NJN News; Friday August 2, 1996

You major funding for NJN News is made possible by grants from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, which believes that an informed citizen relieves to a healthy democracy. PSENG committed to serving customers strengthening the business community and investing in New Jersey's future.

First Fidelity is now first union, serving the financial needs of individuals and businesses from Connecticut to Florida. HIP Health Plan of New Jersey dedicated to providing quality health care to employees of large and small businesses as well as individuals for two decades and by Bell Atlantic, the heart of communication, in partnership with public television, serving to inform and lighten and educate the citizens of New Jersey. NJN News with Kent Manahan, Dick Forney with Business and Jerry Henry with Sports. A lockdown continues at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton after violence breaks out. Good evening, 2400 inmates at the State Prison remain locked in their cells at this hour after a series of brawls erupted last night, some involving handmade weapons.

A dozen inmates were injured. Jim Hooker is standing by at New Jersey State Prison with the latest on the story. Jim? Kent, the melee started in an exercise yard just over these walls here. Officials say dozens of inmates broke into groups and started fighting. This is the state's most secure prison, housing as one corrections official told me the baddest to the bad. Nobody in here is doing less than 20 years time unless they're in for a disciplinary problem. Now, one inmate was hospitalized last night, 11 others hurt, no corrections officers hurt. I don't know why it here now, but that wasn't the case last night. Corrections officers from the department SWAT team, the Special Operations Group, descended on the prison last night, soon after the fighting broke out at 5.45 pm. There were no prison guards in the yard at the time. Prison policy calls for inmates to be watched by armed guards in the towers. There was sporadic stabings and cuttings and it was quite obvious that there was a serious situation going on.

While officials read extra lighting over the prison wall, the SWAT team gathered off the prison yard, ordering inmates to strip and return to their cells. The prison was locked down by 1 o'clock this morning. Corrections officials say the situation is now under control. We're pleased to advise that the institution remains calm. There has been no staff injuries starting from last night when the incident occurred. They say the fighting was between two rival religious groups, the Sunni Muslims and another Muslim sect that by our call to quote, aggressive one, the five percenters. A basketball game was going on at the time, but how much that played a part, investigators don't know yet. Our intelligence people are in gathering information to try to discern what happened and why it happened. Inmates pass through metal detectors and are subject to random pat searches before entering the so-called big yard and exercise ground the size of about two and a half football fields. Thornton said he doesn't know how the inmates smuggled in weapons. While we found some razor blades, slashing type weapons, and a few what we term as shanks. Corrections officials say the fighting at the prison was spontaneous, but union officials

disagreed. I do very few situations inside of facilities that's being somewhat random, all right? Believe me. I think a lot of them are orchestrated. I think a lot of them are well planned, given the nature of from what I've received this far in regards to this, when I think it was a very well planned one. Now this prison, like the rest of the state system, is overcrowded here by 25 percent. Union representatives like little say this is one of the reasons for the brawling last night. Corrections officials say no, people or people. Those found guilty of involvement in the melee could face sanctions of restrictions in their prison movements of up to a year or at a time on their sentences. The last time there was a lockdown here, that followed an incident where there was an attack by inmates on several guards and a captain and there was a stabbing. At that time, the prison was locked down for an entire month, can't back to you. Jim, thank you for that report. According to the latest statistics, crime was on the rise in New Jersey last year, despite an overall dip in violent crime. The number of reported incidents increased 2 percent in 1995.

The state police uniform crime report released today shows about 5,000 more crimes were reported last year compared to 94. Number was up 3 percent. Domestic violence shot up 22 percent. Authorities say that's because the legal definition of domestic violence was expanded to include stalking and dating relationships. Non-violent crime, such as burglary, increased from more than 319,000 in 1994 to 326,000 last year. Johns are on notice in Elizabeth. If you're convicted of soliciting a prostitute, your name will soon appear on a lighted billboard. Richard Young reports on the city's unique attempt to clear its streets of street walkers. Prostitution is a growing problem in this Union County city, as part of a police crackdown earlier this week and undercover officers' vice worked proved very successful. The other night, we had a young lady out on the street and she was admirably dressed. She got 13 solicitations in 90 minutes.

The officer picked up a john every 6 minutes, but to further combat the problem, city officials are embarking on a news scheme to tell Johns their business is not welcome. Those convicted of soliciting prostitutes will find their names in hometowns, plastered on billboards throughout town. Instead of signs like Goya Fruchus, you might find names like John Doe of Union County. As for the legality of doing this, city officials say there are research shows there's nothing to stop them. So far, most of the companies that own the billboards have been somewhat reluctant to sign on, but the mayor says even if they refuse to publish, he has his own plan. We have also the wherewithal to confiscate drug money, to erect our own billboard and place the names on the billboard as well in the midtown section of our community. Some cities currently publish the names of johns and local papers, Elizabeth could not find a paper to cooperate. So cops feel this isn't even better idea. I think that these johns will go elsewhere to find the young ladies of their liking. Because they won't want the shame of it and the result trip to divorce court.

