Category: SOUTH JERSEY

Murphy Comments on Minimum Wage Hike

Rise in Minimum Wage to $11/Hour Directly Benefits Nearly 200,000 New Jerseyans

TRENTON

– Governor Phil Murphy welcomed New Jersey’s second statewide minimum wage increase from $10 to $11 per hour, taking effect today, January 1, 2020. The increase is part of a gradual increase in the minimum wage to $15/hour under legislation signed by Governor Murphy in February 2019. When Governor Murphy took office in 2018, the State’s minimum

wage was $8.60 per hour.

CNBNews graphic files

“New Jerseyans working full-time deserve fair, livable wages,”

said Governor Murphy

. “With our second statewide minimum wage increase, we are following through on our commitment to give more workers the opportunity to join the middle class, which will strengthen our economy over the long-term.”

“Paying workers a fair wage for their work promotes economic and employment stability, and gives lower wage earners a chance to achieve economic independence”

said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo

. “It helps both employers and employees to have a workforce that feels adequately compensated and able to afford basic necessities such as rent, groceries, and electricity.”

“This is the next step in my continued fight to elevate New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 an hour with a multi-step plan that puts more take-home-pay into the hands of working people and more money into the state’s economy,”

said Senate President Steve Sweeney

, who authored the prior laws that increased the minimum wage as well as the constitutional amendment requiring cost-of-living increases. “Increasing the pay of minimum wage workers is not only the right thing to do, it is a smart way to fuel economic growth and productivity. Steady increases will provide greater economic fairness for minimum wage workers, helping to improve their standard of living and their quality of life so they can better support themselves and their families. This is also a step forward in bridging the wealth gap as we strive to build a high-wage economy that respects the dignity of each and every worker.”

“With the new year comes a new minimum wage in New Jersey as we increase it to $11-an-hour,”

said Speaker Craig Coughlin

. “Too many workers aren’t earning enough to make ends meet, but, that is changing for New Jersey residents and future generations, as we continue to gradually raise the minimum wage and help alleviate poverty across our great state.”

Currently, approximately 192,000 workers in New Jersey make between $10 and $10.99 per hour, according to U.S. Census Bureau Monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) data, and will therefore directly benefit from the increase.

Seasonal and small employers were given a longer timeline under the law to reach $15 per hour in order to lessen the impact on their businesses. Agricultural and tipped workers are guided by separate minimum wage timetables.

As of January 1, 2020, seasonal employers and those with fewer than six workers must pay a minimum wage of $10.30 per hour.

To view the full minimum wage chart, click

here

.

The Top 5 New Jersey Lottery Prizes of 2019

TRENTON (Dec. 31, 2019)

– New Jersey Lottery is closing out 2019 and looking to celebrate its 50

th

anniversary in 2020. More than 40 prizes over $1,000,000 were won in 2019! Here’s a quick look at the top five prizes won by New Jersey players in 2019.

1:      $273,000,000 – Mega Millions

The Mega Millions drawing on March 1, 2019, produced a $273,000,000 jackpot winning ticket in Phillipsburg, Warren County. The prize was claimed by Michael Weirsky of Alpha, New Jersey. Michael almost missed the opportunity with his ticket when he temporarily forgot it at the store after purchasing the ticket. A Good Samaritan at the store held the ticket for safe keeping and returned it to Michael – all before the drawing took place.

2:      $9,500,000 – Pick-6

The Pick-6 drawing on September 30, 2019, produced a $9,500,000 jackpot winning ticket in Newark, Essex County. As of now, the ticket has not yet been claimed. The lucky ticketholder will have one year from the date of the drawing to claim their prize. The winning numbers were 14, 22, 26, 29, 36 and 48.

3 & 4:          $5,000,000 – Lucky 7’s

Two lucky New Jersey players hit it big with the $5,000,000 Lucky 7’s Scratch-Offs game. The first ticket was claimed in May, and was purchased at the Quick Shop in Franklin Lakes, Bergen County. The second ticket was claimed just two months later in July, and was purchased at Oprandy’s Wine & Liquor in Englewood, Bergen County.

