New Jersey
Chris Christie says he saw drones above his home amid reports of strange lights in NJ, other states
‘Nobody knew anything’: Residents in the dark about mystery drones
Eyewitnesses in New Jersey and New York are seeing flying drones, some they say are the size of a school bus.
Add former Gov. Chris Christie to the list of New Jersey residents reporting mysterious “drone” sightings outside of their homes.
As reports of strange lights seen in the sky in New Jersey and other Northeast states have sparked questions and concerns across the country, Christie said during an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” he believes he saw a drone outside his own home last week.
“That was a drone over my house, and I’ve never seen anything like that before and I’ve been living at that house for 30 years,” Christie said.
The sightings have raised concerns about potential public safety threats, with Christie and others saying more needs to be done to investigate. Christie said he wants the state police to have authority to “bring those drones down and find out why they’re doing what they’re doing.”
“You can see why people are concerned, and it’s a lack of communication from the government at the federal and state level that’s at fault here,” Christie said.
Federal authorities have tried to reassure Americans that the objects don’t appear to be operating nefariously. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have said such sightings mostly appear to be not drones at all.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Majorkas also said on ABC’s “This Week” that the federal government is helping the New Jersey State Police investigate the drone issue.
“I want to assure the American public we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities,” Majorkas said.
Federal authorities have found no evidence of foreign involvement in the drone flights, Majorkas said.
While acknowledging concerns about the drones, Majorkas noted there are more than one million registered in the United States and thousands flying every day, implying such activity is normal and frequent. He also noted that the Federal Aviation Administration changed the rules in 2023 so drones can fly at night.
Majorkas said some of the sightings are actually manned aircraft but added “there’s no question that drones are being sighted.”
Christie noted that drones have become an important part of commerce, law enforcement and other areas, adding: “We need to be able to operate in a safe way and we’re not doing that.”
President-elect Donald Trump joined the drone conversation with a recent social media post, calling on the government needs to give more information.
“Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” Trump wrote.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
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Does a bear get rescued in the woods?
One lucky one in Union Township did.
According to a Facebook post by New Jersey State Police, “On April 1, at approximately 1:37 p.m., troopers from Troop “B” Perryville Station responded to an unusual call on I-78 East at milepost 12.2 in Union Township: a lone bear cub spotted in a roadside ditch.”
The cub was found alone, and needed help. The officers stepped in and likely saved his life
“Upon arrival, troopers found the small cub alone and in need of assistance,” the post read. “He was safely secured, transported back to the barracks, and later released to the Department of Environmental Protection for proper care. Thanks to the swift response of the troopers, the cub is now safe and receiving the attention he needs.”
New Jersey
Man arrested in New Jersey after missing woman’s body discovered in Georgia woods, GBI says
A suspect has been charged with the murder of a missing woman whose body was discovered weeks ago in a stretch of Georgia woods.
Authorities say 35-year-old Gainesville resident Loron Spaulding was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals in New Jersey earlier this week.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, officers had been searching for 30-year-old Diaja Benson since she was reported missing out of Dawson County on Feb. 20.
On the morning of March 13, agents with the GBI, the Cumming Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources found a body of a woman near Lanier 400 Parkway in Cumming. The body was later identified as Benson.
Authorities have not shared any information about how they connected Spaulding with Benson’s death or if the two knew each other.
Spaulding remains in custody in New Jersey, facing a murder charge. He will eventually be extradited to Georgia, at which time he will be booked into the Fulton County Jail.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing. If you have any information that could help, call the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Cleveland at (706) 348-4866 or the agency’s tip line at 1-800-597-8477.
A popular Jersey City coffee shop is facing down a zoning complaint that could force them to temporarily shut their doors.
“I think our reaction when we heard of this most recent zoning complaint was just real frustration because we’ve done everything right,” said co-owner of the Hive, Kristin Karotkin.
Kristin and Catherine Willhoit run the Hive together.
They told News 12 they are permitted to sell coffee and baked goods under their current zoning designation, retail.
However, a nearby neighbor has filed a complaint seeking to have the business reclassified as a commercial restaurant, a move that could require The Hive to halt operations while the zoning issue is sorted out.
“The fact that one person is kind of challenging the way that zoning is interpreted really just feels like a kick in the gut for a business that’s not only beloved here in the neighborhood but has done everything we are supposed to,” Karotkin said.
City officials previously denied the neighbor’s initial complaint, but the issue is now back before the city following an appeal.
According to the appeal, the central issue comes down to one item: cinnamon rolls.
The complaint alleges The Hive is operating a commercial kitchen to bake them on-site.
The owners dispute that claim, though, and showed News 12 the shop’s oven, the only one on the premises.
“There’s nothing being made from scratch in the back room here,” Karotkin said. “It’s all made off-site and then baked here in our shops.”
Beyond their own business, the owners worry the outcome of the case could have broader implications for small businesses across Jersey City as well.
“A lot of small businesses, if this keeps happening in Jersey City, they’re going to stop trying — they’re going to stop coming here,” Karotkin said.
A zoning board meeting is scheduled for April 9, where officials are expected to make a determination on The Hive’s future.
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