Wednesday September 10 News Updates Lakewood

 Weather: 67° Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower

- Update from FBI Director Kash Patel:

The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.

Suspect still at large.

-A letter from the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah to Acheinu Bnei Yisroel on upcoming elections 

Excerpt ...As election season is soon upon us, we implore every eligible voter to make sure that they are registered to vote, and then go out and vote on Election Day. This is especially urgent in this year’s Mayoral election in New York City, where the upcoming election is of critical importance to hundreds of thousands of Jews who reside in the city, and may have ramifications throughout the United States and even across the globe. The stakes are extremely high. May Hashem guard us and save us from all crises and evil decrees, so that we will merit, soon in our days, the arrival of the ultimate redeemer, and the fulfillment through us of “And all the nations of the land will see that upon you the name of Hashem is called.” With a brachah for a k'siva v'chasima tova to all,

The Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America

-Seat reservations for Yomim Noraim in BMG deadline is today

- FBI director Kash Patel - “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with FBI. We will provide updates when able.”

- Trump orders the U.S. flag to be flown at half staff until Sunday night in honor of Charlie Kirk “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. 

- Charlie Kirk, 31, has died after being shot at an event in Utah

- President Trump confirms now that Charlie Kirk, has passed away from the gunshot wounds sustained during a speaking event at Utah Valley University.

- Person Initially Taken Into Custody Is Not The Shooter, Sources Confirm To NYT. Investigation Continues As Authorities Search For The Actual Perpetrator who is still at large.

- Conservative influencer and personality Charlie Kirk has been shot in the neck during an event with Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Suspect in custody kirk has been hospitalized, though no further details on his condition have been provided yet. Reports say he was shot by a sniper on a rooftop from 200 feet away.

Trump: We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!

Initial report from White House sources:

“The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has just signed an immediate order mandating the death penalty, without the possibility of pardon, for the shooter of Charlie Kirk.”

This is an unusual and extraordinary step, since death penalty cases usually go through lengthy legal procedures. White House sources added that “the order was signed due to severe security and public considerations. This is a final decision by the President, not subject to appeal or change.”

- Chasdei Lev Yom Tov distribution for rebbeim today at Blue Claws stadium 

- Lakewood Tax Increase coming. The township committee is scheduled to vote tomorrow on the 2025 municipal budget, which includes a property tax increase for the third consecutive year. The vote, originally delayed last month pending a review by the Local Finance Board, comes after the township secured an additional $1 million in grants. Even with that funding, the proposed budget calls for $96.2 million to be raised through local property taxes for the municipal portion alone.

The proposed budget totals $159 million, with the tax levy representing an 11% increase over last year, or about $9.2 million more in local taxes. In 2024, municipal taxes collected from homeowners totaled $86 million.

Separately, Lakewood taxpayers also fund the school tax of $118 million, in addition to county and fire taxes. Taken together, the overall budget supported by local taxpayers will total nearly $298 million.

-The New Jersey Health Department on Sept. 9 signed orders to make the COVID-19 vaccines widely available to New Jerseyans without a prescription, pushing back against the Trump administration's recent move to restrict them. It issued an executive directive allowing anyone 6 months or older to get the COVID vaccine if they want one. And it issued a standing order that authorized pharmacists to administer the shot without needing a prescription.

- Uman Rosh Hashana Less than two weeks before the Rosh Hashanah Ukraine says Israel has not reached out to make necessary arrangements for the annual Jewish pilgrimage to Uman, and that “time is running out.” the sides have to arrange a large Israeli police presence for the pilgrims, who could number 40,000 this year. They also have to agree on delegations of Israeli paramedics, emergency workers and temporary bomb shelters.

- Recently paved Lakewood  township roads are set to be ripped up again  in the James Pine st area as the gas company replaces meters and lines,  this is  months or weeks after the water company finished its work. Utility companies admit they do not coordinate with each other, and this lack of communication results in duplicated efforts and wasted resources. Township officials, for their part, have not issued any statements or taken responsibility resulting in  wasted tax dollars, and freshly paved roads reduced to patchwork. #Chelm

- Jackson: Earlier this year New Jersey Appellate Division overturned Jackson Mayor Mike Reina's land swap with a real estate developer to build 4 schools on a 30-acre parcel of land at 443 Leesville Road between Burke and Diamond Road to serve approximately 2,850 Orthodox Jewish children. Now the NJ Supreme court has agreed to review the decision. More

- Giyus: IDF steps up with arrests a chosson on last day of sheva brachos and another on way to Uman was detained and not allowed to leave the country.

- Tonight  for women and girls an evening of inspiration and song learning from the life of Mrs. Elisheva Rochel Munk A"H  at the Beru hall with Rabbi Joey Haber 8pm followed by a song presentation 

- Lakewood planning board last night approved school extension for Toras Imecha/Bnos Bina at E. County Line and Squankum

- Trump on the horrible murder of a young lady from Ukraine says the  ANIMAL who so violently killed her should be given a  Swift trial, and death penalty. There can be no other option!!!

-  NATO fighter jets have confronted and shot down threats in Poland. Between six and ten Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace; Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, and Italian reconnaissance planes dealt with the danger, alongside aerial refueling aircraft

reuters: Preliminary findings indicate that the infiltration of Russian drones into Poland was deliberate. Poland's Patriot battery radar systems detected them but did not shoot them down

-  Ukrainian Air Force: "Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace." Warsaw International Airport closed 

 - A Toms River man has died of injuries he suffered when he was thrown from his motorcycle in a crash in Lakewood on Saturday, Lakewood police confirmed Tuesday.

Athony Ferrentino, 33, was pronounced dead at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, where he was taken after suffering grave injuries in the crash on Shorrock Street at Four Seasons Boulevard, Lakewood Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said.

- Residents in Jackson  are reporting an uptick in traffic enforcement, with many feeling they’re being ticketed not just for safety, but as fallout from internal power struggles. Local media outlets recently went hard after the police department over ticketing practices, and some believe the backlash has only fueled even more aggressive enforcement on the streets.

- Reb Aaron Lang follows up on  appeals court ruling regarding the Lawsuit for funding: " Actually, it is not over. We have to crunch the numbers. This nonsense, excusing shortfalls of $100 million with claims of malfeasance and inefficiencies of one or two lower orders of magnitude has to be called out. For example, in 2009, it was the courtesy busing that cost three or four million that prevented the Court from stepping in when the formula was off by ten million. Now it is the incompetence and mediocrity of the administration and BOE, at most wasting a couple hundred thousand dollars, that is used to excuse a $100 million shortfall. I have to show the Court the numbers, that had Lakewood increased taxes in 2011, like the AG claimed at trial, compounding it would have only yielded maybe another 4 million. The audits, mistakes, and other mistakes the voters incredibly ignore and allow the district to get away with, maybe cost a million. This is small change compared to the amount we need. ....

.The state used mismanagement and corruption as an excuse in Abbott (1990). The Court did not buy it. So now, 35 years later, in the case of Lakewood, it is the local people who are to blame again. This of course is nonsense. The numbers don't add up. Also, NJ law is clear that it is the state's problem. If the superintendent and BOE don't know what they are doing, the state should replace them. The state has the ultimate authority to provide education and the ultimate blame if the BOE fails.

So now our task will be to petition the Supreme Court. It is not good enough, apparently, just to cite case law. We need to do some mathematics. I just wish it had ended. I drive 140 mile a day to teach, watch how quickly I move up, in another district. Working for Lakewood was a different life. A L