Latest New Jersey news, sports, business and entertainment
FATAL WRONG-WAY CRASH
Officer hurt in deadly wrong-way crash plans to sue city
LINDEN, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey police officer who survived a wrong-way crash that killed two other people plans to sue his city over its handling of the officer who was allegedly driving drunk at the time of the crash.
The attorney for Linden police Officer Patrik Kudlac has filed a tort claim notice over the handling of a 2011 drunken driving ticket issued to Officer Pedro Abad in Roselle. That case was dismissed.
The notice alleges negligence, fraud and/or official misconduct in Abad's 2011 case.
Authorities say Abad had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit at the time of the March 20 crash in New York City that injured Kudlac and killed two other passengers, including another Linden police officer.
Linden Mayor Derek Armstead told MyCentralJersey.com he questioned whether the suit will have merit because the accident occurred while Abad was off-duty.
TRANSIT-FARE HIKES
NJ Transit board approves fare hikes
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Transit's board of directors has approved fare increases that average about 9 percent for bus and rail riders.
Wednesday's action would go into effect in October.
Commuters in New Jersey take nearly 1 million trips on the agency's trains, buses and light rail cars each week. Officials have said increases are needed to cover a $60 million budget gap even after the agency cut $40 million internally.
The plan includes service cuts to late-night train departures on two lines leaving Hoboken, and on several bus routes in southern New Jersey.
Those include service from Freehold and Philadelphia to Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in Jackson.
Commuters have assailed the increases in online postings and at public forums including at Wednesday's meeting.
GOP 2016-CHRISTIE
Christie picks up 2016 endorsement from Maryland governor
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Chris Christie has picked up the presidential endorsement of Maryland's governor.
Republican Larry Hogan says Christie tells it like it is and most politicians don't — and that the New Jersey governor can work with Democrats and independents.
Hogan made the endorsement Wednesday during a stop at a diner near the Maryland Capitol in Annapolis.
It's a bit of political payback.
Christie was a strong supporter of Hogan's underdog campaign for governor last year in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1.
Christie led the Republican Governors Association and made several campaign appearances in Maryland for Hogan. The association spent $1.2 million in the final weeks of the campaign on Hogan's behalf.
Christie has been wearing a "Hogan Strong" bracelet since the Maryland governor's cancer diagnosis was announced last month.
POLICE-PIG SHOT
State trooper kills aggressive pig in south Jersey
WOODBINE, N.J. (AP) — State Police say a New Jersey state trooper shot and killed an aggressive pig after it threatened people, a dog and other animals.
Animal control officers called for help after unsuccessfully trying to remove the 250-pound pig from a neighboring property in Woodbine on Monday.
State Police spokesman Sgt. Jeff Flynn says the pig attacked a beagle and was trying to break through a fence where the neighbor had other animals.
Flynn says animal control recommended the trooper put the pig down for the safety of the residents and the animals.
The trooper shot the pig three times.
State Police say the owner was previously warned about keeping the pig confined after it had escaped.
The dog sustained a laceration to the neck.
PLANE LANDS ON HIGHWAY
Video shows plane making emergency landing on highway
STAFFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Police have released a video of a small plane carrying students from a skydiving school making an emergency landing on a southern New Jersey highway.
No one aboard the single-engine plane or on the ground was injured when the plane touched down Sunday morning on Route 72 in Stafford Township.
The video shows the plane coasting over traffic before the pilot put it down in the grass median.
Authorities said the plane apparently lost power shortly after taking off. But it's not yet known what caused the problem.
Besides the pilot, three skydiving students and an instructor were aboard the plane.
Route 72 is one of the main roads between Philadelphia and the Jersey shore.
DUKE MANSION-DEMOLITION
Duke Farms Foundation petitions to demolish main mansion
(Information in the following story is from: Courier News (Bridgewater, N.J.) , http://www.mycentraljersey.com )
HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. (AP) — The Duke Farms Foundation has applied to Hillsborough Township's Historic Preservation Commission for permission to demolish the unoccupied main mansion of the estate.
The Courier News of Bridgewater reports the 65,000-square-foot former home of Doris Duke has fallen into disrepair with asbestos and mold problems.
A "mission-appropriate" use for the building couldn't be determined by the foundation.
Foundation executive director Michael Catania says it would "cost a fortune" to bring the structure up to code.
Catania says before the building is demolished, the foundation would attempt to preserve the mansion's more architecturally significant details.
The foundation hopes to make other portions of the 15-acre site more accessible to the public, namely its gardens, fountains and waterfalls.
A hearing on the demolition will be held July 30.
BOSTON IMAM
New England's largest mosque selects new leader
BOSTON (AP) — The largest mosque in New England has selected a young cleric from New Jersey as its new imam.
The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center on Tuesday announced that 32-year-old Shaykh Yasir Fahmy takes over as its top spiritual leader on Sept. 1.
He replaces William Suhaib Webb, who left for a position in Virginia.
Fahmy was selected from a field of more than 40 applicants and after a six-month search.
He received a degree from Rutgers University and studied at Islamic University of Jordan and Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He was most recently scholar-in-residence at the Islamic Center of Passaic County, New Jersey. He worked for three years in finance.
He is married with one son and according to his biography, enjoys fishing and a good cup of coffee.
SUBARU RECALL
Subaru recalls 32,400 compact cars to fix air bag problem
DETROIT (AP) — Subaru is recalling 32,400 Impreza compact cars in the U.S. to fix a problem that can stop the front passenger air bag from inflating in a crash.
The recall affects certain four-door and station wagon Imprezas from the 2012 model year. It does not include the WRX/STI model.
Subaru says the system that detects the size of a person sitting in the passenger seat can malfunction if a phone or music player are plugged in to the power outlet. The problem also can happen if a passenger touches a metal part of the car such as the seat adjustment lever.
Dealers will replace the occupant control unit at no cost to owners. No date has been set to start the recall.