Gunner, a black Labrador retriever, is highly trained in narcotics and will be primarily used to assist in narcotics investigations.

FREEHOLD -- The Monmouth County Sheriff's Office announced Monday a new replacement for K-9 Evan, who died from cancer in 2014.

Gunner, a black labrador retriever, is highly trained in narcotics and will be primarily used to assist in narcotics investigations, said Sheriff Shaun Golden.

"We are grateful to have Gunner as part of our K-9 unit," Golden said. "He comes to us with impressive credentials and will be a tremendous asset in providing vital services to Monmouth County and local law enforcement agencies when it comes to combating the proliferation of narcotics in the county."

Gunner, who cost almost $9,000, was purchased through forfeiture funds and a donation of $5,000 from the 200 Club of Monmouth County, a group which provides financial and emotional support to families of law enforcement members who died or were injured in the line of duty.

Golden said he is grateful to the 200 Club for its generous donation.

Gunner has tough shoes to fill. Sheriff's Officer Kurt Kroeper and K-9 Evan seized more than $1.1 million in cash and arrested hundreds of individuals after numerous drug investigations.

"The passing of K-9 Evan was not just a loss to our agency, but to the entire county," Golden said.

Kroeper said he believes there's a bright future ahead with his new partner.

"I look forward to working with Gunner in the months and years ahead and have no doubt that he will be an outstanding partner in the fight against crime," Kroeper said.

Originally from Texas, Gunner, 8 months old, was trained at the USK9 Dog Training Academy in Louisiana. He was trained through tracking sent and can detect methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and ecstasy.

"K-9 Gunner will help continue to rid the streets of drugs and maintain public safety, Golden said.

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

Joel Coutinho, 53, was the sole occupant of the home on Vine Street, which police have said went up in flames at around 1 a.m. on Sunday.

WALL TWP. -- A house fire in West Belmar that left a 53-year-old man dead Sunday morning was caused by improper disposal of smoking material, police said on Tuesday.

The home on Vine Street, occupied by Joel P. Coutinho, went up in flames at around 1 a.m., Chief Robert L. Brice said. 

When first-responders arrived at the scene, they were told Coutinho was believed to still be inside, Brice has said.

After the blaze was brought under control by firefighters from West Belmar, Glendola and South Wall, Coutinho was found dead inside the home.

A neighbor, who declined to be identified, said Coutinho had a dog that made it out of the home, and is being taken care of by another neighbor.

Brice said on Tuesday that the fire was caused by "improper disposition of smoking materials." The fire has been ruled accidental, the chief said.

One neighbor, who also declined to be named for this report, said he tried to gain entry into the home after he was awoken by the sound of glass breaking. But those efforts were unsuccessful, due to the amount of smoke emanating from the home, which sits on a dead end just off Route 71.

On Sunday afternoon, two of the front windows were boarded up as yellow police tape lined the front lawn of the property. Portions of the roof collapsed onto the landscaping and the siding below the roof on the right side of the house was charred. 

A rocking chair, birdhouse and Christmas ornaments, among other items, sat on the front lawn.

A neighbor said those items were left over from a garage sale Coutinho held on Saturday.

He was a contractor, the neighbor said, whose house was recently foreclosed on and currently out of work. 

"He was a construction guy, a master at this craft and a genius," one neighbor said. "He could build anything."

The neighbor said Coutinho would often give him construction tips, specifically on a new shed the neighbor recently built in the backyard. 

Whenever the neighbor had extra food or dessert, he said, they would bring it over to Coutinho. 

Friends told the Asbury Park Press that Coutinho had an interest in bike riding, motorcycles and followed NASCAR racing.

"You couldn't have a better friend," Richard Fort told the newspaper. "He was an awesome guy."

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

State Police host special event for injured military

Gary McWhorter answers the question without a blink of hesitation.

"November 28^th, 1971," said the former New Jersey State trooper.

That was the day he was shot in the chest during a routine stop along the New Jersey Turnpike.

John Loosen answers just as fast.

"Dec. 29, 1967." That was the day he lost half of his left leg in a mortar attack in Vietnam.

 McWhorter was 27 and returned to duty. Loosen was 19 and obviously could not.

The ex-trooper and former soldier didn't meet until 2008, strictly by chance, at the Peking Pavilion restaurant in Manalapan. They were introduced by a mutual friend, Joe "The Leg" Jannuzeli, also a Vietnam veteran amputee.

The conversation turned toward disabled veterans, as Loosen was very deeply involved with the Wounded Warriors Project. McWhorter wanted to help and, from that meeting,Troopers Assisting Troops was born.

"He invited me to go down to Walter Reed (Army Medical Center) with him," McWhorter said. "And what we saw brought tears to my eyes. I'm not embarrassed to say I got choked up. I remember seeing this guy coming toward us in a wheelchair and,as he turned the corner, we saw a little girl by his side, holding his hand. I just lost it."

In the therapy rooms at Walter Reed, they met dozens of men and women with missing limbs and traumatic brain injuries.

"To a man, all of them said they would return to their unit if they could," McWhorter said.

He understood. He returned to duty soon after being shot during especially dangerous times for the state police. McWhorter and his partner, George Ayers, were wounded that day. The suspects ran to a nearby school in Woodbridge, where a shootout ensued. The man who shot the troopers was killed by one of his accomplices.

Two years later, Trooper Werner Foerster was killed and Trooper James Harper was wounded in a shootout with JoAnne Chesimard and two other members of the Black Liberation Army along the Turnpike in East Brunswick.

