With beach replenishment set to start in northern Ocean County in the spring, some towns say they can't wait for the federal work to make repairs Watch video

Newly battered from a powerful nor'easter that clung to the coast earlier this week, some Jersey Shore towns are angling to be the first in line for a beach fill project scheduled to start this spring while others continue their fight against the massive replenishment work.

Several northern Ocean County beaches remain closed indefinitely as officials continue to assess the damage from Monday's storm, whose wind-driven waves carved cliffs as high as 25 feet in some areas, ripped apart wooden staircases and exposed buried protective barriers.

But with the federal beach replenishment project still months away, some beach towns say they need to have the work done sooner rather than later and will be pleading their case to be first on the list.

"The schedule for where the work will start hasn't been decided but we made a strong case that they should start in Ortley," said Paul Shives, business administrator for Toms River. "If this is what happens for a storm that is far from severe, then we need it done."

$128M contract awarded for northern Ocean County beach replenishment work

The Ortley Beach section of the township, which Shives called "Ground Zero for (Hurricane) Sandy" in 2012, has been battered every year since Sandy. And each time, the township has paid to have sand trucked onto the beach to protect the boardwalk and the houses behind it.

Shives said Ortley lost 80 percent of the beach in this nor'easter. The erosion stopped short of the boardwalk but left 12-foot cliffs, destroyed four sets of wooden staircases and damaged three other sets, he said.

A contractor is ready to start trucking in sand beginning Thursday, stopgap work that will cost the town somewhere between $300,000 and $500,000, Shives said. That's in addition to the $1 million Toms River paid last year to have sand trucked in last year after winter storm Jonas in January 2016 and another smaller storm shortly after that.

Because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hasn't yet decided where the replenishment work will start on the northern Ocean County peninsula, Shives said the town has no choice but to spend the money for the temporary fill.

"If we have another storm in the next few weeks and do nothing in the interim, then we're going to have property damage," he said.

The Army Corps two weeks ago awarded a $128 million contract to Weeks Marine of Cranford to replenish beaches from Point Pleasant Beach to Berkeley Township. Under the plan, the federal government would be responsible over the next 50 years for repairing the dunes and beaches it builds.  

Another town on the peninsula vying to be first for the project is Mantoloking, which for decades had resisted replenishment. But most residents changed their mind after Sandy decimated the affluent residential community.

The nor'easter exposed the entire length of a steel wall installed along the beach at a narrow section of town to protect Route 35, which had been destroyed by Sandy. It exposed a rock wall that had been covered by sand to serve a protective dune for the homes behind it. And it created cliffs of at least 12 feet, prompting officials to close the beach.

Mayor George Nebel said the borough is considering not rebuilding the wooden stairs leading down to the beach, depending on when the federal project starts.

In Brick, the nor'easter completely exposed another steel wall installed after Sandy. The erosion left drop-offs ranging from 4 feet in the northern end to 15 feet to the south, said Mayor John Ducey. Because of that, all 1.8 miles of beaches there are closed, he said.

While Brick waits for replenishment, the steel wall will serve as sufficient protection against new storms in the interim, so the town won't need sand to be trucked in, Ducey said. Instead, township crews will wait until the sand returns at the shoreline to push it up to the beach with bulldozers, he said.

To the north, Bay Head's beaches got battered. The nor'easter exposed a rock wall that had been covered by sand - the town's main line of defense against storms. It splintered wooden staircases, knocked them off their foundations in the rock wall, and uncovered wooden pilings from an old boardwalk.

But unlike the other towns, Bay Head doesn't want the replenishment work, which Gov. Chris Christie ordered for every Shore town along the Atlantic Coast in New Jersey. Insisting the rock wall is sufficient protection, a group of oceanfront residents is fighting the state mandate and is set to go to court on Feb. 6 to try to sway Ocean County Superior Court Assignment Judge Marlene Lynch Ford that they don't need the federal project.

Thom Ammirato, a spokesman for the group, said the Bay Head oceanfront residents are prepared to pay for the repairs out of their own pockets, something they've been doing for decades.

