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Sunday, nov 24
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Ocean County, NJ
Police & Fire
Wildfire Near NJ Golf Course Fully Contained, Smoke Lingers After Days Of Tense Battles
A wildfire that sent heavy smoke into the sky over a Lakewood golf club has been tamed, officials said. The Lakewood Country Club wildfire was 100 percent contained by 9 a.m., the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The roughly 35-acre fire burned dangerously close to the golf course and Pine Park. What began as a fast-moving threat on Monday, Nov. 18 initially put six buildings on Seminole Drive at risk. Crews rushed to the blaze, preventing any building from being damaged and no evacuations were ordered. The wildfire forced Clearstream Road to close betwe…
Police & Fire
NJ Performing Arts HS Teacher Confesses To Molesting Female Student, Prosecutors Say
A former teacher at an Ocean County performing arts academy admitted to molesting a female student, authorities said. Douglas Bollinger of Neptune City, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 18, to endangering the welfare of a child, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Investigators said Bollinger, 57, engaged in "inappropriate sexual contact" with a student. The incidents happened in Point Pleasant Beach and Asbury Park between February and August 2019. Bollinger was a teacher at the Grunin Performing Arts Academy, part of Ocean County Vocational Tech…
Police & Fire
South Jersey Woman Admits To Using Child For Psychedelic Mushroom Sales, Prosecutors Say
A Lacey Township woman admitted to using a child living in her home to sell psychedelic mushrooms, authorities said. Margaret Whalen, 60, entered a guilty plea on Monday, Nov. 18, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. She pleaded guilty to possession of psilocin mushrooms with intent to distribute, employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme, and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges came from an investigation when Lacey Township police received a tip from the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency. Investigators said Wh…
Police & Fire
Update
: Wildfire Near NJ Golf Course Half-Contained After Scorching 35 Acres
Firefighters have contained about half of a wildfire in Lakewood, where flames have scorched dozens of acres, officials said. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the 35-acre wildfire was about 50 percent contained as of around 7:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The fire was burning near Pine Park and the Lakewood Country Club. Clearstream Road remained closed between Brewers Bridge and Hope Chapel Road as crews continued their work. To combat the flames, crews have deployed fire engines, bulldozers, a helicopter, and ground teams to the site. Six buildings on Seminole Drive were …
Police & Fire
Photos Show Firefighters Battling 40-Acre Burlington County Forest Fire (
Update
)
A 40-acre wildfire that threatened 20 homes in Burlington County has been fully contained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. WILDFIRE UPDATE: Big Rusty Wildfire - Hainesport, Burlington County At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20, the New Jersey... Posted by New Jersey Forest Fire Service on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 Crews achieved 100% containment of the Big Rusty Wildfire near Bancroft Lane and Cove Court at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20, two days after flames erupted. While no evacuations were required, residents are advised that smoke may linger in the…
Police & Fire
Illegal Shotgun Round Sparked 350-Acre Jackson Wildfire, Brick Man Charged: Officials
A massive wildfire that scorched 350 acres in Jackson Township was ignited by an illegal shotgun round that authorities said was fired by a 37-year-old Brick Township man. Authorities charged Richard Shashaty, 37, with arson after an investigation revealed that magnesium shards from a prohibited Dragon’s Breath 12-gauge shotgun round sparked the blaze on Nov. 6, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The fire, known as the Shotgun Wildfire, erupted shortly after noon on November 6 near the Central Jersey Rifle Range on Stump Tavern Road. Investigators determined that the incendi…
Police & Fire
Charges Upgraded For Driver 2X Legal Limit After Death Of Jersey Shore Restaurateur: Prosecutor
A Seaside Park woman's charges were upgraded when a restaurant owner and well-known fly fisherman died more than a month after a hit-and-run crash. Genell Mcinaw, 50, surrendered to Seaside Heights police on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Ocean County First Assistant Prosecutor Michael Nolan Jr. said in a news release. She was previously charged in the crash that killed Robert Popovics of Seaside Park. Seaside Heights police responded to a report of a man lying in the road near the intersection of Dupont Avenue and the Boulevard at around 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23. Officers found Popovics u…
Politics
Last Look At New Jersey's 12 Congressional Races: Your Guide To The 2024 Election
