After the ducklings hatched, they needed to leap off the roof of Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten

For weeks, employees at the giant Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten in Asbury Park have been harboring a secret: a mother duck had laid her eggs on the roof, not far from the rooftop bar where hundreds of revelers gather every night. 

After seeking advice from experts, they left the nest alone and kept guests away, according to a post on the restaurant's Facebook page.

But employees of the restaurant sensed something amiss when they saw the mother duck wandering around on the ground Thursday morning. And then, suddenly, it began raining ducklings as the fuzzy hatchlings bravely began plummeting from the rooftop to join their mother on terra firma.

It is common for many species of ducks, such as mallards and wood ducks, which nest in trees or balconies to have to leap to the ground shortly after hatching. But it is always dramatic and spectacular to watch.

The ultimate ranking of all 39 bars in Asbury Park

In this case, the entire scene -- including the restaurant's sous chef catching some of the mallard ducklings in his hat -- was captured on video by office manager Adria Gordon and posted to the restaurant's Facebook page. 

Did the ducks survive? Watch the video for the spec-quack-ular conclusion.

Neptune resident says Freehold Township police accused him of committing burglaries after his arm was struck by the mirror of a pick-up truck

A Shore man who claimed he was falsely arrested by Freehold Township police because he's black settled his lawsuit for $80,000.

Mateek U. Pugh of Neptune Township was charged with criminal mischief, resisting arrest and aggravated assault after he says his arm was struck by the side-view mirror of a pick-up truck while crossing a township street at about 9 p.m. on June 12, 2012.

Family who accused cops of driveway assault settles suit

The news was first reported by NJ Civil Settlements, which provides a partial list of settlements paid by New Jersey government agencies and their insurers to those who have sued them.

Pugh's suit said responding officer Jack Mandala turned him from a pedestrian struck by a vehicle into "a stereotypical angry, intoxicated, black male suspect."

The officer accused Pugh of committing burglaries in the area after finding a television remote control in his jacket pocket, court papers state. Pugh said the officer grabbed his injured arm, pinned him against the hood of the patrol car and handcuffed him.

The lawsuit also alleges that the driver of the truck, Brian R. Graga, was dating the daughter of a Freehold Township police sergeant. Graga called his girlfriend after striking Pugh in order to get her father to the scene at the intersection of Robertsville and East Freehold roads, according to the lawsuit.

When the now 33-year-old Pugh filed the lawsuit in June 2014, he asked for $1,000,000 in damages. The suit was settled earlier this month.

Freehold Township admitted no wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.

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

The incident occurred during an impromptu backyard party, police said

RED BANK --Two men were injured when they were slashed during a backyard party in Red Bank early Friday morning, authorities said.

The men, both Red Bank residents, were at an impromptu party when an acquaintance went after them with a large knife, said police Chief Darren McConnell.

He said the incident occurred at 1:30 a.m. at Shrewsbury Avenue and Herbert Street.

One of the men, who is 46, had a severe laceration to his face and was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, McConnell said.

The second victim, who is 43, sustained a superficial wound and was taken to Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, the chief said.

Both were non-life threatening injuries, he said.

Police have not recovered a weapon and have not made an arrest, he said. Investigators are working to identify the slasher, he said.

After police responded to the 911 call, they found the victims about two blocks from the crime scene, McConnell said.

The examination came after protests at Princeton University

WEST LONG BRANCH -- Monmouth University is keeping Woodrow Wilson Hall as the name of its historic administration building after examining concerns about the racist views held by the former president and New Jersey governor.

The university's board of trustees voted on Thursday to keep the name on the West Long Branch building but also said it would help educate the community about Wilson's legacy in connection with his racist views.

"I am proud that our entire board chose to proactively examine Wilson's legacy with the help of faculty, students, and staff members," said board chairman Henry Mercer. "From this we know that we have a responsibility to tell Wilson's full story - the good and bad. This provides a valuable learning opportunity for the Monmouth University community."

The demand for the excision of Wilson's name from academic buildings started last year at Princeton University, which Wilson headed for eight years before becoming New Jersey governor.

