June 2017

FRANKLIN, NJ—About 130 workers at more than a dozen Dollar Express stores will be without jobs by June 30, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The Dollar Express banner is only two years old and was created in 2015 by a private equity group so that Family Dollar could sell about 323 stores, and thus satisfy Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) antitrust concerns — paving the way for it to merge with Dollar Tree.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–A 49-year-old ticket agent for NJTransit has been arrested and charged with official misconduct, theft, and forgery over a scam to sell counterfeit tickets at New Brunswick's downtown train station.

John A. Davey, who hails from East Brunswick and worked at the agency for 29 years, is set to appear on June 13 at Veteran's Courthouse in Essex County, where the charges were filed.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—In the state primary election on June 6, voters in legislative district 17 will choose between incumbent career Democrats and their challengers, who promise progressive policies.

Bill Irwin, President of the Piscataway school board will challenge incumbent State Senator Bob Smith in the hottest contest on the ballot.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Two candidates with the newly-formed Central Jersey Progressive Democrats (CJPD) are striving for seats on the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

The primary election for the Freeholders will take place on June 6, along side primaries for New Jersey State Governor, Assembly, State Senator, and County Surrogate, as well as seats on the State and County Committee Democratic Party Committee.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Lambasting his opponent's fundraising and campaign spending as "pay-to-play at its worst," a Middlesex County politician running for Governor took aim at the system of how political parties select candidates that appear on the "party line."

A Sayreville native who has been an Assemblyman for 21 years, John Wisniewski survived his own campaign finance scandal in 2012, but re-invented himself after becoming the lone member of the legislature to support the Presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—The New Brunswick Free Public Library (NBFPL) is preparing to celebrate some local photographic visionaries.

Friday, June 9 at 6:30pm, the library will open its doors and welcome visitors to the Carl T. Valenti Community Room where the winners of the 10th Annual Photography Contest will be announced.

Afterwards, a viewing of the winning photographs with a reception will commence at the Alfa Art Gallery.

The contest and exhibition started as a pilot program at the library in 2008.

CRANBURY, NJ—Authorities are offering a cash reward to anyone with information that leads to the arrest of a driver involved in a hit-and-run that injured a 13-year-old and killed her dog, "Panda."

The crash occurred on Monday, May 10, shortly before 6:20 pm at the intersection of South Main Street and Evans Drive.