Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show.

🔗 NJ cop struck by DWI suspect who may be in US illegally

Middle Township police officer Austin Kapurelos (NJ PBA)

🚨A Middle Township patrolman was struck by a driver charged with DWI
🚨Rep. Jeff Van Drew says the suspect is in the country illegally
🚨The NJ PBA says recent crashes point to dangers for officers on the road

A Middle Township police officer struck by a driver charged with DWI is the fourth New Jersey officer to be seriously injured on duty in a month, as the crash sparks a political dispute over immigration enforcement.

Rookie patrolman Austin Kapurelo, 26, stopped a driver on Route 47 (Wildwood Boulevard) around 10 p.m. Friday when he was struck by Lucio Lopez-Perez, 36, of the Erma section of Lower Township, according to Middle Township Police Chief Tracey Super. Lopez-Perez remained at the scene and was charged with driving while intoxicated, assault by auto, violating public health and safety law, and multiple other traffic offenses.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Ptl. Austin Kapurelos, his family, and everyone affected by this crash,” Super said. “We are grateful to the officers, emergency personnel, and members of the public who came to Ptl. Kapurelos’ aid. We ask the community to respect the family’s privacy during Ptl. Kapurelos’ recovery.”

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., 2nd District, said Lopez-Perez is in the United States illegally and does not have a driver's license. ICE has a detainer on him, according to the Republican.

He criticized Gov. Mikie Sherrill for creating a $20 million legal defense fund intended to prevent immigrants in the country illegally from being deported while Kapurelos and his family go through pain.

🔗 ‘Forever chemicals’ found in nearly all NJ waterways tested

A sink faucet in Ewing, NJ. — A new report finds PFAS in 91% of tested New Jersey waterways. (Rick Rickman, Townsquare Media NJ)

💧 Researchers found up to 20 different PFAS compounds in New Jersey waterways.
⚠️ Some contaminated waterways flow upstream of drinking water intakes.
➡️ Environmental advocates want tougher restrictions on forever chemicals.

Synthetic forever chemicals linked to higher cancer risk and reproductive issues have tainted nearly every tested source of drinking water in New Jersey, according to an unsettling new report.

New Jersey has known the damage PFAS have done to the environment. The state has reached $2.5 billion in settlements with chemical companies DuPont and 3M. A PFAS Water Experts analysis published earlier this year found New Jersey has the second-worst drinking water quality in the nation.

However, the new report shows the problem spreads even farther throughout the Garden State than previously believed. Now, PFAS have been found in tributaries that flow into the Passaic and Hackensack rivers, the Lower Delaware, the Delaware Water Gap, and even deep in the pines.

"We shouldn’t have to worry about tainted drinking water or catching and eating contaminated fish. It’s time to turn off the toxic PFAS tap," said Doug O'Malley, director of Environment New Jersey.

Researchers working with Environment New Jersey tested 86 New Jersey waterways for forever chemicals. The report released Wednesday found up to 20 different PFAS compounds in 91% of these waterways.

Concerningly, these toxic chemicals were consistently found upstream of drinking water intakes. That puts a lot of pressure on wastewater treatment plants to filter out PFAS before they reach residents' faucets, O'Malley said.

Conventional wastewater treatment techniques are not designed to remove PFAS, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

🔗 NJ fires deputy attorney general over AI child porn charges

NJ dep attorney general accused in PA of creating AI child porn - Brian Fitzgerald via Linkedin — (Archive photo of Brian Fitzgerald via Linkedin)

⚖️ New Jersey fired Deputy Attorney General Brian Richard Fitzgerald after his arrest on child sexual abuse material charges.
💻 Investigators allege he created AI-generated abuse images and shared material depicting actual children through Discord.
🚔 Fitzgerald was jailed with bail set at $2 million and removed from an attorney ethics committee.

New Jersey Deputy Attorney General Brian Richard Fitzgerald has been fired following his arrest on charges involving child sexual abuse material. The 51-year-old Pennsylvania resident was also removed from an attorney ethics committee pending the outcome of the case. His dismissal took effect Oct. 15, the day authorities arrested him.

Bucks County investigators allege Fitzgerald used artificial intelligence to create illicit images involving children and distributed them through Discord. He is also accused of obtaining and sharing abuse material depicting actual children. Investigators say a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children led them to his home.

Authorities say a search uncovered image-generation prompts, scripts and Discord conversations allegedly acknowledging his activities. Fitzgerald faces felony possession and dissemination charges and criminal use of a communication facility. He was held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility with bail set at $2 million, requiring a 10% payment.

🔗 Halloween candy price shocker

🍬 Even filling the Halloween candy bowl costs more, with a nearly 80% increase in candy prices over five years.
📈 Raw sugar prices jumped 21.5% in August, adding another cost pressure for companies making candy and other sweets.
💸 Families already paying more for food and gasoline face another budget squeeze as Halloween approaches.

Halloween is bringing another reminder of how expensive everyday traditions have become. Candy prices have already climbed faster than overall inflation, with the report citing an increase of nearly 80% over five years. For families trying to stretch their budgets, filling a bowl for trick-or-treaters has become another expense competing with groceries and gasoline. finance.yahoo.com

Now, rising sugar prices are adding pressure. Raw sugar surged 21.5% in August, its biggest monthly increase since October 2010, amid poor weather and weaker production forecasts in major growing regions. That raises costs for candy manufacturers and could eventually translate into higher prices at checkout. finance.yahoo.com

The timing compounds an already difficult affordability picture: The story reports overall consumer prices rose 3.7% over the year ending in September, with food up 2.5% and gasoline up 34.2%. Rising sugar futures do not guarantee an immediate candy price hike, but they add another concern for households finding that even a small seasonal treat takes a bigger bite out of the budget.