Find Your Daily Voice
Spotswood-Helmetta
Your Local News for Spotswood and Helmetta, New Jersey
Tuesday, dec 24
21°
Follow
News
Schools
Business
Obituaries
Police & Fire
Weather
Lifestyle
Politics
Sports
Events
Traffic
Tags
Jobs
Shop
Support Us
Spotswood-Helmetta
Follow
Find Your Daily Voice
News
Schools
Business
Obituaries
Police & Fire
Weather
Lifestyle
Politics
Sports
Events
Traffic
Tags
Jobs
Shop
Support Us
Home
About us
All sites
Advertise with us
Contact us
Terms of use
Privacy policy
Code of ethics
Site Map
© 2024 Cantata Media
21°
Tuesday, dec 24
Tag:
Middletown, NJ
Business
These 18 NJ Big Lots Stores Are Among Nearly 1,000 Closing Nationwide: Here's When
Big Lots, the popular discount retailer, is officially going out of business. The company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, has announced plans to close all 963 of its remaining stores nationwide, including 18 locations in New Jersey. The last day of business is expected to be in mid-February, according to sources familiar with the closures. While official store closing sales have not yet begun, all Christmas items are currently 50% off, offering shoppers a chance to stock up before the doors shut for good. The closures mark the end of an era for the budget-friendl…
Police & Fire
Drugs, Ghost Guns, Corruption: Former NJ Police Sergeant Indicted, Prosecutors Say
A former Middletown police sergeant was given 22 criminal charges after an investigation revealed a web of illegal activity involving untraceable guns, drugs, and abuse of power, authorities said. David Ringkamp, 43, was indicted by a grand jury, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Thursday, Dec. 19. Ringkamp was formerly a Union Beach resident. The investigation into Ringkamp began in December 2021. New York State Police identified Nicholas D’Ambrosio of Millstone as someone purchasing kits to assemble ghost guns, which are illegal in New Jersey.…
Police & Fire
Man, 26, Killed On Bridge By NJ Transit Train Identified
A Middletown man has been named as the pedestrian who was struck by a New Jersey Transit train and killed in Monmouth County, officials said. Michael Feldmann, 26, was identified as the victim in the crash on Wednesday, Dec. 4, an NJ Transit spokesperson said on Monday, Dec. 16. The North Jersey Coast Line train hit Feldmann on the Normandy Road bridge in Middletown at around 7:25 a.m. None of the 120 customers and crew members on the train were injured. The train had left the Long Branch station at 7:10 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at New York Penn Station at 8:41 …
Police & Fire
Man Flashed Woman, Inappropriately Touched Her At Central Jersey Store: Prosecutors
A Hazlet man was accused of exposing himself to a woman and inappropriately touching her at a Middletown store, authorities said. Perry Mangano, 21, was charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, fourth-degree lewdness, and fourth-degree stalking, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Friday, Dec. 6. Investigators said Mangano approached the woman inside the At Home store on Route 35 North at around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22. He exposed himself and made physical contact with her. Middletown police arrested him after he returned to the store …
Police & Fire
Man Killed By NJ Transit Train In Central Jersey, Line's Service Resumes (
Developing
)
A man was hit by a New Jersey Transit train and killed in Monmouth County, shutting down one rail line's service during the morning commute, officials said. North Jersey Coast Line train No. 3224 struck the man in Middletown at around 7:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, an NJ Transit spokesperson said. The pedestrian was hit at the Normandy Road bridge. None of the 120 customers and crew members on the train were injured. The train had left the Long Branch station at 7:10 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at New York Penn Station at 8:41 a.m. North Jersey Coast Line rail service…
Police & Fire
Video Shows DUI Flying Jeep Driver Chatting With Cops In Hospital Bed After Wild NJ Wreck
Newly released bodycam footage shows the arrest of a 39-year-old man who police say was intoxicated when he blew a stop sign and sent a Jeep Wrangler airborne and onto the back deck of a New Jersey homeowner. Video shared to YouTube by Transparency Bodycam this week shows the massive police and fire response in Holmdel on Aug. 31, caused by Anthony Hernandez, of North Plainfield. “I just feel below myself,” Hernandez told officers from the hospital (around the 2-hour mark in the video). "I'm just happy you’re okay," the officer responded, saying things could've been a lot worse given the n…
Police & Fire
Police Seeking Witnesses In Deadly Route 36 Pedestrian Crash
Police are looking to speak with anyone who may have seen a 60-year-old man just before he was struck and killed along Route 36 last week. Dennis Bannon, of Leonardo, was found lying in the roadway after being struck by a vehicle near Navy Weapons Station Earle around 8:05 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 in Middletown, Deputy Police Chief Paul Bailey said. Bannon had been walking on the roadway prior to the crash, Bailey said. The driver was cooperative with police during the investigation. Bannon was treated and taken by Port Monmouth First Aid Squad to Hackensack Meridian Health Riverview Medical …
