The Long Branch High School football team celebrates after they cruised to a 39-7 victory over Monroe in an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III semifinal game at Matawan. See Sports. More ... Ocean Twp. teachers work without contract Educators' association and Board of Ed. disagree on health-care premiums BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer       Disputes over the cost of health-care benefits have left employees of the Ocean Township school system working without a contract since June. School district employees are seeking the reinstatement of a prior contract clause stating that once employees reach tenured status, they no longer have to... More ... Brain Tumor Center opens in Long Branch Facility at Monmouth Medical Center named in memory of David S. Zocchi BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - What started out as a dream for a local doctor has turned into a reality with the opening of the first brain tumor center in the state at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch. The David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center, at the Leon Hess Cancer Center within Monmouth Medical Center, f... More ... Eminent domain activist remembered for integrity 82-year-old MTOTSA resident dies in home she had been fighting to save BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - Anna DeFaria is being remembered for many things, especially for her dedication to saving her oceanfront home and neighborhood from being redeveloped. DeFaria, 82, died at her Marine Terrace home Nov. 14 after battling an illness for two months. More ... Ocean Twp. man gets 11 years behind bars       OCEAN TOWNSHIP - A 42-year-old Township man was sentenced last week to serve 11 years in jail for drug charges stemming from an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Rodney Mack of Rustic Drive was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Edward M. Neafsey on Nov. More ... City man faces drug charges after motor vehicle stop       LONG BRANCH - A city man was arrested last week after police found drugs in his car following a motor vehicle stop. Police arrested and charged Ryan M. Hart, 20, Nov. More ... Man arrested after breaking into apt.       OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Township police arrested and charged Aslin Colin, 20, of Ocean Township, with burglary Nov. 10 after he was observed climbing into a second-floor balcony at the Twin Brook apartment complex, according to police reports. More ... Sean Kean wins Senate seat in 11th District race       Assemblyman Sean T. Kean said that making New Jersey an affordable state to live in would be a priority when he takes office as senator in January. Kean, a Republican, won the 11th District state Senate seat in the Nov. 6 election, receiving 28,249 votes over Democratic candidate John Villapiano,... More ... Pallone urges DEP to preserve beach club Congressman calls on state to deny plans for developing historic site       LONG BRANCH - U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) wrote a letter Nov. 14 to N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa Jackson urging her to work to preserve the historic Takanassee Beach Club on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch. More ... Uninvited roommates move in … and they bite Senior complex deals with bedbug infestation BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer       RED BANK - The saying "Don't let the bedbugs bite" has taken on a new meaning for seniors living in a Wall Street housing complex. Residents living at Wesleyan Arms, a six-story complex with 60 one-bedroom apartments for seniors, have encountered a menacing problem in the building - bedbugs. More ... Former Secret Service agent gets 28 months in federal jail Defendant pleads guilty to pension fraud, passing bad checks       EATONTOWN - A former special agent of the United States Secret Service was sentenced to 28 months in jail for criminal acts he conducted while residing in Eatontown. Jared Dullum, 33, of Charlotte, N.C., appeared before a U.S. district judge Nov. More ... Fire aid units to receive lifesaving masks for pets Local 4-H Club and dog day-care center donate funds       When fire strikes, family pets can be injured or die from inhaling smoke. Because human oxygen masks don't fit over animals' snouts, rescue personnel can't do much to help. That's about to change. Each of Monmouth County's 60 volunteer fire aid units will soon be receiving a set of specially desi... More ... Renovations at pavilion to be done piecemeal Borough voters reject a $2.85 million bond for beach club repairs       MONMOUTH BEACH - The mayor of Monmouth Beach established committees last week to work on plans for future renovations at the municipal bathing pavilion. The establishment of the committees comes in the aftermath of a $2.85 million referendum for renovations and upgrades at the pavilion that was ... More ... Grant funds will help preserve Oceanic Bridge Construction expected to begin on historic span in spring BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer       Apair of Monmouth County bridges, one in Rumson, will receive an upgrade in 2008 as part of a New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) grant program. Monmouth County officials on Oct. 23 received a $135,000 Historic Bridge Preservation Program grant for the 2,712-foot Oceanic Bridge that con... More ...