New Jersey and federal crews are battling flames at Worthington State Forest, at a popular hiking spot in Warren County, next to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Eric Weber is the incident commander and says this isn't an easy fire to work on. "It's pretty steep and rugged. It's probably the steepest terrain in the state of New Jersey," Weber says. The fire began Sunday afternoon along the Red Dot trail overlooking the Water Gap. Weber says firefighters will continue to work throughout the day until the fire is extinguished.
An East Stroudsburg man faces numerous charges, including burglary and theft. 34-year-old Robert Szlasa robbed a Middle Smithfield Township home back in October, getting away with a revolver and other items. Szlasa was arrested days later after a burglary at a pet store. He reportedly admitted to selling the stolen gun at a flea market.
A Monroe County man is in the hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg. Police found 27-year-old Shawn MacManus Sunday with a gunshot wound in Middle Smithfield Township. It's believed that MacManus was injured when a bullet from his gun ricocheted while target shooting at his Arnold Drive home. The incident remains under investigation.
The annual THON at Penn State University raised nearly $11.7 million over 46 straight hours of dancing. These students are tired, sore, but happy. "To see that number, it's incredible," one dancer said. The largest student-run philanthropic event in the world has raised nearly $180 million since it began in 1977, with that money benefiting pediatric cancer patients and their families at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
New Jersey's governor says he's likely battling cancer. Phil Murphy will have surgery next month to remove a tumor from his kidney and that's when doctors will know if it's malignant. Nearly all tumors like this turn out to be, but the 62-year-old doesn't think he'll need chemotherapy. He says it was caught early and considers himself "incredibly fortunate." The lieutenant governor will step in while Murphy recovers.
New Jersey homeland security officials say extremist and white supremacist groups are the most persistent hostile actors in the state. The state has raised the threat level on such groups from moderate to high. Homeland security officials point to such incidents as the attack that killed Jersey City Detective Joseph Seals and five others in December. They remind residents that if they see something suspicious, they should say something to authorities.