HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–Hamilton Police reported that on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at approximately 7:11 AM Officers were dispatched to Aaron’s Auto Repair on the 1600 block of South Broad Street on a report of a suspect attempting to break into vehicles located at the business and that the suspect was armed with a screwdriver and attempted to harm the employees on scene. Upon arrival the suspect had been restrained by employees on scene. The victims reported to police they came to the business at approximately 7:00 AM and observed the fence to the secured parking lot to be tampered with. They located the suspect in the secured lot and attempted to restrain him until police arrived.
While attempting to restrain the suspect he pulled out a screwdriver and tried to stab one of the victims. The victims gained control of the suspect until police arrived. The suspect was placed under arrest and identified as Lucian Gonzalez-Quinones, 41, of Trenton. Officers located the screwdriver Gonzalez-Quinones used against the victims as well as additional screwdrivers in his possession. Three vehicles in the lot were also found to have windows smashed out by the suspect.
Lucian Gonzalez-Quinones was charged with Robbery, Possession of Burglar’s Tools, Defiant Trespassing, Criminal Mischief, Possession of Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of Weapon, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was transported to the Mercer County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Russ Newborn of the Hamilton Police Division Major Crimes Unit at (609) 581-4128 or the Hamilton Police Crime Tip Hotline at (609) 581-4008.
Lucian Gonzalez-Quinones was charged with Robbery, Possession of Burglar’s Tools, Defiant Trespassing, Criminal Mischief, Possession of Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of Weapon, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was transported to the Mercer County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing.
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–At 8:21 a.m., NJ State Police, Robbinsville Township Fire Department and EMS and Captial Health Paramedics responded to the New Jersey Turnpike mile post 63.4 north bound inner roadway for a motor vehicle crash involving a tractor trailer and a car. Upon arrival the driver of the tractor trailer was unable to get out of the truck on their own power and emergency workers had to remove the driver though the passenger side door.
At the scene, the truck was north bound on the outer roadway, crossed over to the inner roadway and struck a car before coming to rest on the jersey barrier of the inner roadway. It appeared that the driver of the car was uninjured.
The truck driver was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
No further information is available at this time. This is a breaking news report from the scene when official information becomes available the story will be updated.
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–The Hamilton Police Division Anti-Crime Unit carried out a successful operation resulting in the execution of a search warrant and the arrest of Stanley Akers for multiple narcotics offenses. The arrest follows a thorough months-long investigation into illegal drug activities in Hamilton.
Officers from the Hamilton Police Division’s Anti-Crime Unit were assisted by their K-9 Team and the New Jersey State Police Crime Suppression Unit during the operation, which led to the apprehension and charging of Stanley Akers. The following items were seized in the warrant’s execution: In excess of 750 bags of Heroin, 600 Xanax pills, 8 grams of Crack Cocaine, and 25 Suboxone Films.
The collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies led to the swift and efficient resolution of the case, showcasing the dedication and commitment of the involved units in combating crime in the community.
Akers was charged with Distribution of Narcotics (Heroin and Crack Cocaine), Distribution of Prescription Legend Drugs (Xanax and Suboxone) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was transported the Mercer County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing.
The Hamilton Police Division urges anyone with information about this investigation to contact the Division’s Anti-Crime Unit at 609-581-4102 or you may contact them anonymously through their tip line at 609-581-4008.
Stanley Akers was charged with Distribution of Narcotics (Heroin and Crack Cocaine), Distribution of Prescription Legend Drugs (Xanax and Suboxone) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was transported the Mercer County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing.
Mayor thanks community, city leaders for collaborations and interventions aimed at curbing violence
August 31, 2022
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Mayor Reed Gusciora announced today that the City of Trenton has made significant progress in reducing violent crime, specifically gun-related homicides, through collaborative initiatives and social intervention efforts.
The Gusciora administration deployed several social interventions with the primary or ancillary goal of affecting a noticeable decline in violent crime. Since June 1, 2022, there have been no homicides in the City of Trenton.
“While violent crime has continued to surge in other cities across America this summer, Trenton is doing what it takes to become a leader in urban violent crime reduction,” Mayor Reed Gusciora said. “We are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the Capital City is a safe place for all who live, work, learn, and play here. With the help of our law enforcement partners and members of our community, we are innovating to establish a new public safety standard and we are doing it together.”
Mayor Reed Gusciora
Relative both to historical levels of crime occurring last summer and to this time last year, homicides and shootings are down. Year-to-date, the City has seen a 62% reduction in shooting homicides, down from 21 last year to eight this year. The City has also seen a 46% reduction in overall homicides year-to-date, down from 22 last year to 12 this year.
The City of Trenton adopted the Strategic Integrated Policing philosophy, which aims to address crime through a two-level approach in addition to stepping up enforcement: (1) target the deployment of City resources, such as recreational opportunities, mental health and public health services, and blight reduction efforts towards vulnerable communities, and (2) collaborate with local, county, state, and federal law enforcement to prevent gun violence and de-escalate situations.
“The Trenton Police Department’s investments in long-term public safety and neighborhood wellness are paying off, and our collaborations with other law enforcement agencies have enhanced the Department’s capacity to prevent crimes from taking place and find the offenders when they do,” Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson said. “The efforts of our officers out in the community make our streets safer every day for residents, business owners, and visitors to the Capital City.”
Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson
The Real Time Crime Center, one such collaboration, is an informational nerve center tying in the Trenton Police Department, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and New Jersey State Police.
The Real Time Crime Center, one such collaboration, is an informational nerve center tying in the Trenton Police Department, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and New Jersey State Police.
This operational asset has fostered unprecedented cooperation through the ability to share high-quality intelligence that prevents crime and increases violent crime clearance rates. The City, in conjunction with Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, currently has a clearance rate of 35% for incidents of persons struck with a bullet, higher than the national average of 25% to 30%.
The administration recently launched Trenton Community Street Teams, a community violence intervention initiative that is a collaboration between the Trenton Health and Human Services Department, Trenton Police Department, and Trenton-based community development and environmental organization Isles, Inc.
The initiative empowers civilian leaders (including formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted citizens) in Trenton to mediate conflicts in areas at high-risk for violent crime. The teams also provide support for community members affected by violent crime and will be ensuring safe passage for children in the coming school year.
As part of their outreach, the Trenton Community Street Teams are hosting public safety forums with higher education institutions and engaging in weekly community walks in areas impacted by violence. This initiative will foster critical conversations with the goal of preventing violence and supporting vulnerable community members.
Another such measure underway is Trenton’s CHANGE Committee, an 11-member civilian public safety panel that is charged with reviewing and making recommendations on public safety in the Capital City. After kicking off in June, the committee is currently establishing subcommittees through which other residents may contribute and will being issuing their first report this Fall.
During the summer season, the City hired more than 200 city youth for summer employment with federal grant funding. Research suggests that offering youth a summer job can even reduce urban violent crime even after the summer ended.
Additionally, the City operated its Summer Youth Camp, which ran from June 20 to August 26, provided breakfast and lunch to 6- to 12-year-olds and engaged the children in field trips, arts and crafts projects, and swimming. Recreation Supervisor La’Keisha Sutton, a Trenton native and a former Harlem Globetrotter, oversaw ten weeks of free summer basketball offered from June 20 through September 1.
Prior to the summer, the Health and Human Services Department hired multiple mental health counselors and the Police Department increased the number of new officers.
“We are not done, not by a mile,” Gusciora said, “but we are proud of the progress being made. I want to thank the leaders out there doing the work and I want to encourage more members of our community to become a part of the multi-faceted solution. We can do this together.”
Names of the 2022 homicide victims in the City of Trenton:
2/15/2022 Antwone Barnes, 37, of Trenton, Stabbing
2/23/2022 Leonardo Fernandez, 32, of Trenton, Stabbing
3/01/2022 Shimon Nesmith Jr., 19, of Trenton, Shooting
3/03/2022 Helen Nelson, 73, of Trenton, Physical Assault
3/15/2022 Albert L. Barnes, 46, of Trenton, Shooting
3/25/2022 Sequoya Bacon-Jones, 9, of Trenton, Shooting
3/31/2022 Tahaad Goss, 16, of Trenton, Shooting
4/07/2022 Jaquir Queen, 26, of Willingboro, Shooting
4/09/2022 Leroy Davis, 31, of Trenton, Shooting
5/01/2022 Jamir McNeil, 25 of Trenton, Shooting
5/22/2022 Ali Abdullah, 25, of Trenton, Shooting
6/01/2022 Dreiby Osorio, 16, of Trenton, Stabbing
Trenton Murders Per Year Since 1989
NJ State Police Uniform Crime Report available here: https://www.njsp.org/ucr/uniform-crime-reports.shtml
1989 = 22
1990 = 21
1991 = 7
1992 = 16
1993 = 11
1994 = 9
1995 = 16
1996 = 14
1997 = 12
1998 = 15
1999 = 8
2000 = 14
2001 = 13
2002 = 19
2003 = 13
2004 = 18
2005 = 31
2006 = 18
2007 = 25
2008 = 19
2009 = 18
2010 = 15
2011 = 23
2012 = 24
2013 = 37
2014 = 32
2015 = 17
2016 = 21
2017 = 23
2018 = 16
2019 = 15
2020 = 40
2021 = 40
2022 = 12 as of 8/31/2022 at 5:30 p.m.
Prior to 1989 the known highest murder number in Trenton, NJ was 1970 with 27
MONROE TOWNSHIP, NJ (MIDDLESEX)–Around 2:25 p.m. all Monroe fire departments responded to a reported explosion in a detached garage with reported fire. Initial reports stated the homeowner was using a garden hose to try to extinguish the fire. Firefighters quickly arrived and were able to pull hand lines to start extinguishing the fire. The majority of the fire was knocked down within ten minutes. An elevated master stream was also placed in service. No additional information is available at this time.
3/26/2023 – 5720 BoxAll Monroe fire companies responded to a fire in a detached garage secondary to an explosion. Crews from Squad 51 and Rescue 51 assisted with overhaul.Monroe Professional Firefighters I.A.F.F Local 3170Monroe Township Fire District #2Monroe Township EMSMonroe Township Police Department – Middlesex County, NJMonroe Township Office of Emergency ManagementJamesburg Fire Department
Spotswood Volunteer Fire Department – Enterprise Hook & Ladder Co., Inc.
CAPE MAY, NJ — The Coast Guard could be considered a “diamond in the rough” amongst the U.S. military branches. It is small but mighty, performing 11 statutory missions across the globe with an active-duty workforce just over 11% the size of the Army. Founded in 1790, the beginnings of the Coast Guard can be traced back to when the very first U.S. Congress – and George Washington himself – authorized the construction of ten vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws and prevent smuggling, a fleet later known as the Revenue Cutter Service.
Despite operating under a different name, the Coast Guard proudly served as the nation’s only armed force afloat until the Navy was established in 1798. It wasn’t until 1915 when Congress merged the Revenue Cutter Service with the Life-Saving Service that the official name “U.S. Coast Guard” was established.
Throughout centuries of successful operation within the maritime domain, the Coast Guard gained popularity and the United States consolidated more and more mission objectives into the service. In 1939, the Lighthouse Service merged with the Coast Guard, and in 1946 the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation was merged into the service as well, which swept merchant marine licensing, merchant vessel safety and aids to navigation maintenance into its already broad purview.
During this rapid expansion of the service, World War I, Prohibition, and World War II came and went, and throughout that time Coast Guard members were entering the service at a rapid rate. Before the start of WWI, basic training for Coast Guard personnel was practically non-existent since the majority of men joining the service were experienced watermen or local mariners. Once WWI started, Coast Guardsmen began getting assigned to boat stations and cutters to receive hands-on training after entering the service.
When the United States entered WWII, the urgent need for lots of trained manpower led to the establishment of training centers and receiving stations across the nation to prepare inexperienced civilians for service in the Coast Guard. Some of the more prominent locations included Port Townsend, Washington; New Orleans, Louisiana; Alameda, California; Manhattan Beach, New York; and the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland. After WWII ended, the Coast Guard’s desire to centralize enlisted recruit training to one location became a top priority.
U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., the Coast Guard’s only accession point for the enlisted workforce, was originally built as an airfield by the Navy in 1917 and was used for reconnaissance operations during World War I. When the U.S. entered Prohibition, the Coast Guard began using the base jointly with the Navy to deter and interdict rum runners in the Delaware Bay. In 1924, the Coast Guard established air facilities on the property and throughout the next 20 years, military operations varied between the Coast Guard and the Navy. But in June 1946, the Coast Guard took exclusive ownership of the base.
At that moment in time, the Coast Guard still had two main locations for enlisted recruit training: one in Alameda, California, and one in Mayport, Florida. In 1948, the recruit training center in Florida closed and relocated to Cape May where on May 31, 1948, Coast Guard Receiving Center Cape May officially opened as a recruit training center. Nearly 48 years later in 1982, the Alameda training base also closed and Training Center Cape May earned its renown as the sole enlisted training center for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Back then, Training Center Cape May was capable of handling up to 200 recruits monthly, and over the years, basic training varied in length from eight to 12 weeks. Over the past 75 years of recruit training, the facilities have expanded rapidly, which has allowed the Coast Guard to increase the targeted number of recruits trained and graduated to approximately 4,000 recruits in 2023 alone. Over 80% of the Coast Guard’s workforce has passed through the gates at Cape May to receive the training necessary to protect, defend, and save the nation they selflessly serve.
“The Coast Guard’s missions have continued to expand and Training Center Cape May has, and will, continue to expand with it,” said Capt. Warren Judge, 33rd commanding officer of Training Center Cape May. “As Coast Guard women and men are deployed worldwide overseeing and carrying out the Coast Guard’s 11 statutory missions, Training Center Cape May continues to work vigorously to produce basically trained, physically fit, fleet-ready women and men for the world’s best Coast Guard. The Coast Guard’s mission and our training mission never stop; therefore, our staff works tirelessly to execute excellence for our fleet.”
Keeping in step with the service’s expansion, Training Center Cape May has more than $50 million in authorized projects to expand its recruit living quarters and begin planning for the construction of a new multi-purpose, all-weather training facility.
“These new buildings would be revolutionary for our program and our people,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Radford Hoffpauir, command master chief of Training Center Cape May. “We’ve needed a new gym and indoor track for our recruits to safely take their physical fitness tests during our rainy, snowy, or extremely high temperature days. This facility would also include a multi-purpose facility for large indoor functions such as our weekly recruit graduations, official ceremonies, and all-hands meetings and inspections. Admiral Linda Fagan, our commandant of the Coast Guard says, ‘Tomorrow looks different, and so will we,’ and we’re really embodying that here because in addition to expanding our facilities, we’re expanding our reach for potential recruits too.”
The Coast Guard has recently found success with the new joint-service English Language Training Program (ELTP), which allows the service to take prospective recruits with limited English language capabilities and send them to school with the U.S. Army to learn English full-time. They return to Coast Guard boot camp once they have graduated the language program and integrate back in with a company to train toward becoming a Coast Guard service member. As of May 2023, five recruits have attended and graduated from the ELTP; all five also successfully completed Coast Guard basic training and are now working in the fleet. Training Center Cape May currently has four more recruits enrolled in the ELTP, with two more slated for the near future.
In addition, Training Center Cape May has also recently tested the limits and capabilities of the current eight-week recruit training program itself by piloting a new 10-week recruit training beta program. With the extended two weeks of recruit training, the training center has incorporated more physical fitness sessions, more stretching and recovery sessions, and has introduced a new “Coast Guard Toughness” program into their new basic training beta company to develop stronger, more resilient recruits to send to the fleet.
Training Center Cape May’s mission is to transform the recruits of today into the Coast Guard men and women of tomorrow. They take civilian volunteers and put them under eight weeks of pressure, sharpening their wits and reaction times, forging them into the hardworking, dedicated servicemembers that shine and embody the Coast Guard’s core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty. They forge diamonds for the fleet, and it’s only appropriate that the Coast Guard celebrates their training center’s 75th anniversary – their diamond anniversary – with a bit of a flourish and recognize their most important training asset: Their People.
“As we pay homage to all Coast Guard members and their families for the past 75 years, please know when you visit Training Center Cape May, you are always welcome home,” said Capt. Judge.
Personnel at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May hold a public Memorial Day Weekend Sunset Parade to honor Coast Guard Gold Star families, May 28, 2023, in Cape May, N.J.. The Coast Guard Gold Star Program is the Coast Guard’s official program for providing long-term support to surviving families of Coast Guard members who die while in an Active status. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Personnel at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May hold a public Memorial Day Weekend Sunset Parade to honor Coast Guard Gold Star families, May 28, 2023, in Cape May, N.J.. The Coast Guard Gold Star Program is the Coast Guard’s official program for providing long-term support to surviving families of Coast Guard members who die while in an Active status. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Quebec-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 12, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Quebec-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 12, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Quebec-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 12, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Quebec-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 12, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Sierra-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 26, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Sierra-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 26, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
May 12, 2024-Updated 5/13 to include three firefighters sent to hospital.
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Not that there were many people awake and on hand to witness it, but the bravery of Trenton firefighters was once again on full display early this Mother’s Day Sunday morning (May 12, 2024) as they battled a three-alarm blaze that burned three rowhouses in the Wilbur section of the city. Three firefighters, among a group who had to “bail out” of the structures to avoid being caught in a violent eruption of flame known as a flashover, suffered burns and were rushed to hospital by ambulance.
The blaze in the row of three homes numbered 118, 120 and 122 South Cook Avenue was reported about 4:30 a.m.
Initially, firefighters were dispatched for a report of a fire on the first floor of the supposedly vacant, abandoned house at 118 South Cook Avenue. Dispatched at that time were Engines 6, 7 and 10, Ladder 4, and Rescue 1. Heavy fire and smoke was showing from both floors of the two-story structure, with flames starting to spread into the other two occupied homes in the row, when Engine 7 arrived on the scene. The “All Hands” signal for a working fire was immediately transmitted, which sent the remainder of the first alarm – Engine 3, Ladder 2 and Special Services 1 – to the scene. A second alarm, which brought Engine 1 to the scene, was quickly ordered by Battalion Chief Dave Smolka.
Firefighters quickly put a water cannon known as a “deck gun” in service in an effort to halt additional spread of fire from 118 South Cook Avenue. Simultaneously, they also stretched hoselines into the adjacent structures to extinguish the flames that had already extended into the interiors of those homes.
Despite their best efforts, interior conditions rapidly worsened to where firefighters had to back out for safety reasons. As they were making their way toward the exits, a flashover reportedly occurred and some firefighters narrowly avoided getting caught in the blowtorch of heat and flame generated by the sudden explosion of fire. As it was, two firefighters were burned and were rushed via ambulance to Capital Health Regional Medical Center. While their burns were reportedly of a serious nature they were not believed to be life threatening, according to emergency personnel at the scene.
The third alarm – which brought all remaining on-duty Trenton fire companies (Engines 8 and 9 and Ladder 1) to the scene – was ordered at 4:51 a.m. As a steady rain fell, firefighters fought the blaze with multiple hoselines. Much of the roof of the vacant house at 118 South Cook Avenue where the fire had originated soon collapsed. Once the bulk of the fire was knocked down and it was safe to resume interior operations, firefighters went back inside both 120 and 122 South Cook Avenue to expose and extinguish concealed pockets of fire burning in the attic spaces and walls.
The fire was officially declared under control at 6:47 a.m. by Trenton Fire Department Deputy Chief Gus Tackacs.
Trenton Emergency Medical Service crews, Capital Health paramedics, and a mutual aid ambulance crew from Lawrence Township, along with the city’s volunteer fire and police canteen unit, Signal 22, were on hand to support firefighters. The Red Cross was called out to assist displaced residents of 120 and 122 South Cook Avenue.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation by investigators from the Trenton fire and police departments, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the state Division of Fire Safety.
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ — The U.S. Air Force is celebrating 100 years of Air Refueling, and the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. will embark on aerial refueling demonstrations with mission partners throughout the United States and overseas on Tuesday, June 27, 2023
The United States Air Force invites the American public to join to observe flyovers of our air refuelers above communities across the country and around the world, honoring 100 years of aerial refueling excellence.
The flyover will begin with one KC-135, 8 KC-46s, and 6 C-17s departing from the 305th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The route of flight will be visible from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Landmarks. There will be two formations flying the route, approximately 20 minutes apart, and approximate local times are:
New York: (Updated Flight Path)
Ithaca 1:23 PM
Buffalo 1:43 PM
Niagara 1:51 PM
Rochester 2:01 PM
Syracuse 2:14 PM
Albany 2:34 PM
New Jersey:
1:03 p.m. Asbury Park, NJ
1:10 p.m. Barnegat Light, NJ
1:17 p.m. Atlantic City NJ
1:25 p.m. Cape May, NJ
1:42 p.m. Philadelphia Airport
Please note these times are subject to change due to potential mission requirements.
With weather in mind, please continue to monitor any updates on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JointBaseMcGuireDixLakehurst/
With 100 years of experience, today’s U.S. Air Force air refueling capabilities deliver unrivaled rapid global reach for U.S. forces and our Allies and partners through the mobility air forces fleet of KC-46, KC-135 and KC-10 tankers. Aerial refueling serves as a force multiplier, increasing the speed, range, lethality, flexibility and versatility of combat aircraft. Tankers also carry cargo and passengers, perform aeromedical evacuations, and enable strategic deterrence for the United States.
“Air refueling propels our Nation’s air power across the skies, unleashing its full potential,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, Air Mobility Command commander. “It connects our strategic vision with operational reality, ensuring we can reach any corner of the globe with unwavering speed and precision. Air refueling embodies our resolve to defend freedom and project power, leaving an indelible mark on aviation history.”
Innovation and tenacity, hallmark characteristics of Airmen throughout the service’s history, delivered the game-changing capability, once deemed impossible.
In the continued pursuit of advanced capabilities and increased endurance, U.S. Army Air Service aviators pulled off the impossible on June 27, 1923. On that day, 1st Lt. Virgil Hine and 1st Lt. Frank W. Seifert, flying a DH-4B, passed gasoline through a hose to another DH-4B flying beneath it carrying Capt. Lowell H. Smith and 1st Lt. John P. Richter, accomplishing the first aerial refueling.
One hundred years later, the United States Air Force celebrates these Airmen’s tenacity and innovative will that is still thriving in Airmen’s spirits today.
This critical capability is essential for the Department of Defense’s most vital missions. To remain relevant in the current and future security environments, the Air Force is in the process of recapitalizing its tanker fleet with the ongoing acquisition of the KC-46A and accelerating its pursuit of the next-generation air refueling system (NGAS), announced in March – propelling forward the capability developed and entrusted to Airmen a century ago.
“As we embark on the next 100 years of air refueling, we will continue to strengthen our air mobility excellence,” said Minihan. “We must leverage the remarkable capabilities of air refueling to preserve peace, protect freedom, and bring hope to the world. As Mobility Airmen, we write the next chapter of air refueling.”
Air Mobility Command salutes the visionaries who challenged the status quo of yesteryears while we inspire the next generation of dreamers and out-of-the box thinkers for the challenges ahead.
HAMILTON, NJ (MERCER) — On Saturday, February 10th, St. Raphael School Board held its annual Golden Ticket event to benefit St. Raphael School. About 200 parish and community members gathered to honor the St. Raphael Holy Angels ushers and the Hollendonner family with an evening of dinner, dancing, and celebration. The event committee includes members of St. Raphael Holy Angels Parish, school board and PTA members, and is chaired by Lori Danko as a member of the St. Raphael School board. ”I am thrilled that the community is keeping the Catholic school spirit alive,” Danko said. This year Danko and her committee raised over $13,000.
Father Gene Daguplo reported, “I’m pleased to announce that in just three short years, our Golden Ticket Committee has raised over $50,000 for St. Raphael School by hosting annual receptions honoring members of our parish community. These events have served as both a celebration of all the great things that St. Raphael Holy Angels Parish accomplishes throughout the community, as well as a financial benefit to grow our academic and enrichment offerings in our school.” St. Raphael School is now one of the fastest growing schools in the Diocese of Trenton, and just achieved number one in improving student STAR testing scores in the diocese. Joseph Slavin, longtime Hamilton Township School district educator and current principal of St. Raphael School said, “What a great evening!!! Once again the Golden Ticket
event shows why St. Raphael is the best. The dedication, kindness and love shown by our Catholic school and our community is evident everyday.”
The Golden Ticket event is held annually and is being planned for February 2025.
On Workers Memorial Day, April 28, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration remembers and honors all the workers in New Jersey and across the country who have lost their lives due to an injury, illness or disease on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports approximately 5,486 people died as a result of workplace injuries in 2022.
In New Jersey, 32 workers lost their lives in 2023.
As we remember the fallen, we reflect on the lasting impact these fatalities have had on families, friends, co-workers and communities at-large, and mourn with all of them. These tragedies are compounded by the knowledge that most workplace fatalities are preventable when employers follow required safety standards, have proper controls in place and make safety and health programs a priority. Good jobs change lives. And good jobs are safe jobs.
A safe workplace isn’t a privilege; it’s every worker’s right.
On Workers Memorial Day and throughout the year, we all need to work together to make sure employers embrace safety and health as a core value in their operations so that every worker goes home safely, every day. We also must remember each one of us has a role to play. If you are aware of, or witness workplace dangers — or feel unsafe on the job — don’t ignore the hazards. Speak up and share your concerns with your employer. If nothing changes, contact your local OSHA office. Reports can be made confidentially.
As we honor those workers unable to come home on Workers Memorial Day, let us all reaffirm our commitment to helping make sure that no one has to sacrifice their life for a paycheck.
-OSHA’s Administrator for the New York Region, Richard Mendelson
The writer for the above editorial is OSHA’s Administrator for the New York Region, Richard Mendelson
A Proclamation on Workers Memorial Day, 2024
A job is about more than a paycheck — it is about dignity and respect. Our Nation’s workers built this country, and we need to have their backs. On the most basic level, that means every worker in this Nation deserves to be safe on the job. Too many still risk their lives or well-being in unsafe work conditions or dangerous roles. On Workers Memorial Day, we honor our fallen and injured workers and recommit to making sure every worker has the peace of mind of knowing that they are protected at work and can return home safe to their families every night.
I am proud to be the most pro-labor President in history, and from day one, my Administration has fought to make workplaces safer and fairer. Our American Rescue Plan invested $200 million into keeping workers safe during the pandemic and guaranteeing that workers had sick leave available if they got COVID-19. We also used the full power of the Defense Production Act to deliver personal protective equipment to workers who needed it. We vaccinated 230 million Americans so they could return to offices, stores, factory floors, and more without worrying about their health.
Strong unions are at the core of all of this work. Every major law that protects workers’ safety passed because unions fought for it. That is why, as my Administration makes the biggest investment in our Nation’s infrastructure in generations, we are also incentivizing companies to hire union workers, pay prevailing wages, and support pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships that help workers learn how to safely do the job. At the same time, my Administration finalized a rule requiring Project Labor Agreements for most large-scale Federal construction projects, helping ensure these projects are completed safely, efficiently, and on time.
I am proud of my work standing up for unions, from being the first sitting President to walk a picket line to nominating union advocates to the National Labor Relations Board, which has helped protect the right to organize. I also signed Executive Orders restoring and expanding collective bargaining rights for the Federal workforce, and I re-established labor-management forums at Federal agencies to ensure Federal workers on the job are heard. I signed the Butch Lewis Act, protecting the pensions that millions of Americans worked their whole lives for. I have expanded coverage through the Affordable Care Act and slashed prescription drug prices, making health care more affordable for millions of working families.
