January 2016

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–Consumer giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and the parent company of Google have formed an independent surgical solutions company to produce innovative, yet cost-effective, robotic-assisted systems for surgery, J&J said on December 10. 

Verb Surgical Inc., the name of the new company, is funded by investments from J&J’s Ethicon medical devices subsidiary, J&J Innovation – JJDC, Inc., and a research organization now called Verily – the new name Alphabet has chosen for its life sciences unit.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—At around 8 a.m. on January 8, an apartment fire broke out at 114 Redmond Street, near the intersection with Throop Avenue.

The home, that has an upstairs and downstairs apartment, is directly across the street from Lord Stirling Elementary school.

School staff and a crossing guard directed children and parents to the side of the school opposite the home.

The fire started at the rear of the first floor, which was vacant at the time. The second floor tenants self-evacuated and there were no reported injuries. .

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–In 2015's most contentious Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, the board unanimously approved variances to allow for a small grocery store in the Fourth Ward on October 26.

The 7-0 vote clears the way for the owner of Marquez Grocery on Jersey Avenue to open up a similar bodega on Joyce Kilmer Avenue.

About one out of every three audience members cheered the decision, which involves the bodega owner's wife relocating her existing beauty salon to make room for the store. 

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–Police confirmed that a New Brunswick Police Department (NBPD) vehicle was struck by an SUV shortly before 2am on January 3 near 120 Jersey Avenue.

At approximately 1:39 am, NBPD unit #959 was struck by a Honda CRV that police say was being driven by an intoxicated woman from New Brunswick.

It was the second major crash in the same area in as many nights.  Just two nights earlier, a city man was arrested after wrecking a stolen BMW on French Street.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—After several days of secrecy, officials at the Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA) finally issued a statement about how they intend to replace the agency's longtime leader, Richard Pucci.

Pucci took political observers by surprise when he announced his retirement from the MCIA in December after 25 years in the powerful position.

In November, we sourced reader questions and asked our supporters to vote on the question they were most interested in seeing answered. The question “Why does New Brunswick have a high rate of homelessness and what is being done to solve that problem?” was asked twice as many times than any other question.

Here is our in depth report on homelessness in New Brunswick, and what is being done to provide every resident a home.

A Campaign From Those On the Ground