TRENTON, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy is asking the Trump administration to approve a request of $34.2 million in federal disaster recovery funds to help pay for costs associated with Hurricane Isais back in August.

https://www.facebook.com/423813954320813/videos/658728264788456

“These funds are necessary to help state, county and local officials recoup the costs of the cleanup from the storm,” Murphy said. ” The damage from Isaias led to roughly 1.4 million losing power and many of those outages lasted for several days along with disruption to mass transit and closures due to downed power lines and trees.”

The storm damage forced the state to open thirteen temporary debris management sites used to transfer debris to permanent facilities.

Murphy is requesting a major disaster declaration for Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Monmouth, Morris, Salem and Sussex Counties.   The Governor did not request funds for Ocean County, where he visited Jackson Township the day after the tropical storm struck the county.

When visiting Ocean County, Murphy met with Jackson Mayor Michael Reina, who is currently the focal point of a Department of Justice civil rights lawsuit and now a possible FBI criminal investigation.

Reina thanked Murphy for everything he has done for the residents of Jackson and Ocean County, which now amounts only to a photo op visit by the governor in close proximity to his Island Beach State Park mansion where he was staying around the time of the storm.

Today, Governor Phil Murphy announced that the Trump administration is giving the state 2.6 million 15-minute COVID-19 tests and thanked the President for giving his state the ability to nearly double its testing capacity and to return test results to patients within minutes.

Murphy today was notified by the White House via teleconference meeting that it will be part of a historic initiative led by the Trump administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of and Defense (DOD).   That initiative awarded a contract for $760 million to Abbott for delivery of 150 million rapid, Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Point of Care (POC) SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests to expand strategic, evidence-based testing in the United States.  Testing will be potentially deployed to schools and to assist with serving other special needs populations.

The first 170,000 tests will be delivered to New Jersey within the next two weeks and Murphy said it will “scale up” New Jersey’s testing capabilities.

“This could be a game-changer,” Murphy said. “We can double our testing capacity and test-up resources into hot spots like Ocean County.”

“The introduction of Abbott’s antigen test is another incredibly valuable result of President Trump’s all-of-America approach to constructing our world-leading COVID-19 testing capacity,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “By strategically distributing 150 million of these tests to where they’re needed most, we can track the virus like never before and protect millions of Americans at risk in especially vulnerable situations.”

The Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card recently received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, does not require instrumentation, and will deliver COVID-19 test results in 15 minutes or less.  The Administration has laid the groundwork for this program with months of collaborative work, paving the regulatory and innovation pathways.

The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card test uses nasal swabs and is simple to use, inexpensive, and can be easily employed by medical personnel or trained operators in certain non-clinical environments operating through a CLIA certificate.  Rapid POC testing will help to enable the opening of and also to lower the risk of COVID-19 spread.

“Over the past months, our collaboration with Abbott has exemplified the Administration’s whole-of-society approach to this pandemic, fully leveraging America’s industry and innovative spirit,” said ADM Brett Giroir, MD.  “Under President Trump’s leadership, we have worked closely with the private sector to stimulate testing innovations such as the Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 test. This is no small achievement and is of an unprecedented scale. The Administration is now prepared to fully deploy this new testing asset to continue combatting the virus and safely and sensibly reopening our great nation.”

Abbott has the capability to scale up to meet the demand for antigen testing across the country and is the only known sources that can immediately provide the required items to meet HHS’s urgent needs. The system uses a nasal swab and associated media placed on a strip that can detect COVID-19 and other viruses.

FREEHOLD, NJ – Youth sports are being blamed for the uptick in Monmouth County COVID-19 infections, according to the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

“I know that there has been a lot of talk about the recent uptick in COVID cases in Monmouth County and I would like to shed some light on these cases and the reasons they are occurring,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone. “The Monmouth County Health Department’s (MCHD) case investigations have determined the bulk of exposures are from youth athletic facilities, school sports practices and gatherings that occurred during Labor Day Weekend and almost half of the new cases are young adults between the ages of 16 and 25.”

