Father shot dead in hostage standoff had domestic violence arrests, records show

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Reminder: Oceanic Bridge Closes May 26

The Oceanic Bridge (S-31), the span that connects Rumson and Middletown over the Navesink River, will close for repairs at 6:00 am on Tuesday morning May 26 and remain closed until the estimated completion date of June 12, according to Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone, liason to the Department of Public Works and Engineering.

The current repair project of the bridge was stated on February 9th and was scheduled to be completed by April 15th.  However, in late April, Arnone announced that while work was being done it was discovered that two of the bridge’s four main bearings need to be repaired. The bearings are part of the mechanism that supports the bascule and flanking spans on the bridge approaches.  The bearings were inaccessible at the beginning of the project.

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West Front Street Bridge Reopened

Traveling through the heart of northeastern Monmouth County got a lot easier this week after State,County and Local officials celebrated the reopening of the West Front Street Bridge, AKA Hubbard’s Bridge, that connects Middletown and Red Bank over the Swimming River.

The five month long replacement project that came in as promised before the Memorial Day weekend.

The opening follows the construction of a new 488-foot long steel girder bridge to the north of the existing West Front Street Bridge.

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Middletown cops shut down traffic to rescue ‘panic stricken’ cat

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Middletown Reduces Spending By Almost $1 Million

Middletown Mayor Stephanie Murray

The Middletown Township Committee is slated to introduce their 2015 budget tonight with a spending decrease of $959,463. The total budget as introduced will be $69,437,466 compared to 2014 spending of $70,396,929.

Decreased non-tax revenues, including parking permits and court fees, of $2.8 million and increases in snow removal costs of $1.3 million and insurance costs of $600,000, were off set by savings from shared services agreements with other municipalities and the Middletown Board of Education, as well as utility cost savings for $223,000.

The tax levy on Township property owners will increase $428,484 to $46,964,220, not including the Township Library.  With the library budget of $3,445,649, the overall tax levy increases by $486,502.

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Middletown PBA takes negotiations to facebook

A rant against Mayor Stephanie Murray and the rest of the Middletown Township Committee was posted anonymously on the business facebook page of the Middletown Township PBA Local 124 yesterday afternoon.

Written by “I am a police officer in Middletown Township,” the post alleges that Murray and the Township Committee are not paying police officers salaries and claims that officers are subjected to sub-standard working conditions.  The anonymous officer claims that the Township Committee gave themselves a 20% raise:

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Middletown Man Found Alive and Well in Florida

Anthony Tassello, the 55 year old Middletown man reported missing by his family on Monday, was been located alive and well in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida this morning, according to Charles Webster, spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Proscecutor’s Office and the Middletown Police Department cancelled a press conference schedule for 11 a.m. this morning on the Tassello matter upon his location.  Detectives with the Middletown PD told MMM that the case is still being investigated and that more information will be forthcoming, perhaps this afternoon.

Tassello’s car was one of five burned in a suspicious fire at Tom’s Ford’s Keyport parking lot on Tuesday morning.

According to his facebook page, Tassello has been employed by Trap Rock Industries, a Princeton, NJ asphalt company owned by the Stavola family, since 1984.  Employees at Trap Rock declined to give any information about Tassello.

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Concern for Missing Middletown Man’s Safety Rises After His Car Is Found Burned

Via the Middletown Police Department

Investigators are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Anthony Tassello, a 55-year-old Middletown man, who was reported missing on Monday by family members. Tassello was last seen around 9:15 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2015.  He is a white male, approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 230 pounds.

The vehicle he was driving, a white 2008 Ford Escape, was one of five vehicles burned during a suspicious fire at the Tom’s Ford dealership on Route 35 in Keyport, on Tuesday morning, February 17, 2015.

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Family drops lawsuit over Mater Dei closing

MIDDLETOWN —The family suing to prevent the closure of Mater Dei Prep in Middletown is withdrawing its lawsuit. Brian Petrone said he decided to drop the suit, after speaking with school officials and alumni, out of concern that his action would harm his goal of having the Catholic high school become more financially secure. It’s not…

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Mater Dei student’s family sues Diocese, school to prevent closure, report says

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