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Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, Township takeover.

Franklin Township's police department is taken over by the county after a double murder-suicide raises concerns over its operations.

Plus, what's in the water?

New findings reveal just how widespread the problems are at the beleaguered Trenton Water Works utility.

They threw out 90% of the samples because it was a fraudulent water sampler.

So if we went basically a whole year not knowing what the quality of the water was.

Also, the latest on the New Jersey governor's race.

We've got a summer edition of Reporter's Roundtable with some of the state's top journalists.

The most recent polls show a single-digit race and that's kind of what insiders are telling me, that's kind of how they feel.

That it is a single-digit close race and that a lot can change and a lot's going to happen in the final few months of this race.

And making history.

New Jersey native Jen Powell will become the first woman to umpire a regular Major League Baseball season game.

NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

[music] From NJ PBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Brianna Vanozzi.

Good evening and thanks for joining us on this Friday night.

I'm Brianna Vanozzi.

We begin with a few of today's top stories.

First, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office has taken control of Franklin Township's Police Department amid a double murder-suicide investigation involving a state trooper.

The prosecutor's office cited serious concerns with the department's operations and also placed the township's police chief and a sergeant on administrative leave.

New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Ricardo Santos is said to have killed his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Lauren Semanchik and the man she had been dating, 29-year-old Tyler Webb, before taking his own life.

Santos, who was once assigned to protect top state officials including Governor Murphy, had reportedly stalked and harassed Semanchik for months after their breakup.

Her family says she went to local police for help but got little response.

In separate statements this week, both the Attorney General's Office and a spokesperson for Governor Murphy said they're waiting for results of the investigation before commenting further but called the situation devastating and a senseless tragedy.

The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office will oversee operations until further notice.

Also tonight, the drama in New Jersey's U.S. Attorney's Office is far from over.

Former first assistant Desiree Gray says she was fired in direct retaliation for being appointed by a panel of federal judges to take over Alina Haba's role as the state's top prosecutor.

Gray is now taking legal action appealing what she says was an unjustified termination from her job, filing a complaint with the U.S.

Merit Systems Protection Board, as first reported by Bloomberg Law.

Now the Justice Department fired Gray on July 22nd, just hours after the judges voted for her to become the acting U.S. Attorney in New Jersey instead of extending the term for President Trump's choice and former personal attorney Alina Haba.

The DOJ then used a complicated political maneuver to keep Haba on as acting U.S. Attorney despite her tenure expiring and no confirmation vote from the U.S. Senate.

It's unlikely though that the Protection Board will be able to reinstate Gray after President Trump fired one of its Democratic appointees earlier this year, making the board unable to decide cases right now.

And in our Spotlight on Business report tonight, forget the bar this weekend.

New Jersey is rolling out something a little greener.

The state has officially opened its first ever consumption lounges for recreational cannabis.

Four licenses were awarded in all two locations in Atlantic City and one in Merchantsville, Camden County now have their doors open to the public, while the fourth approved lounge in Newark has its permits but it's not ready for customers yet.

All are minority women or veteran owned and the move makes history for New Jersey as the first state on the East Coast to open licensed consumption lounges.

The owners of High Rollers and Sunny Teen lounges in Atlantic City, which industry leaders have pegged as the cannabis tourism hub of the state, say they picture their spots as places to relax, hang out and be part of a growing cannabis community.

Atlantic City Police though reported issuing 22 citations for public marijuana use so far this summer.

Officials there say the new lounges may be a key step in curbing smoking in the streets.

Support for The Business Report is provided by the Newark Alliance Presents the 2025 Halsey Fest featuring the vibrancy of Newark's Arts and Education District and Halsey Street.

Halsey, a neighborhood built on hustle and heart.

The 2025 Halsey Fest schedule is available at halseynwk.com.

New documents reveal the situation inside one of the state's most troubled public utilities is even more severe than originally known.

The new findings uncovered by investigative reporter Jeff Pillitz for the Jersey Vindicator show the state had to throw out thousands of water quality tests that threaten waterworks and slap the utility with a hefty fine, all due to, as NJ Spotlight News has reported, fraud, mismanagement and other operational failures, including a criminal indictment pending against an employee who falsified those water reports.

The new revelations come as state regulators are pressuring Trenton leaders to get on board with an effort to regionalize control of the utility.

Jeff Pillitz joins me now to break down what the new discoveries mean for the city of Trenton and the people who rely on the system.

Jeff, good to see you, as always.

I want to start with the top line here.

What exactly did you learn and have we learned about just how deep of a problem this is and how deep it ran within Trenton Waterworks?

Well, we had known for a while, of course, that there were problems and they were deep-seated problems.

But the DEP commissioner, Sean LaTourette, pulled a surprise visit and went public with it.

And he sent out around all these photos showing all sorts of decay.

