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Where Is Central Jersey? Monmouth U. Poll Finds Answers To NJ's Tricky Regional Debate Where Is Central Jersey? Monmouth U. Poll Finds Answers To NJ's Tricky Regional Debate
Where Is Central Jersey? Monmouth U. Poll Finds Answers To NJ's Tricky Regional Debate Monmouth University pollsters have tried to answer a question that has been hard to solve for many in the Garden State: Where is Central Jersey exactly? The Monmouth University Polling Institute released a survey on Tuesday, Apr. 16 that asked New Jerseyans what region they live in and if they believe their region gets a fair share of state resources. The pollsters also asked people to pick their favorite convenience store. According to the poll, 41 percent of New Jerseyans said they live in North Jersey, 34 percent said they're in Central Jersey, and 23 percent said they're from South…

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by Chris Spiker
News
NJ Supermarket Celebrates Selling $1.13B Mega Millions Ticket: 'Thrilled For This Community' NJ Supermarket Celebrates Selling $1.13B Mega Millions Ticket: 'Thrilled For This Community'
NJ Supermarket Celebrates Selling $1.13B Mega Millions Ticket: 'Thrilled For This Community' A Jersey Shore supermarket celebrated selling the ticket that earned someone the largest lottery jackpot in the Garden State's history. The New Jersey Lottery said the winning Mega Millions ticket was purchased at ShopRite Wine & Spirits on Route 66 in Neptune. The jackpot reached $1.13 billion in the drawing on Tuesday, Mar. 26. The NJ Lottery held a news conference at the grocery store to formally announce the lucky ticket on Wednesday, Mar. 27. "I used to live in Neptune," said NJ Lottery executive director James Carey. "I live right down the street right now in Monmouth County…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Will Stay In Jail For Trial: Prosecutors Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Will Stay In Jail For Trial: Prosecutors
Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Will Stay In Jail For Trial: Prosecutors The man accused of murder in a triple shooting at a Toms River hookah lounge will have to stay in jail through his trial. A judge ordered on Thursday, Feb. 22 that Eric Manzanares, 24, of Asbury Park, will remain detained in the Ocean County Jail pending his trial, county prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced. He was charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Manzanares has been held in the county jail since Wednesday, Jan. 24, when he was extradited to New Jersey from Virginia. H…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Jacket With Name, Phone Number Led Feds Right To Capitol Rioter From New Jersey: DOJ Jacket With Name, Phone Number Led Feds Right To Capitol Rioter From New Jersey: DOJ
Jacket With Name, Phone Number Led Feds Right To Capitol Rioter From New Jersey: DOJ A Toms River man wearing a jacket with his business's name and phone number on the front of it to the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection has been arrested more than three years later. Robert Coppotelli was charged with four misdemeanor counts of illegally entering the Capitol and disrupting the joint session of Congress to count the electoral college votes in the 2020 Presidential election. The accusations against Coppotelli were outlined in a court document filed on Friday, Feb. 16. Prosecutors with the U.S. Department of Justice said an anonymous tip in July 2021 identified …

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by Chris Spiker
Obituaries
Former Toms River Track Star Diego Rodriguez Garibaldi Dies Following Crash, 19 Former Toms River Track Star Diego Rodriguez Garibaldi Dies Following Crash, 19
Former Toms River Track Star Diego Rodriguez Garibaldi Dies Following Crash, 19 Family and loved ones are mourning the death of a teen from Toms River. A GoFundMe page was created in the memory of Diego Rodriguez Garibaldi, who died on Friday, Jan. 26 at 19 years old, according to his obituary.  The memorial fundraiser was created after a car crash sent Rodriguez Garibaldi to the hospital. Details in the crash were not immediately available. The GoFundMe page raised more than $28,500 from at least 500 donations as of Thursday, Feb. 8. "Your overwhelming support has meant the world to his family during this challenging time," the fundraiser page said. "We are gra…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
NJ Ex-Con Featured On 'America's Most Wanted' Pleads Guilty In Deadly Stabbing NJ Ex-Con Featured On 'America's Most Wanted' Pleads Guilty In Deadly Stabbing
NJ Ex-Con Featured On 'America's Most Wanted' Pleads Guilty In Deadly Stabbing An Ocean County ex-convict and parolee once featured on the TV show "America's Most Wanted" admitted to his role in the stabbing death of a Seaside Heights man, authorities said. Angelo Grenci, 47, of Berkeley Township, pleaded guilty on Monday, Jan. 29 to aggravated manslaughter, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Grenci was charged in the killing of 50-year-old Carlton Williams. Prosecutors will pursue a prison sentence of 25 years for Grenci. He'd have to serve 85 percent of his term before being eligible for parole under the state's No Early Release…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Extradited Months After Virginia Capture Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Extradited Months After Virginia Capture
Suspected Toms River Hookah Lounge Killer Extradited Months After Virginia Capture Nearly nine months after his Virginia capture, a Monmouth County man will face charges in New Jersey, authorities announced. Asbury Park's Eric Manzanares, 24 — the accused gunman in a triple shooting that left one man dead and two others injured at a Toms River hookah lounge in 2022 — has been extradited from Prince William County, VA, to Ocean County, NJ, Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced on Thursday, Jan. 25.  Toms River police responded to a shooting at Top Tier Hookah Lounge on Hooper Avenue at around 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. Officers found three victim…

