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See aerial footage of the latest fish kill reported at the Jersey Shore

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More dead fish washed up in the Atlantic Highlands Sunday Watch video

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS -- Another fish kill has been reported at the Jersey Shore.

More dead fish washed up in the Atlantic Highlands Sunday, according to aerial footage taken by Blake Deakin, where thousands of what appears to be peanut bunker can be seen at a marina in the highlands. 

The 34-year-old told the Asbury Park Press he spotted the fish kill Sunday morning and it got worse throughout the day. 

The first weekend fish kill was reported Saturday. State officials estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 bunker washed up over the weekend in Little Egg Harbor. 

Bob Considine, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, told the Asbury Park Press the number of bait fish, such as bunker, off the East Coast is higher than it has been in "more than a decade."

Considine has said that the DEP believes the fish are being chased by predators into areas where there are low levels of dissolved oxygen. 

An estimated 1 million small peanut bunker were reported washed up on beaches in Keansburg earlier this week. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.     


N.J. pets in need: Aug. 29, 2016

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Homeless pets throughout New Jersey hope to be adopted.

If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.

Realistically, not everyone can adopt. People who live in apartments or developments that have no-pets policies fall into that category, as do people with allergies or disabilities that will not allow them to care for pets of their own.

Here are some suggestions for ways people who want to help can participate in caring for homeless animals.

3 blind mice 2 copy.jpg 

* Help out at a local shelter. It's not glamorous work by any means, but it's vital and will be very much appreciated. You can do anything from help walk dogs to bottle feed kittens, help clean kennels or cat's cages or even help with bathing and grooming. Contact your local shelter to find out their policies regarding volunteers.

* If you're handy, you can lend a hand in many ways. Shelters usually need repairs of many kinds, so fixer-uppers can help out like that. If you sew, quilt or crochet, you can make blankets for your local shelter.

* Help out at an adoption event. Many shelters and rescue groups participate in local events by hosting a table with pets available for adoption. They also hold these program at malls, pet supply stores and banks, and can always use a helping hand.

* For galleries like this one and for online adoptions sites, often a shelter or rescue group doesn't have the time or equipment to shoot good photos of their adoptable pets, Something as simple as making yourself available to shoot and provide digital files of pet photos can be a big help.

* Donate. It doesn't have to be money; shelters need cleaning supplies, pet food, toys for the animals and often even things we don't think twice about getting rid of like old towels and newspapers. Every little bit helps.

If you don't know where your local animal shelter or rescue group is, a quick online search will reveal a number of results. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort to get involved but it provides immeasurable assistance.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

N.J. man killed, wife hurt in fiery Vermont crash

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The couple was headed north on Interstate 91 when their Chevy Tahoe left the road

A Brick man was killed and his wife injured in a single-vehicle crash Sunday morning in Vermont, authorities said.

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 9.16.59 AM.pngA Brick man was killed in in a single-vehicle crash Sunday in Vermont. 

A preliminary investigation by Vermont State police indicates Alexander Romanow, 79, dozed off while driving a 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe around 9:30 a.m., police said.

Romanow and his wife Jane, 75, were headed north on Interstate 91 in Weathersfield when the vehicle veered into the median, struck multiple trees and caught fire. 

Passing motorists stopped to help, but the fire was too large to pull Romanow from the vehicle, according to authorities. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jane Romanow escaped the SUV despite breaking her femur. She also suffered a chest injury.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Community rallies behind students victimized by vandalism (PHOTOS)

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Students, staff and community members painted over vandalism at Lacey Township High School that destroyed artwork that was created as a senior class fundraiser.

LACEY TOWNSHIP - When a motorist with ill will damaged artwork created during a fundraiser for Lacey Township High School's senior class, the community responded to help the students restore the artwork brighter and more beautiful than before.

Approximately a week after a group of high school seniors spent a couple days painting colorful artwork in their parking spaces in the school's parking lot, the students and staff learned that someone had damaged the murals by doing burnouts with truck tires across them.

