Beach badges, as much a part of summer at the New Jersey shore as sunscreen and salt water taffy, have changed little since the practice of charging to use the public beaches began during the Great Depression.

While some towns have slowly begun to move into the digital age with apps to buy the badges, beachgoers up and down the coast this summer will still need to wear badges. Electronic beach badges are still a thing of the future.

The town that claims in 1929 it became the first to require badges is the latest to offer an app for residents and visitors to purchase badges.

"It just made perfect sense because it was the last part of commerce that the town engages in that didn't have that option," said Bradley Beach Mayor Gary Engelstad.

Asbury Park, Manasquan, Seaside Heights, Longport and Ventnor City were already offering the mobile option. Sea Isle City has a vending machine.

Heading into the Memorial Day weekend, more than 20 percent of badges in Manasquan sold were ordered online.

For residents and visitors, the app is a convenient way to pay.

"People use their phones to Uber, fly and travel via train. It makes sense for them to be able to access the beach with their phones too," Wall Township resident Joe Belko said while walking on the beach walk in Mansaquan.

Most New Jersey towns charge to use public beaches when lifeguards are on duty between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Atlantic City and the Wildwoods do not charge.

During the Great Depression, Jersey shore towns started issuing buttons, badges or tags. At the time, Bradley Beach officials said they were confident the system would correct overcrowding caused by "free bathers," according to an Asbury Park Press story in August 1929.

"Beach badge funding represents a kind of ambiguity," said Rutgers University American Studies professor Angus Kress Gillespie. "On the one hand you could say it's a rational response to additional expenses such as lifeguards and police. But on the other, it's a cultural beach badge tax that represents a kind of hostility toward visitors.

"It was a way to stick it to the people from up north and is reflected in folklore and slang used by year-round residents who viewed the visitors as rude and flashy."

These days, even residents complain about paying to use the beaches and many point to the federal funding of beach replenishment projects after Superstorm Sandy as a reason not to charge. However, efforts to end the practice have never advanced in the Legislature.

Eventually, officials said, electronic beach badges that can be swiped at entryways will replace the plastic ovals with pins that adorn swimsuits and beach bags.

Bob Amon, of Beach Haven, who started collecting beach badges in 1972, chuckles at the thought.

"I guess that's the wave of the future, but if there is a last one, I want to make sure I have them all," he said.

Wade Daniels was arrested earlier today for stabbing a man at a Wawa on Route 38.

Daniels, 38, and a man from Westhampton, age 30, were fighting on May 27 at almost 11 p.m. outside a Wawa when Daniels pulled out a knife. Police arrived at the scene but Daniels had fled before the officers came.

The victim was taken to a local Trauma Center and is said to be in stable condition.

This morning the Lumberton Police Department arrested Daniels without incident. He is at the Burlington County Jail awaiting his first appearance.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Lumberton Police Detective Division at 609-267-1111x119 or 121.

Several teens and adults were arrested over Memorial Day Weekend in Margate, New Jersey after fights broke out on the beach. 

Margate City Police say they arrested six adults and seven juveniles over the weekend on charges ranging from disorderly conduct, simple assault, resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, drug offenses and DWI.

A large crowd of teens gathered on the beach on Decatur Avenue near the Lucy the Elephant statue around 2 p.m. Saturday and several fights began to erupt, according to investigators. Every working Margate officer responded to the brawls but were vastly outnumbered, officials said. The officers called for assistance from Ventnor Police and Longsport Police. Several arrests were made and two Margate officers suffered minor injuries.

“The way they were reacting to the police just trying to do their job and really just trying to keep them safe,” Margate Beach Patrol Lt. Chuck LaBarre said. “And then the residual effect of leaving the beach just totally trashed.”

Police say large crowds also gathered on the streets at night in Margate over the weekend, mainly around the Wawa store on Washington Avenue. During that time police made more arrests, mostly for drug offenses, disorderly conduct and curfew violations, according to investigators.

Margate Police say 13 people in all were arrested over the holiday weekend. All 13 people were released on their own recognizance pending a future court date.