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by Chris Spiker
Sports
'Always The Underdog:' Toms River Fighter Frankie Edgar Will Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame 'Always The Underdog:' Toms River Fighter Frankie Edgar Will Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame
'Always The Underdog:' Toms River Fighter Frankie Edgar Will Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame A Toms River mixed martial artist known for taking down more physically imposing fighters has reached the summit of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Frankie "The Answer" Edgar was named as the first UFC Hall of Fame inductee for 2024. The UFC announced his acceptance into MMA's most exclusive club during UFC 297 in Toronto on Saturday, Jan. 20. The UFC released a video tribute to Edgar's career when making the announcement. "Undersized, always the underdog, everyone could see themselves in Frankie," UFC commentator Din Thomas said in the video. "Frankie was really the first fighter to p…

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by Chris Spiker
Weather
New Forecast: Increased Snowfall Totals Expected, Arctic Temps To Follow Northeast Storm New Forecast: Increased Snowfall Totals Expected, Arctic Temps To Follow Northeast Storm
New Forecast: Increased Snowfall Totals Expected, Arctic Temps To Follow Northeast Storm Newly-released forecast maps show parts of the region could see up to six inches of snow in the end-of-week storm. Intermittent snow is expected to begin between 4 and 7 a.m. Friday, Jan. 19, with the heaviest amounts falling in the afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Snow will fall at about 0.5 inches per hour and will taper by the evening, with temps in the upper 20s and low 30s, the NWS said. SNOWFALL PREDICTIONS The areas expected to get 4 to 6 inches are Trenton, Long Branch, Allentown, and Philadelphia. Reading, Vineland, Parsippany and Toms River are expected to get 3 to …

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
'RIP To The Queen:' Condolences Pour In For Toms River Icon Sondra Fortunato, 'Miss Liberty' 'RIP To The Queen:' Condolences Pour In For Toms River Icon Sondra Fortunato, 'Miss Liberty'
'RIP To The Queen:' Condolences Pour In For Toms River Icon Sondra Fortunato, 'Miss Liberty' Sondra Fortunato, an iconic New Jersey entertainer and model known to many as "Miss Liberty USA," has died. Condolences were widely posted online on Thursday, Jan. 11 for the well-known local celebrity from Toms River, including the town's Republican party organization. "Dear sweet Sondra, I first met you when I was about 12 years old. I'm now 66. We girls would see you in Seaside buying the latest fashion's," one mourner wrote. "We were all fascinated by your stunning appearance. You truly were the first Barbie doll!  "As the years went by it was a delight to see you in Toms River wh…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds A Jersey Shore businessman conned state and local law enforcement agencies and others into buying nearly $35 million worth of surveillance cameras that were made in China and then illegally rebranded for sale by his Bergen County company, federal authorities charged. Tamer Zakhary, 49, of Toms River, modified license-plate readers and other cameras, then removed the original company’s logo, an FBI complaint says. He then told the police departments, prosecutor's offices and other buyers throughout the state that they were compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act, U.S. Atto…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Gunman Killed In Confrontation With Police Was Married To Ocean Prosecutor's Detective UPDATE: Gunman Killed In Confrontation With Police Was Married To Ocean Prosecutor's Detective
Update: Gunman Killed In Confrontation With Police Was Married To Ocean Prosecutor's Detective UPDATE: Authorities officially identified a 39-year-old man armed with a semi-automatic rifle who was shot and killed by police in Manchester Township last week as the husband of an Ocean County prosecutor's detective. Shannon “Shane” Rose, 39, encountered police responding to a 911 call on Elizabeth Avenue in the Ocean County township shortly before 8:30 p.m. Dec. 6, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Two of them fired their service weapons, fatally wounding Rose, the attorney general said. "A firearm was recovered near the subject," Platkin added. It was reportedly an AR-…

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by Jerry DeMarco