Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) hosted a Congressional town meeting this week on “Lyme Disease: Research, Treatment, and the Path Forward” featuring national experts who provided analysis on diagnosis and treatment of Lyme, as well as critical prevention tips. “More must be done to mitigate and over time eradicate this catastrophic disease,” said Smith. “That’s why we meet tonight. To enhance our understanding of the huge risk posed by Lyme and other tick-borne diseases while pursuing sustainable soluti... Read more

$4 million in funding for military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance programs was included in Defense appropriations legislation that passed out of committee on Tuesday, announced Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) who championed the programs and emphasized the Joint Base’s strategic location for these missions. “The Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Aerostat Operations funded in this legislation will greatly support our combat readiness and strategic capabilities worldwide,” Smith said. “They ... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) congratulated St. Leo the Great School in Lincroft on Wednesday for being honored as a 2019 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School for its commitment to sustainable practices. “Respect and care for the environment should be an important part of the formation of young men and women, and I am pleased that students and staff at St. Leo’s have taken this responsibility seriously. It should inspire us all,” Smith said. Mr. Cornelius Begley, Principal of Saint Leo the... Read more

Ted Sherman For Times of Trenton The 24-year-old victim had called for an Uber at a Manhattan bar and climbed into a waiting black SUV. The California woman had no memory of what happened after she got in, but said she woke up disoriented in a cheap motel room off Route 1 and 9 near Newark Liberty International Airport. The man who drove her there, who was not an Uber driver, is now facing charges of sexual assault. The criminal case marked just the latest in a series of similar incidents involv... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement on Friday: “I am watching closely the return of opposition leader Moise Katumbi to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, planned for Monday, May 20, as it is a barometer indicating the extent of the DRC’s democratic transition. “President Felix Tshisekedi deserves high praise for his commitment to opening the political space in the DRC and allowing Mr. Katumbi to return. Mr. Katumbi must b... Read more

By Roxana Hegeman | AP WICHITA, Kan. — A Kansas community college agreed under mounting pressure to an independent investigation into the heatstroke death last year of a football player who collapsed after the first day of conditioning practice. Trustees for Garden City Community College voted Tuesday evening to authorize the outside probe into the death of 19-year-old Braeden Bradforth of Neptune, New Jersey. He was found unconscious outside his dorm room on Aug. 1 after practice and died that... Read more

Steve Edelson, USA TODAY NETWORK, NJ After months of rejecting pleas from a grieving mother, lawyers and politicians for transparency, the Kansas college where a former Neptune High School football standout died of heatstroke last summer has finally yielded to the intense pressure, agreeing to conduct an independent investigation into the incident. On Tuesday night, the board of trustees of Garden City Community College authorized an external probe into the tragic events that unfolded on Aug. 1... Read more

By Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The Kansas junior college where former Neptune High School football standout Braeden Bradforth died on his first day of practice last summer will hire an outside law firm to investigate the 19-year-old’s death, the Garden City Community College Board of Trustees voted Tuesday night. “After a time of advisement from counsel, the GCCC Board of trusteeshas authorized President (Ryan) Ruda and college attorney Randy Grisell to begin the process of ret... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement on the news that the Garden City Community College (GCCC) Board of Trustees voted to authorize an external investigation into the death of Braeden Bradforth: “We—especially Braeden’s mother Joanne—hope that today’s announcement will prove to be a very important step towards true transparency and we are cautiously optimistic the GCCC Board of Trustees’ decision to intervene and join our call for an independent, external investigation will fin... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today announced that progress has been made on restoring the beaches in Point Pleasant Beach Borough, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) signaling it is planning to return to address recent erosion caused by severe weather over the past week. “Good beaches are essential to a successful local economy, tourism, and our shore town residents,” said Smith. “As promised by USACE, high dunes must be accompanied by wide beaches and appropriate slopes, and we’re counti... Read more