New Jersey 101.5 News — Flash Briefing for May 19-20

A town continues to grieve for the loss of a fifth-grader and a teacher as new information emerges about what caused the horrific crash of their bus on Route 80 during a class trip.

Mountainside's police department’s top brass sexually harassed and physically assaulted underlings while using racist slurs, committing crimes and stealing from the public, according to a scandal-filled lawsuit filed by six department employees.

A group of black parent activists are calling on a black school board member to step down after she was caught on video calling a white police officer's chief a “skinhead cop” during a traffic stop.

An occasional short trip on the Garden State Parkway has turned into a costly headache for a Bayville resident — who says he's racked up hundreds of dollars in fines for violations he never committed. But the state Turnpike Authority disputes several aspects of his story.

How soon will New Jersey legalize recreational marijuana for adults? A vote by the Legislature could be coming soon.

He wants to raise taxes and give drivers licenses to unauthorized immigrants, ideas that are unpopular in the Garden State. But a new poll finds many New Jerseyans have positive feelings about Gov. Phil Murphy.

Monmouth Park will slow its quest to be the first to allow sports betting in New Jersey at the request of state Senate President Steve Sweeney. Within hours of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down federal law prohibiting betting on sporting events, Monmouth Park CEO Dennis Drazin announced the park would be "up and running in two weeks" with a "very soft" opening.

You've heard of leasing a car or a house, but what about leasing a pet? State Sen. Kristin Corrado, R-Passaic, said she was stunned to find out that unscrupulous companies were leasing living creatures to people, so she's introducing a bill to ban the practice in New Jersey.

A new study confirms what many New Jersey residents already know – a dollar doesn’t go as far in the Garden State as in most other parts of the country.

If someone calls you claiming to be from the MVC — hang up! “People are getting phone calls from someone claiming they’re from the Motor Vehicle Commission and telling them that their license or registration has been suspended and that they owe money to restore that license or registration,” says Sue Fulton, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission chief administrator.

Is the Jersey Shore in danger of losing another clown? While the demolition of the Circus Drive-In in Wall left the clown sign standing along Route 35, it's future with the new owners of the property is not clear. Further north on the same road in Middletown, another clown's future is also cloudy.

Love 'em or hate 'em, neighbors are a part of life in New Jersey. Unless you're going to live in a predominately rural area like Hunterdon County, you're bound to encounter your neighbors on an almost daily basis in the Garden State, especially in congested communities like Middlesex and Union counties.