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Nazi-Naming Dad Wears Nazi Uniform to Kid's Hearing

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Dressed in a Nazi uniform, Heath Campbell marched into a New Jersey courthouse to petition a family court judge to allow him to see his youngest son.

"I'm going to tell the judge, I love my children. I wanna be a father, let me be it," Campbell told NBC10 Monday before court proceedings. "Let me prove to the world that I am a good father."

The closed-door hearing at Hunterdon County Family Court in Flemington, N.J., was being held to determine whether the 40-year-old father of four, who gave his children Nazi-inspired names, could visit with his 2-year-old son Heinrich Hons Campbell.

The boy was 16 hours old in November 2011 when he was taken from Heath Campbell and his now estranged wife Deborah Campbell at the Hunterdon Medical Center, according to the father.

The New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (NJ DYFS) said they took the boy because of previous violence in the home. An anonymous abuse claim was also made to local police.

The couple said they never abused their children and argued they were being targeted for the names they chose for their kids. Officials have denied that to be the case.

NJ DYFS officials had already placed Heinrich Hons Campbell's older siblings – Adolf Hitler Campbell, 7, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell, 6, and 5-year-old Honzlynn Jeannie Campbell – in foster care because of the alleged violence in the family's Holland Township, N.J. home.

The Campbells gained national attention in December 2008 after a Greenwich Township, N.J. ShopRite supermarket refused to write Adolf Hitler Campbell’s name on a cake for his third birthday. The couple complained the refusal constituted discrimination.

A second store eventually honored their request, but the flap led NJ DYFS to start an investigation into the family.

The agency's investigation prompted a judge to remove the kids from the couple’s care.

"I've never abused my children, I only name my children and I don't think it's right anymore," Heath Campbell said. He said he hasn't seen any of his children in two years and that the three oldest children have been adopted by another family.

"Basically, what they're saying is because of my beliefs and I'm a Nazi, that us people don't have any constitutional rights to fight for our children," he said.

Asked whether he felt wearing the Nazi uniform, complete with a swastika patch on the arm and leather boots, into court would help or hurt his case, the father said it depended on the judge.

"If they're good judges and they're good people, they'll look within, not what's on the outside," he said.

Heath Campbell started wearing the uniform in June 2012 after forming "Hitler's Order,” a pro-Nazi organization. He was accompanied to the hearing by a member of that organization, Bethanie White.

White also wore Third Reich garb -- with swastika patches -- to the proceedings.

The father, who has Nazi symbols tattooed on his arm and neck and had Nazi memorabilia in his home, had previously said he was not a fan of Hitler's atrocities.

Heath Campbell says he and his wife have separated and that she has given up her rights to the children.

In June 2012, a New Jersey Superior Court denied the couple’s appeal to return the children home.

As is policy with family court proceedings in New Jersey, NBC10 was not allowed into the courtroom. The case court record is also sealed and a court official said any rulings in the hearing would never be released to the public.

Representatives from both the court and NJ DYFS also offered no comment on the case.

Heath Campbell says he plans to be back in court later in June for another hearing regarding Heinrich Hons Campbell's guardianship.

"I'm gonna keep fightin'," he said. "I don't care if it kills me. I love 'em."


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Wildfire Evacuations Lifted as Firefighters Make Progress

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A wildfire that surged to more than 45 square miles over the weekend in northern Los Angeles County burned five to six homes and damaged a total of 15 structures, fire officials said Monday.

Firefighters appeared to have made major progress Monday night - the 32,000-acre blaze was 60 percent contained. However, the fire still threatened 275 structures and continued to burn into the night, with full containment not expected until next week.

Firefighters said cool overnight conditions on Sunday helped them gain ground as the Powerhouse fire moved into a flat area with less brush, but winds occasionally picked up Monday as crews protect homes near the high-desert city of Lancaster. A higher level of humidity was helping, fire officials said.

The cost of firefighting efforts was estimated at about $8 million as of Monday night.

The vast majority of the 2,500 residents who were under evacuation orders were allowed to return home. Some, however, were not and remained at an evacuation center overnight.

"You start getting a little tired and weary not being in your own home," said Lake Hughes resident Diane Reeves.

"So far, things look much better than they did yesterday," said U.S. Forest Service Cmdr. Norm Walker said at a 4 p.m. news conference.

He expressed "guarded optimism." Full containment was not expected until June 10.

The fire -- which produced smoke that can be seen as far away as Las Vegas, according to the National Weather Service -- grew in rugged terrain that hasn't burned for more than 80 years near Santa Clarita and spread into the Antelope Valley during the weekend.

