Thousands of dead red-winged blackbirds fell from the sky in an Arkansas town on New Year's Eve after massive trauma, tests by veterinary officials concluded on Monday.

When salmonella-laced peanut products sickened hundreds during a recent scare, President Barack Obama said consumers should be able to have confidence that their government will keep peanut butter-eating children safe - and that included his daughter Sasha.

Homicides rose by 15 percent in New Jersey last year, marking the first time in four years that the state saw an annual increase in slayings, according to a Star-Ledger survey of county prosecutor's offices.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. was sworn in for his third term today and wasted no time in setting his agenda for the next four years.

The year began as it ended in Jersey City, with a spate of shootings that kept police and trauma surgeons busy throughout the night, authorities said.

international- S. Korea conducts live-fire exercise despite warnings from North
national- Senate votes to repeal ban on gays openly serving in military
local- Nighttime fire causes minor damage at Hunterdon Central High School in Raritan Twp.
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LINDEN - In the last week, someone snatched half a dozen 1,100-pound clothing donation bins from supermarket parking lots in Union, Middlesex, Morris and Bergen counties.

Eight years ago, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers stood among the nation's bishops at a landmark gathering in Dallas and helped craft a policy intended to cleanse the priesthood of pedophiles and restore trust among shaken American Catholics.

Share110 99 Share close Google Buzz Digg Stumble Upon Fark Share Email Print newark-firefighters.JPGStar-Ledger fileNewark firefighters wash down their Rescue 1 truck outside their firehouse on Mulberry Street in this file photo. NEWARK - The retirement of 80 firefighters may have spared the Newark Fire Department from layoffs last month.

Snow and freezing temperatures caused a third day of chaos in the U.K. for road, rail and air passengers, British officials said Monday.

BANGALORE - Prosecutors in New York are set to file civil fraud charges against accounting firm Ernst & Young LLC over the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

international- Swedish Security police: violence was 'an act of terrorism' - CNN.com
national- mark madoff ruled a suicide, official say- CNN.com
local/regional-On "Jeopardy" TV show: Raritan Twp. man who works at Hunterdon Central -NJ.com
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sports/entertainment- Auburn quarterback Cam Newton wins Heisman Trophy

A New Jersey man who was a chemist at a suburban Chicago paint factory has pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets.

A former Hunterdon County assistant prosecutor claims that state Attorney General Paula Dow and others in the Christie administration conspired to dismiss criminal charges against Sheriff Deborah Trout and her associates.

"Spirited" student fans at Hunterdon Central High School face suspension, detention, counseling, testing, a month-long ban on participation in activities, lost parking privileges and a trip to the doctor's office.

China's top foreign policy official met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il Thursday and the two sides "reached consensus" about defusing tensions on the Korean peninsula, officials said.

U.S. agencies have warned some employees that reading the classified State Department documents released by WikiLeaks puts them at risk of losing their jobs. But what about students considering jobs with the federal government? Do they jeopardize their chances by reading WikiLeaks?

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local- Hunterdon County offering $10,000 bonuses to encourage older employees to retire
science- oceans failing the acid test, UN says
sports-Yankees reach two- year, $30 million agreement with Rivera

The legal fight over California's same-sex marriage ban will reach the next rung on the judicial ladder Monday when a federal appeals court in San Francisco hears legal argument.

A Flemington man faces two counts of invasion of privacy after allegeldy peering at a shopper in a store dressing room.