The roof was caving in.

There were extension cords in water and things like that.

So he seemed to put a lot sharper focus on it.

He seemed to be quite upset.

He claims that it's the worst he's ever seen and the worst water utility in New Jersey and that it's in threat of imminent collapse.

So he's upset.

He's going on the offensive.

And he's taking this thing to a new level now.

Yeah, I mean, the utility itself was fined a couple hundred thousand dollars, found in violation of several things.

But I'm thinking about the safety of the drinking water as well, when, as you report and as we've reported, 90 percent of the samples were thrown out, you know, tossed for being invalid.

What can you tell us about sort of the current status of how folks are feeling in the city and whether or not they should have trust in what they're getting out of their tap?

For the first time, it seems that this issue really seems to have reached down into the populace, into the grassroots.

You look at social media websites around the city, there are dozens of people commenting.

There are people who really seem to be aware now that there is an imminent threat.

The water appears to be safe now, but they said it was safe before, and it turns out they threw out 90 percent of the samples because there was a fraudulent water sampler.

So if we went basically a whole year not knowing what the quality of the water was during that time, so, you know, you can't really say with confidence what the quality of the water is.

I think it's okay.

They say it's okay.

Sean LaTourette and the DEP said it's okay.

But the bottom line is that on any given day it could go bad.

There can be a collapse.

There could be a failure.

And that's what is motivating the DEP about this, Brianna.

Yeah.

I mean, what do you attribute to this, I'll say, a shift in tone from the DEP?

Of course, the sheer fact that the commissioner paid that visit, made the information public.

What type of infighting is happening here?

Why are they sort of ramping up?

Why is this escalating?

I think there's a lot going on in terms of that.

I think that the DEP commissioner is now a short-timer.

The Murphy administration has only got a few months, you know, four or five months left, six months left.

So I think everybody's positioning for what's going to happen next.

The city seems to have changed its tone, too.

They were very--they seem to be very amenable to having a study of a regional authority that would take over, governance of the water authority.

That seems to have changed all of a sudden as these billboards have sprung up around Trenton.

There seems to be a, you know, somewhat of a grassroots push against a takeover.

But to be honest, there's widespread misunderstanding of what it would mean.

The state doesn't really want to take it over at all.

They just want to form a regional authority that would give the suburbs more of a say and provide more financial stability and oversight into what's going on here.

So we've reached a new stage in this infighting, but the outcome is really unclear.

Yeah.

I mean, what's the latest with that, with the plans for regionalizing, where the council stands, and what's really at stake in this fight for control?

The DEP hired a consultant who's going to--who's supposed to study it, but the city hasn't formally signed on to that.

Mayor Gus Yore said he was going to sign on months ago.

He was behind this.

Now all of a sudden he's dragging his feet on it.

The city council is supposed to vote on whether they're going to support this study.

People in city council seem to believe that supporting the study means supporting regionalization, that those two things are equal.

But they're not.

It's just a study, and they would still have to take a vote whether to approve the study and join a regional authority over a year from now when this happens.

So, you know, it's still up in the air.

The bottom line is there's a huge amount of confusion going on and backbiting.

Jeff Pillitz for us.

Jeff, great reporting as always.

Thank you so much for coming on the show.

Thanks, Brianna.

I appreciate it.

Well, summer is supposed to be a time for people to head outdoors and enjoy the state's parks and beaches and nature trails.

But for those with mobility challenges, those simple pleasures can come with a lot of barriers, things like stairs and steep slopes, even uneven surfaces.

Now there are efforts at the state and local level aiming to change that and make the community aware of outdoor spaces that are truly accessible and inclusive.

Ted Goldberg has more.

The accessibility is phenomenal here.

Of the thousand acres open to the public at Duke Farms, more than half of them are wheelchair accessible, allowing folks like Scott Chesney to enjoy the outdoors.

You feel a little bit more connected, and I think that's very important for your emotional well-being, your mental well-being, and obviously that can translate to your physical well-being.

Chesney has used a wheelchair for almost 40 years, and he knows that places deemed accessible aren't always accessible.

That's happened on numerous occasions.

I've traveled to 44 countries, all but four of the United States of America, and this has happened in hotel rooms, this has happened at certain recreation parks, this has happened at certain tourist attractions, and it's frustrating.

In addition to being a motivational speaker, Chesney is a consultant with the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, which has launched a website with the state showing nature sites and trails that are actually accessible for people with mobility issues.

We're trying to find trails that have certain widths to them, so five foot wide widths for the trail surfacing as well, so we look for either boardwalk, paved.

We do want to look for natural surfacing, but it's got to be nicely compacted, kind of removed of any barriers like stone, large stones.

We're really happy to join in that campaign and that initiative in really helping develop and promote accessible areas, natural areas around the state of New Jersey.

