New Jersey
South Amboy police officers deliver baby. This week in Central Jersey history, Dec. 1-7
It was a first for South Amboy police Sgt. David Kales and patrolmen Mark Lewis and Paul Noble on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2000 when they helped deliver a baby.
Less than two minutes after arriving at a Washington Avenue home on the report of a woman in labor, Jeriel was born to Jennifer Llibre, with an assist by the three city cops.
Here’s a look at events that happened in Central Jersey from five, 10, 25, 50 and 100 years ago this week.
Five years ago
Dec. 3, 2020: It was reported Ray Cipperly Field at Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools’ East Brunswick campus had been named the 2020 Schools and Parks Baseball Field of the Year by the Sports Turf Managers Association, a nonprofit professional organization for men and women who manage sports fields worldwide.
Dec. 4: In a statement, it was announced Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and bill sponsors Sen. Nick Scutari and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano had reached a deal on bills that would establish a framework for a legal weed industry, setting up a key vote in the coming weeks.
Dec. 4: Six NJ hospitals ― Hackensack University Medical Center, Morristown Medical Center, University Hospital in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City and Cooper University Hospital in Camden ― were selected to receive the first COVID-19 vaccines, it was reported.
Dec. 4: It was reported Juan Hector Padilla, 29, of Bound Brook, was indicted in connection with a seven-alarm fire that damaged two apartment buildings under construction on West Main Street in Bound Brook in January 2020.
Dec. 7: Hillsborough had become a “Stigma-Free Community,” a campaign, an initiative of the Somerset County Department of Human Services, to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and create an environment where people feel free to seek support without fear of being stigmatized, it was reported.
Dec. 7: State officials said an unidentified resident at the Menlo Park veterans home died over the weekend from COVID-19 ― the first death at one of the state-run veterans homes in 180 days.
Dec. 7: It was reported celebrity chef David Burke would open Orchard Park, his fourth restaurant to open during the pandemic, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, at the Chateau Grande Hotel in East Brunswick.
10 years ago
Dec. 2, 2015: Appearing on ABC News’ “Good Morning America,” Gov. Chris Christie defended his hard-line opposition to relocating Syrian refugees to NJ and said former Gov. Thomas Kean ― his latest critic on the issue ― was all wrong.
Dec. 3: A day after 14 people were killed in a mass shooting in California, lawmakers failed to override Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of a gun-control bill by just three votes.
Dec. 3: The Westfield High School football team beat Bridgewater-Raritan, 10-7, in a sectional final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Dec. 5: George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic with TL Shider, Garden State Line, Midnight Mosaic and Underground Logic, performed at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville.
2000
Dec. 2, 2000: About 70 supporters of Texas Gov. George W. Bush rallied outside the Somerset County Courthouse in Somerville on behalf of his claim to the presidency.
Dec. 3: Two divorcing parents ― Jim Price of Raritan Borough and Jennifer Price of Clinton ― who were battling over the circumcision of their 3-year-old son, would appear on Monday, Dec. 4, 2000, in Superior Court in Somerville for a hearing ordered by the Supreme Court to determine whether the surgery should go forward, it was reported.
Dec. 6: In women’s college basketball, Rutgers University beat Virginia Tech, 61-53.
Dec. 7: It was reported Dave Keyes and his band, winners of the W.C. Handy National Blues Talent Search, would perform at Old Bay Restaurant in New Brunswick.
1975
Dec. 2, 1975: U.S. District Court Judge Frederick B. Lacey, sitting in Newark, issued the go-ahead for the planned public deer hunt scheduled for the next week in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Passaic Township.
Dec. 3: Many milk drivers continued on a “business as usual” basis in Middlesex and Somerset counties, in spite of a strike of 880 union drivers.
Dec. 4: Several homes in South Amboy were showered with kerosene after a United Airlines jet with 120 passengers on board jettisoned 40,000 gallons of fuel when an engine caught fire. The plane returned to Newark International Airport safely, with no injuries.
Dec. 5: In Elizabeth, Edward Nolan and Robert Madurski, defendants in a case involving the theft of $4 million worth of home heating oil from the Exxon Bayway Refinery in Linden, received suspended prison sentences and were fined $1,000 each.
Dec. 5-7: “Bye Bye Birdie” was presented at Middlesex County College Performing Arts Theater in Edison.
Dec. 6: In college basketball, Phil Sellers scored 36 points and Mike Dabney added 21 as Rutgers beat Seton Hall’s Pirates, 119-93, at Rutgers Gym in New Brunswick, setting a Rutgers Gym record for most points by one team.
