Around New Jersey
By DAVID RUTHERFORD
February 19, 2026
PLAINFIELD, NJ — On Thursday afternoon, the search for Connor Oldfield came to a tragic conclusion as the young man was found deceased in the Green Brook that divides Plainfield and North Plainfield.Oldfield's disappearance was first reported to the community in a 6:41pm GetRave alert from the ...
SEA GIRT/HOWELL - From patrol to prime time, from -11 degrees on Sea Girt's beach singing God Bless America to the hot lights of Hollywoord— Howell’s own Julia Sienna is headed to Hollywood.The 20-year-old Sea Girt police officer stunned the American Idol judges Monday night, earning a coveted ...
TRENTON, NJ — Gov. Mikie Sherrill is restricting the US Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) from using state properties in its crackdowns on alleged illegal immigrants, and has launched a state onine “portal” for New Jerseyans to post potentially “unconstitutional” ICE ...
TRENTON, NJ — A New Jersey Senate committee moved forward a 40-cent monthly surcharge on phone bills to fund the state’s suicide and crisis hotline after residents testified Monday about how the hotline plays a critical role during mental health emergencies. Senate Bill 3013 would establish a ...
FREEHOLD, NJ — A Monmouth County grand jury has indicted three Woodbridge teenagers in the June 12th, 2025 shooting death of 18-year-old TikTok influencer Chrystofer A. Whyte on a beach in Long Branch.Alleged shooter, Jahbron J. Goff, 18, from Woodbridge, is charged with first-degree murder and ...
NEW JERSEY - MILAN, ITALY – The 2026 Winter Olympics will bring the largest and arguably most talented team of 232 athletes in Team USA to Milan-Cortina, Italy with the world watching for the next few weeks. There are seven athletes from New Jersey who will be competing in a range of sports that ...
PLAINFIELD, NJ — The search continues for Conner Oldenfield, the 19-year-old Plainfield man with autism who went missing nearly two week ago, on Saturday, January 24, at around 1:30pm. His disappearance on the East End of Plainfield happened shortly a massive snow storm and cold freeze hit our ...
PRINCETON, NJ — Enthusiastic lawmakers arrived at Princeton University’s Nassau Hall Thursday afternoon, stepping back into history at the spot where 250 years ago the New Jersey Legislature met for the first time, at the start of the American Revolution.Members of the Assembly and the Senate ...
NEWARK, NJ — A Somerville man on Tuesday was sentenced to 78 months, or 6 and a half years, in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.Jack Wilder, 27, previously pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one ...
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ – Township resident Patrick J. Lin, 37, has been arrested and charged with the double homicide of his parents in their Cornell Trail home on Sept. 25, 2025, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes ...
PATERSON, NJ — Florio “Floyd” Vivino, the Paterson native best known to generations of fans as Uncle Floyd, has died after a lengthy battle with health issues, his family announced early Friday morning. He was 74.Vivino’s brother, Jerry Vivino, shared the news in a Facebook post, saying Floyd died ...
NEWARK – On an overcast November morning, a man in a well-tailored black suit rose to his feet in the pews of a Plainfield church to offer prayers for Lt. Gov.-elect Dale Caldwell.He drew a parallel between Caldwell and the Biblical Joseph, whose actions saved ancient Egypt from famine. Only, ...
PLAINFIELD, NJ — On Wednesday, January 21, the Plainfield Public Schools will host a celebration of Muslim Heritage Month featuring Olympic medalist and author Ibtihaj Muhammad. The event will take place at 5pm at the Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School.Muhammad, a Maplewood native and sabra ...
TRENTON, NJ — After more than a decade of clicking keyboards, students will be required to put pen to paper once again as cursive writing makes a comeback in public schools. In his final hours in office, Gov. Phil Murphy signed S1783/A3865 into law, requiring all school districts to reintroduce ...
NEWARK - Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, will salute her Essex County roots through her decision to hold her inauguration in Newark on Jan. 20, an unorthodox move that has been welcomed by city stakeholders but questioned by Trenton representatives. Sherrill’s press office did not specify ...
MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – Mount Laurel resident Isabeau Levito will be taking her local training and focus to Milan, Italy when she competes as part of the U.S. Ice Skating team during the 2026 Winter Olympics next month. Levito earned her spot on the 16-member U.S. Ice Skating Team on Sunday, January 11, ...
TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey’s new governor, lieutenant governor, Senate and Assembly members and other top state officials are in line for sizable taxpayer-funded 2026 pay increases.In fairness, salaries for state lawmakers have not risen since 2002. Pay increases took effect Tuesday, Jan. 13th, as ...
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ - A 35-year-old mother of two boys, ages 5 and 7, has been charged with their murder after their father discovered their bodies in a bedroom of their home on Shell Court when he returned home from work Tuesday at 6:45 p.m., according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonaldHe ...
NEW JERSEY — The Garden State is fast becoming the East Coast’s “Hollywood,” with four big-name studios being built here, and an increasing number of movies and television shows being filmed here – fueled by major state tax incentives.Four film and television production studios are on their way to ...
TRENTON, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his final state of the state address on Tuesday in front of a joint session of the Legislature gathered in the Assembly chambers.From recognizing local diners to mentioning Tony Soprano, an animated Murphy closed the book on the past eight years in true ...
WEST ORANGE, NJ - Governor Richard Codey, a driving force in New Jersey politics for more than half a century, died Sunday.His family announced the death of the 79-year-old on social media, saying he died “after a brief illness.”“He lived his life with humility, compassion, and a deep sense of ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The American Dream mall’s huge ice rink will become a glitzy venue for Gov-Elect Mikie Sherrill’s inaugural ball a few hours after she and Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell take their oaths of office on Tuesday, Jan. 20th.American Dream is one of the nation’s largest shopping malls.
SOUTH RIVER, NJ – In commemoration of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Friday, Jan. 9, Governor Phil Murphy was joined by members of the Sicknick family, law enforcement officers, veterans, and a bipartisan group of elected officials to honor the life of former U.S. Capitol Police Officer ...
RAMSEY, NJ — Public school districts across New Jersey will have to come up with a plan to ban student cell phone use for the entire school day by the start of the 2026-2027 school year under a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday.“With today’s bill signing, we are ensuring New Jersey ...
NEW JERSEY — Lawmakers have sent a proposed law to Gov. Phil Murphy that would prohibit cellphone use from “bell-to-bell” for all public school students from kindergarten to 12th grades in the Garden State.The measure, S3695, got broad bipartisan Statehouse support. It passed by a 63-3 vote in the ...
TRENTON, NJ – As New Jersey enters 2026, residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are navigating a period of significant transition shaped by federal policy changes, expanded work requirements, and lingering uncertainty following late-2025 disruptions to the ...
WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A 31-year-old South Jersey woman died in the early hours of New Year's Day in a Garden State Parkway accident here, the NJ State Police said.A 3:35 am fiery crash on Thursday, Jan. 1, near milepost 127.9 in Woodbridge claimed the life of Tiara Muhammad, from Barnegat in Ocean ...
TRENTON, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy announced the sixth round of New Jersey’s Medical Debt Relief Initiative, eliminating more than $86 million in medical debt for over 53,000 residents statewide.The latest round is part of the State’s ongoing partnership with national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt ...
NEW JERSEY — Driving in New Jersey will cost more starting Jan. 1, thanks to increasing fuel taxes and highway, bridge and tunnel tolls.One fee, called the petroleum products gross receipts tax, will increase by 4.2 cents per gallon. For gasoline, that new rate will be 38.6 cents, and for diesel, ...
A new requirement for the state to probe deeply into reasons for chronic absenteeism in New Jersey schools, passed by the Assembly and state Senate, was signed into law last Tuesday.Chronic absenteeism – defined as when a student misses 10% or more of a school year for any reason – has been an ...