What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in New Jersey yards and gardens often can’t be contained – especially when non-native plants are present. When species from other regions of the world are introduced, they can spread aggressively and create ecological havoc. “Invasive species”...

The Assembly Judiciary Committee on Jan. 19 cleared a bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn (R-Monmouth) that would, if eventually signed into law, increase penalties for anyone who assaults youth sports officials, participants and players. In June, a 72-year-old umpire was attacked by a coach during a youth baseball game...

New Jersey was quite frigid in December, but temperatures warmed as the new year arrived. So what was happening in our forests and streams between the cold nights and mild days?. Endangered tiger salamanders might be breeding while you read this. These large amphibians are in a group called mole...

The Middletown North High School hockey team is finding its stride on the ice with the 2022-23 postseason on the horizon. After starting the season 0-3, the Lions have reversed their fortunes and improved to 6-4-4 with a 6-5 victory over a 10-win Monroe Township High School squad on Jan. 20 at the Jersey Shore Arena in Wall Township.

• New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, is conducting blood drives which are open to the public. The following blood drives are scheduled: Jan. 31, Lincroft Bible Church, 790 Newman Springs Road, Middletown, 1-7 p.m.; Feb. 28, Lincroft Bible Church, 790 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 1-7 p.m. To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org.

The Monmouth County Park System is seeking entries into its Creative Arts Festival. This juried art show and sale is open to artists and fine crafters of every medium. Those interested in entering are invited to submit images for consideration. The application fee is $15 per person. Rules and entry form are available at www.MonmouthCountyParks.com, according to a press release.

A federal judge has blocked enforcement of new concealed carry restrictions that were advanced by New Jersey Democrats and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in December. When Murphy signed A-4769/S-3214 into law he said the action delivered on the promise he made in the immediate aftermath of...

The Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce (EMACC) has announced the honorees for the Annual Spinnaker Awards 2023. Now in its 31st year, the Spinnaker Awards honors businesses and individuals who give of themselves to make life better for everyone in eastern Monmouth County, according to a press release. “The...

The year 2022 will go down in history as one defined by many challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic dragged into its third year, the war in Ukraine destabilized world security and finances, and record heat, droughts and storms again brought home the reality of a changing climate. New Jersey, like everywhere else, shared the pain.

• New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, is conducting blood drives which are open to the public. The following blood drives are scheduled: Jan. 24, Church of St. Anselm, 1028 Wayside Road, Tinton Falls, 12:30-6:30 p.m.; Jan. 31, Lincroft Bible Church, 790 Newman Springs Road, Middletown, 1-7 p.m.; Feb. 28, Lincroft Bible Church, 790 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 1-7 p.m. To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org.

MIDDLETOWN — There was no panic among the members of the Middletown South High School boys basketball team after the Eagles began the 2022-23 season 0-4. The Eagles lost those four games by a combined total of 14 points and that statistic motivated the players to work harder to reverse their fortunes.

The Health Sciences Institute, at the Brookdale Community College Nursing Pinning Ceremony on Jan. 3, recognized the accomplishments of 59 nursing graduates. Student speaker and nursing graduate Taylor Soave applauded Brookdale faculty and staff “for getting us all to this milestone in our lives. They were there every step of the way to guide us in the right direction and provide encouragement.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children of Monmouth is looking forward to 2023 and the joy the new year will hopefully bring with it. CASA of Monmouth finished 2022 with gifts for nearly 200 foster children who are in the county child welfare system. Through the CASA of Monmouth annual holiday wish list, foster children served by CASA advocates received gifts to celebrate the holidays, according to a press release.

Each year at Christmas, New Jerseyans are reminded of our state’s key role in the American Revolution as historic re-enactors pile into wooden rowboats on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River and paddle toward our shore. The re-enactment commemorates Gen. George Washington’s bold Christmas night 1776 crossing of...

Monmouth County Commissioner Thomas A. Arnone and Commissioner Nick DiRocco were appointed as director and deputy director, respectively, at the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners’ 2023 organization meeting held on Jan. 5 at Biotechnology High School, Freehold Township. “It is truly an honor to be given the opportunity...

A Middlesex County man has been arrested and criminally charged in connection with a bank robbery that took place in Middletown late in December, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Jan. 9. Miguel A. Angeles, 42, of Perth Amboy, has been charged with first degree armed robbery, according...

MIDDLETOWN — The latest chapter on the mat between the Middletown North High School and Middletown South High School wrestling teams ended with a Lions’ roar on Jan. 6. Wrestling on their home mat, the Lions handed the Eagles their first loss of the 2022-23 season, 40-27, and won their first dual meet against their crosstown rival since 2019.

• Monmouth Reform Temple, Tinton Falls, is inviting all members of the community to celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday at its annual social justice service at 7 p.m. Jan. 13. The Sabbath service will be led by interfaith clergy and accompanied by the temple’s choir. Attendees are asked to refrain from wearing heavy scents. Masks are optional. Services are also viewable on Livestream at www.monmouthreformtemple.org.

The professional knowledge, skills and abilities required of a federal court interpreter are complex. In addition, communication in courtroom proceedings may be more complicated than in other settings or everyday life. Brookdale Community College alumni Jorge Puerto has been on staff at the New Jersey Superior Court in Mercer County...

• The Monmouth County Park System will present Cutting, Splitting and Hewing on Jan. 8 from noon to 2:30 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. Get warmed up using a two-man saw and splitting wedge, and learn how farmers used a froe to rive shingles or a broad ax to hew beams. Open to adults. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.