Schools
These NJ Public High Schools Were Named Among Best In America
Niche has released its list of the best public high schools in America for 2025. Several schools in New Jersey made the top 50, all of which earned an A+ from Niche. They are: No. 20: Bergen Academies, Hackensack No. 21: The Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering, Rockaway No. 37: Union County Magnet High School, Scotch Plains No. 43: High Technology High School, Lincroft No. 49: Marine Academy of Technology, Middletown Niche also ranks New Jersey's top public high schools. The top 25 best are: 25. Chatham High School 24. High Tech HS (Hudson County) 23. Middlesex County Academy for…
Police & Fire
Video Shows Arrest Of DUI Driver Who Rammed Luxury Car Into NJ Utility Pole, Fled
Newly released bodycam footage shows a July 2024 arrest of a DUI driver with a history of traffic offenses who fled the scene of a crash in Monmouth County. Transparency Bodycam published footage of the crash on July 22, involving a white 2017 Mercedes GLE that had struck a pole on Mitchell Place near Oakes Road in Little Silver. The driver was identified by Little Silver police as 42-year-old Melissa Diller, of Middletown, according to records published by The Mounmouth Journal. The footage from Officer Andrew White's body-worn camera shows him finding the SUV at the scene with airbag dep…
Police & Fire
Trio Stole Motorcycles, ATV From Central Jersey Dealership: Police
Three men were accused of stealing five motorcycles and an ATV from a Middletown dealership, authorities said. Joshua Hueston, 28, of Union City; Ronald Terry, 33, of Newark; and Luis Ruben Cuevas, 30, of Brooklyn, NY; were arrested on Monday, Aug. 26, the Middletown Township Police Department said in a news release. Officers responded to the burglary at the Motorcycle Mall of Monmouth on Route 35 at around 3:06 a.m. Investigators said the men were using two stolen work vans to take motorcycles. Police found five motorcycles and an ATV worth about $56,000 stolen from the…
Business
Opening Date Set For New Shake Shack Restaurant In Central Jersey
An opening date has been set for the new Shake Shack restaurant in Middletown. A spokesperson said the Shake Shack at 1149 Route 35 will officially open on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. The restaurant is replacing Moe's Southwest Grill at the location. The "first wave" of customers will get custom Shake Shack tote bags and stickers. The restaurant will also donate $1 from every sandwich sold on opening day to JBJ Soul Kitchen, a nonprofit community kitchen operated by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. Customers will also be able to place orders through Shake Shack'…
Business
Portnoy Just Reviewed 12 Jersey Shore Pizzerias: How'd He Do?
He calls himself the pizza professional. But is he really? Dave Portnoy's latest One Bite Pizza Review tour across New Jersey has come to an end, with scores of 12 new restaurants set in stone. But Daily Voice wants to know, did the Barstool CEO get it right? Email clevine@dailyvoice.com with your thoughts. Here are the restaurants Portnoy reviewed and their scores. Surf City Pizza (Surf City, NJ): 6.2 BLVD Pizza (Surf City, NJ): 7.9 Martell's (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ): 7.1 Joey Tomato's (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ): 6.9 Nino's Coal Fired Pizza (Brick Township, NJ): 7.4 Za…
Obituaries
Former New Jersey HS Soccer Player Mariano Codallos Dies, 23
Mariano Codallos-Tepepa, a 23-year-old Brick resident and former high school soccer player, died on Monday, Aug. 5, according to his obituary on the John E. Day Funeral Home website. A 2019 graduate of Middletown North High School, Codallos-Tepepa was passionate about music and devoted to his family, his obituary says. An avid fan of the New York Yankees, he was dedicated to his faith and was a longtime parishioner of Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Red Bank and became a brother of of the Cursillo de Cristiandad, according to his obituary. He is survived by his parent, Crisoforo …
News
Biden Raises $33M Since Debate, Admits To 'Poor Performance' At Murphy's Mansion
In a fundraising blitz, President Joe Biden's campaign for re-election has raised $33 million since last Thursday's debate, the bulk of that in New Jersey and New York, a spokesman said on Monday, July 1. That total includes "grassroots" money from small donors, a campaign aide said. Biden, 81, a Democrat, is being challenged by former President Donald Trump, 78, a Republican. Biden attended two fund-raising events in East Hampton, NY, on Saturday afternoon followed by a Saturday evening fund-raiser hosted by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy, in Middletown. “I didn’t have a…
News
Biden Is
Nj-b
ound: President Headed To Murphy's Mansion This Weekend After Weak Debate
