Walter Hudson writes about inequities in a Salem County school district.

Civil rights leader Julian Bond once said, "Violence is black children going to school for 12 years and receiving six years' worth of education."

Looking at the Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District, I am deeply concerned. Superintendent Zebaida Cobian ordered a curriculum audit of the district, whose results were presented at the Jan. 22 school board meeting.

To me, the results were heartbreaking. Long-standing educational gaps and a lack of diversity in the teaching staff that were present under a previous superintendent still exist. 

To Cobian's credit, this is the first audit that was ordered. However, she now  must be held accountable for ensuring that all children in the district are being educated with the best resources. There are some great teachers in the district, along with some problematic ones.

To grapple with the educational gaps within the district, you have to look at the elementary schools, specifically Lafayette-Pershing and Field Street, to determine how, and whether or not, the children are learning. What plan is in place in each school to ensure that students are progressing?

Cobian must be visible on a weekly and or daily basis in all schools, something she stated she would do before becoming superintendent in 2014. The district has a $38 million budget, with Cobian receiving a $145,000 annual salary and Jennifer Rushton, the curriculum director, receiving $106,000. 

Taxpayers in Penns Grove and Carneys Point pay 40 to 60 percent of their property taxes to the district, and all schools should be doing well. The only thing that seems to be improving is salaries. Our children need a multi-million-dollar education with the multi-million-dollar budget.

Walter Hudson, Penns Grove

Broaden preschool options statewide

We all understand that children are the future, which is why it's necessary for us to assure that all of them are afforded the opportunity to achieve their highest potential. 

Preschool and kindergarten are extremely important to our children's success later in life, since their first years are when they make the largest strides in language acquisition, social skills, problem-solving and reasoning. 

This is why it is imperative for the New Jersey Legislature to pass legislation providing broader access through improved funding for early education, something that state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and Sen. Theresa Ruiz, D-Essex, strongly advocate. Their efforts to ensure that children are being properly nurtured from a young age represents a wise and invaluable investment for our state that can pay off for generations to come.

We owe it to our children to do our best for them, and we cannot do our best for them without providing them early childhood education.

Tom Bianco, Clayton

The writer of is the Democratic mayor of Clayton Borough and the Gloucester County director of economic development. 

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The complete list of 2018 NJSIAA State Wrestling Championships qualifiers heading to Atlantic City

Police said the woman was killed early Saturday in a collision on the shoulder of state Route 42.

A teacher at a school in Gloucester County for children with special needs has been charged with vehicular homicide after he allegedly struck and killed a woman after falling asleep behind the wheel, and then fled the scene.

Nicholas Jahn. (Salem County Correctional Facility)
 

In a statement Sunday, Washington Township police said Nicholas Jahn, 34, was arrested Saturday afternoon on charges stemming from the death of Jawana Wilcox, who was killed earlier that morning.

Police said investigators believe Wilcox, 44, was approaching a bus when Jahn fatally struck her on the shoulder of state Route 42 near its intersection with Ganttown Road. Her body was found by a resident of a nearby motel.

Jahn, of Washington Township, is a teacher at the Durand Academy in Woodbury, according to police. Jahn's employment status was not immediately available Sunday evening.

Authorities said officers found the Honda SUV believed to have struck Wilcox when they arrived at Jahn's home.

In addition to vehicular homicide, police said, Jahn is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash and endangering a victim.

Records show Jahn is being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility. Police said he will remain jailed pending the outcome of a detention hearing. It was unknown Sunday evening whether Jahn had retained an attorney who could comment on the charges.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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New Jersey's average property tax bill climbed $141 to $8,690 last year. See how much your county's average bill increased here.

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey patiently await homes.

Here is this week's collection of some of the dogs and cats in need of adoption in New Jersey.

We are now accepting dogs and cats to appear in the gallery from nonprofit shelters and rescues throughout New Jersey.

If a group wishes to participate in this weekly gallery on nj.com, please contact Greg Hatala at ghatala@starledger.com or call 973-836-4922.

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

In the context of the World Day of Social Justice, the question is: What are we doing to make our community a more just and equitable place?

February is a month with enough holidays and observances to keep us busy for a while, offering everything from Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day to Black History Month. While each is part of the fabric of the month, there is another February observance that I hope will become as prominent as the others: United Nations World Day of Social Justice, which was observed on Feb. 20. 

The World Day of Social Justice was instituted in 2009 as a way to focus global attention on such issues as unemployment, poverty and inequality, and the way these play out based on culture, race, ethnicity or religion. The core principle is for governments to create a framework for action to promote social justice at all levels. It includes calls for equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources through equality and opportunity for all.