The Philadelphia Police Department said it is "looking into allegations" that a number of young men were illegally searched during stops.

In a statement issued to NBC10, police said the department is aware of the allegations and is investigating. However, because the case is ongoing, the department cannot comment at this time.

The allegations surfaced in a Philadelphia Daily News story published last week.

In one instance, the case against a man arrested for possessing 64 packets of crack cocaine was thrown out because the drugs were illegally confiscated. Police found the contraband hiding in his buttocks during a search that should have been conducted in private after obtaining written authorization from supervisors. Instead, the arresting officer conducted the invasive search while patting down the suspect on a public street.

As a result of the Daily News story, Black Lives Matter Movement Pennsylvania activist Asa Khalif marched to police headquarters with two pairs of men’s underwear Tuesday afternoon. He streamed a heated exchange with police on Facebook Live in hopes of encouraging more people to come forward and file formal complaints.

WARNING: These videos contain explicit language that may be offensive to some viewers

“It was brave on their part,” Khalif said of those who shared their stories with media. “Police have somehow ingrained in black youth that they have no power and we’re here to organize and have that power.”

Philadelphia police have a robust policy surrounding strip and body cavity searches. Several pages of the department’s directives outline protocol for conducting invasive pat-downs, which stipulates these searches are not to become routine and can only be conducted in extenuating circumstances.

In most cases, a search warrant is required unless a suspect has provided written consent. Files involving strip or body cavity searches are to be maintained for five years.

“The mere fact that an arrest has occurred for a specific crime (e.g., Narcotics Offense) is not, by itself, reasonable suspicion to conduct a strip search. All factors must be considered prior to requesting a strip search,” the directives say.

A spokesperson from Mayor Jim Kenney's office said he met with Commissioner Richard Ross Jr. last week to discuss the allegations.

"While there is no data to answer the question of whether or not this is a systemic practice, we agree that even one bad stop is too many," the spokesperson said.

"The commissioner is taking steps to reinforce that with the city’s police officers."

A window washer died after falling while working at an apartment complex in Cherry Hill, New Jersey Wednesday.

Police say the victim was washing windows around 5:30 p.m. at the Cherry Hill Towers on 2145 Route 38 East when he or she fell to the ground. The victim was taken to the hospital and was later pronounced dead.

Police have not yet released the victim's identity. They continue to investigate the incident.

Wednesday was graduation day for three rescue dogs who were trained by inmates to serve as companions for veterans.

The ceremony took place at 1 p.m. at the Camden County Correctional Facility in Camden, New Jersey. The first dog to graduate was presented to Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam War veteran Arthur Wimberly, Jr.

It was all part of a pilot program in which the Camden County Freeholder Board instructed the corrections department, working with One Love Animal Rescue, to train and care for companion dogs to be adopted by veterans who will give them a forever home.

“The opportunity to have inmates participating and learning a new skillset that will ultimately benefit veterans is a home run for public policy, and it is critical that we continue to find more innovative ways to support both communities,” Camden County Freeholder Jonathan Young, who serves as liaison to the Department of Corrections, said. “This progressive idea will also assist us in finding forever homes for animals from our shelter population."

New Jersey Senator Jim Beach (D-Camden/Burlington) believes the program is beneficial to both the inmates and the veterans.

“We know companion dogs can improve the quality of life for veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression," he said. "Creating a program that allows inmates to train these dogs for veterans will give them a chance to give back to the community in a meaningful way, but also to learn valuable skills as they prepare to re-enter society."

A high school teacher is accused of taking upskirt videos of his female students.

Eric Howell, 43, of Maple Shade, New Jersey is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, official misconduct and invasion of privacy.

Howell, who was a chemistry teacher at Lenape High School in Medford, New Jersey, allegedly captured upskirt videos and photos of female students in his classroom and the school’s hallways.

Investigators say Howell hid a camera in a coconut water box that was placed on the side of his briefcase. He would unscrew the cap of the box in his briefcase, walk closely to the female students and carry his bag in a way that allowed his camera to see up the girls’ skirts or shorts, according to police.

