Middletown Has A New Police Chief

R. Craig Weber was sworn in as the 8th Chief to lead the Middletown Township Police Department over its 86 year history last evening before an overflow crowd at Town Hall.

Mayor Stephanie C. Murray administered the Oath of Office as Weber’s family stood beside him.

During his remarks, Weber acknowledged the support and friendship of his Deputy Chiefs and all the members of the department.  He welcomed the Chiefs of several area municipalities and law enforcement leaders from County, State and Federal law enforcement agencies.  Weber said that under his leadership there would be an increased level of cooperation with other agencies.

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Van Zandt, Burry to be honored by the Count Basie Theater

Steven and Maureen Van Zandt are among the first Vanguards to be honored by the Count Basie Theater. Photo courtesy of Morris Photographers. www. morrisphotographers.com

Steven Van Zandt, of the E Street Band and Sopranos fame, his wife Maureen and Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry are among the inaugural honorees of the Count Basie Theater’s Vanguard Award for life long devotion to the Arts in New Jersey.

Also being honored is Mary Eileen Fouratt, Executive Director of the Monmouth County Arts Council.

The honorees will be recognized as Vanguards on Friday evening, August 22 at the theater. Tickets to the event, which will include Rockit! the Basie’s annual summer concert, a Tribute to Woodstock & The Age of Aquarius are available here.

Tickets are only $20.  Proceeds will go towards future Rockit! scholarships, the theatre’s bus-in program offering area districts and students a low-cost option to experience the theatre’s cultural programming, and for professional development sessions associated with Mr. Van Zandt’s Rock and Roll: An American Story program.

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Monmouth County Debt Rated AAA for the 16th consecutive year

Freeholder Deputy Director Gary Rich and Freeholder Director Lillian Burry at the Italian American Festival in Ocean Township last week.

Monmouth County has received a new AAA bond rating from all three major rating agencies for the 16th consecutive year, according to a statement by the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.

“This is the 16^th straight year the County has been awarded AAA status from Fitch, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., liaison to the County’s Finance Department. “Monmouth County continues to be top-rated in how it manages taxpayer money.”

The three rating agencies rated the upcoming Monmouth County Improvement Authority’s (MCIA) governmental refunding bond series and reaffirmed the ratings of the County’s outstanding debt.

“Monmouth County continues its demonstration of sound, fiscal management. The County has been careful in its spending and continues to maintain low debt levels,” said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry. “As a result, we are able to have greater flexibility in delivering quality services to our residents. It shows how well the County is managing its resources and planning for the future.”

Monmouth County is the only county in New Jersey and one of less than three dozen counties in the nation that can claim to have received the highest score from all three rating agencies.  The AAA rating is higher than that of the State of New Jersey and the United States of America.

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The Arnone Report

By Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone

Freeholder Tom Arone

Recently a Mayor’s Luncheon was held in Belmar for the purpose of giving Belmar businesses a forum to meet and discuss tourism and how it benefits businesses at the Jersey Shore. I was happy to attend and join Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty in greeting the local business owners and to share with them what the County Tourism Division does to promote the industry. The luncheon was held at Ollie Klein’s Waterside Café located on River Road in Belmar.

Additionally, we are currently working toward entering into a shared services agreement with Hightstown to utilize the Monmouth County Vehicle Wash facilities. This is yet another approach to help reduce costs and redundancies in the delivery of public services, while adding some additional revenue for the county to help offset our operational costs. Because Hightstown already has a shared services agreement with Roosevelt Borough for trash collection which is hauled to the Monmouth County Reclamation Center, it makes good sense for them to utilize the county vehicle wash facilities as a value added shared services while they are in the area. Howell Township has just been added to our MODIV property tax assessment shared services system. This system has been recognized for innovation and excellence in public service by the Harvard Kennedy School and Moody’s Investor’s Service for its role in streamlining the delivery and implementation of the tax assessment process. Certain municipalities have seen savings of up to 65% through this shared service.

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Murder suspect checked in with law enforcement one week after the double murder

Brian R. Farmer’s mugshot taken August 6, 2014, one week after the murders of Joan Colbert and Veronica Roach, for which he is accused.

The man accused of murdering Joan Colbert and her 10 year old foster daughter, Veronica Roach, in their Long Branch home on July 30, visited the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office one week after the murder occurred, as part of his mandated monitoring as a registered sex offender.

Brian R. Farmer was convicted in 1996 of aggravated assault for engaging in sexual penetration of a 15 year old girl while he was armed with a knife.  Farmer confined the victim and her mother for three days, keeping them tied up.  The victims escaped and Farmer burned down their house, according to the New Jersey State Police Registry of Sex Offenders.

Farmer was arrested early this morning for murders of Colbert and Roach. He was additionally charged with first, second and third degree Endangering  the Welfare of a Child.  Photos of Farmer engaging in a sex act with the 10 year old Roach were found on his phone.

Sex offenders are monitored by the County Prosecutor’s Offices of the county where they reside, according to State Police Information Officer, Trooper Jeff Flynn.  As part of that monitoring, their photos are updated periodically for the Sex Offenders Directory.

Farmer’s most recent mugshot was taken on August 6, 2014, one week after the July 30th murders occurred.

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Arrest is made in Long Branch double murder

Cousin of elder victim is charged

Related: Suspect Checked In With Prosecutors One Week After The Murders

Brian R. Foster, a registered sex offender, was convicted of aggravated assault in 1996

Brian Farmer, 58, of John St in Long Branch has been charged with the strangulation murders of his cousin, Joan Colbert and her 10 year old foster daughter Veronica Roach.  Farmer also faces child pornography charges in connection with the 10 year old girl, according to a statement by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Prosecutor’s office has confirmed that the defendant is the the same Brain R.  Farmer, 58 of Long Branch, who is a registered sex offender convicted of aggravated assault in 1996.

A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Long Branch Police Department was launched after Colbert and Roach were found in their first floor apartment at 61 Lippincott Ave. on August 1, 2014.  Long Branch police responded to the home around 5:22 p.m. following a report of suspicious circumstances at the address.

A 13-day investigation revealed Farmer was at the home on July 30, where he was discovered by Colbert taking pornographic photographs of the 10-year-old girl. A confrontation ensued ending with Farmer killing Colbert and the girl. Farmer then fled the scene of his crimes.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend: August 15-17, 2014

By Greg Kelly

Friday, August 15

• Red Bank Cocktail Week – MORE INFO

• Keith Urban with Neimann & Eldridge at PNC Bank Arts Center (Holmdel) – MORE INFO

• The King and I at Spring Lake Community Theatre – MORE INFO

• Ron White at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Brookdale Car Meet (Lincroft) – MORE INFO

• Crossing Borders Festival at TRT (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Computer Skills for Job Hunters (Shrewsbury) – MORE INFO

• tick, Tick…Boom! at ReVision Theatre (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

• Lucky Me at NJ Repertory Theatre (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

• Canoeing on Sandy Hook Bay – MORE INFO

• Seining at the Bayshore (Port Monmouth) – MORE INFO

• Lend Me A Tenor at Algonquin Arts Theatre (Manasquan) – MORE INFO

• Bus Stop at First Ave Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO

• Martha’s Vineyard Weekend Trip via Seastreak (Highlands) – MORE INFO

• Family Gym Time (Tinton Falls) – MORE INFO

• Downtown Freehold Farmer’s Market – MORE INFO

• Bluegrass Mini Golf at Monmouth Park (Oceanport) – MORE INFO

• D-Day Exhibit at NJ National Guard Militia Museum (Sea Girt) – MORE INFO

• Kids Night Out (Fair Haven) – MORE INFO

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Proceed with caution

By Ernesto Cullari

I’m not an expert on suicide and chances are neither are you –that’s okay. But if you read the news, or if you’ve logged onto Facebook, Instagram or Twitter recently, nearly everyone has something to say about suicide and actor Robin Williams’s death.

Be careful what you say and what you write, because it is likely that the person sleeping next to you; the guy that delivers your mail or the person sitting near you on the train has thought about suicide at least once before.

Nearly 1 in 20 people have thought about suicide. Suicidal thoughts are more common than we realize. What we say to our friends, family and colleagues and what we write about suicide on social media will certainly have an impact on those around us. Many are more vulnerable to past and current suicidal thoughts, because Robin William’s death has made their feelings of suicide very raw.

Being able to talk to someone about suicidal thoughts is very important. There are people specially trained to help those in need of someone to listen. Share this number on your social media, it is operational 24 hours a day, from everywhere in the country: 1-800-273-TALK

There is a stigma surrounding mental health issues that should not exist. That stigma is an impediment to people who should be seeking help but are reluctant to do so for fear of being judged by others. What you say about Robin Williams, you’re really saying about them. I’ve thought about suicide on more than one occasion, depression runs in my family and it is something that I wont be ashamed of.

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Christie Town Hall in Long Branch on Tuesday August 19

Govenor Chris Christie at his Belmar Town Hall on July 31

Governor Chris Christie will continue his Jersey Shore “No Pain, No Gain” tour with a stop in Long Branch next Tuesday at the Long Branch Amphitheater on McKinley Ave. 

The event is scheduled to start at 3PM.   The Governor’s Office requests RSVPs at  Townhall.LongBranch@gov.state.nj.us .

Christie was rained out in Long Branch on July 15th.

Christie has been informing the public and about the pension and benefit crisis the State is facing during his summer tour.  He promises to announce a plan for pension and benefit reform sometime in the early fall.

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Bellew’s Campaign Manager Indicted For Identity Theft

townhall.com photo

Dwayne Horner of Little Elm, Texas was indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury yesterday.  Horner was the campaign manager for Leigh-Ann Bellew of Union Beach in the 2013 Republican Primary challenge to State Senator Joe Kyrillos.

A copy of the indictment can be found here.

At 4am on June 4, 2013, Republican voters in the 13th legislative district of New Jersey were awakened by a robo call purporting to be from the campaign of Kyrillos and his running mates, Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon.   The caller, allegedly Horner, said they were reminding voters that they still had four hours to get to the polls, as if the call was being make at 4pm.

A recording of the call can be heard here.  Horner’s voice can be heard on the voice mail greeting of the Bellew campaign here.

The indictment charges that Horner impersonated another person or organization for the purpose of obtaining a benefit for himself or another or for the purpose of injuring or defrauding another.   The fourth degree crime has a potential sentence of 18 months in state prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

MMM could not find a current phone number for Horner.  Bellew could not be reached for comment.

O’Scanlon said,“I’m glad to see that this matter was taken seriously and did not slip through the cracks. Those who would play these types of desperate games during campaigns need to know that there are consequences and they will be mete.  It is hard enough to get eligible candidates interested in running without the threat of these juvenile type pranks. This indictment will hopefully be a message to anyone who would attempt it in the future –  grow up.”

Kyrillos declined to comment.

UPDATED BELOW THE FOLD

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