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

Kenny Bachman thought he was taking an Uber back to where he was staying in West Virginia. Not quite.

Just about everyone has taken a drunken late-night Uber ride they might regret, or not even remember. But one New Jersey native recently took the blackout Uber ride of a lifetime.

After a night of partying with buddies in Morgantown, W.V. last Friday, Kenny Bachman thought he had called an Uber to take him back to where he was staying near West Virginia University's campus.

Instead, he woke up in the passenger seat of a 2011 Honda Odyssey minivan next to an Uber driver that was taking him home. Not where he was staying with friends in West Virginia, but home home.

Like, where he lives. In Gloucester County. More than 300 miles away.

"I just woke up," Bachman told NJ Advance Media in a phone interview. "And I'm thinking, 'Why the f--- am I in the car next to some random ass dude I don't even know?"

The price? A hefty $1,635.93.

"Afterwards I had it fully sink in," Bachman said. "Once the ride ended and I saw how much it was when I was like 'Alright, this is insane, that's just crazy.'"

A $3.94 base fare, a $2.35 booking fee, $696.95 for distance, $115.90 for time. Things were more expensive because Bachman unintentionally ordered an UberXL, which can hold up to six passengers and is exponentially more expensive than the typical UberX. Still, it would have been just $819.14 -- if not for the surge pricing, which doubled every charge except the booking fee. 

Bachman says he passed out in the van and after two hours woke up to the driver telling him they were on their way to New Jersey. Couldn't he just get out of the car once he realized what was happening?

"No, because what am I, just going to get dropped off on the side of the road?" Bachman says.

The Uber driver didn't have money for tolls, Bachman says, and was fined at every tollbooth. When they did get back to New Jersey, Bachman went to a CVS in Sewell and got cash back to give him money for tolls on the way back.

Bachman got back to New Jersey safe and sound. He even gave his driver five stars. But he challenged the charge; he claims he never put in the home address for the Uber. Bachman says the driver had his phone, even having answered a FaceTime call from a friend while he was asleep.

"Obviously I sent the Uber, I don't know where to, I know I wouldn't send it to my house, I knew where I was," Bachman said. "He was on my phone, without me allowing it."

Uber confirmed that the ride did indeed occur and that the driver took the rider to the destination he requested. Uber also connected with Bachman and resolved the matter, which ended with him agreeing to pay the fare.

A screenshot of the ride Kenny Bachman took from West Virginia to New Jersey, costing more than $1,600.

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Gerald Keer writes that new women's clinic funding in New Jersey could mean more requests to end pregnancies.

Are South Jersey and all of New Jersey isolated from horror stories? 

Television and newspapers tell about the mass-shooting atrocity in the Parkland, Fla., high school, in which 17 people were killed. Everyone should agree that it is a horror story. 

But overall homicide statistics are also a national horror story. Each evening, the local news will tell of homicides in the Philadelphia area; usually one body found on the street. Philadelphia's count in 2017 was 317. Chicago, which has a larger population, experienced 650. The Washington, D.C., metropolitan area had 259 homicides. Most of the shooters did not use semi-automatic "assault-style" rifles. 

Also last year, more than 133,900 unborn babies were aborted in the United States. What about exposing these horror stories in detail? State-by-state statistics for these horrors are slightly difficult to find. In 2014, however, 38 percent of pregnancies ended in abortions in the District of Columbia, 33 percent in New York State and 30 percent in New Jersey. These were the highest percentages in the nation.

Recently, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy restored to the state budget $7.5 million in appropriations for Planned Parenthood and other women's clinics, which former Gov. Chris Christie had repeatedly vetoed. What will these taxpayers dollars buy? Some of these clinics provide abortions, although the $7.5 million is not supposed to be for that purpose.

These funded clinics often are located in low-income areas. A woman doesn't need a semi-automatic weapons to have an abortion, just a request. 

What a horror! Right on, Gov. Murphy.

Gerald Keer, Turnersville

Schools should assess all students mentally

For Boy Scouts, I have to send you an email about a topic and express my opinion. The topic is going to be the Florida shooting.

I feel as if we shouldn't have teachers have guns. I feel as if we should do more to keep the students sane. 

