Jersey City School Board President Noemí Velázquez has apologized for a comment she made comparing a trustee’s appearance to the classic comedy, Coming to America.

Trustee Lorenzo Richardson called out Velázquez, saying the remark was racist.

The conflict erupted Thursday night during a board of education meeting in Jersey City.

Velázquez said Richardson was “looking like someone that’s coming to America,” referencing his clothing, which resembled traditional African style.

“I did not appreciate you, because I’m wearing this, saying I’m ‘coming to America,’” Richardson said.

Coming to America is a 1988 film starring Eddie Murphy, who portrayed an African prince who travels to Queens, New York.

“I thought that was disrespectful and, to some degree, racist,” said Richardson, who added he could not believe what she said. “I’m just going to be honest with you.”

Velázquez and Richardson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

Velázquez, originally from Puerto Rico, was elected to the city’s board of trustees in 2019 and is serving her second term as president, according to the board’s website.

The board president said she thought she was giving him a compliment. “If you can’t take it, then that’s up to you,’” she said.”

Richardson said it was no compliment to him.

“I would hope that you accept my apology and that we can move on,” said Velázquez, who apologized publicly. She said she did not mean it in a disrespectful way.

“Nothing should stop us from the job that needs to get done,” Velázquez said.

Devin Deubel took the mat with a chance to send Emerson-Park Ridge to the Group 1 state final. His task was direct yet daunting. A win alone would not have been enough. Bonus points were the only way.

“We needed four,” Deubel said. “And I got six.”

Locked in a scoreless bout with Audubon’s Will Graham at 157 pounds in the final bout of the state semifinals, Deubel cinched up a cradle and secured the fall at the 4:38 mark. His walk-off pin gave Emerson an incredible 39-36 victory over Audubon in a wild NJSIAA/IBEW Local 102 Group 1 semifinal match on Friday night in Audubon.

Emerson and Audubon combined for pins in nine of the 14 bouts to highlight a frenetic dual with a trip to the state final on the line. Audubon also received a forfeit and won by decision in two bouts. Emerson also had two wins by decision. The forfeit issued by Emerson to Audubon’s David Borodziuk at 190 pounds would have served as the tiebreaking criterion if Deubel won by decision. He needed at least a major decision, but that or a technical fall was not likely when he and Graham entered the third period tied 0-0.

Graham chose defense and quickly rose to his feet, but Deubel was able to stay on his left leg and maintain control. Graham tried to post with his right hand, but that created the opening that Deubel was waiting for. He immediately locked in a cradle and put Graham to his back for the match-clinching pin.

“We’re a cradle team and I’ve been training that every day in practice,” Deubel said. “I knew it was there, and I got it.”

“We call it the whip,” Emerson head coach Joe Mazzeo said. “The kid’s hand hits and you go near-side [cradle] off of it. We told [Deubel] to win first, and then get the extra points. He went big and it worked out for us.”

“It was getting a little nerve wracking but I had faith in him,” senior Tony Rinkiewicz said. “When they drew the sticks [to determine the starting weight], I said Devin is the guy. I wanted him to get the last match.”

Emerson (17-10) will wrestle Delaware Valley in the Group 1 state championship match at noon on Sunday at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena. The Cavos will be making their fifth state finals appearance and first since 2018. Delaware Valley is the defending Group 1 state champion. The Terriers defeated Hanover Park 58-19 in the other semifinal.

Deubel had the final say, but there were plenty of heroes for Emerson.

At 126 pounds, Rinkiewicz came through with a massive 10-8 decision over Jimmy Moran in a toss-up bout in which he trailed late in the third period. Down 8-4 with less than 30 seconds left, Rinkiewicz scored a reversal and put Moran to his back near the edge of the circle for four near-fall points. His clutch victory put the Cavos ahead 27-21.

“Every day at practice, coach says the only thing you can’t take back is time,” Rinkiewicz said. “And since I’m a senior, I pushed myself all offseason and I’ve been battling through a knee injury. I think about the guys who I practice with every day. We put a lot into the season, and coach keeps saying that if there’s a class to do it, it’s us. I’m just glad we pulled it out.”

“We’re living for the moment,” Mazzeo said. “I told the whole team, live for the moment. That’s why this is a great sport. Anything can happen.”

Audubon (19-9) entered the semifinals off its first sectional title in program history. The Green Wave defeated Paulsboro in the South, Group 1 final, to become the only team to beat the 44-time sectional champion Red Raiders in their home gym during the state tournament. They won the first two weights with Aydean Leahan winning by fall at 165 pounds and Georgios Kappatos winning by decision at 175. Emerson then forfeited to Borodziuk, the lone state qualifier for either team, at 190 as Audubon extended its lead to 15-0.

Emerson got on the board when senior Chase Monahan won by fall in 52 seconds at 215 pounds, but Audubon senior Jonah Jordan got those points right back with a 41-second pin at heavyweight to put the Green Wave up 21-6 through five bouts.

