nj • December 1, 2023

Cigarette taxes ranked across U.S. as 1 state hits $5.35 a pack

It’s no secret that a smoking habit can really burn a hole in your pocket. But more of that cash might be going to taxes than you realize. In New Jersey, cigarettes are taxed at $2.70 a pack, the 14th highest in the nation, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention data. (See a full list below.) The national average is $1.93 per pack. It’s not just state taxes you’ll have to pay. There’s a federal tax of $1.01 per pack that’s been in place since 2009. Those taxes go to fund initia

nj • November 25, 2023

Few N.J. residents at high risk for lung cancer get annual screenings, group says

Just 2.7% of New Jersey residents in the highest risk group for lung cancer get annual screenings that could help catch and treat the disease early, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. That’s “significantly lower” than the already low national rate of 4.5%, the association’s State of Lung Cancer report found. Massachusetts topped the list with a 11.9% screening rate, while California was at the bottom with 0.7%. High risk individuals include current smokers or anyone

nj • November 21, 2023

N.J. teacher pay rose 5.1% last year. See how much your district pays.

The median teacher pay in New Jersey rose 5.1% during the 2022-23 school year, data recently released by the state Department of Education shows. Median pay statewide was $77,943 last school year, up from $74,175 in 2021-22, according to the Taxpayers Guide to Education Spending, an annual release detailing local district finances. The 5.1% increase is less than the 8% rate of inflation between the start of each school year, federal data shows.

nj • November 14, 2023

Full-day kindergarten coming to Bridgewater-Raritan, Evesham

Two New Jersey school districts will offer free, full-day kindergarten after voters overwhelmingly approved ballot questions on Election Day. Evesham Township School District in Burlington County and Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District in Somerset County both asked voters to approve funding plans for full-day kindergarten programs. Both districts will use the money to fund the free programs, including paying teacher salaries. The approvals mean residents in Evesham, Bridgewater and Ra

nj • November 12, 2023

N.J. weather: Warmer weather ahead after unusually chilly November weekend

New Jersey’s weather will take a turn for the warmer as the week progresses, following a chilly weekend and start to the week with sub-freezing temperatures. Forecasters say temperatures will reach into the mid-to low-60s by Thursday and Friday. But don’t hang your winter coats back up just yet. Sunday’s highs will be in the high 40s, and the overnight low into Monday will dip into the 20s, according to the National Weather Service. Those temperatures are colder than usual, but nowhere near re

nj • November 8, 2023

N.J. general election results 2023: Morris County

Voters in Morris County cast their votes Tuesday in the 2023 general elections for state, county, local and board of education seats. Check back here for the unofficial county and local results, which will be updated as they become available. Vote totals will be listed for all races. Winning candidates will have an X in front of their names. Ballots that are mailed in and postmarked by Nov. 7 can be accepted until Nov. 13, so results will continue to change after the close of polls on election

nj • November 8, 2023

N.J. general election results 2023: Warren County

Voters in Warren County cast their votes Tuesday in the 2023 general elections for state, county and local seats. Check back here for the unofficial county and local results, including board of education results, which will be updated as they become available. Vote totals will be listed for all races. Winning candidates will have an X in front of their names. Ballots that are mailed in and postmarked by Nov. 7 can be accepted until Nov. 13, so results will continue to change after the close of

nj • November 4, 2023

Are you surrounded by Republicans or Democrats? How N.J. breaks red and blue in all 21 counties.

A years-long trend among registered voters in New Jersey continues to tilt in favor of Republicans, one of several concerns for Democrats as voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide control of the state Legislature. Democrats lost their million-voter advantage over Republicans in the state earlier this year, and the latest data from New Jersey’s Board of Elections showed the GOP narrowing the gap even further.

nj • November 3, 2023

N.J. school bus monitor faces more serious charge in suffocation death of 6-year-old

A Franklin Township school bus monitor accused of failing to notice or act while a 6-year-old girl was strangled by her wheelchair harness in July is now facing a more serious charge of first-degree aggravated manslaughter. A grand jury indicted Amanda Davila, 27, of New Brunswick, on the first-degree charge, which carries a potential 10 to 20 year prison sentence, accusing her of “extreme indifference to human life.” Authorities had initially charged Davila with the lesser second-degree mansl

nj • October 30, 2023

N.J. school districts are considering free full-day kindergarten

Two New Jersey school districts could soon offer free, full-day kindergarten to all students if ballot questions up for a vote pass on Election Day. Evesham Township School District in Burlington County and Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District in Somerset County are two of only a handful of districts left in the state that offer half-day kindergarten as the standard option, state data shows. Voters in both districts will be asked to approve bond referendums that will allow the district