Lake Hughes resident Dennis Immel, wearing fire gear he bought as a precaution a few years ago, fought off the fire with two hoses.

"My lungs were on fire," Immel said. "There were those ten minutes there where I really got nervous."

Greg Johnson, his neighbor across the street, wasn't as lucky.

"You see something that was once was beautiful, more or less kind of returned back to the elements," Johnson said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lt. Dave Coleman said evacuation orders had been lifted for the communities of Lake Hughes at Lake Elizabeth, where about 1,500 people were affected in total.

The community of about 500 people in Antelope Acres, west of the poppy preserve, remained under a mandatory evacuation order.

Evacuation orders could be reinstituted if winds and fire conditions shift, officials cautioned.

A county public health official recommended those who own private wells in affected areas boil their water or drink bottled water as a precautionary measure. The fire could have damaged well or storage tanks, or a power outage could have allowed lines to be de-pressurized and thus decontaminated.

Viewer Images: Powerhouse Fire

Wind speeds are expected to gust Monday at 20 to 25 mph -- not as powerful as during the weekend, but enough to warrant a wind advisory for the area north of Santa Clarita.

"Things are looking better," said Matt Corelli, of the U.S. Forest Service. "Last night was our best opportunity to make some headway on the fire. A cool mass of air came in, that gave us an upper-hand. The fuel the fire is burning into now is a lot less dense than it was up on the hill."

Temperatures in the high 80s are expected Monday.

The fire broke out Thursday near a hydroelectric plant known as Powerhouse No. 1 in San Francisquito Canyon, north of Santa Clarita in the Angeles National Forest. Flames exploded over the weekend amid 90-degree temperatures and shifting wind gusts, pushing the fire northeast.

"The wind is dropping, and it allows us to get in and do some damage and go direct on the fire," said Sean Collins, of the Kern County Fire Department.

Three firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the blaze. One was injured by a falling rock, another suffered from heat stress and a third was injured by contact with poisonous oak.

Lake Hughes and San Francisquito Canyon roads were closed. Bouquet Canyon and Elizabeth Lake roads were open to residents only.

A Red Cross evacuation center is located at Marie Kerr Park, 39700 30th St. W. Palmdale, 93551. About 140 people were at the site, Coleman said on Monday afternoon.

The Antelope Valley Fairgrounds are serving as a shelter for large animals.



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Disneyland Raises Ticket Prices

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The world-famous theme park is raising ticket prices. A one-day, single-park pass to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure will cost $92 for adults and $86 for children under 10 - a $5 increase.

Other types of tickets and annual passes will increase in price from $5 to $30, and parking fees will increase by $1.

In addition, Southern California resident discounts are being suspended.

The company said the price had to be adjusted, but a trip to the park is still worth the cost.

"Like any business, we evaluate and adjust our pricing based on a variety of factors," according to a Disneyland statement. "A ticket to our theme parks represents a great value, particularly when you look at the breadth and quality of attractions and entertainment we offer, and the special moments guests experience with our cast."

Abandoned Boat Found in Cardiff

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Encinitas lifeguards said an abandoned boat was discovered early Monday morning on San Elijo Beach in Cardiff. The boat was later towed away.

Motorhome vs. House

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A motorhome crashed into an El Cajon house around 1:30 a.m. Monday in the 800 block of Ballayntine Street.

Park District Signs Remind Parents "It's Just a Game"

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A suburban Chicago park district is asking parents to keep themselves in check during their children’s sporting events.

The Buffalo Grove Park District installed a half-dozen metal “adult behavior” signs offering perspective for parents getting a little too into the event.

The signs, posted at Emmerich Park, read:

“Of the hundreds of thousands of children who have ever played youth sports in Buffalo Grove, very few have gone on to play professionally. It is highly unlikely that any college recruiters or professional scouts are watching these games; so, let’s keep it all about having fun and being pressure-free.”

The signs were posted as a "self-check" for overbearing or hot-headed parents and are intended to curb inappropriate behavior, the park district said.

“We thought that if we put it in a way that people could relate to, as well as infuse a little humor, that the message would resonate and people might be more likely to comply," said Mike Terson, park district public relations and marketing manager, "and hopefully for some, change how they look at youth sports altogether."

Terson said the issue came to his attention while he was attending his son's soccer games and became more prevalent when he began coaching.

The signs also ask that parents respect the game’s officials.

“Referees umpires and officials are human and make mistakes, just like players, coaches and you. No one shouts at you in front of other people when you make a mistake, so please don’t yell at them. We do not have video replay; so, we will go with their calls,” the sign reads.

But the main goal of the signs is to allow children to enjoy their sport and have fun.