President Joe Biden is visiting New Jersey this weekend for a private campaign fundraiser at Gov. Phil Murphy’s mansion in Middletown, a source confirmed. The Saturday night event at Murphy and First Lady Tammy’s home is on despite a less than stellar performance in his debate with former Republican President Donald Trump on Thursday, June 27. The press will not be invited. Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tell…
Police & Fire
17 Arrested, Six Wanted In Massive NJ Fentanyl Mill, Drug-Dealing Operation: Prosecutors
Seventeen people were arrested and six more were wanted in a large drug-dealing operation throughout Monmouth County, authorities said. An eight-month investigation seized hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs that were funneled from Passaic and Somerset counties, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Monday, June 24. "The arrests and seizures being announced today mark the end result of a herculean investigative effort involving innumerable moving parts, all seamlessly coordinated with the help of more than two dozen other law enforcement agencies,…
News
8K+ Without Power Amid Another Round Of Storms In New Jersey
More than 8,000 New Jersey residents were without power amid another round of storms on Sunday, June 22. PSE&G's outage map shows 5,341 were in the dark in Burlington County and more than 3,000 in Camden. The majority of the outages were in Maple Shade, Moorestown, Haddon and Pennsauken. In Union County, nearly 1,000 had lost power in Westfield. Smaller but more widespread outages were reported on the Jersey Shore, according to JCP&L, specifically in Long Branch, Red Bank, Asbury Park, Hazlet, Middletown, Keansburg, and Matawan. The National Weather Service had warned residen…
News
Robber Pulls Gun On Jewelry Store Repair Owner In Middletown, Police Say
Police in Middletown are investigating after a robber pulled a gun on a jewelry repair store owner on Friday, June 21. The gunman had been outside with the owner of Jewelry Repair and Design on Cherry Tree Farm Road just before following them inside around 2 p.m., police said. That's when the suspect pulled out a handgun. The suspect is described by police as white male, approximately 5’7" and in his late 20s to early 30s, with facial hair. Any member of the public who may have information about the robbery is asked to call Middletown Police Detective First Class Daniel Sullivan …
Police & Fire
Six People Injured In Seven-Vehicle Crash In Central Jersey
Six people were injured in a crash on a busy road in Monmouth County, authorities said. Holmdel police responded to the crash near the intersection of Route 35 and Laurel Avenue at around 1:17 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, the department said in a news release. Officers found seven vehicles involved with one vehicle smoking, as well as large amounts of oil and gas leaking into the road. All six victims didn't suffer life-threatening injuries, according to police. Laurel Avenue was closed between the Route 35 on-ramp to the intersection with Route 35 for about two hours for the crash inv…
Police & Fire
Charges Upgraded For Man Whose Navy Vet Dad Died Hours After Fight, Monmouth Prosecutor Says
A Middletown man was accused of causing his father's death after assaulting him during a fight, authorities said. Kyle Kiernan, 36, was charged with second-degree reckless manslaughter, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced in a news release on Thursday, June 6. His charge was related to the death of his 62-year-old father Lawrence Kiernan. Middletown police responded to a domestic violence report at a home on the 300 block of Pine Street at around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 1. Kyle Kiernan was arrested, charged with simple assault, and brought to the Mo…
Business
'Devastating' Fire Rips Through Central Jersey Seafood Restaurant Five Months After Opening
A Middletown seafood restaurant suffered a "devastating" fire on Memorial Day, less than six months after it opened. Sirens Seafood posted on Facebook that the fire ripped through the building on Route 36 on Monday, May 27. The restaurant in the Leonardo section of Middletown was closed and no one was injured. The restaurant, which opened in December 2023, thanked the firefighters who responded "within minutes on a holiday." "To our amazing customers, we will have more information soon, but we are not giving up hope just yet for a brighter tomorrow," Sirens posted. "We are absol…
Obituaries
'Fun-Loving And Warm' Central Jersey Woman Dies After Being Found In Vehicle: Police
A Middletown woman died after she was found unconscious behind the wheel of a vehicle, authorities said. Middletown police responded to the report of a vehicle that drove off the road near the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Collinson Drive at around 12:36 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, the department said in a news release. Officers found 60-year-old Carol Calvano unresponsive and slumped over the steering wheel. After officers performed CPR, paramedics rushed Calvano to HMH Riverview Medical Center. She was pronounced dead at the Red Bank hospital. According to her obituary,&…