The first Shore Conference Individual Wrestling Tournament will be held Friday and Saturday at Red Bank Regional. NJ.com has the seed and opening-night pairings.

4th edition of 2018 pound-for-pound wrestler rankings on the way to a statewide Top 50.

New Jersey-based retailer Toys "R" Us announced plans to close up to one-fifth of its stores including Babies "R" Us locations in April

The Trump administration's new plan to increase offshore drilling is putting the spotlight back on a long-running debate in New Jersey.

How did your team fare in the latest edition of the rankings?

Who has represented the Garden State in McDonald's All-American games?

Who is standing out midway through the season.

An amazing family resemblance.

With his daughter Brooke on the verge of scoring 1,000 career points, Woodbridge coach Bobby Timinski went through this closet of mementos from his storied playing career at Colonia when they both made a shocking a discovery.

"The other day, after she didn't get it on Saturday, I opened my closet in the basement and I saw my ball (from my 1,000th point) and it said 1/23/90. I had to do a double take. I couldn't believe it," recalled Bobby Timinski. "Then when I realized it was against New Brunswick, we knew we were going to do it on the same day 28 years later against the same team (New Brunswick). It's just so crazy."

Said Brooke, "I had no clue until after the Colonia game on Saturday and they told me. I was like 'wow, that's pretty crazy.'"

On Tuesday, the 28th anniversary of her father's 1,000th point, Brooke scored her 1,000th point in Woodbridge's 56-45 victory over New Brunswick.

With Bobby on the sidelines and her entire family in the Woodbridge High School stands, Brooke Timinski set the milestone in with 2:30 left in the first quarter when she drove from the left wing and hit a right-handed shot off the backboard to give her team an early 11-4 lead.

Congratulations Brooke Timinski on 1,000 career points #WeAreBarrons pic.twitter.com/etdenBj88x

— Mr. Mortensen (@WHS_Mort) January 23, 2018

"It wasn't any more pressure," Brooke said. "If I got it (today), I got it. And if I didn't, I didn't. It was pretty cool thought that it was on the same day and everything."

Bobby Timinski scored 1,112 points in two seasons at Colonia. He then went on to score 1,325 points at St. Anselm College.

Heidi Waterman Timinski, Brooke's mother, scored 1,601 points at Shore Regional. Brooke is the seventh girl in Woodbridge history to score 1,000.

Timinski, who is averaging 18.2 points per game on the season, was limited to a season-low four points on Tuesday as she faced a box-and-one from New Brunswick. Rather than force shots, Timinski displayed the other aspects of her game - most notably her passing and rebounding, while her teammates picked up the slack offensively.

Kameron De Vogd scored a game-high 21 points to go with nine blocks and six rebounds. Aliyah Santos had 14 points and Tamirah Gibbs added 10 as Timinski finished with seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Brooke Timinski (22) and her team after scoring 1,000th point. (@BarronsSports)

"New Brunswick guarded me pretty well so I had to do other things to help our team win, not only to score, but make my teammates score so we can win," Brooke Timinski said. "If I wasn't going to score, then they're going to score so we can win."

"It says a lot about our team in that the other players stepped up when they needed to make plays because New Brunswick was doing a great job of denying Brooke the ball," said Bobby Timinski.

Aniyah Thomas led New Brunswick with 18 points, 15 rebounds, six steals and five assists. Nakima Lue added 11 points and 14 steals.

With the win, Woodbridge kept pace in a competitive GMC White Division. But for Bobby Timinski this one understandably meant more than that.

"It's a lot of emotions," Bobby Timinski said. "Certainly I'm her coach, but I'm her dad first so it was kind of hard. But I tried to keep it in check and keep everything in perspective. It was certainly a sense of relief when she did it."

Which players reside at the top of the major statistical lists in NJ?

See which girls basketball players are among the stat leaders.

Take a look at how your team stacked up in the latest rankings.

Federici's, opened in 1921 by Mike and Ester Federici, has been run by members of the Federici family for three generations.

A iconic Freehold restaurant that opened nearly a century ago and an adjoining eatery sustained smoke and water damage in a fire Wednesday afternoon, the Freehold Fire Department said in a statement.

Firefighters and police were called to Federici's Family Restaurant and the Court Jester on East Main Street shortly before 4 p.m., when patrons and staff reported smoke inside both establishments.

Firefighters discovered a fire in a wall of Federici's, which was quickly extinguished, the fire department said. No injuries were reported.

Federici's, opened in 1921 by Mike and Ester Federici, has been run by members of the Federici family for three generations. Bruce Springsteen was part of a large party that visited the restaurant this summer, NJ Advance Media previously reported.

Federici's was among the semi-finalists in NJ Advance Media's best pizzeria contest. 

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

NJ.com releases its statewide conference and wrestling group rankings for Jan. 24, 2018

New Jersey has a wealth of places to board an aircraft and see the Garden State from above.

This week, I'm "looking down" on New Jersey.

And, I give you my word, the only time I'll say I'm looking down on this great state is when I'm posting a vintage photo gallery featuring aerial images of N.J.

