Another New Jersey mayor headed to prison

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Monday:

⬛ NJ's fall foliage season could be in trouble this year

Canva

The 2024 fall foliage season in the Garden State is going to be a mixed bag because of a tough summer and early leaf drop due to the heat and the lack of rain, said Jason Grabosky, an ecology professor at Rutgers University School of Environmental Biological Sciences in New Brunswick.

⬛ Judge allows lawsuits to reinstate congestion fee on NJ commuters

FILE - Pedestrians cross Delancey Street as congested traffic from Brooklyn enters Manhattan over the Williamsburg Bridge, March 28, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

NEW YORK — A New York judge on Friday denied Gov. Kathy Hochul’s request to toss out lawsuits challenging her decision to halt a new congestion fee for drivers into Manhattan.

Judge Arthur Engoron made the decision in a Manhattan court after hearing about two hours of arguments in lawsuits brought by transportation and environmental advocates that support the fee.

The tolling program, which had been set to start June 30, would have imposed on drivers entering the core of Manhattan a toll of about $15, depending on vehicle type, in order to generate about $1 billion annually for transit improvements.

⬛ NJ woman arrested, has car seized after chaotic street rally

Alexis Boyce (Philadelphia police)

A Monmouth County woman has turned herself in after a dangerous car meetup in Philadelphia last weekend.

Alexis Boyce, 20, of Englishtown gave herself up late Friday morning, according to Philadelphia police

Boyce is charged with felony counts of fleeing a police officer, riot, criminal conspiracy, and causing/risking a catastrophe, plus several misdemeanors in connection with the street rally on Sept. 21.

⬛ It came out of nowhere: Watch out for these hazards on NJ roads

Canva/Townsquare Media illustration

Each year, drivers in New Jersey file tens of thousands of auto-insurance claims because they hit an animal.

The threat is only going to worsen as the calendar moves further into fall.

State Farm just released its annual research related to vehicle-animal collisions, which found that New Jersey ranks 24th in the nation for the number of claims (industry-wide, not only through State Farm). It's estimated that about 30,000 such claims were filed in New Jersey from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

⬛ Former Wildwood, NJ mayor pleads guilty to fraud, report says

(Mayor Pete Byron via Facebook)(Dino Flammia, Townsquare Media NJ)(Canva)

WILDWOOD — The former mayor of this Cape May County shore resort town has admitted to illegally taking state health benefits, according to published reports.

Pete Byron, a Democrat, pleaded guilty to theft in superior court on Friday for the scheme, the Press of Atlantic City reported.

According to the Attorney General's Office, Byron fraudulently obtained over $600,000 in premiums and claims through the State Health Benefits Program even though he didn't qualify.

Where the most drunk drivers are arrested in New Jersey

Ranked by county, this is where New Jersey police made the most DUI arrests from July 2023 through June 2024.

Gallery Credit: Rick Rickman

Top 'special occasion places' in New Jersey

Here is a list of NJ restaurants you would visit for a special occasion.

Gallery Credit: (Bill Spadea)

The most obese counties in New Jersey

New Jersey Department of Health age-adjusted data for 2011 and 2022 reveals the percentage of the adult population over 20 that is obese. The data is from the NJ Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. The counties are listed from lowest to greatest percentage. Because of a small sample size in the survey in 2022, percentages were not available for the first two counties.

Start your day with up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather for the Garden State.

New Jersey's First News with Eric Scott is the longest running news program in New Jersey. Eric Scott began hosting the program in 1991.

It airs live on New Jersey 101.5 each weekday morning from 5:30 - 6 a.m.

New Jersey's First News with Eric Scott is the winner of the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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