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FAIR HAVEN: NEW SUPERINTENDENT SIGNS ON

sean mcneil 050316 1New Fair Haven schools Superintendent Sean McNeil gets right to work, serving cake to students at a gathering to welcome him Tuesday night. His official start date is July 1. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

HOT-TOPIC_03The Fair Haven Board of Education kept it local in filling the superintendent’s job Tuesday night.

The board unanimously approved Sean McNeil, principal of the Port Monmouth Elementary School in Middletown, to replace Nelson Ribon.

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ROLLERBLADER ASSAULTED ON SKATE HOME

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

mtown-cop-carsA man rollerblading in the area of Brandywine Way in Middletown was assaulted by three men Sunday, police said.

According to Detective Lieutenant Steve Dollinger, the unidentified victim was rollerblading home from a friend’s house when a car with three men in it drove by and the men started yelling obscenities. The car then pulled over and the three got out and attacked the victim, knocking him to the ground and hitting him in the head and face, Dollinger said.

Police were able to track down the car and arrested the three suspects — two from Keansburg and another from Port Monmouth — and charged each with simple assault.

Details and additional reports from Middletown police appear unedited below.

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COPS SHUT DOWN MIDDLETOWN BAR

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

mtown-police-carMiddletown police shut down a bar/liquor store last weekend after an inspection showed none of the employees had state-issued cards to serve alcohol.

The inspection also yielded the arrest of two employees, one of which received additional drug charges when he was found to have cocaine in his possession, Detective Lieutenant Steve Dollinger said.

That crime report and others from the department appear unedited below.

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DAD, SONS BUSTED IN M’TOWN DRUG STING

middletown-pdBy DUSTIN RACIOPPI

A father and two sons were arrested after a lengthy undercover investigation by Middletown police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, police said.

The three-month investigation led to the arrests of Dean, Christopher and Peter Sadecki, all of 12 Walada Avenue, said Detective Sergeant Steve Dollinger. Authorities seized cash, a variety of drugs and a sport utility vehicle at the family’s Port Monmouth home.

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MIDDLETOWN-CHARGED INMATE HANGS SELF

zachary-sullivan-arrestBy DUSTIN RACIOPPI

An Oklahoma man who was arrested for hiding outside a Port Monmouth home with an explosive device last year committed suicide while being held in Monmouth County jail, the Associated Press reports.

Zachary Sullivan — who the AP reported as 18 years old, but was 28, according to Middletown police — apparently hanged himself Friday morning in the shower area of the Monmouth County jail, where he was being held for crimes he was accused of committing in Middletown.

Authorities will conduct an autopsy, although the news service said the death was not ruled as suspicious.

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MEMORIAL DAY ROUNDUP

american-flagsA home on Bingham Avenue in Rumson displays a row of miniature American flags in recognition of Memorial Day, which is Monday. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

Memorial Day is this Monday, signifying not just a long weekend and the unofficial start to the summer season, but most importantly a holiday to pay tribute to the American soldiers who’ve died in service to the country.

Here’s a roundup of Decoration Day events around the redbankgreen.

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COPS: DRUNK DRIVER CRASHES IN WORK ZONE

authorities2aBy DUSTIN RACIOPPI

Middletown police made several arrests over the weekend, including one of a man accused of drunkenly smashing a vehicle into the back of a paint truck and another police said caused a noisy ruckus outside a home in the Belford section of town.

Details of the police reports are below.

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GUN WAVER AMONG M’TOWN ARRESTEES

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

mtown-cop-carsOne man was arrested for waving a gun and threatening to use it, another was arrested for stealing from a food store and two were cuffed after a fight on Middletown Avenue.

They’re all part of this week’s crime roundup provided by Middletown police.

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CHRISTIE: “THE PARTY’S OVER”

chris-christie2Governor Chris Christie was unapologetic for his approach to running the state during a town hall in Middletown Wednesday. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

Chris Christie is sorry.

If you don’t like him, don’t like his actions, don’t think he’s being fair, then you can get rid of him in three years, he said. He’s fine with that.

But, as he pointed out to a large crowd in Middletown Wednesday, “I got sent here to fix some awful, ugly problems.”

So when a police officer griped about having to contribute more from his paycheck into his benefits and asked Christie how he was supposed to afford to live, he answered in typical, blunt Chris Christie fashion.

“You won’t afford it. You’re going to have to make choices like everyone else makes choices,” he said. “Here’s the difference: you’re getting a paycheck.”

The ever-traveling governor held back nothing in his town hall meeting in Middletown Wednesday as he pushed his agenda and outlined a better future for New Jersey, which he said will become a model for other states.

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CHRISTIE PLANS MIDDLETOWN TOWN HALL

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

Governor Chris Christie‘s made-for-YouTube roadshow is pulling into Middletown next week.

The pugnacious darling of the GOP is planning a pit stop at the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars post in the Port Monmouth section of town Wednesday morning, Mayor Anthony Fiore tells redbankgreen.

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M’TOWN POLICE NAB MAN WITH EXPLOSIVES

zachary-sullivan-arrestBy DUSTIN RACIOPPI

A 28-year-old man was arrested last night after police found him hiding outside a Port Monmouth home with an explosive device, Middletown police said.

Zachary Sullivan, who last lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was charged with attempted arson, aggravated assault, possession of a destructive device and causing or risking widespread injury or damage.

Police found him hiding behind a car in the driveway of a Willow Drive residence after receiving a call of a possible prowler in the neighborhood. Sullivan’s clothes were covered in a black substance he told police was motor oil and was going to pour it on the home’s porch as a Halloween prank.

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