Bergen County Man, 60’s, Dies from COVID-19

Governor Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov Sheila Oliver announced that a New Jersey man died as a result of the coronavirus.

The individual is a male in his 60s from Bergen County.

“We are sad to report the first death in a case of COVID-19 in New Jersey. Our prayers are with the family during this difficult time. We remain vigilant to doing all we can — across all levels of government — to protect the people of New Jersey.”

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Video: Murphy Explains COVID-19 State of Emergency

BREAKING: I’m declaring a State of Emergency for New Jersey amid an outbreak of #COVID19.

We’ve been ahead of the curve in terms of our preparations, and this declaration will help keep us there.⁰⁰For more information, visit https://t.co/UyohzX5yGkhttps://t.co/ACoJrkLgJm pic.twitter.com/9gINlZKB1f

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 9, 2020

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Monmouth University Polling Institute Cancels “Show Must Go On” Seminar

Monmouth University has cancelled an event scheduled for March 11 entitled Show Must Go On: Government Relations and Policymaking in Election Season.

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O’Scanlon: COVID-19 is cause for diligence, not panic

Senator notes that current pandemic is a historical reminder of the pre-vaccine world

Senator Declan O’Scanlon issued the following statement in response to the announcement that the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has reached two communities within his district, Little Silver and Hazlet:

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Fiore will not seek reelection in Middletown

Middletown Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore

Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore will not seek a 5th consecutive term on the Middletown Township Committee.

In a February 29 email to Middletown’s Republican leadership, Fiore said, “My recent expanded responsibilities at work (which include many nights of travel) coupled with my most important responsibilities as a husband and father, will make it impossible for me to continue to serve the Committee the only way I know how, at 110%.”

“The Township is in better shape than it was when I came into office 12 years ago,” Fiore said in a phone interview. “That’s what I’m most proud of.”

First elected in 2008 in the wake of Operation Bid Rig, the investigation by Chris Christie’s U.S. Attorney’s Office that resulted in the indictment and convictions of many Monmouth County elected officials including a Middletown Township Committee member, Fiore has been the driving force in reforming Middletown’s municipal government.

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Breaking: Monmouth County has two cases of coronavirus

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone told MMM there are two presumptive positive cases of coronavirus in Monmouth County.

The two presumptive cases are:

• Female, 83, in Hazlet being treated at Hackensack Meridian Health Bayshore Medical Center
• Male, 27,  in Little Silver, being treated at Hackensack Meridian Health Riverview Medical Center (recently attended the Biogen conference in Boston)

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Look who’s giving Coronavirus advice! The lovebug of the anti-vaxxer movement | Editorial

Sen. Michael Testa, sounding grave and responsible in a recent news release, is now among the public officials warning us all to pay attention to the science on the Coronavirus. That’s good advice. Why not take it yourself, senator?

The science on childhood vaccines is equally clear, and he’s rejecting it. This man is the legislative darling of the folks who send their kids to school totally anti-vaccinated, because some holistic blogger said that a deadly viral outbreak is a beautiful and natural thing.Yet here he is, reminding the rest of us that we’ve got to trust the experts, and ignore the… Read the rest of this entry »

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Congressman Smith’s remarks to the NJ GOP Leadership Summit

Congressman Chris Smith is scheduled to address the attendees of the NJ GOP Leadership Summit in Atlantic City this afternoon.

The following are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

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Burlington GOP said it “thoroughly vetted” Gibbs

By Art Gallagher

Burlington County GOP Chairman Sean Earlen

Burlington County Republican Chairman Sean Earlen has some explaining to do.

According to a December 21, 2019 article in the Pine Barrens Tribune, the Burlington County Republican Screening Committee put Kate Gibbs, a former Burlington Freeholder, through a “thorough vetting process” prior to endorsing her for the CD-3 nomination to challenge freshman Congressman Andy Kim at the December 7, 2019 nominating convention.

Earlen is a former mayor of Lumberton, Gibb’s hometown.

A “thorough vetting process” is time consuming and expensive. It is one of the most important roles of Party leadership. Voters, donors and other leaders alike depend on Party leaders to put forth candidates with the records and character worthy of the offices they are seeking.

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Schmid laments Warren’s withdrawal from presidential race

Stephanie Schmid, once considered the front runner for the Democrat nomination to run against Congressman Chris Smith in the Fourth Congressional District, announced on facebook that she is sad to see Senator Elizabeth Warren withdraw from the presidential race.

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