Arnone said the return of school sports has been linked to the increase, but echoed other official statements that indoor dining has not lead to any increases in the spread of the virus.

“It is also important to note that MCHD has conducted a thorough review all the COVID-19 cases in the 29 towns they serve and no cases have been linked to restaurants or retail food establishments at this time,” added Freeholder Director Arnone.

Just last week, Governor Phil Murphy said youth sports have not played a role in an increase of infections statewide.

Photo by Kobby Mendez on Unsplash

The US Navy Veterans Lung Cancer Advocate says, “If you are the wife or adult son-daughter of a Navy Veteran with lung cancer or a friend-please ask him if he had significant exposure to asbestos in the navy. If the answer is yes-please call-the lawyers at the law firm of Karst von Oiste at 800-714-0303. The lawyers at the law firm of Karst von Oiste specialize in assisting Navy Veterans and people who had significant exposure to asbestos decades ago-and who now have lung cancer. Financial compensation for a person like this might exceed a hundred thousand dollars-even if the person smoked cigarettes.

“Most Navy Veterans who had significant exposure to asbestos decades ago and who now have lung cancer are not aware the $30 billion dollar-asbestos trust funds were set up for them too. The typical person we are trying to identify has lung cancer, he is over 60 years old and his asbestos exposure took place in the 1960s or 1970s in the navy or at work. If this sounds like you or a family member-please call the lawyers at the law firm of Karst von Oiste at 800-714-0303. We think you will be glad you did.” www.karstvonoiste.com/

The US Navy Veterans Lung Cancer Advocate wants to emphasize that almost all US Navy Veterans who will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year were assigned to US Navy ship that had a home base located in:

• Navy Base Norfolk, Virginia (The world’s largest navy base)
• Navy Base San Diego, California
• Navy Base Honolulu, Hawaii
• Navy Base Mayport-Jacksonville, Florida
• Navy Station Newport, Rhode Island
• Navy Submarine Base Kitsap, Washington (Bremerton, Bangor/Keyport)
• Navy Submarine Base New London, Connecticut
• Navy Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia

High-risk workplaces for asbestos exposure include the US Navy, shipyards, power plants, public utilities, manufacturing factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, mines, smelters, pulp and paper mills, aerospace manufacturing facilities, offshore oil rigs, demolition construction work sites, railroads, automotive manufacturing facilities, or auto brake shops. With lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure the lung cancer may not show up until decades after the exposure. https://USNavyLungCancer.Com

According to the American Cancer Society for nonsmokers who have been exposed to asbestos in their workplace the risk of lung cancer is five times that of unexposed workers. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/index.htm.

States with the highest incidence of lung cancer include Kentucky, West Virginia, Maine, Tennessee, Mississippi, Ohio, Indiana, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Alabama, and Delaware.

However, asbestos exposure lung cancer can happen in any state including California, New York, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, Washington, Oregon or Alaska. www.karstvonoiste.com/

For more information about asbestos exposure lung cancer and mesothelioma please visit the CDC’s website on these topics: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/health_effects_asbestos.html.

-press release

When businesses forced workers to work in asbestos-contaminated workplaces in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s a new niche of asbestos-related legal services grew in America. Today, a similar situation is unfolding with workplace COVID-19 infections.   Some defendants are now claiming that they were forced back to work and exposed to COVID-19.  In some of those cases, the workers spread the infection unknowingly to their families.  Some of those family members have died from the virus.

According to CBS, The daughter of Esperanza Ugalde of Illinois filed in August what lawyers believe is the first wrongful death “take home” lawsuit, alleging her mother died of Covid-19 that her father contracted at Aurora Packing Co’s meat processing plant.

