Donna Summer (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

TMZ reports the singer died in Florida. She had not made her cancer public. Friends who had seen her in recent weeks say she “didn’t seem too bad.”

The 5-time Grammy winner had also been working on a new album.

Flickr User ASurroca

The Warren County lawmaker has launched an online petition in support of his measure to ban them in New Jersey. You can see it at http://www.senatenj.com/cameras.

The five-year pilot project was touted as a means of increasing road safety at notorious intersections, but reports of significant revenue spikes – and cost-effectiveness stipulations by a supplier – have led Doherty to the conclusion that the real purpose is money.

Brick Township data shows vast reduction in crash and pedestrian-accident levels at two Route 70 intersections in the heart of the town’s business area, along with an infusion of more than $1,000,000 from traffic tickets. A third is about to begin daily operation.

They’ve proliferated in cash-strapped Jersey City, where nine are now functioning.

“People really dislike the cameras, but aren’t sure what to do about it,” said Doherty in a statement.
“That’s why I launched our online petition to ensure that people can have their voices heard and be counted in their support of this legislation to prohibit red light cameras and automated ticketing systems.”

Doherty’s bill, S-1952, would bar the introduction of the cameras in any town that doesn’t already have them, and would stop municipal leaders from renewing purchase and maintenance contracts with vendors once they expire.

It also omits the 90-day window now used by police agencies to cite drivers for violations involving red-light cams and other remote traffic-control apparatus. Drivers who don’t live near the municipalities in which they’re cited have the choice of setting aside time to fight the ticket in municipal court, or paying the $85 fine. The violation does not add points to driving records.

The senator also views the devices as an incursion into civil liberties. “We shouldn’t accept a ‘Big Brother’ government that takes photos and videos of us and records our movements as we travel,” he said.

Flickr: Mark_fleming

Virgin Atlantic airlines is now offering passengers the opportunity to talk on cell phones during Trans-Atlantic flights.  The company says the pilot program tested well and consumers are viewing this as a “positive” step.  What do you think? If you travel a lot for business, do you think you’d pay $1.60 per minute to stay productive while in-flight?  If you’re flying somewhere to get away from work, how would you feel sitting next to someone who’s chatting on the phone?  I’d be in favor of cell phones on planes if there were some way to limit the calls to say…3 minutes.  Just enough time to call the babysitter about the thing you forgot to mention earlier, or call your ride to let them know of your new arrival time.  I’m afraid this new offering might open the floodgates and lead to lots of noisy conversations when we’re already sitting too close for comfort on planes anyway.  What do you think about the idea of in-flight phone calls?

Arnoldo Jimenez (L), Estrella Carrera (WLS TV)

More than 30 law enforcement agencies had joined federal agents in the multistate manhunt for Arnoldo Jimenez, who married Estrella Carrera on Friday night in Chicago and allegedly killed her hours later in her apartment in the Chicago suburb of Burbank.

Authorities began looking for Jimenez soon after Carrera’s family reported that she failed to pick up her two children Saturday. Police performing a well-being check found Carrera’s body in the bathtub.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

The products, basically used by every infant and toddler at some point, caused cuts, chipped teeth, bruises and other injuries.

Flickr User glenmcbethlaw

Carol Ann Giardelli, Director of Safe Kids New Jersey, said it’s not the products themselves that are dangerous; typically they pose danger when a child falls with an item in his/her mouth.

“My suggestion is parents should do everything to either prevent the fall or prevent the fall from being harmful,” Giardelli advised.

She said there’s no substitute for active supervision.

She continued, “If the child is going to be drinking, make sure they’re sitting down and not walking around or running around with a sippy cup in their mouth.”

Also, at the younger ages, a child should be strapped in to his/her seat at home or car seat when using a “ba-ba” or “binky.”

Giardelli said it has become a habit for children to walk around with their cups and bottles, just like an adult would roam the house with a cup of coffee.