No demands or protests occurred at Monmouth University, but because of the movement at Princeton, university president Paul Brown decided in December the school should conduct its own examination, which included open forums, small group discussions, individual meetings, academic sessions and surveys, the school in a statement released on Friday.

Princeton's problem: President Woodrow Wilson's 'racist' legacy

The discussions involved faculty students and alumni, school officials said.

Despite the name on the hall - a former private mansion - Wilson never set foot in the building, which was constructed after his death.

Wilson used the previous mansion on that site as his summer residence during his 1916 reelection campaign. After that, it was known as the Summer White House, but was destroyed by fire in 1927.

The replacement mansion, built in 1929, was a private home until it fell into municipal ownership after the Depression and eventually became a private girls college. That school - Highland Junior College - first named the building Woodrow Wilson Hall. After Monmouth's predecessor - Monmouth Junior College - took over the school, it renamed the building The Great Hall. A decade later, the college reverted back to using the name Woodrow Wilson Hall.

"A very common refrain from our alumni was that while Wilson's racist views are abhorrent, he was a product of his time, and that judging the values of a previous era by our own standards could lead toward the path of erasing unpleasant facts of history, which is never an appropriate action for any academic institution," Brown said.

While he was a Nobel Prize winner, Wilson also endorsed the Ku Klux Klan and denied black students admission to Princeton while he was president.  He refused to allow blacks to be hired in his administration as governor and reinstituted segregation in federal jobs while he was president. He also believed blacks were unworthy of citizenship.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a national historic landmark.

"Studying history allows you to learn from past mistakes and do better," Mercer said. "Understanding all the historical facts surrounding Wilson's views gives us a teaching tool to drive forward the university's core values of both diversity and excellence in teaching and learning. The work ahead is to promote tolerance and diversity on campus through open and honest dialogue."

Bryan Taylor drafted dozens of family and friends to ambush his girlfriend of four years on the Asbury Park boardwalk

Bryan Proposes to Brittani from NRG Film Company on Vimeo.

A stroll along the Asbury Park boardwalk turned into the marriage proposal of a lifetime for Brittani Taylor.

With the help of dozens of family and friends, some of whom flew or drove in from other states, her boyfriend of four years Bryan Taylor (no relation yet) organized a flash mob that surprised Brittani with a serenade of the Jagged Edge's "Let's Get Married" on June 10. 

The proposal, filmed and edited by Tinton Falls production company NRG Film Company, has gotten more than 200,000 views on Facebook after the Asbury Park Press told the behind-the-scenes story.  

Brittani's cousin had lured her onto the boardwalk for a couple of drinks when she saw some of Bryan's friends there. "Then, I start seeing pictures and hearing this song, and through my head I was like, 'Oh my God is this happening now? Is this happening?'," she told the newspaper. 

The video shows more and more people joining in the serenade, some holding signs printed with the lyrics, as Brittani is escorted into Convention Hall, through a terrace and down onto the beach, where Bryan had left her a string of notes. When she turned around, he popped the question. (She said yes.) 

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook, and check out TV Hangover, the podcast from Vicki Hyman and co-host Erin Medley on iTunes, Stitcher or listen here.

TV HANGOVER SHOW: Ep. 40: New Jersey is coming back to TV

Joseph Stovall admitted he was under the influence of Xanax when the crash occurred in Long Branch

File photo 

FREEHOLD -- A former Long Branch man admitted Friday he caused the death of a Monmouth University student when he slammed into her car while she was tending to a car accident.

Joseph Stovall, 48, who now lives in Virginia, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in the Sept. 11, 2013, death of Victoria Tropper, 21, of Marlboro, said acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.

Former Long Branch man indicted in crash that killed Monmouth U. student

Stovall also pleaded guilty to assault by auto for injuring Thomas E. Triano, 52, of Cherry Hill, in the crash, and to driving under the influence of Xanax despite not having a valid prescription for the drug, Gramiccioni said.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend that Stovall be sentenced on Oct. 28 to five years in prison and be required to serve more than four years of the term before becoming eligible for parole, Gramiccioni said. He would also be placed on parole supervision for three years after being released from prison.

If Stovall had been convicted of vehicular homicide at trial, he would have faced up to 20 years in prison.

