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For the third time in three weeks, New Jersey will be battered by a winter storm that will bring heavy rains and the possibility of flooding and damaging winds.

Somerset County has issued a state of emergency. All non-essential vehicles should stay off the roads.

As winds have increased Tuesday evening with gusts nearing 40 to 50 mph, power outages have also increased across Central Jersey.

As of 11:45 p.m., more than 5,267Jersey Central Power & Light customers in Hunterdon County and 2,745 customers in Somerset County are without power, with the hardest hit areas being Raritan Township (1,289 outages), Lambertville (732 outages), Warren (691 outages), Far Hills (500 outages), Peapack-Gladstone (536 outages), Hillsborough (545 outages) West Amwell (443 outages), Kingwood (263 outages) and Readington (206 outages).

PSE&G is reporting scattered outages with 799 customers without power in Woodbridge, 600 in Hillsborough and 262 in South Brunswick.

Several roads in Branchburg along the South Branch of the Raritan River are closed because of flooding.

Several roads are also closed in Hunterdon County, including westbound Route 22 in Whitehouse Station, Route 29 in Delaware Township and OLd York Road in Raritan Township.

The National Weather Service has upgraded its flood watches to flood warnings for the Raritan and Millstone rivers.

The flooding is forecast to be somewhere between the levels in the two previous storms on Dec. 19 and Dec. 28.

The Raritan River at Manville is predicted to start rising rapidly Tuesday evening and will reach a crest of 18 feet Wednesday afternoon. Flood stage is 14 feet. The flood warning is in effect until 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

In comparison, the river crested on Dec. 28 at 16.4 feet and on Dec. 19 it crested at 19.8 feet

The Raritan River at Bound Brook is also expected to rise rapidly late Tuesday evening and reach a crest of 32 feet Wednesday afternoon. Flood stage is 28 feet. The flood warning there is in effect until 1 a.m. Thursday.

In comparison, the river crested on Dec. 28 at 29.6 feet and on Dec. 19 it crested at 33.7 feet.

The Millstone River at Blackwells Mills is also expected to rise rapidly Tuesday evening and a reach a crest of 13 feet after midnight Wednesday. Flood stage is 9 feet. The flood warning is in effect until 1 a.m. Friday.

A high wind advisory is in effect from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 3 a.m. Wednesday.

The rain will pick up in intensity at about 6 p.m. and will remain heavy until about 1 a.m. when it will begin to taper off. About 2 to 2.5 inches of rain are expected to fall.

More:Gov. Phil Murphy declares state of emergency for NJ in advance of major storm Tuesday

The wind has already picked up Tuesday afternoon and is predicted to reach its peak speed at about 9 p.m. with occasional gusts in Central Jersey reaching 46 mph.

Winds are forecast to be 20 to 25 mph from about 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Because the storm will be tracking through the Ohio Valley into the Great Lakes region, Central Jersey will be on the warm side with temperatures rising to near 55 degrees at midnight.

And the parade of storms is not over for Central Jersey.

More rain and wind are expected from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning.

And the National Weather Service has added a chance of snow late Monday into Tuesday. How much is still to be determined.

Email: [email protected]

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Michael's Inn announced Wednesday its sad and difficult decision to permanently close.

|Updated Wed, Nov 29, 2023 at 6:35 pm ET

RARITAN, NJ — After 55 years in business, Michael's Inn owner announced the sad decision to permanently close at the end of the year.

Owner Lauren Speis called the decision to close "difficult."

"Between staffing issues, high demand of the business, and the overwhelming amount of hours performed it has taken a toll both physically and mentally," said Speis in a letter she shared on Wednesday on the Michael's Inn Facebook page.

Speis added that the owner of the building put the property up for sale and as renters, they "could not change the hand being dealt."

The longtime business at 46 Thompson St. in Raritan is being listed for $1.3 million as a "golden investment opportunity" by Keller William Elite, Realtors.

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"Discover this building in the heart of downtown Raritan Boro, boasting a fully renovated and popular bar/restaurant, complemented by four fully rented apartments," according to the listing.

