New Jersey
New permit requirements cause New Jersey minister to pause charitable giveaways days before Thanksgiving
LAKEWOOD, N.J. — A New Jersey minister who has spent over two decades helping people experiencing homelessness says his efforts have been put on hold right before Thanksgiving.
Minister Steven Brigham, president of the nonprofit Destiny’s Bridge, and volunteers provide food and supplies to those in need in Lakewood, including on holidays.
“I would come out here to the town square twice a week and set up tables, and we would give out clothing and food to the poor,” Brigham said.
Lakewood resident Darlene DiDonato told CBS News New York she’s been struggling with homelessness for years, but says Brigham helps ease some of the burden.
“It’s not easy to be out here,” she said.
“I think it’s trying to force the homeless out of the town”
Brigham says when he came out earlier in November, however, there was a sudden change.
“The captain of Lakewood P.D. came up to me and said, ‘Minster Steve, you need a permit to be out here.’ I said, ‘I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and I haven’t needed one in the past,’ and he said, ‘Well, you need one now.’ So I was a little upset,” Brigham said. “I think it’s trying to force the homeless out of the town.”
Brigham reached out to an attorney, who has been in touch with the township.
Township asks organizations to fill out contract to use town square
The township now wants all organizations to fill out a “Hold Harmless Agreement” – a contract – in order to use the town square. The mayor says there have been issues.
Lakewood Mayor Raymond Coles said in a statement:
“Lakewood township prides itself on looking out for the welfare of all our residents. We have teams out daily working with the homeless and others in need. We have a robust housing rehab program and our homeless prevention programs help keep folks in their homes when they are going through tough times or need a hand to keep their homes habitable. We are the fourth largest town in NJ and have one of the lowest eviction rates in the state.
“We always work with organizations who wish to help those in need. All we ask is that they help us schedule their efforts to ensure that we know who is using our facilities and help prevent anyone who may wish to exploit the most vulnerable among us.
“We also have a responsibility to our residents and employees to make sure they have a safe environment and do not encounter any form of harassment while they go about their day.
“To paraphrase Dicken’s, this is the time year that want is felt most keenly. Lakewood is committed to providing those in need with a safe place to lay their heads and will work with anyone who seeks to provide help to those who need it.”
The mayor told CBS News New York Brigham is welcome to set up in the meantime, but Brigham is not convinced.
“I want something in writing to make sure that we’re going to be able to come out here and the other organizations are going to be able to come out here … I’ve got a lot of clothes and a lot of blankets that I want to get out here, and they need it,” Brigham said.
He would normally be out on Wednesday, but he says he’s going to hold off until he gets legal input. He hopes to return next week.
NEWARK, New Jersey — A United Airlines flight headed to Newark, New Jersey returned to the Los Angeles airport Monday about 40 minutes after taking off for an emergency evacuation after a reported fire, authorities said.
All flights at the LAX International Airport were ordered to remain on the ground for about half an hour during the flight’s return and evacuation, according to advisories from the Federal Aviation Administration. No injuries were reported.
The flight, which was en route to Newark Liberty International Airport returned to LAX to address an issue with one of the engines, the airline said in a statement. There was no mention of a fire, but the LA Fire Department said it responded and there was a fire that was contained as of an hour after the plane’s landing.
The flight took off at 10:43 a.m., began to turn around at about 11 a.m. and landed again at 11:19 a.m., according to flight tracker FlightAware.
The LA Fire Department said they assisted with the evacuation of more than 250 passengers and crew. Passengers exited the plane on the taxiway using slides and stairs and were taken to the terminal, the airline said.
The airplane was a Boeing 787-9, a variant of the popular line of 787 Dreamliner long-haul aircraft.
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Manasquan HS grad Matthew Solomon has special motivation in leading red-hot TCNJ. Montclair State, Stevens also repping the Garden State.
video David Buley’s dunk energizes CBA crowd as Colts win Shore title
David Buley’s dunk in the third quarter energized CBA crowd as Colts won the Shore Conference basketball title in 58-37 rout of Red Bank Catholic.
It was the kind of sequence that embodies everything we love about sports – and especially college basketball.
With 10 seconds left in the Saturday’s New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament final, TCNJ guard David Alexandre drove the lane, got cut off, spun around a whipped a pass into the paint as he fell backward. There to receive it was forward Matthew Solomon, a Manasquan High School grad, who finished his hard cut with a dunk that gave the Lions a two-point lead at Montclair State.
Then, on the other end, Montclair State star Jacob Morales had a long look at a game-winner with two seconds left – but Solomon closed out and blocked the shot as time expired.
Both teams are headed to the Division III NCAA Tournament, which unveiled its bracket today (so is a third New Jersey representative, Stevens Institute of Technology). It was an incredible moment on its face, so exhilarating that former Villanova coach and two-time March Madness champion Jay Wright spotlighted it on social media.
“That’s surreal,” Solomon said. “I grew up watching Nova, so to see that was really cool. He was giving Division 3 basketball some love, which is deserved.”
One of the best-kept secrets in college sports is just how high-quality D-3 hoops is, and Jersey has long been a hotbed, regularly sending squads to the Final Four. On the men’s side the Garden State’s last national champion was Rowan in 1996. That could change in the coming weeks.
But along with quality hoops, Division 3 ball features amazing stories, and the story behind Solomon’s heroics is even more incredible than jaw-dropping end to Saturday’s classic.
On his left wrist, the 6-foot-7 senior out of Spring Lake Heights wore protective tape over a wristband that read, “Paterno Strong” in honor of his cousin Billy Paterno, who died in 2024 at age 3 of leukemia. His parents, Point Pleasant residents Danielle and William, were at the NJAC title game.
“They’re an amazing family,” Solomon said. “The stuff they went through showed me what real strength looks like. Me facing adversity on the basketball court, when I look over and see them and look down on my wrist and see the Paterno Strong wristband, after what they did, I can keep playing for 40 minutes of basketball.”
Solomon finished the epic final with 22 points and 17 rebounds on 10-of-13 shooting, but he was quick to credit Saddle River Day grad Alexandre (24 points, 4 assists) and ace point guard and Don Bosco Prep grad Nick Koch (14 points) for their contributions.
For some context on the achievement: Montclair State was 24-0 and ranked No. 1 in all of Division 3 when TCNJ beat the Red Hawks twice in three-game span.
“Jersey basketball, you know how it is – the best in the country,” Solomon said. “We got a taste of playing the top team in the country and that definitely prepared us for what’s next, and hopefully we prepared them, so we can both show the whole country what New Jersey basketball is about.”
There’s one more powerful aspect to Solomon’s story. His father Larry Solomon died of Covid in February 2021, and a month later his brother Andrew Solomon hit the game-winning shot with one second left in the Shore Conference A final, capping a perfect season for Manasquan High. Andrew went on to serve as a manager with Monmouth’s basketball program.
“People are trying to compare my shot to his, but Andrew’s got me topped by a million,” Matthew said.
But between his father and his cousin Billy, “I’ve got people watching me from above,” Matthew said. “All the things I do are for them.”
Keep that in mind as TCNJ (21-6 overall, 14-4 NJAC) opens the Division 3 bracket against Johns Hopkins (20-7) Friday Randolph-Macon in Ashland Virginia. The winner will face either host Randolph-Macon (25-3) or North Carolina Wesleyan (21-6) Saturday at the same site.
“We know we can run with the best of them,” Solomon said. “We’re not pleased with just being here now. Maybe the past two years, just making it was enough. This year that’s not enough. We’ve got a special group.”
In a new wrinkle this year, the D-3 quarterfinals, semifinals and final will take place in Indianapolis, sharing a stage with the Division I Final Four. It’s a fitting reward.
“Playing Division 3 basketball has changed my life,” Solomon said. “You’ve really got to love the game, but I’ve built relationships with teammates, coaches and alumni – connections that I’m going to have the rest of my life. If I were to go back to high school, I would make the same exact decision a thousand times out of a thousand.”
Montclair State (25-1, overall, 17-1 NJAC)
The Red Hawks reached No. 1 in the nation after reeling off 24 straight wins to open the campaign. They average 92.1 points per game shooting a whopping 40.4 percent from 3-point range and hitting 13.1 triples per game.
They will play host to Maine-Farmington (22-5) on Friday, and if they win will host the winner of Bates (18-8) vs. Yeshiva (20-8) in the second round on Saturday.
Leading the way is senior forward Jacob Morales, a Montvale native, Pascack Hills High School grad and former Rutgers walk-on. The NJAC Player of the Year averages 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 39 percent from 3-point range.
Sophomore guard and Trenton native Kabrien Goss (14.7 ppg), freshman guard and Morris Catholic grad Cristian Nicholson (11.4 ppg) and sophomore forward and Lenape High School grad Myles Primas (9.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg) are key contributors.
Under head coach Justin Potts, the Red Hawks reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year and also made the field in 2022-23.
Stevens (18-9 overall, 10-4 MAC Freedom)
The Ducks are four-time MAAC Freedom champions under head coach Bobby Hurley, who won his 300th game at the program’s helm in February.
They will visit Christopher Newport (21-5) in Newport News, Va., on Friday, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s second round at the same site against either Mount Union (23-3) or Washington and Jefferson (22-6).
Junior guard Tommy Scholl, the MAC Freedom MVP, averages 18.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Junior forward Harmehar Chhabra, a South Brunswick High School grad, averages 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists and recorded a triple-double (12 points, 11 boards, 11 assists) against Lebanon Valley last month.
Junior guard Kyle Maddison (14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.0 apg) and senior guard Matt Leming out of Haddonfield (9.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg) add to an offense that shoots 47 percent from the field.
This is the program’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, all under Hurley. The Ducks reached the second round in 2022.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
A New Jersey animal shelter is asking for the public’s help after last month’s blizzard did heavy damage to its property in Ocean County.
On social media, Popcorn Park Animal Refuge posted a video and described the fury of the storm. saying that the blizzard “caused unexpected damage… impacting habitats, fencing, structures, and critical infrastructure.”
The nonprofit animal haven says its team “worked tirelessly to keep every animal safe during the storm,” however, “the aftermath has left us facing urgent repairs and significant financial strain.”
Photo: Popcorn Park Animal Refuge
The refuge says this winter has been “especially challenging.” It says “repeated severe weather has forced extended closures to the public, further limiting vital support and creating an added burden during an already difficult recovery period,” adding “we need our community now more than ever.”
Popcorn Park was established in 1977, according to its website. It’s part of the Associated Humane Societies — which bills itself as New Jersey’s largest animal welfare organization. Popcorn Park describes itself as “a sanctuary for abandoned, injured, ill, exploited, abused, or elderly farm animals, birds, and wildlife (domestic and exotic).”
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