TRENTON, NJ (MECER)–Yesterday the NJ Forrest Service released the “Current New Jersey Fall Foliage Conditions” and the northern most sections of New Jersey are at the mid-pint or near peak for fall foliage viewing. Today, October 15, we visited Wawayanda State Park in Vernon Township on the Sussex County side of the park around Wawayanda Lake. Parts of Wawayanda State Park also include West Milford on the Passaic County side.
Sunday October 16, would be a great day for leaf peeping in the northern sections of the state. The National Weather Service reports that there will be mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday the National Weather Service reports rain and cloudy conditions, and the rest of the week is mostly sunny and much colder temperatures. It is time to get out there for good leaf peeping opportunities before it’s too late.
A good trail for viewing fall foliage viewing at Wawayanda State Park for Sunday October 16, 2022 would be the Lake Loop that goes around Lake Wawayanda.
Park at the Wawayanda Lake Day Use Area or Boat House and head towards the Wingdam Trail and the Lake Loop.
All photos taken on Saturday, October 15, 2022
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–New Jersey Department of Health announced today that more homes within municipalities served by Trenton Water Works just days after the Murphy Administration announced they would launch an initiative to better support and improve TWW
Back on September 22, 2021, four cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported in Hamilton Township, Mercer County between May-August 2021, along with an additional reported case from November 2020. On August 29, 2022 Two cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported in August 2022 from the section of Hamilton Township, Mercer County, served by Trenton Water Works (TWW). Two additional cases were reported, respectively in April 2022 and December 2021. Of the four, one individual has died.
Today the NJ Department of Health made this announcement: The presence of Legionella bacteria was identified in water samples collected from more than half of 30 homes within several municipalities served by Trenton Water Works (TWW), the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announced today. This includes homes from Trenton, Ewing, and parts of Lawrence and Hopewell Township served by TWW.
The testing was conducted in September 2022 following the detection of Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, in several homes that were voluntarily tested within the Hamilton Township area served by TWW in July 2022. The homes tested in Hamilton Township were part of an ongoing investigation to determine potential causes of Legionnaires’ disease previously detected in Hamilton Township, with five cases including one death reported since December 2021. The most recent case was reported to health in September 2022.
To determine if other municipalities served by TWW were affected, health officials recruited an additional 30 homeowners from across the TWW distribution area, focusing on areas outside of Hamilton Township, to voluntarily have their homes tested for Legionella. NJDOH has notified all volunteer homeowners of the results from this sampling.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that people can get after breathing in aerosolized water (small droplets of water in the air) containing Legionella bacteria. Individuals cannot get Legionnaires’ disease by drinking water that has Legionella. Though uncommon, people can get sick when water containing Legionella is aspirated into the lungs while drinking (“goes down the wrong pipe”). NJDOH receives approximately 250-350 reports of Legionnaires’ disease each year throughout New Jersey.
NJDOH is now urging that all residents and building owners who receive water from TWW to take actions to reduce the risk of Legionella growth in their household and building plumbing. These recommendations are available below.
It is not known if individuals with Legionella detected in their homes are more likely to develop Legionnaires’ disease. While it remains rare for a healthy person who is exposed to Legionella to become sick with Legionnaires’ disease, people who are 50 years or older, especially those who smoke, or those with certain medical conditions, including weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease or other chronic health conditions, are at increased risk.
Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches, and headaches, which are similar to symptoms caused by other respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Legionnaires’ disease can be fatal but is treatable with antibiotics. It is important that anyone who thinks they have symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease contact their health care provider and seek medical evaluation immediately.
Health officials are urging healthcare providers to collect lower respiratory specimens for Legionella PCR and/or culture, in conjunction with use of the urinary antigen test, when suspecting Legionnaires’ disease. This is especially important among residents who receive water from TWW. The urinary antigen test is the most common diagnostic method but can only detect Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. PCR and culture of lower respiratory specimens can detect all Legionella species and serogroups.
NJDOH continues to partner with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and TWW to investigate factors that may be promoting the growth of Legionella bacteria and to evaluate remedial actions that can be taken to reduce Legionella in the system.
