Latest news with #SomersetCounty
CBS News
23-07-2025
- CBS News
Man who confessed to 1997 killing of New Jersey woman sentenced to 10 years
Nearly three decades after the murder of a woman in New Jersey, there has been some justice for her family. Advanced DNA technology helped authorities track down her killer in Canada. As that man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday as part of a negotiated plea deal, the victim's family and friends first faced him during what is called the victim impact statement. A Somerset County courtroom was the backdrop for the sentencing of Robert Creter in the 1997 murder of Tami Tignor. Her mother, Piper Bailey, spoke directly to the confessed killer on a Zoom call. "He took my daughter's life. He strangled the life out of her, and he should be locked up forever," Bailey said. Bailey described the pain she has endured since her 23-year-old daughter's body was found at Washington Valley Park. "For 27 years, her killer was out running free while we were all in prison," Bailey said. "I scoured the area from where she disappeared day and night. I don't sleep without nightmares over her death." DNA from under Tignor's nails led to Creter's arrest in 2023 and a confession. "Tami was like a little sister, and when you die the world will be a better place. And you should hope what I do won't pass for flowers," friend Brian DeMartino said. Creter, a 61-year-old with a history of convictions, including sexual assault, addressed the Tignor family. "If I could take that day back, I would, your honor. It wasn't planned. I never meant to hurt anybody. It was just a bad situation that got out of hand and I made the worse decision of my life. If I could take it back, I would. I apologize," Creter said. "I don't believe he is sorry. They had to drag him out of the woods to get him here," DeMartino said. Tignor would have turned 50 years old on Wednesday. Her family said her killer was out longer than she was alive. "I prayed every single day that we would find out who he was because he was mystery," friend Rhonda Reagan said. "She was my only child, and she was taken from us way too soon," Bailey added. "What was going on in my mind? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," Tignor's stepfather said. The judge said she was bound by the plea agreement and that she hopes when Creter is up for parole in eight and a half years he won't be released, based on the likelihood that he could commit another crime. "We will all be there, sending letters when he's up for parole," another person said.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
See rainfall totals in your Central Jersey town
Here are the latest rainfall totals in Central Jersey. Check back for updates throughout the day. Hunterdon County rain totals Totals for the past 24 hours, as of 5:35 a.m. Tuesday Mulhockaway Creek at Van Syckel: 0.53 inches Musconetcong River: 2.37 inches Musconetcong River at Riegelsville: 0.46 Neshanic River: 0.39 Nishisakawick Creek near Frenchtown: 0.51 inches Rockaway Creek: 0.75 inches South Branch Raritan River: 0.52 inches Wickecheoke Creek: 0.34 inches Middlesex County rain totals Totals for the past 24 hours, as of 5:35 a.m. Tuesday Carteret: 2.86 inches Heathcote Brook at Kingston: 1.95 inches Kendall Park: 2.34 inches Lawrence Brook: 2.07 inches Manalapan Brook at Federal Rd near Manalapan: 1.36 inches Millstone River near Grovers Mill: 1.22 inches Monroe Township: 1.14 inches New Brunswick: 2.95 inches Old Bridge: 1.39 inches Raritan River Lower: 2.74 inches Sayreville: 2.34 inches South River: 1.94 inches Woodbridge: 1.73 inches Somerset County rain totals Totals for the past 24 hours, as of 5:35 a.m. Tuesday Bound Brook at Rt 28 at Middlesex: 4.06 inches Bridgewater: 3.59 inches Hillsborough: 3.13 inches Lamington River at Burnt Mills: 1.85 inches Middlebush: 3.35 inches Millstone River at Blackwells Mills: 2.44 inches North Branch Raritan River: 1.18 inches Somerset: 3.74 inches South Branch Raritan River at South Branch: 1.58 inches Stony Brook at Watchung: 5.83 inches West Branch Middle Brook at Martinsville: 1.64 inches Union County rain totals Totals for the past 24 hours, as of 5:35 a.m. Tuesday Linden Airport: 4.19 inches Rahway River Lower: 3.33 inches Rahway River near Springfield: 3.66 inches Sources: and This article originally appeared on NJ rain totals in Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Union counties Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
House explodes during New Jersey flooding, nearby homes damaged
A house exploded overnight as flash flooding inundated a New Jersey neighborhood and damaged several nearby homes, officials said. The blast took place about 2:45 a.m. local time on July 15 at a home on Parkview Avenue, a North Plainfield Police Department non-emergency dispatcher confirmed to USA TODAY. The house is in the borough of North Plainfield in Somerset County, not far from the New York state line and about 30 miles from The Big Apple. Footage of the incident shows wooden slats from the front of the home laying flat on the ground with torn siding and other rubble behind it. As of Monday no injuries or fatalities had been reported. According to police Chief Alan McKay, when officers arrived on scene, they found the home fully engulfed in flames. "Luckily the home appears to have been empty and no victims were located," police wrote in a news release. Northeast flooding: Heavy rainfall causes flash flooding in New York City, other major cities New Jersey flash flooding The destruction took place around the same time heavy rainfall hit portions of the state as well as New York City, with videos on social media showing a subway station inundated with floodwaters. Parkview Avenue and other roads and highways in New Jersey experienced high floodwater overnight. The heavy flooding turned most roads including Route 22 into rivers and made them unpassable, police reported, and dozens were rescued from vehicles and homes throughout the borough. Several agencies were dispatched to assist local police including the New Jersey State Police and the Somerset County Dive Team. McKay said about 40 residents were rescued from floodwaters which destroyed countless homes and Red Cross was notified and is responding to assist with food, water and temporary housing, McKay said. Major cities across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic including New York City were hampered by flash flooding after storms knocked out power, closed voluminous roads and prompted water rescues on July 14. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Mount Holly, the rain caused flash flooding prompting a state of emergency declaration in New Jersey. In northern New Jersey, forecasters reported between 3 and 6.5 inches of rain fell. The NWS warned more rain was expected on July 15. 'His faith became sight': Megachurch pastor John MacArthur dies What caused a New Jersey home to explode? A preliminary investigation by officials determined the explosion appears to have been the result of a gas leak, police said. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House explodes in North Plainfield, New Jersey amid flooding