"Sometimes, we, the adults, need to be reminded as to what truly is important, and that it is just a game," Ryan Rinsinger, director of recreation and facilities, said in a statement.  

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Photo Credit: Buffalo Grove Park District

Chelsea's Light Awards Scholarships

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Ten high school seniors are getting college scholarships thanks to the Chelsea's Light Foundation. NBC 7's Danya Bacchus reports.

"Wow": Paralyzed Teen Walks at Graduation

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After he was paralyzed from the chest down in a bicycle accident, Manny Rios did something no one thought he’d ever do — he walked during his graduation ceremony at a Southern California high school.

In his blue cap and gown, he stepped out of his wheelchair on May 29 with some help from a walker and his therapist and took slow steps up a ramp to applause, chants of “Manny! Manny!” and “You can do it!”

“He always said he was going to walk across the stage to get his diploma,” said his sister, Mirna Hennicke, 35. “I’ve seen him take steps, but I did not think he was actually going to make it all the way across the stage.

"I cheered him on. I was like, ‘Wow, he did it!’”

For the family, Rios' graduation from Sultana High School in Hesperia was a huge day commemorated in a YouTube video for all to see.

Family members never thought Rios would walk, talk or even eat again after he suffered from an injury while riding a bike four years ago that put him in a coma.

Despite the setback, Rios never wavered, telling his family: "I will walk across the stage to get my diploma."

“He really is my superhero,” Hennicke said. “... No words to describe what I felt, actually seeing him accomplish what he said he was going to do.”

The family is raising the $12,500 needed to get Rios a service dog to assist him in his daily routines. You can donate here. As of Monday, the family has raised $140.


Pedestrian Struck on SR 94, SR 125 Connector

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A driver stepped out of his car after an accident on a San Diego area highway and was struck by an oncoming car.

California Highway Patrol officers shut down the connector from eastbound State Route 94 to the northbound State Route 125 around 3:20 a.m. after the man was injured.

The man was rushed to a nearby hospital in what’s described as critical condition. CHP officials say the victim was driving under the influence.

A tow truck was brought in to remove a vehicle that had landed on the other side of the concrete barrier.
 

San Diego Veterans Record Personal Histories

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San Diego veterans are being encouraged to share their personal stories as part of a national project.

StoryCorps is a non-profit organization that records interviews with Americans from all walks of life. The full 40-minute interviews are archived in the Library of Congress. Some of the interviews are turned into shorter stories for NPR.

From now until June 22, StoryCorps’ mobile studio will parked aboard the USS Midway Museum. Local veterans, especially those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, are being asked to do interviews.

“These stories, once shared in a very personal way, will live on forever,” said John Decker, Director of Programming at KPBS, San Diego’s NPR affiliate.

Something unique about the project: The veterans won’t be interviewed by reporters, but by their own friends and family members.

“For them, regardless if you carried a gun or drove a truck, you were gone,” Decker said. “There was this very real disconnect between you and your family and a very powerful, emotional return home to share.”

Korean War veteran Bob Baker recorded one of the first interviews.  

“I enjoyed doing it because 'The Forgotten War' I want to make remembered best I can,” Baker said.

Baker said he was almost injured or killed nine times in Korea.

“I promised God if I escaped this particular Outpost Harry battle, I’d never forget what he allowed me to do,” he said.

Both Baker and Decker encourage all veterans to do an interview, even if they feel their service wasn’t significant.

“You’re a real person who had a real experience that was part of this larger thing” Decker said.

“Tell the story best you can,” Baker said. “It’s worth getting out.”

Veterans can reserve an interview time slot online or by calling 800-850-4406. Participants will also receive free admission to the USS Midway Museum. A facilitator is available if a veteran doesn’t have a loved one to conduct the interview.
 

Gas Line Break in Chula Vista Shuts Down Freeway

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The California Highway Patrol shut down both sides of Interstate 805 after a gas leak in Chula Vista Monday.

The CHP started reopening all lanes around 5:45 p.m. The freeway had been closed from State Route 54 to State Route 905.

Check out our interactive traffic map

The break happened around 2:45 p.m. at East Palomar Street and Nacion Avenue. Fire officials told NBC 7, a Caltrans worker broke an 8-inch natural gas line with a back hoe. 

Crews shut off the gas around 5 p.m., and residents were allowed to return home. People living in a half-mile radius of the break site and students and staff at Palomar Elementary School had been evacuated as a precaution.

SANDAG made State Route 125 toll-free Monday night to help alleviate traffic. The traffic jam could impact Monday night's Mumford and Sons concert at the Sleep Train Amphitheater.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Police Investigate Deadly Stabbing

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A quick-thinking witness helped police make an arrest in a deadly stabbing, according to officials.