I think it's great. Why? Because then there'll be, you know, known and everything. They shouldn't be doing that. Every time they do something, it's hush, hush, hush. You know, but if it's a prostitute, the name is out and everything else. So they should be treated the same way. The city hopes to have the billboards visible from the train station and the turnpike. If a billboard company signs on, convicted johns could find their names in lights by the end of next week. Rich Young and JN News, Elizabeth. Texas Eastern transmission corporation has paid nearly $12 million to victims of the Edison pipeline blast in 1994. That's according to a star ledger report. The explosion level, the Durham Woods Department complex destroying dozens of homes and leaving 1,500 tenants homeless. 659 people have reportedly settled with Texas Eastern, which also paid $7.5 million to insurance companies. We have paid to reconstruct the complex. Pan energy corporation, the parent company of Texas Eastern, told NJN News today that claims

are still being processed, but they wouldn't comment on the settlements. A spokesperson says the company is working diligently to get claims settled to make sure that the tenants get on with their lives. Divers went down more than 100 feet in the Atlantic today, resuming the search for victims of TWA flight 800. Meantime, the Navy worked to bring ashore the biggest piece of wreckage yet, a 45-foot chunk of fuselage. Still investigators say they don't have enough evidence to determine what down the jumbo jet on July 17th. The crash killed 230 people, seven of whom were from New Jersey. One source, close to the probe, says a reward of $2 million or more might be offered if the disaster is linked to sabotage. Some Gloucester County residents are trying to derail a long sought-after extension of the Patco High Speed Line from Glassboro to Camden. As Ken St. John reports, the proposed $1 million project would also link Camden to the state's capital.

Some residents of the Young Valley section of Deppard Township are upset at the route the extension of the speed line would take. The plan calls for the line to extend southward from Camden, passing through towns like Gloucester City, Woodbury Heights, Manchua, Deppard and Glassboro on an existing Conrail line. The northern route would stretch from Camden along the Delaware River to Trenton, also on an existing line. Forlantine County officials have agreed on their route, Gloucester County officials and residents have not. It's not about the traffic, it's not about the kids, it might be a kill. Well, I'm opposed to it because I think it's dangerous. I mean, there's no railroad crossing guards there. There's never been any, what are the arms that come down there to stop it? There's never been one there. This is what residents are talking about. Children come from this neighborhood back here and walk over to the railroad track across this railroad track on their way to the elementary school, which is down this path. This is where we all call mostly, this way. Done that path there?

Yeah. As the legislators, Republican and Democrat alike have been working on extending the route for years. They say it will cut down on traffic in a county that has a population of 220,000 residents. By the year 2010, Gloucester County is supposed to increase in population by 26%. So we need to make the tough decisions now in order to plan for the future. Those against the plan round propose it be built on Route 55, but the state says that's due cost. When you see large projects being built, you have the issue of greater goods, serving a ridership or customers that come from points way beyond where the line is constructed. And then you have the interest of the people who have to live with the railroad. We have to strike a balance between being a good neighbor and providing good transportation. Maybe it isn't the complete answer, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. Gloucester County preholders are expected to decide the issue next week. Ken St. John, NJN News, Gloucester County. In political news tonight, Bob Dole's presidential campaign has announced its New Jersey staff.

The executive director will be veteran state house Republican operative, Dean Armandwarf. Deputy director will be lobbyist Susan Doctorian, the wife of state senator Joe Corralos. A headquarters in Lawrenceville will open on August 15th. There's much more news ahead tonight on NJN News, including the annual summer warfare against those little bloodsuckers. You know what I mean? It's getting nastier. If you have a comment, call NJN News at 1-800-Jersey-1, or our email address, NJN News at AOL.com. All this wet weather in July has left New Jersey and is running for cover from mosquitoes.

The annoying critters have infested much of the garden state. Belinda Morton has more on the mosquito state warfare. The soggy summer weather has created an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes in New Jersey. DEP officials say they've been swamped with calls all the way from Cape May to Sussex County. The bulk of the mosquito problems appears to be in the inland counties of the state. Particularly bad has been the area around Pessex County, Morris County, Pesate County, and here in Mercer County. Residents say the mosquitoes are attacking with a vengeance. I went to a party last weekend in South Plainfield, it was a pool party, and within 5 or 10 minutes of being there, we were attacked. We had bites all over our legs.