More than 1.9 million people have already cast their vote in New Jersey ahead of the 2024 election. Here's one last look at who's on the ballot in the Garden State's 12 Congressional races, and what you need to know. District 1: All of Camden County, as well as parts of Burlington County and Gloucester County. Teddy Liddell and Donald Norcross. Teddy Liddell for Congress/Donald Norcross Facebook photos Democratic candidate Incumbent Rep. Donald Norcross: A father of three and electrician, Norcross was elected in 2014 having previously served in both the State Senate and Assembly. …
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Woman Stole $175K+ From Senior Community, Forged Doctor's Letter: Prosecutors
A Mays Landing woman was accused of stealing more than $175,000 from an Ocean County senior community and lying about her child's cancer treatment to delay court proceedings, authorities said. Alicia Campbell, 37, was given five additional charges on Tuesday, Oct. 29, Ocean County First Assistant Prosecutor Michael Nolan Jr. said in a news release. She was originally charged with theft, financial facilitation, and forgery. Campbell was the former lifestyle director at Greenbriar Oceanaire Community & Golf Course in Waretown. She was responsible for booking enter…
Police & Fire
Gruesome Indictment Details Killing, Dismemberment Of NJ Victim
Four people from Ocean County were indicted for dismembering the body of a Toms River killed in his home, authorities said. A grand jury indicted 29-year-old Elizabeth Mascarelli of Seaside Heights on Thursday, Oct. 24 for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hindering apprehension, desecration of human remains, and eight weapons charges, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat; Jared Krysiak, 34, of Brick Township; and Jarred Palumbo, 36, of Manchester, were also indicted for hindering apprehension an…
Police & Fire
South Jersey Man Who Tried To Abduct Girl, Groped Woman Pleads Guilty: Prosecutors
A Farmingdale man admitted to trying to kidnap a teen girl and groping a woman in a Target parking lot during a two-county crime spree, authorities said. Quamel Benton, 36, pleaded guilty on Monday, Oct. 21 to attempted kidnapping, two counts of eluding, and criminal sexual contact, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Lakewood police responded to a report of an attempted kidnapping near Forest Park Circle at around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 21. Officers learned that a man tried to force the girl into a "smaller model" white SUV. The …
Police & Fire
CNAs Attack Patient At Jersey Shore Rehab Center: Prosecutor
A pair of certified nursing assistants are accused of beating a patient now listed in critical condition at the rehabilitation center they worked at, authorities in Ocean County said. Dhenmark Francisco, 28, of Toms River, and Jovi Esperanza, 31, of Beachwood, were each charged with aggravated assault in connection with the Sunday, Oct. 14 attack at Crystal Lake Rehabilitation Facility in Berkeley Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The Berkeley PD was contacted by officials at the Crystal Lake Rehabilitation Facility regarding a patient that had been assa…
Real Estate
12 Years After Sandy, Residents Returning To Rebuilt Jersey Shore Oceanfront Community
Dale Parisi's third-generation cottage near the Mantoloking beachfront was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. "It was a very sad day," he said. "We had no idea what the future held for any of us. While some people cashed in their chips, I believed that someday we were going to return and rebuild." Nearly a dozen years later, Parisi moved into his new three-bedroom duplex in the Osborn Dunes at South Mantoloking community. The neighborhood off Route 35 has reopened for some new and returning residents after suffering catastrophic damage from Sandy, developer Walte…
Police & Fire
NJ Volunteer Fire Chief Sexually Assaulted Woman Sitting In Vehicle, Prosecutors Say
A volunteer fire chief in Manchester Township was accused of sexually assaulting a woman more than two years ago, authorities said. Michael Trimarchi, 55, of Manchester, was charged with sexual assault and criminal sexual contact, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Trimarchi is the chief of the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, according to a Facebook post on Saturday, Sept. 21. A woman told Manchester police on Friday, Sept. 6 that Trimarchi sexually assaulted her on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022. Investigators with …
News
NJ Water Company Pauses Billing After Cyberattack
A water utility company based in Camden said it is pausing billing in the wake of a cyberattack on Thursday, Oct. 3. American Water serves 2.8 million people in the Garden State, providing water to municipalities in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Union and Warren counties. "American Water learned of unauthorized activity in our computer networks and systems," the company said in a release. "This activity has since been determined to be the result of a cybersecurity incident. In an effort to protect our …
Police & Fire