5:      $4,500,000 – Pick-6

The Pick-6 jackpot was hit in 2019 for the first time on February 25 in Kearny, Hudson County. The ticket was claimed by Stanley McKelvin of Linden, who was overwhelmed when he realized he won. \”I don\’t want to sound cliché, but they say all you need is a dollar and a dream, and it\’s true,\” Stanley said.

Honorable mentions:

A 200X The Money Bonus ticket worth $4,000,000, sold in Cedar Grove, was claimed in October.

A $3,000,000 Cash Out jackpot-winning ticket, sold in Vineland, was claimed in February.

Another $3,000,000 Cash Out jackpot-winning ticket, sold in Cape May, was claimed in September.

New Jersey Lottery would like to congratulate all of its winners in 2019. We are looking forward to our 50

th

Anniversary in 2020 and the new winners the year may bring.

NJ ranks #5 state in U.S. where people want to learn new tech skills in 2020

New Year\’s Day inspires many Americans to make resolutions that will secure them a better and brighter future— both professionally and personally!

Starting a tech career requires technical background and knowledge of at least one of the popular programming languages. To get those skills you need to either finish a coding course or learn this path on your own by reading tons of articles over the Internet. As the second option is at no doubt a cheaper option, but finishing a coding boot camp would be faster and in most of cases guarantee that you\’ll have a job offer at the very end of the course. To find a course that suits your goals, check the full list of coding boot camps on

BootcampRankings

.

Codecademy

, the interactive online learning community teaching millions of people the expertise they need to upgrade their careers and lives, polled 1,000 employed U.S. residents to find out their top skills-based New Year\’s resolutions related to technology.

The survey uncovered interesting data, and Codecademy CEO and Co-Founder Zach Sims has some expert analysis on the findings.

1. Some 62% of employed U.S. residents plan on making a resolution to gain or improve a tech-related skill in 2020.

According to survey respondents, the three most in-demand Natural Processing Languages they want to learn in 2020 are Python, SQL, and Javascript.

The top 5 U.S. states where residents plan make resolutions to improve their tech skills were:

1. New York (71%)

2. ​​​Ohio (70%)

3. Pennsylvania (69%)

4. Maryland (67%)

5. New Jersey (66%)

Sims says: \”When people learn to write code, they’re embarking on a journey of personal transformation that emanates into every other part of their lives. It helps people realize their personal and professional potential, and teaches them to become problem-solvers.\”

2. Personal growth and lifelong learning are the top motivators for people to learn a new skill in 2020.

Approximately 57% of respondents say \”self-betterment\” is the prime driving force to learn a new hard skill in 2020. Professional growth is the second biggest motivator with 23%, and the potential to earn or save more money was the third most popular motivator with 20% of respondents.

\”Learning is a lifelong journey requiring someone to experiment, make mistakes, and devise solutions to problems. As Codecademy\’s audience becomes much more mainstream, the path to learning is no longer the straight path it used to be. Learners have a much more dynamic learning journey and there is an opportunity to bring programming and coding to the masses along this new path,\” Sims says.

3. Nearly 82% of U.S. respondents said they think coding and programming resolutions have the most universal growth potential– both personally and professionally.

\”Hard skills like SQL and Java are going to continue to be in high demand for the foreseeable future, but another coding language I suggest all people learn is Python. It is an ideal skill to learn in the new year because it is in high demand (about 18% of tech job postings asked candidates to understand Python in 2019) and also because it is designed to be easy to read and learn,\” says Sims.

4. Nearly 73% of respondents said that the best way for them to master a new skill is to \’learn by doing.\’

Similarly, 23% said receiving timely feedback is crucial for them to be successful in skills-based learning.

\”Codecademy believes that \’when one teaches, two learn.\’ This quote can be attributed to Robert Heinlein. To turn that belief into a reality for people learning to code, we built an online community with tens of thousands of members,\” says Sims.

