New Jersey
New Jersey girl, 6, dies in tragic badminton accident 4 weeks after asking ‘how to be with God and be saved'
A 6-year-old New Jersey girl died from head trauma caused by a freak accident involving a badminton racket on the final day of a family vacation with her parents and three siblings.
Lucy Morgan and her family were enjoying their time in Limerick, Maine before tragedy struck on their last full day there, according to the girl’s father, Jesse Morgan, a pastor at Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, New Jersey.
“We had an amazing lake cottage in Maine and were simply enjoying life together on our last full day here. We were eating a quick lunch by the lake and the kids decided to try badminton in the front yard,” Jesse wrote on his blog, New Creation Living.
“Bethany and I were relaxing in the back when we heard screaming,” he said.
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Lucy Morgan, 6, during the family’s vacation in Maine. (Jesse Morgan via New Creation Living Blog)
Lucy was unexpectedly struck when the shaft of the racket, which was being used by her 10-year-old brother, broke apart and flew into her skull.
“Due to a freak accident with a racquet that broke on a downward swing, a sharp piece had entered Lucy’s skull while she was sitting on the sideline and caused catastrophic injury,” Jesse wrote. “She was still breathing but unresponsive as I held her with Bethany crying out to God.”
Lucy was taken to a nearby pediatric hospital and later transferred to a hospital in Portland, Maine. (Jesse Morgan via New Creation Living Blog)
Lucy was taken to a local hospital before being moved to a hospital in Portland, Maine.
Her father documented the hardships as the family cried out to God for a miracle for their young daughter’s life.
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On the second day of Lucy’s stay at the hospital, Jesse and his wife, Bethany, shared the severity of Lucy’s life with her three siblings.
“We broke the news as gently as we could, but that is a conversation you never want to have with a 4-year-old, 8-year-old, and 10-year-old,” he wrote.
Lucy’s brothers stand beside her while she remained in the pediatric intensive care unit until her death on June 5. (Jesse Morgan via New Creation Living Blog)
While doctors evaluated and reevaluated Lucy’s health, her three siblings showed their compassion by gently holding their sister’s hand, kissing her and creating artwork in her honor.
“From Shiloh’s creativity and sweet care, to Silas’ kisses and hugs, they each are being taught to understand their limits and to make a choice to grieve as they can,” Jesse wrote. “Whether that’s coming right up to her bedside to hold her hand or talk to her, or waiting while they craft something before entering slowly, it’s all welcome.”
Four days later, Lucy died due to her injuries, the family said. (Jesse Morgan via New Creation Living Blog)
Four days after the accident, Lucy succumbed to her injury.
“After significant thorough testing and even more repeated tests to be certain, brain death was declared at 1:32 a.m. on June 5, and her heart stopped beating around 4 a.m.,” Jesse wrote.
Lucy was with Jesus.
“Lucy was with Jesus,” he said.
Lucy had a prayer journal that she wrote and drew in. (Jesse Morgan via New Creation Living Blog)
Lucy Morgan wrote in her prayer journal, writing, “God and Lucy.” (Jesse Morgan via New Creation Living Blog)
The parents held onto the hope that Lucy “believed in Jesus’ death and resurrection.”
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“Four weeks ago she asked Bethany how to be with God and be saved,” Jesse wrote. “Bethany explained it to her and offered to pray with her, but ‘Miss Independent’ wanted to do it herself. She went to her room and prayed to God to forgive her and that she believed in Jesus’ death and resurrection.”
“What a gift,” he said.
Lucy’s prayer journal also contained drawings of the family and the Bible, her father said. (Jesse Morgan via New Creation Living Blog)
Jesse wrote that he and his wife were comforted after finding her “prayer journal,” saying that it felt “as if God was writing with her.”
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“It’s almost as if God was writing with her, drawing her to himself,” Jesse wrote. “How a six-year-old journals like this is beyond me. After that, she seemed to get writer’s block and just draw beautiful pictures of Bible stories and hearts.”
“Bless you on your journey,” Jesse concluded the blog posts. “He will hold you fast.”
Tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are highly coveted. Admission to a game can cost thousands and most matches are already sold out.
Here’s what to know, and how much tickets are selling for.
How to get New Jersey New York FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets
Fans can buy the New Jersey New York Venue Series pass starting at $25,800 per person, for admission to all eight games in New Jersey New York Stadium Stadium.
Alternatively, fans can buy premium admission that are available for upward of $1,000.
For instance, the admission to the France vs Senegal game on June 16 ranges from $2,300 to $3,400.
The closer to the final, the more expensive tickets are. Admission for the Round of 16 match on July 5, costs between $2,800 and $6,000.
Anyone interested in a luxury suite should be ready to pay roughly $200,000 for game at the New Jersey New York Stadium. The silver lining is that the price includes admission for to 24 people.
Premium tickets for the final match are sold out.
How can I buy cheaper FIFA World Cup Tickets?
A Last-Minute Sales Phase for individual tickets opens on April 2 at 11 a.m. ET. Tickets might sell out within minutes, given the high global demand for them. Most of the tickets left are category 1 and 2, the most expensive seats.
Price varies depending on the match. As an example the USA vs Paraguay match has seats available for $1,940 and $2,735, according to The Athletic.
Forty out of the 104 matches are already sold out.
What are the tailgate tickets? What is the FIFA Pavilion?
FIFA is selling Pavilion tickets for roughly $2,000. The sporting organization describes the pavilions as “an exclusive retreat located in our secure perimeter immediately outside the stadium. Featuring beverage service and elevated street food-inspired dining available pre- and post-match.
