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Sal DiMaggio

Multimedia journalist focusing on local news and features

Writer, photographer, storyteller.

My Work

The Montclarion •

#FOCUS Mental Health: Montclair Unraveled Provides A Tight-Knit Community for Students - The Montclarion

A quiet buzz settles over the Red Hawk Nest. Students look down into their laps, occasionally picking their heads up to talk to one another. Eyes are focused downward at the fingers moving back and forth.
No, these students aren’t looking at their phones. Instead, they have knitting needles, crocheting needles and yarns in their hands, creating blankets, hats, clothing and more.
Montclair Unraveled is a registered student organization (RSO) at Montclair State University that brings together stud...
The Montclarion •

#FOCUS Mental Health: Men Need to Support Men - The Montclarion

I’ve always been the type of person to encourage others to open up and take care of themselves, but yet I’ve always been reluctant to do so, not wanting to take my own advice.
Men have historically hid their battles with mental health due to a large amount of stigma surrounding the issue. There’s this fear that we will be perceived as weak and incapable, that we aren’t “manly” enough or that we should just “toughen up.”
Influencers such as Andrew Tate and others lead many men to believe that if...
The Village Green •

South Orange Council Member Summer Jones Is Suing Her Employer, Montclair State, for Discrimination - The Village Green

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The Montclarion •

BREAKING: University Employees File Discrimination Lawsuit Against Montclair State University - The Montclarion

This is a developing and breaking story. The Montclarion will update this article as we get more information. Check back here or follow @themontclarion on Instagram for updates.
Two longtime female employees of Montclair State University have filed a discrimination lawsuit against the university, claiming discrimination on the basis of sex, retaliation and failure to promote.
In the lawsuit filed on March 18, 2025, Summer Jones and Donna Sadlon allege that Montclair State’s chief information off...
The Montclarion •

Montclair State University Considered As Partner Institution for New Jersey City University - The Montclarion

Montclair State University is one of two institutions being considered as a potential partner for New Jersey City University (NJCU), as the Jersey City-based institution has been experiencing financial challenges since 2022.
An article published by NJ.com in January reported that Montclair State and Kean University had been chosen as the final candidates for this partnership. The selected institution will aid NJCU to alleviate its financial burden.
“Montclair [State] was chosen as one of the pot...
Courier News •

Stomach flu cases still rising in NJ after holiday season

Cases of norovirus, commonly known as the stomach flu, have spiked in Central Jersey in the weeks after the holiday season.“We are seeing an uptick in cases of norovirus across the system,” said Christopher Freer, senior vice president of emergency and hospitalist medicine at RWJBarnabas Health. RWJBarnabas Health has hospitals in Somerville and New Brunswick. Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township also reported an increase in cases at its emergency department and urgent care centers.  Nor...
The Montclarion •

Montclair State University Makes Drastic New Changes to Its 2025 Athletics & Recreation Program - The Montclarion

Montclair State University announced major changes to their athletics and recreation program Friday morning, including the loss of two NCAA Division III programs, the addition of an NCAA Division III women’s flag football program, and updates on the athletic teams of Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.
Montclair State’s men’s and women’s lacrosse programs will be moved to club status effective fall 2025. According to a statement released on Montclair State Athletics’ website, the m...
MyCentralJersey.com •

Opinion: It's time for Gen Z to stand up and become more engaged in politics

It’s no secret young people aren’t happy with the way things are.

Everything seems hopeless; prices are up across the board, mental health continues to be a struggle, and we are seeing the effects of climate change in real time.

There is a certain sense of despair with the current state of affairs. Election season isn’t helping that mood either; most avoid any political discussion for the sake of preserving any mental stability they have left.

According to the Center for Information and Resea...
MyCentralJersey.com •

Upcoming novel details young man's coming of age in early 1990s Bound Brook

The year is 1991. You are a young man in a small town, finding your way in life. Places like the ice cream shop and theater are the monuments of your youth.That warm nostalgia is what an author who grew up in Bound Brook and South Bound Brook is hoping to evoke in his upcoming novel about life in those towns on the opposite sides of the Raritan River.“The Bridge” is a coming-of-age novel set in Bound Brook and South Bound Brook in the summer of 1991. The story follows Sonny Verone, a young man w...
MyCentralJersey.com •

Firefighters battle Somerville house blaze on East Cliff Street

SOMERVILLE – Fire departments from four communities responded Tuesday afternoon to a house blaze on East Cliff Street two blocks from the Somerset County Administration building.Fire companies from Somerville, Manville, Raritan and Finderne responded to the alarm shortly after 2:30 p.m.Smoke was seen coming out of the three-story early 20th century wooden house. Volunteer firefighters were using ladders to reach fires on the upper floors.Unconfirmed initial reports indicated that a firefighter m...
MyCentralJersey.com •

A century of patriotism: Plainfield's 100th July 4th parade takes on added significance

PLAINFIELD – The city's celebration of the 100th anniversary of its Fourth of July parade is more than a celebration of the holiday marking the country's independence.