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Drum Point School (Brick Public Schools)

Among the three teachers who would be out of a job at the end of the school year is Patrick Dowling, who was brought in by Hrycenko to replace retired Green Dragons football coach Warren Wolf three years ago…a move that was controversial and for the most part unpopular.

Dowling, a father of 6, was out as football coach after just two seasons but remained in the district as a Special Education teacher. What surprised me the most were comments from those who were very much against Dowling’s hiring as football coach. Despite that they were upset and even embarrassed about how he and the others were treated by a School Board they insist was delivering pay back for what happened in the past.

How this relates to the other two teachers and principal I’m not sure although one of the teachers was a former Dowling assistant. Brick residents are just as upset about the tenure decision regarding Drum Point School Principal Allison McConnell, who appears to have tons of support from parents…many of whom rallied on her behalf before school Wednesday morning. There is a school board meeting tonight and you can be sure this will be a hot topic, at least from the public. Since it is a personnel matter the Board does not have to say much or anything about why tenure was not granted but in this case it may behoove them to at least offer some insight.

Todd Frazier (Cincinnati Reds)

Todd Frazier will know he’s made it as a major league baseball player when every reference to him does not include something about his Little League exploits. The Toms River native has been struggling since getting regular playing time for the Cincinnati Reds because of an injury to 3rd baseman Scott Rolen. Frazier struck out his first two at-bats last night against the Mets before family and friends at Citifield which meant he was 2 for his last 17 with 9 strikeouts.

However the 26-year old made up for that with a solo homer in the 7th and then a 2-run blast in the 8th…the first two home run game of his brief career. It earned Frazier a souvenir from manager Dusty Baker, the lineup card from last night’s game. Frazier and the Reds play the Mets again today and then 3 games at Yankee Stadium over the weekend.

I’m trying my hardest to get into this “hot” work-out that I hear so much about!  Oh boy I have tried it and tried it and tried it but I always feel like I’m a beat off.  LOL..The WII Zumba is pretty fun when I do it with my daughter.  I really want to start taking classes somewhere!

So I guess I’m asking you, Do you love Zumba?  Where do go locally for Zumba class?

Chris Wildes (Facebook)

Reports say 72-year-old Ralph Luca allegedly bought two bottles of vodka for 15-year-old Chris Wildes and his friend.

PREVIOUS: Chris Wildes Dies In Stafford ATV Accident

Wildes was killed when he  lost control of the vehicle.  Police have not said if alcohol contributed to the crash.

Luca remains on $25,000 bail.

Fire at the Rohm and Haas plant chemical plant fire in Croydon, PA. (WTXF TV)

The odor that began early Wednesday has remained in the air as crews at the plant clean and removed materials transfer chemicals from storage tanks to tanker trucks creating  additional odors the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection tells the Courier Times of Bucks County.

The DEP says their test of the air has not detected any dangerous air exposure levels.

Calls into New Jersey 101.5 began this morning with reports of an odor in Trenton and in Hamilton.

Tweets to #NJ1015 report the odor in Freehold and Cranbury and north along the Route 1 corridor through Princeton Junction, Plainsboro, South Brunswick & East Brunswick and Woodbridge.

Where are you smelling the odor? Let us know via Twitter at #NJ1015

Winds this morning were light from the southeast bringing the smell across into the Garden State. Residents close to the plant in Pennsylvania say they did not smell the odors.

AN ODOR ON THE RIDE TO WORK

Michael  Chianese of Hamilton says he first noticed the chemical smell around 8 a.m. this morning.

“It’s like an acetone, like an acidy kind of smell,” Chianese says. He says he stopped at the 7-Eleven this morning in Hamilton and customers at the store were talking about it. At first, he wasn’t sure what the smell was. “I was smelling around my car, I’m smelling around my shirt.” Chianese says, “I’m in Trenton right now, it’s here, it’s in the air and I smell it.”

Manny DeLeon from Trenton is upset that Trenton and Mercer County officials  didn’t alert residents about the smell. He says, “What’s the use in having our alert system if they’re not going to warn us of things like this?”