I am proposing that we should do a yearly test on students that tests their mentality. (If they) get a low score, they should have a class two times a week that helps them think correctly. After a full school year of that, they take the test again. This keeps going on until this student gets a high score on the test. 

This does not have to be as specific as (the timetable) that I wrote about above. I just feel that it would be the best way to go about helping kids with mental problems.

Owen Colligan, Age 12, Turnersville

Toys for Tots keeps growing

The Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program in Gloucester County had another very successful year in 2017. Coordinators and volunteers were amazed at the amount of generosity and support provided by residents and businesses.

Thanks to all of them, we were able to provide a little hope to the less- fortunate children of Gloucester County on Christmas morning.  

This past season 88,000 toys were collected and distributed to more than 15,000 children. Every year the need grows, yet each year the good people of Gloucester County come through and provide us with the means to fulfill the requests of those requiring assistance.  

With deepest appreciation, we thank everyone involved for allowing us to help bring joy to children every year. We look forward to working with all of you again during the 2018 season. Remember, every child deserves a little Christmas.

Kevin and Shanin Baisch, coordinators, Gloucester County Toys for Tots

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Angela Feaster, whose crash ended the career of a Gloucester County police officer, faced 12 years in prison. Watch video

The judge who sentenced a woman to 10 years probation earlier this month in a DWI crash that left a police officer unable to work amended her sentence Wednesday to 5 years probation.

Angela Feaster, 38, admitted she was driving drunk with three of her children in the vehicle when she crashed into a Franklin Township patrol car driven by Officer Clifford Trovillo in 2015.

Trovillo's severe injuries, including a concussion, two broken wrists, an ankle fractured in two places, a hip fracture, back injuries and a broken tailbone, ended his career as a cop.

In amending the sentence Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Robert P. Becker Jr. found that his original judgment was "an illegal sentence" and that instead of making multiple 5-year probationary terms consecutive, should have made them concurrent. This meant a total of 5 years probation, rather than the original 10.

Feaster, whose blood-alcohol content was twice the legal limit, faced 12 years in prison on charges of assault by auto and child endangerment.

Becker found in his original sentence that jail time would only harm the progress he feels Feaster has made since the crash, saying she sought treatment for her alcoholism and accepted responsibility for her actions.

He also noted Feaster's history as a domestic violence victim. She was beaten and left for dead in a parking lot 10 months before the crash. Feaster didn't receive appropriate help from the criminal justice system after her attack, and this contributed to a downward spiral that ended with the auto accident, Becker concluded.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office is appealing the sentence.

Following Wednesday's hearing, Trovillo and his wife, Shannon, wondered why they were even summoned back to court if it was only to further reduce Feaster's sentence

They had sought the maximum penalty when Feaster was originally sentenced and expressed disbelief at the judge's original decision.

"I don't know how much more he can slap me in the face at this point," Clifford Trovillo said Wednesday. "He's saying the system failed her, but yet he's completely failing me."

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.

You know the names at the top, but what currently unranked wrestlers in NJ.com's individual rankings have the potential to make deep runs at Boardwalk Hall?

Nicholas Jahn told detectives he believed he hit a deer on the Black Horse Pike

A teacher at a school for children with special needs told detectives he was not aware that he had fatally struck a woman with his car at around 3:20 a.m. Saturday.

Nicholas Jahn 

Nicholas Jahn, 34, told investigators he believed he had hit a deer that morning, when he fell asleep behind the wheel of his Honda Pilot on the Black Horse Pike in Washington Township, police say. 

Additional details of what Jahn told investigators were in an affidavit of probable cause.

Authorities began seeking a driver on Saturday after receiving a call about a body in the parking lot of the Golden Luck Motel on Route 42 shortly after 7 a.m. There they found Jawana Wilcox, 44, who was likely walking out toward Route 42 to catch a bus.

Wilcox was surrounded by what appeared to be broken parts of a vehicle, the probable cause statement said.

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the area and determined that Wilcox had been hit around 3:20 a.m. Her body remained on the ground until a motel resident found her and called police.

After determing the broken pieces on the ground likely belonged to a Honda Pilot, investigators searched nearby housing developments and wound up at Jahn's home on Amherst Court, not far from the motel. They saw a damaged purple 2011 Honda parked outside.

