Asbury Park Press
Eatontown has its first cannabis crop
EATONTOWN – Like any farmer, Richard “Richie” Neale, the CEO of Exotica Gardens, has invested heavily into his crop. But in this case, his crop is high-craft cannabis and his farm is an airtight indoor facility on Industrial Way East. Rather than...
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The Mill Street Tavern
Located at 67 Mill St. in Mount Holly, the Mill Street Tavern has been in business as a bar, restaurant and small hotel since 1723. Look at it this way: by the Revolution, this tavern was already five decades old. While the history of this historic...
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Dolly Parton maze opening at local farm
MANALAPAN – The Stockel family had no way of knowing what was to come when they began planning their farm’s annual fall corn maze earlier this year. h Carved into eight acres of corn at Happy Day Farm on Iron Ore Road is the likeness of Dolly Parton,...
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LGBTQ+ fans mourn Curry, Parton deaths
Tim Curry and Dolly Parton, who both died on Aug. 25, both at age 80, are linked by more than a sad coincidence of timing. Both had strong connections to the LGBTQ+ community. Both were, simultaneously, idols and allies. For many gay people, they were...
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Shark River flooding solutions take shape
NEPTUNE – Fiddler crabs popped in and out of burrows along a stretch of man-made beach, a ribbon of sand along the Shark River that provide important habitat for these tiny crabs and protects homes just yards away. This beach along South Riverside...
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‘Mysterious and important’
HOLMDEL – Almost as “mysterious and important” as the work at Lumon Industries is the filming going on at Bell Works, which is maybe, probably, almost certainly, the hit Apple TV television series “Severance.” No one will admit that “Severance” is...
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Author dedicated to the Westside
ASBURY PARK – Kelly Walker Edwards remembers Asbury Park as a melting pot. Sitting on her grandmother’s porch as neighbors told stories about shared dishes as a little girl on the town’s Westside, she also remembers standing on the corner and watching...
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Lawsuit
to a police radio, and have blocked Salonis from having administrative access to the department’s official Facebook page. The suit also named New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport as a defendant in the case, although she is not named in the...
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Maritime catastrophes are often puzzles for historians
On June 26, 1894, the steam tug Nichol was on its way from New York to Sea Bright and back on what might be considered either a fishing trip or a fun day in Raritan Bay. The New Jersey Maritime Museum Shipwreck Database reports that Captain John Hyde...
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Jackson HOA defends its gender segregation
JACKSON – Attorneys for a homeowner association accused of segregating its community pool by gender claim they have a right to do so because the majority of residents are Orthodox and are following their religious law. In papers filed with the New...
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Family pioneered Black life at Shore
BRIELLE – It’s by the grove of trees on the north side of Green Acres park, where the town once piled the wood chip mounds up high. It’s on the streets between Harris and Agnes, and Old Bridge and Union Avenue. That is the place. That is the place...
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Grandfather in deadly boat crash is out of jail
the outcome of the criminal case against him. Stephen Schneider, 64, of the Bayville section, has been held at the county jail since his arrest on Friday, Aug. 14. He is facing two second-degree counts of reckless vessel homicide, operating a vessel...
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Al-Qaida, Islamic State group integrating AI
Artificial intelligence may not create a new kind of terrorism, but it makes existing tactics cheaper, faster and easier. That is the central argument of a July report from the U.S.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies. It...
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Distinction has eluded lifeguards
The commotion on the Belmar beach on a 95-degree day during the height of the pandemic looked to the veteran lifeguards like a quarrel that turned physical. But when they arrived on the scene that day in July 2020, they discovered a child had gone...
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Building blocks
New Jersey Education Commissioner Lily Laux’s to-do list is daunting — as districts’ budgets flail under a torrent of rising costs, and students — especially in urban districts — lag behind in early reading and college readiness, all while the Trump...
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Alloways Creek ship graveyard holds hidden WWI history
Alloways Creek ship graveyard is a line of 18 World War I wooden steamships. Located in Salem County, southwestern New Jersey, and flowing into the Delaware River, Alloways Creek meanders for 23.2 miles. The mouth of Lower Alloways Creek is the site...
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NJ doctors, nurses push back at order
President Donald Trump’s executive order altering the schedule for pediatric vaccines is likely to be impractical and expensive, and it could continue to chip away at a proven defense against serious illnesses, New Jersey health providers said. Health...
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NJ’S CHAOTIC JULY WEATHER RECAP
July brought some wild weather to the Garden State, with heavy rain and severe storms leading to flash flooding, power outages and downed trees all over New Jersey. On top of that, the state was hit with multiple extreme heat waves throughout the...
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STILL SPINNING
Why is a cockpit called a cockpit? Why is a nightmare called a nightmare? How did sassafras get the name sassafras? Some questions are not so easy to answer. But we can tell you, absolutely, why a Tilt-A-Whirl is a TiltA-Whirl. It tilts. It whirls....