Courtesy of stratocat.com 

Views of the Garden State from above date back further than we may think. The first manned balloon flight in America took place on Jan. 10, 1793, starting in Philadelphia and crossing the Delaware before landing in what is now Deptford Township. French aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard brought along a dog on the 15-mile, 46-minute trip as well as a letter signed by George Washington identifying him to whoever he encountered on landing.

The Lakehurst Naval Air Station became known to people across the country following the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937, but the U.S. Navy had been using it as a Naval Air Station since 1921, flying blimps and dirigibles as well as fixed-wing aircraft.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

Predating Lakehurst was the Cape May Naval Air Station. Built in 1917, the base, now known as Naval Air Station Wildwood, was home to both airplanes and blimps. In 1920, a blimp originating from the station flew the length of New Jersey's coastline photographing every city and town along the way.

And you might be surprised how many places there are in New Jersey to board an aircraft and see the Garden State from above. According to the New Jersey State Department of Transportation, "NJDOT, through its Bureau of Aeronautics, has general oversight of 43 public use airports and almost 400 restricted use facilities, including airstrips, heliports and balloonports."

Here's a gallery of New Jersey from above. And, here are links to similar galleries from the past.

Vintage aerial photos of N.J.

Vintage photos of N.J. from above

Vintage photos of aviation in N.J.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Ernie and Anthony Lunardelli are unlikely to officiate again

A father and son who were about to officiate a high school football game in October but walked off the field after members of one team knelt during the national anthem have resigned.

The New Jersey Football Officials Association accepted the resignation of Ernie and Anthony Lunardelli, which was submitted at the end of the 2017 season.

The resignation effectively ends an investigation that the group launched when the pair told officials from Colts Neck and Monroe high schools before the Oct. 27 game that they would not officiate if any players protested.

Referees who walked out after anthem protest shouldn't work in N.J. again | Politi

They were replaced after four Monroe players took a knee on their home field.

Association past chairman Scott Heiser told the Home News Tribune he can't imagine a scenario in which they'll ever officiate another high school game again.

"We've tried to tell our officials they are there to do a job under an officiating contract and they should honor it," Heiser said. "To the greatest extent possible, they should leave their politics at home and remember they are there to do a job, there for the kids, there for the game," he added.

Monroe Township School District policy permits the type of peaceful protests the athletes held, according to athletics director Greg Beyer.

"We have to follow what is in the policy and pretty much the policy is if a kid doesn't want to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, that's his constitutional right," said Beyer.

The protest by the refs at the game in Middlesex County sparked an internet firestorm and reignited the debate over athletes kneeling for the anthem. The movement began last season with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and spread across most levels of sports.

Dozens of NFL players have knelt, prompting public rebukes from President Donald Trump. High school athletes also joined the movement intended to shine light on racial and social injustices and police brutality.

In an interview with NJ Advance Media in October, Ernie Lunardelli said he warned the person who assigns officials to games that he would leave if students knelt during the national anthem.

"I'm not in favor of anyone disrespecting our country, our flag, the armed forces," Lunardelli said in October. "What they're protesting has nothing to do with the national anthem and I'm against it, so I decided to protest for them kneeling and that's what I did."

He said his decision to walk out was his form of protest.

"Whoever is disrespecting that flag and the national anthem, that's who I have a problem with," Lunardelli said. "That's my protest. I don't care if it's a baby, if it's an 80-year-old man, anybody. I don't care. Any race, color, I don't care who it is. It's not the way I was brought up and it pisses me off that people are doing that."

See which team moved into No. 1 in girls basketball after a busy week filled with upsets.

Brielle Bisogno (14) of Toms River North secures a rebound in the fourth quarter of the 34th Annual WOBM Christmas Classic girls basketball final in Toms River on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017. Manchester won, 61-48.Andrew Mills 

Ruben Sevumyants, of Marlboro, was charged Wednesday with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.

A 34-year-old operations manager for a specialty pharmacy in Union City forged documents and submitted $1.5 million in false bills to Medicare and Medicaid as well as private insurers, authorities said. 

Ruben Sevumyants, of Marlboro, was charged Wednesday with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.

He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. 

When health insurance providers began to question the pharmacy, Sevumyants  forged Federal Express shipping records so it would look like the medications were shipped to the patients, officials said. 

The pharmacy prepared medications to treat ailments such as Hepatitis C, Crohn's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, according to court papers. 

Sevumyants worked for the pharmacy from June 2014 through Sept. 11, 2017. The complaint does not say who he allegedly conspired with in the scheme.

He posted a $100,000 bond and was released after appearing in federal court in Newark on Wednesday. 

The pharmacy is not identified in the complaint. Among the insurers allegedly defrauded are Amerihealth Caritas and Connecticut Medicaid .

His attorney, Thomas Calcagni could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Ocean Township pair had an unconventional wedding venue after the planned nuptials took a sudden turn. Watch video

Brian and Maria Schulz know their decision to marry after meeting five months ago is anything but ordinary.

