The Morning Briefing - August 13, 2015
MARLBORO – Mayor Jonathan Hornik has taken to Facebook to announce the name of former Mayor Matthew Scannepieco will forever be stripped from all township property. The former 12-year mayor is guilty of child rape and sexual abuse charges in Delaware – following his unrelated conviction of accepting $245,000 in bribes. Hornik wants “Scannepieco” erased from municipal history, if that is possible. The 71-year-old disgraced mayor is now looking at life in prison. Even worse, it will be in Delaware.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – You couldn’t expect Gov. Chris Christie to keep the catch phrase “Telling it like it is” all to himself. After all, with the gaggle of Republicans vying for the party’s nomination, the slogan was bound to be hijacked by others who also are eager to “tell it like it is.” But Christie must be infuriated that his arch nemesis, Rand Paul, has grabbed it for his new video, titled, of course, “Telling it Like it Is.”
ATLANTIC CITY – Are our casinos on a rebound, or did they just attract some lousy gamblers last month? The Press of AC is reporting the remaining eight casinos saw revenues jump 8.1 percent last month, compared with one year ago. The casinos took $257.5 million from gamblers last month, compared with $238.3 million last July. Perhaps with the closing of four casinos, and all the marketing dollars that taxpayers have thrown at the city, our gaming mecca is now “right sized” and can eke out a steady profit. Let’s ask Christie; he’ll tell it like it is.
FLORHAM PARK – We had a snide remark yesterday that former Jet Ikemefuna Enemkpali will only find work at a car wash, after sucker punching starting quarterback Geno Smith and breaking his jaw. But we were wrong. This wild card is instead going to Buffalo, perhaps to beat up some Bills. "I think it's clear it was a mistake,” says Bills head coach Rex Ryan, defending the punch. "Look at every person in that locker room, not anybody's perfect.” Moral of the story: if you are a decent linebacker, all can be forgiven.
NEWARK – News that Saint Michael’s Medical Center has filed for Chapter 11 has sounded alarm bells for those determined to save the neighborhood hospital. This morning, a slew of government/religious/union officials, health care professionals, patients and area residents will be at the hospital to urge state officials to approve the sale of the hospital to Prime Healthcare Services Inc. According to the “Save Saint Michael's Medical Center Coalition,” St. Mike’s is on life support and needs this deal to remain open.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
CENTRE COUNTY, PA — Scam artist is an odd role for most beauty queens, but Pennsylvania State Police say that's what the recently crowned Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International did to win herself a stay in county jail. The 23-year-old Bellefonte, Pa. woman allegedly led everyone, including her family, to believe she had leukemia since 2013. Police say she concocted “an elaborate scheme” raking in thousands of dollars at fundraisers to pay for phony cancer treatments, CNN reports. She now faces felony theft charges and pageant officials want her to give back the crown. She’ll sashay in front of a real judge next week. We recommend she wears the swimsuit.
SAN FRANCISCO — This city's latest effort to curb public urination is making a big splash. Literally. City workers are now coating exterior building walls with a repellant paint that, when hit with urine, makes a splash back on the offender's shoes and trousers. The walls are marked with signs that say: “Hold it! This wall is not a public restroom.” Public urination is long-term problem in the City by the Bay, where a streetlight pole corroded by urine recently toppled onto a car. The city has opened public “pit-stops” near its train stations, and it routinely deploys a fleet of solar-powered portable toilets with attendants urging people to “go.”
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
As Gov. Chris Christie hovers around 10th place in the GOP polling this morning, he should be comforted by this “day in history.” It was on this day in 2011 that polls somehow had Michele Bachmann as the lead GOP candidate for the 2012 election. We believe she now works the coffee bar at a Quik Check.
WORD OF THE DAY
Winklepicker – noun
Definition: Style of shoe or boot in the 1950s with a sharp and long pointed toe
Example: Do you have a winklepicker in periwinkle?