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

I remember Mark Himebaugh.  I never met him, but I talked about him and his family.  A lot.

His story was one of the first I reported on for New Jersey 101.5.

It was October of 1991 when I first sat behind the news desk at this station.

A month later, an 11-year-old boy disappeared in South Jersey.

For Maureen Himebaugh it was just another normal day in a middle class New Jersey neighborhood. She needed to drop a neighbor at a local repair shop to pick up a car. He asked if he could stay home because a fire had broken out in the neighborhood and he wanted to watch the firefighters work.

Maureen reluctantly agreed.

When she left home, it was the last time she would see her son.

The only trace of her son that was ever found was Mark's left shoe. It was located approximately 75 yards from his home.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the investigation and the rest of today's top news.

⬛ Middlesex High School athlete dies after crash, coach says

⚾Middlesex High School senior baseball standout James Matula died after a crash
⚾Details about the crash were not disclosed in a letter from the superintendent
⚾A GoFundMe campaign was launched to assist his family

MIDDLESEX BOROUGH — A high school athlete returning from a trip has died, according to his baseball coach.

Middlesex High School baseball coach Blaze Iannetti told NJ.com that senior James Matula was seriously injured in a crash returning to New Jersey and later died at a North Jersey hospital. His brother, John Matula, posted about his younger brother's death on Monday, describing him as "the most amazing, wonderful and beautiful person I ever knew."

On Sunday, schools Superintendent Roberta Freeman reported the death but did not disclose the student's identity or the circumstances of their death. Grief counselors were available for students and staff at the school Monday, according to Freeman's letter to the community.

The left fielder's drive was a big reason the Blue Jays won a state championship in the spring, Iannetti told MyCentralJersey.com. The team's ring ceremony scheduled for Wednesday's Board of Education was postponed, but Iannetti said he gave the ring to a family member.

⬛ Delaware River toll increase 2026: what N.J. drivers need to know

💲Tolls will go up 'on or about January 1'
💲It will double for non-E-ZPass users
💲The increases will help fund projects

Tolls will rise on the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission's crossings between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Commissioners on Monday approved a toll hike for Class 1 passenger vehicles using E-ZPass. The toll will increase by 50 cents to $2.

The rate will double for non-E-ZPass users who are sent a bill via the Toll by Plate program as tolls rise from $2 to $5. The new rate takes effect "on or about January 1."

The higher rate will allow the DRJTBC to "finance transportation-infrastructure projects and improvements, offset rising construction-industry costs, and maintain favorable borrowing rates in the municipal bond market," the commission said in a statement.

Construction costs have increased 35 percent in the past five years while supply chains continue to be a problem for projects, according to the agency.

⬛ Morristown police rookie pleads guilty in DWI crash

☑️Rookie Morristown police officer admits to DWI in off-duty crash
☑️Court records show a fine plus use of a mandatory interlock device
☑️ Officer’s status unclear as department

MORRISTOWN — A rookie cop who was charged with drunk driving after a crash while off-duty pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.

Morristown police officer Laura V. Starnes, 22, of Glen Gardner, was driving on Morris Street around 11 p.m. on May 6 when she crashed her vehicle and exhibited signs of intoxication, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. She was issued a summons for careless driving. When the toxicology report came back, she was charged with operating under the influence of liquor or drugs.

Court records show Starnes pleaded not guilty to careless driving and the charge was dismissed. She was also fined $640, must use an interlocking device and serve 12 hours in the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center. The hearing was moved to Denville Municipal Court.

⬛ 12 more killers released early from New Jersey prison

🔴 New Jersey governor grants clemency to 55 people, including 12 convicted of murder or manslaughter
🔴 Phil Murphy says the actions aim to reunite families and provide “second chances”
🔴 One case involves a college student who was sentenced to prison last year

ELIZABETH — Another 12 inmates convicted of killing another person have been free before serving their full sentences, including a college student who stabbed her mom to death, thanks to New Jersey's outgoing governor.

They are among the latest 55 individuals to have their records wiped clean by Gov. Phil Murphy at Santa Isabel Lutheran Church in Elizabeth on Tuesday.

“As we approach the holiday season, I am grateful to play a small part in reuniting families and providing a second chance to each of these individuals," Murphy said.

It's the governor's fifth round of clemency actions since he created the Clemency Advisory Board in June 2024.

Out of more than 4,000 applicants in the last 17 months, Murphy has granted pardons and commutations to 283 people.

⬛ 34 Years Ago Today, Mark Himebaugh Disappeared in Middle Township

On November 25, 1991, 11-year-old Mark Himebaugh was walking towards a playground in Del Haven, Middle Township, and he hasn't been seen since.

According to Middle Township Police, a park guard was the last person to see him at about 4:00 that afternoon.

An extensive search resulted in the discovery of the child's left shoe approximately 75 yards from his home. No other trace of the child has been found. He was last seen wearing a blue sweatshirt, a gray jacket, gray pants, and sneakers. He has freckles.

Mark's mother, Maureen, said on that day she told her son she was dropping off a neighbor to pick up a car at a repair shop in Middle Township. He didn't want to go with her because a fire had broken out in town and he wanted to watch what was happening.

When she returned, there was no trace of Mark.

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You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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