NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—With a pandemic forcing unprecedented closures, eight-term Mayor Jim Cahill announced he had furloughed a number of the city’s workers without saying exactly how many. After officials at City Hall dodged our questions for over a week, Cahill’s office admitted on April 23 that the furloughs have already affected 47 salaried workers and […]
Government & Politics
New Brunswick is governed by an elected Mayor and 7-member City Council, while the Middlesex County government is governed by a 7-member County Commission and three Constitutional Officers: County Sheriff, County Clerk, and County Surrogate. The city’s affairs are also heavily influenced and impacted by state government, as well as the New Brunswick Parking Authority, New Brunswick Housing Authority, and the Democratic Party.
Death Tolls at NJ Nursing Homes Finally Released
EDISON, NJ—Local nursing homes, including a state-run “veterans home,” are among Central New Jersey’s most deeply affected by outbreaks of COVID-19, according to newly-released data on over 400 facilities. The Menlo Park Veterans Home in Edison was the site of 86 cases of the disease associated with 25 deaths there, the most of any home […]
Trying to Close For Good, Hub City’s Sears Left in Limbo by Virus Outbreak
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—The city’s Sears department store will remain open until at least April 19, a week later than previously announced, an employee told New Brunswick Today. The reason for the extension is to allow more time for the “sell-down of goods” on hand in the store, a task that has proven harder than anticipated […]
Rutgers Forced to Close Libraries Amid Pandemic, Pressure From Unions
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—In another move to counter the spread of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, the state ordered all municipal, county, and State public libraries to close, as well as all university computer labs. The mandate took effect on the evening of March 20, following Rutgers University’s refusal to voluntarily close its libraries, despite criticism and […]
Another Meter Reader Expected to Join NB Water Utility Colleagues in Prison
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—City water meter reader Guillermo Quinones pleaded guilty to official misconduct on February 14, becoming the fourth New Brunswick Water Utility official since 2015 to admit to corrupt acts. Quinones is scheduled for sentencing on March 27, and prosecutors are recommending a five-year prison sentence for his role in a widespread bribery scheme […]
BOE Again Alters Meeting Schedule Amid School Closure Controversy
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—The New Brunswick Board of Education has changed its meeting schedule for the second time in five weeks, as community pressure and growing protests mount against them. After a disastrous January meeting where the board was unwilling to promise the Lincoln Annex School would not close for good this summer, the board inexplicably […]
Eight Deaths in Six Years at NBPA Parking Garages
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ— On February 14, an employee at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) passed away, becoming the most recent victim in a little known rash of deaths taking place at New Brunswick’s parking decks. Seven others have also died by falling from public parking decks here, including at least one other worker at […]