For the price, you get to tailgate a game three hours before the match and two hours after it finishes. It also includes a ticket to see the game inside the stadium.
Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Powerball winning numbers are in for the Wednesday, March 2 drawing with a jackpot that reached an estimated $20 million ($9.4 million cash option).
The winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing are 7, 14, 42, 47, and 56, with Powerball number 6. The Power Play number is 4.
Did anyone win the Powerball jackpot?
No one won the Powerball jackpot
When is the next drawing of the Powerball?
The next Powerball drawing is Saturday. Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
How late can you buy a Powerball ticket?
In New Jersey, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 9:59 p.m. on the night of the draw.
What does it cost to play Powerball?
Powerball costs $2 to play. For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply nonjackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times.
Are you a Powerball winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All New Jersey Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.99. For prizes over $599.99, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at New Jersey Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to New Jersey Lottery, Attn: Validations, PO Box 041, Trenton, NJ 08625-0041.
Winners can drop off their claim form and winning ticket in person at the New Jersey Lottery office where a secure drop box is available. Claim forms are also available at the office. Hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Lawrence Park Complex, 1333 Brunswick Avenue Circle, Trenton, NJ 08648.
To find a lottery retalier, you can search the NJ lotto website.
What is the Powerball payout?
The complete guide to winnings is:
- Match 5 White Balls + Powerball: Jackpot
- Match 5 White Balls: $1 million
- Match 4 White Balls + Powerball: $50,000
- Match 4 White Balls: $100
- Match 3 White Balls + Powerball: $100
- Match 3 White Balls: $7
- Match 2 White Balls + Powerball: $7
- Match 1 White Ball + Powerball: $4
- Match Powerball: $4
- Match 5 White Balls with Power Play: $2 million
- Match 4 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $200,000
- Match 4 White Balls with Power Play: $400
- Match 3 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $400
- Match 3 White Balls with Power Play: $28
- Match 2 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $28
- Match 1 White Ball + Powerball with Power Play: $16
- Match Powerball with Power Play: $16
What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
The overall odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.
How do I find the Powerball winning numbers?
Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Drawings are also lived streamed on Powerball.com. The winning numbers are posted to the Powerball and New Jersey Lottery websites.
NJ pastor on trying to bring young people back to religion
Amid a growing number of people leaving religion, Rev. Preston Thompson of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Englewood is trying to bring young people back.
Michael Karas, NorthJersey.com
Last June, the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark launched a review called “We Are His Witnesses,” which aimed to consider potential consolidations or closures of some of its 211 North Jersey parishes.
But amid confusion and pushback from many parishioners, Cardinal Joseph Tobin said Wednesday that the archdiocese will now extend its review to allow for further study and conversations.
In a letter published on the Archdiocese website March 4, Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, noted the challenges remain the same: a steady decline in membership and a shortage of priests projected to grow worse in the coming years. He did not specify how much longer the process would take but said he would have more to announce in June.
The largest of New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses, the Newark Archdiocese serves approximately 1.3 million people in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.
Story continues after gallery.
Some parishioners, Tobin wrote, “came to believe — incorrectly — that the overall goal of We Are His Witnesses is to close churches. That has never been the purpose.
“This work is not driven by downsizing, but by mission: by the call to strengthen parish life so that it can truly form disciples and reach those who are not yet engaged in the life of the Church.”
The program’s aim is not to close churches, but to “strengthen parish life” he added.
He said a follow-up announcement would come on June 12 but reassured parishioners that “there is no need to fear that an immediate and wholesale closure of parishes will be announced.”
‘The Church is not a museum’
Current circumstances demand Church leaders to make difficult decisions, he said. “The challenges we face are real: fewer priests, fewer people in the pews, communities that look very different than they did even a generation ago, and financial strain. Ignoring the changed landscape does not preserve parish life; it weakens it. The Church is not a museum to preserve what it once was,” he wrote.
The initiative kicked off last summer, with meetings at churches around the region to allow parishioners to offer feedback. Many expressed fears about their future of their church, Tobin said.
Parishioners at many of the meetings and in letters to Tobin expressed concerns about the program. As a result, Tobin concluded that “it is clear that the communities of the Archdiocese need more time for honest discernment. We are extending this phase of our work to allow for deeper reflection and broader consultation throughout our local Church.”
“This is not a pause in mission. It is a call to take the mission seriously and to ask ourselves, with renewed honesty, what it means to be a missionary Church today.”
Msgr. Richard Arnhols, pastor emeritus of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Bergenfield and a member of a committee of pastoral leaders helping to guide the review, said that, “Based on the input from the priests and people of the parishes which took place last fall, Cardinal Tobin has approved a period of additional study and reflection before any decisions are made.”
The first step is further conversation among parish priests, which will take place this month, he said.
Gregory Hann, a religious instructor at St. Vincent Academy in Newark, applauded Tobin’s decision. “If we continue to do things the way we have been doing them, we become a stagnant Church and we allow the comforts of our culture and the outside to keep us from moving from the Cross to glory.”
Nicholas Grillo of Bloomfield, a parishioner who attended several listening sessions at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City, approved of the decision. “Hopefully the pause will give them time to reevaluate this going forward,” he said.
He added that it was a “waste of money” to pay large sums of money to a consultant that “doesn’t understand the intricacies of the Archdiocese of Newark,” he said, referring to the Catholic Leadership Institute, a Pennsylvania group that the archdiocese has engaged.
Instead, Grillo suggested, “they should put together a group of lay parishioners and priests from the diocese who can collaborate on a better path forward.”
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