"Jimmy Harper had just relieved me," said McWhorter, who raced back to duty and was one of the troopers who apprehended Clark Edward Squire, one of Chesimard's accomplices. The other was killed in the shootout.

"We (military and police) share the 'warrior ethos,' " said Loosen, 66, who lives in Matawan. "We understand one another."

On that first trooper trip to Walter Reed, McWhorter, and Lt. Col. Drew Lieb and Capt. Joe Sarnecky arrived with state police hats and shirts.

"They thanked us and I just said, 'We should be thanking you,' " McWhorter said. Lieb came away realizing, "All they wanted was to be treated as normal."

Within a year of that trip, "Troopers Assisting Troops" (www.troopersassistingtroops.org) was launched. Each year since, in mid-September, state police host injured active duty military members and veterans for a weekend of "R & R" at the Sea Girt barracks.

It's a full weekend of entertainment that includes deep sea fishing, barbecues, concerts and other shows, lunches at the Belmar Fishing Club and Manasquan Elks, State Police demonstrations, motivational speakers and "a chance to talk," said McWhorter, 72, who lives in Millstone.

"I think they just like to get away, relax and talk to people who appreciate what they've sacrificed and can somehow relate to their service," he said.

For the first few years, the soldiers came from the medical transitional unit at Fort Dix, which has since closed. Now, that unit is at Fort Drum, N.Y., not far from shores of Lake Ontario where it flows into the St. Lawrence River.

Still, the troopers arrange for the 373-mile bus trip and State Police escorts in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The soldiers begin with a welcoming lunch at Scarborough Fair in Manasquan, donated by owner Mike Fotinos.

"No matter how many guys come he gives it to us 'on the arm,' " McWhorter said.

From there, they are driven to downtown Manasquan and, when the bus turns onto Broad Street, they are greeted by every student from the town elementary school and regional high school. The marching band plays and majorettes swirl their flags. Many of the kids hold up signs, thanking them for their service.

"It's a surprise for them, and they really enjoy it," McWhorter said.

This year was no different.  The weather was perfect last Friday as the soldiers walked up Broad Street. One was on crutches. One had a service dog named Trooper, a black lab given to him by the troopers.

The dogs are a big part of the state troopers' mission. They have raised funds to provide 14 service dogs, at about $15,000 each, mostly through the K9 For Warriors Project of Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Jeremy Hardy was given Trooper more than a year ago and says the dog helps him with the "social anxiety" he feels due to brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. He was hurt in a rocket attack in Iraq in 2006, which also caused shrapnel tears to his liver and intestines.

Hardy, 38, lives in Niceville, Fla., now, but the troopers fly him up for the event and give him other support.

"They really took me under their wing," he said. "I definitely feel a brotherhood with them."

James Brererton agrees. The 47-year-old former soldier was "blown out of a Humvee" in Baghdad in 2006, and has brain injuries and suffers from PTSD. He lives locally now and has been coming to the event for eight years to help with the more recent war-torn.

"The troopers do a great thing here," he said. "The vets feel very comfortable talking to them. We can relate to each other. Like us, they're out there every day, putting their lives on the line."

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

West Windsor, Trenton, and Downtown Toms River all have open-air markets that will remain open through October and November.

WEST WINDSOR COMMUNITY FARMERS' MARKET

This market welcomes 15 farms and 11 vendors on a weekly basis, all located within a 50-mile radius of West Windsor. (More than 1,000 attendees have been turning out in recent months.) The market takes place every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, in the southbound Vaughn Drive parking lot of the Princeton Junction train station. Created in 2004 by two township residents, the market was voted the Top Celebrated Market in New Jersey and a Top-100 Most Celebrated Market nationwide in American Farmland Trust's "I Love My Farmers Market" Contest.

Among the participating vendors: Beachtree Farm, Cherry Grove Farm, Great Road Farm, Terhune Orchards and North Slope Organic Farm. There is also live entertainment, cooking demonstrations (Holly Slepman is appearing this week), prepared foods and special events . The outdoor market will continue through Nov, 21, at which point the schedule will be reduced to the second Saturday of the month inside the West Windsor Athletic Club. 

GREENWOOD AVENUE FARMERS MARKET 

This Trenton-based market, taking place 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays, is winding down its inaugural season -- Oct. 26 is the last day. Smaller in scale than some of the other markets, it includes one grower from Hillsborough (Norz Hill Farm), one from Trenton, three Trenton businesses, community building, cooking demonstrations and more. This SNAP authorized market offers dollar-for-dollar benefits to shoppers using food assistance. The central focus is bringing fresh, healthy and accessible food to Trenton. 427 Greenwood Ave.

DOWNTOWN TOMS RIVER FARMERS' MARKET 

This Ocean County Market, located at the south corner of Irons and Water streets, is open Mondays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Nov. 18, with a special Thanksgiving farmers market closing out the season on Nov. 23. Four fresh produce farmers and one organic farmer are among the regular vendors. Besides fruits and vegetables, this a good place to pick up honey, pickles and olives, aged balsamic vinegars, hot sauces and kettle corn. The first Wednesday of every month includes a celebration of Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables, with one lucky attendee going home with a special basket featuring the specials of the month. The Oct. 7 prize, which will be given away via raffle, will consist of in-season apples and pumpkins.  

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FARMERS' MARKET

This open-air market, which takes place noon to 6 p.m. Fridays in Veterans Park, 111 First Ave., has just three more weeks remaining before it ends for the season on Oct. 9. There is still time to check out some of the new additions, including a vegan and gluten free stand. A variety of fruits and vegetables, bread and bakery products, ethnic foods, soap, candles and seasonable goodies are also available here.  

