CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) — As the nation celebrates its 248th birthday, dozens of new U.S. citizens celebrated their own milestone Thursday.
“I see freedom,” said Jonathan A. Monger as he looked up at the American flag waving on the pier near the USS Battleship New Jersey. “I see this nation being a great nation and the land of opportunities.”
Monger is one of 42 men and women who took their oath of American citizenship in a special ceremony aboard the Battleship New Jersey, including nine U.S. military service members.
“It’s a journey that I’ve come through and I anticipate to go further and I appreciate this because it falls on Independence Day,” Monger said. “That makes it historic and it’s a great day in my life.”
The citizenship candidates were all lawful permanent residents and have met the requirements to naturalize, including passing a history and civics exam unless exempt.
More than 878,500 new citizens were naturalized in fiscal year 2023 during ceremonies nationwide.
“All of us know every immigrant has a special story or incredible story to tell how our journey started and we believe in the process of this immigration and it’s a dream come true for us,” said Armand Arana, who immigrated to the northeast in 2006. “It’s freedom, opportunity and greatness.”
The citizenship candidates originate 21 countries: Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Mexico, Montenegro, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Venezuela.
July 7 (UPI) — A wildfire burning in a New Jersey state Park is 75-percent contained officials said Sunday. It has scorched more than 4,000 acres since Friday.
Fire officials said the extreme heat and rugged terrain is making full containment a challenge.
“It’s hot. I think it’s roughly 94 degrees,” New Jersey Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said Friday. “Humidity’s up so a lot of wear and tear on the firefighters.
“The fire is burning in a very rugged area of the Wharton State Forest. A lot of it is inaccessible to motorized vehicles and our fire equipment,” Tom Gerber, incident commander of the NJFFS said Friday.
The so-called Tea Time Hill Wildfire was started by fireworks on July 4th and detected by the U.S. Forest Service about 9am the next day.
“A fireworks device lighted inside the forest ignited the fire late Thursday, July 4,” the NJFFS said in a Facebook post.
No structures are currently threatened, the Forest Service said. The NJFFS had previously reported that a residence and hunting club were threatened and park police evacuated Batona Campground as a precaution. A few local roads and trails were also closed. No injuries or damaged structures had been reported as of Sunday.
“On average, 1,500 wildfires damage or destroy 7,000 acres of New Jersey’s forests each year,” the NJFFS said.
In 2023, wildfire burned more than 18,000 acres of forest in New Jersey. The NJFFS responded to more major fires than they had in more than 20 years.
Authorities say a fast-moving forest fire that has burned thousands of acres in southern New Jersey is now 65% contained.
The blaze in the Wharton State Forest was reported early Friday. Officials believe it began in the area of the Batona Campground in Tabernacle, which was evacuated as a precaution.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Saturday that the blaze has now burned an estimated 4000 acres (1618.74 hectares), but they report having made “substantial progress” in containing the fire. Officials said crews were monitoring and improving containment lines and conducting burnout operations in pockets of unburnt fuel.
Jack Harris and Ron Washington each had three hits and two RBI as the first-place Crushers won their fifth game in a row, 11-7, at New Jersey on July 6.
Vincent Byrd Jr. added a two-run home run and Logan Thomason drove in three runs. John Tuccillo and Burle Dixon each drove in a run, and Dixon scored two runs. Jarrod Watkins had a hit, walked three times and scored three runs.
The series concludes July7 at New Jersey.
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