Jahn, who taught physical education at Durand Academy in Woodbury, has been suspended from his job until his legal matters are concluded, over, Executive Director Raymond Cristofoletti told the Courier-Post. 

The school offered counseling to students to "cope with the unsettling revelations," the Courier-Post said.

- Reporter Matt Gray contributed to this report.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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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.

What we pick out to wear each day is a kind of uniform of our own choosing.

When we think about people who regularly wear uniforms, our thoughts likely turn to military personnel, police, fire and rescue workers. Other professionals that might come to mind are doctors and nurses. But the list of vocations where employees don uniforms is lengthy.

Let us consider employees in the food service industry, postal workers and people who deliver packages. And, although office workers don't wear uniforms, there was a time when the de facto garb at an office, for men, was a white shirt and black tie.

Alert: An unauthorized school uniform accessory violation, headwear section has been spotted!Courtesy of Sacred Heart High School 

Children wear uniforms to school and as members of scouting groups and organized teams. Adults who belong to organizations often were uniforms, too. Think of the distinctive hats worn by the Shriners or aprons worn by Freemasons.

What we pick out to wear each day, whether we know it or not, is a kind of uniform of our own choosing.

According to Dr. Karen Pine, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, "When we put on an item of clothing it is common for the wearer to adopt the characteristics associated with that garment. A lot of clothing has symbolic meaning for us, whether it's 'professional work attire' or 'relaxing weekend wear', so when we put it on we prime the brain to behave in ways consistent with that meaning. It's the reason why we feel fitter in our sports clothes, or more professional in work wear."

Here's a gallery of people in uniform and uniform attire in New Jersey, and links to other similar galleries you'll enjoy.

Vintage photos of what people wore in N.J.

Vintage photos of fashions and styles in N.J.

The email was sent to a school district staff member overnight.

Two Gloucester County school districts have been closed after an email was sent to a district staff member threatening to shoot up a school, prompting further angst in a state and country already on heightened alert.

The Franklin Township and Delsea Regional school districts are closed Thursday after authorities said they were investigating the email sent to the Franklin Township School District staff member overnight.

"We are working diligently to identify the sender of that email at this time," the Franklin Township Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.

The statement -- posted at about 5:45 a.m. on Thursday -- said parents "should expect phone calls from the school districts shortly," and that "updates on this incident will be posted when they become available."

Delsea superintendent, Piera Gravenor, said that she received a call from police in the middle of the night on Thursday telling her about the email sent to the Franklin School District staff member saying "that there would be a shooting," she said.

Though the threat was made to the Franklin School District, Gravenor said the close proximity of Delsea prompted her to close the district.

"I was sure people would think it was an overreaction," she said. "I'll take the heat for overreacting any day because that allows me to put my head on my pillow at night. God forbid something would happen."

Student had loaded handgun in backpack, cops say

The threat comes amid heightened concern and apprehension over the recent deadly school shooting in Florida that killed 17 students.

Several school districts in New Jersey have also been dealing with their own threats in recent days, including in Bergen, Middlesex and Somerset counties.

Extra police officers were on patrol earlier this week after a student was taken into custody for allegedly making threats to shoot up Dumont High School. Authorities found a rifle at his home.

Last week, authorities -- acting on a tip -- discovered a 17-year-old student from Franklin Township High School in Somerset County with a loaded 9-millimeter handgun in his backpack while on the campus.

And, on the same day, a 14-year-old New Brunswick Middle School student was charged with creating a false alarm after allegedly telling others in the school that he had a gun in his backpack, which was untrue.

In the aftermath of the Florida school shooting and the threats made to schools in New Jersey in recent days, Gravenor said the unfortunate reality today is that schools must be on "heightened alert at all times."

"You need to be careful what you say," she said. "I think it's important for kids and parents to talk to kids that this is not a small matter ... The inconvenience alone -- parents without childcare who work -- it's frustrating, it's aggravating. But, the most important thing is that we take it seriously every time."

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Most have been charged as juveniles, although at least two are facing indictable offenses as adults in state Superior Court

Charges have been filed against at least 16 young people and one teacher for alleged threats against schools in New Jersey since a Valentine's Day shooting claimed the lives of 17 people at a high school in Florida two weeks ago.