One law firm has created a new division to handle COVID-19 wrongful death lawsuits

“Crowell & Moring has a multidisciplinary working group helping clients navigate the rapidly evolving business, legal and operational issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our group brings together lawyers and professionals with relevant senior government, industry, and private sector experience across a wide array of practices that intersect with the most critical issues in this unprecedented crisis. We are helping clients to mitigate risk, to implement practical approaches and sound business solutions, and anticipate and prepare for the opportunities and challenges that are on the horizon,” the law firm says of its new offerings.

Not only does the firm represent victims, but Crowell & Moring also offer legal advice to businesses as they reopen from the COVID-19 lockdowns to avoid the legal pitfalls other businesses are facing who may not have taken all of the necessary precautions to protect workers from the virus.

“Businesses face unparalleled challenges as they re-open amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Our multidisciplinary working group is focused on helping clients navigate their immediate legal and operational concerns, with a view towards the long-term impacts and potential consequences of re-opening,” the law firm states.

Bloomberg has just announced it is creating a resource for lawyers who are offering pro-bono COVID-19 legal advice.

The company has announced that it is offering 30 days’ complimentary access to its platform to pro bono attorneys who are providing services to those most in need as a result of the novel coronavirus.

“It is our privilege to offer complimentary access to the entire Bloomberg Law platform to those who provide counsel on a pro bono basis to clients who are facing adversity due to this unprecedented health and economic crisis,” said Joe Breda, President, Bloomberg Law. “And to assist all legal professionals with the delivery of legal services related to the pandemic, we’ve also made available at no cost In Focus: Coronavirus, a continuously updated collection of news, analysis, and content related to the coronavirus. This unique resource helps practitioners understand the constantly evolving legal and commercial impacts of the Covid-19 crisis.”

FREEHOLD, NJ – Twenty abandoned cats left at the steps of the Monmouth County SPCA office continue their rehabilitation, but a viral outbreak has made things a little difficult for staff.

“Our team has been working hard to get all of the cats vaccinated, microchipped and on our surgery schedule. Due to our recent Panleukopenia outbreak, the new 20 cats are segregated and our staff is in full PPE so there is no virus transmission,” the Monmouth County SPCA said. “All 20 of the cats are intact males and many are underweight, dirty and scraped up. They’re all happy to have comfortable bedding, clean water and available food (and they love toys and treats!) A few of the cats are able to be touched and some solicit petting but there is a good amount that will need a lot of time to come around. Thankfully, our team of staff and volunteers make the well-being of our animals their first priority.”

The organization is working towards getting the cats ready to be adopted out to families as soon as they’re healthy and ready.

“We look forward to seeing these cats experience their own happily ever afters and we know our followers do too! We want to thank everyone for their support and donations – we’re committed to helping these cats get healthy, mentally and physically, so that they can find their forever homes,” the SPCA said.

HOWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ  –  After a newspaper was published and mailed across Howell Township this week, Howell Township Republican Pamela Richmond, who was the target of a story in the newspaper for a 2016 drunk driving arrest has spoken out publicly against the newspaper.

“Let me tell you something, four years ago, I had a misstep in my life,” Richmond said. “I was going through a divorce. I was losing my house, I was in a really dark place. I thought that I was past that. Four years later, these Democrats think it’s a good idea to personally attack a sitting council member.”

Richmond said she now works diligently for her community and that the newspaper was deceitful and labeled it “Fake News”.

Of the newspaper, Richmond said, “I know Howell residents are so much smarter than that to know that this is not true.  This is garbage, this propaganda to come after me politically and smear me personally.”

“I am stronger now than 4 years ago,” Richmond said. “Yes, this happened…this happened four years ago and you elected me…I’m not going to deny it.”

Earlier this week, Joseph DiBella, a former Howell Township councilman and chairman of the Howell Township Republican Club spoke out today about the 2016 driving while intoxicated arrest of currently sitting Republican Councilwoman Pamela Richmond.   A Howell Township newspaper this week reported Richmond’s arrest which has been unspoken of by township Republicans since it happened.  Republicans and DiBella are claiming the newspaper as “Fake News” published by Democrats.  The newspaper (See screenshot below) featured stories about community happenings on topics ranging from the new Lidl supermarket to the Howell Food Pantry, but DiBella took issue with one article regarding the Republican Councilwoman’s arrest in 2016.

