Guilty Plea, College Choices Top LV News

The first week of July was full of heat and holidays, but there was plenty of news to catch up on, too.

As always, get a full serving of this week’s news platter by going here.

For the bigger headlines and a side of macaroni salad, keep reading.

The week kicked off with a follow up to this year’s , as we gave readers a map of locations where the class of 2012 will be heading off to college. . Good luck to you all!

In Oct. 2010, Long Valley lost a neighbor all too soon, as 17-year-old Josie Irwin was killed in a car crash in Mansfield Township. The driver of the car, now 19-year-old Gussie Brown IV, took a plea deal and admitted to speeding and causing the crash. The Easton, Pa. man has yet to be sentenced, but faces up to four years in prison. .

One of Washington Township’s road projects this summer has been truncated by a funding shortfall. The stretch on Fairview Avenue from Laketown Road to Drakestown Road was scheduled to be completely milled and repaved by the local Department of Public Works, but the $55,000 budget was used up about 0.3 miles short. The mayor and DPW said they’ll work to find more funds so the project can be completed this year. .

A Long Valley pre-teen took up on an opportunity to help a local animal shelter and ended up attending a taping of TLC’s “Cake Boss” in Madison recently. Catelyn Woelfle and some friends cleaned up a garden at St. Hubert’s Animal Shelter, and were subsequently invited to PetFinder.com’s 20 millionth pet adoption celebration. .

Washington Township lost a great person this week, one who made left an imprint on the area. . He was the commander of the American Veterans Association of Washington Township, as well as one of its founding members. Millhime fought for the Navy in World War II.

Long Valley Patch continued to ask readers to nominate they’re favorite businesses and family-friendly places to go in our Readers’ Choice contest. Have you voted? .