After they had been involved in a fender-bender, Tropper and Triano were standing between their respective cars on the shoulder of Joline Avemue near Fifth Avenue in Long Branch at 7:45 p.m. when Stovall's Dodge Ram pick-up truck swerved into the shoulder, the acting prosecutor said. His truck collided with Tropper's Volkswagen Jetta and pushed it into Triano and Tropper, investigators said at the time.

Triano sustained multiple cuts and Tropper suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Aurora Tropper, the mother of Victoria Tropper, said that although she was dissatisfied with the length of time Stovall will have to spend behind bars, she agreed to the deal because it ends three years of torture for her and her family.

"It's not enough time, five years. It brings me a little peace that this person won't be on the street for five years," she said. "It's not closure. I'm the one serving a life sentence."

She the experience inspired her to work to change the law governing vehicular homicide to prohibit anyone convicted of committing that crime while being under the influence or drugs or alcohol to serve a mandatory prison term of between 10 and 15 years.

"If someone is under the influence and clearly kills someone, there should not be leniency," she said.

She said her daughter, the oldest of three children, was on her way home to Marlboro when the crash occurred.  She was a senior majoring in psychology, her mother said.

"We're hurting as a family," Mrs. Tropper said. "People don't realize the affects of this on the family. It's very difficult to go on. We see the law is not on our side."

Keitha and Stuart Lackey spend 10 weeks raising Gilbert before he 'went off to college.'

BELMAR -- It was a clear match from the moment Ryan Jones spotted Gilbert from his wheelchair.

"That's my dog," Tracy Jones said of what her 24-year-old son, Ryan, said when he spotted the black labrador-retriever mix at an event that paired people with disabilities with canine companions.

Canine Companions for Independence, the organization that trained Gilbert to be an assistance dog, sent Gilbert home with the Jones family during Valentine's Day weekend. Nearly five months later, Gilbert and Ryan Jones are an in-sync duo in Virginia Beach, where the family lives -- and Jones is known as "the guy with the cool dog."

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"Primarily, the people we're serving are folks with physical limitations," said Lauren Ferraioli, puppy program manager at Canine Companions for Independence.

Before Gilbert was doted on by Jones, he was first pampered as a puppy by the Lackey family in New Jersey. Keitha and Stuart Lackey raised him for 10 weeks, then, following protocol, turned him over to Canine Companions to be trained as a service dog for six months.

"Stuart and I are empty nesters," said Keitha Lackey, who has two grown children living in Alexandria and Chicago. She admitted she was "leery" of taking on the responsibility of raising a puppy and wondered if would she be bound home because of it.

It turned out Gilbert was a better travel companion than she and Stuart anticipated.

"With Gilbert, we spent a month traveling the southeastern United States," she said. "He was better behaved than any of our children."

As a puppy, Gilbert experienced his share of adventure. He toured the United States by way of trains, boats, airplanes, and cars. Then he went off to Canine Companions for the next stage of his life, or puppy college, Lackey said.

"When we turned in Gilbert -- he was the first puppy that we raised -- when we turned him in, it doesn't bother the dogs at all because the other dogs that are about the same age are being turned in on the same day," Lackey said. "And the dogs see the training center, and they've got this new play yard and all kinds of toys and things, so the dogs are happy.

"They're meeting new friends -- it's like they're going off to college."

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Like parents dropping off their human children, Lackey said she was sad to see Gilbert off. She said almost everyone she talks to wonders how she and Stuart could get so attached to a dog just to relinquish them.

"We went into it with our eyes open," Lackey said. "We knew that we were going to have to give the dog up to be trained. You go into it knowing that."

But it wasn't goodbye forever. Six months later, the Lackeys saw Gilbert again.

"Gilbert recognized us, but he had matured over the six months he was in training," Lackey said. "And he's not jumping on us or overexcitable, but he was happy; he was excited. We were taking pictures and he came over and put his head right on my chest."

Then it was time for Gilbert, now a newly graduated assistance dog, to find his final home. Gilbert stood up on his hind legs, put his front paws on either side of Ryan's wheelchair, and looked his new owner in the face.