The stabbing happened around 3:30 Monday in the 2800 block of Main Street in Chula Vista. According to police, the witness saw the suspect stab the victim and drive away in his car. The witness was able to scribble the license plate number in the dirt and give it to police.

Police tracked the license plate to a home, where they spotted the suspect getting into the car. They pulled him over and arrested him, according to officials.

There is no word on the victim's identity. Homicide detectives are investigating.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

 

Water Main Break Floods North Park Street

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A water main break flooded the 2800 block of Madison Avenue in North Park Monday.

Water was noticed leaking from the pavement around 6 p.m., according to police. Officers directed traffic as drivers tried to cross the flooded street.

No one was hurt. There’s no word if any homes were damaged.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 


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Marathon Proposal Caught on Cam

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Joni Erdmann was obviously shocked by the proposal but she was able to nod a yes. This was the first marathon for both Joni and Scott Stayger. NBC 7's Monica Dean reports.

Prop 8 Decision in Hands of Supreme Court

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A long-awaited ruling on the legality of California's Prop 8 might be handed down this month in what would be the U.S. Supreme Court's first decision on the issue of same-sex marriage.

Full Coverage: California's Prop 8 | How the Supreme Court Might Rule | Timeline of Key Events

The Justices considered arguments from attorneys representing Prop 8 supporters and opponents in March. The hearing came after the Supreme Court granted in December the review of Prop 8 — approved by California voters in November 2008 — and the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, also argued before the court in March.

The Court has several options regarding Prop 8, including a decision to issue no ruling at all. Decisions on Prop 8 and DOMA are expected later this month after the Court did not issue a ruling during its Monday session.

The ban could be upheld or struck down in a ruling that applies to California or a broader decision that applies to all states. The court also could determine that state ballot sponsors had no legal right or standing to defend Prop 8 in federal court.

How that decision would impact the status of same-sex marriages in California is unclear. After the hearings in March, several Justrices expressed doubt that the case should be before the court and suggested the case could be dismissed with no ruling, according to the Associated Press.

Nine states — Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Washington — and Washington D.C. allow same-sex marriages.

Minnesota, Rhode Island and Delaware have approved same-sex marriage legislation, but laws in those states have yet to go into effect. 

The Justices considered arguments regarding a ruling by a San Francisco-based appeals court that struck down the voter-approved ban. The court ruled the state could not take away the same-sex marriage right granted by the state Supreme Court before the 2008 election.

But the debate stretches back years through court cases and elections, including the March 2000 approval of Prop 22, which defined marriage in California as between a man and a woman. That law was ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court in May 2008, and an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples were married during a brief window before Prop 8's approval in the November election that year.

California's same-sex marriage ban was left in effect during the lengthy appeals process that followed. The legal battle included a landmark 2010 same-sex marriage trial in which Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the ban unconstitutional. Walker said the law "both unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation."

After appeals by Prop 8 supporters who said voters should not be invalidated "based on just one judge's opinion," a San Francisco court ruled in a 2-1 decision in November 2012 that the Walker's ruling properly interpreted the U.S. Constitution. The court ruled that the ban's "only effect was to take away that important and legally significant designation."

As attorneys argued over the issue in court, public attitudes toward same-sex marriage shifted. In 2001, 57 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. In a poll conducted in March 2013, 49 percent of Americans said they support same-sex marriage.

A second case before the high court challenges the Defense of Marriage Act — also known as DOMA. The act blocks federal recognition of same-sex couples in states where they are allowed to marry.

President Barack Obama called the law enacted in 1996 unconstitutional. Arguments in the DOMA case are scheduled for Wednesday.


 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Body Found in El Cajon Apt.

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The county medical examiner's office was called to a suspicious death in El Cajon Monday.

Officials received a call late Sunday reporting that a body was found inside one of the units at Roanoke Apartments. 

Officers arrived after 8 p.m. Sunday and found a 38-year-old woman suffering from multiple stab wounds, El Cajon Lt. Michael Moulton said.

Investigators were on scene early Monday and focused their attention on a corner, upstairs unit.

Officials identified the victim as Gankil Wijdan.

The woman’s husband, described by officials as 47-year-old Salem Zora, was arrested police said.

There were no outstanding suspects, Moulton said. No one else was in the apartment.

The complex is located at 174 Roanoke Road, about half a block north of Main Street.

Gun Buy Backs: Good Use of Taxpayer $$?

