Evacuation orders were issued in New Jersey, and traffic on the major Garden State Parkway was being diverted, due to a wildfire that began Tuesday and grew to more than 3,200 acres, officials said. Around 3,000 people have been told to evacuate from the are of the Jones Road Fire in Ocean County, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. The service announced on social media shortly before 12:30 p.m. that the fire was burning in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township. The cause remains under investigation....

New Jersey U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross’s condition has improved since being hospitalized when he developed sepsis due to a gallbladder infection, his team said Tuesday. Norcross, D-1st Dist., is now out of the intensive care unit at Cooper University Hospital in Camden after surgeons removed his gallbladder earlier this month, his office said in a statement. His health has continued to improve and he is on his way to a full recovery as he remains hospitalized, the statement said. Norcross, 66, a long-time Democratic lawmaker in a politically active family,...

New Jersey Forest Fire Service members work along Wells Mills Rd. at the Jones Wildfire in Barnegat, N.J. on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. A helicopter performing air drops of water to attempt to control the fire can be seen in the background. Get Photo Fire burns from the back burn operation along Wells Mills Rd. at the Jones Wildfire in Barnegat, N.J. on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Wildland firefighters use back burn operations to keep a fire from spreading by burning the fuel in the fire's path. Get Photo New...

Hey there New Jersey! Here’s your audio update highlighting the abolition of medical debt for over 600,000 New Jersey residents and a potential new amusement complex in Atlantic City. We’ll also tell you about emergency Real ID appointments and the postponement of the demolition of a hotel in Bergen County. Listen by clicking the play button above. This audio presentation is an editorially-curated selection of stories, selected by an editor, and then summarized and read aloud by artificial intelligence. Some variations in pronunciation, tone or diction may result. We want...

A Middlesex County woman admitted that she claimed over $150,000 of her mother’s Social Security benefits for nearly eight years after she died, federal prosecutors announced Monday. Deborah Bailey, 68, of Piscataway, pleaded guilty in Trenton federal court to theft of public money, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey. Bailey’s mother began collecting benefits from the Social Security Administration in January 1997 and died on July 1, 2016, the office said. It was unclear how and where the mother died and a spokeswoman...

A collapsed sewer in downtown Jersey City will require emergency repairs, resulting in lane closures on Columbus Drive from Jersey Avenue to Barrow Street, according to a statement posted by the city on Monday.

Motorists are advised to use alternative routes to avoid delays.

Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff.

Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange plans a special Sea Turtle Sunrise Event on May 17 to raise funds for Sea Turtle Recovery, an organization dedicated to saving sea turtles. The event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., offers attendees an exclusive, intimate experience at the zoo before it opens to the general public. Admission to the Sea Turtle Sunrise Event includes a two-hour private zoo experience, a doughnut from Beignets of Denville and a choice of coffee or apple juice. Weather permitting, attendees can also enjoy free...

Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration has proposed hiking the beverage tax on alcohol for retailers in New Jersey by 10% as a way to bring the state more money for its upcoming budget. The increased tax could force bars to charge more for beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks. Murphy administration officials said the proposed tax increase is projected to bring in an extra $18.5 million for the state if the plan passes the state Legislature. That could help increase revenue up to $175 million for the state budget in the...

The wildfire burning in state lands southeast of Vineland grew a little bit Sunday afternoon but remained 75% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in an update. The blaze grew to 1,300 acres, up from 1,250 earlier Sunday. The forest fire service has named the blaze Danny’s Wildfire. It’s burning in the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area in Cumberland County. Firefighters remain on the scene Sunday night, the service said. The fire is in a remote area between Union and Hesstown roads just south of the Bennetts Mill along...

The wildfire that started on Friday at the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area in Vineland has expanded an additional 50 acres from Saturday’s 1,200. The blaze still remains 75% contained, according to a noon Sunday update from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. The Cumberland County fire was previously described as 75% contained on Saturday afternoon There is now one road closure — Cow Turd Road between Cedar Branch Road and Hesstown Road. Union Road and Bennetts Mill Road were previously closed but have reopened. There are no current evacuations or...