NJ Apartment Association Bookkeeper Who Stole $357K Learns Prison Sentence
A former bookkeeper for the New Jersey Apartment Association has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for stealing $357,250 from the organization, authorities said. Karly Simon-Sapp, 50, of Plumsted Township, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer to five years New Jersey State Prison and ordered to pay $357,520 in restitution, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. She previously had pleaded guilty to theft. Between January 2016 and January 2022, Simon-Sapp, in her capacity as a bookkeeper for the New Jersey Apartment Association, forged the …
Police & Fire
Captured
: Fugitive In 2010 Attempted Murder On Jersey Shore Arrested, Prosecutors Say
A fugitive wanted for shooting a man in the face nearly 14 years ago in Brick Township has been captured, authorities said. Marciano Sanchez, 40, was arrested in New York City on Wednesday, Oct. 2, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Sanchez's last known address was in Queens. Sanchez was on New Jersey’s Most Wanted list after a shooting in Brick on Monday, Nov. 29, 2010. Police responded to a gunshot victim at the Community First Aid building on Mantoloking Road. Officers found a man who had been shot in the face. He was rushed to Jersey Shore Unive…
Schools
These Are South Jersey's Top Public High Schools: New Rankings Released
Three Jersey Shore public high schools were recognized among the 100 best in the U.S., according to an education data website. Niche has released its 2025 Best Public High Schools in America list. The website said its rankings are based on "rigorous analysis of key statistics," U.S. Department of Education data, and millions of reviews from students and parents. Five of the top 50 high schools in the U.S. were from New Jersey, including two on the Jersey Shore. Bergen County Academies in Hackensack was the top school in the Garden State and 20th nationally…
Police & Fire
Toms River Sex Offender Assaulted Girl Who Needed Ride To Animal Shelter, Prosecutors Say
A Toms River man was accused of sexually assaulting a teen who asked him for a ride, authorities said. Keith Hahn, 46, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He was charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, kidnapping, luring, and endangering the welfare of a child. Investigators said the 14-year-old girl got lost while she walked along Route 70 in Manchester Township on Sunday, Sept. 29. A man driving a white Jeep Grand Cherokee stopped and talked to her. The girl a…
Business
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Central Jersey, Feds Say
A Jersey Shore bank will pay more than $15 million in a settlement for racially discriminatory lending practices known as redlining, authorities said. OceanFirst Bank agreed to the settlement to resolve the accusations that date back to 2018, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. The Toms River-based bank was accused of redlining in predominantly non-white neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The $15 million settlement came after the Department of Justice launched its Combating Redlining Initiative in October 2021, aiming to s…
News
Camden County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories
Twenty-five landlords are facing fines after state officials said they violated state laws by considering potential tenants' criminal histories. According to NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR), the notices of violation allege that the housing providers violated the law by, among other things, asking criminal history-related questions on housing applications that are prohibited by the law. The Notices of Violation announced Monday, Sept. 16 were served on housing providers located in 15 municipalities across Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, C…
Police & Fire
Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators
An illegal and abandoned campfire started a massive wildfire that burned for three days in Ocean County, authorities said. Investigators determined the wildfire was accidentally started by "an unknown person(s) improperly extinguishing a campfire," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The roughly 189-acre wildfire burned near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. In its final update, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the wildfire was 100 percent contained a…
Police & Fire
Smoke Diminshes As Crews Begin Containing Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood (
Update
)
Smoke has diminished as a massive wildfire burned for a second day in Ocean County, officials said. The fire was first spotted at the Cedar Bridge fire tower at 4:44 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in an update. The roughly 189-acre wildfire was burning near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. Conditions have improved after "erratic fire behavior" caused problems for the first firefighters at the scene. "Fire crews continue to secure and reinforce containment lines by mopping up hot …
Police & Fire
Crews Battle 150-Acre Wildfire Across Ocean County (
