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6 protesters arrested in Ocean City as onshore testing work for New Jersey wind farm begins

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6 protesters arrested in Ocean City as onshore testing work for New Jersey wind farm begins


OCEAN CITY, New Jersey — Police arrested six protesters Tuesday who tried to disrupt the start of land-based testing for New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm. But the work progressed anyway.

Police in Ocean City, which has become the hub of resistance to offshore wind projects in New Jersey and elsewhere along the U.S. East Coast, arrested demonstrators after the city said they failed to heed four warnings to get out of the roadway.

“There were three people lying in the street,” said Robin Shaffer, a spokesman for Protect Our Coast NJ, a residents’ group opposed to the local project and to offshore wind in general.

Each of the protesters, none of whom lived in Ocean City, was charged with failure to disperse and obstruction of public pathways, city spokesman Doug Bergen said.

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A worker uses an industrial cutting machine to open a section of the street in Ocean City, N.J. on Sept. 12, 2023, as onshore testing work for New Jersey wind farm begins.

(AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

Mayor Jay Gillian, himself an opponent of the wind farm project, said he wishes police did not have to arrest anyone, but added, “This is how democracy works. I understand their passion.”

Orsted, the Danish wind energy developer, began onshore testing work Tuesday morning to investigate the proposed route for its power cable connecting the offshore wind turbines with the electrical grid several miles away at the site of a former coal-fired power plant in Upper Township.

The work involved cutting holes into roadways, checking on the location of existing utilities and doing soil and groundwater sampling for the project, called Ocean Wind I, the company said.

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“Ocean Wind I continues to progress with today’s commencement of in-road site investigation in Ocean City,” spokesman Tom Suthard said. “We respect the public’s right to peacefully protest. However, the health and safety of the workers and members of the local community is our top priority. We appreciate the support of local law enforcement who work every day to keep our communities safe.”

Orsted has approval from the federal government to build Ocean Wind I, which would put 98 wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City and Atlantic City, generating enough electricity to power 500,000 homes. It also has state approval for a second project, Ocean Wind II, although that project needs numerous additional approvals before it can begin construction.

The company said it still has not made the final decision on whether to proceed with the projects, which it said are costing more and taking longer than anticipated. But protesters promised to keep up the pressure on the company.

“This testing today only proves that Orsted is continuing with the project, and we are going to continue to fight in court and in the streets if we have to,” said Shaffer, a spokesman for opponents and a member of Ocean City’s Board of Education.

The group, along with other similar organizations, oppose offshore wind, claiming it will harm the environment, cost vastly more than anticipated, and ruin views of an unobstructed ocean horizon, potentially damaging tourism.

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The wind industry says the turbines won’t always be visible from shore, depending on weather conditions. It says its companies take extensive measures to comply with environmental regulations.



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New Jersey

Renewed wildfire escapes containment and prompts evacuation near New York-New Jersey border

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Renewed wildfire escapes containment and prompts evacuation near New York-New Jersey border


Windy conditions renewed a wildfire that escaped a containtment line and prompted emergency officials to enact a voluntary evacation plan for a small number of houses in a community near the New York-New Jersey border on Saturday.

The voluntary evacuation enacted out of “an abundance of caution” impacted about 165 houses in Warwick, New York, as firefighters continued working to tame the Jennings Creek blaze, New York Parks Department spokesman Jeff Wernick said in an email Saturday night.

On Friday, the wildfire was 90% contained on the Passaic County, New Jersey, side of the border, and about 70% contained in Orange County, New York, officials said.

The wildfire had burned 7 1/2 square miles (19.4 square kilometers) across the two states as of Friday, although New York officials said that number was likely to increase as stronger winds were forecast for the weekend.

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On Saturday, Wernick said New York Army National Guard helicopters dropped 21,000 gallons (79,493 liters) of water and a New York State Police helicopter dropped nearly 900 gallons (3,406 liters).

The fire was burning primarily in Sterling Forest State Park, where the visitor center, the lakefront area at Greenwood Lake and historic furnace area remained open but woodland activities including hunting were halted, Wernick said, noting residences around the lake have not been impacted.

A National Weather Service forecast for Warwick did not call for rain until Wednesday night. Firefighters previously said they will remain on the scene until significant rainfall occurs.

The blaze claimed the life of an 18-year-old New York parks employee who died when a tree fell on him as he helped fight the fire in Sterling Forest on Nov. 9.

The fire’s cause remains under investigation.

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Democratic US Rep. Josh Gottheimer announces run for New Jersey governor

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Democratic US Rep. Josh Gottheimer announces run for New Jersey governor


NEW JERSEY — Democratic U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey launched a long-expected campaign for governor Friday, pledging to make the state more affordable.

Gottheimer’s announcement comes just over week after he won reelection for a fourth term in the House in his northern New Jersey district, and he joins an already crowded field for the Democratic nomination in next year’s gubernatorial contest.

He announced his run at a diner in populous suburban Bergen County, which he partly represents. Acknowledging the state’s heavy tax burden and reflecting some of the themes that played out in the recent White House race, Gottheimer pinned his campaign to bringing down prices.

“I am running to be the lower taxes, lower costs governor,” he said. “Life in Jersey has become too damn expensive.”

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Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s second term expires after next year’s election, and he is barred by term limits from running again.

Also seeking the Democratic nomination to be governor are Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, teachers union president Sean Spiller and former Senate President Steve Sweeney.

Republicans are also lining up to run. Among them are state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former state legislator Jack Ciattarelli, former state Sen. Ed Durr and radio host Bill Spadea.

Gottheimer, a former speechwriter for Bill Clinton and adviser to the head of the Federal Communications Commission, toppled conservative Republican Rep. Scott Garrett in 2016. He has since become known as a more moderate member of Congress, co-chairing the Problem Solvers Caucus with Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania. He is also known as a prolific campaign fundraiser.

If Gottheimer has to resign his House seat, state law calls for the governor to call a special election to fill the vacancy if the seat opens up 70 days before the election.

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New Jersey and Virginia are the only states with races for governor next year.

Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.



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MTA worker wins $1 million Powerball payday — and she doesn't care who knows it

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MTA worker wins  million Powerball payday — and she doesn't care who knows it


A New Jersey woman just entered the millionaire club.

The state’s lottery program announced that Stacey Fiore, an MTA supervisor stationed on Staten Island, won the Powerball prize last weekend.

Fiore plays the Mega Millions and Powerball lotteries weekly, according to lottery officials.

She ran into her local Quick Stop last Saturday and pulled a quick pick, which turned out to the payday she had long been hoping for.

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“I checked the numbers on Monday on the (Lottery’s phone app),” Fiore told the state lottery. “It said ‘Congratulations. You won a million dollars.’”

The winning numbers were 11, 24, 50, 56, and 66.

Fiore was missing the Powerball number, though, keeping her from the big jackpot.

The Barnegat woman has been spreading the good news. She said she does not care about remaining anonymous.

“I went to the bank and asked to speak to the manager. I said ‘You know somebody won $1 million here in town? Well, that’s me!’” Fiore said.

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What are her big plans for the money? Fiore is considering a nice vacation with her husband.

Like many others, the MTA supervisor joked to her colleagues about not returning to work if she wins big. Jokes aside, Fiore was back at work this week on Staten Island.



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