August 2015

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ—Inspection records show that the warehouse that burned to the ground in July had a number of unresolved fire safety issues in the weeks leading up to the incident.

The massive fire broke out at the 37-acre warehouse near the intersection of Route 1 and Livingston Avenue at approximately 2:00 am on July 22, causing traffic delays and pollution concerns.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters from 157 fire companies kept the fire from spreading any further over the next five days, but the warehouse was completely destroyed.

PISCATAWAY, NJ—Rutgers women’s soccer team is ranked 24th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s preseason poll.

The ranking is a small step up for the Scarlet Knights, as they ended last season ranked 25th in the poll.

The accolade comes after Rutgers enjoyed a successful first season in the Big Ten athletic conference.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Bayard Street Presbyterian Church outreach program is a place to provide dignity and hope for all who enter.

The steady flow of goods distributed to attendees in need combined with the exemplary efforts of kind and caring people make this program a success.

The food distribution is a donation and volunteer program that provides struggling families and individuals with essentials for living. Donations are dropped off at the church where the volunteers prep it for distribution.

EDISON, NJ—Classic grocer A&P, which also owns Pathmark, Superfresh, and Waldbaum's filed for bankruptcy protection from its creditors on July 19, saying it planned to close three stores in Middlesex County, and sell two others to competitor ACME Markets Inc.

The Edison, East Brunswick and Old Bridge Pathmark stores, as well as seven other A&P-owned supermarkets in New Jersey are set to close if the company cannot find a buyer, but some are being bought up by competitors already.

TRENTON, NJ—For the second time, Governor Christie vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for transgender individuals to change their name and gender on their birth certificate. 

The bill would have changed the law so that a person hoping to change the name and gender on a birth certificate would not be required to provide proof that they underwent a "sex change" operation, a procedure that many individuals cannot afford.

TRENTON, NJ—Former Middlesex County Sheriff Joseph Spicuzzo spent his 70th birthday in state prison on July 29, after the NJ State Parole Board denied his request to leave the facility he was first admitted to on September 20, 2013.

In their July 7 decision, the parole board said Spicuzzo "does not take responsibility for his crime" and "continues to blame others who were subordinate to him."