Contact Bill Gelman at bkgelman@hotmail.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

According to 911 recordings obtained by NJ Advance Media through an open records request, a man called 911 that evening and hung up. Read the transcript of what happened next when the dispatcher called the number back.

BRICK -- A male called police to tell them he was "raisin' hell" at a township residence where a 21-year-old was fatally shot by police last month.

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office has said police responded to a residence on Cherrywood Circle in Brick Township on Aug. 23 after receiving a 911 call from a male who stated he was going to create a disturbance and immediately hung up. A man, later identified as Julian Hoffman, was fatally shot by police outside the residence.

According to 911 recordings obtained by NJ Advance Media through an open public records request, a male called 911 that evening and hung up. The following is the transcript of the dispatcher's call back:

Recordings show the dispatcher then called Brick police and told them he had "a disturbance for ya." He said it "originated as an abandoned call," and when he called back, "The kid said he was causing a disturbance in the residence and told me to send everyone there."

When police arrived at the home shortly before 11 p.m., they were confronted by a man, later identified as Hoffman, who approached them with what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun, authorities have said.

Hoffman failed to comply with officers' orders to drop the weapon, the prosecutor's office said. The officers discharged their duty weapons, striking Hoffman several times and fatally injuring him, authorities previously said.

The records given to NJ Advance Media on Wednesday also include two calls to 911 from neighbors who reported hearing gunshots. A Brick police dispatcher told both neighbors that they were aware of the situation and to stay inside their homes.

Hoffman's father, Derek Hoffman, has previously told NJ Advance Media that his son had his hands up when confronted by police.

Hoffman has said the family has proof -- a video surveillance camera mounted at the front entranceway.

The two officers involved in the incident, Jay Nye, 31, and Ryan Osborn, 25, were put on paid administrative leave pending the completion of the investigation.

"We ask the media and public to refrain from speculating on the facts surrounding the shooting," Ocean County prosecutor spokesman Al Della Fave has said. "A full account of the evidence and circumstances surrounding the shooting will be released at the conclusion of the investigation."

Derek Hoffman, who said he did not witness the shooting, told the Asbury Park Press that his son had an air rifle with him but put it on the ground and raised his arms after getting up.

An attorney representing the family, Donald Lomorro, said the 911 calls don't add anything to what is a "search for the truth for the family."

"They lost their young son and the audio doesn't answer why or how, or give us any real insight into it," Lomorro said. "... We're still without answers."

He said the family is still trying to locate the video, which would show the "real truth" of what happened that night.

Della Fave, the prosecutor's spokesman, said he "can't speak to anything definitive regarding a video at this point."

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

Without any rain, reservoir levels have fallen below normal, spurring fears of the state's first drought in a decade.

A drought watch has been issued in parts of 12 New Jersey counties, encompassing more than two-thirds of the population, after months of dry, warm weather that have driven the state's water supply to worryingly low levels. 

Rainfall totals in parts of northern and central New Jersey have been just over 50 percent of average over the last three months, and long-term forecasts show little chance of significant rain into the first weeks of October. Streamflow and ground water levels have dipped significantly as a result and a warm September has extended the peak water usage season, allowing the state reservoir levels to dip well below average in recent weeks.

"We have been carefully tracking precipitation, stream flows, groundwater and reservoir levels since the spring and over the course of the very dry summer," DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. "While it is not uncommon to see reduced stream flows and ground water levels by the end of the summer season, we are beginning to observe signs of stress in our water supply indicators, and this warrants closer scrutiny and public cooperation."

MORE: No drought about it, N.J. publishes faulty drought data

The drought watch, issued by the Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday, is the first formal action taken by the state and acts as a warning to the public and local officials that mandatory water restrictions could be in the offing if conditions worsen further.

The watch includes all or parts of 12 counties, including Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset and Union. It includes about 6.2 million state residents. 

While the drought watch itself does not enact mandatory water restrictions in the affected regions, local officials often use such declarations to do so on a municipal level. The state is urging residents in these counties to be mindful of how they are using water and to follow mandatory actions taken by their communities, should they occur.  

"There are two ways we can avoid mandatory water restrictions in this situation --  voluntary conservation and rain," said Dan Kennedy, the DEP's commissioner of water resources. "Obviously, we can't control whether or not it rains, but we can ask our residents to be part of our solution ... This step is being taken to avoid mandatory restrictions in the area we can control." 

The watch comes two weeks after an NJ Advance Media analysis found that the DEP had been publishing erroneous drought information on their website, understating the severity of dry conditions in the state's worst affected regions. While acknowledging the error, the DEP said it had no bearing on their decision to enact a drought watch.  

RELATED: Fall begins with a delightful day

A potential drought beginning at the start of fall can be deceptive, experts say. Water usage naturally ebbs as winter approaches, allowing reservoirs to naturally replenish. But dry conditions through the fall and winter can hinder that process, putting the state in a serious situation as the spring growing season approaches.

"When we come to the end of August, usually we see the peak demand stop. This year, because we've had such a warm September, it didn't," said acting State Geologist Jeffrey L. Hoffman. "We cant wait around for rains that might occur.  From a planning point of view we have to assume it is not going to rain.  We have to assume that this is the start of a major drought."  

Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.  

 

Born in South River, Mr. Kamin was an immigrant baker's son who rose to become president and editor of the Daily and Sunday Register of Shrewsbury.

Arthur Z. KaminPhoto courtesy of Blair Kamin 

RED BANK - Longtime journalist Arthur Z. Kamin, who served on the Rutgers University board of trustees for more than two decades, died Tuesday at his home in Red Bank. He was 84.