Michael's Inn has been in business for more than 55 years before Speis, a former employee of the bar, took over the business in July 2021, according to tapinto.net.

"I would like to thank my wonderful staff for they have been a huge part of Michael's success and I could not have done it without them. They will all be greatly missed and I am proud to call them my family," said Speis.

Michael's Inn will remain open through the end of December and Speis welcomed patrons to stop in for a drink, to eat their favorite dish or to thank their favorite bartenders.

"It has been a true honor to serve you all," said Speis.

Major flooding is being reported on the North Branch River and levels on the Raritan River continue to rise on Monday.

|Updated Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 12:46 pm ET

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Rain continues to soak the area causing major flooding and water levels to rise.

The North Branch Raritan River at South Branch that crosses under Old York Road at the Bridgewater and Branchburg border is already beginning to crest over Two Bridges. It is currently in the major flooding stage at 12.75 feet. Flooding level is 8 feet.

As a result, Duke Island Park is almost completely underwater. The Basilone Bridge (connecting Raritan and Hillsborough) and Nevius Street pedestrian bridge are also closed due to water levels touching the undersides of the bridges.

Just watching the Raritan River flow you can see the current moving at very fast speeds.

Water levels on the Raritan River are also continuing to rise. In Manville, the river is at 14.57 feet and has minor flooding. It is expected to rise to moderate flooding or 19.1 feet later today.

Find out what's happening in Bridgewaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Raritan River in Bound Brook is also at the minor flooding stage at 28.27 feet and is expected to continue to rise to 32.4 feet just below major flooding later on Monday.

Somerset County Safety is continuing to urge residents to stay off the roadways and to not drive through water.

"Due to high levels of flooding, residents are asked to avoid roads in the county and stay home if possible," said Somerset County Safety.

Authorities are also warning "Do not drive through flooded roadways!" See Related: High Levels Of Flooding, Residents Asked To Stay Home In Somerset Co.

Flood gates have not closed yet in Somerset County but the county is keeping an eye on the situation, Nathan Rudy, a spokesman with the county, told Patch.

Take a look below at some videos of the flooding. (Have photos or videos of flooding in your area? Email [email protected].)

Flooding at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater:

Flooding at Two Bridges between Bridgewater and Branchburg:

Flooding at Basilone Bridge in Raritan:

A new "massive" winter storm system is expected to drop excessive rain leading to significant flooding in Somerset County.

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — A new "massive" winter storm system approaching Somerset County is expected to drop excessive rain on Tuesday leading to significant flooding in the area.

The National Weather Service projects the Raritan River in Manville and Bound Brook, the North Branch Raritan River on the Branchburg and Bridgewater border, and the Millstone River in Blackwells Mills are all expected to hit "moderate" flood levels by Wednesday morning.

The Raritan River in Manville is expected to hit the "minor flood stage" by 1 a.m. on Wednesday at 14 feet before rising to 17 feet around 7 a.m. Wednesday. It will then continue to rise to 18.5 feet by 1 p.m. on Wednesday before dropping back down on Thursday.

The Raritan River in Bound Brook will follow a similar timeline hitting a high of 32.3 feet by 1 p.m. on Wednesday - which is just below the "major flood stage" of 33 feet.

The North Branch Raritan River on the Branchburg and Bridgewater border is projected to hit a high of 13.2 feet by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, which is the "moderate flood stage."

Find out what's happening in Bridgewaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Millstone River is expected to hit the "moderate flood stage" at 12.8 feet by Wednesday at 1 p.m. However, unlike the rivers above, the river will remain in the "moderate flood stage" through Thursday.

The winter storm is expected to roll in during the latter part of Tuesday and continue into Wednesday. Heavy rain will fall with 1 to 3 inches expected and up to 4 inches possible in some areas.

Couple that with snow melt and moderate to major river flooding is possible.

Forecasters are saying that excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Area creeks and streams are running high and are expected to flood with more heavy rain.

