As new details emerge about Bill Parisio—the Cranford man recently accused of murdering his girlfriend, Pamela Schmidt, in his family's home—some lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban a new drug known as "bath salts." Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) has introduced legislation to ban Methylenedioxypyrovalerone, better known as MDVP, the primary drug in bath salts, in the state. In drug circles, the drug earned its nickname because it visually resembles therapeutic salts used in home tubs and spas. Available in convenience stores and smoke shops around the state, bath salts have …

Gov. Chris Christie hit familiar targets like public workers' pensions and health care reform before a filled-to-capacity St. Jude's Parish Center in Hopatcong on Wednesday, but the morning's loudest ovation went to Sparta resident Debra Nicholson, who began her question at the town hall-style meeting—Christie's first in Sussex County—by calling the governor "hot and sexy"(see video at right).  Christie laughed and said Nicholson should write a note to his wife, Mary Pat, with whom he celebrated a 25-year wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Between jokes and claps, Christie returned to core …

Thousands of unionized police and firefighters rallied at the statehouse Thursday against layoffs and Gov. Chris Christie's plan to have them contribute more to health and pension plans. Throngs of public safety workers from across the state delivered a loud message to Christie, pointing to a 2009 campaign promise that police and firefighter pensions would not be changed. “The new normal in New Jersey is New Jersey has a crime problem," New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association President Anthony Wieners said, using a play on Christie's "new normal" budget message. "We are here to …

Governor Chris Christie vowed on Tuesday to continue with what he called a “new normal” in New Jersey, calling for a reform effort that “marks the line in the sand that separates the way things used to be, and the way they are going to be.” Christie said his budget reduces government spending 2.6 percent from last year’s $30.2 billion budget and “marks a departure from the Trenton tradition of budgeting to meet deficit projections that embrace wish-list spending by legislators and assume continuous funding increases that irresponsibly ignore actual revenue sources.” *** The budget address was…

Acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf unveiled a plan Wednesday afternoon that would revamp tenure for New Jersey teachers, calling for “demonstrated student learning” to be part of the tenure process along with yearly evaluations and a plan to strip tenure from teachers who are not meeting requirements. Under the proposal, teachers rated effective or highly effective for three consecutive years would be granted tenure. Teachers would lose tenure if they failed to meet requirements for two consecutive years. *** The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) met …

A Verona man was seriously injured when his single-engine plane went down late Thursday morning near the Pequannock-Lincoln Park border. Police said Leslie E. Gwyn-Williams, 61, was flying from Morristown Municipal Airport to meet a friend at Lincoln Park Airport when his plane lost power and its engine. Gwyn-Williams sustained multiple leg and head fractures, as well as facial and internal injuries. *** Public Service Electric & Gas will pay a $200,000 fine after a report found its workers missed chances to prevent a July 2008 natural gas explosion that killed Teaneck resident Richard Hass, …

Three young people, including the son of Pine Beach Councilman Robert Budesa, died early Thursday morning when their car careened into the eastern side of Pine Beach Elementary School at a high rate of speed. Matthew Budesa, 20, of Pine Beach; Kimberly Van Gordon, 20, of Beachwood; and Matthew Witzgall, 21, of Toms River, all died of multiple traumatic injuries. *** Bergen County retained its ranking as the state's most populous county, but second-ranked Middlesex County added twice as many people over the past 10 years, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Data for …

Latest Snowstorm Sets Record After yet another snowstorm hit New Jersey on Wednesday and Thursday, State Climatologist Dr. David A. Robinson confirmed that this month's snowfall toppled the state record for January set in 1894. As of Thursday night, a total of 30.9 inches of snow fell this month in New Brunswick, which is used as the yardstick for measurement. State Senator Proposes Reinstated Death Penalty State Sen. Robert Singer, whose district includes portions of Ocean and Monmouth counties, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would reinstate the death penalty in New Jersey for …

Indictments were unsealed Thursday against 18 New Jersey residents on charges that include racketeering, extortion and illegal gambling. Overall, federal agents arrested more than 100 reputed organized crime figures from New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island in what is being hailed as the largest mob takedown in U.S. history. Authorities said Stephen Depiro, a reputed member of the Genovese mafia family in New Jersey, has run the crime family’s waterfront rackets since at least 2005. Depiro and Genovese associates are charged with forcing port workers to hand over “tribute payments” each year…