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Deloatch Advocates Angry, Christie Veto, Atlantic City Shooting in Top NJ News

A weekly look at news in New Jersey

An advocate for Barry Deloatch said Friday morning that he plans on filing for federal intervention in New Brunswick. Salaam Ismail, director of the National United Youth Council said he believes U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder should investigate the outcome of a grand jury's decision not to file criminal charges involved in the fatal shooting of Deloatch on Sept. 22, 2011.    

After months of mulling his options, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed state legislation Thursday that would have established a health insurance exchange in New Jersey, a fundamental step in implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—known colloquially as "Obamacare"—in the state. Christie had until Thursday to make a decision on Assembly bill 2171, passed by the legislature in March, or the bill would have become law, with or without his signature.

Woman Found In River With Gunshot Wound to Head

The body of a 37-year old New Milford woman was found by a close relative Tuesday morning with a fatal gunshot wound to the head in the Hackensack River, police said. The death was ruled a suicide

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An Atlantic City man died after suffering several gunshot wounds Thursday morning Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel said. Atlantic City Police discovered Joshua Hopewell, 26, shot multiple times in the head and torso, and was later transported to AtlanticCare Regional Medical Center-City Campus  where he died after being taken off life-support.

Franklin Lakes Broker Admits Tax, Election Fraud

Franklin Lakes insurance broker Joseph Bigica has admitted that he failed to pay more than $2 million in personal income taxes and made almost $100,000 in illegal contributions to a an unnamed federal entity, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced this week.

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State Exam Asks 3rd Graders to Write Essay on Secret They Had Kept

Richard Goldberg, the father of 8-year-old twin boys, was dismayed to learn his third-grade sons were asked to write an essay about a secret they had and why it was hard to keep. The question, which Goldberg called "entirely inappropriate" was on the standardized tests given to public school students in the third through eighth grade every spring. [NJ.com]

Peddie School's top administrator, who has developed the school over the past 11 years, will retire next year. Head of School John Green, 54, delivered the news to the student body during a regularly scheduled all-school chapel meeting Friday morning, and a letter was emailed to parents and alumni.

Summer Tourism Could Be Good at Shore in 2012

Declining gasoline prices and very modest improvements in employment and consumer confidence could make 2012 a very good summer for the Shore’s tourism business, after a promising 2011 season that was cut short by Hurricane Irene, experts said at a panel discussion hosted by Richard Stockton College. But the southern Shore can no longer rely on the Atlantic City casinos to drive growth, and continued diversification in entertainment, dining and retail are key to keeping the region healthy as a favored travel destination, they stressed during the session at the college’s Carnegie Center. [Asbury Park Press]

Climbing Income Ladder Easier in New Jersey Than Texas, Pew Says

A week after the Occupy Wall Street movement protested economic inequality in May Day rallies across the U.S., a study found that the ability to become rich may depend on where you live. Residents of three East Coast states—Maryland, New Jersey and New York—were the most likely to move up the earnings ladder from the bottom and the least likely to fall from the top, according to a study released today by Pew Charitable Trusts, a nonpartisan research organization based in Washington. [Bloomberg]

Matthew DeLorenzo and Josiah Vega, both 14 years old and students at Elysian Charter School, were honored Friday morning by C-SPAN and received $1,500 as well as an iPod Touch after winning a nationwide video contest. The two students won the prize after submitting a video to a national contest, with a documentary about their take on the death penalty.

With only 54 days left until the New Jersey state budget is passed, Gov. Chris Christie suggested education reform as a way to decrease taxes, in a town hall meeting in Freehold. Hundreds of New Jersey residents gathered at the Freehold National Guard Armory for a town hall meeting where Christie discussed his plan to decrease the state budget.

Five years of cooperation between Ocean County and the Navy have led to the preservation of more than 2,000 acres of open space around the Joint Base—McGuire, Dix, Lakehurst. And the Ocean County Freeholders says an extension of that agreement, and its expansion to include the Air Force, will not only help to continue those preservation efforts, but will also help with a larger goal: protecting the future existence of the base.

A dry dog food recall is in effect following an outbreak of Salmonella infections reportedly linked to products made by Diamond Pet Foods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 people—including one from New Jersey—have contracted Salmonella that was linked to exposure to the dry food, at least five of whom required hospitalization.


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