"We were all disappointed and upset because all of our hard work was ruined and we were sad that someone would want to put us down for no reason," said senior class president Kylie Weissenburger, who pitched the idea for the fundraiser after she saw a famous cheerleader she follows on Instagram post pictures of a similar project at her high school.

Lacey Township H.S. parking lot vandalismStudents, staff and community members spent Aug. 25 attempting to paint over vandalism at Lacey Township High School that destroyed artwork that was created as a senior class fundraiser. (Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

But what happened next illustrated what the Lacey Township community is all about, as donations of paint, supplies, food and manpower came pouring in from local businesses, residents and even other high schools.

"I can't even begin to tell you about the outpouring that happened, it's truly been amazing," said Sally DiPaola, a French teacher at the high school and the senior class advisor. "Within 12 hours of finding out about the vandalism, I had people from all over the community asking me what they could do to help."

Dozens of students spent $25 a piece for the opportunity to paint their parking spots for the year, which DiPaola said took them two days of work to complete.

The money raised goes to help fund opportunities for the senior class, including prom and helping underprivileged students pay for things, such as the caps and gowns for their graduations.

"The kids were obviously very upset and it was devastating for them when the vandalism occurred. But they were also very brave, because they were just like 'OK, what can we do to fix it and when can we fix it?'" DiPaola said.

Two of the non-students who took part in the effort to repaint the murals were board of education members Donna McAvoy and Shawn Giordano.

"As a board member, I wanted to come and help student fix spots that were ruined. It was an honor to be asked to come and help," McAvoy said. "The students did such a wonderful job. We're so proud of their school spirit and I personally wanted to be part of this helping them out.""

"When I saw pictures of the damage, I got very upset because with the level of thought, heart and soul, and creativeness that these kids put into these creations - there's some excellent artwork out here - it really bothered me," Giordano said. "So when they said they were going to have a bigger and better event, I wanted to be part of it and to come help out in restoring things. And it looks like these kids did a fantastic job doing that."

Student government president Jacqueline Frazee said the painted parking spaces now have more meaning than they did before.

"Seeing how many people were reaching out to us to help and to donate supplies to us, it was incredible to see that people actually cared. And it wasn't just painted parking spots that meant something, it was that someone took away something from us and they wanted to help us," Frazee said. "So having people reaching out to us was absolutely amazing and I think that everyone in this community now has a piece in this, so now I think it means more to the whole town."

Hours before the effort to repaint the parking spaces was scheduled to kick off, the Lacey Township Police Department announced that an extensive investigation by Detectives Robert Surtees and Michael Eden resulted in a 17-year-old being charged with causing the estimated $2,500 worth of damage to the parking spaces.

The teen, whose name was not released, was charged with criminal mischief, reckless driving, driving without a license and operating an unregistered vehicle, police said.

While the students said they were glad the person allegedly responsible for the damaged was charged, they preferred to instead focus on more positive things.

"It means so much to us and makes so happy that everyone wanted to support us," Weissenburger said. "Everybody was just great and it made us feel a lot better."

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Who's the best in HS football? Here are our top teams in all 23 sections

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Who goes into the 2016 season as the team to beat in every section throughout the state.

The first weekend in December is always among the most exciting of the NJSIAA season as all 23 football sectional championships are decided at four sites throughout the state.

Who will be the teams hosting trophies at MetLife Stadium, Rutgers, Rowan and Kean this winter? It's not time for predictions just yet - that can wait until the seeds come out in early November.

But we will let you know who the teams are who have the best chance right now to be declared champions at the end of the season - and a few teams that should be challenging them for the crown.

Click on the links below to see our projections for the top teams in every group in the state as the 2016 season gets ready to kick off this weekend.

North 1, Group 1
North 1, Group 2
North 1, Group 3
North 1, Group 4
North 1, Group 5


SEASON PREVIEW: The 2016 essentials and more


North 2, Group 1
North 2, Group 2
North 2, Group 3
North 2, Group 4
North 2, Group 5

Central Group 1
Central Group 2
Central Group 3
Central Group 4
Central Group 5

South Group 1
South Group 2
South Group 3
South Group 4
South Group 5

Non-public Group 2
• Non-public Group 3
Non-public Group 4

Bill Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports. Find the NJ.com High School Football page on Facebook by following this link.