Access Nature NJ has about 60 sites around the state, including Duke Farms.

Chesney hopes people with mobility issues and other disabilities will take advantage.

There is so much that has been done from an accessibility standpoint.

We as people with disabilities have to take advantage of it.

So part of my mission in terms of not only spreading the word to those who are able-bodied, but also my mission is spreading it to people with disabilities because we have comfort zones, we have security blankets and all these reasons not to come out.

Another reason to come out, particularly at Batstow Historic Village, is this all-terrain wheelchair.

[wheelchair squeaking] They retail for more than $20,000, but this one was paid for by Ford's Bronco Wild Fund, and it allows people with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors at Batstow or nearby At Sign Recreation Area.

It's really great because sites that have trails and families that might have someone with mobility concerns couldn't really participate in those walks.

I have had the most positive feedback of my career because of this chair.

[wheelchair squeaking] Rob Auermuller is a regional superintendent for New Jersey's State Park Service.

He says about 50 or 60 people have given this chair a whirl over the last year and a half.

We've had people with disabilities, cerebral palsy and other disabilities, but we've also had elderly guests in their 90s who just want to go see Batstow Village one more time.

It gives you goosebumps.

It's heartwarming.

It's happy.

It's sad.

It's a lot of different emotions all at once.

You can reserve the chair for a four-hour block, and Auermuller recommends you do that ahead of time.

As for which other paths are most accessible, the Park Service is working on figuring that out.

Earlier this year, they began a trail accessibility assessment for the thousand miles of trails in New Jersey.

We no longer want to tell people that a trail is easy, moderate or difficult, which right now is our rating system, because easy to who, moderate to who, difficult to who.

So we want to be able to provide factual information so our visitors can make a determination just based on the facts.

Rebecca Fitzgerald is an administrator for the Park Service and showed us an accessible playground at At Sign Recreation Area.

People who enjoy hearing things and might not necessarily participate in active play, the drums, feeling textures, experiencing nature in a bit of a different way here.

The idea here is that everyone can play together.

All abilities, ages can enjoy this playground.

The swimming area at At Sign has had accessible beach chairs for a while now, but these beach mats are new.

They help people get closer to the water before walking on sand.

And this accessible boat launch was also recently built, making it easier for people to enjoy Wharton State Forest.

In At Sign Recreation Area, I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

Well, we're going to turn now and take a look at some of the top political headlines making news this week across the state.

Senior political correspondent and host of Reporters Roundtable David Cruz joins us with a panel of journalists who cover New Jersey.

David, good to see you.

This is typically when we're in the dog days of summer, but the governor's race has been pretty hot for August and July as far as they go.

What's happening this week?

It's a good lead-in because I was thinking that very thing about how it's usually quiet in the summer and we get a respite, but no, it seems we can't avoid these candidates in the summer.

We're joined by Aaliyah Schneider of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daniel Hahn of Politico NJ, and Brent Johnson of NJ Advanced Media.

Welcome to you all.

I hope your summers are going very well.

Let's talk about that governor's race.

As you heard Brianna say, it's usually quieter, but maybe it's social media or whatever it is, but we're hearing a lot from these candidates.

Aaliyah, you had a piece today about Jack Ciattarelli hanging with the MAGA crowd.

What's up with that?

Yes, he is.

So this Saturday, Jack Ciattarelli will be hanging with the MAGA crowd on the Jersey Shore in a very Republican area.

Scott Pressler, who is a get-out-the-vote activist and Internet celebrity of sorts, will be having this rally that is aimed at party unity, and he's really trying to bring out people who may have supported other candidates during the GOP primary to support Jack and come together to try to flip the state red.

Isn't there usually, you know, like the conventional wisdom is in the primary, you tack right or left, and then you come towards the center during the general election?

Have they just abandoned that?

Do they think that the right wing and the MAGA crowd are going to carry the election for them?

Well, it's interesting because there was a divide in the primary among people who support Trump, and so there were voters who supported Bill Spadia, who argued he was more of a Trump loyalist than Jack Ciattarelli.

And so I think bringing Scott Pressler in, they're able to bring in some of those people who were fans of Trump longer than Jack was, because Jack wasn't always part of the MAGA crowd.

And meanwhile, Jack is also campaigning with other members of the party who haven't been longtime MAGA supporters.

That being said, MAGA is really dominating the party at this point, and so Jack kind of has to lean into that if he wants the masses of the party to come support him.

Meanwhile, Dan "Mikey" Sherrill is facing problems from the left.

Is she with Mamdani?

Where is she on immigration?

Do they know this in the Sherrill campaign, or are they just saying to themselves, "Well, listen, where else are the progressives going to go?"

Well, Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill is a moderate Democrat, and I think she has to really go at the needle of energizing the party's more progressive base while still appealing to independents and maybe soft Republicans come November.

