Community News

A new legal weed plan allows for hundreds of dispensaries across N.J.

A state lawmaker has unveiled a plan to legalize marijuana that would permit hundreds of dispensaries across New Jersey and would allow people to grow a small number of plants at home. Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, quietly introduced the bill last week after months of speculation about when it would drop and what it would contain.…

OOPS! Seaside, CA Teacher Accidentally Fires Gun While Teaching Students About Firearm Safety

A Seaside High School teacher, who also served as a reserve police officer and a city councilman in Seaside, California, accidentally fired a gun inside the classroom, injuring three students Tuesday. The incident occurred at 1:20 p.m. local time (4:20 p.m. EDT) when Dennis Alexander was conducting Administration of Justice class and teaching the students about…

What the National School Walkout says about schools and free speech

By Clay Calvert, Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication, University of Florida. Students from South Plantation High School, carrying placards, protest in support of gun control. Carlos Garcia/Reuters Thousands of high school students across the nation today are expected to leave their classes precisely at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes. The walkout serves two purposes: to…

N.J. now has 100 breweries. This map shows you where they are

Rejoice, New Jersey beer lovers — the Garden State brewery list has eclipsed the century mark. The breweries that pushed the list to over 100 were 13th Child Brewing and Cross Keys Brewing in Williamstown along with Brinx Jones in Vineland. According to the post, Raritan Bay Brewing Co. in Keansburg and Heavy Reel Brewing Co.…

Can a friend’s tragic death help pass domestic violence law?

Eileen McCay is hoping change will come from tragedy. Her close friend Colleen Brownell and Brownell’s stepsister, Alysia McCloskey, deserve it, she says. The two were at McCloskey’s home in Collingswood on Dec. 30 when they were stabbed to death, prosecutors say. Brownell’s ex-fiance Mark Lyczak, 45, of Burlington City, is charged with their murders and…

Ocean County continues St. Patricks’s Day Jersey Shore tradition

Under mostly sunny skies, Ocean County held its annual St. Patricks Day Parade in Seaside Heights Saturday. “It’s a good family event. Everybody seems to come out and have a good time,” said Seaside Park resident Ron Lang, 60, who’s been attending the parade for the past three years. “With it being a hometown parade, we…

Ocean County Sheriff’s officer injured in single-car crash

An Ocean County Sheriff’s officer was injured Saturday night when he swerved out of the way of another vehicle on a state highway in Tom’s River, the Sheriff’s department said Sunday. The officer, who hasn’t been named, was traveling on Route 37 near Mule Road in his marked Ford Explorer around 10 p.m. The officer swerved…

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.…

‘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,…

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…

Why are we so sleep deprived, and why does it matter?

By Michael S. Jaffee, Vice chair, Department of Neurology, University of Florida. As many as 70 million Americans may not be getting enough sleep. Men get fewer hours of sleep than women. Akos Nagy/Shutterstock.com As we prepare to “spring forward” for daylight saving time on March 11, many of us dread the loss of the hour’s…

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.…

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…

Weekend Winter Storm Cuts Power to 131,000 Homes in New Jersey

Additional Linemen, Hazard Assessors and Support Personnel from FirstEnergy Utilities and Electrical Contractors Traveling to New Jersey to Assist MORRISTOWN, N.J., March 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Service has been restored to more than 131,000 Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) customers who lost power following the massive winter storm that pounded the entire Mid-Atlantic and New…