Related: Howell Business Administrator Mum on Disappearance of Six-Figure Town Employee.

“What is most disturbing…is that the [newspaper] chose to personally attack in the most mean spirited and vicious way, our current councilperson, Pamela Richmond,” DiBella said. “They recall an incident of four years ago…when she was involved in a DUI incident. I know Pam personally…I know her family.  She’s deeply disturbed and disappointed in what happened. It was a mistake. But it was four years ago and Pam’s not running this year.”

DiBella said the news story was malicious and mean spirited, aimed only at humiliating and embarrassing DiBella over her driving while intoxicated arrest.

The story in the newspaper, “Howell Tribune” claims Howell Township officials tried to cover up Richmond’s drunk driving records prior to the 2018 township council election.

“QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED about why the complete records of Howell Councilwoman Pamela Richmond’s DWI arrest were not released despite repeated requests to the Township’s custodian of records. Under the state Open Public Records Act, requested records should be turned over in 7 business days. But in the case of Richmond’s DWI arrest, Howell Township has refused to release the records required by NJ state law,” the newspaper claimed.

Instead, those records came just days before the 2018 election, according to township records.   A picture of Richmond was used from a YouTube video channel, but she has since removed those videos where the subject matter often included hard liquor products.  The video image used in the newspaper was from a video shot just days before her arrest where she’s seen holding a bottle of Jack Daniels.

“She was charged with both DWI and reckless driving. She pled guilty to reckless driving, and her license was suspended for 45 days. In New Jersey, the minimum penalty for driving while intoxicated is a 3-7 month license suspension, depending on the blood alcohol level at the time of the arrest,” the newspaper reported.

The incident was covered by the Asbury Park Press on November 1, 2018 in a story entitled, “Is Howell Hiding Candidate’s DWI Record?”

According to the Asbury Park Press, Township Clerk Penny Wollman askedfor a $300 special service charge to offset the cost for the time a police captain to conduct a records search and redact personal information, an attempt township watchdogs said was an effort to delay the release of those records.

The newspaper was delivered to homes across Howell Township this week.

TOMS RIVER, NJ –  Ellen Dela Cruz was planning on retiring from her job as a registered nurse in Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York City, but that was before the COVID-19 pandemic began.  Dela Cruz thought she would retire this past March, but realized her job was now more important than ever.  Now, she’s running against long time Ocean County Freeholder Joseph Vicari, and has an uphill battle to face this November, a challenge that could be even harder than beating COVID-19.   Della Cruz is trying to defeat a well-entrenched Republican in the state of New Jersey’s most Republican leaning county.   In 2017, she received 58,000 votes compared to Vicari’s nearly 85,000 and it wasn’t a Presidential election year.  It also wasn’t a mail-in ballot year, which can favor Democrats statewide.

Dela Cruz has lived in Lacey Township since 1980 where she and her husband Ceasar, used to run a 7-11 franchise.   Caesar passed away in 2019.

“I planned to retire in March of this year but with the pandemic raging on, I could not find it in my heart to leave at that time. I have to be true to my calling. I wanted to wait until it’s over or at least lets up,” Dela Cruz said.  “The number of Covid19 cases are now well under control in New York .” It’s quite an honor and at the same time, very humbling to be called a HEALTHCARE HERO.  As a Registered Nurse I dedicate my life to caring for others. In these troubled times, it is more important than ever that we have leaders who are knowledgeable, compassionate, committed, and can guide us to control the spread of the pandemic and the overdose and substance use epidemic.”

Dela Cruz also has business experience.

