Lakewood, NJ
Weather
Tornados Leave Thousands Of NJ Residents Without Power For Days Tornados Leave Thousands Of NJ Residents Without Power For Days
Tornados Leave Thousands Of NJ Residents Without Power For Days Thousands of New Jersey residents remained without power on Monday, April 3, more than a day after the tornados that barreled through the region. According to JCP&L, 2,401 Ocean County residents were in the dark as of 10:50 a.m., most of them being in Jackson — where a tornado was confirmed by the National Weather Service. Howell and Sea Girt also saw twisters, although only 137 residents were without power in Howell, according to JCP&L. Restoration times were 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. As of 8 AM Monday, here is a summary of where we currently stand with storm dama…

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by Cecilia Levine
Hamilton Township, NJ
News
Motel Smoke Alarm Leads To Crack Cocaine Arrest In Mercer County Motel Smoke Alarm Leads To Crack Cocaine Arrest In Mercer County
Motel Smoke Alarm Leads To Crack Cocaine Arrest In Mercer County The activation of a smoke alarm led to the arrest of a motel guest on drug charges, authorities said. At about 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, East Windsor police responded to Motel 6 on Route 33 due to the alarm. An investigation revealed that a motel patron was smoking and activated the alarm., East Windsor police said. Danielle Piscak, 34, of Howell was charged with possession of crack cocaine, possession of a weapon and of drug paraphernalia, police said. The woman allegedly provided the officer with false information regarding her identity and was found to have an outstanding warrant …

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by Jon Craig
Edison, NJ
News
Police ID Driver, 69, Killed In South Brunswick Crash Police ID Driver, 69, Killed In South Brunswick Crash
Police ID Driver, 69, Killed In South Brunswick Crash South Brunswick police have released the name of the man killed in a crash Monday, Feb. 27. John Kosarowich, 69, of Howell died, police said, and may have suffered a medical episode before the crash. On Monday at 7:05 p.m., South Brunswick police were alerted to a car under a trailer at the rear of a warehouse on Chris Court. Police found a red 1999 Volkswagen Beetle with a driver unconscious.  Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad, Monmouth Junction Fire Department, and paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced the driver dead. South Brunswick Police Traffic Safety Bureau invest…

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by Jon Craig
Middletown, NJ
Police & Fire
Crash With Injuries Closes I-195 On Jersey Shore Crash With Injuries Closes I-195 On Jersey Shore
Crash With Injuries Closes I-195 On Jersey Shore A multi-vehicle crash with injuries closed Interstate 195 in both directions during the evening rush, New Jersey transportation officials said. Multiple emergency personnel were on the scene at about 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16. The crash occurred at about 4:20 p.m. east of Exit 28 near Route 9 in Howell, closing all lanes of the highway. There was an unconfirmed report that a motorist was trapped and then taken to the hospital. New Jersey State Police were not immediately available for more details.  CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES

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by Jon Craig
Middletown, NJ
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man, 94, Killed In Garden State Parkway Toll Plaza Crash Jersey Shore Man, 94, Killed In Garden State Parkway Toll Plaza Crash
Jersey Shore Man, 94, Killed In Garden State Parkway Toll Plaza Crash A 94-year-old man from Howell was killed when he drove into a concrete toll plaza along the Garden State Parkway, authorities said. The crash occurred at 3:13 p.m., Thursday, Feb 2 on the parkway southbound at milepost 68.9 in Barnegat Township, according to New Jersey State Police. Preliminary investigation revealed that Mario Medici was operating a Honda Accord and smashed into the concrete toll plaza divider, State Police said. As a result of the crash, Medici sustained fatal injuries. The two left toll plaza lanes were closed for approximately three hours.  The crash remains und…

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by Jon Craig
Middletown, NJ
News
WINNERS: Lucky NJ Powerball Lottery Players Take Home $50K WINNERS: Lucky NJ Powerball Lottery Players Take Home $50K
Winners: Lucky NJ Powerball Lottery Players Take Home $50K Two New Jersey Lottery tickets matched four of the five white balls and the Power Ball for the Wednesday, Jan. 25, drawing winning the $50,000 second-tier prize.  Those tickets were sold at the following locations: Monmouth County: Quick Chek #151, 4253 US Highway 9, Howell; and Passaic County: Jackpocket, 355 Warwick Turnpike, Hewitt. The winning numbers for the Wednesday, Jan. 25, drawing were: 09, 17, 20, 38, and 40. The Red Power Ball number was 18. The Power Play was 2X.  The Powerball jackpot rolls to $572 million for the next drawing to be held Saturday, Jan. 28, at 10:…

