Jersey Shore Headlines

The Monmouth County father who murdered his little girl gets sentenced...and the judge says he wishes he could order a harsher punishment. This and more in today's Townsquare Media News.

Life in prison with no parole is the sentence for Arthur Morgan, the Monmouth County father who murdered his 2-and-a-half year old daughter Tierra Morgan by tossing her into a creek strapped into her car seat in November 2011. The judge said he wished he could order a harsher punishment.

Murder charges are now filed against a woman who allegedly beat her grandmother in the Brick Township home they shared. 94-year old Mary Driscoll died Saturday, after spending a week in critical condition. Katherine Shubert remains jailed on $750,000 bail at the Ocean County Jail.

An Asbury Park man heads to prison for 20 years for the 2011 shooting death of another Asbury resident as the victim sat in his vehicle. 25-year old gang member Gregory Hopson will have to spend 17 years in prison under the No Early Release Act before parole eligibility.

A former high school wrestling star from North Jersey is charged with a crime spree in Manasquan. Witnesses say the beach patrol was driving a motorized cart on the beach around 8:30 Sunday night when Lukas Iorio jumped feet-first through the plastic windshield, threw the beach patrol workers from the cart, and raced off in it. He was arrested after punching an elderly man in the face multiple times.

A Point Pleasant Beach man faces sentencing today after pleading no contest to a hazing beating at a West Virginia University fraternity last November. Michael Sousa and 2 others are accused of physically assaulting and injuring a 19-year old pledge during initiation.

Jackson has hired Stephen Genco of Point Pleasant as its new Schools Superintendent.- it's their fourth district leader in three years. Genco was South Plainfield's Superintendent for three years and served as Jackson's Assistant Superintendent before that. He's expected to make more than $177,000 a year.

About 20 residents remain at Lakewood's Tent City. The homeless camp will be completely torn down once housing is found for the remaining individuals.

Superstorm Sandy did not set our coastal areas up for a greater chance of flooding. That's according to scientists with the US Geological survey. The scientists say the frequent flooding here at the shore should be attributed to all the Nor'easters that have pounded our shores. Oceanographers say it's the relentless beat of winter weather taking its toll on our coastline as the level of the ocean inches up and creeps landward.

There are safer and more effective ways to protect children in cars according to a state lawmaker. He's pushing a bill to update our state's antiquated and vague child seat belt laws. 5-point harness seats provide maximum safety and cut the chance of whiplash. The bill would require kids under 2 weighing less than 30 pounds to be in the back seat facing the rear in a 5-point harness seat. Children between 2 and 4 would have to be in the same type seat, but parents would make the call on which way to face them. And kids between 4 and 8 less than 57" tall would have to be in a booster seat with the same type of 5-point harness.

All children, including those with disabilities, will be able to use a unique playground that will be built at Brick Township's Windward Beach Park. The township is using a grant to hire a company to build the one-of-a-kind facility with help from the community. A build date hasn't been announced yet.