The idea is that no one should be excluded or left on the margins because of the differences we might be compelled to use to separate out people or groups. It's become awfully easy for us here in the United States to point to other countries around the world and condemn them for inequalities, oppression, or human rights abuses. The reason is that, if you pick out the worst of them, America will always look good by comparison.

In the context of the World Day of Social Justice, the question for us is this: What are we doing to make our community a more just and equitable place?

After that, the question narrows down to how each of us is participating -- or not participating -- to bring about social justice. In order for this to mean anything, it has to be personal. In order to be personal, it has to be local. We can't easily bring about change on the other side of the world, but we can do so on the other side of town.  

I think all reasonable people would agree that we need a more just and equitable society. But, beyond agreeing with and subscribing to that principle, what does it look like on the ground in our communities? 

As we come toward the end of the winter season, I am in awe of the nightly group of volunteers we have in Bridgeton who make it their business to show up each shift when Code Blue is in effect. The effort helps those who are homeless by bringing them to warming centers and providing meals. Groups such as the Salvation Army and St. Andrew's Church serve hot foods, and individuals like Susan Cavagnaro from Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Newfield provide sandwiches.

It would be easy for the volunteers to conclude that the homeless are to blame for their own circumstances and, therefore, they are therefore not worth it the effort. But social justice isn't about such critical judgements or harsh conclusions. Instead, social justice recognizes that many things factor into how and why someone is living on the margins, excluded from the resources and opportunities that make for a self-sustaining and productive life. 

Your contribution to social justice may not be at a warming center. Perhaps it is helping someone to read, mentoring a young person, visiting the sick at a nursing home, teaching financial literacy or doing something else to make our community a better place.

I recently read a book that referenced the "butterfly effect," the idea that a small, localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. It's the idea that whatever time you invest in working with children or in doing a dozen other things in the name of social justice can have long-lasting impact in positive ways that we don't always realize.

Here's to social justice, and to those willing to bring it about. 

Albert B. Kelly is mayor of Bridgeton. Contact him by phone at 856-455-3230 Ext. 200.

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See the latest links in NJ.com girls basketball state tournament preview.

Get your game face on. The tournament starts Monday.

Here is our complete and extensive state tournament preview, with lots of serious basketball analysis and a little fun too.

NJ.com will, of course have extensive round-by-round coverage of the tournament, from now through the T of C final on March 18.

BRACKET-BY-BRACKET
• All the brackets 
• Favorites, dark horses, players to watch & more - every bracket
• Sites & times for the state tournament

FEATURES
• NJ.com's predicts all 20 sectional champs
• Upset alerts: Our complete Round 1 picks
• X-Factors: Which players will excel in the state tournament?
• Players to watch in each section of 2018 state tourney
• 17 lower-seeded teams that can make a run
• 15 takeaways from the state tournament seeds 

Brian Deakyne may be reached at bdeakyne@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDeakyne. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

Complete guide to the 2018 state tournament.

The boys basketball preview is essentially complete with the addition Thursday of the huge bracket-by-bracket breakdown. But be sure to keep coming back to this post - we have a piece or two to add before play starts on Monday - like Friday's addition of can't-miss Round 1 games.

BRACKET-BY-BRACKET
• Every section's favorites, dark horses, players to watch & more
• All the brackets
• Sites and times for Group semis and finals

FEATURES
• 23 can't-miss Round 1 games
• Predicting all 20 section champs
• From Antoine to Zona: A-to-Z guide to the state tourney
• High seeds poised to be tourney spoilers
• NJ.com's superhero squad
• X-factors for the state tournament 
• Takeaways from the state tournament seeding meeting

Richard Greco may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Richard_V_Greco. Mike Kinney may be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter @MikeKinneyHS. Kevin Minnick may be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter @kminnicksports. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.

Check out the list of placewinners from the 2017 NJSIAA Wrestling Championships who will be returning to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on March 2-3-4.

Elaine Lore writes that Congress should listen to protesting students, not lobbyists or campaign contributors.

In 17 cases, guns have been fired at schools since 2018 began, a period of less than two months. It's time we take our country back. 

This is absolute madness. We discuss the sanity of the shooters. That we allow this to continue without action is the real insanity. Having Congress owned and controlled by special interests rather than members' respective constituents is madness. 

No one, absolutely no one, should meet behind closed doors with any elected official unless he or she is a constituent. The doors to the Capitol should be closed to lobbyists tomorrow. Don't wait! They can address members of Congress in an open forum, leaving each representative to listen and decide on issues for themselves -- not based on how much money they will get for their next campaign.

Taking so much money out of politics will go far in addressing all the ills we are facing. I also want an end to long, nasty election cycles. A healthy weighing of words, with no mudslinging, would be welcomed by all of us.

We also need to achieve term limits such that people can't just come to Congress and remain "on the take" for years.