He said that in resisting the replenishment, residents are concerned, among other things, that if funding for the project dries up, the town will be left with an ineffective storm protection. By giving up their rights to the property where dunes would be built by the federal government, they'd be giving up control over making repairs when needed, he said.

"What works for us is great," he said. "We don't want the government's help. We don't need the government's help."

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

See which New Jersey natives are ranked in the NCAA.

They grew up in New Jersey, honing their skills on area wrestling mats.

They placed high on the podium in Boardwalk Hall or dominated in prep schools.

And now, 20 New Jersey wrestlers are ranked in the Top 20 nationally by either Intermat, Flowrestling or both this week.

SLIDESHOW: N.J.'s NCAA-ranked wrestlers

In the slideshow, we break down the 20 wrestlers with their rankings, any movement up or down this week and their records. Did Nick Suriano's first loss of his high school or college career affect his ranking? Who made the biggest jump? Check out the slideshow to find out.

Many of these wrestlers, if not all, will be competing for NCAA titles and All-American status in less than two months. Check back in a week as we update the latest additions and changes in the national rankings every Thursday leading up to the final tournament in St. Louis.

Blll Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports. Find and like the NJ.com High School Wrestling page on Facebook.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

MIDDLETOWN -- The driver of a Nissan Pathfinder was killed Thursday morning in a single-car crash on the Garden State Parkway.

The unidentified motorist in the Pathfinder was driving southbound in the local lanes shortly before 11 a.m. when it overturned near milepost 111.9 in Middletown, said Trooper Alejandro Goez, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver's identity is being withheld until after the family is notified. 

No passengers were in the Pathfinder, and no other vehicles were involved in the crash, Goez said. 

He said police do not know yet why the vehicle overturned. The crash remains under investigation.

The State Police's Crime Scene and Fatal Accident units responded to the scene, which is routine for any serious or fatal crashes.

As of 1 p.m., the right and center lanes are closed for the investigation. The left lane is open to traffic. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Let's see how well you know New Jersey news.

So much has happened in New Jersey news in the past week. Do you remember it all? Time to find out with our local news quiz. Below are seven multiple-choice questions all based on NJ.com's biggest stories of the past week. Take the quiz and then share your score in comments: We want to know who aced the quiz and who didn't. Which questions tripped you up?

If you whiff this week, don't worry. There's a fresh NJ.com news quiz and a chance to redeem yourself every Thursday evening.

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow John on Twitter, and find NJ.com on Facebook.

One of the 18-year-olds was flown to a burn center with injuries to his face, chest and hands, police said

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - A pair of 18-year-olds were severely burned Thursday night after they poured gasoline in a fire pit and flames erupted around them, police said.

One of the teens suffered significant burns to his face, chest and hands and was airlifted to the burn center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Detective Lt. Timothy Torchia said.

The other 18-year-old also suffered burns and was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, Torchia said.

The teens were in the process of starting a fire in a pit in a wooded area between Fairway Lane and Weston Avenue when the gasoline caused the fire pit to light "in an explosive manner," Torchia said.

Both teens were able to make it to a home on Weston Avenue where they were met by police and first aid. The names of the teens involved were not released.

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

Click through the slideshow to see the list of high school wrestlers and teams ranked nationally

The student was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon, police said.

MANALAPAN - A 15-year-old Manalapan High School sophomore was charged Thursday after he stabbed another student in the head with a pen, police said.

The attack occurred at 12:45 p.m. as the two teens were walking in a hallway between classes, police said.

The 16-year-old boy who was stabbed was treated for a head injury and released, police said.

The 15-year-old, whose name was not released because he is a juvenile, was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon, police said. He was taken to the Middlesex County Youth Detention Facility in North Brunswick

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

Who is going to win and who is going to shine?

The 6-month-old boy was in a child safety seat when his mother threw him at his father during an argument, police said.

KEANSBURG - A 6-month-old boy suffered a minor head injury after his mother allegedly threw him at his father during an argument.

