Photos: New Jersey’s biggest stories of 2017
<p>It was a busy year in New Jersey filled with lots of major news stories.</p>
News 12 Staff
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Dec 27, 2017, 9:14 PM
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Updated 2,321 days ago
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It was a busy year in New Jersey filled with lots of major news stories.
Here are some of the stories that affected New Jersey residents the most in 2017.
- Nearly 8,000 New Jersey residents marched in Trenton to protest President Donald Trump, who was inaugurated the day before.
- New Jersey residents were shocked to learn that 19-year-old Monmouth County student Sarah Stern was allegedly killed by two childhood friends so that they could steal money she recently received.
- Former Gov. Chris Christie allies Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni were sentenced for their part in the Fort Lee George Washington Bridge traffic scandal. Kelly was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Baroni was sentenced to two years in prison.
- A Kane In Your Corner investigation into the NJSPCA uncovered misspending and lack of enforcement issues. The investigation prompted new legislation in Trenton to reform the agency.
- A Learjet crashed in Teterboro, killing the two pilots on board. Wind and pilot error may have played a role in the crash. The NTSB has still not issued its final report on the crash.
- A plan to repair Amtrak’s tracks surrounding New York Penn Station led to several NJ Transit service changes for New Jersey commuters.
- A state budget dispute led to the state government shutting down just before the Fourth of July. The situation was made infamous due to the image of Gov. Chris Christie and his family enjoying the weekend at Island Beach State Park while all state parks were closed.
- New Jersey residents were able to view a solar eclipse for the first time in years.
- Hurricanes in the Caribbean caused very rough surf off the New Jersey coast. Three people were killed in rip currents and about 150 more were rescued from the ocean.
- A terror attack in Manhattan killed eight people, including one New Jersey resident. Paterson resident Sayfullo Saipov was accused of plowing a rented Home Depot truck into a group of people. He is awaiting trial.
November – New Jersey elects a new governor / Sen. Menendez trial
- New Jersey citizens elect Democrat Phil Murphy as governor. Murphy, a former Goldman Sach’s executive, defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.
- The bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez ends in a hung jury.
- Star quarterback Eli Manning was benched for the first time in his New York Giants career. The controversial move in part led to the firing of Coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese. It was the first in-season firing for the team in decades.