Across the globe, people meet and connect on their learning journeys, helping to motivate one another, celebrate accomplishments, and debug code.

The forums

and our Facebook group are open to all, and there\’s also an exclusive community for Pro members.\”

5. Roughly 68% of U.S. residents say they have completed a skills-based resolution in the past, and 57% believe they are likely to complete their resolutions this year.

\”Learning to code is a vehicle for evolving ourselves. It empowers people everywhere to build something meaningful,\” says Sims, who believes in not just his company, but also in the power coding brings to those who learn and utilize the skill.

For the new year, Codecademy wants to make sure that the people making resolutions to learn new skills not only have the resources they need but also the support to keep their goals alive for the entire year.

So how can people get a jumpstart on their resolutions and learn better themselves by learning to code in the new year? Codecademy is offering a limited edition promo campaigning the first week and last week in January, offering 20% off its Codecademy Pro membership.

Codecademy Pro boasts exclusive courses, features, a mobile application, live support, and invaluable other tools to help accelerate the learning process. More info is available at

www.codecademy.com/2020

.

NJ-Pick 6 Hits $5.4 Million for Jan. 2 Drawing

TRENTON (Dec. 31, 2019) – The Pick-6 drawing on December 30 produced five winners of $5,367 for matching five out of six white balls drawn. The $5.4 million drawing will be held Thursday, January 2, 2020.

The winning numbers for the Monday, December 30, drawing were: 13, 15, 24, 26, 43 and 48. The XTRA Multiplier was: 02. By adding XTRA for an additional $1.00 per play, winners are able to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by the XTRA number drawn.

Acting Executive Director James Carey announced that there were 536,771 tickets purchased for the drawing and of those sold, thousands were prizewinners! For correctly matching four numbers, 395 ticket holders won $65 each and 58 others won $130 each with the addition of XTRA. Moreover, for correctly matching three numbers 7,166 ticketholders won $3.00 each and 1,039 others won $6 each with the addition of XTRA. Lastly 8,685 ticketholders each won $2.00 for correctly matching two numbers with the addition of XTRA on their purchase.

###

All New Jersey Lottery game winning numbers and drawings for the Pick-3, Pick-4, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-6, CASH4LIFE and 5 Card Cash games can be viewed on the NJ Lottery website (www.NJLottery.com) or on the official Lottery Facebook Page. Evening draws, with the exception of CASH4LIFE and 5 Card Cash, can be seen on WPIX-TV (PIX11) in New York and WPHL-TV (PHL17) in Philadelphia. Powerball and Mega Millions drawings can be seen on WABC-TV or WTXF stations.

How to Plan a Christian Wedding Ceremony

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 2, 2019)–There are

2.4 million weddings each year

in the United States. If you\’re engaged, congratulations! Now it\’s time to start planning.

Planning your wedding can be quite a challenge. It\’s important to remember what\’s important to you in order to keep your priorities straight. If you want a Christian-focused wedding, remember to keep it at the forefront of your planning.

Looking to have the perfect Christian wedding ceremony? We\’re here to help. Here are our tips for planning a Christian wedding.

Marriage Preparation Courses

There are several courses offered by churches around the country. It\’s a great way to prepare for the trials of marriage. It will also present a chance to find out more about your future spouse.

Start counseling early and meet often. They\’ll offer you a nice reprieve to talk with your spouse about something other than the wedding.

Choose the Right Venue

The venue is an important part of any Christian wedding ceremony. And it doesn\’t necessarily have to be at a church to be Christian.

There are plenty of

venue options

outside of the traditional church setting. The most important part is making your vows before God in a location you love with the people that you love.

Don\’t Focus Solely on Yourself

Your wedding is a day for not just you and your future spouse. It is also an event joining your two families together. Find a way to involve the family members you love at the wedding.

