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Appeals Court Sends Edison Firefighter Compensation Case Back to Arbitrator

UPDATE:An arbitrator has decided to side with the Edison Fire Department in that they should receive pay compensation, but Edison Township is now challenging this arbitral award.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–After almost 4 years of legal arguments between the Edison Fire Department and Edison Township over pay compensation, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court ruled that an arbitrator will most likely make the final call.

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MCUA Treasurer Admits Stealing $57,000 from Agency That Runs County Landfill and Sewer System

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced on December 9 that Freehold resident Margaret Brennan, age 68, admitted to stealing $57,000 from the Middlesex County Utilities Authority in Sayreville while she was employed there.

Brennan resigned from her Treasurer and Comptroller job on July 1, having worked for the Utilities Authority for 28 years.

The Utilities Authority provides wastewater and solid waste management for most of Middlesex County.

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Middlesex County Drug Court Probation Officer Out on Bail After Charges of Taking Bribes, Official Misconduct

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—State probation officer Rhonda Battle, age 46, has been charged with official misconduct and bribery after allegedly accepting an undisclosed amount of cash from an unidentified offender.

According to County Prosecutor Andrew Carey, the offender offered bribes to Battle in exchange for ensuring they passed drug tests and completed his probation.

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Man Already in Jail For Other Crimes Found Guilty in Retrial on Sex Assault Charges From 2002

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—On December 9, New Brunswick resident Bruce Sterling, age 44, was found guilty of breaking into the Richardson Street home of a 21-year old Rutgers student and sexually assaulting her at gunpoint over 12 years ago.

After deliberating for about two hours over the course of two days, a jury sitting in New Brunswick found Sterling guilty of burglary while armed, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, terroristic threats, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and aggravated assault with a weapon.

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Judge Sides With Victims in Tracy Morgan Crash, Allowing Lawsuit Against Walmart to Proceed

NEWARK, NJ—Attorneys for entertainer Tracy Morgan were vindicated in court Friday when US District Court Judge Michael Shipp ruled that Morgan's civil case against Walmart can move forward, without waiting for the outcome of a related criminal case.

Morgan's lawyers accused Walmart of engaging in unfair tactics to delay the comedian’s negligence suit against them over a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike in Cranbury Township.

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Taxpayers Forced to Pay $325K to Family of Man Who Died in County Jail After Being Pepper Sprayed in Face

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—On October 8, Middlesex County agreed to pay $325,000 to the estate of Humberto Alfonso, who died while in custody at the county’s correctional facility.

Alfonso was a pre-trial detainee, charged but not tried for a crime, and died in the jail on February 28, 2011.  His family sued the county, but that matter will not end up in a courtroom either.

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Helmetta Business Administrator Resigns Amid Animal Shelter Controversy

HELMETTA, NJ—Herbert Massa, the administrator for the Borough of Helmetta, submitted his resignation for approval at a November 26 Borough Council meeting.

Massa's resignation is the latest in a series of resignations and suspensions that come amid a storm of allegations against the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter, a facility that the town borrowed nearly $2 million to construct.