"Ryan loves him," his mother said. She said his first dog from Canine Companions, Josephine, also a labrador-retriever mix, died after living for nearly 13 years. "Ryan was very, very sad when he lost Josephine. They were attached -- they went everywhere together."

Gilbert and Ryan are developing that same kind of bond now, Tracy Jones said.

"Especially in the past month or so, I've noticed Ryan is more in tune with Gilbert," she said. "Like if he's panting if we've been outside, he'll say, 'Gilbert's hot, he needs to drink.' If he thinks he's hurt he'll say Gilbert's hurt, even if he might not be. He's very aware of him and having him as his dog."

At night, the two sleep side-by-side -- Ryan in his bed, and Gilbert in an elevated dog bed.

During the day, Tracy, a pediatric nurse, and her husband, Bruce, an optician, know Gilbert takes care of Ryan in some simple ways by picking things up for him. Then he takes care of him in some more unexpected ways.

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"Before Gilbert, people were kind of afraid to come up to Ryan and interact with him," Tracy Jones said. "And now with the dog it makes a huge difference in social interaction. People are like, 'Oh, you're the kid with the cool dog,' versus walking on the other side of the street so they don't have to talk to him."

She rests a little easier, too, knowing that her son isn't so alone.

"Ryan doesn't really have friends that come over, but I have comfort knowing that he has a buddy," Tracy Jones said. "And that goes a long way and makes a huge difference for Ryan."

Katie Park may be reached at kpark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kathspark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

New Jersey already has 28 confirmed cases of Zika, all travel related so far. Here's what you can do to help

Hundreds of mosquitoes swarmed a pile of discarded tires behind a Mercer County auto repair shop last week as Mark Baker donned a backpack that resembled something out of the Ghostbusters prop department. 

His target, however, was not the bugs buzzing in the air. It was their thousands of offspring currently in the larvae stage in the stagnant water pooled inside the tires.

An Aedes albopictus mosquito feeding. (Photo by James Gathany/ Centers for Disease Control) 

After collecting samples of the murky water for testing, Baker, an employee of the Mercer County Mosquito Control commission, pumped larvicide from his backpack to kill the would-be mosquitoes before they could take flight.

Baker is among those on the front lines in New Jersey's efforts to thwart the spreading threat of Zika, a virus carried by mosquitoes that can cause a severe birth defect called microcephaly. The neurological condition is associated with an abnormally small head and lifelong disabilities.

New Jersey already has 28 confirmed cases of Zika, all travel related so far. On May 31, a baby born with Zika was born at Hackensack University Medical Center after the mother contracted the virus in her native country of Honduras.

There is no vaccine or cure for Zika.

The prime season for mosquitoes in New Jersey just getting started and could last until the first frosts of October.

7 reasons N.J. needs to worry about Zika

Every county in the state has a local agency tasked with annual mosquito control efforts to help prevent longstanding threats from blood-borne pathogens and more recent concerns over new viruses like Zika and West Nile.  

The mosquito control strategy involving insecticides and larvicides remains largely unchanged despite potential for Zika to spread, the county experts said.

Residents and business owners, however, can make a difference by eliminating the small pockets of stagnant water where mosquito breeding occurs, the experts said.

"Our best weapon against all mosquito-borne illnesses is cooperation from our public," Burlington County spokesman Eric Arpert said. "We need to make people aware of what kind of environments mosquitoes thrive in. People need to empty buckets and other containers after rain."

8 important facts about Zika

Common breeding grounds include planters, toys, kiddie pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, storage bins and trash containers, which should be regularly cleared of collecting rain water, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

In Middlesex County, two towns launched a public information campaign about the danger of water in untended backyard pools of homes still vacant from the housing crisis.

Mosquito control agencies are also constantly collecting samples to track the potential threat.

This is the most important defense against mosquito-born illnesses.

"We do an awful lot of mosquito surveillance," said Jennifer Gruener, superintendent of the Warren County Mosquito Commission. "There are 43 different mosquitoes in NJ. The first thing we do is sample water for larvae and bring larvae back to the lab."

So far, the mosquito most associated with the spread of Zika has not been found in New Jersey, said Michael Romanowski, superintendent of Ocean County Mosquito Extermination Commission said.

