NOVEMBER 2023 FREE
On the ball
communitynews.org
Township native named first assistant prosecutor By Marcus Cook
After working in the Mercer County prosecutor’s office for 25 years, Jennifer DowningMathis was recently promoted to first assistant prosecutor. Having grown up in Lawrence Township, and now a resident of Ewing, the promotion has awarded Downing-Mathis substantial recognition for her decades of service to her community within the prosecutor’s office.
Before her promotion, Downing-Mathis served as the deputy first assistant prosecutor for Mercer County, a role that she says came with many of the same responsibilities, albeit with slightly less authority. In her new role, DowningMathis will assist in formulating policy, overseeing investigations, and general oversight of several units in the office as well as the 210-member staff. She has served as deputy first assistant since September 2016.
“I look forward to working with Jennifer in her new role as this office strives to make Mercer County a safer community to live, work and visit,” said Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri. “It’s the next logical step,” Downing-Mathis said of her promotion, which places her as second-in-command of the prosecutor’s office. “That’s just one level under what I am now, but being a part of the administration for See DOWNING-MATHIS , Page 5
Three running unopposed for Lawrence Council By Bill Sanservino
LHS boys’ soccer player Jackson Caruso juggles the ball. For more on the team, turn to Page 8. (Photo by Sam Pastorella.)
Three candidates are running for three four-year terms on the Lawrence Township Council on Nov. 7—incumbent John Ryan and newcomers Olympia I’liouPerry and Patricia Hendricks Farmer. All three are Democrats and will join the other two Democrats Front-page ad: on the council at the beginning of Do youterms know your Lipoprotein(a) their in January 2024.level?
The Lawrence Gazette the three to provide biographical information about themselves and answer several questions about township issues. Their answers are presented below. Farmer is a lifelong resident of Lawrence Township. A product of St. Ann’s School and Lawrence High School, she attended Temple University, where she studied journalism and public relations. She is married to Robert Farmer,
and the two share a son, Andrew. She has served as a member of the Lawrence Township School Board since 2021 and ran for the board due to her “overwhelming passion for making education accessible, equitable, and inclusive for all.” Farmer has worked with the board to incorporate a diverse and inclusive curriculum, to implement more expansive proSee COUNCIL, Page 2
See page xxx to learn more and how to get tested. Logo:
Do you know your Lipoprotein(a) level? See to learn learn more more Seepage pagexx 6 to and how how to to get get tested. tested. and
Academy Dental CHILDREN & ADULTS Complete Dentistry for the Whole Family
AcademyDentalNJ.com
Currently Open for Emergency Dental Care See our ad on page 3