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Copyright © 2021 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.

The developers of new Wellmont Arts Plaza in Montclair and community leaders were hoping that the seven-story, mixed-use destination would have something for everyone in the municipality and nearby neighborhoods.

One of its first commercial tenants will offer just that.

On Wednesday, Summit Health celebrated the opening of its 30,000-square-foot, two-floor medical hub that will provide primary and specialty care for adults and children.

The hub, which will occupy the top floors of the complex, located at 1 Seymour St., will feature 20 primary care and specialty physicians, Summit Health officials said.

Summit Health officials said the hub intends to deliver many comprehensive services together at one location, as it will deliver connected care to patients across 17 co-located specialties, including primary care, pediatrics, dermatology, orthopedics, podiatry, OB/GYN, allergy, ENT, general surgery and more specialties.

Other notable service features include pediatric otolaryngology; on-site diagnostic radiological imaging services including mammography, bone density, ultrasound and general X-ray; on-site lab, providing phlebotomy, urinalysis and blood tests; and outpatient procedures, including laryngoscopy and ENT procedures.

Summit Health CEO Jeff Alter said the company is eager to have greater impact in the area.

“We are thrilled to build upon our tradition of providing excellent care to Montclair residents and to the Essex County community with our new Montclair hub,” he said. “Many of our Montclair-based physicians are familiar faces here in the local community, so we are really building on our roots. The Montclair hub will provide greater patient access to providers from one convenient downtown location.”

Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill said Summit Health will be a vital part of the community.

“During Summit Health’s time in Montclair, and in all of Essex County, they have done a tremendous job of providing comprehensive, multispecialty health care for the entire family,” he said. “Their impressive new hub will continue to offer primary care, pediatrics, women’s health services, general surgery and many more specialties under one roof.

“It is fitting they are among the first major businesses in the Wellmont Arts District.”

The Wellmont Arts Plaza, adjacent to the Wellmont Theater, is a mixed-use destination developed in partnership by Ironstate Development Co. and Brookfield Properties.

The 2.5-acre development along Bloomfield Avenue at Seymour Street is comprised of rental apartments, office space, retail frontage and parking. Summit Health’s Montclair hub was designed by Longo Architects & Associates LLC with interiors by Urban Chalet.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at noon Saturday to officially open the new 14,000-square-foot arts space in the heart of a new township arts district.

A 20-year-old Wallington woman and an accused heroin dealer from Paterson were both charged with murder in the death of her 8-month-old baby.

Ashley Roman and Joshua Delgado, 22, brought the infant to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center on Oct. 25, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim M. Baycora said in a joint announcement.

The child died soon after, they said without elaborating on the cause or circumstances.

The New Jersey Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide, Valdes and Baycora said.

Both Roman and Delgado, who they said isn’t related to the infant, were subsequently arrested by detectives from Valdes’s office on Tuesday. Both are charged with first-degree murder.

Roman is also charged with child endangerment. Delgado is also charged with several heroin possession counts, including having the drug for sale.

Roman was being held at the Passaic County Jail and Delgado at the Bergen County Jail. A first court appearance for both was expected for both in Superior Court in Paterson sometime next week.

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Prosecutors in New Jersey are expected to provide updates on the disappearance of 14-year-old Jashyah Moore, a high school freshman who went missing last month while going to pick up groceries.

The acting Essex County Prosecutor will hold a press conference to discuss the investigation Wednesday afternoon, officials said. It comes just a day after Jashyah’s mother, her family and other community members gathered at the East Orange deli where Jashyah was last seen and held their own search party Tuesday night.

Armed with flashlights and flyers, Jamie Moore begged the public to help her find her young daughter.

“I haven’t slept. I haven’t ate. I’m trying to keep myself healthy but it’s hard. Imagine if it was your child missing, how would you feel,” Jamie Moore said. “She’s 14. She has not lived.”

Authorities have not identified any suspects in Jashyah’s disappearance but a $15,000 reward has been issued to help find the teen. Jashyah is 5’5″, weighing about 135 pounds, according to her mother. She was last seen wearing khaki pants and a black jacket.

At a news conference last Friday, East Orange Chief Phyllis Bindi said police were looking at surveillance video from inside the Poppie’s Deli on Central Avenue where Jashyah was last seen entering with an “older male” who paid for her items.

