New Jersey
N.J. lawmakers could soon approve a bill designed to address the state’s EMT shortage
Paula Weiler, president of the EMS Council of New Jersey, said no matter the squad there are hundreds of hours of training, including mandatory recertification classes that service providers must take every three years. It involves a tremendous amount of work and dedication, she said.
“People are working, they have families, they’re going to school if they’re students, either high school or college, it’s not easy,” she said.
She stressed that becoming a certified EMT is hard, but there is “the satisfaction of bringing a baby into the world, the satisfaction of saving a life by reviving somebody who stopped breathing, or their heart stopped, with CPR.”
“You’re helping your community and it’s something people enjoy doing,” she said.
Noah Staashaught is a full-time member of the Hamilton Township Rescue Squad. The 21-year-old also works part-time for two other EMS companies. He said the measure is badly needed because it will help expand the number of EMS squads across the state.
“There’s been times where we’re understaffed, where we’re only able to put up two ambulances. Here in Hamilton Township we cover over 140 square miles, we’re constantly out on calls, it’s difficult to do,” he said.
He said other towns frequently have to pitch in and that creates a domino effect of squads stretched beyond capacity, which in turn causes burnout. “You can get burnt out on this job very quickly,” he said. “And it becomes an effort just to get up in the morning and come to work.”
He said individuals considering volunteering hear horror stories about personnel shortages.
“It causes people not to do this job anymore, to lose the passion and the love for it, and it all circles back to being short-staffed.”
Weiler said the EMT shortage in New Jersey was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, when many EMTs resigned. There is also a shortage of instructors.
New Jersey
For FIFA World Cup, New Jersey encourages towns to extend alcohol sales at bars, restaurants
New Jersey is trying to help bars and restaurants cash in on the FIFA World Cup by letting them sell more alcohol throughout the tournament.
Over a pint of Guinness at Mulligan’s Pub in Hoboken, Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Monday signed a proclamation encouraging municipalities to temporarily extend alcohol sales during matches.
“This is the first time I’ve signed a proclamation in a bar,” said Sherrill.
What could change?
The goal is to convince local leaders to let bars and restaurants open earlier or stay open later to align with the World Cup schedule across time zones.
Changes would vary from town to town, since the proclamation does not mandate any changes to local rules. It simply gives the option to adjust them during the 39-day event.
“It’s allowing businesses to really get some good economic impact from the World Cup,” said Sherrill.
Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour said she’s open to the idea.
“I think we’ll be taking this into consideration as a great option for us,” Jabbour said. “We’ve been actively working with our public safety departments to make sure that all of the logistics around World Cup are coordinated appropriately.”
Bar owner expects big crowds
Mulligan’s Pub owner Louis Jannuzzi said the business is expecting big crowds during the tournament.
“We’re expecting a lot of people to show up, but we’re going to make it the best place to go watch a game, other than going to the game itself I suppose,” Jannuzzi said.
Extended hours could be mean even bigger business for Mulligan’s and bars across the state.
The six-county region — Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic and Union — is home to 2.6 million residents, six major league teams and four NCAA Division I athletic programs that collectively drew 12.7 million in attendance during our study.
Home base: The region is home to sports business companies including: 16W Marketing; BetMGM; Goldklang Group; Mars Wrigley (U.S. operations); Prudential Financial; Samsung; Skanska; and ZRG Partners.
Over the past three years, MetLife Stadium (which will host eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, including the final), and Prudential Center (which added the PWHL Sirens to its busy roster) each reported record revenues, and Sports Illustrated Stadium snagged a new naming-rights deal and will be the official NY/NJ World Cup 26 Jersey Fan Hub.
Recent events and wins for the area include WrestleMania in 2019; the SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa in March; 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball East Regional; and Brazil’s base camp at the Red Bulls’ Columbia Park Training Center.
Previous Rankings
2023: #2 (with New York City)
2024 Event Hosting: #7 (with New York City)
2025 Soccer: #2 (with New York City)
A black bear was spotted in the area of Frederick Court in Princeton on Saturday night, according to an alert issued to residents. A bear was also spotted May 15 in the area of Heather Lane between Cherry Valley Road and Great Road. It is unclear whether the latest sighting is the same bear.
Residents are advised not to approach the bear and to remain indoors if they see it.
According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, black bears are common in parts of New Jersey, and they sometimes travel through residential neighborhoods as part of their natural movement patterns.
Residents should not leave food or garbage outdoors because bears can quickly become attracted to human food sources. Bears may eat garbage, pet food, birdseed, and other easily accessible items. Bears that gain access to food in residential neighborhoods may lose their fear of people and repeatedly return to the area. Some nuisance bears eventually must be trapped.
State wildlife officials urged residents in bear-prone areas to take precautions to reduce the chances of attracting bears.
Recommended precautions from the The information was provided by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife include:
- Use certified bear-resistant garbage containers.
- Store garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids.
- Keep garbage in a secure location until the morning of pickup.
- Do not feed bears.
- Do not approach bears.
- Do not run from bears because running may trigger a chase response.
- Avoid direct eye contact with bears.
- Remain calm and slowly back away if encountering a bear.
- Make noise by yelling, clapping, singing, or using an air horn.
- Make yourself appear larger by waving your arms or lifting a jacket overhead.
- Stay together if you are in a group.
- Make sure the bear has an escape route.
Officials also advised residents to watch for warning behaviors from bears, including huffing sounds, jaw popping, and swatting at the ground, which can indicate the animal feels threatened.
Bears may stand on their hind legs to get a better view or detect scents in the air, which is not always considered threatening behavior.
Residents can report black bear damage or nuisance behavior to the NJDEP’s 24-hour hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP, or 1-877-927-6337.
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