DeLeon says the fumes had his wife coughing this morning and he’s worried about the possible health effects of the fumes. “I have to go to work, my eyes are burning, I’ve got a headache and it’s getting worse,” DeLeon says.

Lightning from overnight storms hit two storage tanks, starting the  fire which was out by 7AM. Fire fighthers from both Bucks County and New Jersey remain on scene putting out hot spots.

THE CHEMICALS CAUSING THE ODOR

Dow Chemical, which recently purchased the plant,  identified the burning chemicals in a press release issued around 6AM as ethyl acetate and butyl acetate . They’re used in making acrylic coating products, which go into paints.

“At approximately 3:35 a.m., the Rohm and Haas Bristol Plant experienced a lightning strike, which hit two storage tanks at its Bristol coatings plant. The holding tanks contain two different materials, ethyl acrylate and butyl acrylate.  Onsite emergency response along with area fire companies have responded to safely put out the fire and bring the material under control. Material that escaped the tanks is contained in surround dikes with no anticipated impact to the community.”

Dow advised that “Any individual that feels adverse health effects as a result of exposure should promptly seek medical attention. Odors may persist while the material is removed.”

The community was advised by the Bristol Township Emergency Management to move indoors if the smell is bothersome and to close windows & doors. The Bucks County Office of Emergency Management issued a statement that hazardous materials crews and emergency personnel had been recalled from the scene by 12noon.

Officials said the air should continue to clear as the day progresses, and residents — who had been advised to stay inside with the doors and windows closed — were being told they could resume normal outdoor activities. Complaints about the smell, however, continued into the afternoon on Twitter and Facebook.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that area emergency rooms were not reporting any spike in people seeking treatment related to breathing or other issues.

A community hotline has been established to provide site updates at 215-781-4600. As a precaution, non-essential employees have been released from the site for the day.

Dave Wintz (Bristol Fire Dept.)

As a precaution, school officials in Bristol cancelled classes for the day whiile the US Postal Service cancelled mail delivery.

Officials at the Bristol Fire Department confirmed to WTXF TV that a member of their fire police died after suffering a heart attack. Dave Wintz was taken from the scene to Aria-Torresdale Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Lightning Sparks Chemical Plant Fire In Croydon: MyFoxPHILLY.com

TRACKING THE SMELL

Tweet your report to #NJ1015

View Tracking the Chemical Smell Over New Jersey in a larger map
Leanne Vuksanic and the Associated Press contributed to this story.

Joint Base (Dan Alexander, Townsquare Media NJ)

Military units from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are scheduled to conduct artillery-fire and demolitions training at the joint base.  Residents may experience some ground shaking as well from now until Sunday.

Chadwick Beach (Chadwickbeach.org)

Samples have been sent to a lab in Illinois to see what it is.  New Jersey American water says they won’t have an answer until the results come back but early tests show it’s safe to drink.

Lakewood High School (TheLakewoodScoop.com)

The Asbury Park Press reports Albert Gilson has been relieved of his duties after telling the Board Of Ed that only 120 of the 248 seniors passed the high school proficiency test to be able to graduate. The board isn’t citing a reason as to why they fired him. No replacement has been named yet.

Atlantic City is trying to bill itself as more than just a gambling town, and a new 123 million dollar water park resort could be added to its roster of family fun.Mayor Lorenzo Langford was joined by officials from TWS Enterprises LTD , a national real estate development company based out of Philadelphia, on Wednesday to announce the plans of a year round indoor/outdoor water park and hotel called The Diving Horse Resort.

Tim Behr, project coordinator, says this would be a destination tourist attraction on families. Focusing on the many generations who come and enjoy Atlantic City.

“What we said to the mayor is think about this. Grandparents are going to come in, kids are going to want to go to the pool. They’re going to switch off with the parents and the grandparents. And then what can they do, they can enjoy the gaming, shopping, and restaurants of Atlantic City.”

