A look at the stars from each conference in Week 3 of New Jersey football.

A look at how N.J. natives performed during Week 3 of NFL action.

Andrew Mayer has pleaded guilty to third-degree animal cruelty, authorities said

TOMS RIVER -- A Toms River man who drove his car onto a frozen river until it crashed through the ice last year has admitted to being responsible for the death of a dog in the truck when it went under.

Andew Mayer(New Jersey State Police) 

Andrew Mayer, 29, pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree animal cruelty in the March 1, 2015, incident on the Toms River, said Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato.

At Mayer's sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 9, Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum-Newman will seek to have Mayer serve 364 days in the Ocean County Jail before being placed on probation. The prosecutor will also seek restitution to the emergency personnel who responded to the scene, Coronato said.

In a combined request from State Police and Toms River Fire District No. 1, the restitution amounts to about $15,000, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office.

In addition, authorities will seek to have him agree to never again own a pet, the prosecutor said.

Before Superior Court Judge James Blaney on Monday, Mayer admitted that he knowingly or recklessly failed to provide the necessary care for his 2-year-old boxer-lab dog, Rolo, by driving his pickup truck onto the frozen Toms River in Pine Beach shortly after midnight.

Driver faces animal cruelty charges

Authorities have said Mayer was doing donuts on the ice. A relative of Mayer has said the dog was not in the vehicle at the time but jumped into the Mazda B2200 pickup truck while it was stopped on the ice.

When the ice cracked, the pickup truck, with Mayer and his dog inside, sank in the frigid water.

Coronato said Mayer failed to notify authorities about the incident when he got safely to shore, prompting rescue crews to search the icy water for hours for potential victims.

It was only after that search attempt that authorities learned Mayer got out unharmed but his dog did not.

The search operation involved the U.S. Coast Guard's Aviation Unit, the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, the marine units from State Police and several local police departments, and the fire companies and first aid squads from Toms River, Beachwood, Pine Beach and Island Heights.

The case was jointly investigated by the New Jersey State Police, NJSPCA, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, as well as the Toms River, Pine Beach, Beachwood and Island Heights police departments. 

The officer was bitten as he chased the suspect through several backyards, authorities said

MANCHESTER -- A Manchester police officer was bitten by a pit bull as he chased a suspected heroin dealer through several yards, authorities said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Friday as narcotics officers watched Amid Fisher, 24, of Twelfth Avenue, try to sell heroin to someone in the Pine Lake Park area, said police Chief Lisa Parker.

Parker said that as the officers approached Fisher, he ran from them and led them on a chase over several fences and through a number of backyards near Bismark Street and Twelfth Avenue.

During the chase, one of the officers was bitten on the leg by a pit bull that was in one of the yards, she said. The officer sustained minor injuries, she said.

Along the route, Fisher discarded packets of heroin in the backyard of a home on Twelfth Avenue, the chief said. After the officers arrested Fisher, they found the heroin, she said.

Fisher was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of heroin, loitering for the purpose of selling drugs, hindering apprehension and obstruction of justice.

His bail was set at $6,500.  Fisher later posted bail at Manchester Police headquarters and he was later released, Parker said.

Also assisting with this investigation were members of the Manchester Police Patrol Bureau which included Manchester police K-9 Lynk. 

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

Ivan White and Lee Parker were honored for telling police about a bag of pipe bombs by the Elizabeth train station. Watch video

ELIZABETH -- Two weeks ago, Lee Parker didn't have anywhere to live. On Tuesday night, he got a key to his city.

The Elizabeth city council presented Parker and Ivan White with their own engraved keys and city plates in a packed council chambers, as community leaders, relatives and numerous reporters looked on.

Parker and White became national heroes last week when they found a backpack full of explosive devices near the Elizabeth train station and reported the bag to police. Their actions set into motion a chain of events that ended without injuries and with a suspect in custody. 

"None of this would have happened if Mr. White and Mr. Parker did not decide to walk into police headquarters and tell them what they would find," Mayor J. Christian Bollwage said Tuesday. 

In the days after Parker and White found the bombs, city school children wrote thank-you cards to the men. Board of Education president Charlene Bathelus on Tuesday read some of those letters aloud.

"Dear Mr. White and Mr. Parker, Thank you for saving everyone's life in our community," wrote a student from Benjamin Franklin School No. 13. "Both of you are inspiring to me, and when I grow up I want to be just like you."

The ceremony was the latest event in what has been a nine-day whirlwind for the duo since they found the backpack Sept. 18. As fundraisers, donations and interview requests from across the country stream in, Parker and White are adjusting to their new status as national celebrities. 