We were putting our windbreakers on. They've been very bad and very vicious. I have a girlfriend who lives in Maplewood who said that she just can't bear it anymore. She has to stay in the house with her children and keep the doors and windows closed and the children still are getting eaten alive. I got 51 mosquito bites. It has been excessive. Just big swarms of mosquitoes and it's just been unrelenting. Mosquito experts say the bites this summer are bigger and more prone to infection. My daughter just got a huge mosquito bite on her head and on her knee and we keep the screens down but somehow they got through. Essex County mosquito control officials say they haven't seen mosquitoes like this since 1978. Dr. Francis Le Mord at St. Barnabas in Livingston says this is the first year he's seen people come in from a mosquito bite treatment. Get a night's woman came in with her three children and they were all bitten up and couldn't go to sleep and we looked at them and they had about 20 to 30 mosquito bites. Mosquito control units are attacking the pesty problem with ground and aerial spraying. Officials say once an area has been sprayed, it'll take about 16 hours to kill the mosquitoes.

Mosquito control officials say while mosquitoes will be around for a while, residents can expect some kind of relief within a week. Belinda Morton in JN News, South Orange. A pond and two cooling towers are being cleaned at the FAA Research Center in A Carpet Township after officials discovered bacteria associated with Legionnaires' disease. Three workers at the center have been exposed to the potentially fatal bacteria. They're undergoing tests to determine if there is any risk of respiratory ailments associated with Legionnaires. FAA officials say there's no indication the bacteria got inside of any of the buildings. Still to come tonight on NJN News in our business report, another medical merger is on the horizon in New Jersey and Dick Forney shows us what's making New Jersey radio active. Lastly, Clotty, some showers moving through today, 73-83 tonight and evening showers and then some patchy fog lows in the 60s tomorrow on Thursday.

It's a tough story to tell to a tough world to go for them these days. Financial pressures are continuing to spur consolidation in New Jersey's healthcare industry. Today, two of central New Jersey's biggest hospitals announced their intention to merge. Helene Fould Medical Center and Mercer Medical Center are in talks to combine. The chief executives of both Trenton Hospital say they have no choice.

We looked at the best projections we could come up with and all the projections are staying alone hospital in the future were very, very red and when we began to then make consolidations with scenarios with other hospitals, that's when we came to inclusion at Helene Fould was where we wanted to start. This is the beginning of a new era of healthcare for our institutions and for the people that we serve. The two CEOs say there will likely be job cuts of the wake of a consolidation if the merger is approved by regulatory authorities. The two institutions have between them 3,000 employees and 670 beds. Helene based GIF Corporation will pocket $90 million from the sale of its only remaining investment in the broadcasting business. GIF has sold hard rock station WAXQ FM New York City to a radio group which promptly then traded the New York City station to Viacom Radio in a property swap.

No comment from Viacom on its plans for the rock station which formerly was WNCN, a classical music spot at 104.3 FM. Viacom already owns a station in the New York market, WLTW, a light rock radio station at 106.7 FM. Well, the number of players in the radio business is shrinking. Here in New Jersey last month, Princeton based Nassau Broadcasting acquired two stereo stations in Mammoth and Ocean counties. With those purchases, Nassau expanded its holdings in the state to 12 spots on the radio dial. Nassau effectively bought out its competition in local radio at the shore. It's all part of a consolidation taking place in New Jersey's radio industry. If you stand up and down the radio dial and you land on one of the stations, you may not notice a difference. But Nassau Broadcasting Company based in Princeton has been on a buying spree lately. In the last year and three months, we've gone from owning two stations to owning 12 stations.

The Broadcast Group holds this year's record for the most acquisitions here in the Garden State. Two current additions to the chain, WJLKFM and WQNJFM in Mammoth and Ocean counties, and WOMAM and FM in Tom's River. We're immediately looking at adding probably another two stations in the near future. And after that, I think we're going to slow down for a while. So our goal is to own 14 stations by the end of 1996. The radio industry in New Jersey is consolidated. More stations are owned by fewer companies, part of a national trend that took off with passage of the 1996 telecommunications law. In 1992, a company could own only two FM and two AM stations in the same radio market. But the new law allows ownership of as many as eight stations, depending on the signal overlap in a given area. The regulatory change has caused Wall Street to take notice. It's got the attention of the investment community, and they understand that radio is a

