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PRESS PROMPTS ACTION

Lawmakers
stand up for
adults with
disabilities
Drake case spurs plans
to increase protections

A fathers

KATHLEEN HOPKINS @KHOPKINSAPP

Political support is rapidly growing for stronger

laws to protect adults with developmental disabilities,
after the Asbury Park Press broke a story last week of a
Howell teen with autism who escaped death when he
jumped off a Manasquan jetty into the frigid ocean in
February on a dare.
A day after the story, state Sen. Robert Singer, ROcean, said he will introduce legislation to provide
more protections for developmentally disabled adults.
State Sen. Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Sean Kean
and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, all R-Monmouth, also said they are researching the law to craft a
measure that would make it a crime to put people with
developmental disabilities in harms way. Assembly-

Seaside Heights mayor

shares the pain of his sons
heroin death to spare others

See SUPPORT, Page 4A

ANDREW FORD @ANDREWFORDNEWS

BOB BIELK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Parker Drake, 19, of Howell escaped death when he jumped

off a Manasquan jetty into the frigid ocean on a dare.

DATAUNIVERSE INVESTIGATION

Top-paid doctor
involved in VA
hospital scandal
KALA KACHMAR @NEWSQUIP

One of the highest paid federal employees in the

country knew for more than a year about dangerous
levels of Legionella bacteria in drinking water that later caused six patient deaths at a Veterans Affairs hospital, internal VA communications show.
Ali Sonel, an interventional cardiologist and chief of
staff at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, made
$392,770 in 2014, which is more than only four other federal employees in the country, according to federal data.
The payroll data obtained by DataUniverse.com, the
public records site of the Asbury Park Press, do not include Department of Defense employees and dont include most employee merit bonuses.
Internal records obtained by the Pittsburgh

illiam Akers longs

to hold his son one
last time.
He pulls Bobbers soft red tshirt close to his
face and inhales
deeply. The scent
brings a torrent of
memories. The father remembers the great
times at Disney World. Bathing his son as he
splashed as a baby.
And even struggling to save his son from
heroin.
Now the empty shirt is a reminder of his
sons life.
So thats what I got left, lamented Akers,
the mayor of Seaside Heights.
Akers, 59, was reluctant to talk about his
familys personal loss. He spoke out about the
battle he never thought hed lose in hopes it will
help another family bury the needle, instead of
their loved one.
He believed his familys love could break
his sons heroin addiction.
His son started using when he was 15 years
old. He was dead at 29.
I don't know how many I can reach, Akers
said. I don't know how many I can help.
See GRIEF, Page 6A

ANDREW FORD/STAFF PHOTO

Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers shared the story of

his sons struggle with heroin addiction and overdose
death in the hope of helping others.

Inside: Heroin dealers could be charged in OD deaths. 7A

Middletown father of overdose victim nds support. 8A

See SALARY, Page 4A

CO-PILOT VOWED TO DO SOMETHING, EX SAYS PAGE 1B

Meet our All-Shore

Basketball Teams,
including Brendan
Barry and Marina
Mabrey. Sports, 1C
@ISSUE
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VOLUME 136
NUMBER 75
SINCE 1879

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