NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier were ordered to pay a man and his wife a combined $117 million following a major case held in Middlesex County Courthouse.
On April 11, the jury awarded punitive damages of $80 million after it failed to agree with the pharmaceutical giant’s counsel that the company did not act with “malicious conduct” when it deliberately continued to sell talcum powder containing trace amounts of asbestos.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Tenants will soon be moving into a new 12-unit apartment building intended to provide permanent housing for homeless individuals and families.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on March 13 with many influential supporters in attendance, including Mayor James Cahill and two of the county's elected Freeholders.
HIGHLAND PARK, NJ—An off-duty borough police officer has been suspended from duty after being charged with assault by auto and driving while intoxicated.
According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office (MCPO), Officer Norman E. Brown was driving drunk in Woodbridge in the early morning hours of December 31 when he ran a stop sign and crashed into another vehicle, seriously injuring two occupants.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—A woman is now serving in Mayor James Cahill's cabinet for the first time in seven years, after Melanie Ford was promoted to Director of Social Services on February 21.
Ford told New Brunswick Today she was "humbled and honored" to receive the appointment and that her first steps will be to "listen and learn" in the new job.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—A 31-year-old man from Old Bridge who admitted to strangling his mother to death in November 2016 will spend at least the next 21 years behind bars.
On March 27, Frank Polera was sentenced on a charge of aggravated manslaughter in the death of his 61-year-old mother Patricia Polera.
When she died, the victim was employed a customer service supervisor for United Airlines and had three sons, according to an obituary.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—A former Rutgers University athlete and New Brunswick High School (NBHS) alum, Nathaniel "Putt" Harris, has been named the NBHS football coach, ending Don Sofilkanich’s four-year tenure at the position.
On February 20, the New Brunswick Board of Education approved the appointment of the former Zebra and NBHS Athletic Hall of Fame member to the head coaching job.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Police won't say if they've recovered two vehicles that they allege were stolen by a homeless man during burglaries in late January and early February.
Kenneth McNeil, age 49, was arrested on the morning of February 4, two days after police sought the public's help finding their suspect in the cases.
New Brunswick Today is an independent, print and digital newspaper founded in 2011. Our mission is to improve the level of civic discourse in the City of New Brunswick by accurately covering local government and demanding transparency and accountability from those in authority.
