Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How a 2025 New Brunswick shooting led to 18-year sentences
And on the New Brunswick Patch calendar - Edison's Fall Family Spectacular Street Fair & Food Truck Fest

Good day New Brunswick! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How a 2025 New Brunswick shooting led to 18-year sentences
- How New Brunswick's HELIX could reshape New Jersey's research funding wins
- Edison man convicted; sentencing set at New Brunswick courthouse in January
Also on today's calendar: Edison's Fall Family Spectacular Street Fair & Food Truck Fest and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: What do you call somebody who crosses the ocean twice and doesn't take a bath? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Sunday: Tropical Rainstorm Isaias, with a high of 62 and low of 57 degrees.
- Monday: Warmer; a shower in the a.m., temps: high: 74, low: 55.
- Tuesday: A p.m. shower in places, with a high of 77 and low of 59 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Two 18-Year-Olds Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Deadly Shooting of New Brunswick Teen (rlsmedia.com) — Two 18-year-olds have been sentenced to 18 years in state prison for their roles in the 2025 shooting that killed a 16-year-old New Brunswick resident near Rutgers Street and Lee Avenue. Prosecutors say both men pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter, and must serve at least 85 percent of their terms under New Jersey's No Early Release Act.
![]()
2. Todd Fisher oversaw the federal grants N.J. kept losing — it's why he's changing how the state competes (binje.com) — New Jersey officials are revamping how the state competes for major federal research grants, and New Brunswick's new HELIX innovation complex is central to that strategy. By uniting research universities and innovation centers behind single, coordinated applications, the state hopes to attract more funding, commercialize discoveries, and keep high-growth startups rooted in places like New Brunswick.
![]()
3. Edison man convicted of deadly South Plainfield home invasion (nj1015.com) — A Middlesex County jury has convicted an Edison man of murder, attempted murder, and burglary in a deadly 2025 home invasion in South Plainfield, with sentencing set in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick this January. Prosecutors say forensic evidence, surveillance footage, and deleted messages tied him to the stabbing that killed a 38-year-old man and seriously injured a woman.
![]()
4. New Jersey Man Accused of Setting Apartment Fire That Killed Two Pets and Left 15 People Homeless (shorenewsnetwork.com) — A 56-year-old New Brunswick man has been charged with aggravated arson, burglary, and animal cruelty after an October 2 fire in Franklin Township displaced 15 people and killed a dog and cat. New Brunswick firefighters helped battle the blaze, and the American Red Cross is assisting three affected families, while the suspect remains jailed in Somerset County pending court proceedings.
![]()
5. Colleges added Muslim chaplains after 9/11. Then came 10/7 (nvdaily.com) — Muslim students at Rutgers' New Brunswick campus, including junior Saarah Abdul-Maajid, are finding daily support and community at the Center for Islamic Life, an independently funded hub with its own chaplain. The story traces how Rutgers helped pioneer Muslim chaplaincy after 9/11 and how that role has become even more vital amid post–Oct. 7 tensions, protests, and rising anti-Muslim rhetoric nationwide.
![]()
📸 Around New Brunswick
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in New Brunswick
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Edison's Fall Family Spectacular Street Fair & Food Truck Fest →
1011 Amboy Ave, Edison
1:00 pm - Open House at Berkeley College →
New Jersey Campuses,
11:00 am - Women's Entrepreneurship Event at Berkeley College →
3 E 43rd St, New York
11:00 am - Parkinson's Disease Symposium →
Middlesex College, 2600 Woodbridge Ave, Edison, NJ 08837,
10:00 am
Saturday October 17
Sunday October 18
Thursday October 22
Saturday October 24
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- NJ Big Flea Antiques Event →
The New Jersey Convention And Expo Center, 97 Sunfield Ave, Edison
4:00 pm - Jersey Boys →
State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick
7:30 pm - SS Peter & Paul Flea and Craft Indoor Market →
Sts. Peter & Paul Byzantine Catholic Church, 285 Hamilton St, Franklin Township
9:00 am - Jersey Boys →
State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick
2:00 pm - Art City Festival →
, New Brunswick - lessISMore #3 →
Basecamp Studio & Gallery, 315 Main St, Metuchen
9:00 am - The Temptations & The Four Tops →
15 Livingston Ave
6:30 pm - The Spotlight Awards: 50 Years - Voices of Courage & Change →
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), 11 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick
5:30 pm
Sunday October 11
Friday October 16
Saturday October 17
Sunday October 18
Tuesday October 20
📣 New Brunswick Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making New Brunswick PatchAM possible:
- PSE&G — (800) 436-7734
- David A. Abrutyn, M.D. — (908) 685-8500
- High End Dispensary — (732) 353-6443
- Power Core Studio — (213) 446-0615
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Taco Bell posted a job opening for Taco Bell Crew Member North Brunswick NJ in North Brunswick. Apply here.
- CVS Health posted a job opening for Shift Supervisor in North Brunswick. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near New Brunswick here.
Ok New Brunswick! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What do you call somebody who crosses the ocean twice and doesn't take a bath?" — A dirty double crosser ! (Thank you Theresia F. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
👉 Help make Patch AM better
- Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
- Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
- List items for sale or services offered
We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.