Recently, in Verona town, 61-year-old Boris Gasin and his 6-month-old grandson Micah were tragically killed when a tree fell on them while they were lying in a hammock in the backyard. Baby Micah and his parents, Alex and Amber, had just arrived from California on April 29 to visit the grandfather when the accident happened. The community immediately launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to help the grieving family. Organizer Ben Canales wrote on the fundraising page, “His (Micah’s) smile could light up the whole room, and strangers on the street would stop to admire how adorable he is.” The website quickly raised the initial target of $20,000 to assist the family with urgent expenses.
Middlesex County’s various police departments are working together to strengthen enforcement against distracted and reckless driving. Officials in the county aim to collaborate with state police to save lives and prompt drivers to think twice before making any poor decisions while behind the wheel. North Brunswick city began implementing its traffic safety initiatives in January, targeting speeders, reckless drivers, and distracted drivers. To support this effort, some detectives were temporarily moved to patrol duties on highways. Recently, the push for safer driving has garnered support from nearby towns like South Brunswick and Edison. Highways like Route 1 are especially receiving heightened police attention.
In March, Kohl’s department store announced a partnership with Babies “R” Us to open approximately 200 Babies “R” Us stores within their locations by this fall. Kohl’s disclosed that the initial group of Babies “R” Us stores will open in August, with all 200 stores scheduled to be operational by the holiday season. The locations for these 200 stores include 13 Kohl’s stores in New Jersey, such as Bergen Town Center in Paramus, Main Ave. in Clifton, Market Place Blvd. in Hamilton Township, and others scattered across the state.
A New Jersey resident recently won a $1 million second prize in the CASH4LIFE game. Just a few days before winning, the man opened a fortune cookie that read, “Believe in miracles.” According to the NJ Lottery, when he realized he had won the game’s lifetime prize of $1,000 a week, he immediately recalled the message on the fortune cookie. The man chose to remain anonymous but shared the story with lottery officials. The winning ticket was purchased through the Jackpocket app, matching all five white balls drawn.
ExxonMobil announced plans to streamline operations and close a research center in Hunterdon County, relocating hundreds of jobs out of the state. The ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Technology Center in Clinton, with over 400 laboratories, 850 offices, and “92 pilot plants,” will be impacted. According to Bloomberg, most of the 600-plus New Jersey employees are expected to secure positions at the company’s existing headquarters in Houston, Texas. The Clinton Township’s Annandale campus covers 757 acres, straddling Routes 22 and 31, with about 150 acres actively utilized. The company pays $3.5 million in property taxes to Clinton Township annually.
New Jersey is again dealing with credit card skimming incidents. Recently, police discovered skimming devices at the Supremo Food Markets on Route 130 in Pennsauken, Camden County, prompting warnings to shoppers. Authorities are investigating to determine the duration and extent of the incident. Additionally, similar incidents at four other Supremo Food Markets across the state are under scrutiny. Customers who used credit or debit cards at Supremo are urged to notify their banks and remain vigilant against unauthorized transactions. Credit card skimming fraud is not uncommon in New Jersey, with recent incidents occurring at various retail locations, including two 7-11 stores in the southern part of the state. According to FICO credit rating agency data, New Jersey is among the top five states in the US for credit card skimming incidents.