Latest news with #SouthJersey
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Trump front-and-center in Republican primary for governor as early voting kicks off
PINE HILL, NEW JERSEY – One week to go until primary day in New Jersey, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli was getting a shoutout from the most powerful and influential politician in the GOP. "I'm asking you to get out and vote for a true champion for the people of your state – Jack Ciattarelli. He's been a friend of mine, and he's been a real success story," President Donald Trump told supporters as he dialed into a tele-rally on the eve of Tuesday's kickoff of early voting in New Jersey. Trump's praise came two weeks after he endorsed Ciattarelli for the Republican nomination in a primary race that turned into a battle for the president's support. "It's a really big deal," Ciattarelli said in a Monday interview with Fox News Digital after meeting with local GOP politicians and leaders at the Trump National Golf Club-Philadelphia in this South Jersey borough, when asked about the significance of Trump's endorsement. "The president's doing very, very well in New Jersey." Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker, is making his third bid for governor. He ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination in 2017. Four years later, in 2021, as the Republican nominee, Ciattarelli overperformed and came close to ousting Democratic incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy, losing by just three points. In the showdown to succeed Murphy, who is term-limited and prevented from running for re-election, polls suggest that Ciattarelli is the front-runner in a Republican nomination race that includes two other prominent candidates – former businessman and popular conservative talk radio host Bill Spadea and state Sen. Jon Bramnick, a lawyer who served for a decade as state Assembly GOP leader. And Ciattarelli and Spadea spent months trading fire over which of them was a bigger Trump supporter. "It was certainly disappointing," Spadea said of Trump's endorsement of Ciattarelli. "I mean, we made no bones about this. We absolutely wanted the President's endorsement. Unfortunately, the President endorsed a poll and not a plan." And in a Fox News Digital interview, Spadea emphasized that "I have been a supporter of President Trump since he came down the escalator," as he referenced Trump's announcement in 2015 of his first presidential campaign. "There is no question that I am the common-sense conservative. I am the actual Republican in this primary," Spadea claimed. And Spadea questioned Ciattarelli's support for Trump, claiming that his rival "has disrespected him for the better part of the last eight years…We thought that that endorsement would have been better served with me." Four years ago, after he won the GOP gubernatorial nomination, Ciattarelli, when asked if he was seeking the then-former president's endorsement, told Fox News Digital "there's only one endorsement I seek, and that's the endorsement of the voters of New Jersey. That's the only one that matters." Fast forward to 2025, and Ciattarelli emphasized that "people really appreciate what he [Trump] is doing for New Jerseyans. He's put a temporary hold on the wind farms off the Jersey Shore. He's beating up on the New York Democrats over congestion pricing. He supports a quadrupling of the SALT [state and local tax] deduction on our federal tax returns. Those are big deals to New Jersey, and that's why he's got so much great support here. And I'm honored to have his endorsement." While he lost out on Trump's endorsement, Spadea said there's been a silver lining. "Our supporters are galvanized. Matter of fact, the Tuesday and Wednesday after Trump endorsed Jack, we had a surge, our two best days ever in low-dollar fundraising," Spadea said. "So it actually has had the opposite effect, our low-dollar surge, our volunteer surge, we're now knocking on more than 3,000 doors a week, and we're getting an unbelievable response from the grassroots." Spadea said that "almost every Trump supporter that we've talked to face-to-face on the ground thinks that Donald Trump made a huge mistake" in endorsing Ciattarelli. And Spadea, who was interviewed in downtown Princeton, New Jersey, added that "Trump supporters believe in common-sense policies, populism, patriotism. It's not about being told who to vote for." Asked why Trump endorsed him rather than Spadea, Ciattarelli said that "the president wants to win. He