Investigators say a witness first saw Howell walking behind a female student and extending his arm sideways in order to position the camera under her skirt back on May 2. The witness then reported the incident to school administrators who contacted police. Howell was also immediately banned from school property and school events, according to police.

Investigators say they’ve determined Howell took upskirt videos of three students, one of whom he targeted more than once. He’s also accused of making an upskirt video at a convenience store.

Police searched through Howell’s home and seized several digital storage devices. They continue to investigate.

Howell had been a teacher at the school since 2016. He was taken into custody Wednesday and lodged in the Burlington County Jail pending an appearance in Superior Court Thursday.

Some experts say Positive Train Control may have prevented the deadly Amtrak derailment in 2015 in which eight people were killed and more than 200 injured. Now there's a new push to implement the potentially life-saving tool on railroads and commuter trains. NBC10 investigative reporter Mitch Blacher has the details.

A viewer picked up an appliance for half price at a store’s “going-out-of-business” sale, but the bargain turned out to not be such a great deal at all. NBC10 Responds and Harry Hairston have the story.

Members of the American Legion Post 735 gave new flags and fixed the garden of a World War II Veteran after teens vandalized his garden memorial and tore down his flags on Memorial Day.

The death of a missing man whose remains were found earlier this year has been ruled a homicide.

Barry Brown, 55, of Egg Harbor Township was first reported missing on October 7, 2014. Egg Harbor Township Police and NJ State Police conducted a search for him. Brown was also entered in the U.S. Department of Justice TRAK system, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database.

On January 25, 2017 human remains were discovered at a lot near the Atlantic County Utilities Authority on Doughty Road in Egg Harbor Township. On February 2, investigators identified the remains as that of Brown. In April of 2017, investigators determined the manner of death was a homicide.

If you have any information on Brown’s death, please call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666 or the Egg Harbor Township Police Department Investigations Division at 609-927-5200.

A Philadelphia councilman at-large is in the hospital after he was stabbed during a robbery Wednesday night in the Kingsessing section of Philadelphia.

Councilman At-Large David Oh (R), 57, was on the 5800 block of Thomas Avenue around 9:30 p.m. when an armed robber stabbed him in the side, according to police.

Oh was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he is currently in critical but stable condition. 

No arrests have been made at this time.

Oh was elected to Philadelphia's city council in November, 2011 and re-elected in November, 2015. He was the first Asian-American elected to public office in Philadelphia and is also the only military veteran currently serving in city council.

“We are aware of a reported violent attack on Councilman David Oh near his home and are closely monitoring his condition," Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District) wrote in a released statement. "David is a valued colleague with a young, beautiful family. We ask all Philadelphians to keep Councilman Oh and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Mayor Jim Kenney, who is currently in Iceland, also released a statement on Councilman Oh.

"We are all praying for Councilman Oh's quick recovery and thinking of his family during this incredibly difficult time," Kenney wrote. "Whenever violence happens on our streets it is a terrible tragedy. When it happens near our homes, where we are supposed to feel safe, it is all the more devastating. Anyone with information regarding this crime is urged to call 911."

NJ Transit and Amtrak officials faced legislators on track work in time for the major Penn Station overhaul. Brian Thompson reports. 

Here are the 10 things you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY 

Robber Stabs Philly Councilman: A Philadelphia councilman at-large is in the hospital after he was stabbed during a robbery Wednesday night in the Kingsessing section of Philadelphia. Councilman At-Large David Oh (R), 57, was on the 5800 block of Thomas Avenue around 9:30 p.m. when an armed robber stabbed him in the side, according to police. Oh was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he is currently in critical but stable condition. No arrests have been made at this time. Oh was elected to Philadelphia's city council in November, 2011 and re-elected in November, 2015. He was the first Asian-American elected to public office in Philadelphia and is also the only military veteran currently serving in city council.