"This is not unusual," Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino told reporters on Tuesday at press conference to confirm details of four such arrests in his own county. "In the case of mass shootings, there is usually a spike in such calls for up to 30 days following such a tragedy."

Joseph Rafanello (left) and Michael Schmitt. (Police photo)

Michael Schmitt, 18, of West Caldwell, is the second person scheduled to appear before Superior Court Judge Peter V. Ryan in Newark this week on a charge of creating a false public alarm by making social media threats against a local high school.

Schmitt, who is scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning, follows Joseph Rafanello of Nutley, who was placed on home detention by Ryan on Wednesday following a detention hearing.

Rafanello, also 18, has been accused of posting on Instagram a threatening video he later deleted.

Most of those against whom authorities have publicly announced charges are juveniles whose names have not been released. They include:

• Two New Brunswick Middle School students, ages 12 and 14, whom police say falsely claimed to have guns in their backpacks.
• A 17-year-old Lakewood High School student accused of sending police an email referencing "blowing up" or "shooting up" the school.
• A 13-year-old from Madison and a 14-year-old from Nutley charged with making a threat against Abundant Life Academy, a private school in Nutley.
• A 13-year-old and a 14-year-old in Jefferson Township charged with making threats against the township's middle school and high school respectively.
• A 12-year-old student at Anthony Rossi Intermediate School in Vineland charged last week with having threatened to bring a gun to school and start shooting.
• An 18-year-old at Eastern Regional High School in Vorhees who police say also threatened to "shoot up the school."
• A 15-year-old accused of threatening on social media to commit a shooting at West Deptford High School. Police said he does not attend the school.
• Two students, whose ages were not released, charged with making terroristic threats at Delsea Regional High School in Franklin Township in Gloucester County.
• A 14-year-old in Somerset County accused of threatening a shooting at Franklin Township High School the day after the Parkland killings, and a 17-year-old caught on the campus last week with a loaded 9mm pistol in his backpack.
• In addition to the juveniles and the two 18-year-olds in Essex County, a South Jersey teacher is reportedly among those charged since the shooting in Florida.

The Courier-Post reported Wednesday that Williamstown Middle School teacher Paul VanHouten was arrested by Monroe Township police on Feb. 16 on a charge of creating a false alarm after he allegedly spread on social media a rumor about gun violence at the school.

Authorities have indicated that a number of other reported threats remain under investigation, including what local police said was a "concerning statement" made on an unspecified social media platform by a student at Cedar Grove Memorial Middle School.

In another case, a threat written on a bathroom stall at Memorial Middle School in Point Pleasant Borough led authorities on Monday to lock down the school and order the student body and teachers to "shelter in place" during a search. Police said that investigation also remains ongoing.

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

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Here's a roundup of recent home sales in Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties.

 

BRIDGETON

-- 13 Hopewell Road, Austin E. Headrick to Larry M. Cain Jr. for $140,000.

CARNEYS POINT TWP.

-- 8 Georgetown Road, Eileen M. Mahoney to Christopher M. McElroy for $90,000.

DEPTFORD TWP.

-- 24 Lavender Dr., Vrajlal and Nita Kalola to Darryl C. and Amanda M. Hunt Jr. for $319,900.

-- 230 Summit Ave., Barbara Colli to Sixto A. Martinez for $155,000.

ELMER

-- 47 Broad St. and 40 State St., Tri-County Real Estate Maintenance Co. to Allison E. Foote IV for $55,000.

FRANKLIN TWP.

-- 458 Blackwood Ave., Bank of America to Barbara L. Butler for $131,775.

-- 3037 Victoria Ave., Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey Inc. to Heath Welsh for $175,000.

GLASSBORO

-- 110 Franklin Road, Raymond J. and Carla N. Fordyee Sr. to E & K Properties LLC for $253,000.

HARRISON TWP.

-- 709 Mullica Hill Road, Kathleen Pauli to Gwen Truong and Anh Truong for $315,000.

-- 709 Chickory Trail, AMZ2 LLC to Gerald and Dolores Ewan for $268,000.

HOPEWELL TWP.

-- 168 Dutch Neck Road, Cynthia M. and Stephen J. Smith to Samuel J. Materia III for $134,500.