In mid-December, heavy rain caused flooding and rivers to hit "major" and "moderate" flood stages in the county. Read More: Rushing Rivers Flood Roads, Parks In Bridgewater: Videos, Photos

Residents are reminded to "Turn around, don't drown."

Here is a look at the weather ahead:

Monday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 23. Calm wind.

Tuesday: Rain, mainly after 1 p.m. High near 48. East wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tuesday Night: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 45. Breezy, with a southeast wind 20 to 25 mph becoming south after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Wednesday: Rain before 7 a.m., then a slight chance of showers between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. High near 50. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

Candidate Jeff McNally shares why he is running for election on the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Board of Education in 2023.

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Board of Education general election on Nov. 7 has seven candidates running for three open seats representing Bridgewater and one open seat representing Raritan.

Jeff McNally is running for the one, three-year seat representing Raritan. Opposing candidates include incumbent Michael M. Pepe and Umesh Agrawal.

There are also three, three-year full-term seats representing Bridgewater open. Candidates include Barry R. Walker, Rebecca Hassouna, Jarrett Hahn, and Hector Menendez. Harini Rajagopalan withdrew her name and will not be running this year anymore.

Additionally, there is a referendum question on the ballot. Voters previously approved the first part of the District's referendum in March to make significant renovations to district-wide schools and to have full-day kindergarten.

The second question appearing on the ballot in November will ask the two communities to approve the total operating costs of the full-day kindergarten for $2.46 million.

Find out what's happening in Bridgewaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Are you running for office in Bridgewater? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at [email protected] for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Bridgewater Patch.

Age: 69

Town of residence: Raritan Borough

Position sought: BRRSD BOE for Raritan Borough

Family: Wife, daughter, and three grandchildren

Education: VoTec Graduate, and four-year Union Carpenter’s Journeyman Night School

Occupation: Owner and operator of A-Sential Well & Pump

Previous or current elected appointed office: N/A

Campaign website: N/A

Why are you seeking election on the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education?

I am a newcomer seeking election as I feel I can give a positive contribution to the School Board. I don’t agree with politicizing school curriculum or activities. We should be focusing on providing a strong and well-rounded education with the best interests of the children in mind. Partnership among parents, teachers, and administration is what makes our schools great. The voice of parents are an integral part of a child’s education and should always be considered. I would be supportive of a parent-school partnership, collaboration, and communication.

The second portion of the referendum will go up for a vote in November. Are you infavor of this? Why or why not?

This coming November referendum question is a decision that applies to the whole Bridgewater-Raritan community. I will share some thoughts regarding this issue.

The Bridgewater Raritan Regional School District has been offering a half-day kindergarten program for many decades, and we have enjoyed the fame of an excellent Blue Ribbon School District. Our schools have consistently provided a competitive education to students, thus attracting families with school-aged children, who call Bridgewater and Raritan their home. A lot of people don’t realize that currently, NJ residents are not required by law to have a kindergartenprogram. NJ districts have the option to offer Kindergarten at half-day, a full-day schedule, or not at all. It is the residents’ discretion to decide as a whole whether to fund a full-time kindergarten program by increasing their taxes. In addition to the financial ramifications, the educational benefits of a full-day kindergarten vs. half-day remains to be proven.

I do have additional concerns about the way it has been proposed for the implementation of a full-day kindergarten. It requires a series of complex moves that include moving the 6 th grade from the intermediate school to a traditional middle school with 7 th and 8 th grades. My concern is that the renovated middle school may not be able to accommodate up to 50% more students while only expanding one wing of the building. In my opinion, an additional wing may not have enough classroom space and common areas to accommodate the additional students. There could be an opportunity for a better solution if people do not like the current proposal. If we are going to do it, let’s do it right.

There could be also more creative solutions to the funding aspects of this question. These include using other revenues such as subsidized tuition. This will help lessen equity problems for children in low-income families and their access to the program, and one that does not burden the general population, including fixed-income residents. Families who want a choice of school by sendingtheir five year-old children to private school will also not have to pay twice.

When I talk to community members, a lot of people were not clear about what the referendum means. The proposed referendum consists of three (3) questions. Each of the first twoquestions asked voters to approve a portion of a tax raise.