nj • October 30, 2023

Menlo Park Diner temporarily closed following fire

A kitchen fire Saturday night has forced the temporary closure of the Menlo Park Diner in Edison, a fire official said. The Route 1 diner was closed for the day when the fire broke out at the shortly before 10 p.m., Edison Fire Department Chief Andew Toth said Monday. When firefighters arrived they found heavy smoke pouring from the building. Firefighters extinguished the fire in the kitchen and had to break the skylights to ventilate the building, the chief said. “It will be closed until rep

nj • October 30, 2023

1 killed, 2 injured in weekend crash on N.J. highway

One person was killed and two others injured in a crash early Saturday on Route 35 south, officials said Monday. The crash took place shortly after 5 a.m. in the area of Fred’s Bait & Tackle when a car struck a fire hydrant’s safety bollard before rolling onto two unoccupied parked vehicles, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and Sayreville police said. A rear-seat passenger, Zion Jackson, 24, of Keansburg, died of his injuries at the scene. The driver and another passenger were hospital

nj • October 29, 2023

Former Lehigh Valley hockey player dead after ‘freak accident’ during game

FILE - Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson in action during an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. American hockey player Adam Johnson has died after a “freak accident” during a game in England on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 his club said. The 29-year-old Minnesota native was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup game against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered a slashed neck during the second period of the game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena. (AP Photo

nj • October 23, 2023

N.J. ranks among top 10 most educated states in the country. Here’s the list.

New Jersey is one of the most educated states in the nation, the latest Census data shows. New Jersey ranks eighth in the U.S. for residents with college degrees. More than half of New Jersey’s residents have an associates degree or higher, according to the Census. Washington, D.C. tops the most educated list with 68.7% of its residents having at least an associates degree. Washington also holds the number one spot for most residents with graduate or professional degrees.

nj • October 21, 2023

Need some puppy time? Take a rescue dog on a field trip from this N.J. shelter.

Every dog person knows that you can adopt and foster shelter dogs, giving them loving, safe homes and getting them out of often-overcrowded shelters. But what if you can only take care of a dog for a day? At St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, that’s still enough time to make a difference. Those looking to get involved can take shelter dogs out on field trips. For three and a half hours, you get to hang out with the dog without the long-term commitment of fostering or adoption. Hik

nj • October 6, 2023

Teachers in this N.J. district earn median salary of $115K. See latest top 10 ranking.

Public school teachers in New Jersey made a median salary of $77,943 during the 2022-23 school year, according to the recently released state Taxpayers Guide to Education Spending. The highest paying district, Northern Valley Regional in Bergen County, had a median salary of $115,650. The best paying public school districts in the state tend to be larger, or regional districts without elementary schools, an NJ Advance Media analysis of recently released state data shows. Only two of the top 10

nj • September 30, 2023

Man acquitted of stabbing death in N.J. jailed on aggravated stalking charge in Florida

A former New Jersey man who was found not guilty in the stabbing death of his neighbor has been arrested on charges of aggravated stalking and violating a domestic violence protection order in Florida. Zachary Latham, 21, was arrested in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday, charging documents show. He was charged with aggravated stalking, video voyeurism, contempt of court for violating a domestic violence injunction, loitering, and battery. Latham is being held in the Lee County Jail in Florida

nj • September 30, 2023

Student loan payments are due again. See how much N.J. grads owe.

After three and a half years of COVID-related pauses, federal student loan repayments are going to restart, and New Jersey borrowers have billions of dollars to repay. Collectively, New Jersey’s 1.23 million borrowers owe $44.8 billion dollars in federal student loans, U.S. Department of Education data shows. Borrowers have been spared from making loan payments since March 2020, when payments were paused and interest rates were dropped during the pandemic. The 0% interest rate enacted during t

nj • September 22, 2023

Every N.J. college is now ‘SAT optional.’ You might still need to take it anyway.

The SAT college admissions test is now optional at every four-year New Jersey college. But that doesn’t mean students shouldn’t take the exam anyway. Neither the SAT nor the ACT, another long-used college readiness exam, are required for regular admissions at any college in the Garden State, a review of each college’s admission requirements found. Despite not being required for admissions, SAT scores are still used in some way by most of the state’s four-year colleges. Some colleges still requ

nj • September 19, 2023

N.J.’s highest paying college major earns $121K a year. See latest rankings.

Engineering is New Jersey’s highest paying bachelor’s degree, according to new data released by the U.S. Census. A bachelor’s degree in engineering has a median pay of $121,190 in New Jersey, nearly $35,000 higher than the median income of all bachelor degree holders. On the other end of the payscale, visual and performing arts majors have the lowest median income at $67,443, the Census says. Education is the second worst paying major, with a median income of $68,174.