UPDATE! Thursday News Briefs From WOBM News

News from Ocean & Monmouth counties and around New Jersey.

WASHINGTON D.C - April 15th is no longer the dreaded tax day...the Internal Revenue Service is announcing that this year taxpayers have until April 17th to file returns. The IRS is encouraging people to e-file as a way to ensure more accurate returns and speed up your returns. The IRS is also unveiling features on its site that use interactive videos to help with tax issues.

TOMS RIVER - A librarian from Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library is part of the ranks of county librarians who are also authors. Senior librarian Angela Zebrowski wrote e-book... "They Like Me...They Like Me Not" chronicling a young immigrant girl’s experiences and struggle for acceptance.

BRICK - Brick township's new Democratic Council slate rescinds the funding set aside for the Traders Cove Improvement Project. Reports say at Tuesday's meeting, they reversed the $640,000 contract awarded to a Pennsylvania company. The plan was to build a water park and pump house in the marina area.

FREEHOLD - Monmouth County's Freeholders are set to reorganize this week for the new year. The meeting is scheduled for 4PM. at the Bio-Technology High School in Freehold Township. Incumbent Lilian Burry and recently elected Gary Rich will be sworn in to new three year terms. Rosemarie Peters will take the seat as County Surrogate for the next five years.

ATLANTIC CITY - The New York man accused of aggravated manslaughter in a Christmas Eve assault in Atlantic City appears in court tomorrow. Yu Zhu's charges were upgraded when the victim died Monday night...after 10 days in critical conditon.

ASBURY PARK - Asbury Park firefighters can expect big investments in training, equipment, health programs and rolling stock. The squad receives over $617,000 in the Federal Emegency Management Agency's assistance-to-firefighter grants. Egg Harbor City and two other towns also share in the nearly million-dollar grant announced Wednesday.

BARNEGAT - If you've had one too many, your chances of driving under the radar is slim in Barnegat. Police officer Gregory Martinez has won the Top-Gun DWII enforcement award from the New Jersey Division Of Highway Traffic Safety. His 20 arrests in 2010 are among the most in the state. Barnegat police average more than 80 DWI collars each year in an ongoing safety push.

HOWELL - A man believed to be a veteran Elizabeth police officer is found dead inside of his Howell township home. According to published reports, Easy Street homeowner 57-year-old Pedro Pericas was discovered with a gunshot wound Tuesday. The Monmouth County Prosecutors Office says pericas's service weapon was not used.

TRENTON - A Jackson couple who own a construction company confesses to federal tax evasion charges in a Trenton federal court room. Michael Rudow pled guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and making fraudulent statements on three years of tax returns. His wife Melissa confessed to delivering and disclosing a fraudulent tax return.