The Diving Horse would be located on a 7 parcel in the Marina district on Huron avenue adjacent to Harrah’s. Thomas Sherwood owner of TWS Enterprises also owns the Diving Horse Burlesque Club on MLK Blvd, owns the property. He said this location would be completely different from the other local properties owned by him, instead focusing on a family focused experience.

Sherwood said he originally wanted to use the land to build a casino, however decided in favor of a water park after seeing the potential it presented.

The location is outside of the Tourism District, meaning it is out of the purvey of the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, and instead in the hands of the city. Mayor Langford wanted everyone to know that his office is fully behind the project and will work with developers any way they can.

“We’ll move as expeditiously as we possibly can, making sure to cross all the “t’s” and dot all the “I’s” to move this project forward.”

The project is still in its earliest stages, still needing to be brought up in front of zoning and planning boards.

Additionally officials from TWS said once completed, Diving Horse would bring over 400 jobs to the area, the majority of which Mayor Langford believes will go to local residents.

The 40 thousand square foot facility will be constructed in the shape of a large sail boat, with the “sail” hosting 180 hotel room. There would be two sections of water park, indoor and outdoor, with a retractable roof used to have the indoor facility open during summer and spring time as well.

Construction is expected to begin by next year with construction being finished by spring of 2014.

Paul Bereswill, Getty Images

Clarkson built off the momentum created by Ryan Carter’s goal late in the second period that tied the game, 2-2. Ilya Kovalchuk had given the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first. Defenseman Bryce Salvador added two assists, and Martin Brodeur stopped 23 saves for the win.

SHOW US YOUR COLORS: Send us pictures of who you’re rooting for in the Devils/Rangers series

Marc Staal and Chris Kreider scored in the second for the Rangers, who lost their third straight Game 2 after winning the series opener. Top-seeded New York, which had 24 saves by Henrik Lundqvist, hasn’t had a two-game lead at any point in these playoffs.

Game 3 will be Saturday in New Jersey.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Scott Olson, Getty Images

In fact, the number of people selling their homes for less than what they owe is going up. “In New Jersey, anywhere from six to eight of every ten sales are distressed properties, or properties that are upside down in value,” said Amber Noble-Garland, New Jersey Real Estate Agent and Distressed Property Expert.

While short sales can be a problem, they are also part of the solution. “If houses just sit on the market and don’t sell because they aren’t priced in accordance with where the true market value is, that leads to a bigger problem,” said Noble-Garland. “To potential buyers, the homes look undesirable and sellers are constantly forced to drop the prices. That further presents a problem in terms of market value.”

“By selling your home through a short sale, you remove a surplus of inventory that’s just sitting on the market. That way, new inventory can be brought in and it may not be as distressed,” said Noble-Garland. “People who don’t have negative equity in their homes can then sell them at prices and values that are a bit higher and that could help to correct the problem. If none of the inventory is moving and everyone is at a stalemate, there’s a bigger problem being created.”

“If we can create a greater level of interest from buyers, then we can get rid of old inventory, move in new inventory and create better supply and demand, thus bringing the home values up,” she said.

Banks also are showing signs of being more open and willing to approve the deals even if it means accepting less money. Typically, banks get about 20 percent less for a foreclosed home. Foreclosure can take years to unload, during which other expenses grow. One of the biggest problems with short sales has been the time it takes to get the deals approved. But, new rules are going into effect June 1 that will require lenders to make a decision about short sale requests within 60 days.

10th District Republican Legislators Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin have introduced a bill that would provide a $1,000 income tax credit to commuters who’s E-ZPass expenses exceed $1,000 a year. Assemblyman McGuckin says “If you’re a commuter and your paying these huge tolls, including the last toll increases, you should receive some kind of a credit for that because a portion of those tolls are being used elsewhere in the state to fix other roads and other transportation issues.”