While those around you will want to serve you, consider serving them as Christ has served you. Get to know your vendors, and bring gifts to those that help you. Be sure to talk with your friends about what\’s going on in their lives, not just about the wedding.

Plan Your Service

Planning your service is worth thought and preparation. Consider what songs and verses are important to you and representative of your relationship.

Here are the important parts of your service.

Processional and Wedding March

: First the grandparents and parents are seated. Then the minister and groom enter, followed by the wedding party. Finally, the bride enters escorted by her father.

Call to Worship and Opening Prayer

: These are opening remarks asking your guests to take part with you in worship. The opening prayer gives thanks and calls for God\’s blessing upon the service.

Giving Away the Bride and Worship Song:

This important part of the ceremony includes your families. Then a song or hymn is played which should be used as an expression of worship.

The Charge and Pledge:

The charge given by the minister reminds the couple of their marriage duties and roles. The pledge is the famous \”I do\” part of the ceremony.

Wedding Vows and Ring Exchange:

The couple promises publicly and before God to help each other grow. The rings are a promise to remain faithful to one another.

Unity Candle:

This symbolizes the union of the couple\’s hearts and lives together.

Communion:

Many couples choose to take communion as their first act in their marriage.

Pronouncement and Closing Prayer:

Here, the minister declares the couple as married. The closing prayer offers a blessing from the congregation.

Recessional:

First the couple leaves, presented as Mr. and Mrs. for the first time. Then the wedding party exists in the reverse order that they entered the ceremony.

Now You\’re Ready for a Christian Wedding Ceremony

Now you know how to plan the perfect Christian wedding ceremony. With these tips, you\’ll be able to focus on what really matters during your big day. For more lifestyle news and commentary, bookmark CNBNews.

Letters to the Editor: A new DECADE of possibilities

John F. Kennedy once said

“We

choose to go to the moon in this decade!”

So We the People stepped up — and

we went to the moon

.

Ronald Reagan once said

“Freedom

is never more than one generation away from extinction!”

So We the People stepped up — and

freedom rang throughout our nation

.

Donald Trump once said

“Let’s

Make America Great Again!”

And once again,

We the People are stepping up

.

2020 marks the beginning of a new decade of American ingenuity, progress and innovation. As we move forward into the new year together, I hope you will work with me to make 2020 a

Decade for the PEOPLE

.

That means no more indoctrination of children. Affirming our right to self-defense at the highest levels. Implementing policies that put our nation FIRST and KEEP AMERICA GREAT.

Cory Booker and the Democrats think that 2020 is

their

year — for more cronyism, more deception, more corruption.

Let’s show them how wrong they are.

Happy New Year,

Hirsh V. Singh

For the People

Republican for U.S. Senate

Two Suspects Involved in Home Invasion in Gloucester Township; Home Owner Murdered

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP NJ –Rosealee Gomez, 36, of Franklinville, NJ, and Chamberlin Robinson, 41, of Vineland, NJ, were each charged in connection with a home invasion in Gloucester Township. Gomez was charged with one count of Felony Murder and Burglary, and Robinson was charged with one count of Murder, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins.

On October 23, 2019, at approximately 9:50 p.m., the Gloucester Township Police Department responded to reports of shots fired on Yorkshire Road in Gloucester Township. When officers arrived, they located the victim, Kevin Carter, 26, of Gloucester Township, on the ground suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. During the course of the investigation, detectives learned that Kevin Carter was killed during an alleged home invasion.

Rosalee Gomez was apprehended by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) at her residence in Franklinville on December 31, 2019. She was remanded to the Camden County Jail pending a pretrial detention hearing. Chamberlin Robinson is currently being held in the Cumberland County Jail on an unrelated matter.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Authorities are still seeking additional information.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Jeremy Jankowski at (856) 580-5950 or Gloucester Township Police Detective Scott Obermier at (856) 228-4500.

Information may also be emailed to

ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org

All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Released Thursday, January 2, 2020.

