New storm-protecting berm lasts just one storm

HOLGATE — It took only a couple days of storms to wash away week’s worth of work to build a protective berm on Long Beach Island where successive storms have taken their toll on many beaches this winter, officials said on Wednesday. In what literally has been a situation of shoveling sand against the tide, Long…

Solar panels catch fire on roof of East Brunswick mall

EAST BRUNSWICK — Firefighters from the East Brunswick Independent Fire Co. and the East Brunswick Fire District 1 were dispatched to the Brunswick Square Mall off Route 18 at about 10:15 a.m. Thursday morning. The blaze, which began on an array of solar panels on the roof of Macy’s, was extinguished about an hour later. Nobody…

Proposal Tying Graduation to PARCC Exams Met with Skepticism, Hesitancy

Dorothy Strickland, a member of the state Board of Education and professor emeritus at Rutgers University, listens to testimony. What should New Jersey’s high school graduates be required to know and be able to do? Yesterday, close to 50 people testified before the State Board of Education about a Christie administration proposal to require passing grades…

"The Train I was Supposed to Take Blew Up"

Shyam Patel (right), a recent graduate of Montclair State University, tells his girlfriend, Amina Abdelrahman (left), a story about the summer vacation he will never be able to forget. It was July 11, 2006. That was the day that my family and I were leaving India, after a spending the summer visiting relatives. We planned on…

Meet N.J.'s new 'American Idol' contender Gianna Isabella

JACKSON — For years, “American Idol” has chronicled its contestants by splitting their lives in two, juxtaposing the singers’ polished, pop-star performances with humanizing, “this could be you’ backstories. A typical “Idol” tale goes like this: “John rocks the night away as his bar-band’s gritty frontman — when he’s not busy as a construction worker and…

Sweets for Your Sweetie

It’s true. You can’t go wrong with chocolate. Or caramels. Or truffles. Or baked goods. Gear up for Valentine’s Day with confections from a tried-and-true chocolate shop. Here are a few worth noting! Add your favorites to the comments! Flemington: The Fudge Shoppe 461 US Highway 202 Flemington 908-782-7123 Hoboken and Jersey City: Choc O Pain…

POLICE: Teen Struck by Driver on Cell Phone in Brick

Driver distracted by cell phone hits teen on sidewalk, cops say

BRICK — A teenager was hospitalized Tuesday after she was hit by a car while walking on the sidewalk, police said. The pedestrian, a 16-year-old girl, was walking near the intersection of Sally Ike and Lanes Mill roads at 12:43 p.m. when a vehicle drove up onto the curb and struck her, Brick police Sgt. Neal…

Victim critical following Neptune Twp. shooting

NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP — A person identified only as a male was shot and critically wounded Monday night, police said. The shooting occurred in the 1300 block of 7th Ave.around 8 p.m. The victim was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with a single gunshot wound. An hour later and several blocks away, shell casings from…

Obama signs International Megan's Law

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday signed legislation named for a Hamilton girl that’s designed to alert foreign governments when registered sex offenders travel abroad. The International Megan’s Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and cleared by…