McGuckin says according to the statistics he’s obtained “two of the largest E-ZPass customer’s base is from the Toms River Brick Zip codes. So, it’s designed to help the commuter who has these cost day in and day out, which have been doubled essentially.

The Assemblyman says it’s also meant to counteract Senate President Steve Sweeney’s property tax credit proposal which he says gives less money to homeowners who pay under $10,000 a year in property taxes … something that’s pretty common in the shore area.

McGuckin says shore residents have always paid their fair share because they’ve always had to pay more in tolls because of their longer commute.

NJ Senator Chris Connors (R-9) (Facebook)

Senator Chris Connors says a recent meeting held with officials in the New Jersey Turnpike Authority along with officials in state, county and local governments was productive. Connors says they were advised that the Authority’s Engineers will conduct and expedited review of the commuter lot proposal so that future deliberatons will focus more on specific aspects of the project.

Angel In Anguish 9/11 memorial in Brick (Brick Township)

The Township of Brick will be presented with a piece of steel from the World Trade Center at a special ceremony at Windward Beach Park at 10:30 a.m.  The artifact will be presented by Bill Baroni, Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Mayor Steve Acropolis, who’s lobbied for a while to get a piece of steel in town for a while says “we are grateful to have been chosen to receive a part of the World Trade Center.  Brick Township was greatly affected by the terrorist attacks.”

In addition, Acropolis says “many of our police officer and first aid emergency responders helped at the site in the weeks and months following the attack.  This artifact will help make sure that our community will never forget.”

The 118-pound piece of steel measures 41″ L x 21″ W x 14″ H.  The Township plans on placing the artifact on permanent display near the Angel in Anguish Monument to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at Windward Beach Park.

The Angel in Anguish at Windward Beach is Brick Township’s everlasting monument to the memory of the Brick Township citizens lost in the attacks.  The monument was installed in 2002 for the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks.  A new bronze monument was created to replace the original monument and was rededicated in 2010.

The monument bears the name of the eight residents of Brick Township who were killed: John Badagliacca, Brett Bailey, Robert Devitt, Michael Diehl, John Perconti, James Sands, Thomas Sgroi and Christopher Traina.

flickr, spSos.de

Do you sleepwalk ?

Nearly one in three Americans may experience an episode of sleepwalking in their lives, according to a new study out of Stanford University. The study also found that 3.6% of people sleepwalk regularly – much higher than the .04% of people in the population who suffer from narcolepsy. The researchers defined regularly sleepwalking as more than two episodes per month. People who suffered from mental disorders such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were especially prone to sleepwalking. People with depression were 3.5 times more likely to sleepwalk, while people with OCD were four times more likely. Another sleep problem, sleep apnea, was also highly associated with sleepwalking – enough so that researchers recommended if one condition is present, a person’s physician should check for the other. While sleepwalking was more prevalent than younger age groups than older ones, there was no difference in the likelihood of sleepwalking between the genders.  Additionally, pregnancy did not seem to be a risk factor.

I have never had an episode of sleepwalking, have you ?

Has someone in your Family ever ?

It’s very frustrating when you don’t get a good nights rest, so tell us your sleep tales …….

Governor's Office/Tim Larsen

“Will you share your ideas with President Obama” asked Domenic, a boy from East Hanover.

Christie said he has spoken with the President many times and while they disagree more than they agree, “He is the President…and we only have one at a time…so he definitely gets my respect.”

The governor said he mentions policies during speeches and hopes Obama is listening.

“We talked a lot during his visit to New Jersey after Hurricane Irene and we shared a lot of ideas back and forth..and this goes back to working together in a bipartisan way….you have to be able to passionately argue your position and then come together to fix the problem.”

Another woman asked Christie his favorite question, which he recently joked in a video that he’s tired of answering.

“Will you ever run for President…because we need you” asked Nancy from Hopewell.

Christie was coy with his response.

“You never know where life is going to bring you…so I’m not going to say yes, but I won’t say no either…all I know is that I’ll try and make the best decisions I can when opportunities and challenges present themselves to me.”

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