Of greater concern is the Asian tiger mosquito, which is prevalent in New Jersey, but none have tested positive for Zika to date, Romanowski said.

"Each year we send thousands of mosquitoes to the state health department to test for viruses," Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes said. "If Zika-virus-positive mosquitoes are found, Mercer County's mosquito control would immediately launch intensive control operations in that area to kill adult mosquitoes."

Cape May County's mosquito control agency has the only county-based lab that can test mosquitoes for Zika. Other counties may ship samples to the lab for testing, for a fee, said Peter Bosak, superintendent of the Cape May County Department of Mosquito Control.

"We can collect our own mosquitoes, sort them, put them into a database, pick out the ones that we are concerned with regarding the different viruses that we're interested in," Bosak said. Then a microbiologist runs test for various viruses.

"We have a plan in the works to address any Zika," Bozak said. "We actually have traps around the county."

Thomas Regan may be reached at tregan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thomas_P_Regan. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

More than 500 people were at the party

COLTS NECK -- A Sayreville man was stabbed Saturday night at a house party with more than 500 attendees, police said.

Colts Neck Police arrived at the Freemont Lane house at about 10:50 p.m. after a noise complaint, Chief Kevin Sauter said.

They found a 24-year-old man outside with a stab wound, Sauter said. He was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. He's in stable condition.

Police also found a 16-year-old girl who was drunk and unresponsive, Sauter said. She was transported to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold.

Erica Weinman, 18, of Colts Neck, was arrested and charged with serving alcohol to minors.

Police asked any witnesses to call detectives at (732) 780-7323 or email detectives@coltsneckpolice.com.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The body was retrieved near the entrance of Pleasure Bay.

MONMOUTH BEACH -- The body of a 56-year-old man was pulled out of the Shrewsbury River on Sunday, authorities said. 

The body was retrieved by marine units with the New Jersey State Police near the entrance of Pleasure Bay, said Sgt. Jeff Flynn, a State Police spokesman.

He said the State Police was assisting Monmouth Beach police with a search for a missing person when the body was found. 

A dispatcher with the Monmouth Beach police referred all questions to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. A spokesman for the prosecutor, Charles Webster, could only confirm that a body was pulled out of the river. 

Webster said the cause of death is pending an autopsy. He did not know the man's identity, and no additional information was available on Sunday evening. 

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

17 dogs were rescued from a home in Keyport on Saturday night.

KEYPORT -- Seventeen dogs were rescued this weekend from a borough home that was in worse shape than the one in Howell where nearly 300 dogs were living, officials said.

Nicole Fedderson, a doctor with the Monmouth County SPCA, told News 12 that officials found 11 puppies and six adult dogs that were around 3 or 4 years old. The animals were found Saturday night. 

"The conditions of the home were deplorable, actually even worse from the case in Howell," Fedderson told the news station in an interview at the Monmouth County SPCA's headquarters in Eatontown.   

In what officials called the worst hoarding case in Monmouth County, 276 dogs were rescued from a Bennett Road home in Howell. The SPCA is housing approximately 100 of those dogs, which are slowly becoming available for adoption.

A spokesman for the New Jersey SPCA, Matt Stanton, said the agency sees a spike in reports of hoarding incidents around this time of year because people can smell the urine and the feces due to the heat. 

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

Patricia Madzin, 60, of Howell, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

HOWELL -- A 60-year-old township woman was killed Saturday after she was ejected from her vehicle, police said.

Patricia Madzin was exiting a driveway around 4:18 p.m. on Fairfield Road when she was hit by a vehicle being driven by 24-year-old Carmelo Lamarca of Howell, police said in a news release.

Madzin, who was attempting to drive north on Fairfield Road, was ejected from the vehicle, police said. She was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where she was pronounced dead.

Lamarca, who was traveling southbound on Fairfield Road, was also taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, but he was treated for non life-threatening injuries and released. 

Police are asking for witnesses to contact them at 732-938-4111.

The crash is under investigation by Howell Township Police Traffic Safety Officers Peter Hochhauser and Joseph B. Markulic.

The Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team and Squankum Fire Department also responded to the scene. 

Fairfield Road was closed between Bennett Road and Route 33 for several hours for the crash investigation. 

