A 68-year-old Ocean County man has pleaded guilty to charges he sexually abused a 15-month-old boy and streamed footage of the assault online. Rodford Brindley of Toms River pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexual exploitation of a child. He faces up to 30 years in prison when he's sentenced Sept. 26. … [Read more...]

Police in Ocean County have arrested 19 people on charges related to heroin possession and distribution. The arrests come after the county's overdose death count rose to 60 this weekend. The county's Special Operations Group Task Force carried out the raids in Bayville, Barnegat, Lacey and Lakewood. Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato says he'll be ruthless in pursuing and prosecuting … [Read more...]

The state Education Department is considering requiring prospective teachers to achieve at least a B average in college before they can get state certification. The new 3.0 grade-point requirement would be higher than the current 2.75. But those who educate educators tell The Press of Atlantic City (http://bit.ly/16xl6s0 ) that it would not make much of a practical difference. Neighboring … [Read more...]

Federal officials have released new versions of flood zone maps, bringing relief to some property owners. The maps are for Ocean, Monmouth, Atlantic, and Hudson Counties -areas that were hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy last year. About 50 percent of homes in Ocean County that were previously in a "v-zone" have been taken out potentially saving them tens of thousands of dollars. When finalized … [Read more...]

Residents of Long Beach Island are saying "thank you" this weekend to the hundreds of first responders who helped after Superstorm Sandy, including some state troopers from Louisiana. The "LBI Thank You Fest" begins Friday with a concert in Ship Bottom. It continues Saturday at Brant Beach in Long Beach Township with a day of activities featuring music, food vendors, children's activities and … [Read more...]

Internet gambling isn't expected to start in here until around Thanksgiving, but Atlantic City's 12 casinos must move fast to line up partners for their online operations. The state Gaming Enforcement Division has told the casinos they have until June 30 to arrange Internet gambling deals. The short time frame is intended to give state regulators time to examine the qualifications and … [Read more...]

A court has ruled a special U.S. Senate election to replace the late Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg can be held in October, as it was scheduled by Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Lautenberg died last week at age 89. Christie scheduled the election for Oct. 16, 20 days before the general elections. Democrats sued, saying it should be held the day voters are going to the polls anyway. Democrats … [Read more...]

“Happy Birthday to You” is perhaps the most popular song of all time, it’s also a big money maker for Warner Music which holds the copyright on the song. Some say they make over $ 2 million a year in licensing fees from TV and movies. Now, Jennifer Nelson, a documentary filmmaker who paid the $ 1,500 it costs to have the song play in a single scene, is suing to invalidate the … [Read more...]

The vice president of the New Jersey School Boards Association has resigned from that post after complaints that she made comments that some interpreted as saying she wanted Jewish members of her local school board replaced. Rosemary Bernardi remains a member of the school board in Evesham Township. At a May meeting, some in the audience said Bernardi said that the deadline was approaching … [Read more...]

Facebook is introducing hashtags. The social network says that people will be able to click a hashtag to see a feed of discussions other users are having about a particular topic – just like Twitter and Instagram. For example, typing #ladygaga or #sunset will turn the words into a link that users can click on to find posts about Lady Gaga or sunsets. Facebook says hashtags are a first step … [Read more...]