LOGAN TWP.

-- 2 Mallard Court, Zweigle Enterprises LLC to Union Property Inc. for $2,480,000.

LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TWP.

-- 134 Wild Oaks Dr., Earl M. and Florence T. Bowers to Andrew Breslin for $325,000.

MANTUA TWP.

-- 26 Barlow Ave., Margaret and Richard B. Young to Matthew and Danika Makowski for $283,000.

MILLVILLE

-- 30 Churchill Dr., Joshua Dunkle and Darian Patitucci to Adam Chamberlain and Angel Holm for $192,000.

-- 13-15 and 17-19 S. Main St., Commonwealth Capital LLC to Howard Moore for $167,000.

-- 24 N. Pearl St., Tracey S. Zieger to Kyle M. Scott for $115,000.

-- 816 Pine St., Hemchan Barran to Doris L. Goolsby for $125,000.

Washington Twp. property sells for $2.8M

MONROE TWP.

-- 221 Huntly Lane, Hovbros Stirling Glen LLC to Lisa M. McWilliams for $266,840.

-- 1216 Tulip Ave., Fannie Mae to Michele N. Capaldi for $136,600.

-- 915 Kirk Road, William M. and Leilani Mercogliano to James J. Jakubec and Ashley A. Farr for $159,900.

PAULSBORO

-- 1728 Dayton Ave., Jay O'Connor to Victor J. Aubry for $127,500.

PENNS GROVE

-- D. 17 Elvin Ave., Gregory N. and Susan D. Burpulis to Timothy Payne for $28,000.

PENNSVILLE TWP.

-- 35 Kansas Road, Richard and Colleen Balot to BCBC LLC for $163,000.

-- 244 N. River Dr., Wells Fargo Bank to Brown Capital LLC for $110,000.

-- 24 Georgia Road, U.S. Bank National Association to Donna Newdeck for $65,000.

-- 148 Delaware Dr., Burning Hollow LLC to Cory A. Snyder for $160,000.

-- 25 Elizabeth Dr., Ryan and Samantha Davenport to Kimberly A. Pino for $117,500.

PITTSGROVE TWP.

-- 790 Upper Neck Road, Mark L. and Mary A. Thompson to Jennie Perez-Martorano for $190,000.

SALEM

-- 225 Johnson St., Dale K. and Noreen G. Lape Jr. to Diane Helo for $34,000.

UPPER DEERFIELD TWP.

-- 1789 S. Burlington Road, Kenneth and Paula Austin to Kona Bear Holdings LLC for $225,000.

-- 224 Old Deerfield Pike, Brian and Camille Walker to Alenea Marie Tunney for $154,900.

UPPER PITTSGROVE TWP.

-- Three Bridge Road, Pennsville National Bank to Dianna Paul and Ruth Paul for $88,000.

VINELAND

-- 2540 Bartholomew Dr., Shore Management Co. of Delaware Valley Inc. to Geovannie S. Serrano Montalvo for $172,000.

-- 814 E. Wood St., Anita and Sergei Kaganzev to Victor Flores for $120,000.

-- 26 Evelyn Ave., Niolita DiJamco to Manuel C. DiJamco for $135,000.

-- 2800 Perna Lane, Lisa M. and William T. Carroll to Daniel and Niced Sotomayor for $217,000.

-- 2550 S. Lincoln Ave., Cindy J. and Michael W. Gerber to Paco Fuentes Ramales for $222,000.

-- 81 Howard St., H & K Property Management LLC to AB Apartments LLC for $1,265,000.

-- 1549 Dolly Dr., Alida Dorazio to Todd Cleary for $168,000.

-- 753 Wellington Court, Scott Brownlee and Diana Grecco-Brownlee to Saroj Rani and Ravinder M. Sharma for $211,000.

-- 506 Sylvester Dr., Marilyn Adams and John Albert Cassisi to Angel Cuevas Cornielle for $133,000.

-- 638 E. Plum St., 638 Plum St. LLC to Cumberland County Improvement Authority for $305,000.

-- 635 Timber Brook Dr., Sharon D. Thompson to Cynthia I. Moya for $177,900.

-- 676 Sheridan Ave., Michael C. Capizola to Crystal L. and Michael A. Chinnici for $175,500.