The three-day event is also a celebration of Plainfield, its organizers say.

Beginning in 1924 as an event just for the city and eventually growing into a regional event for Central Jersey, the parade has returned to its roots as a citywide celebration. This year's festivities will include a historical exhibit at the Plainfield...
MyCentralJersey.com •

'Grave whispering': How a Somerville man keeps the story of Black US soldiers alive

SOMERVILLE – Arthur Adair’s official title may be the community relations coordinator of the New Cemetery, but he calls himself a “griot.”

That term comes from West Africa, and it means a historian of sorts, someone who can trace bloodlines back hundreds of years.

“I call it grave whispering,” Adair said. “The graves talk to me. And it may sound like crap, but they do they talk to me, and they say look over here, find something.”

Adair, a Somerville native, has been an active part of the comm
MyCentralJersey.com •

Seven Middlesex Borough residents displaced in early morning fire

MIDDLESEX BOROUGH – Seven residents have been displaced following an early Friday morning three-alarm fire that rendered two West Second Street homes uninhabitable.

Around 2:41 a.m. Friday, the Middlesex Borough Police Department was notified about a structure fire at 832 West Second St.

When officers arrived, they found a garage fully engulfed in flames. Officers were able to evacuate the residents of 832 and 836 West Second St. before the fire spread to the second home, police said.

Aubery
Courier News •

Suspect arrested in Carteret shooting that left one person dead, another critical

CARTERET – One female victim died at the hospital and another was in critical condition following a shooting Wednesday morning in the area of Roosevelt Avenue.The name of the deceased has not been released pending notification of her family.The suspect in the shooting was taken into custody, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone announced Wednesday afternoon.Information about the suspect's name has not yet been released. The prosecutor's office said there is no longer a threat to the commu...
MyCentralJersey.com •

Police canvass Carteret in search for shooting suspect

Police gather on the corner of Clauss Street and Park Avenue in Carteret after a shooting on Roosevelt Avenue. Sal DiMaggio/MyCentralJersey.com

Police tape off the area where residents say he dropped his sweatshirt on Clauss Street. Sal DiMaggio/MyCentralJersey.com

The sweatshirt that residents say the suspect dropped after the shooting on Clauss Street in Carteret. Sal DiMaggio/MyCentralJersey.com

A New Jersey State Police helicopter flies over Carteret in search of the shooting suspect. Sal
The Montclarion •

Interdisciplinary Science Building to Replace Webster Hall, Operational by 2028

Montclair State University students will have a new science building as soon as 2028, according to Montclair State President Jonathan Koppell. Koppell announced this in a budget presentation he held on April 4 and elaborated on the plan more in a meeting with campus media organizations on April 19.

The new science building, which would replace Webster Hall, will provide more lab space for STEM students in different schools and colleges, such as the College for Science and Mathematics (CSAM), th
The Montclarion •

"It Takes A Village": How Danielle Epps Has Become Her Students' Biggest Supporters

Lit by a single lamp on her desk, Danielle Epps’s office is a cozy and inviting space, warmed by a tungsten light. Tucked away on the third floor of University Hall, many students have knocked on her door and sat down at the round table in the corner, telling her about their day or asking her for advice.

Epps’s wall is filled with photos of her and her loved ones, as well as signs honoring her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta. Also on her wall are her bachelor’s and master’s degrees: reminders to the st
The Montclarion •

PHOTO ESSAY: University Honors Women's History Month With Flag Raising Event

On March 4, the Office of Social Justice and Diversity (OSJD) hosted a celebration to mark the start of Women’s History Month with a flag-raising event in front of the Center for Computing and Information Science (CCIS) building.

Members of the university community gathered as women across campus spoke, including vice president of student development and campus life Dawn Soufleris.

Speakers discussed the importance of women in our communities and how to empower them not just during March, but
The Montclarion •

BREAKING: Car Fire Disrupts Morning Commute at Montclair State

On Feb. 21, students at Montclair State University faced mass disruption during the mid-morning commute to and from campus as a car fire of unknown origins caught ablaze on the third floor of the Red Hawk Parking Deck.

The parking garage, located next to the Montclair State police station and Alexander Kasser Theater, caught the attention of students and authorities as black smoke was seen billowing from the garage. Police and fire response to the incident was immediate as spectators were held
The Montclarion •

PHOTO ESSAY: University Honors Black History Month With Flag Raising Event - The Montclarion

On Feb. 1, Montclair State University celebrated the start of Black History Month with a flag-raising event in front of the Center for Computing and Information Science (CCIS) building.
The event began with a procession starting at Cole Hall, led by three officers from the University Police Department. Members of the university community followed behind them, including university president Jonathan Koppell, dean of students Margaree Coleman Carter and more.

After the procession reached the flag...
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