Sandy, a Big Lottery Win, and a Historic Teachers Contract

The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which took out power to nearly the entire city, dominated the top stories in Newark this month.

It took weeks for power to be fully restored after high winds knocked out overhead power lines and flooding destroyed equipment serving the North and East Wards. PSEG issued various advisories alerting residents to when power would come back. 

Getting gasoline was another chief concern in the first week of the month, as numerous stations were also left without power. Gov. Chris Christie ordered even-odd rationing to reduce the lines of motorists, some stretching for a quarter-mile or more, that formed at stations where the pumps were still running. The state also announced lawsuits against two local gas stations for price-gouging.

Sandy also had tragic consequences in Newark. Two teenaged women died Oct. 31 after succumbing to carbon monoxide fumes from a generator at a North Ward residence left without power following the storm.

In other news, the sixth defendant in the 2007 schoolyard slayings that shocked the city and the world was found guilty by a jury in Newark.

Police asked for the community’s help identifying suspects in the slaying of Hykine Johnson,  a former gang member turned author and filmmaker.

Two new eateries opened their doors in the city this month: Joe’s Crab Shack  and Elbow Room. That opening was attended by dignitaries including the New York Giants' Justin Tuck.

Four members of the Newark Municipal Council announced plans to file a court challenge against the appointment of Shanique Speight to the governing body. Speight was appointed with the help of a special vote cast by Mayor Cory Booker during a meeting that ended in chaos Nov. 20. 

An EMT was killed after his ambulance collided with another vehicle during a police chase.

The union representing Newark’s teachers agreed to a historic contract offering pay-for-performance bonuses. City teachers are the first in the state to be offered merit pay.

A Ferry Street store sold a winning lottery ticket for a $1 million prize. Later in the month, eight more locations elsewhere in New Jersey sold million-dollar winners in the largest-ever Powerball drawing Nov. 28. Two winning tickets for the more than half-billion-dollar prize were sold in Missouri and Arizona.