Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Wednesday:

⬛ Warning: NJ mowers could be part of latest nationwide recall

MOWER RECALL
Canva/Townsquare Media Illustration
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While the mower isn’t being used this winter, take a good look at the one in your garage to see if it’s part of the latest recall issued by Kawasaki Motors USA.

John Deere ZTrak™ Zero Turn Mowers with Kawasaki engines are the subject of this nationwide recall, which concerns about 39,000 products.

“The voltage regulator in the mower’s engine can fail during use or while the product is being stored, causing the engine to overheat, posing fire and burn hazards,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s notice says.

⬛ Gaudreau suspect pleads not guilty to homicide charges

FILE - Sean M. Higgins, the driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road, appears at the county courthouse in Salem, N.J., Nov. 12, 2024(AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
FILE - Sean M. Higgins, the driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road, appears at the county courthouse in Salem, N.J., Nov. 12, 2024(AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they cycled on a rural New Jersey road pleaded not guilty to the indictment Tuesday after turning down a prosecution offer of 35 years in prison.

Sean M. Higgins, 44, appeared briefly in court in Salem County, New Jersey, and entered a formal plea to the recent indictment in the Aug. 29 deaths. The case will now move toward trial.

⬛ 4 invade home in Caldwell for luxury car key fob, resident says

Ring phone, Caldwell police shield
Ring phone (ABC 7 Eyewitness News via YouTube), Caldwell police shield (Caldwell police)
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CALDWELL — A homeowner was startled awake by a loud noise Sunday morning to find four masked individuals in the house.

Caldwell police told ABC 7 Eyewitness News that a group entered a home on Birkendene Road around 5:30 a.m. When they couldn't get in the house through the doors one of the individuals pried open a window with a crowbar to climb inside and let the other three inside through a door.

⬛ Driver in rich NJ town gets shot at after stopping to help

Sketch shows likeness of the man who fired shots at a driver in Tewsksbury 9/20/24
Sketch shows likeness of the man who fired shots at a driver in Tewsksbury 9/20/24 (Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office)
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A reward is being offered for information about whoever shot at a good Samaritan in broad daylight.

Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson said a driver was flagged down by two men on Sept. 20 around 11 a.m. on Guinea Hollow Road in Tewksbury. After the driver stopped and got out to help, one of the men shot at the driver's vehicle.

The driver, whose identity was not disclosed, drove off.

⬛ How much?! Verizon settlement payments anger customers

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Many New Jersey Verizon customers are fuming after getting the first round of settlement payments.

Verizon agreed to a $100 million dollar settlement over "unfair and deceptive" administrative fees for post-paid wireless plans.

At the time, it was believed customers could be eligible for payments up to $100 dollars.

Now that the first payments are being deposited into customer bank accounts, customers are receiving far less than expected.

Cough, cough: NJ's favorite lost voice and sore throat remedies

Gallery Credit: Dan Zarrow

21 fastest shrinking towns in New Jersey

These 21 towns saw the biggest population decreases last decades. These figures are based on U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2012 and 2021

Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5

12 rules to live by in New Jersey

Gallery Credit: Dennis Malloy

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

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.

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

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