During an argument at a Briarwood Avenue residence, 32-year-old Nicole Robbolino threw a child safety seat containing her 6-month-old son at her boyfriend, who is the child's father, Keansburg police Capt. Wayne Davis Jr. said in a release.

The child sustained a minor head injury that was evaluated by Keansburg EMS, Davis said.

Police learned about the incident after responding to the home at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday when a 5-year-old girl in the home suffered hot water burns on her face after bumping into a stove.

The girl was treated at the scene by Keansburg police officers and members of Keansburg EMS and then transported to Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel for additional treatment, Davis said.

Robbolino was arrested by Patrolman Justin Cocuzza and charged with one count each of assault and endangering the welfare of a child. She was lodged in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township without bail, Davis said.

The New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency was contacted and responded to the scene.

Keansburg police Detective Joseph Jankowski also assisted with the investigation.

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

Dustin Daniel Healey, 26, has been charged with negligent operation of the boat

A Freehold man has been charged with negligence in a boating accident that killed a 9-year-old boy last summer in Maryland.

Kadin Frederick (File photo)

Dustin Daniel Healey, 26, was operating a rented pontoon boat on Aug. 17 in Sinepuxent Bay in Ocean City, Md., when the boy fell from the boat and was struck by the propeller, police said.

The 9-year-old, Kadin Frederick, was one of four people sitting in front of the pontoon's safety railing with their legs dangling over the water, which is illegal in Maryland, police said.

Frederick slipped into the path of the propeller and, despite efforts to save him, died from multiple injuries. 

Healey told investigators he knew the four people were sitting on the bow, but couldn't see Frederick from the controls, police said.

Healey will appear in a Maryland court Feb. 15.

Five charges were filed against the boat rental company and its owner last week, police said.

Rajeev Dhir may be reached at rdhir@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @googasmammoo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Which divisions have the most talent and provide the biggest challenge?

Facts and FAQs about this year's event.

A Chinese new year celebration, a night of symphonic hip hop and a classic rock band are among this week's listings.

Ladies Night at NJPAC

Grammy Award-winning Rapper Nelly -- whose hits include "Hot in Herre" and "Just a Dream" -- brings a unique concert experience combining hip hop and symphonic music to NJPAC Jan. 27. For "A Night of symphonic hip hop featuring Nelly," the singer is backed by his own band and members of the NJ Symphony Orchestra. Critics have called the concept, which Nelly premiered last summer, "a surprise winner."

$29 - 195, Ladies Night with Nelly/An Evening of Symphonic Hip-Hop, Jan. 27, 8 p.m., NJPAC, 1 Center St., Newark. 888-GO-NJPAC.

Come laugh at the Mayo

"America's Got Talent" show judge Howie Mandel returns to his stand-up roots at the Mayo Performing Arts Center Jan. 27. The adults-only show will feature Mandel's trademark observational humor and off-the-cuff quips as he interacts with the audience. Comedian John Mendoza opens the show.

$49-99, Howie Mandel, Jan. 27, 8 p.m.Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown. 973-539-8008.

Rock out with Southside Johnny

It's been 40 years since Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes recorded their first album and this Jersey Shore favorite continues to rock hard like their pal Bruce Springsteen. They'll bring that energy -- and material from 30 albums -- to Bergen Performing Arts Center Jan. 28. "Rolling Stone" magazine voted the band's third album, 1978's "Hearts of Stone" one of the top albums of the 1970s and 80s and included it on its list of the 500 best albums of all time.

$22 -79, Jan. 28, 8 p.m. Bergen PAC, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood. 201-227-1030.

Celebrate Chinese new year with dance

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company ushers in the "Year of the Rooster" at NJPAC Jan. 28 and 29. This vibrant, lively show combines Chinese traditions --  dancing lions and dragons -- with American modern dance. Pre-performance activities include dance demonstrations. 