So when their wedding ceremony at the Monmouth County Courthouse took a bizarre turn earlier this month, they wouldn't let anything stop them, even if it meant exchanging "I dos" in the women's bathroom surrounded by EMTs.

"We got married, we're in love and we have a great, funny story that only happens in movies," Maria Schulz said Thursday. "We have a crazy, amazing story, so we had to have a wedding just like that."

Okay, some explanation is required. 

The Ocean Township couple arrived at the Monmouth County Courthouse on Jan. 2 with their mothers for their nuptials before Judge Katie Gummer. Suddenly, Brian Schulz bolted with little explanation, leaving his wife-to-be wondering if he got cold feet.

Turns out, his mom Suzanne had just called him. She was having an asthma attack in the third floor women's room and Schulz rushed to help while waiting for assistance to arrive.

Schulz quickly explained the situation to his fiancee's best friend, and a new plan quickly came together to make sure his mom didn't miss the ceremony.

Sheriff Officer Leonard Maxfield and Judge Gummer agreed to an impromptu change of venue.

"My friend dragged me to the bathroom and I was like, 'What is happening?' and he said to me, 'Come to the bathroom, you're getting married,'" Maria Schulz said.

The pair exchanged vows in the bathroom ceremony while EMTs administered Suzanne oxygen, awaiting an ambulance. In all, about 15 people squeezed into the bathroom. The couple said the awkwardness didn't matter to them at all.

"Of course it wasn't what I imagined, but to be honest, it doesn't matter if I get married in a courthouse, a church, a bathroom," Brian Schulz said. "It's a personal thing between me, Maria and God."

Woman's Facebook post reunites couple with 55-year-old wedding ring

The other option of postponing the ceremony would have meant waiting another 45 days to reprocess their marriage license.

After the couple tied the knot, they visited the groom's mother in the hospital, where Suzanne had already shared the story of her son's wedding.

"We were walking around the hospital and everyone was like, 'You're the ones that got married in the bathroom,'" Brian Schulz said. "My mom got a big kick out of it."

All three of the Schulz are doing well, and received congratulations from the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, which shared their story on Facebook and commended the Maxfield for his quick thinking.

Brian and Maria said they will spend the next few months working and saving for a church wedding and reception sometime in 2019, as well as "figuring out how to work a marriage," the pair said.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The fire may have been started by a carelessly discarded cigarette butt, the owner of the nearly century-old Freehold eatery said Thursday. Watch video

The nearly century-old Federici's Family Restaurant -- a mainstay in the Freehold community -- could reopen as soon as this weekend after a fire damaged the pizzeria Wednesday afternoon.

As workers made repairs Thursday morning, Mike Federici, third-generation owner of the business, said he was grateful the damage wasn't worse.

"I feel very lucky and blessed that this fire started at 4 o'clock in the afternoon," he said. "If this started at 12 or 1 o'clock at night, when we were closed, it would have been an absolute disaster."

Earlier in the morning, debris was scattered on the ground, with an odor of smoke and charred wood throughout the interior of the building.

Though he doesn't know for sure, Federici, 53, said he believes the fire may have started from a cigarette butt left in an area separating his establishment and the adjoining Court Jester.

The cigarette butt, he said, may have set some leaves or debris on fire, causing flames to travel up the exterior wall, to the rooftop.

Linda Johnson, a lifelong Freehold resident, became emotional walking by Federici's Thursday early afternoon, saying that the restaurant -- which was among the semi-finalists in NJ Advance Media's best pizzeria contest -- is her favorite spot to go to with her family.

"If it ever burned, I don't know what we'd do," she said, standing outside the restaurant, which opened in 1921 by Mike and Ester Federici, and has been run by members of the Federici family for three generations.

Damage from the fire at the Federici's Family Restaurant, in Freehold, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018.Spencer Kent | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Federici also touched base with the owners of the Court Jester, which sustained smoke damage from the fire.

Firefighters and police were called to Federici's and the Court Jester on East Main Street shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday after patrons and staff reported smoke inside both establishments.

Federici's, one of N.J.'s best pizzerias, damaged in fire

However, firefighters responded within minutes, allowing the flames to be quickly extinguished.

Tony Ciafardini, co-owner of the Court Jester, was inside his establishment as workers came in with equipment to clear out the smoke damage sustained from the fire.

"We first saw smoke coming from the bathroom; it was heavy," Ciafardini said.

Workers cleaning and repairing the damage from the fire at the Federici's Family Restaurant, in Freehold, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018.Spencer Kent | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Mike Page, co-owner of the Court Jester, said he hoped to reopen his 40-year establishment by Thursday evening, pending approval from the township's health department.

Jeff Friedman, executive director of Downtown Freehold, whose office is just a few doors down, said losing either establishment would have been devastating to the community.

"If we were to have lost them, it would have been a tragic blow to the downtown," he said. "Fortunately, we have fabulous first responders whose immediate response saved our downtown."

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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In this week's edition of wrestling hot takes, NJ.com looks at the sport aiding charitable causes, forfeiting to win a match and county/conference tournament schedules.