New Jersey

A New Jersey dad reflects on his sobriety journey and getting through the holidays

Published

1 year ago

November 27, 2024

A New Jersey dad reflects on his sobriety journey and getting through the holidays

The holiday season brings a lot of celebration and joy, but it can also be triggering for people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Experts say there are steps you can take to ease the pressure, not just for those in recovery but for family and friends who want to be supportive.

Jared Dotts, a South Jersey native, said he spent a decade in and out of rehab for his drug and alcohol addictions. He said the birth of his son three years ago was his ultimate wake-up call, and now he’s two-and-a-half years sober.

“I just believed in myself for once and gave it a shot, and here I am,” Dotts said.

Dotts says his recovery is a never-ending journey and the holiday season can feel like an uphill battle. Everything from social gatherings to stress can be overwhelming.

“Coming into recovery early on and trying to mend those relationships that we’ve caused so much damage to and you know be around family and just try to show up now, it becomes a little difficult because not only are we trying to maintain our own recovery and our own sobriety, but we’re just trying to learn how to live a normal life too,” Dotts said.

Colleen Snow, the Alcohol and Drug Director with the Camden County Health Department, encourages her staff to do extra check-ins and follow-ups this time of year. Snow says mentally preparing for the holidays and setting realistic expectations can help people, no matter what stage of recovery.

“Be open and really do some mindfulness and self-reflection to see where you’re at and what you can really handle and not handle,” Snow said.

Loved ones can also help by being understanding if someone can’t attend an event or leaves early from a gathering, she said.

“It’s about them and their safety and how they’re handling their life situation right now,” Snow said.

For Dotts, it’s all about connecting with others in the recovery community and being self-aware in social situations.

The National Institutes of Health estimates that roughly 29 million Americans had what they call “alcohol use disorder” in 2023. Some addiction counselors say reaching out to your county health department is a great option to find local, affordable treatment.

Liz Crawford

Liz Crawford, a Jersey native, is thrilled to join CBS News Philadelphia, returning to her roots to share community stories and hold the powerful accountable. Liz brings a passion for storytelling and a deep connection to the communities she serves.

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New Jersey

Who is running for U.S. House, Senate in New Jersey? Here’s the list

Published

10 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Who is running for U.S. House, Senate in New Jersey? Here’s the list

While this fall’s midterm election may still feel like ages away, the process has already started for potential candidates.

March 23 was the filing deadline for politically affiliated folks to get on the ballot in this June’s primary election – the stepping stone for November.

All 12 seats representing New Jersey in the House are on the ballot as well as one seat in the U.S. Senate.

The heated contest to succeed Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman in District 12 is going to draw much of the attention this spring.

There are more contested races as well, though only three involving incumbents.

Here’s a breakdown of who is running to represent the Garden State in Washington this year, according to the unofficial list made available by the state’s Division of Elections.

U.S. Senate

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker is running for his fourth term. He won’t face any opposition this spring. The Republicans running for a chance to represent their party this fall are Richard Tabor, Justin Murphy, Alex Zdan and Robert Lebovics.

Congressional District 1

Democratic Rep. Donald Norcross is running unopposed in the primary. Republican Damon Galdo will also run unopposed.

Congressional District 2

Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew is running unopposed in the primary. There are four Democrats running, Tim Alexander, Terri Reese, Zack Mullock and Bayly Winder.

Congressional District 3

Democratic Rep. Herb Conaway is running unopposed in the primary. Three Republicans will face off to represent their party. They are Justin Barbera, Jason Culler and Michael McGuire.

Congressional District 4

Republican Rep. Chris Smith is running unopposed in the primary. Two Democrats, John Blake and Rachel Peace, will face off in their party’s primary.

Congressional District 5

Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer is running unopposed in the primary. Republicans Sean Kirrane and John Aslanian will square off to represent their party.

The story continues below the gallery.

Congressional District 6

There are three challengers running against Rep. Frank Pallone in the Democratic primary. They are Katie Bansil, Hillary Herzig and John Hsu.

Congressional District 7

Republican Rep. Tom Kean is running unopposed in the primary. There are four Democrats squaring off to run against him this fall. They are Rebecca Bennett, Michael Roth, Tina Shah and Brian Varela.

Congressional District 8

For the Democrats, Rep. Rob Menendez will face off against Mussab Ali, a former Jersey City school board member.

Congressional District 9

Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou is running unopposed in the primary. Republicans Tiffany Burress and Rosie Pino will square off in their primary.

Congressional District 10

Rep. LaMonica McIver is facing one challenger in the Democratic primary, Lawrence Poster. Carmen Bucco is running unopposed for the Republicans.

Congressional District 11

The story continues below the gallery.

This seat is currently vacant after Gov. Mikie Sherrill resigned to run the state. Democrat Analilia Mejia won a special primary in February and is on the ballot for a special election in April to fill her seat. Mejia is running in the primary in June against Justin Strickland, Donald Cresitello and Joseph Lewis. Republican Joe Hathaway, who is also on the ballot in April, is running unopposed in the June primary.

Congressional District 12

There are 13 people running in the Democratic primary to fill the seat being left by Bonnie Watson Coleman, who announced earlier this year that she would retire at the end of her term.

They are Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Brad Cohen, Squire Servance, Samuel Wang, Sue Altman, Sujit Singh, Adrian Mapp, Adam Hamawy, Elijah Dixon, Kyle Little, Jay Vaingankar, Matt Adams, Shanel Robinson and Gregg Mele.

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New Jersey

Siegenthaler | POST-RAW 3.28.26 | New Jersey Devils

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22 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Siegenthaler | POST-RAW 3.28.26 | New Jersey Devils

NewJerseyDevils.com is the official web site of the New Jersey Devils, a member team of the National Hockey League (“NHL”). NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2025 New Jersey Devils and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

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New Jersey

Monmouth County hospital among World’s Best Hospitals for 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Monmouth County hospital among World’s Best Hospitals for 2026

Hospitals are an important need in the world.

And finding a facility with high-quality medical care that’s reliable is also important.

Newsweek, the premier news magazine and website, has partnered with Statista to release a dependable guidance list of the World’s Best Hospitals – United States for 2026.

In it’s eight year, these ranking highlights the leading hospitals around the globe so readers can find information tailored to their needs and location the report stated.

Each hospital was reviewed and given a score based on four data sources: recommendations from medical experts; hospital quality metrics, existing patient experience data and Statista’s Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Implementation Survey.

In typical New Jersey fashion, the Garden State makes the list among the 2,500 hospitals that were evaluated this year.

Nine hospitals from the Garden State made the list with one representing Monmouth County. With an overall score of 61.79% and the Infection Prevention Award, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch made the top 9 list for roster in World’s Best Hospitals 2026 from Newsweek.

World’s Best Hospitals 2026 in New Jersey

No. 53: Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center in Morristown; overall score: 70.74%
No. 56: Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack; overall score: 70.07%
No. 134: The Valley Hospital in Paramus; overall score: 65.36%
No. 186: Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center in Summit; overall score: 64.42%
No. 254: Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood; overall score: 63.13%
No. 320: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick; overall score: 62.26%
No. 364: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark; overall score: 61.82%
No. 366: Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro; overall score: 61.80%
No. 367: Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch; overall score: 61.79%

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