A local non-profit has arranged for Parker, who was homeless, to stay in a hotel room until the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless can find him a permanent place to live. People have donated meals and gift cards for groceries. Another community organization has raised more than $30,000 for the men. 

Their journey to fame began when they stumbled across a backpack full of pipe bombs sitting on top of a garbage can at North Broad Street and Julian Place. When they realized the strange-looking devices in the bag might be dangerous, they walked to the police department and told officers. 

Multiple agencies rushed to the scene to inspect the bombs, accidentally detonating one of them in the process.  

Federal officials have charged Elizabeth resident and Afghanistan native Ahmad Khan Rahami in the placement of the explosives and in blasts in Seaside Park and New York City the same weekend. State authorities also charged Rahami, who was captured after a shootout in Linden, with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. 

Rahami is reportedly in critical condition at University Hospital in Newark and does not yet have a lawyer.

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

Voters in three towns in Monmouth and Ocean counties headed to the polls Tuesday for special elections.

SEA BRIGHT - Borough voters approved three bond proposals worth more than $5.7 milllion Tuesday night that will help fund the replacement of municipal buildings damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

Sea Bright plans to construct two new municipal buildings - a 8,609-square-foot building that will serve as a community center, beach pavilion and the beach utility headquarters; and a 14,187-square-foot municipal complex where the borough hall and police, fire and first aid stations will be located.

Because all three bond ordinances passed - by more than 2-1 margins - the borough will be able to appropriate the more than $12.7 million needed to construct the buildings, with the additional funding coming through insurance payouts and FEMA funding.

The proposed new municipal building for Sea Bright. (Borough of Sea Bright) 

"I'm happy and relieved at the outcome of the vote," Mayor Dina Long said. "I was definitely nervous and not sure what to expect, but there was an incredible voter turnout. And regardless of the outcome, it was gratifying to see so many people to show up to vote."

Hurricane Sandy significantly damaged four of Sea Bright's five municipal buildings. And while the borough hall was not destroyed, borough officials have been forced to work out of the gymnasium of the attached recreation center in order to have enough space to accommodate the post-Sandy demand.

The borough's fire company has been storing its equipment in a rented garage, which is in a flood zone and not climate controlled or insulated. That has resulted in extra wear and tear on the equipment, Long said.

"Our employees have been working in very difficult conditions for the last three and a half years without complaining," Long said. "But we haven't had adequate facilities for our public safety departments, which is obviously paramount in a community like Sea Bright and we definitely feel like time is running out to take action."

FEMA's deadline for Sea Bright to complete the construction on the buildings in order to receive the federal funding is Oct. 30.

However, the project underwent multiple redesigns and then a groundswell of opposition to the projects' price tags forced the referendum for residents to approve or reject the spending.

With the bond ordinances now approved by the voters, Long said Sea Bright officials plan to file for an extension from FEMA and hope to have both projects out to bid by the end of the year.

The proposed new community center and beach pavilion for Sea Bright. (Borough of Sea Bright) 

"But that fact that we had the petition for the referendum, and then the referendum and then as many 'no' votes as we did, sent a very loud message," she said. "We need to listen more and work to control our costs more."

Other special election results from Tuesday: 

-- Voters in Belmar overwhelmingly rejected a controversial ordinance - 836 to 292 - that sought to loosen the borough's "pay-to-play" laws.

-- Tuckerton voters narrowly approved a bond proposal, 206 to 185, that will enable the Tuckerton Board of Education to appropriate $3.6 million for various renovations at Tuckerton Elementary School.

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

FBI data released this week shows that even though the murder rate in New Jersey is slightly up, overall crime rates continue to nosedive.

FBI data released this week shows that even though the murder rate in New Jersey is slightly up, overall crime rates continue to nosedive.

According to the new 2015 data, there were 363 murders in New Jersey - up from 349 the previous year. The slight bump increased the rate to 4.1 murders per 100,000 residents.

The same statistics showed that murder rose nationwide last year at the fastest pace since 1990.

However, the murder rate in New Jersey is still slightly below what it has been for the last five years. In 2013, the murder rate in the state reached a peak of 4.5 per 100,000 residents before it fell to 3.9 per 100,000 the following year.

The good news is that both the overall violent and non-violent property crime rates in New Jersey are continuing their downward trajectory.

The data shows that there were 22,879 violent crimes in 2015 - down two percent from the previous year. The rate fell from 261.2 violent crimes per 100,000 residents to 255.4 in 2015.