N.J. churches will get public funding, despite lawsuit, report says

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The county freeholders this week approved grant agreements with four religious organizations, a report says.

MORRISTOWN -- The Morris County freeholders have started doling out historic trust fund grants to religious institutions, despite a lawsuit to stop the awards, a report says. 

The governing body last week approved grants for 12 applicants, including four religious groups, The Record reported.

A total of 32 organizations will get a share of this funding cycle's $2.7 million in grants, the report says. Of that, the report says about $1 million will go to religious entities for secular projects, like restoration. 

The Freedom from Religion Foundation and a Madison resident in January filed a lawsuit to stop the freeholders from giving the grants to religious groups. They argue using taxpayer money to fund churches violates the state Constitution. 

In May, a New Jersey appeals court ruled against using state money to fund the construction of buildings where religious instruction occurs. In that decision, the court prevented an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Lakewood and a Presbyterian seminary in Princeton from receiving state grants. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey called the decision "a groundbreaking victory against government sponsorship of religion." 

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Swastikas found painted in N.J. park near Jewish community

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Nine swastikas were found Monday in a Howell park frequently visited by members of the Jewish community, police said.

Howell park.jpgSwastikas were found spray-painted on the backboards, pictured above, and benches near the horseshoe area in Echo Lake Park. (Courtesy of Howell police)

HOWELL -- Nine swastikas were spray-painted at a Howell park frequently visited by members of the Jewish community, police said.

Police discovered the swastikas Monday at Echo Lake Park at 1205 Maxim Southard Road after a citizen reported the vandalism and provided a picture to police.

Howell police Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez, the police department's spokesman, said the swastikas were painted in white on wooden backboards and benches in the horseshoes area.

That area is located approximately 300 feet from the roadway and parking lot, Antunez said.

The park is located just north of the border of Lakewood, which is home to a booming population of Orthodox Jews.

Earlier this month, swastikas and other anti-Semitic language were spray-painted at the playground of a Jewish school in Lakewood

The vandalism found in the Howell park likely occurred sometime last week, Antunez said. The swastikas were painted over by members of the public works department on Monday.

The incident is under investigation by the Howell Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact Antunez by phone at 732-938-4575 ext. 2883 or by email at cantunez@howellpolice.org.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Polygraph fail could net N.J. fishermen $2.3M

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Brian Suschke, Rich Kosztyu, and boat owner Damien Romeo already won $767,091 at the White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Md.

TRENTON -- A trio of New Jersey fisherman could land $2.3 million more in prize money for the record 236.5-pound tuna they caught earlier this month in Maryland.

Brian Suschke, a Trenton police sergeant and Rich Kosztyu, a Trenton firefighter, already won $767,091 for the catch with friend and boat owner Damien Romeo at the White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Md.

But last week, the tournament announced that a Florida boat that won $2.8 million in the white marlin category - the sole qualifying fish in the category - may have violated tournament rules.

And last Friday, the tournament filed an action asking a Maryland court decide the matter.

In court filings, the tournament alleged fishermen on the winning boat failed polygraph examinations - a requirement for collecting a prize greater of $50,000.

For the New Jersey men, it means the $2.8 prize would be spread among other winning boats - with Kosztyu, Suschke, and Romeo earning $2.3 million of it, due to the way they entered the tournament.

Earlier this month, Suschke talked about the catch and how elated the friends were to win the tuna category.

On Monday, though, Suschke said he and the crew were not commenting since the matter is now in litigation.

Their tuna's weight and initial payout were records this year in the tournament's tuna category.

The three friends have been fishing in tournaments for years. Romeo's boat, "Hubris," is based in Forked River, in Lacey Township. 

In this year's White Marlin Open, 329 boats competed for just over $4.4 million in prize money in an event recognized as the world's largest billfish tournament.

tuna2.jpegSuschke, left, and Kosztyu, pose with the winning tuna on the Hubris.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.


