NJ approves controversial new sex-ed rules

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Thursday:

⬛ New gender identity rules for sex-ed and school sports in NJ

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The New Jersey Board of Education has approved controversial changes to sex-education and gender identity rules all state school districts must follow.

Under the new rules, schools that separate students for sex-ed classes must do so based on gender identity, and not biological gender. Schools may have separate classes for boys and girls, but are not required to do so.

The board also approved rules that will allow participation in certain school sports based on gender identity and not biological gender.

⬛ Divers pull father from river in Somerset County, NJ

Search for a missing swimmer in the D&R Canal in Franklin Township (Somerset) 8/2/23 (ABC 7 Eyewitness News)

FRANKLIN (Somerset) — A father who went into the Millstone River to help his three children drowned Wednesday afternoon.

Police were called to the river in Franklin Township after the children age 13,11 and 8 were on the shore after their father, a 42-year-old South River man, got them out of the shallow water, according to Franklin Township Police Lt. Vincent Wilson. The dad lost his balance and did not resurface after falling back into the water.

⬛ 4 family members die in Lacey, NJ housefire

House on Buttonwood Drive in Lacey Township after a fire 8/1/23 (CBS New York via YouTube)

LACEY — Improperly disposed of smoking material is the likely cause of a housefire that killed four members of a family Tuesday afternoon.

Jennifer Wright, 39, Alaina Wright, 34, a 14-year-old girl and a four-month-old infant
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said residents Jennifer Wright, 39, Alaina Wright, 34, a 14-year-old girl and a four-month-old infant died in the fire on Buttonwood Drive in the Lanoka Harbor section.

Firefighters attempted to rescue them from the two-story home but had to evacuate when the roof collapsed.

⬛ Bad credit history? How it can impact your auto insurance in NJ

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Several variables such as your age and driving history, and the type of vehicle you're driving, are taken into account by insurers when determining how much you need to pay for automobile coverage.

But at least one of the variables being considered by most carriers in New Jersey and other states needs to be eliminated from the equation — because it's inherently discriminatory, according to advocacy groups and a new report from Consumer Federation of America.

On average, in New Jersey, an individual with poor credit is paying about $1,000 more per year for auto coverage than someone with excellent credit, according to CFA's report released on July 31. And in some parts of the state, the gap is much wider, according to the report.

⬛ Pickup truck slams into Howell, NJ house, takes out wall

Pick up that struck a house on Blue Bird Drive in Howell 8/2/23 (Howell police)

HOWELL — A house was left uninhabitable after a pickup truck slammed into it Wednesday morning.

The truck hit the single-story house on Blue Bird Lane in the Windmill Club private community in Howell just before 7 a.m, according to Howell police Sgt. Peter Kuppler. A photo shows heavy damage to a wall that had to be completely torn down, exposing two rooms to the outdoors.

The truck appears to have crashed through a wrought iron fence. The vehicle suffered heavy damage including scratches to the engine compartment and a shattered windshield.