The Trenton Times published the following article on January 1, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
Mercer County’s year in review: Record bloodshed and rampant corruption were balanced by economic renewal in the Capital County
By Mike Davis/The Times
on January 01, 2014 at 6:30 AM, updated January 01, 2014 at 6:32 AMIt was a year where the state’s capital city saw the most bloodshed in its history and Mercer County saw new economic promise, with its airport on an upswing and household names like Amazon.com setting up shop in the county.
In the city of Trenton, 2013 was the most violent year on record. By year’s end, 37 people were murdered within city limits — up from 24 homicides last year — beginning with the killing of James Threadgill on New Year’s Day and ending with the killing of Robert Wright last Friday. Both men were killed waiting outside liquor stores…
…But 2013 was also one of the busiest years for economic development, with familiar faces coming and going.
Construction is nearly completed on the 1.2 million-square-foot Amazon.com megawarehouse in Robbinsville, which will hire 1,400 full-time employees and up to 3,800 during the holiday season. A team of Rutgers economists has estimated that the state could reap as much as $100 million in annual sales tax revenue from New Jersey customers, who began paying 7 percent sales tax on their purchases beginning on July 1…
…And in Trenton, students and district officials continued to protest decaying conditions at Trenton Central High School, which have only worsened over the last year.
While Gov. Chris Christie has yet to visit the school, local legislators and a state school board representative have visited the campus, which is plagued by black mold, peeling paint and a leaky roof.