Man reportedly killed in elevator accident at Lakehurst restaurant

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The victim was helping move food at a restaurant Sunday when the fatal mishap occurred

LAKEHURST -- A 34-year-old worker at an Ocean County restaurant was killed Sunday in an accident involving a possibly malfunctioning freight elevator, app.com reported.

Oscar Francisco Carranza-Lopez was moving a food delivery to the basement at Three B's Bar and Bistro using the elevator, the report said. Carranza-Lopez had one foot on the elevator floor and the other outside the elevator when the elevator lowered, bringing a bar down on him, police told app.com.

He was rushed to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was pronounced dead.

The accident is under investigation by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook

 

WATCH: Whale splashes near personal watercraft off Manasquan beach

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Taylor Schultz, 17, initially thought the whale might be in distress and pulled her watercraft in for a closer look. Watch video

MANASQUAN -- A Brielle teen on a personal watercraft got an up-close encounter with a whale playfully splashing through the ocean just 75 yards from the beach on Monday afternoon.

Taylor Schultz, 17, initially thought the whale might be in distress and pulled her watercraft in for a closer look, according to her father John Schultz.

The whale turned out to be fine, and provided crowds on the beach with a show as it churned through the surf. 

Taylor Schultz, a Manasquan High School student, captured the moment on video at around 4 p.m. off the beach at Brielle Road.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

 

 

Are humans causing the fish die offs?

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New Jersey has seen the die off of more than a million peanut bunker in four separate fish kills in the past week Watch video

An increasing number of fish kills like the four that occurred in New Jersey this past week are in the state's future if officials don't take steps to improve the water quality, environmentalists warned.

The die-off of more than a million peanut bunker since Aug. 22 along the waterways of Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay in Monmouth County and Great Bay in Ocean County were caused by a lack of sufficient levels of oxygen for the fish to survive. But human activities on land have helped contribute to that oxygen deficiency, said L. Stanton Hales, director of the Barnegat Bay Partnership.

Hales, who has studied New Jersey's waterways for more than two decades, said that while fish kills caused by low dissolved oxygen levels are naturally occurring events, they are now exacerbated by the deteriorating conditions of the state's waterways.

"These things can happen naturally, but they're made worse by everything we're doing (on land)," he said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has said the fish kills in Monmouth and Ocean counties were caused by too many peanut bunker - a juvenile form of Atlantic menhaden - in water that had too little oxygen because of warm temperatures.

But Hales said those low levels of oxygen are not only from the number of fish there, but also from overdevelopment on land and the overloading of fertilizers in the water.

What do you do with hundreds of thousands of dead fish?

Hales, a former senior fish and wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's New Jersey Office, has frequently been invited to testify before the state Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee about the health of Barnegat Bay, which he has said is suffering from eutrophication - an excessive amount of nutrients in the water that cause ecological problems, such as algae blooms and low oxygen levels.

High nitrogen levels from the runoff of fertilizers create various changes in waterways that affect marine life there, Hales has said. Environmentalists have pushed for reductions in the use of fertilizers as well as upgrades in the state's antiquated storm water systems that fail to prevent pollution from heading to the water. Activists have also been trying to get the state to adopt new regulations over how packed soil can be at new development sites to encourage rainwater to return to the ground rather than run directly into waterways.

The lack of rain this month coupled with high temperatures result in low oxygen levels in waterways, Hales said. But when those levels are already low because of eutrophication, the consequences can be deadly for fish, Hales said.  And menhaden, whose metabolism increases in warm temperatures, are quickly affected by that low oxygen, he said.

"If it continues to stay hot and dry and relatively calm, we can expect to see more of these (fish kills)" he said.

Fish kills have been reported in waterways off Raritan Bay in Keansburg and Hazlet and Keyport, off Great Bay in the Osborn Island section of Little Egg Harbor and most recently off Sandy Hook Bay in Atlantic Highlands.

Bob Considine, a spokesman for the DEP, has said the number of Atlantic menhaden has been "extremely high" this year, the highest it has been in a decade off the Atlantic coast.

