New Jersey braces for once-in-17-years cicada invasion

Published April 07, 2013

Associated Press

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. –  Like clockwork, they're coming back -- after 17 years.

"They" would be cicadas, the big, noisy bugs that climb out of the earth about every decade and a half to make everyone's life more exciting.

Experts tell Gannett News Service that the bugs live underground and feed off fluid that gathers near the roots of plants, then emerge from the soil when its temperature reaches 64 degrees.

They're largely harmless, but their sheer numbers can cause headaches. Some areas could see as many as a billion of the cicadas per square mile. That can lead to a lot of dead bugs all over roadways and grassy surfaces. They can also disrupt outdoor events with their loud buzzing.

New York radio station WNYC is helping to track the invasion.

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No charges in case of New Jersey boy pictured with gun

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  This undated photo provided by Shawn Moore shows his son Josh, 10, holding a rifle his father gave him for his 11th birthday, at their home in Carneys Point, N.J.AP/Shawn Moore

No charges will be filed against a man who posted online a photo of his young son holding what appeared to be a military-style rifle, police said Wednesday.

In a moment of heightened sensitivity around guns and gun control, the brief saga had the makings of a debate starter between people who oppose guns and those who say authorities are overzealous about even legal weapons.

Police in Carneys Point, a town of 8,000 some 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia, gave their version Wednesday, days after the boy's father, Shawn Moore, brought attention to the issue, saying that state child welfare workers and police in SWAT gear showed up at his home because of the online photos.

Moore first posted a comment about the incident on a gun rights website and within days was appearing with his son, Josh, on a Fox News talk show and elsewhere. Moore said that the weapon was a .22-caliber rifle made to look like an assault rifle and that it was a gift for Josh's upcoming 11th birthday.

In a statement, Carney Point Police Chief Robert DiGregorio and Mayor Richard Gatanis said officers went to the family's home at about 8:15 p.m. Friday after getting anonymous tips that a boy there might have access to weapons and ammunition.

"In light of some of the recent school shootings across our nation, the Carneys Point Police Department takes these types of calls seriously," they said, adding that they were obligated to go there with state Department of Children and Family caseworkers who requested assistance.

Moore had said the authorities requested to see his weapons, but with his lawyer on a speakerphone he denied them access because they did not have a search warrant.

The Carneys Point officials said the officers -- in night uniforms and body armor but not SWAT gear -- did not attempt an unlawful search.

The officials said that they respect citizens' rights to own weapons and that several officers knew the elder Moore from a shooting club.

Moore's lawyer, Evan Nappen, said the problem is the idea that the government could respond to people talking about or with photos of weapons on social media.

"This is a shame because of the impact it has on a really good dad and his son," Nappen said. "No one was in danger."

He said the state Department of Children and Families was aggressive and intimidating and could have avoided the situation by calling first.

A department spokesman did not return calls Wednesday, but said Tuesday --without commenting on the specific case -- that the department routinely checks on tips it receives.

The department has been under years of court-monitoring and has been criticized in several cases where children who died or were in peril were not checked on.

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Chris Christie's $32.9B New Jersey budget expands Medicaid

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie proposed a $32.9 billion budget Tuesday that allows more poor residents to enroll in Medicaid and increases public school aid but defers property tax rebates for three months.

Christie's proposal for the fiscal year that starts July 1 comes as the state rebounds from Superstorm Sandy, the worst natural disaster in state history. The budget counts on federal funding to stimulate the state's still-sluggish economy and help coastal communities rebuild. Some 25 municipalities lost at least 5 percent of their tax base after Sandy, because of destroyed homes and closed businesses.

The budget also adds nearly $100 million to public education and expands the Medicaid rolls by 300,000 by allowing the federal government to take over costs.

However, many homeowners expecting property tax rebates in May will have to wait. Seniors, the disabled and low-income homeowners will see them in August.

The deferral will allow the state to cover for a projected $407 million shortfall in the budget that expires in June. New Jersey's constitution doesn't allow deficit spending.

The budget also makes a $1.6 billion payment to the public employee pension system, a commitment the administration made when landmark pension and health benefits changes were enacted two years ago. Those changes required union workers to pay more for retirement and medical benefits, changes Christie said were necessary to shore up the underfunded systems.

Christie's proposed budget contained no major surprised but could be thrown into turmoil by the end of the week -- to the peril of the state's property holders -- if President Barack Obama and Congress fail to strike a deal on looming federal budget cuts.

The first $1.8 billion in Sandy aid is due in April. But New Jersey could see $100 million less than expected unless there's a deal in Washington to eliminate federal cuts set to take effect Friday. Preschool classes and regional airports could also be shuttered.

Christie proposed adding $40 million to the current-year budget to cover expenses not reimbursed by the federal government.

"This will ensure that we can move ahead with maximum speed, and that those things that fall through the cracks will not bankrupt families, businesses and local governments," Christie said.

The Republican governor has told residents of hard-hit towns whose homes survived the storm to expect to pay higher property taxes. But that could be a bitter pill for New Jerseyans recovering from Sandy. State residents already pay the highest property taxes in the country, averaging $7,870 per household.

Budget Officer Declan O'Scanlon, who represents some of the shore towns, said a portion of the Sandy aid was earmarked for property tax relief to cushion the blow.

"Regarding Sandy and property taxes, the way we're going to hopefully resolve that is with federal money," O'Scanlon said. "That's been done before in other jurisdictions where they've had massive storms like this."

In a video clip released ahead of his 3 p.m. speech to the Legislature, Christie offered up a theme but no budget details.

In the clip, titled "Saving Lives Lasts Forever," the governor said, "budgets come and go. Taxes go up and down. But saving lives ... that lasts forever."

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