Lacey Township's Top Stories In 2017

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - Here's a look back at some of Lacey's top stories in 2017. Some are sad, some are uplifting. Just click on the link to read the full story.

Double homicide-suicide -Topping the list for the year is the horrific double murder-suicide that happened at a Nautilus Boulevard home back in. The Ocean County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Kimberly Dunphey, 48, and her son, Owen Scott, 7, died of blunt force injuries. The suspected killer was Gregg Scott, Kimberly's husband and Owen's father. The family dog was also killed.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said the incidents were the apparent result of a marital dispute. Neighbors in the area said nothing seemed to be amiss with the family under the murders.

"It is my hope to minimize the trauma to these families in any way possible," he said.

To read the entire story, click here.

Oyster Creek valve malfunction discovered - An electromagnetic relief valve used to depressurize the nuclear plant's reactor was discovered to have been incorrectly assembled and malfunctioned for more that two years, according to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The inspection finding means that NRC oversight could increase above the normal level of oversight, said spokesman Neil Sheehan.
The valves are used to depressurize the reactor during a pipe break to allow coolant to be injected into the reactor core, he said.
"This is necessary to keep the nuclear fuel in the reactor covered and cooled as the shutdown progresses," Sheehan said.

Technical specifications require that all of the EMRV values must be operable when the plant is operating. But records show the incorrect reassembly of the valve led to it being inoperable between Sept. 5, 2014 and Sept. 19, 2016, Sheehan said.

To read the entire story, click here.

Lacey Man Finds Class Ring, Unearths A Piece Of A Family's Past

Dominick Tremarterra's hobby is metal detecting. That's what he was doing at a drained Lacey lake when he had a hit. Buried under 18 inches of muck was a 1962 Woodbridge High School class ring.

He and his wife Jennifer made it their mission to find the owner. They eventually tracked the ring down, thanks to a photo provided by his family of the late Christopher Joseph Moyer. Moyer was wearing the ring in his graduation photo. He died in 1974.

To read the story, click here.

State Trooper Saves Baby From Hot Car On A Torrid July Day

The baby's legal guardian had accidentally locked the 18-month-old infant inside and was unable to get the baby out. Trooper Joseph Falco came to the rescue, broke the car window and was able to safely remove the baby from the car. The baby's legal guardian had accidentally locked the car with the keys inside, according to the State Police. To read the entire story, click here.

Lacey Woman Arrested Three Times In One Week For Drunk Driving

Lacey police recently charged a Forked River woman with drunk driving three times in one week, along with numerous other charges, Police Chief Michael C. DiBella said.Officers Patrick Watkins and Elton Copes responded to Whitcomb Road in Forked River for a disturbance call at 12:59 a.m. on April 12. Investigation at the scene led to the arrest of Jennifer Alexander, 38, Laurel Boulevard, in Lanoka Harbor, for driving under the influence.

To read the entire story, click here.

Tomorrow Isn't Guaranteed - Owen Koehler Dies At 11 From Brain Tumor

Many in Lacey said prayers and hoped for the best after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor two years ago. And they mourned with his family when Owen died in June, despite his parents' best efforts to keep the young boy alive. His mother chronicled their painful journey on the Facebook page Owen's Fight.

To read the entire story, click here.

Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant

Oyster Creek asks the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to waive some emergency planning procedures in place a year after the plant closes, which is scheduled to close in 2019.
Exelon wants to end the 10-mile emergency planning zone around the plant in Lacey Township, eliminate emergency sirens, reduce the emergency response staff and stop the dissemination of emergency plan information to the public. To read the entire story, click here.

Mabel - The Face Of Animal Cruelty

Popcorn Park shelter workers cried when they saw Mabel, an elderly dog who had been dumped in the Assunpink Wildlife Preserve and found trapped up to her neck in a muddy swamp. She was blind from cataracts, was emaciated, had a severe urinary tract infection, and could barely walk. But she didn't die alone. She died surrounded by love. To read her entire story, click here.

Three Lacey Boys Helped Save Owl Trapped In Construction Pipe

The boys were riding their bikes to a pond behind a new development when they found the Great Horned Owl in a construction pipe sunk in the ground, his yellow eyes peering up at them. This story has a happy ending. To read the whole story, click here.

Photos: All photo credits are in the story links.