On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attacked on American soil, and, as Lillian G. Burry, a member of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, said, “Everything changed that day.” On that day, Burry was mayor of Colts Neck, which includes much of Naval Weapons Station Earle’s 11,000 acres. Although Earle, an ammunition storage facility, was not an open base before 9/11, access to it became even more tightly restricted. On Thursday, Burry was one of the dignitaries dedicating the new $8.4 million redev... Read more

By Adam Hochron Standing in front of the new Entry Control Point (ECP) at Naval Weapons Station Earle Commanding Officer Capt. Fuzz Harrison said it was a far cry from what the base has had in the past and will serve the sailors well in the future. Capt. Harrison said that while security has always been an important part of the base, the new structure took that to a new level especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. "Throughout the military there was an immediate emphasis on security of inst... Read more

The world watched as New Jersey’s Sean Goldman was returned to his father in 2009 – five years after being abducted by his mother and taken to Brazil. Today, the reunited father and son are working to help other families fighting custody battles in foreign countries. By Jayne Jacova Feld It’s an iconic image: 12-year-old Sean Goldman and his father David are boarding a plane in Rio Di Janeiro bound for the United States. After a six-year battle, David is finally bringing home the son who had bee... Read more

AP writer Michelle R. Smith interviewed Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) in this article that ran July 12-12 nationwide. A group of lawmakers is pushing for a national strategy to combat Lyme disease aimed at speeding advances in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the sometimes serious illness that infects tens of thousands of people every year. ‘‘The tick problem is growing. The Lyme disease problem is growing,’’ said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a cosponsor of the bill in the U.S. Senate. ‘‘This... Read more

Written By Cindy Saine of VOA A subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday held a hearing on U.S. policy toward Nigeria. A senior State Department official defended the Obama administration's decision not to designate the Islamic militant group Boko Haram as a terrorist organization. The chairman of the Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights Subcommittee, New Jersey Republican Chris Smith, called on the United States and all members of the internat... Read more

Daniel A. Passarella says he didn't really give it much thought at first. "I sent a letter to the War Department a month after I was discharged, and they sent me all my medals except the Purple Heart," said Passarella, a Brick Township resident. "I didn't really care at that time because I was just glad I was back." That changed, however, one day when Passarella was sitting at his grandson Jack's baseball game. "There were two boys there, with one dad, and the one boy said to the other, 'My dad ... Read more

The following article, published in the Trentonian newspaper on AJune 26, was written by State House reporter Anthony Campasi. A battered Trenton police force is getting some help from the federal government, which announced Monday that it would help the city rehire 12 officers. The federal grant, totaling a bit more than $3 million, is meant to help cover the cost of rehiring the officers for three years. Trenton is one of more than 220 cities and counties across the country that is getting a s... Read more

As his case meanders through the Bolivian justice system, an American businessman imprisoned there for a year without formal charges is finding support from a leading human rights advocate in the U.S. Congress. Jacob Ostreicher, a 53-year-old flooring contractor from Brooklyn, New York, has been held at the notorious Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, since June 2011 on suspicions of money laundering. Ostreicher and his family have claimed from the beginning that he is innocent, and presen... Read more

— A Lakewood, N.J., woman tearfully begged lawmakers at a congressional hearing Wednesday to help free her father Jacob Ostreicher, who is imprisoned in Bolivia. Chaya Weinberger said the situation of her father, an Orthodox Jew who has been on a hunger strike since Passover ended in April, is “life threatening” and urgent intervention is needed. “He is on the verge of collapse, both mentally and physically,” Weinberger said. “We beg of you, Congress and the U.S. State Department, help us now. I... Read more

A measure for the annual U.S. military budget includes $47 million for a new Army aviation complex at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to better serve helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft as the bulked-up base absorbs new units. The planned Army Flight Complex would include a hangar, new taxiways and lighting. In the 2005 round of base closings, the 43,000-acre military reservation in the Pine Barrens was designated the nation’s first interservices joint base and since then it’s been absorbing uni... Read more