• MORE ON THE STABBING
  

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Thursday and Friday are expected to see sun and temperatures could hit 80 degrees. There is a slight chance of a late-day shower Friday into Saturday. But Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny with temperatures in the high 70s. Sunday is expected to mostly sunny but showers are possible for the later afternoon or evening. Rain is expected for Monday and Tuesday. High Temp: 81 degrees.  Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Man Accused of Nearly Killing 7-Year-Old Sister: An 18-year-old man is accused of nearly killing his 7-year-old sister who was found unconscious with a plastic bag over her face. The ordeal began Wednesday shortly after 1 a.m. when officers were called to a home in Olney along North American Street near Clarkson Avenue. They were met by a woman who said her son, identified by police as Simere Alford, 18, had stolen her car. The woman said she had gotten home around 10 p.m. Tuesday and saw Alford playing on his phone while her 14-year-old son and her 7-year-old daughter were inside their rooms. She told police she fell asleep but was awoken by Alford shortly before 1 a.m. after he burst into her room, demanded she give him her car keys and water, and then stole her purse. He then left the home and took her car, police said. The woman said Alford was having issues with drugs and had been using K2, a synthetic marijuana. While the woman spoke to police, her 14-year-old son noticed that her 7-year-old daughter was not inside her bedroom. They then found the girl unresponsive in the basement with a plastic bag on her face. One of the officers administered CPR and the girl was taken to Einstein Medical Center in extremely critical condition. She was then taken to St. Christopher's Hospital and is currently on life support.

• MORE ON THE INCIDENT
  

AROUND THE WORLD

House Committee Issues Subpoenas in Russia Probe: The House intelligence committee said Wednesday it is issuing subpoenas for former national security adviser Michael Flynn and President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as well as their businesses, as part of its investigation into Russian activities during last year's election. In addition to those four subpoenas, the committee has issued three others — to the National Security Agency, the FBI and the CIA — for information about requests that government officials made to "unmask" the identities of U.S. individuals named in classified intelligence reports, according to a congressional aide. The subpoenas were announced as the special counsel overseeing the government's investigation into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia has approved former FBI Director James Comey to testify before the Senate intelligence committee, according to a Comey associate.

• MORE ON THE PROBE
  

Arrests Made During Memorial Day Weekend Brawl: Several teens and adults were arrested over Memorial Day Weekend in Margate, New Jersey after fights broke out on the beach. Margate City Police say they arrested six adults and seven juveniles over the weekend on charges ranging from disorderly conduct, simple assault, resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, drug offenses and DWI. A large crowd of teens gathered on the beach on Decatur Avenue near the Lucy the Elephant statue around 2 p.m. Saturday and several fights began to erupt, according to investigators. Every working Margate officer responded to the brawls but were vastly outnumbered, officials said. The officers called for assistance from Ventnor Police and Longsport Police. Several arrests were made and two Margate officers suffered minor injuries.        

• MORE FROM THE ARRESTS
  

SPORTS SPOT

Phillies Lose to Miami: The Phillies lost 2 to 10 against the Miami Marlins.  Get your full sports news at CSNPhilly.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

See more Top News Photos here.

THROUGH IGER'S EYES

@f_valvox81 captured this cool photo of the Comcast building.

Have an awesome Instagram photo you'd like to share? Tag it with #NBC10Buzz.

TODAY'S VIRAL VIDEO

When a young millennial attempts to buy his first home. Watch more here. 

Dogs Trained by Inmates Graduate, Ready for Veteran Homes: Wednesday was graduation day for three rescue dogs who were trained by inmates to serve as companions for veterans. The ceremony took place at 1 p.m. at the Camden County Correctional Facility in Camden, New Jersey. The first dog to graduate was presented to Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam War veteran Arthur Wimberly, Jr. It was all part of a pilot program in which the Camden County Freeholder Board instructed the corrections department, working with One Love Animal Rescue, to train and care for companion dogs to be adopted by veterans who will give them a forever home. “The opportunity to have inmates participating and learning a new skillset that will ultimately benefit veterans is a home run for public policy, and it is critical that we continue to find more innovative ways to support both communities,” Camden County Freeholder Jonathan Young, who serves as liaison to the Department of Corrections, said. “This progressive idea will also assist us in finding forever homes for animals from our shelter population."  Read more.

