Archive for November, 2011

WEST TRENTON – Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally the heaviest travel period of the year. To help New Jerseyans have an enjoyable and safe holiday, the New Jersey State Police offer the following safety tips: »

PLAINFIELD – Unity Bank’s Chris Bono is inviting some friends, new and old, to a free Thanksgiving Dinner at the Plainfield Salvation Army. He is hoping for about 300 people. »

With a little planning you can enjoy the foods of the upcoming holiday season without tipping the scales. Follow these simple tips to help avoid overeating: »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – American pharmaceutical company Merck has agreed to pay $950 million to resolve criminal charges and civil claims related to its promotion and marketing of the painkiller Vioxx®, the Justice Department announced today. »

SAYREVILLE -- Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski is encouraging local residents to support Sayreville’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School’s bid for playground equipment in the Clorox Power a Bright Future contest. Anyone 13 years or older is eligible to vote in the competition. Voting began at the end of October and will close on Friday... »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) commended Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Player’s Association for taking action against smokeless tobacco use both on and off the field. »

Forty-eight years ago today, on Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. »

TRENTON – NJDOT officials today announced that Route 22 eastbound traffic has been placed onto the southern half of the new viaduct being constructed over Liberty Avenue in Hillside. »

CLARK -- In observance of Veterans Day, students and faculty at St. Agnes School in Clark hosted a ceremony to honor all local veterans. »

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Northfield Bank has launched its 2011 Holiday Toy Drive. This year will mark Northfield’s 17th year donating toys to organizations across Staten Island, Brooklyn, and central New Jersey. »

PERTH AMBOY -- The poor economy has left fewer nonprofit agencies able to provide food to families in need this holiday season, but Cathedral International will continue in its tradition of helping families to have food as long as members and friends share what they have. »

ELIZABETH – Tonight, approximately 2,000 people are expected to gather for a celebration of student achievement. The Perfect Scores Award Ceremony at the Dunn Sports Center will honor students who earned a perfect score on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) and their subject area teachers who were instrumental in... »

BRIDGEWATER – Smartphones, digital cameras, and the increase in social media sites all make it easier to share information with “friends” and “followers.” During the holiday season, Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company warns consumers that growing comfort with and trust in social media may increase the risk of theft due to information shared. »

TRENTON – As motorists begin to pack up their cars and drive in droves to visit family and friends for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety today urged drivers to exercise good driving habits during their travels. »

WESTFIELD -- Afterschool programs help working families, keep kids safe and inspire learning. In communities like Westfield, they are considered vital resources. But the economic downturn has put a squeeze on programs, causing many to scale back their offerings or even close their doors. Lisa West, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, is working with the... »

NEW BRUNSWICK – With $2,000 on the line and thousands of college football fans in attendance, Dan Perrone of Robbinsville split the uprights at HighPoint Solutions Stadium, and earned cash for himself and the Rutgers University general scholarship fund. Perrone drilled a 25-yard field goal to win the cash prize as part of the... »

From The Center for Public Integrity: The three pillars of what’s often dubbed Newt Inc. — two for-profit groups and one defunct political committee — raked in more than $105 million in revenue and donations from 2001 through 2010 while Newt Gingrich was eyeing a political comeback. »

From The Center for Public Integrity: Darcy Parmer ran into trouble soon after she started her job as a fraud analyst at Wells Fargo Bank. Her bosses, she later claimed, were upset that she was, well, finding fraud. »

From The Center for Public Integrity: In April 2006, Rachel Steinmetz, a senior loan underwriter at GreenPoint Mortgage Funding, flagged a loan application supported, she said, by a trio of frauds — overstated income, an overstated appraisal and a fake tenant lease agreement. »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This month marks the 25th anniversary of President Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act, which allowed almost 2.7 million undocumented immigrants to legalize their status. Reagan’s policy was based on a view that the United States is a land of immigrants; that immigrants should not be exploited; that if legalized, they... »