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Chris Spiker

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Police & Fire
Lacey Township Woman Admits To Using Child For Psychedelic Mushroom Sales, Prosecutors Say Lacey Township Woman Admits To Using Child For Psychedelic Mushroom Sales, Prosecutors Say
Lacey Township 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…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Manasquan-Based Jersey Mike’s Sells Majority Stake To Blackstone, Aiming For 'Greater Heights' Manasquan-Based Jersey Mike’s Sells Majority Stake To Blackstone, Aiming For 'Greater Heights'
Manasquan-Based Jersey Mike’s Sells Majority Stake To Blackstone, Aiming For 'Greater Heights' Jersey Mike’s Subs, a Garden State icon that grew into a national sandwich powerhouse, is set to sell a majority stake to private equity giant Blackstone, officials said. The Manasquan-based restaurant chain has agreed to sell the stake in the company, Blackstone said in a news release on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Jersey Mike’s founder and CEO Peter Cancro will keep a significant equity share and continue leading the business. When he was 14 years old, Cancro began working at the original location in Point Pleasant that opened as Mike's Subs in 1958. At 17, he bought the restaurant in 1975 and…

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by Chris Spiker
News
'Historic Low': Manasquan Reservoir Drops Below Half Capacity As Wildfires Burn Across NJ 'Historic Low': Manasquan Reservoir Drops Below Half Capacity As Wildfires Burn Across NJ
'Historic Low': Manasquan Reservoir Drops Below Half Capacity As Wildfires Burn Across NJ The Manasquan Reservoir, a crucial water source in Monmouth County, has dropped to historically low levels as New Jersey experiences wildfires and drastic drought conditions. The reservoir's water elevation was recorded at 91.27 feet above sea level on the morning of Monday, Nov. 18, according to Marc Brooks, executive director of the New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA). That measurement at the Howell Township reservoir was 11.73 feet below its full pool level. The reservoir was holding 2.3 billion gallons of water, which is just 49.35 percent of its 4.67-bill…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Man Who Dropped Gun, Pretended To Be Cop Arrested At Point Pleasant Beach Church: Police Man Who Dropped Gun, Pretended To Be Cop Arrested At Point Pleasant Beach Church: Police
Man Who Dropped Gun, Pretended To Be Cop Arrested At Point Pleasant Beach Church: Police A Sunday morning service at a Point Pleasant Beach church was disrupted when a man dropped a gun and falsely claimed to be a police officer, authorities said. Randolph Tashman of Toms River was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 17, the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department said in a news release.  Officers responded to a report of a man who dropped a gun from his pocket at an unnamed church at around 9:53 a.m. Church security escorted Tashman of Toms River outside to wait for police to arrive. Investigators said Tashman wasn't the gun's registered owner of the firearm and didn'…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Atlantic City Man Who Tossed Scarred Dog Over Humane Society Fence Indicted: Prosecutors Atlantic City Man Who Tossed Scarred Dog Over Humane Society Fence Indicted: Prosecutors
Atlantic City Man Who Tossed Scarred Dog Over Humane Society Fence Indicted: Prosecutors An Atlantic City man was accused of abandoning four dogs by throwing them over a Humane Society fence, authorities said. A grand jury indicted 23-year-old Jahlil McNeal on several counts of animal cruelty, witness tampering, and theft of services, the Atlantic City Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The indictment was handed down on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Investigators said McNeal hoisted three pit bull mixes over the fence of the Humane Society of Atlantic County, located off Route 30. Security cameras caught the incident while the ch…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Wildfire Near Lakewood Country Club Half-Contained After Scorching 35 Acres UPDATE: Wildfire Near Lakewood Country Club Half-Contained After Scorching 35 Acres
Update: Wildfire Near Lakewood Country Club 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 …

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by Chris Spiker
News
Jackpot Joy: Oakhurst Lotto Ticket Snags $685K Prize Jackpot Joy: Oakhurst Lotto Ticket Snags $685K Prize
Jackpot Joy: Oakhurst Lotto Ticket Snags $685K Prize A stroke of luck has made one Monmouth County ticket holder a big winner in a Jersey Cash 5 drawing, lottery officials said. The ticket purchased matched all five numbers to claim the $685,092 jackpot in the drawing on Saturday, Nov. 16, the New Jersey Lottery said in a news release. The winner was bought at Minimart Plus, located in the Towne Center shopping plaza on Route 35 North in Oakhurst. The winning numbers were 21, 35, 36, 44, and 45. The XTRA number was 03 and the Bullseye number was 45. As a reward for selling the winning ticket, the convenience store will receive a $2…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Union Beach Youth Soccer Coach Admits To Sexually Exploiting Players, Prosecutors Say Union Beach Youth Soccer Coach Admits To Sexually Exploiting Players, Prosecutors Say
Union Beach Youth Soccer Coach Admits To Sexually Exploiting Players, Prosecutors Say A Union Beach youth soccer coach admitted to molesting two players and sending sexual pictures to several others, authorities said. Ryan Gunsauls, 33, pleaded guilty during a hearing in superior court, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Monday, Nov. 18. The investigation began in May when a teen reported Gunsauls had asked for and shared sexually explicit material through a social media app. As the case developed, eight additional victims between 11 and 17 years old were identified. Gunsauls was held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution an…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Atlantic City Man Who Threatened Ex-GF With Her Gun Sentenced, Prosecutors Say Atlantic City Man Who Threatened Ex-GF With Her Gun Sentenced, Prosecutors Say
Atlantic City Man Who Threatened Ex-GF With Her Gun Sentenced, Prosecutors Say An Atlantic City man will spend up to half a decade in prison for threatening his ex-girlfriend with her gun, authorities said. Dennis Bell, 39, was sentenced to five years in state prison for second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Monday, Nov. 18. Egg Harbor Township police responded to a domestic dispute at a home on Leap Street on Monday, Feb. 12. The caller said her ex-boyfriend had a gun. Officers found Bell in a bedroom being held down by the couple's underage son. Bell told police he came to the home to …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
NC Woman Killed By Northeast Corridor Train In South Brunswick, Amtrak Says NC Woman Killed By Northeast Corridor Train In South Brunswick, Amtrak Says
NC Woman Killed By Northeast Corridor Train In South Brunswick, Amtrak Says Authorities have identified the North Carolina woman who was killed by a train in South Brunswick on Veterans Day, officials said. Emily Price of Durham, NC, was named as the victim of the crash, an Amtrak spokesperson said on Monday, Nov. 18. The 43-year-old was struck between Jersey Avenue and Princeton Junction at around 9:35 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11. None of the 110 customers and crew members on the train were injured. They were transferred to a following train. The Northeast Corridor train had left New York Penn Station at 8:37 p.m. It was due to arrive in Trenton at 10:…

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by Chris Spiker
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