October 2016

TRENTON, NJ—Student debt has been a hot topic at the State Legislature of late, with several bills for reform being introduced and discussed in committees, and moving forward towards their adoption.

Bill S-591 would require colleges and universities to provide information packages, or "financial aid shopping sheets," that help potential students understand the gravity of the debt they might be taking on.

The sheets would give prospective students "certain cost, loan, and debt information," according to the bill.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Timothy Puskas, a New Brunswick landlord accused of beating a young man to death on Valentine's Day 2014 has been sentenced in a fatal crash that took the life of Leonel Lopez-Hernandez two years earlier.

While Puskas was out on bail in the hit-and-run case, he was accused of the brutal murder of Billy McCaw, a college student found dead in a Hartwell Street backyard in February 2014. That case is still pending.

WASHINGTON, DC–On October 11, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), hit Comcast Corporation with a $2.3 million fine over their wrongful charges to cable TV customers for services and equipment they never authorized. 

The fine, levied by the FCC's enforcement bureau, resolves a two-year investigation of the Philadelphia-based corporation, which was spurred by consumer complaints. 

CARTERET, NJ–Two men, one from Cartertet and another from Essex County, are headed to state prison for their role in the death of a Maryland man who was visiting relatives in Carteret on April 5, 2013.

Their victim, Deonte Shackleford, was just 26 years old when he was shot and killed in the borough, during his visit from Baltimore.

Both 24-year-old Daniel Gillens, of Newark, and 30-year-old Hakeem Mercer, of Carteret, had pleaded guilty to lesser crimes than the ones they had been charged with in a plea deal with prosecutors.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–Matt Mischler has been a nightmare for the New Brunswick Zebras' soccer team.

Collectively, he has scored seven goals against them in three matches, including a hat-trick to knock them out of the semifinals of the state tournament last season.

The new Red Division champion Monroe Falcons (14-1-1) are 3-0 against the Zebras (11-3-2) within the past year, having beaten them 4-1 in a match earlier on.

JAMESBURG, NJ—Law enforcement officials announced the arrest of a 50-year-old resident of Jamesburg after the man allegedly texted "a lewd photo of himself" to an undercover cop who was pretending to be a 15-year-old girl.

Linus Germe was arrested and charged on the evening of October 5, according to the official statement from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office (MCPO).

DEERFIELD, IL—Walgreens Boots Alliance, which operates 146 Walgreens stores in New Jersey, reported better than expected quarterly profit, although sales came up light. 

The drugstore giant also extended its deadline to acquire Rite Aid, saying the $17 billion merger should close by January 27, 2017, rather than the end of this month, according to a news release.

If approved, the deal would yield the largest drugstore chain in the country.