Those who have unwanted or expired drugs in their medicine cabinets are urged to dispose of them properly this Saturday as part of Operation Take Back. Between 10 and 2, most police stations in Monmouth and Ocean Counties will take them no questions asked. The effort helps to prevent prescription drug abuse and keeps medicine out of the environment. Monmouth County Freeholder John P. Curley, … [Read more...]

An organization that restores photos damaged by natural disasters will be fixing pictures in Sandy-struck Seaside Heights. Operation Photo Rescue will be in the town May 3-5. Each person can bring up to 20 photos for potential restoration. The charity restores pictures by taking a photo of the photo, then uploading it onto a computer. After being digitally retouched, the picture is printed and … [Read more...]

State Police say four people have been arrested in connection with an alleged ring authorities believe may be responsible for more than 20 burglaries. Police say the four targeted businesses in several counties and used lookouts, two-way radios, and other means to avoid detection by law enforcement. The burglaries took place over several months at businesses in Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Mercer, … [Read more...]

A new poll shows Governor Christie still earns high marks among New Jersey voters, though the number who think he deserves a second term has slipped. The Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll out Wednesday shows 59 percent think Christie should be re-elected in November, down 4 percentage points from a February poll. A third of those surveyed say it's time for a new governor. Christie's job … [Read more...]

State officials say they'll present a plan within two to three weeks for buying approximately 1,000 flood-prone homes from owners who want to sell them. Environmental Protection Department spokesman Larry Ragonese says the first sales are expected in 2013. The DEP says it expects to receive $ 250 million or more for buyouts in federal money to help recover from Superstorm Sandy. Governor … [Read more...]

State authorities have raised security around the state following the explosions that rocked the Boston Marathon. State Police Lt. Stephen Jones says there is no known threat to the state stemming from the explosions. But the agency's bomb unit, aviation crews, tactical teams, and search and rescue assets have been recalled to duty and pre-deployed as a precaution. Meanwhile, NJ Transit has … [Read more...]

“Restore the Shore” has become synonymous with his t-shirts and now the man who created them has hit a milestone, donating more than $ 500,000 to Sandy relief efforts. The Star Ledger reports that Scott Zabelski of Toms River has sold more than 70,000 shirts and hoodies. His efforts have become a part of local history. The screen used to print his first Restore the Shore T-shirt is now part … [Read more...]

New Jersey has released data on the state's public schools in a form more detailed than before. The state Education Department made public Wednesday its first School Performance Reports. They take the place of the old Report Cards on the Schools. Along with reports on how well students do on standardized tests, there is now school-by-school information on how much students improve and on … [Read more...]

Questions still remain in the accidental shooting death of a 6-year-old Toms River boy. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office took over the case of Brandon Holt's death because the parents of the 4-year-old have relatives who worked in law enforcement in Ocean County. Police said the boys were playing Monday when the 4-year-old got a loaded .22-caliber rifle from his family's home and … [Read more...]