Camden Schools Superintendent Calls On Board President To Quit In Wake Of Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Camden Schools Superintendent Calls On Board President To Quit In Wake Of Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Camden Schools Superintendent Calls On Board President To Quit In Wake Of Sexual Abuse Lawsuit The state-appointed superintendent for the Camden City School District is calling for the resignation of the advisory school board president amid sexual abuse allegations. Camden Superintendent Katrina T. McCombs, in a letter to the community, wrote: "In order to allow our community to heal and refocus on what truly matters—the education and future of our students— it would be in the best interest of the state-operated district of Camden City for Advisory Board President Wasim Muhammad to voluntarily relinquish his seat." "We are at the beginning of a new school year—a time that s…
Moldy Classrooms Shut Down Elementary School In Central Jersey Temporarily Moldy Classrooms Shut Down Elementary School In Central Jersey Temporarily
Moldy Classrooms Shut Down Elementary School In Central Jersey Temporarily An elementary school in Freehold will have to start classes for the year in different buildings after mold was found in some classrooms, officials said. Students at Laura Donovan Elementary School will be relocated to other district schools when classes begin on Thursday, Sept. 5. Freehold Township superintendent Neal Dickstein sent a letter to families about the start-of-school plans on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Crews have been working "seven days per week" to remove the mold but the cleanup process has taken longer than expected. "Engineers are on-site to help determine the caus…
Teen Killed In Boating Accident Was Rising Rutgers Freshman Teen Killed In Boating Accident Was Rising Rutgers Freshman
Teen Killed In Boating Accident Was Rising Rutgers Freshman More information has come to light about the 18-year-old Wayne resident killed in a boating accident over the weekend in Harvey Cedars. Zeina Mahafzah was days away from beginning her freshman year at Rutgers University, as classes start on Tuesday, Sept. 2. According to university spokeswoman Dory Devlin, Zeina was enrolled in the School of Arts and Sciences–Newark. "The Rutgers-Newark community is devastated by the news of Zeina’s passing, and we are sending our support to the Mahafzah family during this incredibly difficult time," Devlin said. In a post shared to Faceboo…
Longtime New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Dies At 87 Longtime New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Dies At 87
Longtime New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Dies At 87 Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat who served in Congress for almost 30 years and was a former Mayor of Paterson, died on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at the age of 87, his family announced. "It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away this morning," his family wrote on social media.  "As our United States Representative, Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and to the people he loved. Bill lived his entire life in Paterson and had an unwavering love for the city he grew up in and served. He i…
Ocean County Performing Arts HS Teacher Molested Female Student, Prosecutors Say Ocean County Performing Arts HS Teacher Molested Female Student, Prosecutors Say
Ocean County Performing Arts HS Teacher Molested Female Student, Prosecutors Say A former teacher at an Ocean County performing arts high school was accused of molesting a female student, authorities said. Douglas Bollinger, 56, of Neptune City, was charged on Monday, Aug. 12 with two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal sexual contact, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Bollinger was a teacher at the Grunin Performing Arts Academy at Ocean County Vocational Technical School (OCVTS). The academy had 240 students as of September 2023 and offers high schoolers opportunities to take dual-credit co…
NJ's Dominic Sessa Cast In New Anthony Bourdain Biopic: Report NJ's Dominic Sessa Cast In New Anthony Bourdain Biopic: Report
NJ's Dominic Sessa Cast In New Anthony Bourdain Biopic: Report Dominic Sessa is going from boarding school to the kitchen. The 21-year-old actor, who grew up in Egg Harbor Township and Ocean City, has been cast as Anthony Bourdain in a new biopic about the legendary chef, Deadline reports.  Bourdain is also a Garden State native, growing up in Leonia and having graduated from the Dwight-Englewood School. Sessa became a breakout star after appearing in "The Holdovers," a critically acclaimed dramedy about a boy stuck at boarding school over Christmas break with his misanthropic teacher.  Sessa attended Alder Avenue Middle School in Egg Harbo…