Concerning the school shootings, teachers making less than $80,000 a year offer to sacrifice themselves by standing between our children and deranged, gun-wielding individuals. Meanwhile, Congress, whose members make more than twice as much, can't even stand up to the special interests. While I realize there are true statesmen and stateswomen in Congress, I'm sure that they would love leveling of the playing field. 

Congratulations to the youngsters who are standing up to be counted about lawmakers' inaction on the shootings. Let's support them.

Elaine H. Lore, Pitman

Do your part to adopt animals

I want to recognize and thank the Gloucester County Animal Shelter which, once again, is participating in the U.S. Humane Society's World Spay Day for providing fee-free, spayed or neutered shelter animals on Tuesday. 

(Note: The shelter website indicates that the free adoptions and services are available only to people who had adoption applications approved by Friday, Feb. 23.) 

We are very fortunate to have clinics in Gloucester County that provide low-cost spay and neutering. The nonprofit organization that runs a clinic next to the shelter, People for Animals, is providing the free services on World Spay Day. They do an excellent job and are very compassionate in their care.

Spayed and neutered animals are more likely to live longer and healthier lives. I encourage everyone to and help solve the problem of animal overpopulation by spaying or neutering their pets, as well as by adopting from the Gloucester County Animal Shelter.

Frank Rollo, Clayton

Editor's note: The writer is a borough councilman in Clayton, where the shelter is located.

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Four people were originally charged in the 2016 heist in West Deptford Township.

The last of three defendants convicted in an armed bank robbery was sentenced to eight years in prison last week.

Quamaine J. Jackson, 23, of Chesilhurst, pleaded guilty to a first-degree armed robbery charge in the heist at BB&T bank in West Deptford on March 23, 2016.

Jackson and two others entered the branch brandishing firearms. All had their faces covered as they ordered bank employees to take them to the vault. They fled the scene with about $140,000 in cash.

Latoya Y. Bryson, 40, of Williamstown, Travis C. Stanback, 37, of Paulsboro, and Jackson were indicted in August 2016, as was Charmaine M. Stanback, sister of Travis, who has since died.

Bryson, Jackson and Travis Stanback provided full statements to police detailing their involvement in the robbery, authorities previously reported. Bryson drove the getaway vehicle, while the other three entered the bank.

The Stanbacks were also charged with calling in a phony bomb threat to West Deptford High School days before the bank robbery in order to observe the response of emergency personnel. This was part of their preparation for the heist, police said.

Travis Stanback pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery and was sentenced earlier this month to 10 years in prison. Bryson pleaded guilty to third-degree theft and was sentenced to three years probation and 364 days in county jail.

The three surviving defendants were also ordered to repay the bank $137,700.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

Check out NJ.com's interactive, printable brackets for this year's tournament.

Camden County's lawsuit against a pain pill marketer is not like all of the others.

The family members whose company makes OxyContin as "racketeers"? 

It's a unique twist in Camden County's otherwise "me-too" lawsuit hoping to recover damages from the financial and human costs relating to opioid addiction. 

In the spate of litigation that has been filed against pharmaceutical companies, this wrinkle could stand out. Maybe it will work, although the bar for proof for getting personal with executives of Purdue Pharma might be significantly higher than in other lawsuits that states, cities and counties have filed against producers, wholesalers and pharmacies that supply the addictive, but legal, painkillers.

In announcing the lawsuit last week, Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr., left no doubt about who he thinks Public Enemy No. 1 is, when it comes to the opioid crisis.

Members of the Sackler family, which founded Purdue,"are the lowest form of humans you can possibly imagine," Cappelli said at a press conference. 

Other excerpts from the 177-page lawsuit say that that Richard, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler and their family "executed an epic scheme to deceive doctors (and the public at large) into believing that opioids can be prescribed for long periods of time with little to no risk of addiction; a blatantly false premise."

Articles with titles like "Meet the Sacklers: The Family That's Killing Millions" already abound on the internet. 

Indeed, Purdue Pharma paid a $600 million government fine in 2007 over allegedly misleading marketing for their "new" opioid, introduced in 1995. Its sales reps and paid "experts" claimed it could be prescribed for pain without patients becoming hooked.

Camden County's suit -- as well as most of the others -- doesn't target Purdue alone. 

The suit's big-name drug company defendants, who marketed pain pills of the same generation, include Janssen (a Johnson & Johnson division) Teva and Abbott Laboratories. Two major medicine wholesalers, along with the Costco, Walgreens and Rite Aid retail chains are also named.

However, all of the above are publicly traded companies. If nothing else, going after Purdue, a privately-held company and its allied family fortune, is an attention-getter. Recently, possibly in response to all of the litigation, Perdue announced that it would stop marketing OxyContin actively to physicians.