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by Jon Craig
Middletown, NJ
News
NJ Powerball Winner Takes Home $50K At Lucky Convenience Store NJ Powerball Winner Takes Home $50K At Lucky Convenience Store
NJ Powerball Winner Takes Home $50K At Lucky Convenience Store One New Jersey Lottery ticket matched four of the five white balls and the Power Ball drawn on Monday, Jan. 23. The second-tier prize was worth $50,000. That winning ticket was sold at Lucky Convenience, 2940 U.S. 9, Howell in Monmouth County. The winning numbers for the Monday, Jan. 23, drawing were: 12, 31, 47, 58, and 60. The Red Power Ball number was 23. The Power Play was 3X.  The Powerball jackpot rolls to $526 million for the next drawing to be held Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 10:59 pm. The Double Play drawing results for the Monday, Jan. 23, drawing were: 06, 15, 31, 45 and 58. T…

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by Jon Craig
Massapequa, NY
Politics
Scandal Escalates: Navy Vet’s Sick Dog Died After Santos Stole Charity Money, Report Says Scandal Escalates: Navy Vet’s Sick Dog Died After Santos Stole Charity Money, Report Says
Scandal Escalates: Navy Vet’s Sick Dog Died After Santos Stole Charity Money, Report Says This story has been updated to include a response from Rep. Santos.  The unraveling saga of embattled New York Rep. George Santos appears to have escalated beyond mere resume “embellishments” and possible campaign finance violations to the alleged cruel and heartless betrayal of a disabled military veteran. Richard Osthoff, a US Navy veteran from Howell, New Jersey, told Patch that he was put in touch with Santos in May 2016 to help raise money for his 10-year-old service pit bull, Sapphire, who had developed a life-threatening stomach tumor the year before. Earlier Report: Embattled NY …

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by Michael Mashburn
Jersey City, NJ
News
Disabled NJ Military Vet: George Santos Set Up Then Stole Donations For My Dying Service Dog Disabled NJ Military Vet: George Santos Set Up Then Stole Donations For My Dying Service Dog
Disabled NJ Military Vet: George Santos Set Up Then Stole Donations For My Dying Service Dog Disgraced Congressman George Santos pocketed thousands of dollars of donations intended to save the life of a disabled New Jersey military veteran’s dying service dog, a published report alleges. Richard Osthoff told Patch.com that he and his beloved Sapphire were living in an abandoned chicken coop on the side of Route 9 in Howell when a veterinary technician hooked him up with a man named Anthony Devolder in May 2016. George Anthony Devolder Santos purportedly was operating a tax-exempt charity called Friends Of Pets United at the time and hadn’t entered politics yet. Osthoff said he wa…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Middletown, NJ
Police & Fire
Man Shoots At Rideshare Driver After Kids Accidentally Set Off Car Alarm In Howell: Prosecutor Man Shoots At Rideshare Driver After Kids Accidentally Set Off Car Alarm In Howell: Prosecutor
Man Shoots At Rideshare Driver After Kids Accidentally Set Off Car Alarm In Howell: Prosecutor The 44-year-old man began shooting at a rideshare driver who had arrived to pick up his girlfriend's son's friends after they accidentally triggered his car alarm in Howell, authorities said. The juveniles were sitting in Pietro Ventricelli's car in his girlfriend's Carrie Drive home, waiting for their rideshare driver around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said. When the vehicle pulled up, the juveniles got out of Ventricelli's car, tripping the alarm, Santiago said. That's when Ventricelli came running outsdie with a handgun a…

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by Cecilia Levine
Middletown, NJ
News
Feds: Jersey Shore Dealer Convicted Of Selling Cocaine, Crack In Monmouth, Ocean Counties Feds: Jersey Shore Dealer Convicted Of Selling Cocaine, Crack In Monmouth, Ocean Counties
Feds: Jersey Shore Dealer Convicted Of Selling Cocaine, Crack In Monmouth, Ocean Counties An ex-con was convicted in federal court of selling cocaine and crack along the Jersey Shore, authorities said. Damion “Checks” Helmes, 42, of Cliffwood was the last of 20 defendants convicted of peddling the drug throughout Monmouth County and into Ocean County. Jurors in U.S. District Court in Trenton found Helmes guilty of various drug-dealing charges while acquitting him of two gun offenses following a two-week trial. Helmes had already done time following a drug and gun bust in Keansburg in 2004, records show. Initially busted by the locals, Helmes was charged federally by the FBI’s …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Middletown, NJ
News
WINNER: $10K Mega Millions Lottery Ticket Sold At Jersey Shore ShopRite WINNER: $10K Mega Millions Lottery Ticket Sold At Jersey Shore ShopRite
Winner: $10K Mega Millions Lottery Ticket Sold At Jersey Shore ShopRite One Mega Millions lottery player took home $10,000 on the Jersey Shore. One California and one Florida ticket matched all five of the five white balls and the Gold Mega Ball drawn splitting the $494 million Mega Millions jackpot.  There was one third-tier prizewinning ticket sold for the Friday, Oct. 14, drawing that matched four of the five white balls and the Gold Mega Ball drawn winning the $10,000 prize.  That ticket was sold at Shoprite #631, 4594 Route 9 South, Howell in Monmouth County. The winning numbers for the Friday, Oct. 14, drawing were: 09, 22, 26, 41, and 44. The…

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by Jon Craig