$15-37, "Year of the Rooster: The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company," Jan 28 and 29, 2 p.m. NJPAC, 1 Center St., Newark. 888-GO-NJPAC.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Get your nominations in for the winter edition of our statewide contest

UPDATE, Jan. 24, 11:15 a.m.: We've added a few new nominations to the photo gallery above. Congrats to those schools nominated, and thanks to the fans who sent pics. (And Haddonfield, you're in - you can take a break.)

If your school isn't represented in the photo gallery, what are you waiting for? If you're waiting for the rain to stop - well, it slowed down, at least. Games should be back on. It's time to take a pic and get your school nominated, the first and most essential step to having your school community participate in this contest.

The nomination period only lasts until next Monday, Jan. 30, at 11:59 p.m. There's no time to waste.

Nominating your school couldn't be easier. Just take a pic, and use the form below to submit it.

Can you feel the gym shake? Are you looking at a sea of red, white and blue, or have the bleachers become a balmy beach scene in the middle of January? Is that organized cheer still rattling in your head?

Student section at work.

Whether it's themes, cheers, chants or banners, we know there are some student sections that help the team catch fire - home or away. We want to know which N.J. school has the best student section this winter, and we're relying on those student sections - and the rest of the school community - to show us - with pictures, with testimonials and in the end, with votes.

We're launching the winter version of our best student section contest (Oakcrest won the football version this fall). It's journey that will last until the end of February, and it starts with an critical first step - a nomination.

To be a part of all that follows, your school has to get a nomination by Monday, Jan. 30. That's not a ton of time, but nominating a school is super easy.  Someone just needs to take at least one picture of the student section and use the form below to submit it.  That's it. Done deal.

Our photographers will also be around the state looking for student sections, and we'll use some of our photos to make nominations too, but don't count on us - we can't be everywhere. Make it a sure thing, and nominate your school with a pic.

Contest format:
Nominations will be open through Monday, Jan. 30. We will then split the nominations into regions and launch a one-week qualifying poll for each region. Your voting in the regional qualifying polls will determine the schools that move on to an elimination bracket, with week-long head-to-head voting matchups to determine regional finalists. We will skip the regional finals and have one big statewide final for all the would-be regional finalists.  The whole thing is targeted to wrap up Monday, Feb. 27.

Nomination and photo submission notes:
• The form below will work with your cell phone - you can nominate your school from the game!
• NJ.com staff will also make nominations with our own photography.
• Only upload photos you have shot or that you personally received permission to use. We can't use photos from other media outlets. Please don't grab and submit photos from other websites.
• Multiple nominations for a school are welcome, but we may not use every photo.
• Submitted photos will be added to the gallery after some processing time; nominations will be compiled and listed on top of this post after the weekend's play.

So start talking and sharing - rally the troops to nominate, vote and make your student section officially the best in N.J.

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION PHOTOS

Parishes in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties will be affected

TRENTON -- The Diocese of Trenton announced this week plans to merge or link more than two dozen parishes, a reorganization church officials say is necessary to help revitalize Catholicism in the area amid changing times.

In all, 17 parishes will be merged to create 8 new parishes, reducing the total number of parishes to 98 from 107 by 2020. Another 15 parishes will be linked up to neighboring ones, sharing resources and one pastor.

"Change and adaptation has always been necessary for our faith not only to remain strong but also, and more importantly, for our faith to grow stronger," Bishop David O'Connell said in a pastoral letter. "I believe that it is not so much a case of growing smaller or 'becoming less' as a church, a diocese or a parish; I believe it is a case of 'doing more with less.' The challenge before us all is to figure out 'how.'"

The reorganization is the culmination of a planning process that began almost 18 months ago.

Trenton, which covers Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties, suffers from the same demographic and other trends that have plagued dioceses across the country for years. Among them are fewer priests as retirements outpace ordinations, fewer Catholics attending Mass or receiving the sacraments, changing populations and shrinking finances.

Only about 18 percent of the diocese's estimated 673,500 to 774,000 Catholics regularly attended Sunday Mass, according to annual parish reports.

