Archive for December, 2011

As the fall high school athletic season has concluded and the winter season has begun, we've been treated, as always, to some truly inspiring performances by student athletes across New Jersey. And this is wonderful news- because, more than any other country in the world, the education system here in America provides participation in... »

CLARK -- Fifth grade students at St. John the Apostle School in Clark participated in The Pajama Program, collecting and distributing to people in need. »

Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much these days. But there is one thing on which they do see eye to eye: the value of early childhood education. »

SOUTH AMBOY -- On Tuesday, Dec. 13, the Dowdell Library Foundation presented a check for $1,543 to the Sadie Pope Dowdell Public Library of South Amboy. »

Unless Republicans in Congress drop their opposition to a bipartisan compromise on extending the payroll tax cut and Unemployment Insurance, America will usher in the new year by raising taxes on 160 million workers and cutting a lifeline to nearly 3 million Americans who are looking for a job. Congress has until Jan. 1... »

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST - The 305th Air Mobility Wing completed its first 'Elephant Walk' in nearly five years, launching all 12 KC-10 Extenders on the ramp, one right after the other, in a 30-minute time period on Dec. 20. »

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

TRENTON - Nearly $1.3 million in federal recreational trails grants have been allocated to 49 projects in New Jersey this year, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. »

TRENTON – Three Republican lawmakers plan to introduce legislation to increases penalties and mandate jail time for videotaping and distributing the recording of an assault. »

TRENTON – State Sen. Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) today called for action on legislation he has sponsored that would increase penalties for using a cell phone while driving. »

STATE – Winter officially begins at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22, but gas prices haven’t cooled off much. Despite recent declines in prices at the pump, motorists will be met with the highest gas prices ever during the year-end holiday season, causing them to dig deeper in their wallets for holiday travel. »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, the first national standards to protect American families from power plant emissions of mercury and toxic air pollution like arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, and cyanide. »

Dec. 16 at 12:55 p.m. – Members of the Linden Police Department Narcotics Bureau raided an apartment on the 1300 block of East St. Georges Avenue. Officers recovered numerous folds of suspected heroin and narcotics paraphernalia. »

LINDEN – Police are searching for Bogdan Straszynski, 52, of Linden, who was last seen on Dec.18, authorities announced Tuesday. »

NEWARK – A member of the Plainfield set of the G-Shine Bloods criminal street gang was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. »

MIDDLESEX COUNTY -- Military veterans coming to college face unique problems. If they are returning from serving overseas, those issues are compounded. »

On December 21, the Apollo 8 spaceship blasted its way through the earth’s atmosphere to begin the first U.S. mission to orbit the moon—a mission that would set the stage for the first moon landing less than a year later. On board were astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders. By Christmas Eve,... »

STATE – New Jersey state parks and forests could be opened to commercial logging under a bill currently in the Legislature, S1954 (Smith)/ A4358 (McKeon). Environmental scientists, ecologists, land restoration experts, and environmental groups have all come out in opposition to this bill that would cause significant damage to our treasured public lands. »

ELIZABETH -- A Holiday Toy Drive orchestrated by the Earlyact Club members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Academy in Elizabeth resulted in the collection of over 200 toys that were distributed to local organizations. »

UNION COUNTY – Students from the Union County Vo-Tech Schools received a resolution of “Outstanding Accomplishment” from the American Cancer Society this week, for their 2011 Relay for Life event that raised more than $180,000 for cancer research. »