NJ town demands more tickets, cops oblige

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Friday:

⬛ Armed ‘squatter’: Police say NJ man lied about owning homes

(Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, Canva, Townsquare Media Illustration)

FREEHOLD – A 39-year-old man was facing over a dozen charges for lying about being the owner of two different, vacant homes he was found living in, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced Thursday.

Markies L. Wells, who also goes by the alias Messiah Law-Elbey, had a last legitimate known address in Neptune Township, Santiago said.

In March, Keansburg police found that Wells had climbed through a rear window of an abandoned home on Pine View Avenue.

⬛ Cheerios & communism: Trump, in NJ, attacks Harris

With consumer goods placed on tables near him, Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump National Golf Club, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Bedminster, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

BEDMINSTER — Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he thinks he’s “entitled to personal attacks” on his Democratic rival, saying he's “very angry” at Vice President Kamala Harris because of the criminal charges he faces.

Trump was responding to a question about whether his campaign needs more discipline during a news conference at his New Jersey golf club, where he looked to saddle Harris with the unpopular economic record of President Joe Biden.

⬛ Cherry Hill joins list of NJ schools banning cell phones

Sign at Cherry Hill East (Cherry Hill East Muslim Student Association, Jewish Student Union), cell phone (Canva)

CHERRY HILL — As schools around the state grapple with the issue of cell phones in the classroom, a South Jersey district has joined other districts in prohibiting their use while in school.

The Cherry Hill School District will ban the use of wireless devices in the classroom during school hours in the upcoming academic year. Students may keep their devices with them in a backpack or locker but they must be silenced. They may be used during lunch, recess, between classes and while on school buses.

Phones may be used at the discretion of the school principal during co-curricular activities.

⬛ NJ school district to adopt universal school hours for all grades

Getty Images

NEWARK — The start of a school year is all about change — a change of pace, a new grade level, a shift in routine and more.

But come Sept. 3, Newark Public Schools are implementing another new normal: universal school hours.

The school day will now be 8:15 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. — a shift from 8:25 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. for elementary students and 8:15 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. for the high school. The district posts reminders on its website, along with a pop-up echoing the same thing.

⬛ Residents demand police write more tickets in this NJ town

Stafford Township Police/Townsquare Media illustration

The police chief in Stafford Township is promising his officers will be more vigilant in enforcing traffic laws after residents demanded the department make the streets safer.

In an open letter posted to the Stafford Township Police Facebook page, Chief James Haldenwang says he has received numerous complaints from residents and he was recently given a petition with 250 signatures calling for "increased enforcement of speeding laws in our neighborhoods."