Developing
)
Firefighters were battling a massive wildfire in Ocean County that broke out late Monday, Sept. 9, officials said. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the fire was burning near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. The NJFFS first posted on Twitter about the wildfire at 7:30 p.m. Monday. As of Tuesday morning, the fire had been 20 percent contained to 150 acres, after spreading near Northern Boulevard in the Barnegat Pines neighborhood of Berkeley. "When firefighters arrived on scene initial attack efforts were unsuccessful due to erratic…
Police & Fire
Sidewalk Pedestrian Airlifted After Being Struck By Man With History Of Careless Driving In NJ
A woman was flown to the hospital after a careless driver drove onto the sidewalk and struck her while she was walking her dog in an Ocean County town on Friday, Sept. 6, police said. Eugenio Carta of Berkeley Township was operating a 1999 Buick Sedan when he drove off the roadway, struck the victim walking her dog on the sidewalk, then came to rest after hitting a tree around 3 p.m. at the intersection on Doral Drive at Cohansey Drive, local police said. The woman suffered a head injury from the crash and was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center where she was in critical but stable con…
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Boater Struck By Propeller, Sucked Under Water: Police
A 59-year-old boater was hospitalized after being struck by the propeller of a boat after being ejected from his own and sucked under water in Ocean County over Labor Day Weekend, police said. The Neshanic Station man was heading east on Manahawkin Bay in Long Beach on a personal watercraft when his boat was struck by a 28-foot vessel heading north around 4:35 p.m., New Jersey State Police Sgt. Charles Marchan said. The boater was ejected from his boat upon impact and sucked underwater by the other vessel’s propulsion. The propellers of the vessel then struck the man, who was hospitali…
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Who Had 157 Cats At Home Indicted, Prosecutors Say
A Brick Township man was indicted after more than 150 cats were found in his home, authorities said. A grand jury indicted 56-year-old Jeffrey Finlay on Wednesday, Aug. 28 for 149 counts of animal cruelty, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Finlay called Brick police to help remove the animals from his house on Thursday, May 4, 2023. Officers found about 157 cats and three dogs at the Mantoloking Road home. It took crews about 24 hours for the pets to be removed and brought to county animal facilities for treatment. Finlay was first charge…
Police & Fire
NJ Man, 39, Drowns In Delaware Water Gap
A New Jersey man's body was discovered in the Delaware River, authorities said. The 39-year-old Lakewood man was found dead in Bushkill, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Aug. 26, a National Park Service spokesperson said in a news release. His body was spotted about 20 to 30 feet from the shore at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Rangers and divers responded to the drowning call at Bushkill Access at around 1:45 p.m. The man's body was recovered in about seven feet of water at around 3:07 p.m. This is the second person of the summer to drown at th…
Police & Fire
NJ Performing Arts High School Teacher Molested Female Student, Prosecutors Say
A former teacher at an Ocean County performing arts high school was accused of molesting a female student, authorities said. Douglas Bollinger, 56, of Neptune City, was charged on Monday, Aug. 12 with two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal sexual contact, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Bollinger was a teacher at the Grunin Performing Arts Academy at Ocean County Vocational Technical School (OCVTS). The academy had 240 students as of September 2023 and offers high schoolers opportunities to take dual-credit co…
Police & Fire
Man Sentenced In Jersey Shore Robbery That Left Victim With Four Gunshot Wounds: Prosecutors
A Little Egg Harbor man will spend about a decade in prison for his role in an armed robbery, authorities said. Marc Manfredonia, 33, was sentenced on Friday, Aug. 9 to 10 years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Monday, Aug. 12. He previously pleaded guilty to robbery on Monday, June 17. Little Egg Harbor police responded to a shooting report at a home on East Hudson Drive at around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, and officers found a 36-year-old man with four gunshot wounds. He was treated at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Ce…
Weather
Towns With The Most Rainfall In New Jersey
The National Weather Service has released the rainfall totals from the Tuesday, Aug. 6 storm. Residents across the Northeast woke up Wednesday, Aug. 7 to several inches of water — in some places, feet. Here are the towns that got the most amount of rain: Bergen County: Ridgewood 5.79 inches Bogota 5.60 inches Oakland 3.86 inches Leonia 3.81 inches Lyndhurst 3.77 inches Hillsdale 3.56 inches Hasbrouck Heights 3.42 inches Hackensack 2.9…
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