Following NJDEP’s finding of significant concerns with TWW’s operations and management, including intermittent failures to fully maintain treatment processes, monitor water quality, employ adequately trained operating personnel, and invest in required maintenance and capital needs such as upgrades to aging infrastructure, Governor Phil Murphy NJDEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette issued a Unilateral Administrative Order that will, among other things, facilitate the immediate deployment of a capacity-building force comprised of managerial and technical experts who will focus on improving routine operations and maintenance, as well as resolving immediate capital needs.
More information about this initiative can be found at dep.nj.gov/trentonwater.
How to Decrease Risks of Legionella Exposure
According to NJDOH, individuals, particularly those at high risk, can follow recommended steps to decrease the risk of Legionella exposure and best practices to limit the growth of Legionella in household water systems and devices:
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR BUILDING OWNERS
ABOUT LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE AND LEGIONELLA
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia (lung infection) caused by Legionella bacteria. Legionella is a type of bacteria found naturally in freshwater environments such as lakes and streams and becomes a health concern when it enters and grows inside human-made water systems. People can get Legionnaires’ disease by breathing in aerosolized (small droplets) water containing Legionella. Aerosolized water can come from plumbing systems and devices such as cooling towers (part of the cooling system for large buildings), hot tubs, cooling misters, and decorative fountains. Less commonly, people can get sick by aspiration of tap water containing Legionella. This happens when water accidently goes into the lungs while drinking (“goes down the wrong pipe”). People at increased risk of aspiration include those with swallowing difficulties. Home A/C units do not use water to cool, so these home units do not aerosolize water and are not a risk for Legionella growth. Legionnaires’ disease is generally not spread person to person. Additional information regarding Legionnaires’ disease and Legionella can be located at NJDOH’s website.
Follow the New Jersey Department of Health on Twitter @njdeptofhealth, Facebook /njdeptofhealth, Instagram @njdeptofhealth and LinkedIn /company/njdeptofhealth.
ABERDEEN, NJ (MONMOUTH)–A fatal collision involving an SUV and a dirt bike that took place in Aberdeen Township Friday night is under active investigation, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Saturday.
The deceased victim has been identified as 40-year-old Clifford Walton of the Cliffwood Beach section of the Township.
Just before 6 p.m. on Friday, October 14, members of the Aberdeen Township Police Department responded to the area of Arlington Avenue and Gordon Street on a report of a serious collision. At that location they found the two individuals involved: a 34-year-old male resident of Aberdeen who had been driving a Jeep Cherokee and Walton, who had been operating a Kawasaki dirt bike.
There had been no passengers in or on either vehicle. Walton sustained serious injuries as a result of the collision and was rushed to Bayshore Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 6:45 p.m. Friday. The driver of the SUV, who remained on the scene, was not seriously injured.
This matter remains under joint investigation by members of the Aberdeen Township Police Department, the MCPO Fatal Accident Unit, and the multi-jurisdictional Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART). Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact MCPO Detective Brian Boryszewski at 800-533-7443 or Aberdeen Police Department Patrolman John Palumbo at 732-566-2054.
Anyone who prefers to remain anonymous but has information about this or any incident can submit a tip to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling their confidential telephone tip-line at 1-800-671-4400; by downloading and using the free P3 Tips mobile app (available on iOS and Android – https://www.p3tips.com/1182), by calling 800-671-4400; or by going to the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.
CRANBURY, NJ (MIDDLESEX)–The New Jersey State Police is seeking the public’s assistance with identifying a woman who allegedly stole a cell phone from a convenience store located on the New Jersey Turnpike, Molly Pitcher Service Area in Cranbury Township, Middlesex County.
On Friday, October 14th, at approximately 3:30 p.m., an Hispanic female suspect and an Hispanic male associate entered the convenience store and removed a cell phone from a display before exiting the store. The Hispanic couple then entered what appeared to be a gray Nissan sedan with an unknown license plate and fled the service area southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Troop “D” Cranbury Station Detective Bureau at 609-409-1609.
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