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Quarry plan sparks resident backlash
MANCHESTER – Hundreds of residents flooded a town hall meeting Monday, Aug. 10, to oppose a plan that could permit data center development at a former mining quarry in the northern portion of Manchester. So many residents tried to attend the meeting...
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BIG BITE OF THE APPLE
With a month to go before kids and college students return to school, parents are already getting socked with some of the highest prices in years for back-toschool shopping, experts are saying, as retailers struggle with the effects of the Trump...
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Frost battled with copters and candles
Orchards in New Jersey are typically flush with ripening stone fruit every late July and early August. This year, things aren’t so peachy. A series of freezes — dips in temperature below 32 degrees — hit much of the mid-Atlantic region in April; in...
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Nixon’s Store in Tabernacle
If you recognize the title above – Nixon’s Store – you will smile. If not, get out a New Jersey map or check your car’s GPS and take a ride to the rural, farmoriented area of Tabernacle. You will see old, historic farmhouses and smell the distinctive...
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Sea Bright site still a landmark
SEA BRIGHT − They called it “Poor Man’s Riveria.” When it opened in 1976, Donovan’s Reef had 900 square feet, an outdoor grill, and live music. Its customers included bankers, fishermen and Monmouth Park jockeys. And its drinks were cheaper than the...
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Teachers accused of sexually abusing students at OCVTS
TOMS RIVER – An Ocean County public performing arts high school became a “breeding ground for predatory teachers,” while school and district administrators turned a blind eye, a former student alleged in an explosive lawsuit. At least three teachers...
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A lifeline for movie theaters?
Movie theaters have been experiencing a slow demise since the mid-2010s, with revenue dropping significantly during the pandemic and not returning to former levels. This decline has been exacerbated by streaming services like Netflix, which, since the...
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Curator of NJ curios
A travel influencer is showing the world what residents already know about the Garden State, that New Jersey is anything but boring. From mini-castles in the woods to crumbling stone mansions on clifftops to the Pine Barrens searching for the...
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Surfrider’s family teaches kids safety
ASBURY PARK – A semi-circle of small children watched intently as lifeguard Joe Bongiovanni, Asbury Park’s beach safety supervisor, gave them advice about swimming in the ocean. “While the ocean is a lot of fun, it can be very dangerous,” Bongiovanni...
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Study: Colon cancer home testing risky
When at-home colorectal cancer tests hit the market years ago, they were seen as a more convenient but less precise alternative to a colonoscopy. But a new study led by a Rutgers University doctor shows that many people don’t use the tests correctly....
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Only 2 covered bridges remain in New Jersey
Do you know there are only two covered bridges now in the state of New Jersey? And one may not count because it was built as a showplace for a residential area. New Jersey can brag about many things within our small state: from farming to industries;...
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Residents tired of waiting for cleanup
KEYPORT – Salvatore Liguori Jr. stood before a crowd on the lawn of his Keyport home, where concerned neighbors gathered to discuss the pollution buried just yards away from where they stood. Were those buried metals responsible for cancers in the...
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Turf Club fights to revive spirit
The Asbury Park waterfront may be the star shining by the sea, but the soul of the city came from the other side of the tracks. The Westside inspired more musicians that made history than most tourists visiting the Jersey Shore recognize. Through the...
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GREAT ADVENTURE UNVEILS NEW RIDE
JACKSON – A week before Six Flags Great Adventure was going to launch its newest thrill ride, a towering, free-spinning roller coaster slinging guests every which way, Mike Fehnel, the park’s president, thought about his own childhood. He grew up in...
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Seaside Heights rides luxury housing boom
SEASIDE HEIGHTS – $1.85 million. That’s the biggest sales price ever seen for a residential property in this oceanfront borough, and it’s yet another sign of the changing demographics of this once blue-collar town. The record property sale was for an...
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Child cried ‘Da-Da’ as bullet hit father
KEANSBURG – Paco Moore was out playing Pokemon Go in a park with his family and future in-laws when his fiancée’s seven-year-old brother heard, “pop, pop, pop,” and looked to the sky to see the fireworks, the child’s mother told the Asbury Park...
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Improv group wants adults to be creative
OCEAN GROVE – Amidst the pressures and rigidness of day-to-day adult life, a Jersey Shore comedy organization leans into laughter and the art of goingwith-the-flow, one “yes, and” at a time. Shore Thing Theater, located inside Ocean Grove’s Jersey...
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‘The Real McCoy’ was gentleman rum-runner
William Frederick McCoy from Holly Hills, Florida, was a flamboyant, gentlemanly, rumrunner who sold whiskey, rye and Irish whiskey, but never diluted it. Hence, his excellent reputation earned him an expression that is still applicable today: “The...
