muddied up by what another company did.”

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the FBI at 973-792-3000.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.