ICYMI: Shore spot was destroyed by boardwalk fire. Here’s what will take its place

The southern end of Seaside Heights’ boardwalk — engulfed in a 2013 fire that also devastated neighboring Seaside Park — will be redeveloped in phases as a pool complex with a modern pavilion and cabanas available for daily and summer rentals, with an outdoor bar scheduled to open this Memorial Day, borough and project officials said.…

N.J. nor’easter: Where to find free water, electronics charging, and warmth

If you feel live a caveman stuck in the Stone Age, you’re not alone. More than 240,000 Jersey homes and businesses are waiting for utility crews to restore their power after a week of dueling nor’easters packed with heavy snow, rain and wind. And while JCP&L employees have worked 16 hour shifts and restored power to…

Authorities identify middle school teacher accused of touching students

The Jersey City middle school teacher arrested yesterday and accused of numerous sex crimes has been identified as a 42-year-old Bayonne man. Sean Lora, a teacher at School 7 in the Jersey City Heights, is accused touching a student in a classroom on Tuesday, according to a statement from Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez. Detectives investigating…

‘Sopranos’ prequel movie ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ in the works

If you did not stop believing, here, at long last, is your reward. A long-rumored “Sopranos” prequel has been given the green light, Deadline reports. “The Many Saints of Newark,” a screenplay from “Sopranos” creator David Chase, has been picked up by New Line Cinema, the report says. The story is reportedly set in 1960s Newark,…

Lucky teacher survives lightning strike during ‘thundersnow’

An eighth-grade Manchester Middle School teacher was struck by lightning during a winter storm as she helped prepare for dismissal at the school Wednesday, authorities said. The 33-year-old teacher reported tingling to her hand and arm after the strike around 2:30 p.m., according to police Capt. Todd Malland. She was alert and conscious, and taken to…

Lightning burns down house, offices as wild storm sacks N.J.

Fire crews on Wednesday battled a fast-spreading blaze at a Lakewood building, at least the second major fire that came as a powerful winter storm brought snow and lighting to the region. The blaze at the Cross Street small business complex, near Damiano Way, continued to burn around 4:30 p.m., about two hours after authorities received…

Back-to-back nor’easters stoke erosion fears at Jersey Shore

A nor’easter predicted to hit just days after a similar storm brought high winds and coastal flooding could spell erosion trouble for New Jersey beaches. While Friday’s nor’easter resulted in mostly minor flooding and damage to the coast, it’s the rare combination of two storms separated by mere days that has experts and authorities on alert.…

SMART Carpet and Flooring Goes Green for St. Patrick’s Day

NEW MONMOUTH, N.J., March 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, SMART Carpet and Flooring is going green–but their goal isn’t to avoid being pinched. Instead, the SMART Carpet and Flooring team is showcasing two of their top choices for more earth-friendly flooring. “Here at SMART Carpet and Flooring, we have a lot…

N.J. just took another step closer to ending PARCC testing

As New Jersey students sit to take the controversial PARCC exams this spring, state officials will be searching for a new set of standardized tests to replace them. Following Gov. Phil Murphy’s campaign promise to end PARCC testing, the state Department of Education will soon form a testing advisory committee to explore new exams and ask…

No Consensus on Cannabis Emerges from Marathon Assembly Hearing

A five-hour state Assembly hearing with dozens of experts for and against the legalization of marijuana resulted in little consensus Monday, with advocates pointing to social justice, state revenues for school construction and other projects, and efforts to mitigate drug cartels and black-market sales, while those against say rosy predictions have not panned out elsewhere. The…

Dem operative axed from Jersey City prisoner re-entry program

JERSEY CITY — Eugene McKnight, the Democratic political operative hired four years ago to work for Jim McGreevey’s prisoner re-entry program, has been fired after program officials learned he was taking monthly cash payments from ex-offenders he helped find jobs for, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. McKnight’s termination would be the second time…

You’ve been smacked with $1B in surprise medical bills, Jersey. Now lawmakers are acting.

An Assembly panel approved legislation Monday its supporters said would protect patients from getting socked with bills from out-of-network doctors and hospitals — a $1 billion problem lawmakers have failed to settle for nearly a decade. The legislation would protect thousands of New Jerseyans covered by state-regulated health plans from “balance-billing,” or paying what an insurance…

Terror-inspired killer admits gunning down Brendan Tevlin, 3 others

The man accused of killing Livingston native Brendan Tevlin three years ago in a terror-inspired slaying abruptly pleaded guilty during jury selection Tuesday to fatally shooting the Seton Hall Prepatory School graduate at a traffic light in West Orange. During the same hearing, Ali Muhammad Brown, 34, of Seattle, Washington, admitted killing three other men in…

As Trump ends Obamacare individual mandate, N.J.’s stepping in to reinstate it

A state Senate panel Monday backed legislation that requires New Jerseyans to buy insurance or pay a fee — a mandate the Trump administration will end in 2019. The move is a step toward protecting the health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The federal landmark health care law requires…