We start the new year with a look back at 2023 and some of our favorite stories that helped inform and define the year.
We began with text-based stories on Christmas Day. Today, we asked our reporters to share some of their favorite video and broadcast pieces. They range from extended reports on environmental cleanups and climate change to the frenetic pace of election night.
Here are their highlights.
Jan. 27: About 60 former landfills, industrial waste sites and illegal toxic dumps in New Jersey have been transformed from poisonous eyesores to productive venues — like parks, museums, ball fields and solar farms. Accompanying the podcast series Hazard NJ, Brenda Flanagan had this video report.
Feb. 17: In the aftermath of a student’s suicide, a school hearing was full of raw personal stories. “You are here to protect the students, but the students do not feel protected,” one sobbing student told the school board, speaking before a packed auditorium at Central Regional High School in Bayville. More than 60 speakers, many of them students, spoke of a bullying crisis in the district. Brenda Flanagan was there.
March 3: The Russian invasion of Ukraine had not yet reached its one-year anniversary when Pete Reed, a volunteer medic from Burlington County, was killed by a Russian missile as he was working in the city of Bakhmut. Alex Potter, Reed’s wife, recalled his impact in a conversation with NJ Spotlight News’s Briana Vannozzi, who herself knew Reed from growing up in the same town.
March 7: Black farmers in America have long complained of unequal treatment, including from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sen. Cory Booker was among lawmakers trying to change that, reintroducing the Justice for Black Farmers Act. Raven Santana had that story.
April 6: NJ Spotlight News hosted a virtual roundtable on maternal health in New Jersey, focusing on a state plan that seeks to bring more equity to the services and make supports available to all women, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Joanna Gagis moderated the discussion.
May 24: NJ Spotlight News has closely followed Russia’s detention of New Jersey native Evan Gershkovich, a reporter with The Wall Street Journal. Briana Vannozzi spoke with Anton Troianovski, Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times, about his colleague’s imprisonment and its implications.
July 20: Almost 3,000 students in Newark participated in various work programs as part of the city’s summer youth employment program. At Barringer High School, one program focused on carpentry training while contributing to the city’s mission to keep kids safe and out of trouble. Said one student: “The events, locations, and memories I have already experienced at Barringer High School will always stick with me along with the bonds that have been forged from sweat and hard work.” Melissa Rose Cooper told their stories.
Aug. 1: The Meloni family’s butcher business was started in the shadow of the Great Depression. From Philadelphia, it followed its clientele and is now based in Turnersville. Adaptation has been key to the longevity of the business. A fourth-generation family member delivers the ultimate adaption — Joey Meloni is a vegan butcher. Report by Jeff Pillets. Video and photographs by Laura Galarza.
Oct. 4: Heavy rains slammed New Jersey in early October and coastal Monmouth County bore the brunt of the hit. Multiple lakes in Asbury Park spilled over their banks, flooding streets and businesses nearby. Days after the rain let up, some of the areas that got the most water were still working to recover. Report by Ted Goldberg.
Oct. 10: All 120 seats of the New Jersey Legislature were in play in November’s elections, with voters given an opportunity to help shape the future of the Garden State. What most people don’t realize is that state elections affect our daily lives more than what doesn’t happen in D.C. NJ Spotlight News assembled a multimedia engine that can answer questions for residents — from where and why to vote to that perennial favorite, how a bill becomes a law. Colleen O’Dea and the Gotta Know Jersey team pulled out all the stops.
Oct. 27: U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez gave his first interview after his indictment on federal charges, speaking to David Cruz on Chat Box. “The easiest thing for me to do would be to resign. … But that’s not me. I don’t do the easiest thing. And the reality is, is that I’m innocent,” Menendez said.
Nov. 8: The “red wave” of Republican victories in New Jersey’s legislative elections that had been predicted for weeks by pollsters, politicians and pundits failed to materialize on Election Day. Instead, Democratic incumbents held onto hotly contested seats while managing to flip a few. Not only did Democrats prevent Republicans from flipping either chamber of the state Legislature to GOP control, the Democrats expanded their majority in the Assembly. David Cruz wrapped it up.
Dec. 1: The NJ PBS digital documentary series “21” examined all year a simple question: Does where you live in the state affect how you live? The series profiled one person in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties and looked at the social determinants that affect that person’s life. The final episode told the life story and work of Kashinda Marche, a Rahway resident. As a new mom, Marche faced a life-altering HIV diagnosis. She shifted her mindset, battled mental health struggles, and discovered her authentic self while helping others.
Dec. 11: Surf clams are best known as those you find in your clam chowder. Wherever you enjoy them, chances are they were harvested out of New Jersey. But as big an industry as it is for the state, it is facing threats, both from climate change and some of the measures meant to combat climate change. In the second part of a series looking at climate change and agriculture, Michael Sol Warren and John Upton of partner site Climate Central brought us the perilous story of this tiny species.