Family members and the authorities are continuing their desperate search for a 14-year-old New Jersey girl who has not been seen since going to pick up groceries at a deli last month. NBC New York’s Checkey Beckford reports.

The video has not been released to the public but Bindi said the video doesn’t show them leaving the store together, and that the male in the video has been fully coorporative with the investigation.

Still, Jashyah’s mother says she suspects foul play.

“Jashyah is a smart girl, she would not stay out, she would not go out or go off with anyone,” said mother Jamie Moore at an emotional press conference on Friday. “I feel like somebody has her against her will. That’s why she hasn’t called me.”

“You don’t gotta tell us who you are, just don’t hurt my baby. Drop her off, drop her off at the police station,” she pleaded.

The search ended at an apartment building where a woman claims she may have seen Jashyah two weeks ago, but Moore later told NBC New York that she does not believe the lead will pan out.

Some who went out searching for Jashyah were upset by what what they said has been a double standard in the exposure the New jersey teen’s disappearance has received, saying it pales in comparison to what Gabby Petito received.

“We want that exposure for our babies that are going missing in our communities as well. We don’t get that,” said volunteer Yolanda Johnson.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office also sent a message through the media, asking that if anyone were to see Jashyah, to describe what she is wearing or relay details that help in the search.

“We know that Gabby Petito which was a very notorious case that was constantly in the news did yield results and information,” said Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II.

Both police ad the FBI are involved in the search, with Bindi saying that bringing Jashyah home “is our number one concern.”

A prayer service is expected to be held Friday in front of City Hall at 5:30 p.m. as the search for the teen continues.

Moore had a message to her daughter Tuesday night, wherever she may be: “I love you. I love you. if you see this, I’m looking for you, if I gotta die myself to find you.”

From Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.:

During the ceremony, the County Executive presented Essex County Community Star Awards to nine Essex County employees who have served or continue to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, including (from left) Officer Victor Vazquez (Marines) from the Essex County Correctional Facility, Mark R. Bittner (Army Reserves) from the Prosecutor’s Officer, Tina Tyler (Army) from the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits, Sgt. Richard Calo (Air Force) and Detective Vernice Leon-Rodriguez (Army) from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, Vincent Mays (Army) from the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits, Mitchell G. McGuire, III (Marines) from the Prosecutor’s Office, Kevan Kelly (Army) from the Hospital Center and Officer Joseph Morgan (Marines) from the Essex County Correctional Facility. (Photo courtesy of Essex County)

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. hosted the 12th Annual Essex County Veterans Day Observance in Essex County Veterans Memorial Park in Newark on Tuesday, November 9th. During the ceremony, the County Executive presented Essex County Community Star Awards to nine Essex County employees who have served or continue to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, including Tina Tyler (Army) and Vincent Mays (Army) from the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits, Kevan Kelly (Army) from the Hospital Center, Mitchell G. McGuire, III (Marines) and Mark R. Bittner (Army Reserves) from the Prosecutor’s Officer, Detective Vernice Leon-Rodriguez (Army) and Sgt. Richard Calo (Air Force) from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and Officer Victor Vazquez (Marines) and Officer Joseph Morgan (Marines) from the Essex County Correctional Facility.

“Throughout our country’s history, brave men and women have put their lives on hold to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces at home and abroad. Our Essex County Veterans Memorial Park was created to provide our veterans with a place to find serenity and comfort and provide a constant reminder to the public about their contributions and sacrifices,” DiVincenzo said. “We are proud to stand with our veterans at this important occasion, give them our respect and thank them for representing our country with valor and bravery. Our honorees this year demonstrate their commitment to public service by working as County employees and helping us continue Putting Essex County First,” he added.

Mark R. Bittner is a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is a Legal Assistant Judge Advocate based at Fort Dix with the USARLC Fourth Legal Operations Detachment. He previously mobilized with the 36th Infantry Division with the Texas National Guard in support of Operation Spartan Shield where he was stationed in Kuwait. He joined the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office as an Assistant Prosecutor in 2019. “I thank everyone who has served their country. I get the best of both worlds: to serve my country and to serve our community,” Bittner said.

Richard Calo joined the Air Force in 2019 and has been involved in multiple large-scale construction projects at McGuire Air Force Base and in New Mexico and Florida, and was recently stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea. He currently serves as a Sergeant with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. “This is an unexpected surprise. I appreciate the recognition,” Calo said.

Kevan Kelly is an Army veteran who served for six years. He has been a food service worker at the Essex County Hospital Center for nearly 30 years. “It was a privilege and honor to serve my country in the Army and it’s been a privilege and honor to serve the patients at the Hospital Center,” Kelly said.

Vernice Leon-Rodriguez is an Army veteran. She was deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. She currently is a Detective with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. “It was an honor and privilege to serve in the Army,” Leon-Rodriguez said.

Vincent Mays is an Army veteran who served from 1971 to 1973. He was stationed in Oklahoma as a Data Processing Specialist and received an honorable discharge with the rank of Specialist 5 Sergeant. He is a Family Service Worker in the NJ Family Care Office with the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits. “I’ve never experienced something like this. It makes me happy and proud,” Mays said.

Mitchell G. McGuire, III is a Marine veteran. He joined the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office in 2011 and currently serves as Chief of County Detectives with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. McGuire was thankful for the recognition and said it was an honor to serve his country.

Joseph Morgan is a Marine veteran who currently works as a Corrections Officer at the Essex County Correctional Facility. “I want to thank everyone for their support,” Morgan said.

Tina Tyler is an Army veteran who served from November 1994 to November 2011. She was stationed at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Ga., for 10 years before being deployed to Bosnia and Korea. She is a Family Service Worker in the NJ Family Care Office with the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits. “It’s an honor to be recognized, especially when service people leave their children and families behind to keep everyone safe,” Tyler said.

Victor Vazquez is a Marine veteran who currently works as a Corrections Officer at the Essex County Correctional Facility. “I accept this award on behalf of all veterans,” Vazquez said.

Joining the County Executive in giving accolades to the men and women who served our country were NJ State Senator and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz, NJ State Senator Cleopatra Tucker, Assembly members Eliana Pintor Marin and Thomas Giblin, Essex County Prosecutor Ted Stephens, Sheriff Armando Fontoura, Commissioner President Wayne Richardson, Commissioners Patricia Sebold and Len Luciano, Deputy Chief of Staff William Payne and Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss.

Rev. Dennis Hughes, Director of the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, gave the invocation. Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology student Samantha Arias sang the National Anthem. The Essex County Sheriff’s Honor Guard presented the colors at the beginning of the ceremony.

John Cusick performed the “Armed Forces Medley.”

Essex County Veterans Memorial Park became the first new Essex County park developed in Newark in 80 years when it opened in September 2009. It was created on the site of an antiquated parking garage that opened in the 1960s and had become a community eyesore. The 2.7-acre park has about 400 trees, shrubs and perennials, two small meadows, the Armed Forces Memorial, walking paths and decorative metal archways at the entrances. The Armed Forces Memorial includes a circular water fountain surrounded by 10 flagpoles and a short granite wall. The flags of the seven branches of the military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Army National Guard and Air Force National Guard – fly from 25-foot poles while the New Jersey State flag and Essex County flag fly from 30-foot poles and the American flag flies from a 35-foot pole at the center of the display. At the base of each flag pole on the granite wall is the official agency or government seal.

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A New Jersey mom is facing murder charges after her two children were found dead in the backseat of a car in Somerset County on Tuesday.

Skillman neighbors are devastated over what happened to the little girl and her baby brother who lived on their street. Both of them, according to police, murdered by their mother, 36-year-old Yuhwei Chou.

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“They really kept to themselves,” one person said.

“I never saw any sign of her being a bad mom,” Austen Wang-Bailey said.

“Why did she do that?” Helen Bailey said, crying. “I never even saw the little boy. I understand he was a beautiful little boy. The girl, she was a beautiful little girl. The cutest little thing.”

Police say Chou was behind the wheel of the car that left the roadway in Hillsborough near Mountain View Road.

Authorities say 7-year-old Samantha Ross and 10-month-old Paul Ross were in the back of the vehicle, bound and restrained in their booster seats and showing no signs of life.

Robert Long’s son is a tow truck driver who found the vehicle. Long told CBS2’s Cory James about the frantic phone call his son made to him just before 8 a.m.

READ MORE: Jashyah Moore Search: Update Expected From Essex County Prosecutor’s Office

“He was shook up. He said he found a lady in the ditch and said he asked her if she was all right and she said no, I think. And then he seen the babies and then he called the cops right away,” Long said.

Neighbors say they’ve seen officers at the family’s home before.

“Over the years, I had seen some, like, police cars would come occasionally. We never knew what any of that was about,” Wang-Bailey said.

But Bailey says if they knew something was wrong and the kids were in danger, they would have stepped in to help.

“What could I have done? What could I have said?” Bailey said.

Chou has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and will be booked after a medical evaluation.

The cause of the children’s deaths and the motive are under investigation.

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Editor’s note: This story first appeared on Nov. 9, 2021.

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A New Jersey mom is facing murder charges after her two children were found dead in the backseat of a car in Somerset County on Tuesday.

Skillman neighbors are devastated over what happened to the little girl and her baby brother who lived on their street. Both of them, according to police, murdered by their mother, 36-year-old Yuhwei Chou.

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“They really kept to themselves,” one person said.

“I never saw any sign of her being a bad mom,” Austen Wang-Bailey said.

“Why did she do that?” Helen Bailey said, crying. “I never even saw the little boy. I understand he was a beautiful little boy. The girl, she was a beautiful little girl. The cutest little thing.”

Police say Chou was behind the wheel of the car that left the roadway in Hillsborough near Mountain View Road.

Authorities say 7-year-old Samantha Ross and 10-month-old Paul Ross were in the back of the vehicle, bound and restrained in their booster seats and showing no signs of life.

Robert Long’s son is a tow truck driver who found the vehicle. Long told CBS2’s Cory James about the frantic phone call his son made to him just before 8 a.m.

READ MORE: New Jersey Mother Yuhwei Chou Facing Murder Charges After Children Found Dead In Backseat

“He was shook up. He said he found a lady in the ditch and said he asked her if she was all right and she said no, I think. And then he seen the babies and then he called the cops right away,” Long said.

Neighbors say they’ve seen officers at the family’s home before.

“Over the years, I had seen some, like, police cars would come occasionally. We never knew what any of that was about,” Wang-Bailey said.

But Bailey says if they knew something was wrong and the kids were in danger, they would have stepped in to help.

“What could I have done? What could I have said?” Bailey said.

Chou has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and will be booked after a medical evaluation.

The cause of the children’s deaths and the motive are under investigation.

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Editor’s note: This story first appeared on Nov. 9, 2021.

Bledsoe: Here is the truth about Payne’s support for the LGBTQ Community

NEWARK— Unfortunately, the LGBTQ community is once again being tokenized for political gain, this time by the campaign of Congressman Payne’s challenger, Imani Oakley.

Instead of focusing on issues and reaching out to community leaders for feedback, Oakley has resorted to lies and political grandstanding to get elected. It’s my opinion that this style is not the type of leadership we need in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately for Oakley’s campaign, as far as LGBTQ issues go, we can unequivocally say that we have a solid ally in the Congressman. Congressman Payne originally co-sponsored and voted for H.R.5. – the Equality Act, which passed the House of Representatives. Also, the Human Rights Campaign gave Congressman Payne a perfect score for his voting record on LGBTQ-related issues for the 116th and 115th Congress.

During one of the darkest moments in LGBTQ history, the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in 2016, Congressman Payne spoke out against the hate crime and tragedy that killed 49 innocent people and left dozens of others scarred for the rest of their lives.

In 2014, Congressman Payne along with 200 other lawmakers, signed a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to use executive authority to ban workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees of federal contractors.

In 2009, before being elected to Congress, then-Newark City Councilman Donald M. Payne, Jr., was instrumental in sponsoring and voting for the City of Newark’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Concerns Advisory Commission.

Congressman Payne also co-sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 34 (2019-2020), supporting the goals and ideals of GLSEN’s 2019 Day of Silence in bringing attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools, and  House Concurrent Resolution 86 (2017-2018), condemning racist and hate-based attacks on college campuses and reaffirming support for inclusion and safety in institutions of higher learning.

As a black, openly gay man and former Newark School Board Member, I can attest to the Congressman’s long-standing support of the LGBTQ community. I have benefited from the leadership, mentorship, and friendship of Congressman Payne and without his support, I probably would have never been elected in 2017 to the Newark Board of Education serving 35,000 children. Congressman Payne’s support for the LGBTQ community is strong and he stands with us every chance he gets.

Our country and the 10th congressional district need policymakers and leaders to work across the aisle, not more divisive tweets that are not based on the reality of the life of the LGBTQ community.

—Reginald Bledsoe is an LGBTQ Activist and Chair of the Essex County LGBTQ Democratic Caucus.

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