Howell dog hoarders appear in court; face maximum of $1M in fines

HOWELL — A couple who housed 276 dogs in what officials called the worst hoarding case in Monmouth County history, appeared in municipal court in Howell on Wednesday to face more than 500 counts of animal cruelty. If Charlene and Joseph Handrick are each found guilty of a 552 counts of animal cruelty, they could face… Read the rest of this entry »

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Long Branch Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Kiddie Porn Charges

Donald Haring, 61, of Long Branch, pleaded guilty to federal charges of possession and distribution of child pornography today, before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton, according to a statement by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.

Haring admitted that he knowingly used a computer from his home to share images and videos of child sexual abuse with other members of a publicly-available, peer-to-peer file-sharing network. Haring also admitted to possessing at least three videos and 600 images of child sexual abuse on his computer and other electronic devices.

Haring faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 7, 2016.

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Phony Pallone’s Phony Sit-in: A typical day of inaction

By Art Gallagher

Congressman Frank Pallone said last week that sitting on the floor of the House of Representatives to try to force the Republican majority to force a vote on gun control legislation was his proudest moment in 28 years in Washington.

Pallone told NJ.com’s Auditor that he is holding a “symbolic sit-in” in his New Brunswick Office today, as a “national day of action” with his fellow Democrat Congress  Members, where his constituents could sit on the floor and discuss gun control legislation with him.

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Deal looks to restrict parking near beach — again

DEAL — The borough plans to introduce an ordinance at its public meeting on Wednesday evening that will require residential permit parking on nearly a dozen streets with beach access points. Stephen R. Carasia, the borough’s clerk and administrator, cautioned on Tuesday that the ordinance is yet to be introduced and is still in the process… Read the rest of this entry »

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this July 4th weekend, July 1-4, 2016

By Greg Kelly

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Friday, July 1

• Struck by NJ Repertory Company (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• Celtic Woman at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• Wall Twp. Fair – MORE INFO
• Road Soda Concert (Belmar) – MORE INFO
• Touched by Grace (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Summer Solstice Artisan Crafts Market (Belmar) – MORE INFO
• “Seeing Stars: Every Flag Tells A Story” Exhibit (Highlands) – MORE INFO

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Wall and Spring Lake Heights Mosquito Spray Postponed

Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso

Monmouth County’s Division of Mosquito control has postponed tonight’s  scheduled spray in Wall Township and Spring Lake Heights due to weather.  The operation has been rescheduled for tomorrow, June 29, between 9:30 p.m. and midnight, according the Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso, the freeholder who oversees the division.

The spraying is a response to evidence of the West Nile virus in the West Belmar section of Wall and northern Spring Lake Heights. Mosquito Control staff  will conduct a ground spray operation on residential streets south of Belmar Boulevard between Route 35 and Route 71 in Wall Township and on residential streets north of Allaire Road between Old Mill Road and Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights.

“The goal of the ground spray program is to reduce the public health risk from West Nile in the area,” said DiMaso. “It is also important to remember to always wear insect repellant when outdoors, even if it is only for a few minutes.”

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The Arnone Report: Shark River Dredging To Resume, Freeholders Support Mayors’ and Assemblywoman Handlin’s Efforts With JCP&L

By Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

Monmouth County Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

It’s finally here …summer has returned! I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having lately, and enjoying all that our beautiful Monmouth County has to offer – beaches, parks, lakes, rivers, boardwalks, lighthouses, museums, theaters, historical sites, restaurants and much more. Our tourist season is in full swing, and according to early estimates, we are paced to match or exceed last year’s numbers, providing economic stability here in our region.

Speaking of tourist season, I am happy to report that the dredging of the Shark River is set to restart in the next few weeks, getting us closer to increasing the recreational side of the Shark River corridor as well as restoring the channels for our commercial fishing industry. As you may know, the dredging had started late last fall and was halted on January 1, 2016, due to state regulations in place to protect spawning and the early life stages of winter flounder and anadromous fish. The dredging project is moving along nicely due to a coalition of State, County and local leaders that effectively advocated for the project, including Senator Jen Beck, Committeeman Randy Bishop, County of Monmouth, Board of Chosen Freeholders, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT) Office of Maritime Resources, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP), and the governing bodies of the participating municipalities including Neptune City, Neptune, Belmar, and Wall.

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Monmouth County Launches Flooding Awareness Program

John Szeliga, Verizon; Middletown Mayor Gerald Scharfenberger; Monmouth County Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso; Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden; Capt. Jay Steingold of Naval Weapons Station Earle; FEMA Region II Administrator Michael Moriarty and Tony MacDonald Director of the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute.

A countywide collaboration with Monmouth County’s government, FEMA, Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute, New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, National Park Service, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve at Rutgers University, Navy Weapons Station Earle, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Verizon designed to raise the public’s awareness of flood risks and to encourage the mitigation of those risks was launched this morning in Middletown with the installation of a High Water Mark (HWM) sign at the Belford Ferry Terminal.

FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program’s High Water Mark awareness program gives participating municipalities Community Rating System (CRS) points which result in residents of the community getting a break on their flood insurance premiums.

Municipal participation is voluntary and there is no cost to the towns for participating.

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Suspended Asbury Park Police Officer, His Sister, Indicted In Insurance Fraud Scheme

photo via monmouthsocialcalendar

Alix Antoine, a 37 year old suspended Asbury Park Police Officer and his sister Patricia Louis, a/k/a Patricia Antoine, 43, of Clifton, were indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury today on charges related to their scheme that enabled the sister to receive medical benefits she was not entitled to through the Asbury Park Police Department, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Between June 1, 2009 and April 1, 2013 the siblings knowingly made false statements and tampered with public records resulting in Patricia being enrolled in Alix’s Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance policy provided by the Asbury Park PD.

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Freeholders Give Combat Wounded Vets Special Parking Privileges

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Gary Rich, Lillian Burry, Director Tom Arnone, Deputy Director Serena DiMaso and John Curly, commemorate the installation of a Wounded Warrior parking spot at the Hall of Records.

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders has followed the lead of Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso in making the lives of combat wounded war veterans a little easier.

Under a new program announced yesterday, the Freeholders are designating special parking spaces at county facilities for use by Purple Heart Medal recipients.

“We all recognize the tremendous sacrifices our military personnel have made to secure the freedoms we enjoy every day,” said DiMaso. “Regretfully, many of these men and women have returned home with physical and emotional injuries that will follow them the rest of their lives. A designated parking space is a simple way to say thank you.”

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