To the point about Mamdani, Cittarelli has really wanted to make Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist nominee for New York City mayor, an issue in the New Jersey governor's race.

And he's tried to do that, but actually just as of this taping, Mamdani has come out and said that he will support Sherrill for governor.

So now that really forces Sherrill to have to address the Mamdani issue, and it keeps the issue in the news cycle for longer, in which Cittarelli hopes to paint the Congresswoman as maybe further left than she actually is.

Yeah, they love that.

Brent, is there a battle for black voters?

You had something in your newsletter about this.

Yeah, it's widely been considered that black voters, especially black women, are a big base for the Democratic Party.

And this race is a little bit interesting in particular because there was a candidate running to become the first black governor of New Jersey in the primary, Razz Baraka, the mayor of Newark, who finished second to Sherrill.

And some of his supporters, especially the women supporters, said they were struggling to connect with Sherrill, a white woman Congresswoman from a suburban part of New Jersey.

And they're saying they just want to be more involved.

They want to have more of a voice in her campaign.

Meanwhile, Jack is trying to get black voters on his side as well.

So this may be a big voting block in this election.

Yeah, and black voters should not be underestimated when it comes to how much the law and order theme appeals to black voters.

I've heard that in some reporting that we were doing.

Real quick, this is kind of an out-of-left-field question, but since we're hearing a lot from the governor, the gubernatorial candidates this summer, a lot of it is through social media.

Who's doing social media better?

Quick answer, Leah.

I think, you know, Jack does a lot of retail politics where he goes around and meets with lots of different voters in the state, posts a lot about it.

Mikey's often busy at the Capitol.

You know, she also does appearances.

But I feel like recently she's been trying to lean more into showing that she can also do retail politics.

She recently started a video series that shows her having a conversation with constituents, which I think is interesting because some may view that as being a little staged, but it also shows that she's also out there talking to voters.

And they've been tweeting at each other a lot.

I think Jack is a big tweeter, and I think that's kind of pulled Mikey out as more of a tweeter to respond and kind of go back at him.

So there's been a lot of back and forth on X.

What about these polls?

Do they indicate anything, Brent?

And do we know whether voters are really engaged at this minute?

That's tough to say because this is kind of the time when people aren't paying as much attention as they do in September or October.

But, I mean, we've shown the most recent polls show a single-digit race, and that's kind of what insiders are telling me, that's kind of how they feel, that it is a single-digit close race and that a lot can change and a lot's going to happen in the final few months of this race.

Daniel, I'll start with you, and then you guys can give me also a quick answer.

Will we see Trump stump with Cittarelli in the fall?

Daniel, what do you think?

Cittarelli has said that he very much is open to having Trump campaign with him.

I think it's a matter of scheduling, but I could definitely see that happening.

Yeah.

Aliyah, what do you think?

Yeah, I think a matter of scheduling.

Could definitely see it happening.

We'll find out.

Brent, do they feel like Trump is that much of an asset that we'll see him with Cittarelli?

It could be a big spectacle that could at least get them headlines.

I've heard that there are talks to try and make it happen.

Whether it does remains to be seen.

All right.

Brent Johnson, Daniel Hahn, Aliyah Schneider, good to see you all.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

You too.

Thanks.

Bri, we'll send it back to you.

Thanks, David.

I wonder what you make of, or what we should make of, this early cash infusion from the DNC announced this week on behalf of Mikey Sherrill's ground game.

Are they running scared?

You know, they say they're not running scared, but I think they should know that this is going to be single digits and they feel like their guy has the Jersey thing going for him and that he's going to out-hustle her.

She's got some work to do, I think.

All right, David.

Thanks for that.

Thanks to the reporters as well.

Thanks, Bri.

And finally, for the first time in Major League Baseball history, a female umpire will be calling a regular season game, and she's a Jersey girl.

Jen Powell, a 48-year-old former college softball star from West Milford, will take the field in Atlanta this weekend, calling the bases for a Marlins Braves doubleheader on Saturday.

Then she's stepping behind home plate on Sunday to call balls and strikes.

The historic moment is the culmination of an almost decade-long grind as an umpire in the minor leagues.

She also worked for the MLB Spring Training Games, and she was selected to umpire a Class AAA championship and had a run in the prestigious Arizona Fall League.

Well, now she is center stage, and Powell says she's aware of the moment's gravity and is ready to represent the next generation of female umpires in the major leagues.

It's proof that while some ceilings may crack late, they still always break.

That's going to do it for us tonight, but a reminder, you can download our podcast wherever you listen and watch us anytime by subscribing to the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

Plus, you can always follow us on Instagram and Blue Sky to stay up to date on all the state's big headlines.

I'm Brianna Van Osie for the entire team at NJ Spotlight News.

Thanks for being with us.

Have a great weekend.

We'll see you right back here on Monday.

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