NJ convict gets 11-years after house fire that killed his mother

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP — It’s 11-years in prison for a 63-year-old repeat convict, stemming from a 2018 house fire that killed his own elderly mother and her companion.

Kurt Smith, of the Browns Mills section, was sentenced in Superior Court, where the judge noted his lengthy criminal history.

Smith has been arrested a total of 187 times and has been convicted of felonies 16 times.

He was previously found guilty of two counts of second-degree reckless manslaughter by a jury in October.

After two days of deliberations, jurors were unable to come to a verdict on an arson charge against Smith.

He was accused of igniting flammable material with a cigarette lighter in the garage of the Willow Boulevard residence, where he also lived, and then trying but failing to put out the flames.

Lore Smith, and her companion, George Pikunis, both 92, died in the fire, after suffering burns and smoke inhalation.

Kurt Smith must serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

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The Ultimate Guide to New Jersey Brewpubs

From the website that gave you the "Friendliest bars" and places to watch the game, comes the ultimate guide to New Jersey brewpubs.

So what's a "brew pub"?

According to Thompson Island's Article on the differences between a craft brewery, microbrewery, brewpub & gastropub, it says:

"A brewpub is a hybrid between a restaurant and a brewery. It sells at least 25% of its beer on-site in combination with significant food services. At a brewpub, the beer is primarily brewed for sale inside the restaurant or bar. Where it's legally allowed, brewpubs may sell beer to go or distribute it to some offsite destinations."

New Jersey has tons of Brewpubs, some of which have been around for years and some that have just opened in the past year.

Here is a full list of the 21 brewpubs in New Jersey according to New Jersey Craft Beer:

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