Rescue attempt turned fatal near Monmouth Beach dock, sources say

MONMOUTH BEACH – A rescue attempt turned fatal for two people after a man fell into the water near a marina, law enforcement sources said. Authorities identified Saturday the man and woman found dead in the water Friday afternoon near the Channel Club Marina in Monmouth Beach as 59-year-old John J. LoBello of Toms River and… Read the rest of this entry »

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Middletown Woman Survived Initial Train Strike

Blayke Terry, photo via facebook

The woman struck by a train in Middletown on Saturday night has been identified as Blayke Terry, 23, of Middletown, according to a report at app.com.

Terry survived the initial strike, according to Lt. Paul Bailey of the Middletown Township Police Department.  Bailey is not aware of Terry’s current condition.

According to her facebook page, Terry is a graduate of Matawan Regional High School and works as a veterinary technician at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls.

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Woman struck by train in Middletown

A female “trespasser” by struck by a NJ Transit train in Middletown on Saturday night, according to the agency’s twitter feed and a report on NJ.com

The woman, who was struck at the Church Road crossing at 8:20 p.m., was taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune.  No passengers were injured according to the report.

North Jersey Coast Line service was suspended for about two hours between Hazlet and Red Bank and is now operating close to or on schedule.

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The Arnone Report: Mark Your Calendar For April 8—Made In Monmouth

By Freeholder Tom Arnone

Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone

I’m sure I join everyone in welcoming the spring season with open arms. It’s always a wonderful time of year to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. It’s also a great opportunity to shop local, which is exactly what everyone can do during the sixth Annual Made in Monmouth event on Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the OceanFirst Bank Center at Monmouth University.

I encourage all residents and visitors to take advantage of this free event that features hundreds of consumer products made right here in Monmouth County.

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Seastreak Ferry runs aground near Highlands

A commuter ferry operated by Seastreak ran aground about 200 yards from the Highlands pier on Thursday night, March 23, according to an announcement by the U.S. Coast Guard.

At approximately 11:15 p.m., watchstanders at Sector New York Command Center were that 95 passengers were aboard the grounded vessel.

A rescue crew from the Sandy Hook Coast Guard Station arrived on scene and oversaw the safe transfer of passengers from the ferry vessel Whaling City Express to the ferry vessel New Jersey.

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Terrance Weldon, former Ocean Twp Mayor and Asbury Park City Manager Died Today

Terrance D. Weldon, 1948-2017

Terrance Weldon, the former Ocean Township Mayor and Asbury Park city manager who was a central figure in the Operation Bid Rig scandal, died today at Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, according to an entry on the website of the Buckley Funeral Home.  Weldon was 68 years old.

On October 10, 2002, Weldon pleaded guilty to federal charges of accepting $60,000 in bribes from three developers between 1998 and 2001.  He remained out of prison until January of 2008 while he cooperated with U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s Operation Bid Rig into public corruption in Monmouth County.  His cooperation led to the convictions of Howard Schoor, the principle of the Schoor DePalma engineering firm, and three other guilty pleas.

U.S. District Judge William H. Walls rejected pleas for leniency by both the U.S Attorney’s Office and Weldon’s attorney when sentencing Weldon to 58 months in federal prison and a $20,000 fine on August 27, 2007. New Jersey officials stripped Weldon of his $20,000 per year public pension in February of 2008.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, March 24-26, 2017

By Greg Kelly

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Friday, March 24:

• Godspell at Spring Lake Theatre – MORE INFO
• Multiple Family Dwelling by NJ Repertory Company (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• SCAN’s “Get Wired” Tech Fair at Monmouth Mall (Eatontown) – MORE INFO
• “Kismet” by RBR Theatre Company (Little Silver) – MORE INFO
• “Kiss Me Kate” by Spotlight Players (Matawan) – MORE INFO
• “Of Mice and Men” by Holmdel Theatre Company – MORE INFO
• The Merry Wives of Windsor at TRT (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

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Middletown Township Reduces Spending and Property Taxes In 2017 Budget

Middletown Township Committee

The Middletown Township Committee will introduce a budget on Monday night that reduces Township spending by $161,459 and reduces the municipal tax rate by 3.49%

“We’ve taken a fine tooth comb to this budget in order to develop a spending plan that reduces costs without sacrificing core essential services,” said Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger, Ph.D. “We consistently seek ways to further minimize costs, maximize revenues and stretch a dollar.”

For the average homeowner, municipal taxes will decrease $5.31 this year.

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Melody is a costly tune for Eatontown’s Court

Eatontown Mayor Calls For Resignation Of Council President and Municipal Judge

By Eatontown Mayor Dennis J. Connelly

Eatontown Mayor Dennis Connelly

A backroom deal by the newly elected Eatontown Borough Council President Anthony Talerico and 3 of his followers will cost the taxpayers dearly.  One of the first deeds of Eatontown Borough Council President was to install his high school friend and local attorney, Eugene Melody III, as the Eatontown Municipal Court judge for a 3-year term.  Melody, a general law practitioner, has never held a judgeship, never been a prosecutor, nor has he served as a public defender.  At the very least, either of the latter two positions is critical in understanding the workings of a municipal court and would be the logical foundation for qualifications as a municipal court judge.  Not so, in Talerico’s mind. Eugene Melody is his go to guy for patronage positions.  Melody was appointed as Special Council in 2013 and was pushed for judgeship by Talerico in 2014 before he rescinded his application after realizing he was not getting the appointment.

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Inside the homeless encampment hidden in woods of Howell

HOWELL – On a recent unusually warm winter day, a handful of people milled about a camp site situated about a half-mile off a bustling stretch of Route 9 in Howell. The shantytown carved out of a township-owned section of woods has all the makings of a weekend camping getaway: a pantry lined with food, a… Read the rest of this entry »

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