Born in South River, Mr. Kamin was an immigrant baker's son who rose to become president and editor of the Daily and Sunday Register of Shrewsbury.

Mr. Kamin was editor of The Register from 1965 to the mid-1980s. At Rutgers College, from which he graduated in 1954, Mr. Kamin served as editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, The Daily Targum.

From 1971 to 1993, he served on the Rutgers University board of trustees. From 1982 to 1985, he served as chairman.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia P. Kamin; his son, Blair, of Wilmette, Ill.; a daughter, Brooke Kamin Rapaport, of New York; five grandsons; and a sister, Ceil Rubin of Long Island, N.Y.

Memorial services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Fair Haven First Aid Squad and the Arthur Z. and Virginia P. Kamin Fund for Journalism Innovation at Harvard, care of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. The John E. Day Funeral Home in Red Bank is handling arrangements.

 

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

The city's chief financial officer, however, said additional documentation has been filed that backs up that spending.

ASBURY PARK -- A federal audit made public on Wednesday raises questions about more than $770,000 in grant funding Asbury Park spent after Hurricane Sandy, claiming the city did not provide sufficient evidence to support those costs.

The city's chief financial officer, however, said additional documentation has been filed that backs up that spending. 

The watchdog for the Federal Emergency Management Agency reviewed the Jersey Shore town's spending on four storm-related projects, for which the city was awarded nearly $6.3 million in public assistance grant funding. Asbury Park had claimed roughly $3.7 million of that money through the end of February, which is the time period the audit covered.

While the audit by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general found adequate support for most of the costs the city had claimed through that date, it questioned $771,461 of the $798,819 used for debris removal and emergency work.

The audit said that FEMA "has no assurance that these costs are valid and eligible."

The bulk of that money -- $667,086 -- was spent on debris removal work done by four contractors. The auditors' report said documents the city provided to support those costs were not sufficient because they did not include the contractors' hourly rates for equipment and personnel and the type of equipment used.

ALSO: N.J. had to withdraw, resubmit request to change Sandy grant 15 times 

The audit also questioned $104,375 spent on overtime pay for firefighters and equipment the fire department used. While the report said the city provided cost summaries for those expenses, it did not have activity logs to verify that the work and the equipment used were related to the disaster.

The auditors conclude that FEMA should reject $771,461 in costs, 90 percent of which is covered by the federal government, unless the city properly supports that spending. 

Richard Gartz, Asbury Park's chief financial officer, wrote in an August 14 letter included in the audit report that more documents were submitted this summer. 

In an email on Wednesday, Gartz said he's confident that additional documentation "resolves any issues raised in the report issued regarding debris removal and emergency work."

FEMA spokesman Don Caetano said the agency was reviewing the report and will respond to the inspector general within 90 days. 

The audit also calls on the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, which awarded the grant funding, to work with Asbury Park to help support its claims. A spokeswoman for the state agency did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

We zoomed in on some of the city's historic sights. How many can you name?

So, you think you know Asbury Park inside and out? Put your knowledge to the test with our macro photo quiz! See if you can figure out which Asbury Park building, monument or landmark is shown in each of the close-up photos below. Good luck! Once you're finished, share your score in comments. Let us know which landmarks were easy to ID, and which ones you had trouble with.

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

Were you paying attention to local news this week?

As the calendar turns to autumn, it's time for another NJ.com New Quiz. There are no mentions of pumpkin spice or fall leaves here; just seven questions based on the biggest local stories of the week gone by. Once you're finished, share your score in comments to see how you stack up with other NJ.commers. And please, no Googling.

John Shabe may be reached at jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johndshabe. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Shuffling ghouls will descend upon the boardwalk in Asbury Park on Oct. 3 Watch video

Instead of a zombie funeral, there will be a zombie resurrection in Asbury Park this October.

At a city council meeting on Wednesday, Asbury Park officials approved a special events application submitted by John McGillion, owner of local bar Johnny Mac House of Spirits, to move forward with the New Jersey Zombie Walk. The event had been canceled by its creator this past summer -- given, if you will, a one-way ticket to zombie history.

Now, the lurching, decaying masses have been given new life, and are set to reawaken on Oct. 3, the original planned date for the event. McGillion intends to purchase the rights to the Monmouth County zombie walk from organizer Jason Meehan this week.

In August, Meehan had made an announcement that he was putting the zombie walk to rest, citing the escalating costs associated with the event. As the record-setting parade of ghouls had become more and more popular, the pre-Halloween procession, which Meehan founded in 2007, had also become more expensive, he said.

"My Dear Zombies," Meehan wrote, "I am aghast as I sit here, trying to find the most gentle way to write these words to you ... but there is no way to make this painless, sometimes it's just better to rip the bandage off the wound ... The New Jersey Zombie Walk has died." In place of the usual walk, he said there would be some kind of zombie funeral on the same day, to send the celebrated gathering to its final resting place.

Meehan said "life changes" provided another motivation for him to step away from the event. He recently became head brewer at Demented Brewing Company in Middlesex -- a business that opened in late August -- and welcomed a baby daughter soon after posting word of the walk's demise. 

Hearing the news, McGillion stepped in and expressed interest in assuming management of the event. 

"It's kind of relieving to know that it's going to continue," Meehan says. "It was a really painful thing to tell 20,000 people over Facebook that you're killing their favorite holiday."

McGillion and Meehan say the sale of the rights to the event is being finalized and should be complete by Thursday, when they expect to make an announcement. Meehan will continue to oversee part of the event, including makeup artists who will transform visitors into zombies.

Costs associated with the free event are at least $20,000 to $30,000, McGillion says, including police and fire coverage. Meehan says other past concerns have included selling vendor space to keep the event free to the public. 