The crisp narrative of the Camden County lawsuit stands out, too: "In the hour that it takes to read this complaint, six Americans will fatally overdose from opioids, two opioid-dependent babies will be born and a significant number if former opioid addicts will turn to heroin," the introduction states.

The suit also makes the case that the Camden County Police Department, which patrols Camden City exclusively, spent 1,740 hours in 2016 and 2017 alone responding to 941 overdose cases, often administering the opioid reversal drug, Narcan.

At some point, judges are likely to consolidate some of these 300-plus lawsuits filed against these painkiller defendants. Surely, the plaintiffs and their lawyers hope that a judgment or settlement will result in the kind of landmark, $200 billion anti-smoking fund that tobacco companies were forced to set up in the 1990s.

"With us, it's personal," was an ad slogan used recently by one of the the retail pharmacy chains that Camden County is suing.

If this is suit is personal, and the Sacklers are made to fund the bulk of the relief, Camden County will have done a service to the nation. 

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Highlights from the state tournament.

The NJSIAA will seed the 2018 individual state tournament brackets Tuesday. Check here often for updates on seedings, pairings and brackets

Each of N.J. hockey's four state tournament brackets are down to their Final Fours.

The proud members of the American Legion Ambulance Association are moving forward after a debilitating fire at squad headquarters.

"Property can always be replaced, but lives cannot be," is the usual observation after a fire like the one that destroyed the American Legion Ambulance Association building in Woodstown last week.

The early-morning Feb. 19 blaze did not injure or kill anyone. Fortunately, four employees who were inside escaped unhurt. The sound of oxygen canisters exploding raised the stakes, turning life-saving equipment into potentially life-threatening weapons.

But the property loss was truly devastating, with a huge impact on public safety. Not only did the squad's headquarters burn, but five of the company's ambulances were incinerated, with a sixth heavily damaged. Total damage estimates exceed $2 million.

The company is optimistically planning to rebuild. The good people of Woodstown and surrounding Salem County are provide any resources that the insurance proceeds ultimately do not cover.

The more pressing challenge is to ensure that the squad can respond adequately to health emergencies when so many of its ambulances are a total loss. Stepping up is a hallmark of South Jersey, so it was not surprising to learn that other first-responder organizations have done so.

The ambulance squad is operating temporarily from the Reliance Fire Company headquarters and a Salem City site. Borrowed ambulances have been provided by Elmer and Laurel Lake squads. Gloucester County EMS, a regionalized agency, provided the Woodstown area with some coverage immediately after the fire.

Joe Valentine, the Woodstown company's president, declared proudly that the squad was back in service by the evening of Feb. 19, the same day as the 4 a.m. fire. Already, private fundraising efforts are underway. Franklin Bank has donated $5,000. The squad has begun a GoFundMe page with a $100,000 goal. 

The American Legion Ambulance Association looks to be as ready as any voluntary EMS organization in New Jersey to pick itself up, dust itself off, and get going again. It's a resilient organization that has been around since 1954, and now provides service to Pilesgrove Township and parts of Salem City, as well as Woodstown.

Still, the occasion of the fire might be an opportune time for Salem County -- and most other New Jersey counties -- to look at the more formalized regional model that now provides similar service to most of Gloucester County. For 11 years, Gloucester County EMS has been the prime model of shared emergency medical services. It has amassed 34 ambulances and other support vehicles, operates from 13 locations, and can put 200 staff members on the street.

Imagine how that kind of scale would be an asset if a fire or other disaster were to put one of the Gloucester County EMS locations out of commission. And, the thing is, Gloucester County EMS is also voluntary. Five of the county's 24 municipalities, including large-population Deptford and Washington townships, do not participate.

Although some member communities have reported outside pressure to join, countywide EMS growth to 19 towns was spurred for the most part by the usual factors -- insufficient volunteers to cover all shifts, insufficient finances to switch to a paid staff and the high cost of mandated equipment needed by each small squad.

The Woodstown squad, facing the same kind of challenges as New Jersey's other once-volunteer ambulance providers, switched in 2014 to a primarily paid-employee service. Whatever is ahead, we expect that the headquarters rebuilding and equipment replacement can return this proud association to full strength. It might be worth knowing, though, that right in the next county is a working example of an alternative to going it alone.

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NJ Advance Media previews the NJSIAA State wrestling championships. Some of the wrestlers featured are: Anthony Clark, Delbarton; Sammy Alvarez, St. Joseph (Mont).; Antonio Mininno, Gateway-Woodbury; Robert Howard, Bergen Catholic; JoJo Aragona, Pope John; Nicholas Raimo, Hanover Park; Patrick Glory, Delbarton; Michael O'Malley, Hasbrouck Heights; Antonio Mininno, Gateway-Woodbury.

Highlights from the state tournament.

Who will move on to the sectional semifinals? Take a look at our staff picks.