Database Provides Information on 31,000 Flood and Salvage-Titled Vehicles

The state urges customers to consult the database before buying a car

The State Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) and Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) are urging all customers to consult their database of flood and salvage-titled vehicles before purchasing a car. That database now provides information on 31,000 such vehicles, the State MVC announced on Wednesday. It isn't illegal to sell vehicles with flood or salvaged titles. However, there are specific requirements that ensure potential purchasers are aware of the status of such vehicles, according to the MVC. “Damage sustained by vehicles must be disclosed to prospective buyers,” Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said. “We will hold car dealers accountable for violating our Consumer Fraud Act if they fail to make such disclosures.” The database was …

•  8 Comments
• Photos (1)

Prince Harry Visits Jersey Shore Tuesday With Governor

Mantoloking among stops

Prince Harry's stateside visit includes stops in Mantoloking and Seaside Heights scheduled for tomorrow. The May 14 itinerary, announced earlier this month, puts the British royal on the barrier island visiting Hurricane-Sandy damaged areas. The one-day stop in New Jersey will have Gov. Chris Christie escorting Prince Harry, who is in the United States through this week.   His schedule has him arriving in Manhattan today after stops in the Midwest. Prince Harry’s Friday itinerary included laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery last week. He also visited Section 60 at the cemetery, which is where military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. Thursday, he was on Capitol Hill and at …

• Videos (1)

JCP&L Rate Hike Hearings Bring Criticism, Support

Final hearing on a 4.1 percent increase for state's second largest utility

The sixth and final hearing on a request for a rate increase by the state’s second largest utility company met with a mix of praise and criticism for Jersey Central Power & Light Wednesday at Freehold Township’s Town Hall. JCP&L, fresh off widespread criticism for its handling of Hurricane Sandy and the Nor’easter that followed, is seeking a 4.1 percent increase in the rates it charges its 1.1 million customers – many of whom were without power for up to two weeks after this winter’s storms. The Morristown-based company, the main power supplier in Monmouth, Ocean and Morris counties, is seeking to recoup the $630 million it spent on repairs following Sandy. It has petitioned the state regulatory board -- the Board of Public Utilities -- …

•  12 Comments
• Photos (3)

JCP&L Rate Hike Hearings in Freehold Wednesday

Utility company petitioning state board for consumer rate increase

The state Board of Public Utilities is scheduled to hold a pair of hearings in Freehold Township on Wednesday on a proposed rate increase for Jersey Central Power & Light. The first meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the Township Municipal Building, at Schanck and Stillwells Corner roads. The second meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at the same location. The utility company, roundly criticized for its response during Hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter that followed, wants a rate increase of 4.5 percent in its effort to raise $603 million the company says it needs to repair infrastructure damaged in hurricane’s Sandy and Irene. The company faces opposition. “We will speak for the hundreds of ratepayers who are tired of paying more for less …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Report: Extreme Weather Events More Likely, More Often

Environmental New Jersey is calling for efforts to reduce carbon pollution.

On an interactive map of the United States that records the number of extreme weather events that have taken place over the last several years, New Jersey might as well be the black eye.  The red, purples and magentas that color each of New Jersey’s 21 counties make up the wrong end of the weather-related disaster spectrum, marking the entire state as a recurring extreme weather target. Should nothing be done to curb pollution and carbon emissions, a recent report from Environment New Jersey Research and Policy Center details, expect that trend to continue. Just off of the beach in Long Branch Tuesday, with temperatures coincidentally hovering around an unseasonable 80 degrees, several officials gathered to discuss the new report, called “…

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Sharing Lessons From Sandy Could Mean Healthier Recovery Next Time Around

Health commissioner's roundtables gets first responders, local and state officials talking.

Add deadly carbon monoxide poisoning from improperly vented generators and toxic mold to the many health hazards visited on the state by Hurricane Sandy. That helps explain why healthcare providers from New Jersey's first responders to the state’s top health official are looking to identify and apply lessons learned to head off similar crises during the next bout of extreme weather. Sandy will have a lasting effect on how the state prepares for the future, Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd said yesterday after completing a round of forums with healthcare officials and emergency responders. One major change: The state will take steps in future disasters to make sure that residents are informed on how to operate electric generators before a…

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Hurricane Sandy

Local Legislators Look For Transparency From Contractors

Legislation comes in wake of Hurricane Sandy

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and the repair work that followed one of the most damaging storms in recent memory State Senators Barbara Buono and Linda Greenstein have introduced a bill aimed at monitoring repairs after emergency situations.  If passed the law would require state contracts to be advertised and bid on just as they would in normal situations but on an expedited schedule. The bill was recently moved through the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee.  "In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Governor awarded a multi-million dollar contract to AshBritt, a firm with deep-Republican Party ties, without any attempt at negotiating the price for services to protect taxpayer dollars — even …

• Photos (1)

Sandy Just a Harbinger of Worse Storms to Come, According to New Report

'Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present,’ reads open letter to American people.

It is no secret that Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on New Jersey power's grid, leaving millions of customers without electricity -- many for a week or longer. Get used to it, warns a new report. Extreme weather is likely to increase not only in frequency but intensity, and the nation’s energy facilities will continue to suffer major disruptions, particularly those located in coastal regions, according to a draft National Climate Assessment report. The likely consequences of those storms and of a warmer planet will be to ramp up peak electricity demand in regions like the Northeast, requiring additional generation and distribution facilities to be built, the report said. For consumers, that could mean as much as an 11 percent jump in bills…

• Photos (1)

Stymied by Rules and Paperwork, Homeowners Struggle to Recover From Sandy

Frustration and fear add up to post-Sandy stress for Shore residents who want to get on with rebuilding their homes and their lives.

Confused by construction codes, overwhelmed by the paperwork required to collect insurance payments, and unable to afford a contractor, many homeowners who suffered loss or damage during Hurricane Sandy are terrified of financial ruin and too paralyzed to repair or rebuild. Even after Gov. Chris Christie blasted the pace of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and announced new regulations and financial aid packages last week many of Sandy’s victims still can’t or don’t know how to move forward. “At first there was no information. And now that it’s there, the reality has sunk in that nobody has any answers,” said Faith Liguori, a trained disaster-response counselor who’s staying in a friend’s summer cottage after losing the first …

• Photos (1)