Letters to the Editor: Proud to be a Republican

I\’m Jeff Van Drew. I met with President Trump last week in the Oval Office; and with his blessing and endorsement, I\’m proud to say that I\’m now a member of the Republican Party representing

South Jersey in Congress.

Since my announcement, a ton of folks have asked, \”Why did you leave the Democratic Party?\” My answer is simple: \”

I didn\’t leave the Democrats, the Democrats left me.\”

You see, I\’ve always been for fiscal responsibility and supported things like our right to bear arms. And in today\’s Democratic Party, which is dominated by self-proclaimed socialists, I was ostracized.

When I was told by Nancy Pelosi that I had to vote \”YES\” on impeachment, I knew that was the last straw. It was time to walk away…

Now, I\’m facing a critical end-of-year fundraising deadline. Can I count on your support?

Chip in $100 before the end of 2019>>>

Chip in $75 before the end of 2019>>>

Chip in $50 before the end of 2019>>>

Chip in another amount before the end of 2019>>>

It\’s no secret that my conservative positions have never made the Democrat Party leadership happy — whether it\’s protecting the 2nd Amendment or fighting tax increases or fighting to build the wall (not to mention voting AGAINST Nancy Pelosi for Speaker), I\’ve always been more at home among Republicans than the extreme Democrats.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Jeff Van Drew

Francis L. Clancy, of Bellmawr age 60

Francis L. Clancy, on January 1, 2020, of Bellmawr. Age 60.

Beloved husband of Carolina (nee Reyes) for 34 years. Devoted father of Brian Clancy (Danyelle) and Sean Clancy. Loving Pop Pop of Conan Joseph. Loving son of Leona (nee Alsdorf) and the late Francis Clancy. Dear brother of Stella Clancy and William Clancy. Also survived by cousins.

There will be a viewing from 1 to 3pm Sunday afternoon at GARDNER FUNERAL HOME, RUNNEMEDE.

Service and interment private.

Family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Frank’s memory to Alzheimer’s Assoc., 3 Eves Dr., Suite 310, Marlton, NJ 08053 or to Camden County Animal Shelter, 125 County House Rd., Blackwood, NJ 08012.

Patricia M. Pryzwara, of Gloucester City; Member of St. Mary\’s Parish; Catholic Daughters of America

Gloucester City – On December 29, 2019. Age 89. (nee Mischler). Loving and devoted wife of the late Joseph A. Pryzwara. Loving mother of Rita Johnson (Bohdan Anniuk), Patti Pryzwara (Ken MacAdams) and Frank Pryzwara (late Fran). Cherished grandmother of Max Pryzwara. Beloved

sister of Peggy Feil, Joan Storey (Dan), the late Judy McAree (surv. Fran), Bill Mischler (Leslie), Maureen Wexler (Larry) and Joey Mischler (Susan). Beloved sister-in-law of the late Adolf Pryzwara (late Ceil), the late Edward Pryzwara, Lillian Villanova (Emilio) and Dot MacLennan (late John). Also survived by many loving nieces and nephews and her beloved dog, Coco.

Pat was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America Court Giese 439 and a  parishioner of St. Mary’s church in Gloucester City, where she taught CCD special education. Pat worked many years alongside her daughter, Patti at her salon in Haddonfield, China Clipper.

Relatives and friends are invited to her viewing on Saturday morning January 4th,  from 9 to 10:30 AM at the McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME, 851 Monmouth St., Gloucester City. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday at 11 AM in St. Mary’s Church, Gloucester City. Interment St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Chews Landing.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to Msgr. Lucitt’s Needy Children’s Fund, P.O. Box 87, Gloucester City, NJ 08030 or St. Rita Of Cascia Parish, 1166 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19146. Please memo, Patricia M. Pryzwara.

Condolences and Memories may be shared at www.mccannhealey.com under the obituary of Patricia M. Pryzwara. Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries through:  McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME, Gloucester City, NJ.  Ph: 856-456-1142.