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There were so many great news stories published about NJ this year. Here are some favorites, in random order:
The pandemic led NJ to clamp down on allowing access to public records, via @sbarchenger https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2020/06/16/murphy-aides-say-nj-wont-release-coronavirus-records-due-to-terrorism/5333233002/
a beautiful piece from @melanieanzidei about the death of soccer star Diego Armando Maradona https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/soccer/2020/11/25/diego-armando-maradona-death-soccer-argentina/6422287002/
A year after the anti-Semitic Jersey City massacre, @alexnapoNJ looked back at one of the deaths, Det. Joseph Seals https://www.nj.com/crime/2020/12/officer-down.html
@Colleenallreds dug into the millions NJ spends to prevent rocks from falling on highways https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/watchdog/2020/12/15/nj-dot-spends-millions-falling-rocks-highways-but-why/5901578002/
I love this @amysrosenberg day-in-the-life story of a ballot dropbox in Gloucester County https://www.inquirer.com/news/new-jersey-ballot-drop-boxes-vote-by-mail-2020-election-20201023.html
Whenever I saw a @NewsFallon or @LindyWa byline, I dropped everything. This sums up the work they did this year on how Covid hit veterans homes https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/12/30/how-dogged-reporting-uncovered-covid-devastation-at-nj-vets-homes/3939637001/
In June @colleenodea filled out a mail-in ballot on camera so everyone unfamiliar with the process could learn how to do it properly. It was so good everyone around the state, including myself, stole the idea for November https://www.njspotlight.com/2020/06/nj-primary-elections-2020-your-guide-for-mailing-in-your-vote-or-voting-in-person/
We read about a lot of lost lives this year. This is an especially heartbreaking one from @MonsyAlvarado https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/nation-now/2020/04/15/coronavirus-new-jersey-couple-married-44-years-die-days-apart/5140226002/
In Elmwood Park, @katesobko helped untangle some salacious dirt involving a late-night visit to town hall by the clerk & mayor https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/elmwood-park/2020/02/19/elmwood-park-councilman-late-night-meeting-spurred-salacious-rumors/2829248001/
a three-byline story on how NJ failed to stop the spread of the coronavirus in its prisons, from @spsullivan, @BCunninghamN & @monavage https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/05/coronavirus-has-killed-dozens-in-state-prisons-how-nj-failed-to-stop-it.html
our morning breaking news reporter, @AnthonyRZurita, wrote about 1,000 stories this year, but the one about an emu running around the streets of Paterson seems most On Brand for 2020 https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/paterson/2020/08/11/emu-paterson-nj-captured-after-wandering-through-city/3343215001/
Here's @abalcerzak on the housing crisis brought on by the pandemic https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2020/11/19/nj-eviction-prevention-renters-landlords/6309775002/
In August @RebeccaKingNJ and @ABieseAPP looked at the diversity of NJ's craft brewing industry https://www.northjersey.com/story/food/beer/2020/08/06/black-owned-breweries-nj-diversity-craft-beer/5471564002/
the stories from @MattFriedmanNJ on Nick Sacco sneaking an amendment into a bill that would reduce mandatory minimum prison sentences were so good Sacco "wrote" an op-ed blasting the news media https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2020/09/28/sacco-behind-amendment-to-end-mandatory-minimum-sentences-for-official-misconduct-1318843
a disturbing story from @dracioppi about a dramatic rise in online child exploitation reports https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2020/10/21/coronavirus-child-abuse-nj-online-child-exploitation-reports-increase/3487112001/
I really liked this first-person story from @TennysonTV >> I lied to you about my ‘Black-sounding’ name. I won’t do that anymore. https://www.nj.com/opinion/2020/07/i-lied-to-you-about-my-black-sounding-name-i-wont-do-that-anymore.html
two of my own: this story about emails revealing Jersey City delayed telling its residents about positive e-coli test results of the drinking water hit so hard the literal CEO of Gannett got an emailing complaining about me oops https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/hudson/2020/10/16/jersey-city-water-problem-notice-delayed-boil-water-warning-nj-after-positive-e-coli-test/3636713001/
And finally, I was honored my parents let me write about their love story and tell the world how incredibly cool they are https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2020/09/02/nj-priest-nun-met-newark-today-theyre-still-married/3244090001/
I left out so many great stories and reporters! But I have to go start dinner. Throw any great stories you loved & I missed in my mentions.
