Monday Briefs From WOBM News

News from Ocean & Monmouth Counties and around New Jersey.

TRENTON (AP) -- Commuters are urged to slow down as dense fog blankets parts of New Jersey. A dense fog advisory is in effect until 9 a.m. Monday for Morris, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Cumberland, Atlantic and Cape May counties. Forecasters say the fog could reduce visibility to a quarter mile or less. Drivers are asked to leave plenty of distance to stop.

DALLAS (AP) -- The New York Mets are losing the only batting champion in team history. A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press the Miami Marlins and shortstop Jose Reyes have agreed to a six-year, $106-million contract. The package includes a seventh-year option that would make it worth $120 million. Reyes led the National League with a .337 average last season, when he also paced the circuit in triples for the fourth time in seven seasons. He's a lifetime .292 hitter with 370 stolen bases in 1,050 big league games.

LACEY - The Lacey Municpal Utilities Authority schedules a hearing for its proposed rate increase this Wednesday in its headquarters on Route 9. Ratepayers can address the LMUA during the meeting that starts at 7PM.

STAFFORD – Stafford Township Police will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the annual holiday season ‘Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over’ statewide campaign. Beginning Monday and running through January 2 local and state officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated. Last year in New Jersey, 168 people were killed as a result of alcohol related crashes. That number represents 30 percent of the 556 traffic fatalities reported in the state in 2010.

TOMS RIVER – A Beachwood man already doing time in the Ocean County Jail is now charged with trying to arrange to have his wife and daughter killed while inside. Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford says that on November 28th, 53-year-old Philip Florio offered money to an inmate to help him orchestrate their murders not knowing that it was an undercover officer. He faces four solicitation counts with bail at $750,000. Anyone who can help this continuing probe should call Ocean County investigators or Beachwood Police.

LONG BRANCH - A former police officer who faked an Army relocation order to try and break a Long Branch rental housing contract gets 18 months probation instead of jail time. 29 year old Liana Howard of Freehold township is also ordered to pay nearly $3700 in fines, fees and restitution.

TOMS RIVER - Your wallet is not as empty when you fill up, says AAA Mid-Atlantic. The agency says that the average price of regular Friday was $3.19 a gallon, down four cents from the previous week. A year ago we were paying $2.87.