Monmouth County to offer cash for guns in Asbury Park

Authorities will be offering up to $200 in cash for guns, no questions asked.

ASBURY PARK - Monmouth County's popular Gun Amnesty Program is scheduled to return to the city on Saturday, Sept. 10.

The "no questions asked" gun buyback program is scheduled to take place between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sept. 10 at the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Satellite Office located at 710 Main Street in Asbury Park.

Those interested in turning in their guns will be offered $25 for rifles and shotguns, $100 for handguns and $200 for assault weapons, officials said.

There will be no compensation for ammunition, replicas, or BB and Pellet Guns.

People interested in selling their guns are asked to transport their weapons safely - in a box, carry case or with a trigger lock - and to not carry them concealed on their person.

The program sponsored by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, the Monmouth County Police Chief's Association and the Asbury Park Police Department.

For more information call 732-431-7160 or contact Lieutenant Guy Thompson of the Asbury Park Police Department at 732-775-6124.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Monmouth County to offer cash for guns in Asbury Park

'Knockout attacker' pleads guilty, faces 3 years in jail

Kristian Gonzalez, 18, of Paterson, faces three years in a juvenile lockup when he is sentenced next month. Watch video

PATERSON - A teenager pleaded guilty Wednesday to punching and knocking out a man for no reason on a street corner last year in a brutal "knockout attack."

Kristian Gonzalez, 18, of Paterson, faces three years in a juvenile lockup when he is sentenced next month, according to his attorney, Harley D. Breite.

Gonzalez was 17 when he approached a stranger last Dec. 7, 2015 and delivered a vicious punch as a 16-year-old friend recorded the crime. The video of the attack became viral and led to the arrests.

On the video, the other teen can be heard encouraging Gonzalez to strike the man. Both teens were charged with aggravated assault and endangering an injured victim.

'Knockout attack' suspect taking plea deal

The attack seriously injured Cesar Nejara, who said that he couldn't speak for a week after the attack and had to eat through a straw for eight days, Eyewitness News reported.

Breite said the plea deal calls for Gonzalez to serve no less than 85 percent of the three-year sentence. 

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

'Knockout attacker' pleads guilty, faces 3 years in jail

1 arrested, 2 cited after car is double-parked near Hudson court building: sheriff

A Jersey City double parker was locked up on a drug warrant yesterday outside the Hudson County Administration Building and he and his passenger were cited for driving while suspended, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari said.

JERSEY CITY - A temporarily double-parked car landed one man in jail and two other people with summons Tuesday, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari said.

It started when John Raysor double-parked and blocked traffic on Lott Street, behind the court building, Schillari said. Raysor ran into the court building and the passenger, Kenny Raysor, jumped into the driver's seat and pulled away.

A sheriff's officer pulled over teh vehicle on Central Avenue and found that Raysor, 30, of Rutgers Avenue,  had no driver's license, Schillari said. A further check found there was a warrant for his arrest out of Jersey City Municipal Court on the charge of drug possession with a bail of $7,500.

Kenny Raysor was turned over to Jersey City police, according to the incident report.

As the officer was waiting to have the car towed away, the original driver, John Raysor, of Gifford Avenue, returned. The officer asked for his driver's license and a check revealed his license was suspended, the report says.

The owner of the car, Dominique Bails, of Jersey City, was issued a summons for allowing an unlicensed driver to operate her vehicle, the report says. 

The report does not provide information on the relationship between the two Raysors.

1 arrested, 2 cited after car is double-parked near Hudson court building: sheriff

Highest paid Bayonne school official to retire with $28.6K in unused time

He will collect the money for his unused sick and vacation days on top of an annual pension of $167,680.

BAYONNE -- The highest paid public official in Bayonne outside of the police and fire departments is set to collect $28,599 in unused time after he retires Thursday, according to school officials.

Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Robert C. Craig, who has worked in the Bayonne school district for nearly half a century, will collect the money for his unused sick and vacation days on top of an annual pension of $167,680.

Craig, 69, joined the district on Sept. 1, 1970 and earns a total annual salary of $198,740 as of June. He announced his retirement in July, citing the desire to spend time with his wife and family.

The assistant superintendent, who began his career as a sixth grade mathematics teachers at John M. Bailey School, couldn't be reached for comment about his unused time.

According to officials, Craig has a total of 573 unused sick days but state statute caps him at what he was entitled to as of June 8, 2007. That amounts to 164 sick days at $103 per day, or $16,892.

Meanwhile, Craig's unused vacation days from previous years do not carry over, so he is only entitled to collect on his unused days from the 2016-2017 school year, officials said. That amounts to 15 days at $780.48 per day, or $11,707.

Combined, Craig's vacation and sick payout amounts to $28,599.

Bayonne Superintendent Patricia McGeehan makes $177,500 annually in a district with about 10,000 students.

Jersey City Superintendent Marcia Lyles makes $231,000 in a district with about 34,000 students, while Kearny Superintendent Patricia Blood makes $167,500 in a district with about 6,000 students.