The momentum shifted in the lower weights. Trailing 6-3 after fighting off his back in the first period, Emerson freshman Jake Falkenstern put Mason Knopka to his back with a cement mixer for a pin at the 2:49 mark. Junior Evan Constante did the same at 113 with four seconds left in the first period. At 120, Joe Dimotta was down 3-0 in the second period when he, too, hit a cement mixer. He was able to keep one toe in bounds to finish off the pin and give Emerson a 24-21 lead.

Rinkiewicz followed with his dramatic win at 126 for a 27-21 Emerson lead.

“I did feel the momentum,” Rinkiewicz said. “It’s one after another. If one guy falls down, the next guy comes up.”

Audubon senior RJ Bauman halted Emerson’s four-bout winning streak when he ran a half-nelson for a pin at 132 pounds to tie the match at 27. Jackson Shannon put Emerson back ahead, 33-27, when he came out on top after a brief scramble to win by fall in the first period at 138.

The 144-pound bout between Audubon’s Jimmy McSweeney and Emerson senior Nate Shannon was a sight to behold. Points were scored so fast the scoreboard could barely keep up. Tied 5-5 after two periods, McSweeney and Shannon combined for a scintillating third period that featured 22 total points.

In the final 30 seconds, McSweeney scored a takedown and two back points to take the lead, but Shannon answered with a reversal to go up 16-15. McSweeney escaped at the buzzer to tie the bout and send it to sudden victory. In overtime, McSweeney hit a fireman’s carry for the winning takedown and a 19-16 decision.

The win at 144 for Audubon pulled the Green Wave within three points. Senior Joem Gonzalez gave them the lead, 36-33, with a second-period pin at 150.

Fittingly, the match ended with a pin in the final bout. Deubel made sure it sent his team to Rutgers.

“I’ve never been in a match like that,” Deubel said. “The stakes were high. I was ready for it. There was a lot of emotion, a lot of nerves, but I kept myself composed and got it done.”

Get ready for another snow tubing trip, stock up on salt, and gas up the snow blowers, New Jersey and NYC, we’re getting more snow this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

A snow storm coming to NJ this weekend could drop “significant” snow on NJ and NYC, as a potential nor’easter Feb. 22 could drop several inches of snow on NJ and NYC, as the next winter storm sweeps across the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic region, NOAA and AccuWeather’s forecast shows.

The coastal storm is expected to strengthen into a nor’easter this weekend, with chances a bomb cyclone near NYC and NJ could form before the storm heads north. The snow comes to NJ as early as Sunday morning, with NYC and NJ getting snow that could surpass 6 inches or more, according to the latest updates from NOAA’s NWS weather forecasters.

A New Jersey snow storm this weekend comes as the region woke to ice, snow and rain this morning, Friday, Feb. 20, triggering winter storm watches, advisories and hazards, with schools closing due to slick roadways.

The winter storm Sunday into Monday will bring the potential for moderate to heavy snowfall across NJ and NYC, with snowfall totals likely between 2 to 4 inches, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly said; however, forecasters say the East Coast snowstorm timing, track and how much it will snow remains uncertain. ere’s what to know about the timing of this weekend’s snow storm, when and how much snow will fall in New Jersey, live NJ doppler radar, predicted snowfall amounts, and the NJ weather forecast this weekend.

Is NJ getting snow this weekend? Is a snow storm coming to NJ?

Yes, New Jersey is getting snow this weekend, with a potentially “significant” nor’easter snow storm coming to NJ by Sunday morning, Feb. 22, according to NOAA’s National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly and AccuWeather forecasts.

The winter snow storm this weekend forecasted to hit NJ, NYC and Philadelphia and the East Coast could drop 6 inches of snow or more, with the risk the storm strengthens rapidly into a bomb cyclone, bringing heavier snow across the Northeast.

Should the storm pass closer to the Jersey Shore, coastal flooding, heavy winds and marine navigation concerns would trigger winter storm warnings, watches and advisories. Keep an eye on the latest NJ weather forecast via NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly, the local National Weather Service office in NJ, where winter weather warnings may be issued as the East Coast storm unfurls.

According to the NWS Philadelphia and Mount Holly Office, here is the percentage probability of 6 inches or more of snow this weekend in NJ and the NYC area:

• North Jersey (Sussex, Morris, Warren, Passaic, Bergen areas): 43%
• NYC (including Hudson, Union, Essex, fringe Bergen areas): 38%
• South Jersey (Jersey Shore, Cape May areas): 27% to 29%
• Central Jersey (Trenton, Howell areas): 42%
• Philadelphia: 36%

The storm could cause power outages and impact travel in NJ and NYC, so be sure to check NJ Transit delays and cancellations. Be sure to keep an eye on your local forecast for the latest weather conditions.

How much will it snow? Snow accumulation NJ, NYC

The latest National Weather Service forecast for NJ and NYC shows the East Coast storm could bring up to 6 inches of snow across New Jersey and NYC, although there are higher chances the inch count will rise across portions of South Jersey, the Jersey Shore, portions of Central Jersey and higher elevations across North Jersey, including Sussex, Morris, Warren, and Passaic counties. The storm’s track and strength shows a potential nor’easter brewing, NOAA said, that could rapidly become a bomb cyclone, per AccuWeather forecasts.