Data from the past few years shows that spawning of Atlantic menhaden has been high because of favorable conditions, including water temperatures, salinity and food availability for them, said Tina Berger, spokeswoman for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

She said there are about 3 billion pounds of Atlantic menhaden off the Atlantic coast and national fisheries requirements limit the total catch allowed to about 416.5 million pounds a year

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Meet the lifeguard patrol that has made every rescue since 1911 at booming Shore resort (VIDEO)

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Despite dangerous rip currents and unique location, Cape May's lifeguards have a flawless record of success at America's first beach resort. Watch video

CAPE MAY -- It's a streak of perfection discussed in hushed tones: In 105 years since the Cape May Beach Patrol was formed, it has never had a drowning on a guarded beach.

Touted as America's first beach resort, Cape May draws more than 12 million people to its picture-book streets and pristine beaches each year. And despite its ominous location on the southernmost tip of New Jersey and at the confluence of the Delaware Bay -- meaning ocean currents run east to west and can change in an instant -- Cape May's lifeguards have made it their life's work to protect their remarkable legacy.

"It's humbling to have a record as auspicious," said Geoff Rife, one of the beach patrol's lieutenants. "It's something we take with us to the job every day. It's more of a humbling thing that we strive to continue to keep that record intact summer after summer."

Last summer, the beach patrol made 112 rescues, pulling 136 people from the water.

And this July -- with NJ Advance Media cameras rolling -- Cape May's perfect record was put to the test in one of the most frightening ways imaginable when a swimmer was caught in a rip current and went under.

Would this moment shatter their almost unthinkable and historic run of success?

Watch our documentary video below to find out.

Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Crucial questions: Storylines impacting the 2016 HS football season

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Super conferences and realignment have been the talk of the summer, but now it's time to address some other questions that will also impact the 2016 season.

Man crashes pickup truck into tree in New Egypt, police say

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The man was flown by helicopter to an area hospital following the crash.

PLUMSTED -- A 25-year-old Toms River man was flown to the hospital after he crashed his pickup truck into a tree Tuesday morning, police said.

Christopher Cornell Jr. was driving a 1999 white Ford F-150 south on Route 539 when he ran off the roadway and struck a tree, Plumsted police Cpl. Jason Reilly said.

The crash happened shortly before 8 a.m. near the intersection of Route 539 (Pinehurst Road) and Holmes Road, in front of La Cucina Di Manuela restaurant.

Cornell was the only occupant in the vehicle, Reilly said. Cornell was alert and conscious when police arrived but was flown to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton.

It's unclear what led Cornell to leave the roadway. The crash remains under investigation by the Plumsted Police Department.

The Ocean County Sheriff's Department's Crime Scene Investigation Unit also assisted at the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Plumsted police at 609-758-2241 ext. 128. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

QuickChek reportedly continues push south with new Ocean County location

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The two-acre site would reportedly feature a gas station and a convenience store.

TOMS RIVER - A two-acre site on Route 37 is a planned future QuickChek location, continuing the convenience and gas station's chain push south, according to NJBIZ.

CBRE Group Inc. announced Friday that it arranged the $3 million sale of a group of retail properties at the intersection of Route 37 and Fischer Boulevard to QuickChek, the website reported.

CBRE said QuickChek plans to develop a gas station and convenience store facility on the two-acre site.

"QuickChek immediately recognized the value of this exceptional location, situated at a signalized intersection that offers optimal visibility and access among the area's dense consumer population," CBRE's Steven Winters, who handled the transaction, said in a prepared statement.

The first QuickChek opened in Dunellen by Carlton C. Durling in 1967 and the privately-held convenience store chain now has approximately 140 stores and 3,500 team members throughout New Jersey and New York, the company says on its website.

Most of those locations are in the central and northern part of New Jersey, as the new Toms River location would be only the eighth QuickChek location south of Interstate 195, according to the company's website.

QuickChek opened a location in on Route 9 in Howell, Monmouth County in June and the company's "coming soon" list includes a summer 2017 opening for a new location in Brick, Ocean County.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.


10 Jersey Shore beaches under advisories for bacteria levels

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The beaches are not closed, but were issued water quality advisories.

