Category: Independent News

  • Hazlet woman faces life for New Year’s murder

    BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer BY DAN NEWMANStaff Writer Angela Pizzarelli FREEHOLD – A Hazlet woman and two men from Jersey City have been indicted in the murder of an Asbury Park man on New Year’s Eve. Angela Pizzarelli, 25, of the West Keansburg section of Hazlet, Antoine Dennis, 26, and his brother Andre, 21,…

  • Grand jury indicts four in Keyport bar robbery

    BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer BY KAREN E. BOWESStaff Writer FREEHOLD – Four people have been indicted in connection with the 2005 robbery and assault of a 32-year-old borough man. On Nov. 15, Dominick Gallucci, 45, of Somerset, and his brother, Mark Gallucci, 42, of South Amboy, were each charged by a grand jury…

  • Sex offenders indicted for parole violations

    BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer BY DAN NEWMANStaff Writer FREEHOLD – Five county residents, including men from Aberdeen and Hazlet, were indicted last week on charges for failing to register as sex offenders and/or violating community supervision requirements for convicted sex offenders. Wayne Hegel, 26, of Hazlet, and Thaddeus Yarbrough, 49, of Keansburg, were indicted…

  • Music teacher gets 7 years

    FREEHOLD – A music teacher from Middletown was sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting two teenage girls. Superior Court Judge Bette Uhrmacher handed the sentence down on Friday to Anthony Spinato, 25, a music teacher at Cardinal McCarrick High School, South Amboy, after having pleaded guilty to two second-degree counts of sexual…

  • Bridge advocates seek to save Highlands span

    Coalition forms to save bridge from demolition, replacement BY SUE MORGAN Staff Writer BY SUE MORGANStaff Writer COURTESYOFPAULSCHARFF Highlands Bridge A group of residents, seeking to save the Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge from the wrecking ball, is exploring several options, including a possible court injunction, as a means of sparing the aging span. The grassroots group…

  • Residents want to pave parking lot, keep road

    DEP wants a waterfront park included as part of Keyport bulkhead project BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer BY KAREN E. BOWESStaff Writer “An 18-foot-high bulkhead would be so high no one could see the waterfront. Sure, it would protect us from hurricanes but… .” – Robert Bergen councilman KEYPORT – A recent Q&A session…

  • Unitarian congregation celebrates 50 full years

    The Rev. Kathleen Hepler MIDDLETOWN – ‘Who do we think we are?” was the title of the service at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County on Sept. 17. It was an appropriate question because the congregation is celebrating 50 years in the county. So who are they? The Rev. Kathleen Hepler, a Fair Haven…

  • Holiday light drive-through returns to Holmdel Nov. 22

    The annual holiday lights display at the PNC Bank Arts Center begins Nov. 22. HOLMDEL – It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas as the Holiday Light Spectacular at the PNC Bank Arts Center is set to return for its ninth season. Brandano’s lighted displays have been featured throughout the country, including premier…

  • Teaching art, nurturing artists

    Group exhibit at library showcases work by Graupe-Pillard & students BY LINDA DeNICOLA Staff Writer BY LINDA DeNICOLAStaff Writer Grace Graupe-Pillard with her work,”Stephen on Respirator I & II.” For over 30 years, area artists have been inspired, nurtured and mentored by Grace Graupe-Pillard. In fact, if it is Tuesday, you can count on finding…