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A sweet business
RED BANK – Lemonade stands are a popular sight in the summertime. But cookie stands? You can find one in Red Bank, where 3-year-old Jack Levine and his mom, Julianna Levine, run their cottage home bakery, Jack’s Cookies. “My favorite part is the...
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JCP&L having more blackouts
weather events,” Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, ROcean, said. “They’re still getting fined millions of dollars, tens of millions of dollars, because they haven’t done what they are supposed to do, and that’s outrageous to me.” The state Board of Public...
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ParkStage concerts draw complaints
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – The new ParkStage concert venue at the East Freehold Showgrounds is not a good neighbor, say some residents of the nearby Poet’s Corner section of township. The residents, who live across Kozloski Road from the venue, attended the...
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2nd chance success
Alister Martin dreamed of a career in medicine from an early age, after seeing doctors save his mother from metastatic breast cancer. That aspiration seemed dashed after he was badly injured in a fight that resulted in his expulsion from Neptune High...
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FANS DIVIDED AT WORLD CUP
EAST RUTHERFORD – Juan Pablo Sanchez has been on a path to the 2026 World Cup final since 12 years ago. That’s when he had the opportunity to go to the opening game of the World Cup in Brazil. The hosts defeated Croatia, 3-1, and he was...
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Doctors help rebuild teen’s skull after fall
NEPTUNE – After waking up from an eight-day coma following a life-threatening fall during a family vacation to the Dominican Republic, Matthew Polaski of Point Pleasant said he immediately thought to himself, “I need to get back to school. I want to be...
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PHOTOS
We’ve attended every MetLife Stadium match to bring you the sights on and off the pitch.
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Housing at local inn available
TOMS RIVER -- A Red Bank-based group that provides supportive housing for the homeless has purchased a Toms River motel for $7 million to serve as emergency housing where people can also bring along their pets. HABcore Inc. announced it bought the...
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Towns tear into plan for Route 35 traffic
LAVALLETTE – An overflow crowd spilled out of the meeting room at town hall, crowding into the hallway, to let state officials know that they strongly oppose a proposal to allow two-way traffic on both sides of Route 35 here. And the idea of having...
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Seeking inner peace
Bhante Nipako grew up in a Roman Catholic family, but the faith never truly resonated with him. He was a troubled child who suffered from depression, he recalled. Although he searched for relief, traditional avenues such as therapy, medication and...
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Corruption saga ends
The “dazzling” Nadine Arslanian Menendez, who once wowed her future husband, then-Sen. Bob Menendez, at an IHOP, is now behind bars – the final chapter of a story that began three years ago with the indictment of the couple and three New Jersey...
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New leadership comes to Interfaith Neighbors
In addition, the organization’s co-executive director is also stepping down. Interfaith Neighbors announced the planned transition on July 9. After 28 years, Paul McEvily is stepping down from his position as Executive Director of Interfaith...
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Getting her wings
BERKELEY – Dr. Robert Newman — member, technical counselor and former president of Ocean County’s Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 898 — has contributed to building over 12 airplanes throughout his lifetime. His most recent feat, however,...
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Homes and heritage submerged for Round Valley Reservoir
Round Valley Reservoir was formed in 1960. Now part of the New Jersey Park System, it is used for recreational uses such as boating, fishing, swimming, camping and diving. Out of 22 reservoirs in New Jersey, Round Valley is considered one of the two...
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Training in Howell
HOWELL – Right off Route 9 in Howell, a newlyopened fitness space allows children to live out their “American Ninja Warrior” dreams, channeling their energy into jumping and climbing in lieu of staring at their screens. USA Ninja Challenge, an...
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Climate ‘fingerprint’ seen in heat wave
Early July brought historic extreme weather for the fourth year in a row, and scientists again see the “fingerprint” of climate change in a deadly Fourth of July. In 2023, it was a record-smashing heat wave. In 2024, history-making Hurricane Beryl...
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Storms and record heat disrupting commutes
The list of commuting problems for NJ Transit customers was relentless for the past week. NJ Transit commuters are accustomed to summers of hell because of aging, failing infrastructure, but the past week was particularly bad because of the...
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FLOODS SWAMP JERSEY SHORE
Floodwaters inundated parts of the Jersey Shore on Monday, as a sudden, heavy rainstorm stranded motorists on waterlogged streets, leaked through doorways and in the most dramatic incident, collapsed part of the roof at BJ’s Wholesale Club on Route 35...
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Brick mom feels love, needs help
For 14 months, Owen Clancy fought to live as he awaited a heart transplant at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The Brick 6-year-old finally received one June 10, but he never got to make that long-awaited trip home. Owen died of an infection June...