Craig was thanked and recognized for his service last week by the city school board, which praised him for his "transformational leadership" and his commitment to the community as a "teacher, principal, Rotarian, veteran, loving husband, father and grandfather."

Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

 

Highest paid Bayonne school official to retire with $28.6K in unused time

N.J. beach-goers could face swimming restrictions, rough surf on Labor Day weekend

Forecasters say Jersey Shore visitors should be prepared for possible swimming restrictions and perhaps even some beach closures during Labor Day weekend because of storms in the Atlantic.

A hurricane headed out to sea and two tropical depressions in the Atlantic Ocean -- including one that is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm along the Gulf coast of Florida -- could spell trouble for New Jersey beach-goers during the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Although the storms are not projected to have a direct impact on our region, forecasters say they will likely be close enough to generate big swells and life-threatening rip currents along the Jersey Shore.

If the surf conditions get really bad, some beaches in New Jersey could face swimming bans this weekend or, in a worst-case scenario, be closed, according to the National Weather Service.

"Anyone with plans for the Shore this Labor Day weekend should prepare for possible beach closures or restrictions," the weather service's New Jersey regional office said in a beach hazards statement issued Wednesday morning. "The highest swells, possible 6- to 8-foot breakers, are outlooked to arrive along the New Jersey and Delaware coasts Sunday, with rough conditions lingering Labor Day."

5 things to remember about Hurricane Irene

During the past few days, big ocean swells from Hurricane Gaston -- now more than 800 miles east of Bermuda and moving further out to sea -- and a small tropical depression about 135 miles off the coast of North Carolina have been causing dangerous rip currents and rough surf conditions, prompting the weather service to issue alerts to swimmers. 

The weather service says there's a moderate risk of dangerous rip currents again on Wednesday and although the rough conditions are expected to ease on Thursday and Friday, they likely will worsen again over Labor Day weekend because of the tropical system that's targeting Florida.

The system, currently called Tropical Depression 9, is swirling in the Gulf of Mexico and it expected to strengthen into a tropical storm, push through northern and western Florida by Thursday night, then move up along the southeastern Atlantic coast on Friday. If the storm strengthens into a tropical storm, it will be named Hermine.

Forecasters say Tropical Depression 9, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, will likely strengthen into a tropical storm and cross through northern and western Florida by Thursday night before moving into the Atlantic Ocean on Friday. (National Hurricane Center) 

"There's a  lot of activity out in the Atlantic right now, and there could be big swells," said Jim Bunker, observing program leader at the weather service office in Mount Holly. "Folks need to be aware of the situation with rip currents out there."

Bunker advises beach-goers to monitor the latest storm tracks and advisories by checking the National Hurricane Center's Atlantic activity web page. Local weather alerts and conditions can be found on the National Weather Service's website.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

N.J. beach-goers could face swimming restrictions, rough surf on Labor Day weekend

Man suffers serious burns in West Orange house fire

Fire reportedly sparked when man was working on lawn mower

WEST ORANGE -- A township resident was seriously injured in a basement fire at an Elm Street home Wednesday morning, officials said.

The 56-year-old man suffered third-degree burns to his hands, feet and back, according to officials. He was being treated at St. Barnabas Medical Center.

Township spokeswoman Susan Anderson said the man was reportedly working on a lawn mower in the basement when the two-alarm fire broke out around 10 a.m. Firefighters declared the incident under control about 25 minutes later.

No firefighters were hurt, Anderson said.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Man suffers serious burns in West Orange house fire

N.J. Turnpike wants to end haggling over rates to tow your car

The Turnpike Authority would set rates for cars which are going to be towed to an alternate destination.

Having your car break down on the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway is a headache, but toll officials want to give drivers a standard rate for towing to an alternate destination so they do not have to negotiate with tow truck drivers.

N.J. Turnpike Authority commissioners voted Tuesday to regulate the price to tow a disabled vehicle to a destination in state other than the towing company's garage.

"It was the source of complaints by patrons," said Maura K. Tully, Turnpike Authority deputy assistant counsel. "If a patron said they wanted to be towed to an alternate location, they had to make their own arrangements."

Under the agreement approved by the Turnpike Authority's Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, drivers would make their own arrangements with the towing company, but the rate they're being charged would be based on the per mile rate set by the authority, Tully said.

Fatal crashes up on N.J. highways

Those rates increased last November. Drivers of a disabled passenger vehicle on the toll roads would pay a $72 hook-up charge and $3.50 a mile while being towed on the Parkway or Turnpike, she said. Once off the toll road, drivers would pay an initial $10 for the first mile and $7.50 for each additional mile.

That change has a few more hurdles to clear and Tully estimated that the regulations probably go into effect until early next year.

The changes have to be printed in the New Jersey Register this fall and comments taken for 60 days, Tully said. If there are no comments, the changes will be published and be sent back to the authority's board, she said.

That arrangement doesn't apply to vehicles being towed out-of-state or to large trucks and buses, she said.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

N.J. Turnpike wants to end haggling over rates to tow your car