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.
The woman said she was forced to retire after the district refused to allow her to work remotely during COVID, despite her heart condition.
Here's what to know if your child will enter kindergarten or be a new first-grade student at Wayne Schools next year.
Mars is one of four planets lining up this month in a rare four-planet conjunction. Here's when to see the show:
The plan calls for demolishing the current market and gas station to build a new store and fuel station with a drive-thru, the report said.
The majority of these stores are expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, the company said.
The majority of these stores are expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, the company said.
These inclusive events provide a place for people with unique abilities to express themselves and have fun.
Catch up with the stories making headlines today across New York City.
Catch up with the stories making headlines today in the Garden State.
The man told police that he accidentally shot his husband while demonstrating how to kill a snake in their home, a report said.
Periodical cicadas, which have regional broods, emerge en masse every 13 or 17 years. See when they'll arrive in Pennsylvania:
After this 900-hour program, graduates will be prepared to take the New Jersey State Licensing Exam, the school said. Here's how to enroll:
Police charged the township resident with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.
Infections nationwide reached the highest levels in three years, just as Americans were gathering with their families for the holidays.
Catch up with the stories making headlines today in the Garden State.
Catch up with the stories making headlines today across New York City.
The councilman reportedly had photos of several people and told a local liquor store owner not to sell to them, or risk losing his license.
Going-out-of-business sales are ongoing at Party City's retail stores across the Garden State as the company winds down operations.
If you've been holding out on getting your Real ID, here's what you'll need in New Jersey.
If you've been holding out on getting your Real ID, here's what you'll need in Pennsylvania.