"With these sobering spiritual realities confronting us in the Diocese of Trenton and beyond ... it simply does not make any sense to cling to sentimental memories of the 'way we were;' or to nostalgically fantasize about a return to the 'good old days,'" O'Connell said. "We must forge ahead to meet and embrace the future with a living, dynamic and active faith."

Freehold church elevated to 'co cathedral' status

Under the plan, the following parishes will be merged:

• St. Andrew, Jobstown, with Assumption, New Egypt, by July 1, 2018
• Sts. Francis and Clare, Florence, with St. Mary, Bordentown, by July 1, 2018
• Divine Mercy, Trenton, with Sacred Heart, Trenton, by July 1, 2017, then the following year, Sacred Heart will merge with Blessed Sacrament-Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd, Trenton
• St. Joseph, Keyport, with Jesus the Lord, Keyport, by July 1, 2018
• St. Jerome, West Long Branch, with St. Mary, Deal, by July 1, 2018
• Ascension, Bradley Beach, with St. Elizabeth, Avon, by July 1, 2019
• St. Catherine of Siena, Seaside Park, with Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Seaside Heights, by July 1, 2018
• St. Mary of the Lake, Lakewood, with St. Anthony Claret, Lakewood, by July 1, 2020

Officials say the aim is to create a new parish that is stronger and better equipped to minister to the community.

Both churches in the combined parish will remain open, but all of the staff, councils, organizations, ministries, programs, finances, assets and liabilities will become one.

Under linkage, two or three parishes remain distinct, but are served only by one pastor and are encouraged to do as many things cooperatively as possible.

That theme of collaboration is also carrying over into the rest of the diocese. In all, 25 "cohorts" -- or groups of three to six parishes -- were formed and the diocese is asking that they work together and make more efficient use of each other's resources, whether it's in ministries and religious education or outreach programs.

Diocese spokeswoman Rayanne Bennett says the diocese wants to avoid having small, inactive parishes.

"We can do a lot more if we're pooling our resources than if we stay separate and limited by individual parishes," she said. "It's not just about saving money or surviving. It's about being robust and living up to our Gospel mandate. We serve God better when we position ourselves to be stronger and this lays out the way to do that."

Different parishes were also designated as "centers for ministry" to help meet the needs of the diocese's increasingly diverse populations. There will be 18 centers for Hispanics, two for Portuguese and two for Haitians.

As part of the reorganization, the diocese plans to stop using two churches for regular services. Jesus the Good Shepherd in Riverside will no longer use St. Peter Church and St. Raphael-Holy Angels in Hamilton is expected to suspend operations at Holy Angels Church as early as July 1.

The diocese says more changes could follow as it continues to review some parishes.

More information can be found at dioceseoftrenton.org/faith-in-our-future.

Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A real estate agent says "the numbers just don't work" to keep the iconic drive-in.

The Circus Drive-In's days appear to be numbered.

A redevelopment deal is in progress for the 1.64-acre Wall Township site that includes the Shore landmark, real estate agent Gerald Norkus told New Jersey 101.5. The deal apparently would not include the iconic restaurant staying open.

"Economically it's not feasible,'' Norkus told the radio station. "Factor in the value of the property and then you look at running a seasonal restaurant, the numbers just don't work.''

The property was put on the market late last year, with a purchase price of $2 million, much consternation for longtime fans of the restaurant. (The lease was set at $200,000 a year.)

An online petition urging the township to turn the property into a historic site has so far gained 1,145 supporters. A Wall official told New Jersey 101.5 the town was "watching the situation and we certainly aren't happy to see a long standing business in Wall Township close down ... we're just not the entity that names things historic.''

Nominations for state or national historic status are made through the state Historical Preservation Office.

The Circus, the state's most iconic drive-in restaurant and marked by its magnificent smiling-clown neon sign, opened in 1954. Richard Friedel owned it until seven years ago.

The Circus was especially known for its soft-shell crabs; the restaurant went through about 800 a day in season. The drive-in was open from April to generally the end of September. 