Ten New Jersey beaches are under advisories for elevated bacteria levels as of Tuesday afternoon, though none of the beaches are currently closed, according to the state's water quality monitoring site.

Seven of the beaches in Tuesday's advisories on Long Beach Island.

Officials said the water had "atypical results of bacteria," and is "slightly above health standards."

The advisory list includes:

  • Somers Point, Atlantic County, New Jersey Avenue (bay beach)
  • Wildwood City, Cape May County, Bennett Avenue
  • Ocean Grove, Monmouth County, Spray Avenue
  • Beach Haven, Ocean County, Taylor Avenue ocean front
  • Beach Haven, Ocean County, Leeward Street
  • Long Beach Township, Ocean County, Joan Road
  • Long Beach Township, Ocean County, Stockton Avenue
  • Ship Bottom, Ocean County, South 3rd Street
  • Ship Bottom, Ocean County, 14th Street ocean front
  • Surf City, Ocean County, North 10th Street

Beaches are closed when, after two consecutive days of sampling, the water quality exceeds the state standard of Enterococci bacteria in a sample.

Advisories are issued after the first day of a high level.  

The DEP said rough surf may have affected the sample results. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

School district pays ex-superintendent's girlfriend $150K to settle lawsuit

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The Board of Education agreed to a former school food service manager more than $100,000.

garitacco 2 KURDZUKFormer Toms River School Superintendent Michael Ritacco puts on his suit jacket as he enters the federal courthouse in Trenton in this November 2010 file photo. (Tony Kurdzuk | The Star-Ledger) 

TOMS RIVER -- The Board of Education has agreed to pay a former school food service manager $150,000 after she had alleged her termination was in retaliation for refusing to resign after her boyfriend, a former superintendent, was arrested.

According to a 2015 lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Donna Mansfield was dating ex-Superintendent Michael Ritacco when he was arrested in October 2010. Ritacco was convicted of setting up inflated insurance contracts and extorting up to $2 million from the brokers as kickbacks. He was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison in 2012.

Mansfield charges in the lawsuit that she was asked to leave her post as a food service manager by the interim superintendent, Frank Roselli, after Ritacco resigned.

After refusing to leave the district, Mansfield claims she was retaliated against, that her salary was cut by $20,000, two school facilities were removed from her control and she was told by a supervisor that she would be fired "one way or another."

She alleges the supervisor, Peter Brattan, made sexual advances on her several times. In one case, the lawsuit says, Brattan walked up behind her, rubbed her shoulders and arms, and then leaned forward and said, "you smell good."

Mansfield was fired in June 2014.

Mansfield claimed in the lawsuit she suffered "irreparable injury, mental anguish and humiliation" because of the alleged discrimination. She was seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages.

The Board of Education on Wednesday agreed to pay Mansfield $150,000. By paying Mansfield, the Board does not admit to the allegations brought forth in her lawsuit.

The settlement was obtained and published on the internet by John Paff, an open government advocate.

A spokesman for the Toms River Board of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Brattan could not be reached for comment. 

An attorney representing Mansfield did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Motorcyclist hurt after his bike stalls in middle of highway in Millstone

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Zyair Barnes, 19, was taken to an area hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

MILLSTONE -- A man was injured Tuesday morning after a car hit him after his motorcycle became disabled on the highway, police said.

Zyair Barnes, 19, of Neptune, was riding his motorcycle eastbound on Interstate 195 in Millstone when, he told police, his bike broke down, said Sgt. First Class Gregory Williams, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police.

Barnes stopped in the middle lane on the highway, Williams said. A car traveling behind Barnes was able to stop, but that vehicle was hit, causing it to crash into Barnes.

Barnes was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for injuries that are not life-threatening, Williams said.

Another driver involved in the crash who complained of wrist and back pain was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton.

Two of the three lanes on 195 eastbound were closed for the crash. All lanes were reopened at 11:08 a.m.

Williams said a summons is pending for Barnes. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Ex-sheriff's officer saves tot from hot car in parking lot, police say

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Steve Eckel smashed a window to get to the child Monday

HOWELL -- Steve Eckel cleared out his car for a shopping trip Monday, but left one item behind: a sledgehammer.

