Lucas Sentencing Postponed Till May 1

Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas’s sentencing on federal fraud charges has been postponed for a third time, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Convicted of obstruction of justice and falsifying tax returns and loan application documents last September,  Lucas was to have been sentenced on January 20, but the government had not completed its pre-sentencing report for U.S. District Court Judge Freda L. Wolfson to consider.  Wolfson postponed the March 25 sentencing until tomorrow, April 24, because she was presiding over an unrelated trial.  No reason has been disclosed for the latest postponement.

Lucas could face up to 60 years in federal prison if sentenced to the maximum on all charges.  The obstruction of justice conviction requires a two year mandatory minimum sentence, according to an attorney familiar with the case.

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Christie tells Jimmy Fallon that his day job is keeping him busy

Jimmy Fallon wore a New Jersey lapel pin and Chris Christie ate some Ben and Jerry’s Tonight Dough ice cream last night during the Governor’s appearance on the Tonight Show.

Christie joked that his day job as Governor of New Jersey is keeping him too busy to announce that he is running for president.

Christie and Fallon spent much of the segment joking about fat jokes. Fallon urged Christie to be the hulk. “Be mean be green.” Be the guy who tells people to shut up and sit down.  Christie corrected Fallon, “You got it wrong, It’s sit down and shut up.”

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Kyrillos Backing Jeb Bush For President

State Senator Joe Kyrillos is backing former Florida Governor Jeb Bush for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.

According to The Washington Post, Bush spokesman Tim Miller confirmed that Kyrillos is backing the son and brother of 41st and 43rd presidents to become the 45th.  Kyrillos contributed $10,000 to Bush’s political action committee last month.

The news that Kyrillos is supporting Bush over his decades long friend and ally, Governor Chris Christie, caps the news cycle for a day in which a Quinnipiac Poll reported that New Jersey voters don’t approve of the Governor’s job performance at home and don’t think he would make a good president. A CNN poll also released Monday places Christie in 7th place among GOP presidential hopefuls with support of only 4% or Republicans and Republican leaning Independents nationally. Just four months ago, a full year after the Bridgegate scandal broke, Christie ranked second for the 2016 GOP nomination in CNN’s poll with support of 13% of the respondents.

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Humane Society Reinstates Volunteer Program

The Associated Humane Societies announced on facebook this evening that the volunteer program at their Tinton Falls facility has been reinstated.

AHS announced the suspension of the program last Sunday, claiming that volunteers failure to follow protocol for handling animals housed at the shelter cause animal deaths and injuries to both animals and humans.

Asbury Park Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, a volunteer at the facility, called the claims by AHS “outrageous” and dubbed the management of the facility “apathetic” to both guests of the facility looking to adopt pets and the animals themselves. The volunteers was wage a PR campaign against the programs termination throughout the week.  A protest was scheduled for tomorrow at the facility.  It is unclear if the protest will happen, given the reinstatement.

Here is the statement posted today announcing the reinstatement of the program:

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Staten Island Scammer Gets 7 Years In Mortgage Scheme

Mario Coniglione, 51, of the Tottenville section of Staten Island, NY was sentenced to seven years in New Jersey State Prison today for stealing more than $187,000 in mortgage payments from two New Jersey couples, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.

Posing as a mortgage broker, Coniglione pocketed over $100,000 from a Freehold couple and $75,000 from a Jackson couple over a 33 month period in 2010 through August of 2013 when he was arrested.  He pleaded guilty to two counts of  second degree theft in December.  In addition to the 7 year sentence,  Judge Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr ordered that Coniglione pay restitution of $187,562.40 to the victims.

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Breaking: Historic Fort Hancock Roof Collapses

Brian Thompson of NBC News 4 NY is reporting via facebook that the roof of a historic structure in Fort Hancock, part of the Gateway National Recreational Area-Sandy Hook, has collapsed and the building may not be able to be saved.

UPDATE: THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE KNEW OF THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND EXPECTED THE COLLASPE

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Clinton’s Scooby Doo Van Parked In Handicapped Spot

During a campaign stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa where she met with local Democratic leaders, according to KETV 7, an Omaha, Nebraska ABC affilate, Hillary Clinton’s Scooby Doo campaign van was parked in a handicapped parking spot.

The Republican National Committee’s goprapidresponse team caught the report and posted the video to YouTube.

Update: YouTube has removed the video due to a copyright claim by Hearst Televsion. You can see the original at KETV-7’s website until the Clinton campaign gets them to take it down.

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Christie discusses Social Security, Bridgegate, and his poll numbers with Yahoo News

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First Lady Mary Pat Christie Awards NJ Heroes Grants

New Jersey First Lady Mary Pat Christie announced today that 18 organizations designated as New Jersey Heroes have been awarded a total of $120,000 in grants to enhance their missions with new programs and services.

A non-partisan, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization founded by Mrs. Christie in 2010, NJ Heroes’ mission is to recognize, celebrate, and promote the Heroes of New Jersey who inspire fellow New Jerseyans to give back to their community.  Since its inception, the organization has awarded approximately $320,000 in grants to 24 New Jersey non-profits.

“I am proud our New Jersey Heroes Foundation was able to expand its grant program for 2015 to help these remarkable organizations continue to do good work in their respective communities throughout the Garden State,” said Mrs. Christie. “Our New Jersey Heroes recipients represent such a broad coalition of causes that touch many people in so many ways. With these grants, we’re providing these groups with an opportunity to make an even greater difference by giving them the ability to improve and expand their programs to further reach community members in need.”

Of the 18 groups honored today, 3 are from Monmouth County:

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Tinton Falls Animal Shelter Fires Volunteers

photo via ashcares.org

Asbury Park Deputy Mayor disputes Associated Human Societies’ allegations

The Associated Human Societies (AHS) has suspended the volunteer program at its Tinton Falls facility, according to a post on the organization’s facebook page for its Popcorn Park (Lacey Township) facility. (h/t app.com)

The announcement alleges that volunteers at the facility chronically violated protocols for handing animals which resulted in deaths, human and animal injuries and expensive veterinary bills. Additionally, the announcement alleges that volunteers “solicited funds to be collected as donations for Associated Humane Societies, yet they were never turned in.”

“The animals at our Tinton Falls facility will continue to receive the excellent care and attention that they always have from our dedicated staff while we work hard to formulate a plan for a new volunteer program going forward. Be assured that our dogs will continue to be walked. Volunteers were never responsible for feeding or medicating animals, cleaning or maintaining our facility, and were not involved with the general day to day operations of running the shelter, so none of that will be affected.”

The announcement said that the problems that have occurred at the Tinton Falls facility have not occurred at the organizations animal shelters in Newark or Forked River.

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