New Jersey
Drone sightings now reported above South Jersey towns, too. Police are investigating
Add several municipalities in South Jersey to the list of places in the state where people claim they have seen drones flying in the sky at night.
Evesham Township, Burlington County, received reports about drone activity on Thursday, and Walt Miller, the town’s police chief, on Friday said there have been similar reports in the neighboring towns of Mount Laurel and Medford – also in Burlington County – and Cherry Hill, Camden County, CBS3 reported.
MORE: Developer buys two ‘Batman’ rides for proposed hotel at Wonderland Pier site in Ocean City
“It is a concern amongst the community,” a public information officer for Evesham Township Police told PhillyVoice on Friday. “It was an ongoing issue yesterday.”
The police departments in the other municipalities have not addressed reports of drone activity, and they could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
New Jersey residents and officials have reported a number of unusual aircraft sightings, but until Thursday they had all been in the skies above counties in North Jersey. The first occurred last month.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office reported that police had spotted the aircraft while on patrol in various parts of the county on Nov. 18. Other sightings of drones flying in clusters have since been reported in parts of Somerset, Warren and Sussex counties, NorthJersey.com reported Thursday.
The FBI has been investigating the New Jersey incidents for several weeks, officials said, and Evesham police said in a Facebook post that they are collaborating with state and federal authorities “to identify the drone operators and understand the purpose of this activity.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he met Wednesday with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other law enforcement officials to discuss the drone activity.“We are actively monitoring the situation and in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners on this matter,” Murphy said.
Officials have not confirmed whether all sightings were drones or another kind of aircraft, and they said there is no known threat to public safety from the aircraft.
The FBI’s office in Newark, New Jersey, said in a statement on Tuesday it is collecting information on reports from areas along the 70-mile-long Raritan River in North Jersey.
“Witnesses have spotted the cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft,” the FBI said. “We have reports from the public and law enforcement dating back several weeks.”
Clusters of suspected drones have been spotted above and near locations including Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility in Morris County, and President-elect Donald Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, Somerset County. The Federal Aviation Administration responded by imposing drone flight restrictions in those areas in recent weeks.
Witnesses who spoke with news outlets described the drones as being larger than the typical consumer aircraft flown by hobbyists, who are required to obtain a remote pilot certificate and a license from the FAA to fly drones. Videos of the aircraft have circulated on social media in recent weeks.
“We saw one right up above us that was the size of our car.”
Mysterious drones have been spotted hovering over neighborhoods in New Jersey, leaving residents confused and concerned. The FBI is investigating and local police say there’s no known threat to public safety. pic.twitter.com/iVussv4Q8D
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 4, 2024
The FAA acknowledged the investigation and flight restrictions on Friday, but did not comment on drone sightings in South Jersey.
“We look into all reports of unauthorized drone operations and investigate when appropriate,” FAA spokesperson Cassandra Nolan said in an email Friday.
Drone pilots who operate their aircraft unsafely face fines of as much as $75,000 and the suspension or revocation of their operators’ certificates, Nolan said.
The presence of the drones has raised questions about the possibility of military involvement, including activity by foreign adversaries.
In February of last year, the U.S. Air Force shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina after it had been observed flying in parts of the U.S. The balloon had been connected to an American internet service provider to send and receive communications in China, U.S. intelligence officials later determined.
Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker, who served under former President George W. Bush, called the drones above New Jersey “perplexing” during an interview on Fox News on Friday.
“I think it’s mainly a counterintelligence issue that needs to be resolved, first and foremost,” Swecker said. “There’s a military arsenal there where a considerable amount of research takes place on small arms and explosives. It’s a very important army facility. We know how aggressive the Chinese have been over the last few years with the balloons, so I’m interested in hearing more about these drones and why they’re not doing something to stop it.”
The FBI’s Newark Office said it is working with New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. State police declined to comment on the investigation and referred questions to the FBI.
Evesham Police said anyone with information about the drones seen in South Jersey can contact the department’s confidential tip line at 856-983-4699. The FBI directed anyone with information to call the agency at 800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
New Jersey
NJ fines Sen. Wimberly $24K after use of donations for hotels, airfare
2-minute read
NJ fines Sen. Wimberly $24K after using donations on hotels, airfare
Wimberly has been fined about $24,000 by New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission, partly for spending campaign funds on his own personal use.
PATERSON — In a three-month span at the end of 2022, state Sen. Benjie Wimberly, then an assemblyman, spent more than $7,200 in political donations on hotel bills, airfare and other travel expenses.
Now, Wimberly has been fined about $24,000 by New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission, partly for spending campaign funds on his own personal use.