Violent crimes include murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Non-violent property crimes in 2015, which include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft, are down in New Jersey a significant six percent from 2014.

The rate in New Jersey - 1626.5 property crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015 - has been in freefall since 2011 when it was 2151.

Besides murder, only three other crime categories were up in 2015: rape, aggravated assault  and motor vehicle theft.

In particular, reports of rape were up 6 percent from the previous year.

In 2013, the FBI started reporting new revised rape statistics that expanded what had been the standard definition of rape.

The report also included crime statistics for individual law enforcement agencies. We created a searchable database so that you can look up your town or municipality and find out if violent crime has gone up or down in 2015.

Not all law enforcement agencies reported 2015 data to the FBI report. For example, two big omissions are the Newark and Camden police department.

In April 2017, the New Jersey State Police is set to release its 2015 statistics which will include all statistics from all law enforcement agencies in the state.

Also, be careful when ranking towns to each other. There are many reasons why towns similar-sized towns can have different crime rates. For examples, if the citizens are more likely to report crimes to law enforcement, the rates may be higher, but it's not necessarily because there is more crime.

In addition, shore towns have a huge boost in population during the summer weekends compared its actual populations. This can manifest in a higher crime rate.

A look at the best plays of the past week in New Jersey football.

All permitted activités are allowed to resume at Manasquan Reservoir, officials said.

An example of a cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Bloom. Officials no one should fish at the Manasquan Reservoir. (NJ Department of Environmental Protection) 

HOWELL - A Monmouth County Health Department advisory issued for Manasquan Reservoir due to the presence of blue-green algae has been lifted.

"All permitted activities may resume as normal," a post on the Manasquan Reservoir's Facebook page announced Tuesday.

Last week, the Department of Environmental Protection said no one should fish at the 770-acre reservoir, nor should pets drink or enter the water there, until further notice due to the presence of the bacteria

The Cyanobacteria, also known as "blue-green algae" can produce toxins that are harmful to humans and animals. 

Harmful Algal Bloom resembles a layer of bright bluish-green or white paint on the water surface.

Discolored or pea-green colored water, parallel streaks or green dots/globs in the water are other indicators, the DEP said.

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

Karen Thompson was stopped in the area of Route 9 near the Shop Rite plaza, authorities say.

LACEY -- A Toms River woman was arrested Monday after police found her in possession of heroin, cocaine and a loaded handgun, authorities said.

Karen Thompson, 52, of Toms River. (Ocean County Jail)

Detectives with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office's Special Operations Group's Southern Enforcement Unit and Lacey police spotted Karen Thompson in the area of Route 9 near the Shop Rite plaza, Prosecutor Joseph Coronato and Lacey police Chief Michael DiBella said in a joint statement.

Authorities stopped Thompson, 52, of Toms River, and searched her backpack. The search turned up more than 100 doses of heroin, cocaine, more than 100 pills including Suboxone, Oxycodone and Xanax, and a loaded .22-caliber handgun, authorities said.

Thompson was arrested and charged with various drug possession and drug distribution offenses. 

She was taken to the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bail with no 10-percent option. 

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

Six of the top nine teams in the state will be paired against one another with impact matchups scheduled around the state in Week 4

Miguel Rivera was found dead at his home on Christmas Eve.

LAKEWOOD -- Two men have been indicted on charges they killed a township man found bludgeoned to death at his home on Christmas Eve, authorities said Wednesday.

Carlos Lagunes, left, Jesus Roman. Ocean County Jail 

The indictment, handed up on Tuesday by a grand jury in Ocean County, charges Jesus Roman and Carlos Lagunes with murder of Miguel Rivera, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Authorities found Rivera at his home on Laguna Lane around 8 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2015 lying face down in the doorway area of his bedroom with what appeared to be trauma to his head after a family member called police.

The family member found him after being worried about Rivera's well-being when he was not heard from for several days, authorities said.

An investigation led authorities to Roman and Lagunes. Lagunes was arrested on Jan. 4 at a pizzeria in Sussex, authorities said. Roman was arrested a short time later at his home on Church Street in Sussex.

Evelyn Rodriguez, 46, of Sussex, was charged with hindering. (Photo courtesy of the Ocean County jail)

After the arrest, a source with knowledge of the investigation told NJ Advance Media that Roman knew Rivera and had at one point lived with him in Lakewood.

Roman's mother, Evelyn Rodriguez, who is charged with hindering apprehension, also had a close relationship with Rivera, the source said.