1925
Dec. 2, 1925: In basketball, St. Peter’s Lyceum beat the Maroon and Gray quintet of South River, 36-27.
Dec. 2-3: The movie, “Thunder Mountain,” a dramatic story of the Blue Ridge Mountains, was shown at Reade’s Strand Theatre in Perth Amboy.
Dec. 4-5: The movie, “The Half Way Girl,” starring Doris Kenyon and Lloyd Hughes, was shown at Reade’s Strand Theatre in Perth Amboy.
Dec. 6: Fire of an unknown origin started in the south wing of Winants Hall on the Queens Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, for the second time within a month. Students helped firemen fight the fire.
Dec. 6: The New Brunswick Soccer Club won the first half championship in the Capital City Soccer League at Buccleuch Park in New Brunswick by beating the Highlanders of Trenton, 3-1.
Brad Wadlow is a staff writer for MyCentralJersey.com
New Jersey
Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for Dec. 24, 2025
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Powerball winning numbers are in for the Wednesday, Dec. 24 drawing with a jackpot that reached an estimated $1.7 billion ($781.3 million cash option).
The winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing are 4, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with Powerball number 19. The Power Play number is 2.
Did anyone win the Powerball jackpot?
No one won the Powerball jackpot.
When is the next drawing of the Powerball?
The next Powerball drawing is Saturday. Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
How late can you buy a Powerball ticket?
In New Jersey, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 9:59 p.m. on the night of the draw.
What does it cost to play Powerball?
Powerball costs $2 to play. For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply nonjackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times.
Are you a Powerball winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All New Jersey Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.99. For prizes over $599.99, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at New Jersey Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to New Jersey Lottery, Attn: Validations, PO Box 041, Trenton, NJ 08625-0041.
Winners can drop off their claim form and winning ticket in person at the New Jersey Lottery office where a secure drop box is available. Claim forms are also available at the office. Hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Lawrence Park Complex, 1333 Brunswick Avenue Circle, Trenton, NJ 08648.
To find a lottery retalier, you can search the NJ lotto website.
What is the Powerball payout?
The complete guide to winnings is:
- Match 5 White Balls + Powerball: Jackpot
- Match 5 White Balls: $1 million
- Match 4 White Balls + Powerball: $50,000
- Match 4 White Balls: $100
- Match 3 White Balls + Powerball: $100
- Match 3 White Balls: $7
- Match 2 White Balls + Powerball: $7
- Match 1 White Ball + Powerball: $4
- Match Powerball: $4
- Match 5 White Balls with Power Play: $2 million
- Match 4 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $200,000
- Match 4 White Balls with Power Play: $400
- Match 3 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $400
- Match 3 White Balls with Power Play: $28
- Match 2 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $28
- Match 1 White Ball + Powerball with Power Play: $16
- Match Powerball with Power Play: $16
What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
The overall odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.
How do I find the Powerball winning numbers?
Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Drawings are also lived streamed on Powerball.com. The winning numbers are posted to the Powerball and New Jersey Lottery websites.
New Jersey
Love at first slice! Dough-kneading dream girl goes viral tossing pizzas at NJ eatery
She’s hotter than a brick oven right now.
A New Jersey pizza slinger with model-worthy good looks is going viral while tossing dough at her family restaurant — with more than 1.5 million followers lining up to watch videos of her smoke show.
Julia Molinari, 21, who goes by Jumo, posts footage of herself cooking everything from classic caprese to artichoke-topped pies as she banters with her uncle and other workers at Molinari’s Restaurant in Neptune City.
“The Italian-American pizza maker and influencer known as Jumo from Molinari Pizzeria in New Jersey can literally compete with Sydney Sweeney!” @mamboitaliano__ wrote on X.
“Her popularity is skyrocketing and so are her pizzas!”
Another fan gushed, “Jumo’s got sauce and not just on the pizza.”
A recent video shows the dough-kneading dream girl making a pizza with “house dressing on top” — as she flips her waist-length hair.
“Tomatoes from the family garden,” she says, adding the topping.
“You know what’s funny? It’s November in Jersey, and we’re still getting tomatoes,” she says while standing next to an industrial oven in the eatery’s kitchen.
She then tastes a slice and calls it “a winner.”
But plenty of pizza buffs cringed at the thought of a long, loose hair ending up in their mouths.
“Tie your hair back if you are in the kitchen,” a viewer scolded — as another quipped, “There is seventeen feet of hair in that pie.”
A third person added, “Who makes pizza while wearing rings or has her hair loose??