CBS News
18-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
High lead levels found were found in Blue Hole Creek. Officials believe they found the source.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says it has learned where the lead in Blue Hole Creek is coming from. In May, water testing by the Mountain Watershed Association revealed Blue Hole Creek, which runs through Forbes State Forest in Saltlick Township, had high lead levels. In a three-page notice of violation letter, sent on July 11th, the DEP cites Highlands Sporting Clays shooting range as the source for all the lead showing up in the nearby creek. In this letter, the DEP said, "The Department has observed significant quantities of lead shot on Highland Sporting Clays' property, and that the best management practices … have not been implemented to prevent runoff contamination from the lead shot to Blue Hole Creek." The letter goes on to describe the violations against Highland Sporting Clays, as well as outline what the organization needs to address going forward, including: Recent water testing at the popular swimming and fishing spot in Somerset County revealed there was 425 parts per billion lead content in the water, up from 370 parts per billion in May. The acceptable amount of lead in water is zero parts per billion. KDKA reached out to Highlands Sporting Clays about this letter several times on Thursday and Friday, but did not hear back. KDKA did connect with Eric Harder, a Youghiogheny riverkeeper with the Mountain Watershed Association. He said there are several things Highlands Sporting Clays can do, along with their cleanup effort. "The next step would be to have Highlands switch over from a lead shot to a steel shot. And there have been comments like 'oh, that's more expensive' or 'that's harder on the firearm,'" Harder said. "And that all comes back to a monetary problem. It's hard to put a value on clean water." Harder says that the Mountain Water Shed is still testing and monitoring the waters of Blue Hole Creek biweekly. And he says his organization has been in close contact with the DEP on this issue and that the DEP tells them that Highland Sporting Clays has responded in a positive manner. "We do feel that it's a good thing to point out who this polluter is and hold them accountable," said Harder. "But again, we also think it is great that Highland Sporting Clays is already acknowledging that problem." When KDKA was last at Blue Hole Creek in May, there were signs all over this area warning people about the danger of the lead in the water. The signs, posted by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, seem to be gone. The important thing to know is that if you find yourself by Blue Hole Creek, do not drink or let your pets drink the water, and if you find yourself in the water, exercise extreme caution.
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
New Jersey flash flood blamed for at least 2 deaths as Gov. Phil Murphy says state was "crushed" by storms
New Jersey remains under a state of emergency Tuesday after Monday night's flash flooding devastated many communities, especially in Union and Somerset counties. Gov. Phil Murphy toured some of the damage Tuesday morning in Berkeley Heights. "Last night, we got crushed," Murphy said. Murphy spoke about two deaths in the city of Plainfield and about a home explosion in the borough of North Plainfield. "We're seeing more of this, more frequent and more intensity," he said. "Six inches of rain in under two and a half hours, in two waves -- one wave, knocked a lot of these communities a little bit off kilter; the second one just came in for the kill. So we're assessing around all these communities and counties." Several drivers had to be rescued when cars stalled Monday evening across the Garden State and in parts of New York. Route 22 eastbound remains closed for emergency repairs Tuesday in Somerset County. Murphy said he was in touch with the White House, and he warned more unsettled weather may be on the way. "We're in one of these patterns right now, hot and humid, late afternoon-early evening thunderstorms," he said. "It doesn't feel, as I stand here now, as though tonight, tomorrow, Thursday will be at the same level of intensity that we saw last night, but you never say never." N.J. flash flood blamed for at least 2 deaths in Plainfield Officials in Plainfield confirmed two people were killed when a vehicle was swept into Cedar Brook during the storm. Their names have not been released. "They were in a submerged automobile, and their remains were extracted at some point overnight or first thing this morning," Murphy said. Earlier this month, two other people in the city were killed when a fast-moving storm whipped through. That same system also killed a woman in North Plainfield. "All of Plainfield grieves this latest loss," Plainfield Mayor Adrian O'Mapp said in a statement. "To lose four residents in such a short span of time is unimaginable. We mourn with the families, and we remain committed to doing all we can to strengthen our emergency response systems and protect residents from future harms." House explodes in North Plainfield during storm It was a chaotic night across Union County. As first responders were busy with dozens of water rescues and shutting down roads, they received a report of a house explosion in North Plainfield. They arrived to find a home on Parkview Avenue in pieces. What was once a beautiful two story home is now just a pile of debris. The force of the explosion was so strong, pieces of wood ended up halfway down the block. One of the few structures still standing is the staircase leading up to what used to be the second floor. Firefighters said the home was engulfed in flames when they first arrived. After getting the fire under control, they did a thorough search and determined thankfully that the home was unoccupied. No injuries were reported to firefighters either. The firefighting effort was complicated by yesterday's torrential rains. First responders had to wade through ankle deep water as they dragged their hose lines. How the fire started is still under investigation.
