Oliver's legacy of service

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Wednesday:

⬛ Mourning NJ Lt. Gov. Oliver: What happens to the position?

Gov. Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver (Lt Gov. Sheila Oliver)

TRENTON — With the state reeling over the sudden death of trailblazing Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver — a clear timeline has been laid out for what happens to the vacant office.

Under the state constitution, the governor has until Sept. 14 to name a new person to the office of lt. governor — 45 days within a vacancy in the office due to death, resignation or removal.

That individual would serve the remainder of the term.

Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver has passed away at the age of 71. She had been hospitalized at Cooper Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston for an undisclosed illness.

⬛ Wild venomous snake bite hospitalizes NJ resident

Northern copperhead snake (Photo by Mike Muller, NJ DEP)

BRIDGEWATER — A copperhead snake is still slithering through the grass in Somerset County after biting a victim at night.

The venomous snake bit a Bridgewater resident at their home on Friday, July 21. The bite sent the victim to the hospital for treatment, according to the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.

But the bite wasn't reported to the division until the following Thursday. A member of the NJDEP Fish & Wildlife Venomous Snake Response Team went to the property the next day and searched the surrounding area. They had no luck finding the copperhead.

⬛ Still no winner

Getty Images

The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one beat the odds and won the massive lottery prize.

The winning numbers drawn Tuesday night were: 8, 24, 30, 45 ,61, and the yellow ball: 12.

No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18.

⬛ Baby among those dead in Lacey, NJ house fire

Aftermath of a fire on Buttonwood Drive and Haines Street in Lacey Township (Jersey Coast Emergency News)

LACEY — Four people including an infant died in a housefire on Tuesday afternoon.

Law enforcement sources tell New Jersey 101.5 at least three people died after a fire in a two-story house on Buttonwood Drive in the Forked River section.

The Ocean County prosecutor later confirmed that four people perished in the fire.

⬛ Woman found dead in wealthy NJ neighborhood home's pool

(Saddle River police via Facebook)

SADDLE RIVER — A woman is dead after being pulled from a pool at a home in a wealthy New Jersey neighborhood and an investigation is underway.

The 39-year-old woman was found in a pool along Fox Hedge Road in Saddle River on Monday, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Saddle River police got a call from the residence reporting the incident around 4:26 p.m.

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

A shopper's paradise in a quaint NJ town

Unique museum in South Jersey

How much does the average NJ home cost? Median prices by county

Everything is costing more these days — and housing is certainly no exception in New Jersey.

Data for 2023 from January through May, compiled by New Jersey Realtors, shows that homes hit the market and sell in two months or less, on average.

Median prices for single-family homes have reached $500,000 and above in nine counties.

Most counties have seen houses go for more than the list price this year, while the rest have been very close to asking — on average.

New Jersey's First News with Eric Scott is the longest running news program in New Jersey. Eric Scott began hosting the program in 1991.

It airs live on New Jersey 101.5 each weekday morning from 5:30 - 6 a.m.

New Jersey's First News with Eric Scott is the winner of the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

Filed Under: New Jersey's First News with Eric Scott

Categories: New Jersey News

Oliver’s legacy of service — NJ Top News