Not Again: Car insurance rates skyrocket

Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show with Eric Scott on Friday:

⬛ Body found in fridge — NJ boyfriend arrested in California

Laura Hughes (Amanda Everman via GoFundMe), Belleplain State Forest (NJ DEP)

A suspect is now charged with first-degree murder weeks after being charged in connection to a body left inside a refrigerator in a state forest.

The body of Laura Hughes, 50, was found in Belleplain State Forest in Dennis Township on Dec. 21.

Her fugitive boyfriend Christopher Blevins, 45, of Gloucester City, was initially charged in Cape May County with desecration of human remains and hindering apprehension on Jan. 3.

Blevins was arrested on Jan. 13 in San Diego, California. The murder charge was added by Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay on Jan. 29. Extradition to New Jersey is pending. MacAulay did not disclose why Blevins was in California or what led to his arrest.

⬛ Atlantic City air show may move to another Jersey shore town

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The Atlantic City air show may live on after all during the annual shore "second season."

The show, which drew nearly a half million to the last show in 2023, was abruptly canceled in 2024 and was already off the calendar for 2025.

The news site Wildwood Video Archive reported that the show, retitled "Wildwoods Thunder Over the Waves," was being organized by the same group that put together the Atlantic City show. The free show would take place from Sept. 5 to 7 in the skies between Seaport Pier and the Wildwoods Convention Center.

City of Wildwood spokeswoman Lisa Fagan told New Jersey 101.5 that talks with the Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce are underway but no agreement has been signed nor an event application submitted to for a vote by city commissioners.

⬛ NJ food stamps wiped out: People finding EBT cards missing funds

NJ EBT cards (Dept. of Human Services/Canva)

Several EBT card users have reported missing funds from their accounts.

The Lakewood Scoop was first to report that police have been “inundated” with calls about missing EBT funds, which are part of the welfare program sometimes called food stamps. In some cases, fraudulent purchases were made online using the stolen information, readers told the Scoop.

Retailers are urging customers to change their PIN to guard against future theft.

If your benefits were stolen, NJ officials say you are out of luck and they will not be replaced.

⬛ REAL ID deadline is coming — good luck finding an NJ appointment

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Your procrastination may have consequences.

Starting on May 7, a standard New Jersey driver license won't count as proper documentation when you want to board a domestic flight or enter a federal facility.

And if you're looking to upgrade your license to a REAL ID — the upgraded form of documentation that officials will accept — you could struggle to find an appointment before May.

In an emailed statement to New Jersey 101.5, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission said it has seen a significant increase in demand for REAL ID appointments.

As a result, few -- if any -- appointments are available before the REAL ID deadline.

Do I need a REAL ID? Click the headline of this article to find out.

⬛ How high? Car insurance rates increase sharply in New Jersey

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New Jersey drivers are experiencing another round of sticker shock in 2025, in the way of rising insurance premiums.

The yearly cost is going up by hundreds of dollars for policyholders this year. Industry observers say there are several factors contributing to the purse-draining trend.

According to a state-by-state report published by the personal finance website ValuePenguin (by LendingTree), insurers in the Garden State are hiking premiums by an average of 17.2% in 2025.

That follows a double-digit percentage hike in 2024, and an increase of 6% in 2023.

Why the sharp increase and is there anything you can do about it? Click the headline of this article to find out.