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

New Jersey has changed dramatically in recent decades. But in many places, deep segregation still exists.

Pets in need of adoption from shelters and rescues throughout northern and central New Jersey.

While New Jersey was never known as "Hurricane Alley," recent visits by hurricanes Irene and Sandy have shown that big storms can and do strike the Garden State.

These recent storms have led to many of us learning more about being prepared as people ... it's also important to consider preparing for pets' needs in the event of another big blow.

Experts from BluePearl Veterinary Partners have put together some tips for pet owners that apply to natural disasters including hurricanes, floods and earthquakes:

*  Make sure that people who have agreed to give you a place to stay if you have to leave your home can also accept your pets; during a storm is not the time to discover unknown pet allergies.

*  Knowing in advance of any pet-friendly hotels in your area could make a big difference if friends and relatives are also escaping the situation.

*  If you've prepared an emergency 'kit' for you and your family, make sure it has items for your pets including food bowls, resealable bags that can hastily be filled with food, toys and blankets or bedding.

*  Store your pet's veterinary documents where you keep your own important papers; should your home be damaged in a storm, those important items could be destroyed.

*  Hoping that a boarding facility or veterinarian's office will be open and available when a storm approaches or is in progress is not planning; pets are members of a family and deserve to be a part of your emergency preparation plan.

Here is a gallery of just a handful of the pets in need of adoption in northern and central New Jersey. Make sure captions are enabled to see all the information about each dog or cat. More adoptable animals can be seen here and here.

Sections of two Jersey Shore towns will be sprayed on Tuesday night after evidence of West Nile virus was found.

WALL -- Following evidence of West Nile virus activity in parts of Wall Township and Spring Lake Heights, officials will spray the area on Tuesday night in an effort to kill mosquitos.

Residents are urged to remain inside and protect their pets from 9:30 p.m. until midnight, when the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division will handle controlled ground sprays.

The spraying will occur on residential streets in the area of Belmar Boulevard from Route 35 and Route 71 in Wall Township and north of Allaire Road between Old Mill Road and Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights.

"The goal of the ground spray program is to reduce the public health risk from WNV in the area," said Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, liaison to the Mosquito Control division. "It is also important to remember to always wear insect repellant when outdoors, even if it is only for a few minutes."

Crews will not spray the area, however, if wind speeds exceed 10 mph or if it rains. There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

According to state Department of Environmental Protection, cases of West Nile virus activity have been found in all 21 counties of the state.

In Monmouth County, there has been three cases of the virus, including one that killed a 57-year-old woman in September 2015.

The home of the victim was never released, but authorities stepped up mosquito-control ground spraying in Wall and Spring Lake Heights immediately following the death.

West Nile is one of three mosquito-borne diseases that are spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. The other two diseases are the Eastern equine encephalitis and the St. Louis encephalitis virus.

DiMaso urged residents in Monmouth County to wear mosquito repellants and remove standing water from their properties.

"Mosquitos breed where there is standing water," DiMaso said. "So, turnover any unused flower pots and outdoor toys. If you have old tires on your property, they need to be emptied of any standing water, too."

More information about how to reduce the mosquito population can be found on the Monmouth County website. More information about West Nile and other mosquito-born diseases can be found here. 

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

The winners bought their tickets in Monmouth and Somerset

One was purchased at Stop & Shop on Village Center Drive in Freehold Township and the other at Herb's Liquor on Somerset Street in North Plainfield, state lottery officials said in Monday morning.

The winning numbers drawn Saturday were: 4, 18, 26, 37 and 42.

Each winning ticket is worth $433,825. No one hit the jackpot Sunday, making tonight's drawing worth $157,000.

Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is $390 million. That's tied for the 12th largest in U.S. lottery history.

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

The 8th Annual Bradley Beach LobsterFest took place on Saturday and Sunday.

BRADLEY BEACH -- Thousands of swimsuit-clad beachgoers strolled around the boardwalk on Sunday, peering in interestedly at some tables, but focused on the main act of the day: acquiring the freshest lobster possible.

It was day two and the final day of Bradley Beach's 8th Annual LobsterFest event, during which a handful of food trucks parked on the boardwalk sold menu items such as lobster and mac 'n cheese balls, lobster rolls, and whole steamed lobster.

