Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Monday:

⬛ Simple, delicious, elegant: Eric Scott’s must-try apps for your next party

Cooking at Mrs. G's (Townsquare Media)
Cooking at Mrs. G's (Townsquare Media)
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I had a wonderful time cooking for and talking with New Jersey 101.5 listeners recently at Mrs. G Appliances in Lawrenceville.

During the cooking demonstration at Mrs. G's, I invited some of our listeners to join me in the kitchen and help make some of my favorite dishes.

Here are the recipes we used for this great event. They are simple, easy to make and elegant for any occasion.

I hope you will make them with your family.

⬛ Car rodent infestation this winter in NJ can cost you thousands

Rodents can cause car damage (Canva)
Rodents can cause car damage (Canva)
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When the bitter cold and winter storms hit New Jersey, that’s when animals like to seek warm shelter.

One of the warmest places for rats and mice to hunker down in a storm is inside our cars.

So, if your car doesn’t start, it may not be a dead battery. It could be rodent damage, said Ken Huening, an electrical engineer, and CEO and founder of Cover Seal.

Huening is no stranger to rodents in his car, having had his BMW I8 invaded twice by rodents costing him damages to the tune of $25,000 total.

⬛ Rutgers women's gymnastics coach on leave after investigation

Rutgers coach Umme Salim-Beasley watches her team during gymnastics practice at Rutgers in Piscataway, 3/2/23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Rutgers coach Umme Salim-Beasley watches her team during gymnastics practice at Rutgers in Piscataway, 3/2/23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
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Rutgers has placed women's gymnastics coach Umme Salim-Beasley on paid administrative leave after an investigation into the program revealed she “presided over a divided and dysfunctional organization.”

The school made the announcement on Friday, less than a week after the findings of an external investigation into Salim-Beasley's coaching methods were made public.

The report, prompted by multiple complaints filed against Salim-Beasley by Rutgers gymnasts, determined that Salim-Beasley — who has coached the program since May 2018 — “lost control” of the team and “did not seem to fully grasp the effect that her words and actions were having on many of the gymnasts.”

⬛ What’s in the air at school? NJ may force officials to find out

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Canva
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Schools would have to get their own lessons — on what's actually circulating through the air inside the classrooms — under a proposed law advancing through the New Jersey Statehouse.

Lawmakers have advanced a bill that would require a study of the indoor air quality at public schools throughout New Jersey, and require a plan for districts to take on any common air pollutants that are detected.

“Because children spend a majority of their formative years in our public schools, it is imperative for us to ensure that the air they breathe is safe and free of any harmful particles," said Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex, a sponsor of the measure.

⬛ These are the most — and least — MAGA towns in NJ

(AP Photo file/Canva/Townsquare Media illustration)
(AP Photo file/Canva/Townsquare Media illustration)
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Is New Jersey Trump country? Not quite, but the president-elect has pockets of strong support all over the state including in some surprising areas.

You've probably seen plenty of MAGA flags down the shore. Hundreds of pro-Trump boaters gathered in Barnegat Bay in 2020 and again in 2024 to show their support.

That's because the shore — especially Ocean County — has become a stronghold for Trump. The top three towns with the most Trump voters are in the shore county.

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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.

National Murrow Award Winner featured
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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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