The grand jury also returned an indictment against Rodriguez, 46, on Tuesday.

Roman and Lagunes were each indicted on charges of murder, felony murder, burglary and robbery, Della Fave said.

They both remain in the Ocean County Jail on $1 million cash bail. Rodriguez's bail was set at $250,000 with a 10-percent option, and court records indicate she has posted bail. 

Decision called stalker's rejection of the insanity plea an "imprudent" but "informed exercise of her free will."

TRENTON -- New Jersey's highest court on Wednesday ruled that people found mentally fit to stand trial can't be found not guilty by reason of insanity against their will.

The state Supreme Court threw out the insanity acquittal of a woman accused of stalking a New Jersey therapist because a judge imposed it on her despite her refusal to accept the plea.

The unanimous decision called the defendant's rejection of the insanity plea an "imprudent" but "informed exercise of her free will."

According to court records, June Gorthy of Colorado became obsessed with the woman, identified only as a mental health therapist from Monmouth County with the initials C.L., after the two met at a conference.

Gorthy believed the two to be in love and in 2002 drove across the country to be with her, even though the therapist told her repeatedly that the feeling was not mutual and that she should seek psychiatric help, according to the record of Wednesday's decision.

Christie asks Supreme Court to revisit landmark Abbott case

When Gorthy arrived in the town where the therapist lived, the woman called police, who found Gorthy on the floor outside the therapist's office armed with a knife, court records show. Police later found a cache of weapons in her car.

She was arrested and released through pre-trial intervention a week later, records show, and authorities ordered her not to contact the woman again. But five months later, she resumed her advances and was charged with stalking and weapons offenses.

Gorthy was deemed competent to stand trial, but her defense attorney indicated that she might invoke an insanity defense based on a psychologist's report that found she suffered from a delusional disorder

Gorthy, however, was not interested in pleading insanity.

According to court records, she did not believe that she was legally insane and wanted to avoid mandatory civil commitment that would come with an insanity plea.

An Ocean County judge later asserted the defense on her behalf, and she was found not guilty by reason of insanity on the stalking charges and convicted on the weapons charges.

On Wednesday, the high court found that decision was in error.

"Having found the defendant to be competent and explained the consequences of the defendant's decision, the trial court should respect the defendant's independent choice," Justice Anne Patterson wrote in the decision.

The justices upheld the weapons conviction, but ordered a new trial on the stalking charges, instructing the court to reconsider her competency to stand trial.

Kevin Walker, an assistant state public defender, said Wednesday his office was "pleased" with the court's decision.

"Given the significant consequences that attach to a finding of insanity, the insanity defense should not be interposed against a defendant's will," he said. 

A spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office declined to comment. 

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Daniel Gilman of Ocean Grove admitted to paying a doctor cash bribes for patient referrals.

CAMDEN -- A Monmouth Count man was sentenced Wednesday to one year in prison for paying bribes to a doctor in exchange for patient referrals to testing labs that paid him commissions, authorities said.

Daniel Gilman, 63, admitted to bribing Vincent Destasio, a physician from Toms River, with $25,000 in cash from March 2014 through May 2015 for referrals to two of his laboratory clients, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said.

Gilman was a principle of Promed Practice Consultants, a company that specializes in marketing and sales services for testing laboratories.

He sent patient referrals to a blood-testing laboratory and a laboratory for DNA testing. Gilman received monthly commission checks from the two labs, though authorities say they were not aware of the kickback scheme.

Gilman was charged with one count of conspiracy to pay kickbacks. He was sentenced to one year in prison by U.S. District Judge Joseph Rodriguez in federal court in Camden.

Gilman also received a fine of $1,000, two years of supervised release and entered a forfeiture judgment of $25,000, Fishman said.

In June, Destasio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to accept cash bribes. He is scheduled for sentencing on Friday. 

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

The award winners were announced by the U.S. Department of Education.

TRENTON -- The U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday announced that 10 New Jersey schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools, a recognition celebrating excellence in academics. 

The six public schools and four private schools are among 329 nationwide to receive the honor. 

Blue Ribbon Schools have either demonstrated overall academic excellence or have made strides to improve the achievement gap among students in the building. 

"National Blue Ribbon Schools are proof that we can prepare every child for college and meaningful careers," Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. said in a video message to the schools. 

New Jersey regularly places several schools on the national list, including 15 last year and 11 the year before. Acting state Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington congratulated the schools on their accomplishment. 