The New Jersey Zombie Walk was once recognized by Guinness World Records for the largest gathering of zombies. In 2010, a group of 4,093 warriors of the undead made it happen, and the Jersey event did it again, in 2013, with 9,592 zombies. But the record was later surpassed by the Zombie Pub Crawl of Minneapolis in 2014, which boasted 15,458 participants.

For anyone planning to attend the walk, here are the details, as relayed by McGillion and Meehan:

• Zombie walk events will begin at noon on Sat., Oct. 3 and carry on through 8 p.m. on the Asbury Park Boardwalk.

• The zombie walk itself will begin on the boardwalk at 4 p.m., and proceed to the city's downtown, concluding at Cookman Avenue and Main Street across from Johnny Mac House of Spirits.

Thousands turned out for the 2011 New Jersey Zombie Walk in Asbury Park. (Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)
 

• As in previous years, makeup artists will staff the event at the Carousel House. Meehan says there will be less artists on hand than at past walks, but they will still provide "theatrical-grade" work, ranging from a $10 application to a $50 "complete makeover" -- head-to-toe zombification. Zombie makeup should be available until about 4 p.m., when the walk begins.

• Need some duds for the fiendish stroll? Want to remember the year of zombie resurrection? The Carousel House will also be the place to get your zombie merchandise.

• For the most updated information, see the New Jersey Zombie Walk Facebook page. The event's website -- njzombiewalk.com -- is also expected to be updated soon.

This weekend's menu for fun includes the Red Bank Guinness Oyster Fest, Golden Nugget Craft Beer Fest and more. Watch video

RED BANK GUINNESS OYSTER FEST 

This early fall gathering returns from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday (rain date is Oct. 4) in Downtown Red Bank's White Street parking lot (Dublin House). The inspiration for this huge food and music gathering, which drew a crowd of about 15,000 in 2014, comes from the 61-year-old Galway Oyster Festival in Ireland. The "culinary feast" with feature tons of Guinness and fresh oysters, but there will be much, much more as 25 of Red Bank's favorite restaurants will be serving up specialty items. Admission is $5 for anyone over the age 10. It serves as a fundraiser for the Jane H. Booker Cancer Center. And when the seven-hour affair comes to a close at 7 p.m., you don't have to head home -- there will also be an after-party inside the Dublin House, 30 Monmouth St. 

Sunday, September 27 at 12:00 PMRed Bank Guinness Oyster FestivalDowntown Red BankSEE FULL EVENT DETAILSnj.com

SOUTH JERSEY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL 

The event formerly known as the Waterfront Wine & Food Festival is spread over two days, with wine samples from nine South Jersey wineries, music, culinary demonstrations, an amateur wine making competition and, yes, food -- plenty of it - Saturday and Sunday, Noon to 6 p.m., at Lake Lenape Park East, 753 Park Road in Mays Landing. One-day advance tickets are $15 ($20 day of event) and include a glass for the 21-and-over wine tasting (food sold separately). Ed Hitzel's Restaurant Row will feature a mouthwatering assortment of culinary delights from several Jersey Shore favorites, including The Palm, Capriccio's and FIN Seafood.   

FIFTH ANNUAL CRAFT BEER FEST

It's not hard finding beer-themed events this time of year, with Octoberfest celebrations are popping up all over the Garden State. The Golden Nugget Atlantic City is continuing its series of food-and-drink-themed events with craft beers taking center stage Friday through Sunday. This fifth annual gathering will kick off with a noon "Craft Beer Blowout" in the Bayview Room on The Deck. This free-to-attend gathering is a chance for beer enthusiasts to enjoy seasonal brews and small bites (available for purchase). 

Saturday night brings the Craft Beer Tasting in The Grand. More than 99 seasonal craft beer selections will be available for tasting. (Food is also included.) Live entertainment will be provided by the band Don't Call Me Francis. Tickets ($59) are required for this 8-to-11-p.m. event. VIP entry ($69) will be at 7 p.m., and will provide guest one-on-one time with the brew masters.  

Lillie's, which is located on the property, is also getting into the sampling action with sushi and beer pairing Friday through Sunday during normal operating hours. The $25 deal will include five sushi rolls paired with five seasonal brews. 

EVESHAM HARVEST FEST

Evesham Township is officially saying hello to fall on Saturday with its 29th annual Fall Harvest Fest. This one draws such a big crowd that Main Street in Marlton is being shut down to make room for more than 70 vendors and live music. More than 25 food vendors will be on hand. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Main Street between Maple and South Locust avenues.  

Saturday, September 26 at 10:00 AM29th Annual Evesham Harvest FestDowntown MarltonSEE FULL EVENT DETAILSnj.com

Contact Bill Gelman at bkgelman@hotmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Bills pending in Trenton to stop foreclosures

Debra and Steve Corrado's home in the Silverton section of Toms River, is stranded high its foundation, unlivable.

They're waiting for their third state-assigned contractor from the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation program to finish it. Just four days ago - one month shy of the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy destroying their home - they signed an amended RREM grant to get the job done.

They're in their third rental.

It gets worse. They're in foreclosure.

"After all the money we spent trying to get back in our house, now we have to hire a lawyer to try to keep it," Debra Corrado said.  

The abridged version of their story goes like this:

Their house was wrecked by the hurricane and they accepted what they say was low-ball settlement from their insurance company.

"We didn't want to waste time fighting," she said. "We wanted to get back home."

They followed Gov. Chris Christie's advice to "rebuild now," and renovated by using their saving and emptying their 401Ks.

But when the new (final) FEMA flood maps came out, they had to elevate the house, so they entered the RREM program in June 2014. The 90-day job is now on day 400-something, as they continued paying mortgage ($2,800 a month) and rent ($1,500).

"Part of the house was on a slab, and they actually cut it in half with a saw," Corrado said.

They couple got behind on the mortgage and the bank began foreclosing. The nightmare continues. Nearly three years and counting.

This is not an isolated case.

"One-third of the people impacted by the storm have not had their problems remediated," said state Assemblyman Gary Schaer, a Democrat whose districtincludes Moonachie and Little Ferry, two towns hit hard by Sandy. "Not 5 percent ... not 10 percent ... 33 percent. It is unconscionable that three years after the storm, we still have thousands of people out of their homes."

And many of those people, like the Corrados, now face foreclosure.

Schaer and fellow Democrat Sen. Jeff Van Drew, who represents Atlantic Cape and Cumberland Counties, have introduced bills in their respective houses to get the banks to back off.

Assembly bill A4139 and Senate bill S2577 have passed committee and Schaer said he hopes each will be voted on by the end of the year.

The identical bills ask that banks halt foreclosure on homes in the state RREM program and the LMI (low- and moderate-income) rebuilding program until 60 days after they are reoccupied.

The fact that the legislators come from opposite ends of state illustrates the swath of Sandy's destruction and its continued misery.

"This storm did not discriminate geographically," Schaer said.

"But many of the people - not all, but many - who remain out of their homes were the most economically vulnerable," Schaer said. "They are single mothers, the elderly, and families struggling to make ends meet before the storm. No one seemed to be speaking for them. These are people who have yet to receive the relief that was promised them."

The bills seek to freeze all foreclosure proceedings on properties wrecked by Sandy, as long has the property wasn't in foreclosure prior to storm. The mortgages would resume within 60 days of the owners returning home. 

The bills also would protect homeowners from foreclosure in future disasters, an important feature for people who live in flood areas along the Raritan and Passaic River basins, as well as the coast.

"This is not a handout," Schaer said. "We wanted to craft a bill to answer the short-term needs for people who are behind on their mortgages through no fault of their own.

"We want to give people 36 months - that seems to be the time it takes - to recover from a disaster without the threat of foreclosure."

Almost all the people in this situation are there because of the hallmark factors of this slow recovery. Insurance fraud. Contractor malfeasance. Bureaucratic entanglement.

"The state blames the feds, the feds blame the state," Schaer said. "Let's stop playing the blame game and come up with solutions."

That's a welcomed message for Nancy Wirtz, whose small house in the Forked River Beach section of Lacey Township was flooded and severely damaged when two trees fell on it during Sandy.

A contractor charged her $55,000 to demolish the house and then disappeared. Wirtz now has no house, no money and the bank bearing down on her.

"I'm lost," she told the Assembly's Housing and Community Development Committee during a hearing on the bill in June. "I don't know what to do."

Amada Devecka-Rinear, who formed a group to lobby for Sandy victims, said the bills is "welcomed" and "good" but doesn't go far enough.

"I think this bill was chipped away at by the banking lobby," said Devecka-Rinear, executive director of the New Jersey Organizing Project. "It originally included all Sandy victims. Now, it's just those in RREM and LMI (who must be primary homeowners to qualify for those programs).

"But what about second homeowners and people who own rental properties?" she said. "They've had to deal with some of the same issues, like low insurance payouts or bad contractors.

"I think the bill is good and needed," she said. "But we're going to push back and see if we can get it expanded. These people have suffered enough. The banks should give them a break."

A 23-year-old man was killed and two were critically injured Friday night when the ATV on which they were riding crashed, State Police said.

A 23-year-old man was killed and two were critically injured Saturday night when the ATV on which they were riding crashed, State Police said. (File photo)Hunterdon County Democrat 

MILLSTONE -- A 23-year-old man was killed and two were critically injured Friday night when the all-terrain vehicle on which they were riding crashed, State Police said.

Eric T. Waters, of Millstone, was driving a Suzuki QuadSport west on Pine Hill Road at about 10:30 p.m. with two passengers when he lost control of the vehicle and hit a pole, State Police spokesman Sgt. First Class Greg Williams said. Waters was pronounced dead at the scene before midnight, he said.

His 23-year-old passengers -- Kathryn Doe of Long Branch and Karli Schaffner of West Long Branch -- were flown by medical helicopter to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Williams said.

Both women were listed in critical condition as of Saturday afternoon, he said.

Williams said the preliminary report didn't indicate whether Waters and his passengers were wearing helmets.

The State Police provide coverage for Millstone Township in Monmouth County.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

The event features activities for all ages including games, hayrides, food courts, craft fair and live entertainment.

MIDDLETOWN -- As summer slips away fall festivals are in full swing throughout the Garden state.

On Saturday, people flocked to Middletown to attend the town's annual fall festival known as Middletown Day to enjoy hayrides, craft fairs and live entertainment.

 Children enjoyed, pony rides under the trees, a petting zoo,  bouncy houses and  carnival games. Sports contests were held throughout the day for children ages 6-15.

RELATED: 79 N.J. fall festivals for 2015: Our ultimate guide

This the fourth year Stacie Hobbs-Fernie has attended the festival.  The festival is one of the great things about being a part of Middletown and the community, she said.  

 "The kids love the festival, they enjoy the bounce houses, fire trucks and seeing all their friends," Hobbs-Fernie said.

Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @psapone. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jennifer Loughlin, 25, of Aberdeen, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, Chief John Powers said.

Several officers responded Saturday night to Hawthorne Street in the Cliffwood Beach section of Aberdeen Township for a report of a fight. (File photo).