That's what you need to know. We've got more stories worthy of your time in the Breakfast Buzz section. Click here to check them out. 

A dump truck rolled off an elevated highway ramp and plummeted onto at least one car below, possibly killing someone and leading to a miles-long traffic jam, authorities said.

The dump truck was exiting Route 440 in Woodbridge, heading to Route 9 south, when it rolled off an elevated exit ramp around 5 p.m. and fell onto one or two cars below, authorities said.

A passenger in a car may have been trapped after the dump truck fell onto their vehicle from above, according to authorities, who said someone may have been killed.

Video from Chopper 4 shows the truck on its side, the car or cars apparently crushed underneath it.

A number of emergency workers were at the scene.

Traffic was backed up about two miles on Route 440, both northbound and southbound.

The Route 440 exit ramp to Route 9 southbound was closed to traffic shortly after the crash, but vehicles were getting off at the adjacent Garden State Parkway southbound ramp.

A man beat a woman in North Philadelphia and tried to shove her body into a trash bag in an attack that was thwarted by a hospital worker. 

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said the man approached the woman along Frankford Avenue – across the street from Aria-Jefferson Health, Frankford Campus – around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night and began beating her head and face.

The man then grabbed a green trash bag, emptied the contents and tried to put the unconscious woman inside, Small said.

A hospital worker witnessed the attack and yelled at the suspect who fled the scene.

"It was a good thing that witnesses yelled and startled this individual and that's when he stopped and fled on foot north on Frankford Avenue," Small said.

The hospital worker rushed to revive 29-year-old woman before rushing her into the emergency room in critical condition. The victim suffered facial trauma that left her almost unrecognizable, investigators said.

The suspect was described as a thin 5-foot-10-inch man with braided hair, police said. Police hoped surveillance video would help them with a clearer description.

Anyone with information on the attack should contact Philadelphia police.

The water off Long Beach Island is Mary Lee’s latest stop on her Jersey Shore tour.

The white shark, a.k.a. a great white shark, surfaced in the Atlantic Ocean off LBI around 5:20 a.m. and then again at 6:56 a.m. Thursday, according to nonprofit research group OCEARCH’s Global Shark Tracker. By 12:16 p.m. she was off the coast of Barnegat Light.

The 16-foot, 3,456-pound shark swam from near Atlantic City north to LBI over a 24-hour period.

Over the Memorial Day weekend Mary Lee -- no stranger to the Atlantic Ocean off New Jersey's coast -- surfaced in the water near Cape May, New Jersey, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware before the mature predator headed north along the New Jersey coastline.

Researchers have been monitoring the shark’s movements after tagging her off Cape Cod on September 17, 2012. Since then she’s made several trips to New Jersey.

Mary Lee isn't the only shark in our region. Cisco -- weighing around 362 pounds and measuring 8-feet, 7-inches -- appeared Friday morning at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, slightly closer to Lewes, Delaware, than Cape May. Cisco hasn't surfaced long enough since to get a reading on his latest location.

OCEARCH expedition leader Chris Fischer says the group's mission is to gain data about the white shark population in hopes of protecting fish in the ocean. He says people shouldn’t fear a shark being in local waters. Instead, they should celebrate it because of what a shark means to the ocean ecosystem.

"People should be terrified of an ocean that's not full of sharks. They keep everything in balance," Fischer said. "So, if we want to make sure that our great-grandchildren can eat fish sandwiches, we need lots of big sharks."

You can track the movements of Mary Lee and Cisco by clicking here or by downloading the Global Shark Tracker app for your iPhone or Android. You can also follow Mary Lee and Cisco on Twitter.

NBC10's Matt DeLucia highlights some of what Wildwood, New Jersey has to offer, along with activities to get your heart racing at Morey's Piers.

NBC10's Matt DeLucia gets insight into what it actually takes to be a Wildwood lifeguard, and how they are keeping you safe.