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

As parts of New Jersey got the first taste of snow this Winter season, something was missing.

Commuters did not see those familiar white lines on the road indicating the DOT had laid down brine to prevent ice and snow from accumulating and creating dangerous conditions.

Gov. Phil Murphy has often been mocked for over brining roads and mobilizing plow crews for even the slightest hint wintery weather could be on the way.

This time: nothing.

Commuters were not happy.

There wasn't a lot of snow. It was just a fraction of inch and all of it fell north of Route 78 in places like Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties.

However, that was enough to cause dangerous icing conditions on untreated surfaces like Route 23.

A spokesman for the DOT admitted roads were not pre-treated because the weather forecast was for rain, and that could have washed away the brine.

What forecast was the DOT looking at?

New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow was warning about a chance of snow showers early Tuesday morning. That proved to be true, and the DOT was not ready.

We are only beginning the Winter snow season. Let's hope they do better in the weeks ahead.

Keep scrolling for more on the miscue and a look at today's top New Jersey news stories.

⬛ Where celebrities are likely moving in New Jersey

🎬 NJ’s film industry is booming with Lionsgate, Netflix and Paramount anchoring new studio projects.
💰 Luxury real estate markets in Jersey City, Montclair and along the Shore offer options for actors and execs look for local homes.
🌊 Celebs like Jon Stewart and Bruce Springsteen may inspire others to settle in Monmouth County.

With all three film studio partners in place — Lionsgate, Netflix and Paramount — and three separate production facilities being built, New Jersey has cemented its return to film-making roots.

For West Coast-based actors or celebrities weary of commuting from New York, there are a number of New Jersey towns that make for ideal digs, depending on which location they want to be near.

Popular towns include Jersey City and Montclair and even towns like Asbury Park, Long Branch and Middletown.

Click on the link to learn where movie and TV stars are choosing to live in New Jersey.

⬛ Middletown remains may be missing student

☑️ Missing Middletown student John Paul Fernandez was last seen in 2015
☑️ A six-page note later surfaced hidden inside a stuffed toy eagle
☑️ Human remains discovered in Middletown may finally bring answers to his family

MIDDLETOWN — Human remains found near the Henry Hudson Trail have been identified as a Monmouth County Seton Hall student who went missing in 2015.

John Paul Fernandez of Middletown was last seen at Natco Lake in Hazlet, where his cell phone was found. Despite searches and media coverage, he was never heard from again. His mother, Ninia Fernandez, told the Filipino news agency GMA News Online her son was a senior and an accounting major.

Ninia said her son left behind a six-page suicide note found inside a stuffed toy eagle. He was bullied at Middletown High School and college.

According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, human remains were found in the area of Willow Street in Middletown, which runs parallel to the Henry Hudson Trail on Nov. 4, 2024. There was nothing suspicious about the discovery.

⬛ NJ caught off guard with first snowfall of the season

❄️First snow of the season in North Jersey triggered treacherous driving conditions
❄️Route 23 and surrounding highways iced over, creating hours-long backups
❄️DOT admits it did not pre-treat roads ahead of Tuesday's commute

Winter weather that made its first appearance of the season in New Jersey's northernmost counties on Tuesday morning caused an unexpected traffic nightmare.

Gov. Murphy has often been mocked to over-brining our roads. This time, his administrations didn't do nearly enough.

Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow called for a chance of snow showers early Tuesday morning that proved to be true. The National Weather Service reported 1.4 inches fell in Sussex. Up to 2/10th of an inch was reported in Butler, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Morris and Vernon.

Combined with some of the coldest temperatures of the season so far in the 20s, there was just enough snow that fell to coat roads in Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties. New Jersey Fast Traffic's Bob Williams said Route 23 was hard hit with snow and black ice which he called an unpleasant surprise that caused slick roads.
"Route 206 was closed in both directions in the area of Stokes state forest. Route 23 was also closed in Stockholm and in West Milford," Williams said.

⬛ FDA expands ByHeart formula recall as more babies fall ill

🍼 15 infants hospitalized nationwide — including one in New Jersey.
🍼 FDA expands recall to include all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula products.
🍼 Parents urged to isolate recalled formula and monitor babies for botulism symptoms.

Federal authorities are announcing a baby formula recall linked to 15 infants hospitalized with botulism across 12 states, including New Jersey.

The hospitalized infants range in age from 16 days to 157 days, according to the Food and Drug Administration. One of the hospitalized infants is in New Jersey.

Authorities say all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula has been voluntarily recalled.

The original recall affected only two batches of ByHeart formula. However, on Tuesday, ByHealth expanded the recall to all formula cans and single-serve sticks.

The FDA has tracked more than 80 cases of infant botulism since August; 15 of them had received ByHeart formula.

"This information shows that ByHeart brand formula is disproportionately represented among sick infants in this outbreak, especially given that ByHeart represents an estimated 1% of all infant formula sales in the United States," an outbreak alert said.

⬛ What to know about Trump’s plan to give Americans a $2,000 tariff dividend

💵 President Trump teases 'tariff dividend checks' for all Americans

💵 White House provides few details on how his plan would work

💵 Tax policy experts say it simply isn't possible

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump boasts that his tariffs protect American industries, lure factories to the United States, raise money for the federal government and give him diplomatic leverage.

Now, he’s claiming they can finance a windfall for American families, too: He’s promising a generous tariff dividend.

The president proposed the idea on his Truth Social media platform Sunday, five days after his Republican Party lost elections in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere largely because of voter discontent with his economic stewardship — specifically, the high cost of living.

The tariffs are bringing in so much money, the president posted, that “a dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.’’

Budget experts scoffed at the idea, which conjured memories of the Trump administration’s short-lived plan for DOGE dividend checks financed by billionaire Elon Musk’s federal budget cuts.

Click the link to learn more about who might be in line for the money and how the payments could be processed.

Start your day with up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather for the Garden State.

The New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show airs from 6 - 10 a.m. on New Jersey 101.5.

Join the conversation by calling 1-800-283-1015 or download the NJ101.5 app.

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

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