Colts Neck Man Who Was Among The First To Breach The Capitol Building Receives Four Years In Jail
That and other local news…
A Colts Neck man received a four year prison sentence for inciting fellow rioters during the January 6th, 2021 rampage on the U.S. Capitol building. That’s former Army reservist and Navy contractor Timothy Hale-Cusanelli. During the trial, prosecutors allege the man was front and center with the mob that attacked police and smashed windows and doors at the Capitol. The man was reportedly one of the first rioters to enter the building. He testified that he didn’t know Congress met at the Capitol. The federal judge called the claim a laughable lie before imposing the sentence. Hale-Cusanelli has already served almost 2 years of that sentence.
The new Monmouth County Prosecutor is Raymond Santiago of Freehold. At least he’s been nominated to the position, now has to be approved by the state Senate. Santiago was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Brooklyn, New York before receiving his law degree from the City University of New York School of Law at Queens College. Santiago calling the appointment “a tremendous honor and privilege.”
Police in Toms River have a warrant out for the arrest of a suspect in a shooting at the Top Tier Hookah Lounge that left one dead and another injured. The suspect is 22-year-old Eric Manzanares from Asbury Park. Toms River officials ordered the Top Tier Hookah Lounge closed after the shooting on August 27th.
Some Atlantic City casino workers protested their job conditions yesterday, at least the condition that has them forced to do their job in rooms filled with cigarette smoke. The state didn’t include AC casinos in it’s ban on smoking indoors, the workers point to hazardous second-hand smoke. Casino operators say banning smoking will affect their earnings. In the first quarter of 2022 they made a profit of 155 million dollars. Wait til they have to pay a lung cancer settlement.
Kids heading to the ER with respiratory problems? It’s happening more and more, but mostly it’s not from COVID. Lack of social distancing and relaxing of masking protocol is making schools the viral spreaders we were used to before the pandemic. Pediatric ICU’s are seeing an influx of patients. These enterovirus and rhinovirus symptoms are almost never life threatening.
COVID cases are up, however, in the state. 2,290 new cases yesterday by PCR test, and another 699 by rapid test. The covid booster shots that help protect against the omicron variants is now available. Reparatory illness experts are warning of a problematic flu season, due partially, to the decrease in masking and hand washing during the last two years. Flu shots are readily available.