New Jersey's absurd leaf blower ban

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Friday:

⬛ Prosecutor: NJ teacher asked student for nude photos

Andrew Fantasia (inset), Goetz Middle School in Jackson (Jackson Public Schools, Ocean County Jail)

A 27-year-old middle school teacher has been indicted on criminal sexual contact and other charges in connection with a series of incidents involving a student last year.

Andrew Fantasia, of Beachwood, was indicted by a grand jury sitting in Ocean County on two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal sexual contact, as well as charges of possession of child pornography and official misconduct.

⬛ Heat wave leads to new major meltdown for NJ Transit

NJ Transit riders at Penn Station New York (@FuckNJTransit via X), fire along the tracks near Secaucus (NJ Transit) 6/20/24

NJ Transit and Amtrak riders have another afternoon of long, hot delay as another issue has caused problems beyond New Jersey.

Amtrak, which owns and maintains the Northeast Corridor, said a malfunctioning circuit breaker caused power loss on the tracks between New York Penn Station and Newark Penn Station.

⬛ Don't get squeezed off the beach

AP/Townsquare Media illustration

Record crowds could force many towns to close their beaches as they reach capacity.

The heat wave will intensify this weekend. Combine that with kids getting out of school, and crowds are expected to swell down the Shore this weekend.

Here are some tips to make sure you get your piece of beach.

⬛ Lawsuit forces NJ to change secret use of newborn babies' blood

NJ blood sample storage (Canva)

New Jersey’s longtime policy of storing newborn blood samples for decades is changing after the state was sued in federal court for allegedly violating families’ constitutional rights.

The lead attorney representing the class action suit said the new changes still fall short of informed consent.

Every year, about 100,000 babies are born in New Jersey. Each newborn has blood drawn to screen for more than 60 diseases.

⬛ Blowing leaves in NJ? Potential fines range from $25 to $1,000

Canva/Townsquare Media illustration

New Jersey lawmakers have backed off from proposing an all-out ban on gas-powered leaf blowers.

But a piece of legislation advanced by a Senate committee still aims to strictly limit the use of the tools, and it comes with fines for individuals and businesses that don't comply.

The move comes on the heels of multiple towns implementing their own seasonal or full bans on gas-powered blowers. Should the bill become law in New Jersey, it would allow municipalities to pass stricter rules of their own.

NJ 'perv' teachers, coaches busted in the past three years

There have been a number of educators, coaches and private teachers facing criminal charges for sexual offenses around New Jersey, between 2022 and 2024.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt