NEWARK, NJ—The Newark Public Safety Department is seeking assistance in locating 40-year-old Kiki Clark for questioning about an aggravated assault shooting that occurred on Monday, May 13.
The incident took place at approximately 3:55 a.m., where a victim was shot in the leg at an unspecified location. The victim was subsequently transported to University Hospital.
Clark is described as a white female, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé has urged anyone with information about Clark’s whereabouts to contact the Newark Police Division’s 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477).
All tips received can be anonymous and may qualify for a reward. Information can also be submitted via the Police Division’s website.
- Spirit Christmas expands New Jersey holiday pop-ups with new 2025 locations including Toms River
TOMS RIVER, N.J. – Spirit Christmas, known for its seasonal pop-up shops filled with holiday decor, apparel, and gifts, is returning to New Jersey with an expanded lineup of stores for the 2025 holiday season.
In addition to established locations in Mays Landing, Marlton, Brick, and Woodbridge last year, new storefronts will open this year in Cherry Hill, Lawrenceville, Paramus, Rockaway, and Toms River.
Confirmed 2025 store locations include:
- 190 Hamilton Commons, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
- 2234 W Marlton Pike Rd, Plot E3, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
- 1379 Hooper Ave, Toms River, NJ 08753
- 3371 Brunswick Ave, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
- 34 East Ridgewood Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652
- 357 Mount Hope Ave, Rockaway, NJ 07866
Shoppers can expect a wide selection of Christmas decorations, from artificial trees and lights to outdoor inflatables. The stores also feature gifts, stocking stuffers, and home goods for all ages.
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Beyond merchandise, Spirit Christmas offers immersive experiences, including themed displays like “Peppermint Village,” a “Letters to Santa” station, and in some stores, “Creepmas” décor for those seeking a spooky twist on the holidays. Select locations may also host photo opportunities with Santa.
The pop-up chain, an offshoot of Spirit Halloween, is designed to bring a festive shopping experience while operating for just a few months each year.
- New Jersey man gets 4 years for buying torture videos of monkeys
COLUMBUS, OH – A New Jersey man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for conspiring to purchase and distribute violent videos depicting the torture and mutilation of monkeys, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Giancarlo Morelli, of Wharton, admitted to paying for the creation of animal crush videos through online groups dedicated to sharing extreme abuse. Prosecutors said he bought 19 such videos from Nicholas T. Dryden, who ran forums where buyers commissioned and traded clips of animals being tortured.
According to court records, Dryden paid a minor in Indonesia to produce the videos, which showed baby and adolescent monkeys suffering severe abuse, including mutilation. Morelli not only purchased the videos but also provided feedback and suggestions for future productions, prosecutors said.
“Those making or sharing animal crush videos have reason to fear capture and swift justice in the form of sentences like today’s,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson. He stressed that federal law prohibits such conduct and warned that all participants will be prosecuted.
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II of the Southern District of Ohio added that paying others to torture animals carries the same weight as committing the abuse directly.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prosecutors said the investigation dismantled online groups dedicated to the trade of animal torture content.
Morelli was sentenced to 48 months in prison, marking another conviction in a widening federal crackdown on the underground trade of animal cruelty videos.
- Overturned tractor on I-80 headlines Monday’s morning commuter headaches
Newark, NJ – Monday morning rush hour across New Jersey is marked by a string of crashes and volume-related slowdowns, with major highways and Hudson River crossings reporting heavy congestion.
An overturned tractor trailer on I-80 westbound just east of Exit 28 in Roxbury Township shut two of three lanes, creating a severe backup for Morris County commuters. On the New Jersey Turnpike, a crash on the inner roadway northbound near Interchange 12 in Woodbridge Township pushed vehicles onto the shoulder but left all lanes open. Meanwhile, Route 4 eastbound in Englewood remains hampered by a crash that closed two of three lanes.
Key Points
- Overturned tractor trailer blocking I-80 westbound near Roxbury Twp.
- Multi-lane crash closures on Route 4 in Englewood.
- 30-minute delays at both the Holland and Lincoln tunnels into Manhattan.
Hudson crossings bottlenecked
Travel into Manhattan is especially difficult. The Holland Tunnel south tube eastbound is posting travel times of 30 minutes from the Turnpike’s Exit 14C and 25 minutes from NJ 139 at Tonnelle Circle. The Lincoln Tunnel center and south tubes are each running about 30 minutes from the Turnpike’s Exit 16E. The Goethals Bridge is also congested eastbound due to Staten Island traffic backups.
Parkway, Turnpike, and local roads clogged
The Garden State Parkway northbound has a five-mile delay between Woodbridge Township and Cranford, while the Turnpike’s Hudson County Extension is slowed by a mile-and-a-half delay approaching the Newark Bay Bridge. The Western Spur northbound faces two miles of congestion leading into Interchange 15W.
Elsewhere, slowdowns were reported on NJ 21 southbound into Newark, NJ 208 southbound through Fair Lawn, NJ 17 southbound in Paramus, and I-287 northbound through Piscataway and Franklin Township. Southbound US 1&9 in North Bergen, NJ 29 in Trenton, and I-78 westbound local lanes in Union County also experienced delays.
Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes where possible.
Major incidents
Road Location Issue Impact I-80 WB Roxbury Twp (East of Exit 28) Overturned tractor trailer 2 of 3 lanes closed NJ Turnpike Inner NB Woodbridge Twp (South of Interchange 12) Crash, vehicles on shoulder Delays, all lanes open NJ 4 EB Englewood (East of NJ 93) Crash 2 of 3 lanes closed
Volume-related delays
Road Location Impact Garden State Pkwy NB Colonia Service Area → Exit 137 (Cranford) 5-mile delay NJ Turnpike Hudson Extension EB Exit 14 → Newark Bay Bridge 1.5-mile delay NJ Turnpike Western Spur NB Southern Mixing Bowl → 15W 2-mile delay NJ 21 SB Chester Ave (Newark) → I-280 Heavy delays NJ 208 SB Wyckoff → Fair Lawn Slow traffic NJ 17 SB Paramus → Rochelle Park Congested I-287 NB Piscataway → Franklin Twp Delays US 1&9 SB Secaucus → Jersey City Slowed US 1 SB Trenton Delays NJ 29 NB Hamilton Twp → Trenton Slowed NJ 24 WB Exit 7 (Millburn) Delays NJ 21 SB Exit 9 (Clifton) Delays NJ 440 SB Woodbridge → Edison Slow US 206 SB Peapack-Gladstone → Bedminster Delays I-78 WB (locals) Union → Springfield Congested
Hudson River crossings
Crossing Direction Delay Holland Tunnel To NYC 30 mins from NJ Turnpike Exit 14C / 25 mins from NJ 139 Lincoln Tunnel To NYC (center & south tubes) 30 mins from NJ Turnpike Exit 16E Goethals Bridge EB Delays due to Staten Island congestion - Deadly shooting claims one life in Jersey City Sunday morning
Key Points
- 27-year-old Jamaal George fatally shot near Union Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive early Sunday.
- Victim pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center shortly after 5:30 a.m.
- Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit leading investigation with Jersey City Police.
Jersey City, NJ — A 27-year-old man was shot and killed early Sunday morning in Jersey City, prompting a joint homicide investigation, officials announced.
Police were called shortly after 5 a.m. to the intersection of Union Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive for reports of gunfire. Responding officers discovered Jamaal George, of Jersey City, with a gunshot wound to the upper body.
George was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later at 5:30 a.m.
Medical examiner review pending
The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the official cause and manner of death, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Homicide unit investigating
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit, working with the Jersey City Police Department, is handling the investigation. Authorities did not immediately release details on a possible suspect or motive.
Detectives are seeking witnesses and urging anyone with information to come forward.
- Nearly 100 Years Later, Newark’s 1928 Futuristic Prediction Falls Very Short of Modern Reality
NEWARK, NJ – A century ago, celebrated cartoonist Winsor McCay painted a bold picture of Newark’s future, sketching a city in 1986 filled with soaring skyscrapers, blimps buzzing through the skies, and a web of railroads threading between towers. His 1928 article, Newark: The Land and the Vision, was steeped in the optimism of its era. But the Newark that actually emerged could not have been further from McCay’s lofty vision.
Crime still shadows the city
Instead of the gleaming metropolis of his imagination, Newark today struggles with entrenched violent crime. In 2024, homicides dropped, but overall violent incidents rose, according to city officials. The odds of being a victim of violent crime here stand at about 1 in 201, while property crimes run as high as 1 in 43, data show.
Safety varies sharply by neighborhood, with the northeast corner considered relatively secure compared to the more troubled central and western districts.
Newark’s police force continues to operate under federal consent decree oversight, a legacy of past findings on civil rights violations and misconduct. The city has worked to reform its practices, but crime remains one of its most pressing public concerns.
Water woes deepen mistrust
McCay’s futuristic Newark imagined technological triumphs. Instead, one of the city’s starkest realities has been its water crisis. Lead contamination first surfaced in 2016, when elevated levels were discovered in public schools.
Since then, Newark has poured resources into replacing lead service lines, but in October federal prosecutors charged contractors who allegedly lied about doing the work, leaving toxic pipes in place while billing the city.
Households continue to face warnings about lead exposure, while lawsuits now target Newark over PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency has backed corrosion control and flushing strategies in certain service areas, but trust in the system has been badly shaken.
Congestion and airport delays replace airships
If McCay foresaw Newark’s skies thick with dirigibles, he never imagined the city’s greatest bottleneck would be air traffic control failures at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The FAA has capped flight operations here through October 2026 due to controller shortages and outdated equipment. Ground stops, like one in August triggered by communication outages, have become familiar disruptions.
United Airlines even canceled dozens of daily flights, saying the airport simply cannot handle current traffic.
With constant delays and cancellations, Newark’s transportation future looks more constrained than futuristic.
Key Points
- Winsor McCay’s 1928 vision of Newark in 1986 imagined skyscrapers, railroads, and aerial highways that never materialized.
- The city today faces persistent crime, with violent incidents rising in 2024 despite fewer homicides.
- Newark continues to battle a water crisis tied to lead contamination and alleged fraud in service line replacements.
- Newark Liberty International Airport is under federal flight caps until 2026, plagued by staffing shortages and communication outages.