“As a former small business owner, I owned a very successful 7-Eleven store in Lacey Township for 15 years,” she said. “At my beautiful and friendly store, I worked hard to provide my customers with quality goods and services at a competitive price, which made them love to come back again and again. I provided my happy and welcoming employees with honest work at fair wages, and I generously contributed to the community.”

She hopes to defeat Vicari, who has been in office for 39 years.  She thinks the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders should have term limits. It’s currently a position to be held until a persons’ death, or until they are given a better, higher-paying job by the political machine that powers Ocean County politics.  She knows a lot about local government as she spent three terms herself on the Lacey Township Municipal Committee.

HOWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ – Pamela Richmond serves on the Howell Township Council and her 2016 drunk driving arrest has become the focus of the 2020 election after the Howell Township Republican Club responded to a newspaper report this week alerting residents to the incident.  Republicans in town are now saying Richmond’s DWI arrest is a foul ball in an election that is just starting to heat up as November 3rd approaches.  A photo published with Richmond holding a bottle of Jack Daniels, along with her DWI ticket issued by police, according to the leader of the Republican party in the town, is out of line.

Joseph DiBella, a former Howell Township councilman and chairman of the Howell Township Republican Club spoke out today about the 2016 driving while intoxicated arrest of currently sitting Republican Councilwoman Pamela Richmond.   A Howell Township newspaper this week reported Richmond’s arrest which has been unspoken of by township Republicans since it happened.  Republicans and DiBella are claiming the newspaper as “Fake News” published by Democrats.  The newspaper (See screenshot below) featured stories about community happenings on topics ranging from the new Lidl supermarket to the Howell Food Pantry, but DiBella took issue with one article regarding the Republican Councilwoman’s arrest in 2016.

Related: Howell Business Administrator Mum on Disappearance of Six-Figure Town Employee.

“What is most disturbing…is that the [newspaper] chose to personally attack in the most mean spirited and vicious way, our current councilperson, Pamela Richmond,” DiBella said. “They recall an incident of four years ago…when she was involved in a DUI incident. I know Pam personally…I know her family.  She’s deeply disturbed and disappointed in what happened. It was a mistake. But it was four years ago and Pam’s not running this year.”

DiBella said the news story was malicious and mean spirited, aimed only at humiliating and embarrassing DiBella over her driving while intoxicated arrest.

The story in the newspaper, “Howell Tribune” claims Howell Township officials tried to cover up Richmond’s drunk driving records prior to the 2018 township council election.

“QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED about why the complete records of Howell Councilwoman Pamela Richmond’s DWI arrest were not released despite repeated requests to the Township’s custodian of records. Under the state Open Public Records Act, requested records should be turned over in 7 business days. But in the case of Richmond’s DWI arrest, Howell Township has refused to release the records required by NJ state law,” the newspaper claimed.

Instead, those records came just days before the 2018 election, according to township records.   A picture of Richmond was used from a YouTube video channel, but she has since removed those videos where the subject matter often included hard liquor products.  The video image used in the newspaper was from a video shot just days before her arrest where she’s seen holding a bottle of Jack Daniels.

“She was charged with both DWI and reckless driving. She pled guilty to reckless driving, and her license was suspended for 45 days. In New Jersey, the minimum penalty for driving while intoxicated is a 3-7 month license suspension, depending on the blood alcohol level at the time of the arrest,” the newspaper reported.

The incident was covered by the Asbury Park Press on November 1, 2018 in a story entitled, “Is Howell Hiding Candidate’s DWI Record?”

According to the Asbury Park Press, Township Clerk Penny Wollman askedfor a $300 special service charge to offset the cost for the time a police captain to conduct a records search and redact personal information, an attempt township watchdogs said was an effort to delay the release of those records.

The newspaper was delivered to homes across Howell Township this week.

An article in a newspaper published and delivered to all of Howell Township this week talks about the 2016 arrest of GOP Councilwoman Pam Richmond.

Toms River Man Focus of Howell Township Lawsuit Alleging Age Discrimination, Whistle Blower Intimidation