Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show on Friday:

⬛ Teen’s body recovered weeks after Manahawkin bridge jump

🕯️ The body of a 19-year-old man has been recovered weeks after he was reportedly seen jumping from the Manahawkin Bay Bridge
🚓 A multi-agency search located the body near the Route 72 Causeway
☎️ Police urged anyone experiencing emotional distress to contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free

MANAHAWKIN — The body of a 19-year-old man who was reportedly seen jumping from the Manahawkin Bay Bridge last month has been recovered, Stafford Township police said.

The young man was reported missing following an incident where he was reportedly seen jumping off the Route 72 Causeway Bridge, also known as the Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge, at around 10 p.m., two days before Thanksgiving on Nov. 25, according to police.

Police found an unoccupied gray Toyota Camry at the top of the bridge.

Following an extensive multi-agency search effort spanning approximately three weeks, police said the man’s body was found last night in the waters near the bridge, which connects Stafford to Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island.

⬛  ‘The city was on trial’: Atlantic City mayor reacts after verdict

HAMILTON (Atlantic) — Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. was acquitted on Thursday of endangering and abusing his teenage daughter.

Prosecutors accused Small of hitting and emotionally abusing the girl when she was 15 to 16 years old, at least once to the point of unconsciousness.

Just weeks before the trial began, Small was re-elected to a new four-year term in the Democratic stronghold, posting a 24-percentage-point win over his Republican challenger.

The jury’s verdict comes after a week of testimony in which Small’s now 17-year-old daughter testified about multiple incidents in which she said her father had abused her, telling jurors that he had beaten and punched her and struck her with a broom. Small, meanwhile, took the stand to deny any abuse, insisting he is a loving father.

His wife, La’Quetta Small — who is the seaside gambling resort town’s schools superintendent — is also charged with abusing their daughter and will stand trial separately.

⬛ Rutgers study finds warehouses power New Jersey’s economy

🔴 Rutgers researchers say warehouses have become the backbone of New Jersey’s economy.
🔴 Nearly 1.35 million jobs and hundreds of billions in business activity are tied to logistics and distribution statewide.
🔴 Environmental advocates warn warehouse sprawl is harming communities.

Researchers at Rutgers University have found that warehouses are now the lifeblood of New Jersey, despite massive pushback from residents over the years.

The Garden State has more than 1 billion square feet of warehouses and distribution centers, according to the recent report from the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation at Rutgers. And 95% of that space is being used.

Like it or not, New Jersey has earned its nickname: the Warehouse State.

But it's not a fair nickname, according to Dan Kennedy, CEO of the New Jersey chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

"I think it's fair to call it a logistics state, with warehouses being a component of the logistics industry. Warehouses cannot be looked at in isolation from the greater logistics complex," Kennedy said.

⬛ Nearly $1M to lock up student phones — Newark gets the most

💰 New Jersey awarded nearly $1 million in grants to help schools enforce phone-free learning.
🏫 Newark Public Schools and city charter schools got more than 22% of the total funds, out of 86 grants.
📱 State officials say funding is to lock away student phones from bell-to-bell, and to train staff.

New Jersey has released almost a million dollars in phone-free grants for dozens of schools - with over 22% of the money going to the state’s largest school district.

State education officials on Thursday announced $980,000 in a total of 86 grants, awarded to 71 school districts and 15 charter schools around New Jersey.

Newark Public Schools receives largest phone-free grant
Newark public schools received a massive grant totaling $176,625.08. The Essex County district serves more than 35,000 students enrolled in 65 schools.

The next largest single grant was about a third of that amount.

Trenton public schools received $55,573.44. The Mercer County district has more than 15,000 students enrolled at 25 schools.

⬛ New Jersey minimum wage rises to nearly $16 in 2026

💲 New Jersey’s minimum wage will rise again in 2026.
💲 Most workers will earn $15.92 an hour, up more than $7 since Gov. Murphy took office.
💲 Farm workers, tipped employees, and caregivers will see different, and in some cases larger, increases.

The minimum wage in New Jersey is going up one more time before Gov. Phil Murphy leaves office.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the minimum wage for most employees will rise to $15.92 an hour. That's a boost of 43 cents from where it sits now.

And it represents an increase of $7.32 an hour from when Murphy took office in 2018. At the time, he vowed to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.

“Eight years ago, Governor Murphy pledged a stronger, fairer economy, and we’re delivering on this commitment by raising New Jersey’s minimum wage again,” said Department of Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo.

This is the last minimum wage increase before Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill is sworn in during a Newark ceremony on Jan. 20, 2026.

Start your day with up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather for the Garden State.

The New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show airs from 6 - 10 a.m. on New Jersey 101.5.

Join the conversation by calling 1-800-283-1015 or download the NJ101.5 app.

You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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