ABERDEEN -- A 25-year-old township woman bit a police officer and "refused to let go" Saturday night after resisting arrest, police said.

Several officers responded at around 10 p.m. to a residence on Hawthorne Street in the Cliffwood Beach section of town after receiving a report of a fight, Chief John Powers said in an email.

When officers arrived, they found around 10 to 15 people in the street, but no one was fighting, Powers said.

He said a female, later identified as Jennifer Loughlin, "appeared to be heavily intoxicated, uncooperative, and disorderly."

After told she was under arrest, Loughlin "physically resisted" Officer Frank Maisano's effort to place her in handcuffs, Powers said.

Loughlin was taken into custody with the assistance of officers Jessica McDougall and Charles Trucillo, Powers said. But then Loughlin bit McDougall on the arm and "refused to let go," the chief said.

Loughlin eventually let go of McDougall, and was taken to police headquarters where she was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and aggravated assault on a police officer.

Loughlin's bail was set at $15,000 with no 10 percent option. She was released after posting bail, Powers said.

McDougall was taken to Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel where she was treated for an injury to her arm caused by the bite.

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

 

About 20,000 people came out to the White Street parking lot in downtown Red Bank for the Guinness Oyster Festival.

RED BANK -- Frank "Mo" Moreca made the trip down from Hudson County to this Jersey Shore borough on Sunday for one thing: oyster shooters.

The North Bergen resident sat patiently at The Chowda House stand at the 6th annual Red Bank Oyster Festival as he waited for his custom-made concoction -- six oysters in a half-cup of Guinness beer.

"We did it just for him," owner Mary Jennings said, as she shucked oysters and plated clams for hungry customers.

Moreca stabbed an oyster with his wooden forked, swished it around the beer and then popped it in his mouth.

"It's the only reason I came here," he said, with a wide smile on his face.

Moreca was among the 20,000 others who attended the Guinness Oyster Festival Sunday, held at the White Street parking lot (behind The Dublin House) in downtown Red Bank. The festival, modeled after the Galway Oyster Festival in Ireland, featured two stages of live music, an array of street vendors, beer and seafood.

Like the 61-year-old Galway Oyster Festival, the Red Bank festival is held in September to celebrate the start of oyster season -- but it's really a celebration of Red Bank, said Jim Scavone, the executive director of Red Bank RiverCenter, the organization that puts on the festival.

"It's just a chance for us to pull people into Red Bank who maybe have never experienced it before, get to know the town and hopefully come back," Scavone said.

While the festival was busting at the seams with people, downtown Red Bank on Sunday mimicked a mid-summer evening; people lined the streets as a steady stream of patrons filled the bustling businesses.

Inside the festival, the parking lot was bookended by two music stages, appropriately named West Stage and East Stage. Long lines could be seen at the drink ticket booth and the The Lusty Lobster stand.

Dan Pollard, general manager of the Highlands-based The Lusty Lobster, said he expects his crew to serve more than 10,000 oysters at the festival.

"We love it, we look forward to festivals," Pollard said. "It's a lot of work, but it's fun."

Pollard said he brings in extra help just for the festival, which is "one of his favorite" events.

"Guinness and oysters go good together," he said.

Mary Jennings, the co-owner of The Chowda House, said she plans on serving around 5,000 oysters and clams.

Scavone, the event director, said the oyster festival has "steadily grown" each year. He estimated about 12,000 people attended the first festival six years ago.

"Right from the beginning it was successful and I think that word has spread," he said.

Set along the Navesink River, Red Bank has a rich oyster history, Scavone said. He said the river used to have thousands of oyster beds and that history sparked the idea for the festival in Red Bank. 

"We really have grown a lot and we pull in people from a wide area now," he said. "We have people from all over the state coming to the event." 

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

One was sold in Central Jersey, the other in South Jersey

A pair of tickets sold about 100 miles apart for the weekend's Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots are worth $1 million apiece.

The lucky ticket for Friday's Mega Millions drawing was purchased at a Wawa store on Corlies Avenue in Neptune, state lottery officials said Monday morning.

Meanwhile, a fortunate Cape May County lottery players bought a Powerball ticket worth $1 million for Saturday's drawing at ShopRite on Route 47 in the Rio Grande section of Middle Township.

Both tickets matched five numbers, but neither contained the Mega Ball or the Powerball.

Both multi-state drawings' top prizes grew again as neither produced a jackpot winner this weekend. Wednesday's Powerball jackpot will be worth a minimum of $301 million with a cash option of $191.4 miliion.

A night earlier, the Mega Millions jackpot will be $39 million with a cash option of $24 million.

The Powerball numbers drawn were: 23, 31, 42, 50 and 57; the Powerball was 5. Six other tickets sold across the country are also worth $1 million. One was sold in each of the following states: Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma and Virginia. 

The winning Mega Millions numbers were: 3, 8, 38, 51 and 64. The Mega Ball was 4. The Neptune ticket was the only one sold in the nation to match at least five numbers. If the winner spent an extra $1 to exercise the Powerplay option, the prize would have been $5 million.

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

 

The Deal Lake Commission had pushed for the project to go another seven blocks further west to Asbury Park High School but that would have cost more than what was available in grant money.

ASBURY PARK -- New Jersey's largest coastal lake is getting some much-needed attention after Hurricane Sandy filled it with tons of sand, exacerbating the flood threat for nearby residents.

Deal Lake, which borders seven towns in Monmouth County, is scheduled for a major dredging project next month to remove 12,000 cubic yards of sand dumped there during the 2012 hurricane.

