New Jersey
Kathy Forsyth, Brendan Byrne's press secretary, dies at 73 – New Jersey Globe
Kathryn Forsyth, who served as press secretary to Gov. Brendan Byrne and as state director for U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, died on May 2. She was 73.
Forsyth had started in politics as an intern on Rep. Peter W. Rodino’s 1972 re-election campaign. She was a press assistant for Byrne’s 1973 gubernatorial campaign and she became deputy press secretary when Byrne took office as governor in January 1974.
She became press secretary in July 1977, succeeding Richard Campbell, while Byrne was an underdog in his re-election campaign. At age 26, she became the first woman to hold the post — and youngest press secretary to a New Jersey governor – a record she held until earlier this year when Gov. Phil Murphy named 25-year-old Natalie Hamilton.
Forsyth was among those who turned the lights off in the Byrne administration, departing in January 1982 after spending the entirety of Brendan Byrne’s tenure in the governor’s office.
In 1984, she joined the Assembly Democratic staff, and became communications director in 1986. Forsyth was the spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Joseph Doria in 1990 and 1991.
In 1991, she left Trenton to become Lautenberg’s top New Jersey aide.
After leaving Lautenberg’s office in 1995, she became the vice president of a New Jersey lobbying firm.
Forsyth returned to state government in 2004 as the public information officer for the New Jersey Department of Education. She remained there until Republican Chris Christie took office in 2010.
She is survived by her husband, Edward Liston, and her step-children and step-grandchildren.
A funeral mass will be held on May 8 at 10:30 at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church in West Orange. Visitation will be held on May 7 at Danger Funeral Home in West Orange.
New Jersey
Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper
An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
New Jersey
NJ casino workers continue push to end smoking loophole
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey casino workers, who are pushing to permanently ban smoking in their workplaces, held a rally in Trenton on Monday.
A hearing was held to discuss a lawsuit that aims to close the smoking loophole in the Garden State.
For years, casino workers have been pursuing protections against secondhand smoke in their workplaces.
RELATED | Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers
New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act largely bans indoor smoking, but casinos have a long-standing exemption.
The lawsuit filed last April by the United Auto Workers, which represents dealers at the Bally’s, Caesars and Tropicana casinos.
In August 2024, a judge ruled in favor of the casinos to allow smoking to continue.
“Casino workers are expected to clock in to work every day despite inevitably facing a toxic environment that could cause countless health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and asthma,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and the UAW on Monday.
“We’re asking the court to find the exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act unconstitutional and void it immediately. We hope this case will serve as a precedent for casinos across the country to close their smoking loopholes and stop poisoning their workers,” added Smith.
The casinos have warned that thousands of jobs and millions in gambling revenue and taxes could be lost if smoking was banned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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New Jersey
11-Vehicle Crash Closes Turnpike, College Student Abducted: NJ Weekend
A teenager was shot to death in Jersey City, a woman was killed in a fiery crash with a dump truck in Ocean County, and a man is in critical condition after an SUV hit him in a Princeton crosswalk.
Here are the headlines from the weekend in New Jersey you may have missed.
Teen Shot Dead In Jersey City Apartment, Prosecutor Says
A 16-year-old boy was found shot to death in Jersey City on Friday night, prosecutors said.
Woman Killed In Fiery Head-On Dump Truck Crash In Ocean County
A woman was killed Friday when her van hit a dump truck head-on in Jackson and burst into flames, Jackson police said.
Evelin Villanueva-Detejeda, 43, of Perth Amboy, was killed in the crash that happened about 2 p.m. on Toms River Road (Route 571) near Osprey Place, Sgt. Edward Travisano said.
Six people sustained minor injuries in the collision late Friday afternoon, according to State Police Tpr. Christopher Postorino.
Read more: 11-Vehicle Crash, Overturned Truck Shut Down Turnpike In South Jersey: Police
NJ College Student Abducted From Campus, Sexually Assaulted By Armed Man, Police Say
A Union County man is facing a slew of charges after kidnapping a woman, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Akram Elsayed, 28, of Roselle, has been arrested after an investigation found that he’d kidnapped a woman and handcuffed her to the door of a car, police said.
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