WASHINGTON TWP.

-- 4 Pear Tree Place, Gregory A. and Anna M. Fanelli to Jacqueline M. Biello and Joseph A. Libby for $397,500.

-- 407 Wedgewood Dr., William A. and Mary King to Lawrence J. Reichert for $178,000.

-- 131 Johnson Road, Whitman Square Volunteer Fire Company #1 to Washington Township Board of Fire Commissioners for $137,500.

-- 3 Orchardview Dr., Wilmington Trust to Kathleen Haven for $182,129.

WEST DEPTFORD TWP.

-- 99 Holly Dr., JVM Enterprises NJ LLC to Carol S. Craig for $170,000.

WOODSTOWN

-- 18 Auburn Road, William and Stephanie Crumb to Joshua R. and Alina A. King for $147,500.

WOOLWICH TWP.

-- 9 Sweetgum St., NVR Inc. to Ashley N. and John M. Oldani Jr. for $313,130.

-- 112 Arbor Dr., Ryan A. and Melissa Bailey to Jamel D. and Marva C. McIntosh for $610,000.

South Jersey Times may be reached at sjnews@njadvancemedia.com. Follow us on Twitter @theSJTimes. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

This bird winters in the southern United States and Mexico, but often returns to New Jersey by the first of March.

By Karl Anderson

It's hard to believe, but winter is almost over. Skunk cabbage is in bloom and birds that have spent the winter in the southland are returning to nest.

So what's the first bird of spring? The robin? Oh no, many of them have been around all winter.

Almost certainly the first "songbird" likely to appear is the drab-colored, kind of "unassuming" eastern phoebe. This bird winters in the southern United States and Mexico, but often returns to New Jersey by the first of March. Its summer range is throughout the eastern United States and Canada.

Don't know this bird? Seek out some rustic building in a sparsely-wooded setting -- maybe an old-fashioned picnic shelter in a state forest, with wide flat exposed beams beneath a good roof. With a bit of luck, a little brown bird, about 6 inches long, with a dingy white breast, will make an appearance, perch on a beam or a branch, and wag its tail. You have now met the phoebe!

It's a flycatcher, and feeds almost exclusively on insects. Watch it for a while and you'll see it fly off its perch, grab an insect out of the air, return to its perch, and wag its tail. And you might hear its call -- two whistled phrases, alternating long and short, which some people hear as "fee-be."

Red foxes make themselves at home in suburbia

Prior to European settlement, these birds built their nests on cliff ledges, particularly ledges that were sheltered by overhanging rocks or tree roots. They still do, but such locations are rare in South Jersey.

Horizontal surfaces on human-made buildings and bridges have compensated.  The nest is cup-shaped, about five inches across, and made of mud, moss, grass stems and animal hair. It is built by the female bird alone, and is usually used for several years. Two broods of young are usually raised each year.

In 1804, a female phoebe was the first "banded" bird in North America. John James Audubon attached a silver wire to the leg of a phoebe in Mill Grove, Pennsylvania, to test the supposition that the same bird was returning to its nest in successive years.

There are two other species of "tail wagging" phoebes in the United States. Down along the Mexican border and north into California, the black phoebe frequents brushy canyons, usually near water.

Much more widespread is Say's phoebe, which occupies the western half of the continent from Mexico to Alaska in the same way that the eastern phoebe occupies the east. This bird is pale gray and has a pale, rust-colored breast, and it is common around farm and ranch buildings. 

Individuals show up in New Jersey every few years, having gone astray during fall migration.

For information about the Gloucester County Nature Club, see gcnatureclub.org/.

Is this a case of lax efforts to keep students safe, or of Cherry Hill High School East administrators acting like Soviet jailers?

Last week, we noted that Cherry Hill High School East was one of just three South Jersey high schools to make a "Top 50" statewide list that was compiled using state Department of Education comparative scores.

The honor must have gone to the heads of the school's heads.

In recent days, the school has become embroiled in a huge controversy that tangentially involves the Parkland (Fla.) High School mass shooting. But the focus of protests by students and parents surrounds the unexplained disappearance of a well-liked teacher who told his class about alleged flaws in how Cherry Hill schools try to keep kids safe.

On that score, the controversy resembles less a discussion about metal detectors and guards than Cold-War-era stories about how those who spoke truth to power in the Soviet Union were dispatched to Siberian gulags.

The flap came to a head Tuesday, with a massive student walkout in support of the beloved history instructor, Timothy Locke. The same night, the school board president was peppered at a heated meeting with questions that he said he was unable to answer.

For legal reasons, it's true that school board members and administrators are not supposed to discuss personnel matters in public. But most everything else about the situation suggests heavy-handed missteps by district's higher-ups.

At Tuesday night's meeting, board President Barry Dickinson remarkably stated that "nothing" that has been said about the Locke case is "fact." The comment only fueled speculation, accurate or not, that the administration is conducting a "disinformation" campaign. More shades of Russia.

Locke, 59, an Iraq war veteran, has told interviewers that he was placed on administrative leave after the classroom security discussion. The rest of the narrative, attributed to the teacher or his defenders, seems more incredible: Locke was summoned to the main office, had his bag searched for weapons and was ordered to undergo psychological and physical exams.

No wonder this sounds to some like attempted "gaslighting," when techniques are used to get someone to question their own sanity or reality. If Locke took the foolish step of hiding a gun in order to produce proof of lax security at Cherry Hill East, the administrators' actions would make more sense. We just don't know.

Another stumble by the school surrounds the student walkout. According to WPVI-TV, the principal first threatened to keep any senior who participated from attending the prom, the senior trip or graduation ceremonies. But later, the principal just as mercurially reversed himself, writing that he was "formally retracting" the earlier punishment. So much for consistency.

Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn added to the mix by calling for armed guards and metal detectors at the school -- where just two retired, unarmed police officers patrol the campus -- as well as other district buildings. Cahn said the only reason that current resource officers do not carry firearms is because of school board policy.

If this dustup results in improved safety protocol, that would be good for students. As for Locke, he can probably end intrigue about his treatment by authorizing the school board to discuss his case in public. We'd soon know if he's been shoved aside just for being critical, how committed he is to fixing very real security lapses -- or if he's just been scaring students needlessly with worst-case shooter scenarios.

It's a lot to process for 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds, especially when their school administrators can't seem to handle the situation effectively.

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Highlights from the state tournament.

An in-depth look at the storylines and statistics for the biggest weekend of the season.

A 10-year-old student was arrested on Thursday for allegedly sending out a string of emails threatening to shoot up a school in Gloucester County.

A 10-year-old student was arrested on Thursday for allegedly sending out a string of emails threatening to shoot up a school in Gloucester County.

The boy, who attends the Franklin Township School District, was charged with third-degree terroristic threats and third-degree causing false public alarm, police wrote in a statement posted to Facebook.

Detectives sent subpoenas to an email carrier and internet provider "to determine the origin of the threat," the statement said.

The boy continued to send emails to school administrators, referencing another school shooting that would occur at Main Road School on Friday, police reported.

Police said in a statement that they plan to release the boy to his parents after a psychological evaluation.

Authorities emphasized that there was no legitimate threat to the safety of any school in the area and that students will be back to normal schedule on Friday.

The incident began after a teacher received an email overnight, saying that a shooting would occur on Thursday at Caroline L. Reutter School in Franklin Township, according to police.

The threat prompted officials to closed the Franklin Township School District and the nearby Delsea Regional School District.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Jim Fellon Jr. writes that the organization is in no way responsible for the Florida high school mass shooting.

I'm writing concerning all the backlash that the National Rifle Association is receiving after the tragic Parkland, Fla., high school shooting that killed 17 people. Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student there, is charged with the killings.

How and why is the NRA being blamed for this terrible incident? 

The NRA does not condone criminals or mentally unstable persons purchasing or owning weapons. In fact, the organization is strongly against this. 

If the FBI had followed up on tips that they received earlier about this 19-year-old, the tragedy would have never occurred. How about the armed sheriff's officer who was outside the school and did absolutely nothing to help the victims being shot inside? Even Nikolas Cruz's late mother had called the police and reported her son. The police were called to his residence more than 30 times. 

The NRA is a respectable organization that protects the rights of law-abiding citizens to legally own and purchase guns. I truly believe that without the NRA, our Second Amendment rights would be lost forever. 