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Many say gun buybacks are a good operation. But some don't think it's the best way to spend their taxpayer dollars. NBC 7's Brandi Powell reports.

Father Sought for Leaving Son in Wrecked Car: CHP

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Investigators have identified the father of a child left trapped inside his car seat after a highway accident.

California Highway Patrol officers identified 40-year-old Fabiani Arroyo as a person of interest in Sunday night's crash on southbound Interstate 5 near San Diego.

Officers say Arroyo's black Nissan Titan veered off the highway near Rosecrans Street and landed on its side on an embankment.

Arroyo's 4-year-old son was spotted by witnesses as partially ejected from the vehicle. The boy was  hanging out of a window but still buckled in his car seat.

According to CHP officials, the driver took off running immediately following the crash, but then returned to the scene to unbuckle the child from the vehicle.

CHP Officer Juan Escobar said the child fell on his back and hit the concrete curb. Officials said the child fell approximately 10 feet.

The driver then got scared and took off running, according to CHP.

The boy was taken to Rady Children's Hospital with injuries from the collision and the fall, officials said Monday.

His mother has requested the hospital not release updates on her son's medical condition.

CHP officers are now looking for Arroyo as a person of interest in the investigation not only because he is believed to have been the driver who fled the scene but also because he may have caused his son additional injuries if he was the man who unbuckled the child after the crash.

Anyone with information regarding Arroyo or the crash can contact the California Highway Patrol at (619) 220-5492.

 

Spelling Bee Champ Tries Knaidel

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Avind Mahankali, the 13-year-old boy from Queens, New York who won the 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling "knaidel," got a taste of the food for the first time at New York City's famed Carnegie Deli.

Gang Members: We Deserve to Be Saved, Keep Hospital Open

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Gang members are among those flocking to save a South Side Chicago hospital that claims it could be forced to close for lack of funds.

Rev. Phillip Cusic, an employee at Roseland Community Hospital, said he met with nearly 20 members of the Black Disciples Monday. The group reached out to Cusic saying they want to help save the hospital because they deserve a chance to be saved and they want their community to be saved.

"It's bad enough we're out here harming each other," said Don Dirk Acklin, co-founder of the Black Disciples. "But then for the hospital to close that can help people that is innocent and being harmed-- that's genocide."

Members of the Black Disciples vowed to join peace protests and publicly make their voices heard.

"We use the word gang and we use it in a derogatory fashion," said Black Disciples member Art Stringer. "We're founded on truth and the ability to uplift our community, but if we ain't got the funding to do it then we go to other means to do that, but the objective is still the same."

Cusic said he can't give an exact number of how many alleged gang members the hospital sees but said it serves "quite a few."

"They deserve a right to live," Cusic said.

Roseland Community Hospital received notice this week that it must begin moving patients within three days because of its increasing debt, officials said. The hospital reported a $2 million deficit at the end of the 2011 fiscal year.

Hospital officials said they are devastated by the moving notice and said they were expecting the state to repay them what they claim they are owed.

“I’ve seen this hospital do a lot for this community,” hospital employee Paulette Perry said. “I love my job.”

Community members, workers and union leaders protested the closure last week and rallied again Monday, saying Roseland is the only hospital within an eight-mile radius and is a lifeline to South Side residents.

“If there’s nothing here at all, period, then where are they going to go? Just lie in the street and die?" one protester said.

The Roseland Coalition, a community group, said closing the hospital would put nearly 50,000 people at risk and 600 employees could lose their jobs.

The hospital let go 60 workers two weeks ago due to the lack of funding and activists are calling on Gov. Pat Quinn to use emergency funds to save the center.

The hospital said they will stop accepting patients Wednesday and said Monday they are sending Quinn a bill once more stating they are owed $6 million from the last four years.

"It's election season," Bisop Tavis Grant of Rainbow Push said. "Do the right thing."

The governor's office said the State of Illinois does not owe Roseland the $6 million the hospital alleges and that the state has advanced all payments to Roseland for this fiscal year.

"The hospital and its board of directors have serious management issues that need to be addressed," Quinn's office said in a statement. "Roseland Hospital is in deep debt and they have mismanaged their resources into the situation they are in today."

The governor said he is concerned about Roseland's long-term viability and that top healthcare advisers from his office have met with them repeatedly over the past six weeks, including yesterday.

"We committed to work with the hospital and help them identify potential partners and available resources within the law to develop a plan for long-term sustainability," his office said in a statement. "Those discussions are ongoing. The hospital has never provided a plan or any information to move forward."

The coalition said recent closures of other area hospitals has led to a 40 percent increase in emergency room patients and that the hospital spends millions in charity care to help the uninsured.

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