Give me a holler with story ideas, suggestions, or questions: michelle.rotuno-johnson@patch.com. You'll see my bylines in NJ and PA, and occasionally other places on Patch. I live in southern Ohio currently.
I "began" my journalism career at the age of six when I decided to produce a paper for my neighbors with looseleaf paper, a pencil, and some very amateur drawing skills. Now, I am a general assignment editor for Patch with our NJ/PA team, providing local news coverage to our readers in the region. I really enjoy covering local news and working with other Patch journalists.
My work has appeared in newspapers, on TV stations, and for a radio station as well as on digital platforms. I have undergraduate degrees in journalism and religion from Ohio Wesleyan University, and a double Master's degree in journalism and mass communication from Ohio University and the University of Leipzig in Germany. In 2014, I wrote a local history book on the Marion Popcorn Festival, which takes place every fall in Marion, OH.
When I'm not "doing the news," I am usually thinking about Star Wars, The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss, or soccer. I am a big fan of Chelsea Football Club, both the men's and women's teams. I have a dog named Sprout and two cats, Scoops and Bast.
Officials have charged a 22-year-old man with first-degree murder after finding his cousin dead in an apartment basement early Monday.
The store has freebies lined up across multiple store departments — take a look at what you might find.
If you don't have plans for Monday, April 8 at around 3:25 p.m., we've got you covered — check out these eclipse events in Morris.
The Florida State Patrol said the Passaic Co. native suffered fatal injuries after he crashed into a driver who turned in front of him.
An NJ mom said her husband and son have kept her going, as she searches for a cure for a debilitating rash she has endured since she was 16.
University officials said that Christian Samay was found dead at his fraternity house over the weekend.
Last year, a forester identified close to 300 trees on Township properties and in open spaces that needed to be removed.
Live music, food trucks, a beer garden, and a corn hole tournament are all on the schedule as the Fire Company welcomes all to attend.
Periods of rainfall are expected throughout most of the work week. See the local forecast from the National Weather Service:
Periods of rainfall are expected throughout most of the work week. See the latest local forecast from the National Weather Service:
Teams from both high schools qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship, which will be held in Dallas later in April.
A 31-year-old man was found unresponsive in a basement apartment after police got a call for a fight at the residence, said officials.
Morristown is an attractive choice for people who are at a career crossroads and looking to move to a new town, the study found.
Officials also made two DUI arrests and investigated the thefts of several delivered packages with electronics in them.
Officials said the man drove to Pennsylvania the day before, and bought $1,000 worth of fireworks. Phone data also placed him near the bank.
Ike Nicholas Souzer was convicted of killing his mother when he was 13.
Currently, 19 counties in New Jersey are using a party column ballot design for primary elections.
Officials said Errick Allen was off duty when he shot Chris Curro, his friend from elementary school, during a disagreement.
The 24-year-old victim's mother said she was angry and "very shocked" at the verdict, a report said.
Most of these bill payments go to housing, with mortgages and rent eating up a majority of the cost. See the breakdown:
