If ever a public policy belonged in this space, it was the misguided and ultimately futile attempt by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to ban large sodas.

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NO SODA FOR KIDS:

The soda ban was the perfect example of nanny state-ism: an arbitrary limitation on personal behavior under the assumption state power should be used to improve people’s freedom to make choices. The ban ultimately accomplished nothing. You could, after all, buy two 16-ounce sodas instead of one 32-ounce soda, all the while sticking taxpayers with the legal bill for trying to defend the policy in court.

New York State Assemblyman Matthew Titone, D-Staten Island, has proposed legislation that would ban the sale of sugary drinks 16 ounces or larger to minors across the state.

TWO-TIMING TRIO: Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and Sheriff’s Chief John Dough have collected $2.8 million in retirement checks while still drawing county salaries

\”Joe D,\” as he is widely known, gets two checks for one job – $161,615 in salary as county executive plus $68,861 from pension as retired county executive.

09/02/2015 08:39 PM EDT

A Coast Guard Station Atlantic City, N.J., 47-foot Motor Lifeboat boat crew tows a boat Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015. The boat was taking on water with inoperable bilge pumps near the Absecon Inlet following the 2015 Atlantic City Airshow. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Nick Ameen)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Coast Guard towed two boats to safety Wednesday at the conclusion of the Atlantic City Airshow.

Boat crews from Coast Guard Station Atlantic City used two 47-foot Motor Lifeboats to tow the boats to the vicinity of the Farley State Marina.

Logan Township Mayor Frank Minor, who used campaign funds to pay for nearly $1,000 in hotel and food costs and then submitted the same expenses for reimbursement through the township, said he will repay township taxpayers after a report by NJ Advance Media brought the issues to light. According to an email Minor sent to Logan…

(August 28, 2015) – The Camden County Health Department has been notified by the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services (NJDHSS) that a skunk removed from a Berlin Township yard has tested positive for rabies.

On July 24, a skunk entered the yard of a Berlin Township home and made contact with the family dog. The Animal Control Officer for the municipality picked up the skunk and arranged for rabies testing at the state Public Health & Environmental Laboratories in Trenton (PHEL). There are no known human exposures to this skunk.

On Aug. 27, the Camden County Health Department was notified by PHEL that the animal was rabid. The dog is current with its rabies vaccination and received a rabies booster shot on Aug. 25. In addition, state regulations dictate that the dog be confined and observed for 45 days from the date of the incident. The NJDHSS has not provided the name or address of the family.

Robbinsville, NJ, August 31, 2015 –It’s that time again. Time to think about reading, writing, and arithmetic. But are you thinking about school lunches? If not, you might want to give it some thought. Lunch represents one third of the food consumed by students each day. And today, one in three children and adolescents, ages 2-19 are overweight or obese. 

\”Childhood obesity can lead to a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels,\” asserts Dr. Marcus Williams, member of the Northern New Jersey American Heart Association and American Stroke Association board of directors and cardiologist with Cardiac Associates of North Jersey in Oakland, NJ. \”Providing healthy options during lunchtime can set positive patterns and habits for a lifetime to come.\”