Calls to Norkus seeking additional comment about who will be redeveloping the property, and if and when the Circus Drive-in will be torn down, have not been returned.

Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile. Find the Munchmobile on Facebook and Instagram.

Fishermen and state officials says the proposed catch and size limits will devastate the industry

POINT PLEASANT BEACH -- In a unified show of support, New Jersey officials and leaders of the state's fishing industry said Friday they are demanding the federal government abandon plans to cut the amount of fluke to be harvested this year.

Insisting the proposed new limits will devastate an industry important to New Jersey's economy, the government and industry representatives said they're prepared to mount a legal fight, if necessary, to fight "ridiculous" limits that were based on "flawed" data.

The rally drew hundreds of recreational and commercial fishermen from across the state to the Fishermen's Supply Co. in Point Pleasant Beach where state and federal lawmakers pledged to mount their attack both administratively and legislatively.

"We'll take this fight as far as we need to go. It's an attack on our economy. It's an attack on our way of life and we need to continue to fight back," said Bob Martin, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

"We want to work with the other states to defeat this ridiculous proposal and maintain the status quo," Martin said. "Make no mistake. New Jersey will push the interest on whatever we need to do. Whatever we have to do, we'll do it with the other states or we'll do it alone."

N.J. flounder fishery reportedly could take big hit with new catch limits

Saying it needs to prevent the decimation of the species, the U.S. Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has proposed a 30-percent cut to the summer flounder haul of commercial fishermen and a 40-percent cut for recreational fishermen.

Recreational fishermen would now be required to keep flounder that are at least 19 inches long, compared to the 17-inch length they could take last year. The proposed cuts could also result in reducing the summer season to 59 days.

Martin said he wants the commission to keep the catch-limit and size-limit quotas this year at last year's levels until the method for calculating those figures is improved.

In New Jersey, the recreational and commercial fishing industries generate about $2.5 billion annually and represent more than 20,000 jobs, he said. Recreational fishermen landed more than 650,000 summer flounder and commercial fishermen caught more than 1.2 million pounds last year, he said.

Martin said he will push for the commission to abandon its proposals, keep the current limits, develop an up-to-date assessment of the number of flounder and reevaluate the way it develops those quotas. He wants any future quotas to remain in effect for at least three years instead of having it change annually.

Peter Grimbilas, chairman of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, said anglers need a permanent fix to the quota system so they won't keep butting heads with the commission and can have some security for their future.

"What's  been put on the table right now is a temporary fix - the status quo," he said. "We need to take it to the higher level. We need to get the process fixed."

Jeff Gutman, captain of the fishing boats Voyager in Point Pleasant Beach and the Angler in Atlantic Highlands, said the proposed cuts would put him out of business. He predicted the cuts would reduce the number of people who patronize party boats for fishing by at least half.

"These draconian measures propagated by regulators will doom an already hurting recreational fishing industry and deny the public access to what we know is a healthy fishery," he said. "It will also significantly reduce Shore area tourism from Sandy Hook to Cape May."

Jim Lovgren, a fishing boat captain and director of the Fishermen's Dock Cooperative, said fishermen already experienced a 30-percent reduction in limits last year and face yet another 17- or 18-percent cut next year.

The Point Pleasant Beach cooperative he heads pulls in about 2 million pounds of flounder annually.

"Taking 30 percent of that last year hurt. It hurt me economically. It hurt everybody over there. It hurt everybody here," he said to the crowd.

He said there are plenty of flounder in the coastal waters and the new size limits will severely curtail the number of flounder recreational fishermen can keep.

U.S. Rep Frank Pallone (D-6^th Dist.) said he will push the Trump administration to reverse these recommendations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

"We've been saying for years now... that the science that NOAA and NMFS is using is simply inadequate," he said.

Also pleading their support were U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R- 4^th Dist.), who sent a representative, and state assemblymen Bob Andrzejczak (D-Cape May), Eric Houghtaling (D-Monmouth) , Vince Mazzeo (D-Atlantic) and Dave Rible (R-Monmouth).

