Electric rates could be going up again—NJ Top News
Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show.
🔗 Captain charged after NJ church outing ends with mom, baby dead
☑️ A 22-foot boat capsized Saturday night near the Statue of Liberty
☑️ A 27-year-old mother and her 5-month-old daughter died
☑️The boat captain now faces federal charges in their deaths
NEW YORK — A church celebration that began with dinner at a New Jersey restaurant turned tragic Saturday night when a boat capsized near the Statue of Liberty, leaving a mother and her 5-month-old daughter dead and the boat captain facing federal charges.
A 22-foot Bayliner speedboat overturned around 10:30 p.m. in New York Harbor, sending 14 people into the water. All were rescued but a baby and her mother died, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The operator of the boat was arrested.
A GoFundMe campaign identified the victims as 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, of Queens. They are survived by the children's father, Andres Garcia, and their 6-year-old son, Salvador.
"No amount of money can replace Sara or Antonella. But together, we can give Andres some breathing room to grieve, take care of their son, Salvador, and begin facing a future that changed in an instant," campaign organizers IL Punto Ristorante and Marco LaGuardia Hotel said.
Jorge Ortiz told the New York Post they were on the Zeus Luxury with friends from their church celebrating a birthday. The evening started with dinner at a New Jersey restaurant and continued with a cruise around Liberty Island.
Ortiz said the boat's operator, Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, told passengers they did not need to wear life jackets.
🔗 Man accused of bursting into NJ home and stabbing 2 people
🚨Two people were seriously injured in a home invasion early Sunday in EHT
🚨Police say both victims were stabbed in the face and body
🚨A Pleasantville man faces two attempted murder charges in the attack.
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — A man burst into a home and stabbed two people's faces early Sunday morning.
Officers arrived at a home on Fire Road in Egg Harbor Township around 3:40 a.m. and found two people who had been stabbed in the face and body, according to police Sgt. Mark Mensch. They were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Carlos Garcia-Moreno, 36, of Pleasantville, turned himself in to police and was charged with two counts of attempted murder, home invasion burglary and endangering the welfare of a child, weapons and terroristic threats.
Police did not disclose details about what led to the stabbing, the relationship between the victims and suspect or the identities of anyone involved in the incident.
🔗 NJ condo owners clash over religious-based pool schedule
⚠️ Residents have filed discrimination complaints over gender-segregated pool hours at a Jackson condo community.
➡️ The HOA says the schedule accommodates religious observances, but some homeowners say it limits access to amenities they pay for.
🔴 A federal appeals court previously struck down a similar policy at a Lakewood condominium association.
JACKSON — Imagine moving into a brand-new condo complex and watching a beautiful pool and clubhouse area, as promoted in development brochures, being built before your eyes.
Then, just two years into your residency in 2025 — the landscaping changes — a tall fence is raised around the pool.
You also get a notice that there will be separate hours for male and female swimmers, 75% of the time.
In Ocean County, the situation has been a reality at a secular township complex.
The Club at Jackson 21 includes about 465 townhomes built by developer D.R. Horton.
Residents said the developer turned control of the homeowners association over before the development reached roughly 75% occupancy, which they describe as the typical transition point.
At least several residents have filed gender discrimination complaints with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, saying they are being denied equal access to amenities they pay for at a secular community.
🔗 After 3 runs at NJ governor, Jack Ciattarelli lands a new job
⚠️ Jack Ciattarelli joins the Indiana-based Open Road Ventures board of advisors.
➡️ The private equity firm focuses on transportation, freight brokerage and logistics.
🔴 Ciattarelli, who lost his bids for governor, says his experience in business, government and public policy will help the company grow.
Unsuccessful candidate for governor Jack Ciattarelli has a new job that will take him on the “open road” at least occasionally.
Open Road Ventures is a logistics-focused private equity firm. The Indiana-based firm specializes in transportation and freight brokerage — being the middleman that connects shippers with carriers.
The firm recently announced three new members to its leadership team — one with more than 25 years of experience in intermodal transportation, another with nearly two decades of experience in freight brokerage and technology, and Ciattarelli.
Ciattarelli, described as a “seasoned business executive, entrepreneur and visionary,” is among the first two on the company’s board of advisors.
“As a two-time candidate for Governor of New Jersey and member of the State Legislature since 2011, where he served on the Financial Institutions & Insurance Committee and the Regulated Professions Committee, Ciattarelli has a wealth of experience in government and public policy,” according to a statement by Open Road Ventures.
🔗 NJ power company wants to raise your electric bill by $170 a year
⚡ JCP&L wants an 8.8% rate increase that would add about $14 a month to the average bill.
📅 The proposed hike would not hit 1.1 million NJ customers until January 2028.
🌳 JCP&L says it needs the money for grid upgrades and tree removal to prevent outages
A New Jersey power company wants to raise the average customer's electric bill by about $170 a year, even though Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order earlier this year to freeze electric rate increases.
On Friday, Jersey Central Power & Light said its proposal would give the company funding to make infrastructure improvements and cut down dead trees that cause outages.
According to JCP&L, the average residential customer would see an 8.8% increase to their monthly bill if the state Board of Public Utilities approves the plan. For a household using 767 kilowatt-hours, that's a $14.23 monthly hike — or around $170 a year. That generates a $253 million increase in base distribution rates.
However, the proposal includes a significant delay for JCP&L's 1.1 million New Jersey customers.
If approved, the new rate hikes would not affect customers until January 2028. FirstEnergy power company officials said this would give customers more time to prepare for higher bills.
"Customers shouldn't have to choose between affordability and reliability. Our balanced approach puts both front-and-center simultaneously by minimizing the impact on bills today and giving customers time to plan," FirstEnergy New Jersey President Doug Mokoid said.
The filing comes nearly seven months after Gov. Mikie Sherrill froze rate hikes in an executive order signed during her first day in office on Jan. 20, 2026. Sherrill campaigned on the freeze after nearly every New Jersey resident faced rate hikes between 17% and 20% in 2025.
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