NJ should reject migrants, says senator

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Tuesday:

⬛ Gun misfires and injures shopper at Brick, NJ Costco

(Google Maps/Brick police)

BRICK — A Costco shopper is recovering after shooting himself accidentally.

The gun went off around 1 p.m. Sunday at the Costco in Brick on Route 70, police said.

Responding officers found that the owner of the gun and the victim were the same person. His injuries were not life-threatening.

⬛ 3 dogs left to freeze and starve to death in NJ towns

Dogs abandoned in New Jersey within the past week (Jersey Pits Rescue/Brian Magrini via Facebook)

HALEDON — Authorities say the owners of a pit bull left to die in this New Jersey borough are facing animal cruelty charges as police in Mount Olive look to identify whoever abandoned two more pit mixes in the freezing cold over the weekend.

⬛ NJ lawmaker wants to kill the state's sanctuary policies

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New Jersey officials have backed off from describing New Jersey as a sanctuary state for unauthorized immigrants, but upcoming legislation aims to make sure that the "sanctuary" designation is prohibited in any municipality.

A legislative package announced by state Sen. Michael Tesla (R-Cumberland) also would scrap a New Jersey directive that he says has been preventing local law enforcement officers from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

⬛ NJ-NY toll cheats chased down for millions in 2023

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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey managed to secure tens of millions of dollars from toll evaders in 2023, the agency announced on Monday.

Some parties were responsible for more than $100,000 in unpaid tolls and fees all on their own.

The bi-state agency increased the number of tickets written for toll invasion last year, compared to 2022, and recovered more money from toll cheats

⬛ Woman sues NJ Port Authority after airport rape

Aerial view of Newark Liberty International Airport

NEWARK – A woman who was sexually assaulted in the parking deck of the new Terminal A at Newark Liberty Airport filed a lawsuit against the Port Authority blaming a lapse in security.

Thomassal Watkins, 40, of West New York, was charged with sexual assault in the January 2023 attack on the woman as she walked to her car parked inside the Consolidated Parking and Rental Car Building (CONRAC) parking garage at Terminal A according the the Union County Prosecutor's Office. The garage had opened to the public six days before the attack.

10 Nasty Illnesses You'll See This Winter Across New Jersey

These illnesses will be at their peak this winter all across New Jersey.

Gallery Credit: Megan Carter

To the New Jersey weather person who loves to criticize

A message to all NJ "forecasters" who think they know what they're doing.

Gallery Credit: Mike Brant

These NJ towns have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases

Looking at data compiled by the Department of Health in 2019, the most recent year for which reports are available, we determined the rate of STDs for 1,000 people in every municipality. The data combines reports of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. For a different look, you can check out this article for a list of New Jersey towns that saw the highest increase in STD/STI cases in recent years.

Gallery Credit: Sergio Bichao/Dino Flammia

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