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The girls had either just exited their school buses or were walking home from school when they were attacked, police said.

LONG BRANCH - A 27-year-old city man was charged with multiple offenses, including sexual assault, after he allegedly targeted at least three girls on their way home from school.

On Tuesday afternoon three girls, ages 12 to 14, were approached by a man as they had either just exited their school buses or were walking home from school, Public Safety Director Jason Roebuck said in a release.

During the first two incidents, the man forcibly robbed the two girls of their cell phones. In both of these cases, the bus drivers and bus aides witnessed the robberies, came to the aid of the victims, and brought them back onto the bus, Roebuck said.

The third incident happened as one of the girls was walking home from school and the man picked her up and attempted to remove her from the area, Roebuck said. A classmate helped the girl fight off her alleged attacker, he added.

All three incidents occurred within minutes of each other.

Following a subsequent investigation, police arrested Daniel Omar Mejia-Reyes, 27, of 383 Bath Ave., and charged him with two counts of robbery, criminal restraint, aggravated criminal sexual contact and sexual assault, Roebuck said.

He was lodged in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold with no bail and was also held on an immigration detainer.

"The quick response time and actions by both the Patrol Division and the Detective Bureau, working together, brought this incident to a quick conclusion, ending in the arrest of the accused," Roebuck said. "Everyone involved, including the bus aide driver and student, should be commended."

Anyone with additional information in this case is asked to contact the lead investigator Detective Jake Pascucci at 732-222-1000.

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

Brian Unger previously admitted in October 2016 to having cashed his dead wife's Social Security checks for more than four years after her death.

TRENTON -- A former Long Branch councilman who pleaded guilty in October to cashing his dead wife's Social Security checks won't be sentenced until March, according to recent court records.

Brian A. Unger, 64, had been scheduled to appear Jan. 18 in the U.S. District Court in Trenton for sentencing on a charge of stealing government money, to which he pleaded guilty Oct. 13.

Court records show Unger's sentencing has been rescheduled for 11 a.m. March 16 before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson.

Prosecutors said that Unger began collecting his wife's Social Security disability checks after her death in 2009, and continued doing so through September 2013, ultimately collecting a total of $82,854.

Unger, who now lives in Puerto Rico, previously served on the Long Branch City Council, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2010.

He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Phil Murphy won another Democratic Party county convention Thursday.

TRENTON -- Phil Murphy, the early favorite for the Democratic nomination in this year's New Jersey governor's race, bolstered his bid Thursday night with a victory in the state's most populous county. 

The millionaire former banking executive and ex-U.S. ambassador to Germany won  the Bergen County Democratic Committee's convention, giving him placement at the top of the June primary ballot in the north Jersey county. 

Bergen is home to 201,000 of New Jersey's 1.8 million registered Democrats.

Murphy won 637 votes -- or 87 percent -- of the 733 committee's elected county committee members, elected officials, and party delegates. 

State Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) scored 72 votes (10 percent) and Bill Brennan, a retired firefighter and local activist, nabbed 24 votes (3 percent).

They are three of many candidates running for the Democratic nod to succeed Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican in his eighth and final year.

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"The enemy is the other side," Murphy told the Bergen committee after the results were announced, according to a report by The Record. "Chris Christie is the enemy. Donald Trump is the enemy. Our governor and his cabal of insiders has failed us."

Murphy's win was expected. He had already received the backing of Bergen County Democratic Chairman Lou Stellato -- one of many county chair endorsements Murphy has secured in recent months.

"Bergen County's Democrats tonight said loudly and proudly that Phil Murphy is the right man to lead both our party and our state," Stellato said in a statement after Murphy's victory.

Thursday was the second Democratic county convention that Murphy has taken. The Middletown resident won the support of his home county earlier this month when he won the Monmouth County Democratic Committee's convention. 

Wisniewski has accused the Democratic parties in Monmouth and Bergen of trying to "rig" the primary by scheduling their conventions earlier than usual to set up a "coronation" for Murphy. Democratic officials have denied that.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.