South Jersey HS Athlete Killed By Train Remembered For Playing, Living 'Bigger Than Himself' South Jersey HS Athlete Killed By Train Remembered For Playing, Living 'Bigger Than Himself'
South Jersey HS Athlete Killed By Train Remembered For Playing, Living 'Bigger Than Himself' Friends and loved ones were rallying to support the family of a Palmyra teen killed by a New Jersey Transit train. Matthew Dickinson died on Thursday, Aug. 8, according to the Palmyra School District. He was 15 years old. Dickinson was hit by a River Line train at the Chestnut Street crossing just before 8:20 a.m., a NJ Transit spokesperson said. He was walking to a soccer scrimmage, FOX 29 News reported. A candlelight vigil was held for Dickinson at Palmyra High School on Sunday, Aug. 11. "Matthew was a great brother, a great teammate, and a great class…
Victorious Treats: Toms River Wrestler Celebrates Olympic Bronze At Hometown Donut Shop Victorious Treats: Toms River Wrestler Celebrates Olympic Bronze At Hometown Donut Shop
Victorious Treats: Toms River Wrestler Celebrates Olympic Bronze At Hometown Donut Shop For Sebastian Rivera of Toms River, the only thing that tastes as sweet as an Olympic medal might be donuts from a hometown shop. The former Rutgers University wrestler won a bronze medal representing Puerto Rico at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He was back in Toms River less than two days after his final match in Paris to pick up some treats at Ob-Co's Donuts. The Fischer Boulevard shop posted a Facebook picture on Tuesday, Aug. 13 of Rivera posing with his bronze medal and a box of donuts. "Congratulations, NJ local, Sebastian Rivera, for winning the bronze in wrestling for Puerto Rico!…
Top Educators In Each Of NJ's 21 Counties Named Top Educators In Each Of NJ's 21 Counties Named
Top Educators In Each Of NJ's 21 Counties Named The New Jersey Department of Education has named the top 21 educators in the state. The department released the list of the 2024-25 New Jersey County Teachers of the Year on Tuesday, Aug. 6.  They are: Atlantic County: Carly Broomhead, Visual Arts Teacher at Emma C. Attales Middle School in the Absecon School District Bergen County: Margarita Diakos, Special Education Teacher at Ramsey High School in the Ramsey School District Burlington County: Margaret Fanourgakis, Health & Physical Education Teacher at Shawnee High School in the Lenape Regional Hi…
Cheetah Dies At Jersey Shore Zoo, Remembered For 'Sass' And Boldness Cheetah Dies At Jersey Shore Zoo, Remembered For 'Sass' And Boldness
Cheetah Dies At Jersey Shore Zoo, Remembered For 'Sass' And Boldness A cheetah has died after living at the Cape May County Park and Zoo for more than a decade, officials said. Buju, a 12-year-old cheetah, died from kidney disease, the zoo said in a Facebook post on Monday, July 29. He and his brother Beenie arrived at the Cape May Court House park in November 2013. The zoo said staff members will miss Buju's "sass." "Buju’s favorite activity was lying in the shade in the middle of the yard with his brother, Beenie," the zoo posted. "They often mirrored each other, looking like bookends. As the bolder cheetah brother, he would often be first to investigate …
Former NJ Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Another Student Years Ago: Prosecutors Former NJ Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Another Student Years Ago: Prosecutors
Former NJ Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Another Student Years Ago: Prosecutors A former Wall Township High School teacher was facing more charges after she was accused of sexually assaulting a second student, authorities said. Julie Rizzitello, 36, of Brick Township, was charged with one count of second-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree witness tampering, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Wednesday, July 17.  She was previously charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, third-degree witness tampering, and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact. Investigators said they found e…
$1.13B Mega Millions Ticket Unclaimed More Than Three Months After NJ's Record Jackpot $1.13B Mega Millions Ticket Unclaimed More Than Three Months After NJ's Record Jackpot
$1.13B Mega Millions Ticket Unclaimed More Than Three Months After NJ's Record Jackpot The winner of a Mega Millions ticket purchased in New Jersey hasn't claimed the $1.13 billion prize more than three months after the record-setting jackpot, officials said. The winning ticket was sold at the ShopRite Wine & Spirits on Route 66 in Neptune for the drawing on Tuesday, Mar. 26. The New Jersey Lottery said the prize remained unclaimed in a news release on Monday, July 8.  The jackpot was the largest lottery prize ever in the Garden State. It's also the fifth-largest in Mega Millions history and the ninth-largest ever in the U.S. The winning numbers were …