knows that I provide the best opportunity to win in November." "He knows we're going to raise the necessary money. We've raised more money than the other five Republican gubernatorial candidates combined," added Ciattarelli, a certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics. The fundraising advantage has allowed Ciattarelli to dominate the ad wars, although Spadea said that "in the last couple of weeks we've actually outspent my opponent on the air" and predicted that "we're going to win." And Spadea, pointing to his media career, touted that "I built the largest audience in the state, a third Democrat, a third independent, a third Republican. So my appeal is not just that conservative base in the Republican Party. I'm the only candidate running for the Republican nomination that can pull in Democrats and independents." New Jersey has long been a blue-leaning state, but Republicans have had success in gubernatorial elections. "It's not a blue state when it comes to Governor races, Republicans have won six of the last 11. That's better than 50%," Ciattarelli said. And Trump, who spends summer weekends at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, held a very large rally last year in Wildwood, N.J. And he improved from a 16-point loss in the state in the 2020 election to a 6-point deficit last November. "The president's doing very, very well in New Jersey. He performed well here last election day," Ciattarelli said. And Ciattarelli, looking ahead to the general election campaign, said he's "really looking forward" to Trump's "active participation…I think New Jerseyans are anxious to have him on the campaign trail with me and help deliver a win for us in November." New Jersey's governor's race will likely grab plenty of national attention as Election Day nears, as it's one of just two states, along with Virginia, to hold gubernatorial contests in the year after a presidential election. Ciattarelli, pointing to his ballot box performance against Murphy four years ago, said that "we were the spark that lit the fuse in '21 with that very close race. The president before performed well here last November." "The country is watching and I think we're gonna deliver a very loud and clear message that New Jersey's going Republican this year," he predicted.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather for Gaudreau Family 5K run/walk
The Brief Hundreds turned out in a powerful tribute Saturday morning as the community came together for a heartfelt 5K run honoring the legacy of the Gaudreau brothers. The brothers were fatally struck by a car while they were riding their bikes in Oldmans Township last year. The driver was allegedly under the influence at the time of the accident. SEWELL, N.J. - Hundreds gathered to honor the two brothers killed while cycling in Salem County last year at the Inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Run, to help raise funds for a playground for kids with disabilities, in honor of the pair. The backstory "This is great, we are bringing the hockey community and the running community together here in South Jersey and Philadelphia to celebrate Johnny and Matthew," said Dave Welsh, a local business owner and organizer of the event. Last year, Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau's lives were abruptly taken away after they were hit and killed by an alleged drunk driver as they were riding their bicycles in Salem County, New Jersey. Both pillars of the hockey community, with Johnny, taking his talent to the NHL. Big picture view "When you first heard this tragedy that occurred, it was so riveting and overwhelming, that anything that we could possibly do to help, we were right on board. We are big hockey fans, we loved everything about this event so, we figured we're gonna do it," says one of the participants. A chance for the community to come together to support the brothers, their family, and the overall cause, which was to raise funds to build a playground at a school in South Jersey for children with disabilities, in honor of the Gaudreau brothers. Gillian Kocher, who helped put on the event says, "This playground that they are building through the proceeds from this will be a kind of lasting impact. It will impact generations to come at Archbishop Damiano. I know that John and Matty really loved kids, they were personally involved in the school as well so, I think it really gives their family some comfort, that we can continue to do things that they would have done and do it in their honor."