“I don’t buy my pizza because of how the cook looks, I only buy pizza by the taste!”
But any way you slice it, Molinari is fun to watch, fans said.
“Bro, Jumo is straight fire. Way hotter than Sydney Sweeney imo, and those pizzas look insane,” a viewer wrote.
New Jersey
N.J. congresswoman charged in ICE jail melee returns to the facility after detainee’s death
U.S. Rep. Lamonica McIver returned to the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center in Newark on Tuesday for the first time since May, when an encounter with a federal agent resulted in criminal charges against her that are still pending in federal court.
McIver’s return was for a congressional oversight visit two days before Christmas and 11 days after detainee Jean Wilson Brutus died on Dec. 12, the day he arrived at Delaney Hall.
“It is very traumatic to be back here, personally,” McIver, D-10th Dist., told news crews during a press conference, when she offered her condolences to Brutus’ family. “But I had to put aside my traumatic experience here, and come back here and represent for them what is happening inside of this awful detention center.”
In a Dec. 18 announcement of Brutus’ death, ICE said the 41-year-old Haitian immigrant had died from what the agency said were “suspected natural causes.”
ICE said its officers arrested Brutus on Dec. 11 on criminal mischief charges. Local police had arrested him four times previously and released him each time. He initially entered the United States illegally through the port of Hidalgo, Texas, on June 20, 2023.
The case is being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, a kind of internal affairs bureau within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, said U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, D-8th District, who was with McIver on Tuesday and during the May 9 oversight visit.
They are among members of Congress demanding information on Brutus.
The charges against McIver stem from her May 9 attempt to shield Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka from arrest by a federal officer just outside Delaney Hall’s barbed wire security fence. Charges of assaulting and impeding a federal officer are pending against her in U.S. District Court.
The two were joined Tuesday by another House Democrat, U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus.
Menendez said the State of New Jersey would conduct an autopsy on Brutus, though the congressman did not know how long the OPR investigation would last or when the autopsy would be performed.
The City of Newark’s top lawyer, Corporation Counsel Kenyatta Stewart, offered his condolences to the Brutus family on behalf of Baraka, who was traveling on Tuesday.
Stewart said the city expected a thorough investigation into the death, and criticized ICE for being less transparent about the people it held than officials of the Essex County Detention Center are about the criminal suspects they hold in the big jail right next door.
McIver said she was traumatized by the events surrounding Baraka’s arrest, but that whatever she suffered was nothing compared to what the families of Brutus and other detainees were going through.
McIver and her House colleagues said detainees complained of dehumanizing conditions including bad food served at odd and restricted hours; overcrowding and inadequate medical attention, a particular concern in the wake of Brutus’ death.
The House members noted that Brutus was one of four ICE detainees to die in a four-day period this month.
Spokespeople for ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Several members of the Brutus family appeared outside Delaney Hall on Tuesday, though they declined to talk to reporters.
One of their lawyers, Oliver Barry, said the family had received little information on what had happened. But he said the family was heartened by the concern they saw outside Delaney Hall on Tuesday, when immigrant rights advocates from Pax Christi, Eyes on Ice and other groups were demonstrating.
“They are glad that there are so many people in the community who are taking this matter very seriously and coming out to show respect for their loved one who is no longer with us,” Barry said of the family.
His co-counsel is Joseph Champagne Jr., a former mayor of South Toms River who in 2010 became one of New Jersey’s first Haitian-American elected officials.
The House members said several detainees told of being taken into custody by ICE after emerging from asylum hearings or otherwise complying with the legal immigration process. They also said others recounted being arrested at their jobs or other habitual locations despite having visas or working papers.
“These people are not criminals,” said Menendez, a vice chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “These people have been part of our community for decades.”
Menendez put the number of Delaney Hall detainees at 952, close to the 1,000 capacity under a 15-year, $1 billion contract between its private owner and operator, the GEO Group of Boca Raton, Florida, and ICE.
GEO did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
The House members said some detainees told them they had been waiting for months even after agreeing to be deported.
Clarke said the mass incarceration of immigrants was motivated by greed, and likened the repeated transfer of prisoners to human trafficking.
“I was searching my heart as I drove from Brooklyn, and I thought about the fact that this is the holiday season,” Clarke said. “They were showing up for their asylum hearings. They had viable cases within immigration courts, only to be kidnapped and trafficked across the country.”
And it’s all at taxpayers expense, Clarke said.
“Many of them have been circulating throughout the private prison system around this country, and brought back,” Clarke said of detainees. “How could that be?”
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