COVID, School Changes: Asbury Park's Top Stories In 2020

ASBURY PARK — The year 2020 brought illness, strife and death to Asbury Park. It also brought community, perseverance and new beginnings.

Even as a total of 810 people were infected by the coronavirus in Asbury Park, new businesses opened and local schools did their best to survive.

Patch is looking back at some of the top stories from Asbury Park in 2020.

WATCH: Chants, Unity, Clashes In Asbury Park George Floyd Protest

Live speakers called for justice as crowds chanted "black lives matter" as they marched during the Asbury Park protests in June for George Floyd, the man who died after a Minneapolis police officer used his knee to place Floyd's neck in a chokehold. Several clashes with police and a reporter's arrest mired the protests, as shown on videos, and several people were arrested and three officers were hurt, officials said.

Asbury Park Reverses Reopen Plan After Gov. Murphy's Court Order

Asbury Park reversed its plan to reopen its indoor dining during the summer and defy state coronavirus rules after Gov. Phil Murphy got a court order to stop the city. Deputy May Amy Quinn announced on Twitter that she hoped Murphy would meet with the community and discuss an indoor reopening plan as a result.

9 Asbury Park Businesses Have Helped So Many Amid COVID-19

These nine Asbury Park businesses have been there for people in Asbury Park throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's what they did.

Asbury Park Schools Temporarily Goes Remote After 5 COVID-19 Cases

The Asbury Park School District had five confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in November, all of which were the result of outside activity and not in-school interactions, officials said. As a result, Asbury Park schools transitioned temporarily to a full remote-learning environment.

Hiding In Plain Sight? How An Asbury Park Murder Case Slipped By

The suspect in a nearly 30-year-old murder case may have been literally hiding in plain sight for nearly 30 years. And he did it even though he was apparently only blocks away.

Guilty: 2 Asbury Park Cops Busted; One Fired, Another Suspended

An Asbury Park police officer and a former city special law enforcement officer entered guilty pleas in August and admitted they vandalized vehicles belonging to a citizen, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.