Fox News
7 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Mysterious bones that washed up on Jersey Shore finally identified 180 years after tragedy
Bones that mysteriously washed up on the Jersey Shore over the past three decades were recently identified, thanks to cutting-edge technology and diligent students. Ramapo College announced the discovery in a May 21 press release. The remains were identified as belonging to Henry Goodsell, a captain who died in an 1844 shipwreck off the coast of South Jersey's Brigantine Shoal. (See the video at the top of this article.) The ship was carrying 60 tons of marble for Girard College, a preparatory school, when it sprung a leak and sank. Goodsell's bones didn't wash up until over a century later, when they were found on various beaches in the Garden State. "A skull washed ashore in Longport in 1995, and more bones were found in Margate in 1999, both in Atlantic County," Ramapo College's statement noted. "In 2013, additional remains were found in Ocean City, Cape May County." "Scattered Man John Doe went without a name for 30 years since traditional methods of investigation could not deliver an identification." Cairenn Binder, assistant director of the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center, told Fox News Digital that her team conducted traditional DNA testing to find a matching profile in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national DNA profile database. "More identifications like these will be made now that we have advances in technology." "While there was no missing person sample on file that matched with the profiles from the bones, the bones all matched one another, so that's how [the New Jersey State Police] learned they were all connected before we began working on the case," she said. Over the past several months, Ramapo students have gleaned various details about Goodsell's life from old newspapers. He was 29 years old when he died, and his ancestors were among the earliest settlers in Connecticut. "Capt. Goodsell's ancestors lived in Litchfield and Fairfield Counties in Connecticut and had all been there since the 1600s – some of the earliest European Americans," Binder said. "He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but lived in Boston from at least the late 1830s." Goodsell also left behind a wife and two children when he perished; his family was financially devastated by the shipwreck. "The news reported that his family was left in 'very embarrassed' circumstances after the captain's death," Binder said. "There was a fundraiser held for Capt. Goodsell's widow a year after his death," she also said. Reports were that "she was destitute." Five or six other crew members were on the vessel, Binder noted, and all of them are believed to have died. One was found and buried while the others were lost at sea. Binder described the discovery as "extremely rare," noting that Ramapo researchers have not been able to find an older case where IGG was used to successfully identify remains. "There are a handful of cases where remains more than 100 years old have been identified with IGG, but this is the oldest we have been able to find," she said. "We believe that more identifications like these will be made now that we have the advances in technology to make them happen," she added. Authorities from various New Jersey law enforcement offices were also involved in the research. In a statement, Cape May County prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said the same technology is used to "bring offenders to justice." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP" "The hard work of Ramapo College's IGG Center and working with the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit has demonstrated the power and accuracy of this new technology combined with classic detective work in solving complex cold cases that will bring offenders to justice and provide closure to victims' families," he noted.
CBS News
26-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
New Jersey communities remember fallen servicemembers ahead of Memorial Day
Communities across South Jersey paused to honor those who gave their lives in service to the United States over the Memorial Day weekend. In Haddon Heights, American flags lined the streets, each one bearing the name of someone who has served in the U.S. armed forces. The display, organized by the local Rotary Club, is a fundraiser for a student scholarship. "I saw all the flags out, and I thought it was a very nice display, honoring those who have sacrificed themselves for our country," said Julia Kantner, who was on a walk near the display. Some of the flags surrounding the Haddon Heights Veterans Memorial at the end of Station Avenue hold special significance — organizers say they're reserved for fallen service members. "We can just take these moments to appreciate the fact that we have all of this," said Andrew Bair, a resident of nearby Audubon, who joined Kantner for a walk. "And it's because of the sacrifice of these people who put their lives on the line." A few miles away in Audubon Park, another flag display prompted reflection from passersby, including retired South Jersey resident Nick Ferrara. "Not a lot of people, especially the younger generation, don't realize what the holiday's really about," Ferrara said. Ferrara, who lives in Mount Ephraim, grew up during a time when the military draft was still in place. He said service and sacrifice were widely understood among his peers. "Back in the day, men went to war, and they thought they were going to die," he said. "And when they came home, and they were alive, they were proud. But they went into war to fight and to protect this country." In nearby Audubon, fresh flowers had been laid at the base of the borough's Medal of Honor Memorial, just outside the high school. The monument honors three recipients from Audubon — Samuel M. Sampler, Nelson V. Brittin and Edward C. Benfold — all of whom were killed in the line of duty. Locals say the memorial is a reminder of how deeply sacrifice is woven into the fabric of their community. "These men and women sign up, and they put their life on the line to protect our country," said Vincent Meloni, who grew up in Audubon and learned about the three recipients during his time in the school system. "The best we can do here is just honor that sacrifice and try to live as free as we can as Americans."
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teen held captive by South Jersey couple for years escapes: Here's what we know
Brenda Spencer, 38, and Branndon Mosley, 41, are facing kidnapping, aggravated assault, and other charges after officials say an 18-year-old who endured years of abuse by the couple was able to escape captivity from a South Jersey home last week.