The ELEC complaint against Wimberly had been pending since December 2024, and a settlement between the state and the senator was reached at the end of May 2026. ELEC made details of the deal public on July 1.
“Senator Wimberly chose to settle the matter with ELEC because his priority is addressing the immediate and important needs of his district,” said his attorney, Angelo Genova, a prominent and well-connected lawyer in New Jersey political circles.
Story continues below photo gallery.
“As expressly stated in the Consent Order and Final Decision, Senator Wimberly and his treasurer neither admit nor deny the violations, and they maintain their good-faith belief that the disputed expenditures were permissible under the law,” Genova added.
Wimberly’s campaign treasurer, David Cozart, works as an assistant superintendent for Paterson Public Schools, with a $213,000 salary. Wimberly also works for the city school district as director of recreation, with a $194,000 salary.
The commission determined that 19 of Wimberly’s expenditures at the end of 2022, when he was still an Assembly member, were for impermissible uses. The order said $10,861 of the fine stemmed from Wimberly’s improper use of political funds. The rest of the penalty was for late filing of a finance report that covered October through December of 2022.
Among the expenditures highlighted by ELEC were:
- $645 to the Hilton Garden Inn Lodge Colonial on Oct. 11, 2022.
- $751 to the Embassy Suites Hampton on Oct. 25, 2022.
- $497 to the Landing at Hampton on Nov. 8, 2022.
- $322 to the Hilton Garden Inn on Dec. 6, 2022.
- $378 to the Omni Hotels on Dec. 14, 2022.
The ELEC complaint did not provide specific locations of those businesses.
Partial payment of $4,000 in April
The order said Wimberly and Cozart made a partial payment of $4,000 in April 2026. The election commission also reduced the penalty, lowering it to $15,335.
Going forward, Cozart and Wimberly would make four payments of $3,833.99 through April 2027, the order said.
Wimberly supporters noted that the original complaint filed against him came at the end of 2024, when he was still an Assembly member making a bid for the vacant New Jersey 35th District Senate seat left vacant when Nellie Pou went to Congress.
Wimberly sought the Senate seat even though several Passaic County Democratic party leaders were backing then-Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter for the Senate. After the initial tally ended in a tie, Wimberly won the internal party election by one vote over Sumter.
New Jersey
Heat wave to bring near 100 degree weather. When does NJ heat wave start
Governor Mikie Sherrill at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Ocean Township after collapse
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill meets with first responders before a press conference at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Ocean Township.
Last week wasn’t a great one when it comes to weather at the Jersey Shore.
This one will be much better, at least if you like heat.
A heat wave will hit New Jersey this week with hot weather moving into the area on Tuesday. The warm temperatures will stick around for most of the week before we get a little relief by the end of the weekend.
The National Weather Service forecasts the heat wave to start July 14 with a sunny day with highs around 92 degrees. Wednesday is even hotter with temperatures expected to flirt with 100 degrees. Thursday stays hot with a high of 92 degrees forecasted, with Friday and Saturday also expected to see highs in the low 80s.
According to the NOAA, Wednesday the Jersey Shore area will be under an extreme heat watch.
Tuesday through Friday are expected to be sunny, with some clouds. Saturday is when showers roll in.
Sunday the heatwave is expected to break. Showers are also expected to stick around with a high of 84 degrees expected.
New Jersey
New NJ businesses include non-alcoholic liquor store, art school
2-minute read
Paper Plane Coffee adding a new Maplewood NJ location
Paper Plane Coffee, the popular Montclair spot, will open a Maplewood location.
The Record, NorthJersey.com, the Daily Record and the New Jersey Herald want to keep you up to date on all the newest shops, restaurants and service providers moving into your towns. Below is a roundup of businesses that recently opened or are coming soon.
Are you opening a business in North Jersey? Get the word out to your neighbors as soon as possible. Send us your information and photos and we will try to add them to our next new-business roundup.
We’re also interested in reporting business closings. Have a tip? Contact Business Reporter Daniel Munoz at munozd@northjersey.com, or 201-270-9870, and Stephanie Noda at noda@northjersey.com, or 973-558-0950.
Story continues below photo gallery
Cre8sArt School, Westwood
Arts education classes for students of all ages and levels, including year-round classes, camps, workshops and portfolio development programs.
WHERE: 24 Booker St., Westwood
WHEN: Grand opening was June 14. Hours are 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 888-371-9904 or visit https://cre8sart.com/
Point 5 Jersey, Morristown
Liquor store dedicated to non-alcoholic drinks, from mixers to specialty beverages.
WHERE: 48 Washington St., Morristown
WHEN: Grand opening was June 17.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 862-286-0555, email point5jersey@gmail.com or visit www.point5jersey.com
Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.
Email: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100, Facebook and Instagram
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