The state Department of Environmental Protection on Monday announced the project, which was welcome news to the head of the commission overseeing the 158-acre manmade body of water.

"This is wonderful news. It has been a long road back for Deal Lake from Superstorm Sandy," said Don Brockel, chairman of the Deal Lake Commission. "We hope this will be the first of many other dredging projects that can make Deal Lake more flood resilient and to fully restore it back to pre-Sandy conditions."

Brockel said the commission worked closely with the state DEP, the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service and Asbury Park to get the dredging money.

The state awarded a nearly $1.66 million contract to Tri-State Dredging of Philadelphia for the work. The NRCS, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is providing more than $1.5 million for the work from its Emergency Watershed Protection program and the DEP is kicking in $154,600, according DEP commissioner Bob Martin.

With 12.5 miles of shoreline, Deal Lake - which touches Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Deal, Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Neptune Township and Ocean Township - had flooding problems in the past, but those issues were worsened after Hurricane Sandy dumped tons of Sandy at its easternmost reach along the Shore, Brockel said.

Deal Lake (Google Earth) 

In some places, the lake is only 2 feet deep, which causes the waterway to overspill its banks in major storms, he said. The dredge project will deepen the lake to 4 feet between its oceanfront border in Asbury Park and Route 71, about three blocks, Brockel said.

The commission had pushed for the project to go another seven blocks further west to Asbury Park High School but that would have cost more than what was available in grant money, he said.

"We have problems going all the way back to Asbury Park High School," he said.

The commission is still looking for grant money to continue flood control efforts, including continued dredging, storm scepters and flume baffles.

Storm scepters would capture sand and sediment before it gets into the lake and would allow oils from runoff to be collected. While the flumes allow for the exchange of water between the ocean and the lake, a baffle system would prevent ocean water from backing up through the flumes into the lake during storms.

Dredging of the lake is expected to begin next month and will take about 90 days to complete under permits issued by the DEP and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The work was scheduled for the fall to avoid impacts on local roadways during the summer, Martin said.

Brockel said the dredged material initially will be put on land by the senior towers in Asbury Park a few days during the de-watering process. He did not know where the material would go from there.

Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesman, said the dredged material would eventually go to an approved offsite location that is permitted to receive the type of material that is dredged. 

He said the contractor can use an approved site of its choosing as long as it gets approved through the DEP's Office of Dredging and Sediment Technology.

Some work was done to the lake after Sandy to remove tons of debris, including splintered wood from docks, trees and mangled pieces of structures. The flume gatehouse has also been restored.

Carrie Lindig, New Jersey director of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, said the dredging of storm sediments from Deal Lake is the last of the 17 storm recovery projects funded by her agency in the state.

Dubbed "Operation Family Tides," the 10-month investigation by several county and local law enforcement agencies revealed the members obtained large quantities of heroin in raw undiluted form and then recruited people to package the opiate for sale primarily in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen.

FREEHOLD -- A Monmouth County grand jury on Monday indicted 20 people as part of a drug distribution network that included several members of the same family who recruited others to package heroin and cocaine flowing through the county's Bayshore area.

Four of those indicted are charged with being the leaders of that network, which acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said sold large quantities of heroin almost daily.

Seven others are accused of conspiring with the alleged leaders to distribute heroin and cocaine in a network that Gramiccioni said operated out of houses and apartments in Monmouth and Middlesex counties.

Dubbed "Operation Family Tides," the 10-month investigation by several county and local law enforcement agencies revealed the members obtained large quantities of heroin in raw undiluted form and then recruited people to package the opiate for sale primarily in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen.

The 136-count indictment names Gregory "IA" Moore, 34; Terrence "T9" Brown, 38; Edward "Head" Guttridge II, 30, all of Cliffwood, and Halee Wing, 37, of East Orange, as leaders of the narcotics ring. The four men are charged with leading a narcotics trafficking network, conspiracy, drug possession with intent to distribute and drug distribution.

Those charged as being co-conspirators are Isaiah "Zeke" Edwards, 25, of Old Bridge; Raymond "Hood" Jackson, 30, of Keyport; Bianca Edwards, 22, of Old Bridge; Joseph "Rule" Jackson Jr., 44, of Matawan, Krystal Mell, 26, of Keansburg, Alina Alma, 24, of New York City and James, "King James" Hemenway, 37, of Woodbridge. They were charged with conspiracy, drug possession with intent to distribute and drug distribution. Brown, Isaiah Edwards, Gutridge, Raymond Jackson, Mell and Joseph Jackson, Jr. also face additional drug distribution charges. Additionally, Gutridge and Jessica German, 21, of New York City, were each charged with drug possession.

Members of the operation also sold powder and crack cocaine, Gramiccioni said.

He said the investigation also uncovered two locations - an apartment in Perth Amboy and another apartment in Woodbridge - where heroin and cocaine were processed and packaged.

In the indictment, Gutridge, Wing, Alma, and Timothy Davidson, 38, of Old Bridge, are charged with maintaining or operating a drug production facility, drug possession with intent to distribute in connection with the apartment in Perth Amboy. Hemenway is charged with maintaining or operating a drug production facility and drug possession with intent to distribute related to the Woodbridge apartment, Gramiccioni said.

The indictment also named seven people who are accused of buying drugs from members of the narcotics ring. They were identified as Ryan Murphy, 26, and Taheem Brown, 22, of Cliffwood; Jason Remp, 21, of Hazlet; James Mitchell, 57, Shannon Lecomte 21, and Denise Giuriceo, 41, of Keansburg and Christine Owens, 44, of the West Keansburg section of Hazlet. They are charged with drug possession and conspiracy to possess drugs.