The Morning Briefing - September 11, 2015
UNION TOWNSHIP – The pressure is on for firefighters, combing the wilds of northern New Jersey to find a 100-pound tortoise who apparently broke loose from his backyard over the weekend in Hunterdon County. NJ.com reports the tortoise, which moves like a snail, but slower, has been the focus of the Pattenburg Volunteer Fire Company and their search-and-rescue dog. It is thought the tortoise speeds along at six inches for each step taken, makes no noise and follows the easiest path. At this rate, the tortoise should cross the county line by February.
BURLINGTON – With so many law firms squeezed into New Jersey, it’s amazing a guy with a bogus firm was able to operate for more than a decade. Officials have indicted the fake lawyer for defrauding at least 74 “clients” from the home office of his “firm.” So, how was "Cameron, Hamilton & Associates" able to do business from 2003 until March 2015? Apparently using four Pennsylvania attorney ID numbers. This attorney now needs representation, perhaps from someone who at least attended an online, off-shore law school.
STATEWIDE — Chronic absenteeism from school doesn't only affect the poor. A nonprofit child advocacy group discovered roughly 10 percent of youngsters throughout New Jersey skipped more than 10 percent of class time during the 2013-14 school year, NJ.com says. Sifting through state Education Department data, the “Advocates for Children of New Jersey” discovered 125,000 students in grades K-12 from 177 school districts missed 18 or more school days. Ocean County had 19 districts, the state's highest number of chronically absent students. Essex County had 10 districts with more than 10 percent absentees. (No data from the Newark Public Schools.) Morris County had just two school districts with 10 percent student absences, earning it the gold star and an extra carton of chocolate milk.
PRINCETON - It was a “Who’s Who” of New Jersey health care last night as 250 state officials, elected officials, non-profit leaders and others gathered in Princeton to toast David Knowlton, who retires after some two decades leading the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. Called the institute’s “visionary in chief,” Knowlton’s genius was getting all the players in the contentious world of health care — CEOs of rival hospitals, insurers, payers, physicians, nurses, legislators — to sit at the same table and find consensus to improve the safety and quality of health care. Linda Schwimmer, the institute's vice president, brings experience in the government and private sectors as she takes over the role of President & CEO.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
LINCOLN, Neb – You’d think after ignoring a parking ticket for 40 years that you would officially be in the clear. But something nagged a Nebraska man, who tells the Lincoln Journal Star how he tried to pay the parking tickets upon his graduation in 1974 from the University of Nebraska, but the office only took cash. The student had no money, of course, so the campus cops told him to stop back when he had some. Recently, after talking to a college buddy, he realized he never paid the debt, prompting him to dash off a $100 check to his alma mater. The college sent the money back with thanks; but apparently it still doesn’t accept cash.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Pop Quiz: Does water boil at the same temperature in Denver as it does in Los Angeles? About 66 percent of Americans have no clue. That's one of the reasons why the Pew Research Center recently gave us a D in science, the Los Angeles Times reports. The research organization gave 3,278 Americans a 12-question quiz on geology, physics, astronomy and a few other topics. A skimpy 6 percent got all 12 answers right. Test your knowledge here. If you feel stupid, no worries: at least you aren’t a Trump supporter.
IN THE MEDIA
Great news for all us PR people, desperate to find a reporter to cover a press conference: Politico NJ continues to expand in New Jersey. The news site has picked up Katie Jennings to cover health care. The Westfield native just graduated from a year-long investigative reporting fellowship at the Columbia journalism school, and has written about health care policy and politics for other Politico products. There’s also Linh Tat, a former municipal reporter for the Record. Tat will cover education. They come on board Sept. 23.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
9-11.
WORD OF THE DAY
Flitterwochen – noun
Definition: It is an Old English expression for “fleeting weeks,” probably borrowed from the Germans. It means honeymoon.
Example: Going to Hawaii for a romantic flitterwochen?