Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Friday:

⬛ Don't be fooled: What NJ law says about fireworks

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Just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, officials are reminding residents that the purchase or sale of fireworks is not only dangerous but illegal under New Jersey state law.

New Jersey’s fireworks laws are enforced by the Department of Labor's Division of Public Safety and Occupational Safety and Health, which conducted 19 inspections of entertainment shows using fireworks in 2022 to ensure proper licensing.

Under The New Jersey Explosives and Fireworks Act, the only permissible fireworks are hand-held, or ground-based sparklers, snakes, and glow worms, smoke devices and trick noisemakers.
Click HERE to read more.
⬛ Do you trust games at the Jersey Shore? Inspections are underway

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You want to have fun at the shore. Officials want to make sure you're not getting scammed.

Periodic inspections are underway, and will continue throughout the summer, of arcades and prize stands at oceanside destinations, to ensure the legitimacy of the games being offered. More than 100 violations were handed down in summer 2022.

Click HERE to read more.
⬛ Dramatic helicopter rescue saves NJ firefighters from waterfall

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Video shows a group of Clifton firefighters trapped in a boat at the edge of a waterfall rescued by a State Police helicopter on Wednesday.

A pair of firefighters performing a boat rescue became stranded at the bottom of a waterfall in the Passaic River and needed the help of a State Police helicopter to get back to dry land.

Clifton Fire Chief Frank Prezioso told New Jersey 101.5 that a rescue team from the fire department went out on the water Wednesday afternoon. The plan was to rescue a small group of maintenance workers, also on a boat, that had gotten stuck near the Dundee Dam.

Click HERE to read more and see the video.
⬛ Can parasitic wasps handle NJ's spotted lanternfly invasion?

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No human work could replicate the potential impact of a natural predator.

The main problem is, none of those natural predators — at least ones that can make a reasonable dent in the spotted lanternfly numbers — are found in the United States.

But through studies occurring beyond New Jersey's borders, researchers believe they've identified two parasitic wasps from Asia that could do the trick here, if they can be safely introduced.

Click HERE to read more.

⬛ Should NJ cops be able to use weed when off duty?

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A precedent-setting ruling was handed down by a judge last week that could determine if police officers can use marijuana on their own time.

When legislation permitting the legal sale of marijuana for adult recreational use was signed into law in 2021, questions immediately arose about whether businesses could prohibit their employees for using it.
Click HERE to read more.

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.

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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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