by Al DellaFave

TOMS RIVER-Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Chief Richard Buzby announced the arrest on Saturday (7/14) of Phillip Harrison, 48, of Little Egg Harbor Township for the intentional setting of fires at 1021 Radio Road (a vacant home) and 847 Radio Road (a vacant commercial structure) in Little Egg Harbor Township.

Harrison is charged with two (2) counts of 2nd degree Aggravated Arson and two (2) counts of 3rd degree Burglary.  He is lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

The arrest stems from the investigation began just after midnight on Sunday (7/8), when the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department and surrounding fire departments were dispatched to 1021 Radio Road for a report of a house fire.

Upon their arrival, fire was observed emanating from the both the interior and exterior of the home.  After the fire was extinguished, an investigation into the fire was conducted by the Little Egg Harbor Police department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Unit and High Tech Crime Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CIU, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office and NJ State Fire Marshall K9 Unit.

The subsequent investigation by the partnering agencies determined the origin of the fire at 1021 Radio Road was within northeast corner of the structure along the floor.  The cause of the fire was incendiary by an open flame to available combustibles.

The investigation would also discover that there was an additional fire that same night that went undiscovered at 847 Radio Road, which was confined to the interior of the building and had extinguished itself without spreading further.      Both structures had been vacant for a time and all utilities had been disconnected.

Patrol response by Little Egg Harbor Patrols, Investigators’ examination of area video surveillance and on scene physical evidence forensics assisted investigators in identifying Harrison as allegedly being responsible for entering both structures and setting the fires.  On Saturday, July 14, 2018, as a part of the continuing investigation, Phillip Harrison came to Little Egg Harbor Police Department where he was subsequently charged with the above offenses.

SEASIDE HEIGHTS-Wind gusts up to 28 mph in Seaside blew umbrellas from their stands, in case, impaling a tourist visiting from London.

The 67 year old woman had her umbrella pole go through her right ankle. The incident happened at approximately 4:30 pm.

William Rumbolo, the Assistant Fire Chief in the borough utilized a bolt cutter to detach the umbrella from the pole.

The was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlTqbZRBTlr/?hl=en&taken-by=insert4coins

Acting to promote fairness and economic security for New Jersey workers, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today called on eight major fast food franchisors to provide information regarding their use of employee non-compete or “no poach” agreements that can restrict the ability of workers to obtain a better-paying job with another franchise.

In a letter sent today, Attorney General Grewal joined the Attorneys General for Massachusetts and other states in asking for documents and information from Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Little Caesars, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken and Panera Bread about their use of such provisions.

A July 2017 study that surveyed 156 franchise agreements found that 80 percent of fast food restaurants used no-poach provisions.

“In the fast food industry, no-poach agreements can limit a worker’s future job prospects and restrict his or her earning potential, which is not only unfair to the worker but can harm the state’s economy,” said Attorney General Grewal. “We promise our workers that if they work hard, they will qualify for new opportunities, earn higher wages and improve their quality of life. Through this letter, we’re trying to learn whether some of the biggest players in the fast food industry have contracts that undermine that promise.”

Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said, “Workers who live in a Democracy should be free to change jobs. Non-poaching agreements, which are becoming more common, can block workers from being considered for jobs that pay better, move them up the ladder, or are located closer to home – the traditional reasons people look for a new job. These agreements can exploit low-wage workers who are most in need of job protections.”

Today’s letter advises that New Jersey and the other participating states “have reason to believe” these fast food franchisors may be using no-poach agreements, and expresses concern about the “potentially harmful impacts” of imposing such requirements on workers.

Not only do such provisions restrict job mobility, the letter notes, but they also “deprive other franchisees of the opportunity to benefit from the skills of workers … that they otherwise wish to hire.”

“When taken in the aggregate and replicated across our states,” the letter asserts, “the economic consequences of these restrictions may be significant.”

Follow the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office online at Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flicker & YouTube. The social media links provided are for reference only. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office does not endorse any non-governmental websites, companies or applications.