"Schools across the nation covet this honor and rightfully take great pride when they are selected," she said. 

At Essex Fells Elementary School, students watched the video announcement in an assembly. When the school's name and picture came on the screen, the gymnasium erupted with cheering and confetti.

'"It was pure joy," principal Michelle Gadaleta said. 

The schools will be honored at a ceremony on Washington, D.C., in November. Here's the list of New Jersey schools named Blue Ribbon Schools for 2016:

Public schools

Academy for Performing Arts, Union County Vocational Technical Schools

Essex Fells Elementary School, Essex Fells School District

Lyncrest Elementary School, Fair Lawn Public Schools

Cedar Hill Elementary School, Montville Township Public Schools

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School (Somerset)

Cranbury Elementary School, Cranbury School District

Private schools

Academy of the Most Blessed Sacrament (Franklin Lakes)

St. Augustine of Canterbury School (Kendall Park)

St. Cassian Elementary School (Montclair)

Saint Peter School (Point Pleasant Beach)

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

These photos represent a small sampling of what could be called Jersey Americana.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, "Americana" is defined as "materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culture; broadly: things typical of America."

Backyard barbecues with family including the ever-vivacious Aunt Lena Meschi, may she rest in peace.Photo courtesy of the Hatala family 

American culture is a smorgasbord of traditions - a Swedish word, incidentally, that gained popularity following the 1939 New York World's Fair when the so-named buffet was offered at the Swedish Pavilion's "Three Crowns Restaurant."  So then, our rich mix of cultures must be credited when we consider the many things we qualify "as American as ..." 

When this Americana photo gallery was pieced together, the pictures were selected based on the "feeling" they conjured. Simply stated, each photo reminded the editing staff of an American experience -- or more specifically, an N.J. experience.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

These photos represent a small sampling of what could be called Jersey Americana. We have pictures of yard sales, flea markets, drive-in movie theaters, drag racing and eating contests.

Make sure you have captions enabled to read all about these classic photos.

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

Police work, scientific study fuels fight against phony fentanyl, a killer painkiller.

TRENTON -- It can be 50 times stronger than heroin, and police say it's turning up more and more in illegal stashes seized from New Jersey drug dealers. But make a few changes to its chemical makeup, and the killer opioid might not technically even amount to a banned substance.

This week, state authorities issued an emergency order banning seven different "knock-offs" of the potent painkiller fentanyl, raising the alarm about the obscure drug that's causing overdose deaths across the state.

"All of them have been found, in some form, by law enforcement in New Jersey," said Steve Lee, the director of the state Division of Consumer Affairs, in an interview at the Statehouse on Tuesday. "As new ones appear, we have to be on top of our game."

Authorities say New Jersey is at the front line of the fight against a substance the head of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency has called "crazy dangerous."

While fentanyl itself is a synthetic opioid pain medication that can be obtained through a legal prescription, authorities say the knockoffs are produced outside the U.S., using precursor chemicals bought in Mexico, Germany, Japan and China.

They find their way into pills and powders sold illegally here in New Jersey, used to boost the potency of drugs, including heroin, that have been cut with other substances as a cost-saving measure. 

But fentanyl and its analogs are colorless and odorless, meaning the average drug user might not even know what they're in for when they shoot up or ingest them. The consequences are often deadly. 

Data published by NJ Advance Media earlier this year shows that deaths attributed to the ultra-potent drug, which was found to have killed the pop star Prince in April, have skyrocketed in the Garden State since 2013.

No place in New Jersey has seen more fentanyl deaths than Ocean County, which authorities have called "ground zero" for the opioid crisis, though nearly every county in the state has logged at least one overdose death tied to the drug, according to the data. 

On Tuesday, Lee signed the order making the seven "illicit fentanyls" Schedule I drugs, placing them at the top of the list of banned substances, defined as drugs with no legitimate medical use and high potential for abuse.

Christie unveils effort to fight opiate crisis

The announcement came alongside new initiatives from Gov. Chris Christie to aid addicts in their recovery.

The emergency order starts off a formal process to ban the substances, increasing fines and prison time for those found to possess or distribute them. Already lawmakers in the legislature have introduced legislation prohibiting their use. 

"It allows us to prosecute (drug dealers) consistent with the substance being scheduled," state Attorney General Christopher Porrino said of the order, which allows police to treat possession of illicit fentanyls "consistent with the way heroin or cocaine is scheduled."

Under the emergency order, seven types of illicit fentanyl, including several the DEA has identified as being particularly harmful, are now explicitly banned from use in the state. 

