Last Week's Top Stories

In what was our top read story for the past week, accused burglars who allegedly had robbed a home in Warren Township were stopped last Saturday, March 17, on Martinsville Road by a Bernards Township police officer when their vehicle supposedly failed to have a rear license plate.
The officer reportedly noted a bag with gloves and jewelry inside, and his questioning allegedly prompted the three men within to speed off, head onto Interstate 78 east, and reportedly exceed 100 m.p.h. before crashing at the ramp leading to exit 40 in Warren Township. The arrests of three men within were announced by the Somerset County prosecutor's office on Monday.
On Thursday afternoon, Verizon union employees who expressed discontent with negotiations on a contract that expired last August were back at the Verizon Center at North Maple Avenue in northern Basking Ridge. The union employees also protested the pending layoff of copper wireline repair workers. The company's official response was that the contract would be settled through negotiations, not rallies, and that about 300 Verizon "Connected Solutions" unit had been "let go" about six weeks ago due to a declining workload.
There was continuing discussion in our Moms Talk column about whether the school's administration would benefit students at Ridge High School with a decision to eliminate midterms and finals at the high school next year. Those tests are due to be replaced with assessment tests each marking period.
In other school news, residents were reminded that the Board of Education will on Monday vote whether to approve a $75.85-million local tax levy to support most the proposed $93.26-million school budget for the 2012-13 school year. By moving the school election to November, the board gained the right to adopt a school budget without a public vote if the tax levy increase remains at or below the cap of a two-percent increase.
And, over at the Senior Wellness Center, a celebrity landed in town when Elvis entered the building last Tuesday. His fans were not disappointed, and we captured some of the show (and kisses) on video.