business they want to be in. And suddenly, you have access to capital. New Jersey's chime time 1033, I'm Dennis Moore, which I'm talking about. What NASA Broadcasting has in number of stations, press broadcasting of Neptune has in power. The company owns two 50,000 watt stations, WKXW Trenton, better known as New Jersey 101.5, and WBSS and Millville Atlantic City. The president of press broadcasting claims one out of five New Jerseyans listen to 101.5 on a weekly basis. And more listeners mean more precious advertising dollars. I think one of the strengths of 101.5 has, particularly with our sister station, 97.3 WBSS down in the Atlantic City Millville area, is that you're only dealing with two facilities and with those two stations, you basically can reach, I guess, about 18, some portion or all of 18 out of New Jersey's 21 counties. With more broadcasting power and the hands of fewer but bigger companies, by the year 2000, New Jersey's mom and pop type radio stations may be a thing of the past.

When we get done in five years of this massive buying spree that's going on right now, you're probably going to end up with a handful of broadcasting corporations or broadcasting companies that on all the radio stations in the country and in New Jersey, in particular. As competition heats up, New Jersey's radio stations are trying new ventures to expand their reach. This week, for example, press broadcasting announced that it's 101.5 morning program will be simulcast over Comcast Cable as a TV program. Wall Street ends the week with a bay, the big numbers from the big board and elsewhere next. Tonight's NJN News Business Report is made possible by Core State's New Jersey National Bank, providing financial services to New Jersey families and businesses. The federal government says nationwide unemployment rose a scant one-tenth of a percent last month.

Stock buying took off like a shot on that news and by the close of the day, the Dow had gained nearly 207 points for the week. As the tale of the tape, the Dow industrial average soared, 85 points today to end the week of the 56-79 level. The MX Index rose 4.85, the Nasdaq Composite jumped 26, and the standard in poor is 512 in a half. Busy day. And we thought it was just a slow summer Friday. All right, Dick, still ahead, a check of the forecast coming up, and in sports, a classic race is set to run at the metalheads, we'll bring you a preview. Here's a look at today's sports action. Horses and drivers are warming up for tomorrow's 16th Cadillac Hamiltonian.

At the metallands, odds makers have given active grace even odds to win. She's Valley Victory's Philly, Valley Victory also fathered for other horses running in tomorrow's harness race. Odds are, if you bet, on a Valley Victory progeny, you'll come out a winner. The Hamiltonian is the second leg in Cart Racing's triple crown, delivering New Jersey's biggest purse, $1.2 million for the victor. The Hamiltonian is our biggest day on our biggest harness track in the country, so there's nothing related that compares to it here. It's most exciting to be in it. At the end of the year, the most fun looking forward to it. It's a thrill just to be involved in the Hamiltonian when you get a drive and that's exciting and you're fortunate enough to win, that's just icing on the cake. The U.S. men's 400 relay team advanced to the semi-finals today while nine-time gold medalist Carl Lewis stood on the sidelines. The Willingborough High School grad still has a chance to win a record 10th gold tomorrow in the final relay competition, but as each day of competition slips by the window of

opportunity, he gets narrower and narrower. Well another New Jerseyan, Olympic boxer Terence Cauthan, has had his chances for the gold knocked out. He lost a 15-12 decision about last night. The South Pawn danced his way through the match, fighting all three rounds before losing to his Bulgarian opponent. It was a case of first-round blues, though. Cauthan fell behind in the first five-to-one and played catch-up for the rest of the match. The son of a Trenton butcher Cauthan boxed his way into the medal rounds Tuesday assuring himself of a bronze. It was a good fight, man, but I got to take that, you know, I got to take it like for what it is and just thank God, you know, be grateful for what I got and just going with it. Well the Olympics conclude on Sunday night. Let's take a look at whether a sunny pleasant day across New Jersey today, a great day to tend a flower garden. I'd like to have this one. Lauren Sandberg is a perfectionist, as you can see, with this flower display for his

shop in Clementin, Camden County. Some people just have the knack. Here even the butterflies like to hang around, sunshine, warmer temperatures resulted in cold, yellow or moderate ozone levels today, and highest levels were in central and coastal New Jersey. Tomorrow expect moderate ozone levels for the day. Here's the forecast. North Jersey tonight, partly cloudy skies, a low of 60, tomorrow cloudy with a chance of an afternoon shower, high of 85. South Jersey tonight, increasing clouds with lows in the lower 60s, tomorrow, mix of sunshine and clouds, chance of a shower, too, highs in the mid 80s. That's our news. I'm Kath Manahan for Dick and all of us. Thank you for watching. We'll see you again on Monday night at Joy the Weekend. We'll see you again on Monday night at Joy the Weekend.

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