Capt. Juan Colon, who runs the drug monitoring initiative at the State Police's Regional Operations Intelligence Center in West Trenton, said the designation is important because drug distributors can stay ahead of law enforcement by making minor tweaks to opioids like fentanyl.

"All they're doing is just changing a chemical component ... and it develops a different strain, and now you're bypassing the scheduling, and you can't be prosecuted for it, because it's not an illegal substance," Colon said. "But at the same time, you're increasing the potency."

Authorities say there could be hundreds of such analogs, but they focus on the ones that have turned up in the pockets of drug addicts, or at the scenes of drug overdoses, here in New Jersey. 

State Police drug labs rely on police reports from law enforcement agencies across the state, as wells as data from the New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office detailing the toxicology reports from those who die in heroin's grip. 

Colon said his office looks at drug arrest and overdose data from "an epidemiological standpoint," combining police work with the same methods scientists might use to determine why people living in a particular area are experiencing high rates of cancer or other serious illness.

"One hundred drug arrests, or one hundred overdoses in the city of Newark tells you one thing," Colon said. "But if you look at the addresses of where those individuals come from, you come to find that only 40 of those were Newark residents. The other 60 come from the suburbs or rural areas of the state."

A small town could itself have a very low crime rate, Colon said, but by digging into the data from the cities where the drug trade flourishes, police can work to stem the demand that fuels it.

"That enables us to tell the local PD, 'Hey, you have a drug problem here,'" he said.

"'No, we don't.' -- 'Oh, yes, you do. Because your people are being arrested.'"

NJ Advance Media reporter Stephen Stirling contributed to this story. 

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

There are three coaches with at least 300 wins and 14 with at least 200. To make this list, it takes more than a good game plan.

The project in northern Ocean County has been on the books for decades but had no federal funding until after Hurricane Sandy in 2012

LAVALLETTE -- A long-awaited beach replenishment project for the northern Ocean County peninsula badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy has gone out for bid, state officials said Thursday.

The project, expected to cost $150 million, stretches 14 miles from Point Pleasant Beach to Berkeley Township.

It will be done in phases as state and local officials continue to try to get oceanfront access from 195 private property owners to do the work, state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said.

With the project going out to bid this fall, Martin said he expects work to start in the spring in southern Mantoloking, Toms River, Lavallette, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park.

"This is a great day for these communities and for New Jersey," Martin said. "This crucial project will protect lives and property from the kind of devastation much of this area experienced during Superstorm Sandy."

Beach replenishment for Ocean County could be near

In making the announcement, Martin was joined in Lavallette by Lt. Col. Michael Bliss, commander of the Philadelphia district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as by local mayors and officials. The news marks the start of one of the last key sections of the New Jersey coastline targeted for engineered beaches.

The project has been designed for decades but was never built because of local opposition and the lack of federal funding. But that opposition waned after Hurricane Sandy in 2012 badly damaged the coastline.

Even when federal funding became available after Sandy, the project was delayed by more than a year as hundreds of property owners refused to grant easements for the work, forcing condemnation proceedings in court.

Because the bulk of those condemnations are in Bay Head, Point Pleasant Beach and Berkeley, Martin said. The project will exclude those towns until the state obtains those easements, Martin said.

"Getting to this point required a great deal of hard work at multiple levels of government," Bliss said. "Ultimately, this project will serve to reduce the risk of storm damages for communities that were among the hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy."

Martin reiterated the state's plan to continue to pursue the easements through eminent domain.

"We remain disappointed in those who still cannot see the bigger picture. We will use all necessary means to secure these easements, including our court-affirmed eminent domain authority," he said.

Bay Head oceanfront residents have said they don't need the project because a rock wall covered by sand provides the borough with sufficient storm protection.

They say they don't like the idea of giving up access to a strip of their property forever because they would have no control over repairs and maintenance to the dunes, particularly if there is no federal funding for the work.

In Point Pleasant Beach, the major oceanfront owner, Jenkinson's Boardwalk, is fighting the project because it says the state is trying to turn that privately-owned beach into a public beach.

The state has obtained nearly 350 easements so far and has 183 condemnation proceedings pending in court, Martin said. He said 83 are in Bay Head and 53 are in Point Pleasant Beach.

For most of the project area, dunes will be built 22 feet above sea level and beaches will be made anywhere from 100 to 300 feet wide and 8.5 feet above sea level with sand pumped from the ocean floor.

The federal government pays 65 percent of the tab with the remainder split between the state and the towns.