Photos: New Jersey’s biggest stories of 2017

News 12 Staff

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Dec 27, 2017, 9:14 PM

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Updated 2,690 days ago

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.

VIDEO: New Jersey’s biggest stories of 2017

January – Women’s March in Trenton

Nearly 8,000 New Jersey residents marched in Trenton to protest President Donald Trump, who was inaugurated the day before.

February – Motive behind Sarah Stern murder

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.

March – Bridgegate sentencing

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.

April – Kane In Your Corner NJSPCA investigation

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.

May – Learjet crashes in Teterboro

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.

June – NJ Transit “Summer of Hell”

A plan to repair Amtrak’s tracks surrounding New York Penn Station led to several NJ Transit service changes for New Jersey commuters.

July – New Jersey government shutdown

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.

August – Solar Eclipse

New Jersey residents were able to view a solar eclipse for the first time in years.

September – Rough waters at the Jersey Shore

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.

October - Manhattan terror attack

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.

December – New York Giants drama

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.