At the same time, the Department of Labor has also made it easier for whistleblowers to report unsafe working conditions, regardless of their immigration status, and are hiring and training hundreds of workplace inspectors to ensure employers are meeting health and safety requirements. Last year, my Administration issued the first-ever heat Hazard Alert to protect millions of farm, construction, and other workers who spend their days outside in increasingly extreme heat. We also finalized a new rule to limit miners’ exposure to toxic silica dust — protecting more than 250,000 from its harmful effects. The Department of Labor has also ramped up the enforcement of heat-safety rules, conducting more than 4,000 heat inspections in the past 2 years. They have also completed over 65,000 workplace safety and health inspections since 2022, helping keep workers in high-risk industries safe. Further, my Administration published a rule that allows workers to choose a representative to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration official during a workplace inspection, ensuring workers are being heard. The Department of Labor is working to develop a national standard to protect indoor and outdoor workers from extreme heat that can be hazardous to their health.
We are also fighting for the courageous first responders who routinely run toward danger to protect the rest of us. The Department of Labor proposed a rule that would strengthen safety standards for emergency responder equipment, training, and vehicle operations for the first time in more than 40 years. These new standards would transform many current industry best practices to requirements and could prevent thousands of injuries for more than one million brave first responders across the country. I was also proud to sign the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act, which boosted pay for over 10,000 Federal firefighters to help recruit more to the job, because I know that nothing keeps firefighters safe like more firefighters. We are also committed to protecting firefighters from the harmful effects of toxic “forever chemicals”, which are still too often found in firefighting equipment and fire suppression agents. I signed legislation extending the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program to firefighters who are permanently disabled and to families of firefighters who die after experiencing trauma like PTSD — it will not bring their loved ones back, but we owe them.
Today, our Nation is in the midst of a great comeback. Our economy is growing, wages are rising, and inflation is down. We have created a record 15 million jobs. On Workers Memorial Day, we recommit to making sure that every worker in this country is safe on the job. We honor those who lost their lives or have been injured on the job; we stand by their families; and we stand with the labor unions that are fighting to guarantee every worker safety, dignity, and respect.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 28, 2024, as Workers Memorial Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate service, community, and education programs and ceremonies in memory of those killed or injured due to unsafe working conditions.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
Middlesex County honors fallen workers at annual Workers Memorial Day event in New Brunswick
MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ – In recognition of Workers Memorial Day, the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners gathered with local dignitaries, representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and leaders from organized labor at the entrance of the Health & Life Science Exchange (HELIX) site on Paterson Street, New Brunswick on Friday, April 26.
“Workers Memorial Day is about remembering those hardworking Americans who lost their lives over the past year as a result of work-related incidents or illness,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios. “Let us pause for a moment to honor the workers who have passed and continue to commit ourselves to doing everything we can to safeguard workers and their families in the future.”
Speakers included Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios; New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin; Michael McLaughlin, Vice President of the Middlesex County Building and Construction Trade Council; Wayne Martiak, President of the Middlesex County AFL-CIO Continuing Labor Council; and Patricia Jones, Area Director U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA, Avenel Area Office.
Held annually on April 28, Workers Memorial Day was established nationally in 1989 in honor of the date the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 went into effect.
Area Director OSHA Avenel Area Office Patricia Jones
Middlesex County AFL-CIO Continuing Labor Council President Wayne Martiak
Middlesex County Building and Construction Trades Council Vice President Michael McLaughlin
Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios
New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin
Reverend Sean Winters from the Diocese of Metuchen
Mayor Reed Gusciora
Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson
The Real Time Crime Center, one such collaboration, is an informational nerve center tying in the Trenton Police Department, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and New Jersey State Police.
Personnel at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May hold a public Memorial Day Weekend Sunset Parade to honor Coast Guard Gold Star families, May 28, 2023, in Cape May, N.J.. The Coast Guard Gold Star Program is the Coast Guard’s official program for providing long-term support to surviving families of Coast Guard members who die while in an Active status. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Quebec-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 12, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Quebec-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 12, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
Graduates from recruit company Sierra-203 complete basic training at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., May 26, 2023. Training Center Cape May personnel develop an aligned, positioned and trained workforce employed to provide efficient and effective services, and ensures the workforce receives the tools, resources and training to maximize our mission effectiveness. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Kearney)