"It's pretty good," said Jaime Soliven of East Brunswick, who came to LobsterFest with his wife, Christine, and their young daughter.

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Soliven, who was finishing up a lobster roll from Jake's Downtown, said he had lobster rolls before when he visited the Hamptons. This lobster roll on Bradley Beach did not disappoint, he said.

"It looked fresh," he said.

Next to him, Christine Soliven held a half-eaten lobster roll. Her daughter, who opted out of eating seafood, had a hot dog.

"It's pretty good," Christine Soliven said. "The lines weren't long."

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the lines for the lobster-centric food trucks started to grow longer.

Tod Vitalis, manager at Klein's Fish Market, a business dating back to 1929, chatted amiably while a heap of bright red lobsters cooked in a large pot near him.

Most of Klein's lobsters come from Maine and Canada, he said, but there are some lobsters that are harvested from New Jersey.

This was Vitalis's first year at Bradley Beach LobsterFest, he said. They go to Belmar every year for the New Jersey Seafood Festival.

"We figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to go to Bradley Beach," Vitalis said.

Katie Park may be reached at kpark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kathspark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Dolly Parton visited PNC Bank Arts Center as part of her "Pure and Simple" tour Sunday

HOLMDEL -- Dolly Parton had no shortage of quips about her self-proclaimed "gaudy" getup Sunday.

The country noble said she can't perform without her rhinestones, and when she pulled a guitar strap over her head, she asked the Holmdel crowd if her hair was still on straight.

As for her list of cosmetic surgeries, she joked that her heart is the only thing left untouched.

But what about those timeless pipes?

In her first full tour in 25 years, the 70-year-old genre luminary still hones a peerless voice, and touted an irresistibly sweet, endearing persona to match at PNC Bank Arts Center.

The audience was wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger as she paraded around stage in a sparkling, bright yellow costume. She said she calls this tour, which will run through December, and her eponymous August album "Pure and Simple" because that's what it is -- no theatrics or frills, just Parton on stage in front of billowing, white curtains, revisiting honest and romantic songs.

Between her classics and new tracks off her upcoming LP, Parton was sure to engage the crowd with plenty of backstories. To follow a tremendous performance of her calling card "Jolene," she explained the namesake for those who didn't know the story already.

"I'm glad you remember Jolene. I've been trying to forget her for about 50 years," she said. "It's about a girl who was trying to steal my husband when we first met. I put a stop to that, obviously."

Parton and husband Carl Thomas Dean recently celebrated 50 years of marriage, and family was a common theme in her yarns, especially in her introduction to her 1971 single "Coat of Many Colors," a tune about a jacket her mother stitched together for her from pieces of rags.

"It's my favorite of all the thousands of songs I've written in my life," she said.

Besides her terrific voice and instrumental finesse -- she played at least eight on stage, including an autoharp, fiddle, sparkling white piano and a rhinestone-encrusted saxophone -- Parton's sharp sense of humor and Dollywood-sized personality shone brightest. The crowd laughed along when she deemed her family a bunch of horny hillbillies (she's one of 12 children).

But between all the jokes, Parton had wise words to offer the audience.

"You should be whatever you are and be proud of that," she said. "If we were all the same, what a boring life that would be."

The set, which was halved by a 20-minute intermission, did well to mix its more somber moments, like a gorgeous rendition of "Little Sparrow," and upbeat hits, like her enduring smash "9 to 5."

"I want to hear you sing it now," she said. "Will you?"

Parton's finale, "I Will Always Love You," earned more than a few tears after she introduced the song with the message that she will always love Whitney Houston, who famously covered the ballad.

But before she left the stage, the astute businesswoman was sure to plug her Tennessee theme park, Dollywood.

"If you haven't been there yet, you have to come. I really need the money," she said, before her old line: "No, really. It costs a lot of money to look this cheap."