Two of the questions were already voted on in March 2023. Question 1 asked for approximately $84 million in funding for infrastructure renovations throughout the district. This amount would be funded through debt in the form of a 25-year bond. This was approved by the public in March with 4,196 votes.

Question 2 in the March vote was about expanding the middle school building to accommodate space for a full-day kindergarten program, with a debt in the form of a 25-year bond for an additional amount of $29 million.

This question only asked for taxpayer support on the construction costs. The added recurring operational cost of the full-day kindergarten program such as hiring more teachers and associated staffing and materials was not included. These additional operational costs are a yearly recurring costs that are determined to be $2.4 million annually. This is what you are voting on in the November Referendum question.

What is important here is that the March Question 2 that was voted on and approved and the upcoming November 7 question are intertwined and related. So although in March, the question passed with 3,548 votes, it is a conditional pass, which means it depends on the November question to also pass, which is to create a full-time kindergarten. If the full-time kindergarten program is not approved that would mean the whole proposal of the additional $29 million project would not proceed. People have a chance to make up their final decision on the issue with their vote on November 7.

Ultimately it is the voter’s decision. I would encourage anyone to study the referendum proposal, look at the issue, and vote.

Transportation is a statewide issue. Do you feel transportation issues are being handled well by the Board? Why or why not? If not, how do you propose improving it?

There have been challenges with transportation for our schools that should be addressed so that our children are transported safely. The school district has not handled it well, and chronically so. Parents came to School Board meetings and mentioned that students were left on a bus, in addition to buses being extensively late. This is not acceptable. We need to secure and improve the transportation for our students. I am glad to see that the current Board has taken actions towards improving this problem with the approval to equip buses with GPS so that parents can monitor their child’s whereabouts. Taking actions should always be done with urgency and priority.

Security at schools remains a high priority. Are you happy with the district's security plan for students and staff? If not, what would be your alternative?

The Board of Education approved the hiring of a District Community Security Team in 2022 as part of an approved school security plan is a step in the right direction. The safety of our children is paramount. I’m willing to listen to anything the hired experts have to say in the future or for that matter any suggestions that the general community may have.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the district?

Other issues I would like to tackle if elected would be to further a collaborative partnership within the school district that’s built on trust and communication.

I also think mental health is very important. There is a high rate of mental health issues including suicidal ideation among the youth which is a serious problem and needs to be addressed. We need to address the mental health concerns for the kids.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

I have a unique background of a tradesman among the current Board Members and candidates. College is great, but it’s not for everyone. We want every student to succeed, college or not. We should make sure the schools teach the fundamental basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and getting the next generation ready for life to be successful, whatever career path they choose. The biggest problem I hear and see from employers is getting qualified people to fill jobs. It’s important that we also make students aware of a career path working in the trades. I believe I offer a different perspective than the other candidates. Different, but nevertheless important. If elected, I will work collaboratively with other School Board Members and contribute from my unique perspective.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I’ve lived in Central Jersey for my entire life. I grew up in Branchburg and I am the oldest of 11 children. I have lived in Raritan for nine (9) years. I worked as a union carpenter for 20 years with experience in being a journeyman and foreman. I proudly took part in building the Bridgewater Mall, Johnson & Johnson buildings, and Merck Pharmaceuticals. I have owned my well water conditioning business for the last 35 years with my wife, serving families in Raritan and nearby towns. I am married with one daughter and three grandchildren. Church is a big part of my life. I have lived through life’s ups and downs with both trials and triumphs. As a member of the older generation, I want to share my life experiences with what I have learned with younger generations. Where I have failed may be an example to others so they won’t have to. How I stood up proudly again may be someone’s inspiration. There have been many times I had someone who’s been there done that, who helped guide me through the pitfalls in life. I want to do the same for other people in need and offer a helping hand to the community I live in. I would like to influence our youth in a positive way. With your vote, I would be honored to represent Raritan in helping to decide our children’s educational path. I care deeply about this community.