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‘Jersey guy’ to lead Naval Weapons Station Earle
COLTS NECK – There’s a new commanding officer at Naval Weapons Station Earle and he’s a Jersey guy. At a few minutes before 10 a.m., on a sweltering Thursday morning, Capt. Brian A. Forster read his official orders to assume command of the naval base...
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A ‘war of words’ just off the coast of Jersey Shore
Captain Frank C. Boyer was almost back in New York with a cargo of raw sugar from Fajardo, Puerto Rico, aboard the steam freighter Lillian, when a dense fog enveloped the area. On Feb. 27, 1939, this large (327’ long x 46’ wide x 25.5 in depth) ship...
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Nature has better solutions to algae
When the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turned green with algae just days after a $15 million renovation, the U.S. government scrambled for chemicals and expensive technical solutions to fix the iconic landmark. Trying to kill algae with chemicals...
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WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
On June 9, 1779, a raiding party of British volunteers left Sandy Hook and traveled 10 miles inland, as far as “Tenton Falls,” stealing 300 rebel sheep and horses, before the “rebels” organized and gave chase. Such was the account from the June 15,...
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The Intelligencers
It was July 1781, and Gen. George Washington had a dilemma. With Britain now at war with France and Spain, British support back home for the war against the colonies was ebbing. Washington knew that a decisive victory by his forces could bring an end...
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Marlboro board denies mosque application
MARLBORO – The township zoning board unanimously denied a proposal to build a mosque at 449 Tennent Road on Tuesday, June 23. The decision immediately drew rebuke from the developer’s attorneys, who said the process contained “an atmosphere of...
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Affordable homes needed
With home prices continuing to surge beyond the paychecks of the middle class, Trenton lawmakers are rolling out dozens of proposals to clear the way to build homes in abandoned office parks and malls, on state land and even in backyards. The ideas...
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HISTORY VS. WAREHOUSES
CHESTERFIELD – On June 23, 1778, the British army under General Henry Clinton was marching from its evacuation of Philadelphia to the Redcoats’ stronghold at Sandy Hook when Patriot forces attacked. Three American cannonballs were fired at the...
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The Lena M. Cottingham just could not be saved
Built in Seaford, Delaware, in 1875, the Schooner Lena M. Cottingham grounded 1 ½ miles south/southwest of the Harvey Cedars Life Saving Station. She was on her way from Suffolk, Virgina, her departure port, to her home port of New York full of wood....
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Making a statement
ASBURY PARK – Since 1999, Georgies on Fifth Avenue has been a classic neighborhood dive affectionately known as “the gay Cheers.” It has always been a safe and welcoming place for everyone, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. The bar is...
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A LOOK AT LIFE IN 1776
The Jersey Shore in 1776 was a markedly different world than the Shore we know today. It wasn’t just that a war was taking place right outside their front door. Or that their neighbor — if they were on the opposite side politically — might raid their...
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Netflix soundstages reach new milestone
OCEANPORT — Like four tall gray elephants, the first four of Netflix’s 12 sound studios at Fort Monmouth now stand in the heart of the former U.S. Army base. General contractor JT Magen stayed on schedule despite one of the worst winters in recent...
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New leadership, new culture
ASBURY PARK - Now that Rev. Jason Jennings of the Rebirth Church is the new executive director of the Asbury Park Housing Authority, there is hope that the city might break ground on the long-awaited new Lincoln Village later this year. Jennings...
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History comes alive at park
MANALAPAN – It was a hot Saturday for the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Monmouth, but not quite as hot as the sweltering 100-degree heat the American and British soldiers faced on June 28, 1778, the historic date of the battle. This year marks...
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Vance: Talks coming
Vice President JD Vance said on June 20 that he expected to go to Switzerland soon for talks with Iran, even as Tehran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, alleging U.S. and Israeli truce violations. The move by the...
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NJ was home to many lighthouses lost to history
If you are a maritime history buff, you know that slowly but surely our state’s lighthouses and Life Saving Stations are disappearing. How and why are frequently asked questions. The first thing to remember is that these structures were built by the...
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No apologies from LGBTQ+ leader
ASBURY PARK – An unapologetic 35-year-old Black woman with facial hair is showing up to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights across New Jersey. Brielle Winslow-Majette, the acting executive director of Garden State Equality, a statewide advocacy organization...
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‘SAY OUR NAMES’
ALLENTOWN – For many, Black history is the stories that their grandparents, parents, uncles, aunties and church communities tell. It’s stories of war, families and overcoming hardship. But with each generation, memories fade. The names of those who...
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Fans share their love of soccer
EAST RUTHERFORD – “Africa in the house!” shouted Chioma Anyanwu, as she headed toward MetLife Stadium before Senegal faced France in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 16. Though Anyanwu is from Nigeria, she was firmly on the side of Senegal, because,...
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