THE SET LIST

• "Train, Train"
• "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That"
• "Jolene"
• "Pure and Simple"
• "Precious Memories" (John Wright cover)
• "My Tennessee Mountain Home"
• "Coat of Many Colors"
• "Smoky Mountain Memories"
• "Applejack"
• "Rocky Top"/"Yakety Sax"
• "Banks of the Ohio" (cover)
• "American Pie"/"If I Had a Hammer"/"Blowin' in the Wind"/"Dust in the Wind"/"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (covers)
• "The Seeker"
• "I'll Fly Away"
• Part Two:
• "Baby I'm Burning"
• "Outside Your Door"
• "The Grass is Blue"
• "Those Memories of You" (Alan O'Bryant cover)
• "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"
• "Little Sparrow"
• "If I Had Wings"
• "Two Doors Down"
• "Here You Come Again"
• "Islands in the Stream" (Bee Gees cover)
• "9 to 5"
• "I Will Always Love You"
• Encore:
• "Hello God/He's Alive"

Sydney Shaw may be reached at sshaw@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShawshankSyd. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

John Large admitted stealing pricey electronics from the data security center where he worked, AG says

John Large. NJOAG 

TRENTON -- A Monmouth County man was sentenced to five years in state prison on Monday after admitting to stealing more than half a million dollars worth of computer equipment from his employers.

John Large, 49, pleaded guilty in April to a charge of second-degree theft by unlawful taking for swiping the electronics from the Piscataway data security center where he worked, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

Large, of Hazlet, was an electrical technician at the center and admitted he took expensive hardware including data transceivers and hard drives, some of which he sold on eBay.

Police seize $640K in drugs

He was caught in May 2014 after a banking client for the company reported that some of its equipment had been taken from their storage area at the company's facility, authorities said. Internal investigators referred the case to the New Jersey State Police Cyber Crimes Unit.

Under a plea deal, he agreed to pay $628,491 in restitution, authorities said. He was sentenced Monday by Superior Court Judge Michael A. Toto in Middlesex County.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The signs will remind residents that flood waters reached 14 feet above sea level during Hurricane Sandy.

MIDDLETOWN -- Residents in 14 Monmouth County towns will soon get a stark reminder that Hurricane Sandy's high-water mark reached 14 feet above sea level.

The message will be plastered on approximately 100 signs placed in prominent locations throughout the Shore towns. The signs are aimed to promote awareness about the impact of severe flooding and will also help lower flood insurance premiums for homeowners in participating towns, officials said. 

With the Belford Ferry Terminal as a backdrop, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and other local, county and federal officials announced Monday morning the launch of the High Water Mark Initiative.

Golden said the signs are one more way the 23 towns along the Jersey coastline in Monmouth County continue to lead the way in responding to the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy.

"This initiative will constantly reinforce the message that, yes, it can happen again and, yes, we all need to prepare," Golden said.

Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, who is the liaison to the county's Office of Emergency Management, said this initiative demonstrates the participating towns' dedication to promoting awareness in the wake of Sandy.

"We have to educate our public to keep them safe," DiMaso said. "These little reminders will ensure that we preserve our property and, more importantly, our lives."

The signs are part of a countywide collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Along with the signs, the 14 participating towns are encouraged to take comprehensive measures to strengthen community resilience against future flooding, such as storm water management projects and building elevation.

Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long said in an interview that a "good number" of homes in the coastal community are now elevated. Because of the elevation, she said the borough would be spared of serious property damage if another Sandy-like storm hit.

"We know the storms are coming, we know the water is coming, and so we want to be able to adapt and learn to live with it, and not have it cause a ton of expensive damage that winds up burdening all taxpayers," Long said.

The community, however, is not fully recovered yet. Long estimated around 10 percent of primary homeowners in Sea Bright are still displaced by Hurricane Sandy.

"For Sea Bright going forward, it's critically important for us to always be mindful of what can happen so that everything we do in rebuilding from Sandy is geared toward being able to withstand future extreme coastal storms," Long said.

The county is still in the process of developing the signs and identifying the locations where they will be placed.

Michael Moriarty, director of mitigation for FEMA's Region II, said the county has made great progress since Sandy hit in October 2012. But, he said, residents still need to be aware -- and remember -- the risks of severe flooding.

"We have to remember that many of our neighbors are still picking up the pieces from Sandy and still trying to figure out what the best course of action is," Moriarty said.

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