New Jersey

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

Published

2 years 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

NJ fines Sen. Wimberly $24K after use of donations for hotels, airfare

Published

3 hours ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

NJ fines Sen. Wimberly K after use of donations for hotels, airfare

2-minute read

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.

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“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.

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New Jersey

Heat wave to bring near 100 degree weather. When does NJ heat wave start

Published

15 hours ago

July 13, 2026

Press Room

Heat wave to bring near 100 degree weather. When does NJ heat wave start

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.

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New Jersey

New NJ businesses include non-alcoholic liquor store, art school

Published

1 day ago

July 13, 2026

Press Room

New NJ businesses include non-alcoholic liquor store, art school

2-minute read

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.

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