"I thought to myself, I'll just put it in the garage later," Eckel, 53, said.

His oversight may have literally proved to be a lifesaver.

Eckel, who retired from the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office in 2013 after a 25-year-career, was heading to the Kohl's store while three of his six children went shopping for cosmetics.

baby_blur6[1].jpgSteve Eckel and the infant police say he pulled from a hot car in Howell Monday, Aug. 30, 2016 (Courtesy of Steve Eckel)  

In the parking lot, Eckel was walking past a woman named Sarah Mazzone, 30, when both heard a baby's cry, according to Eckel and Howell police. Both then spotted the infant in a nearby parked vehicle, Eckel said.

"I ran up and tried to open the doors but they were locked," the Jackson resident said. Then he remembered the sledgehammer in the back of his vehicle. He ran to retrieve it and then returned to the vehicle with the baby inside as Mazzone, of Howell, called police, Eckel said.

"I tried breaking the window, I hit the corner and it just shattered," he said. The baby "was red like a tomato, her extremities were just bright red."

Mazzone moistened a corner of her shirt and cooled the baby down as police headed to the air-conditioned Kohl's store, where Mazzone and Eckel had brought her, police said. 

Eckel was especially concerned, he said, because he feared the temperature inside the vehicle would rise rapidly in the summer afternoon heat.

"The temperature can go up 20 degrees even in 10 minutes on a 90-degree day," he said.

The fully clothed four-month-old "appeared to be in a great deal of distress" and was sweating profusely on a day when midday temperatures reached into the upper 80s, according to police. 

Mazzone and Eckel stayed with the child until the mother, Karen B. Gruen, returned, he said. Gruen had two other young children with her.  

Gruen, 33, of Lakewood, "began to panic" when she returned to her vehicle and the infant was not there, police said. The baby had spent 40 minutes inside the car but was in much better condition after being brought into the air-conditioned store, police also said. 

Gruen was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and was released pending a court appearance. The baby was turned over to the custody of her father. 

"I recognize the civilians who took immediate action to rescue this child, for they truly saved a life," Chief of Police Andrew Kudrick said. 

During his career in law enforcement, Eckel said he had been involved in medical emergencies before, but had never come to the aid of an infant.

"The bottom line is it's about being human," he said.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.comhowel. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

 

Anti-Semitic vandalism was 'an attack on the entire community,' group says

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The response comes after recent anti-Semitic vandalism in Lakewood and Howell.

FLORHAM PARK - Officials from the Anti-Defamation League's New Jersey region are calling the recent anti-Semitic vandalism found on parks and playground equipment in Monmouth and Ocean counties "despicable" and "an attack on the entire community."

Howell park.jpgNine swastikas were found spray-painted on the backboards, pictured above, and benches near the horseshoe area in Echo Lake Park. (Courtesy of Howell police)

Spray-painted swastikas and the words "Hail Hitler" were discovered on playground equipment at Yeshiva Kate in Lakewood on Aug. 25. 

Four days later, several swastikas were discovered spray-painted on benches and recreation equipment at Echo Lake Park in nearby Howell Township.

The park is located just north of the border of Lakewood, which is home to a booming population of Orthodox Jews.

"We are deeply concerned over anti-Semitic vandalism that has plagued communities in Lakewood and Howell Township," Joshua Cohen, the regional director of ADL New Jersey, said in a release. "The appearance of swastikas and anti-Semitic messages on public property are searing and serve as another sobering reminder that New Jersey is not immune to anti-Jewish sentiment."

The ADL commended the Lakewood and Howell Township police departments for promptly addressing the incidents and said it offered its resources to both townships.

"These despicable acts of vandalism represent an attack on the entire community," Cohen said. "We urge members of the community to speak out and make clear that these acts of hate are unacceptable and have no place in our community."

The ADL said its annual audit of both criminal and non-criminal acts of anti-Semitism in New Jersey tracked a 28 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents across the state in 2015.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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