If an individual is against owning weapons, that is his right. But, it's also a right for mentally stable, law-abiding citizens to own weapons if they wish to do so. 

Our great country is slowly losing freedoms each year. If you say something that is not politically correct, you can be fired from your job. School-supported prayer is gone from our public schools.

The goal of many of our elected officials is to try to disarm all civilians and prevent them from owning guns. If you are a law-abiding gun owner, you should be thankful that we have the NRA.

Jim Fellon Jr., Thorofare

Keep media's fact checks on Trump coming

I am glad to see political cartoons depicting President Donald Trump in a negative light. The one printed on the South Jersey Times' Feb. 28 opinion page was right on point. What could "Captain Bone Spurs" actually have done against a kid with an AR-15? 

(Trump, who famously cited bone spurs for one of several Vietnam War military draft deferments, recently said that, even if unarmed, he likely would have entered Parkland, Fla., High School, to save the students.)

As usual, "Mighty Mouth" just likes to hear himself talk. I think the Times is spot-on with its Trump coverage, as are most media outlets. What are the media supposed to do when we have a president who lies about everything? We need the press to shed light on the deception that the White House and Republicans spew.

I am writing partly to respond to recent letters expressing dislike for anti-Trump cartoons and mainstream media coverage of him. These letter writers must be watching Fox News, whose coverage is far to the right and warped. I signed up for White House emails, and every day I receive one filled with fiction and fantasy. 

I have been around since John Kennedy was president. While some of the men who occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. have not been great, no previous president has been such an embarrassment to the office or this country. 

Keep up the great reporting and cartoons. The next presidential election in 2020 cannot come fast enough.

Wayne B. Pinto Jr., Logan Township

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Marquee first- and second-round bouts

Kenny Bachman thought he was taking an Uber back to where he was staying in West Virginia. Not quite.

Just about everyone has taken a drunken late-night Uber ride they might regret, or not even remember. But one New Jersey native recently took the blackout Uber ride of a lifetime.

After a night of partying with buddies in Morgantown, W.V. last Friday, Kenny Bachman thought he had called an Uber to take him back to where he was staying near West Virginia University's campus.

Instead, he woke up in the passenger seat of a 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan next to an Uber driver that was taking him home. Not where he was staying with friends in West Virginia, but home home.

Like, where he lives. In Gloucester County. More than 300 miles away.

"I just woke up," Bachman told NJ Advance Media in a phone interview. "And I'm thinking, 'Why the f--- am I in the car next to some random ass dude I don't even know?"

The price? A hefty $1,635.93.

"Afterwards I had it fully sink in," Bachman said. "Once the ride ended and I saw how much it was when I was like 'Alright, this is insane, that's just crazy.'"

A $3.94 base fare, a $2.35 booking fee, $696.95 for distance, $115.90 for time. Things were more expensive because Bachman unintentionally ordered an UberXL, which can hold up to six passengers and is exponentially more expensive than the typical UberX. Still, it would have been just $819.14 -- if not for the surge pricing, which doubled every charge except the booking fee. 

Bachman says he passed out in the van and after two hours woke up to the driver telling him they were on their way to New Jersey. Couldn't he just get out of the car once he realized what was happening?

"No, because what am I, just going to get dropped off on the side of the road?" Bachman says.

The Uber driver didn't have money for tolls, Bachman says, and was fined at every tollbooth. When they did get back to New Jersey, Bachman went to a CVS in Sewell and got cash back to give him money for tolls on the way back.

Bachman got back to New Jersey safe and sound. He even gave his driver five stars. But he challenged the charge; he claims he never put in the home address for the Uber. Bachman says the driver had his phone, even having answered a FaceTime call from a friend while he was asleep.

"Obviously I sent the Uber, I don't know where to, I know I wouldn't send it to my house, I knew where I was," Bachman said. "He was on my phone, without me allowing it."

Uber confirmed that the ride did indeed occur and that the driver took the rider to the destination he requested. Uber also connected with Bachman and resolved the matter, which ended with him agreeing to pay the fare.

A screenshot of the ride Kenny Bachman took from West Virginia to New Jersey, costing more than $1,600.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the make and model of the Uber car.

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.