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TOP LOCAL News

March 28, 2024

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – Architect Andrew Berman provided an update on the library and showed photos of its present state. Council Member Karen Hilton prefaced his presentation with, “We have cleaned up all the toxins and the bad stuff that were in the Connett building, and our library now is going to ...

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Fisher-Price is recalling about 204,000 Little People Mickey and Friends Figures due to a choking hazard, announced the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The heads of the Donald Duck and Daisy Duck figures can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children, said the ...

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SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ - The South Plainfield Board of Education (SPBOE), at a meeting held March 20, welcomed a new administrator to the district as well as approved the promotion of a current one.  Effective July, Dr. Robert Goman, an administrator with the district for seven years, will take on ...

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SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – During the March 21 Board of Education (BOE) meeting, half a dozen residents each read a portion of a legal report written by an attorney explaining why Principal Frank Sanchez should be reinstated because their findings indicate that the “evidence” against him was distorted and ...

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NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP - Yesterday's Mega Millions $1.13 billion jackpot was won by a single ticket sold in New Jersey, and it confirmed by NJ Lottery that the lucky winner bought it here in Neptune Township.  At today's press conference at ShopRite Liquor #781 (2200 Rt 66, Neptune Township) New Jersey ...

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Willie Nelson's annual Fourth of July Picnic, which reached its 50th year in 2023 and is almost always held in Texas, will celebrate Independence Day on Camden's waterfront this summer. Nelson, who turns 91 in April, wanted to be close to Philadelphia for this year's picnic, which will be held ...

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PRINCETON, NJ — Maplewood was among 17 New Jersey towns designated as 2023 “Healthy Towns" by the Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC), in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.  “The Township of Maplewood is honored to be recognized by the Quality Institute as a 2023 Healthy ...

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Starbucks branded gift sets are being recalled due to burn and laceration hazards, announced Nestle USA. The mugs were included in the 2023 Holiday Starbucks branded Gift Sets.  According to the recall, the mugs can overheat or break when microwaved or filled with extremely hot liquid, posing ...

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SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – Following the March 25 United Nations vote for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, 18 residents called into the South Orange Township meeting about the topic. Most asked the council to sign a ceasefire resolution drawn  up by SOMA Collective for Palestine, and some maintained ...

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SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – South Orange-Maplewood (SOMA) Board of Education (BOE) Student Liaison Gwyneth Brown spoke about Columbia High School (CHS) student morale during the latest BOE meeting. The liaisons had asked teachers to say hello to students in the hallway because the teens miss former ...

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NEWARK, NJ - Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II has announced that the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has been notified of an incident in Cedar Grove, NJ on Friday, March 22, 2024, in which Anthony F. Ambrose, III, the former chief of the detectives in the Prosecutor’s Office, was ...

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NEW JERSEY — It may not be a good idea to tell the next State Trooper who pulls you over that he or she looks “sexy” in their crisp uniform. That ploy probably won’t help talk your way out of a traffic summons or an arrest. However, a new survey by “Wealth of Geeks” really does rank New ...

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MAPLEWOOD, NJ __ Audrey Noguera said it was her time spent in the South Mountain Reservation that fostered in her a love of nature – and her desire to write a book to encourage others to find their own forests. The Columbia High School junior was 10 when her family moved from Brooklyn Heights to ...

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CAMDEN – The Battleship New Jersey was quietly pushed into a 180-degree turn on the Delaware River just after noon on Thursday as it began a journey south to spend a couple of months for bow maintenance in dry dock at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. “Is it moving? Is it moving?” one spectator, ...

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MAPLEWOOD,NJ- At the March 19th meeting of the Township Committee, an ordinance establishing a code of conduct for municipal facilities and/or events was introduced. The proposed ordinance specifically defines and states restrictions concerning bullying.  Bullying is characterized as making ...

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LIVNGSTON, NJ — In order to encourage education and prevention of colon cancer during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) hosted a Colorectal Cancer Awareness event called “Strollin' through the Colon” on Wednesday in Livingston, where attendees were ...

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SOUTH ORANGE, NJ __ The South Orange Public Library says it is starting to move into a second temporary location at the soon-to-be opened Baird Recreation Center while the main building undergoes an extensive renovation. An announcement from SOPL sent Friday said that it has been operating at ...

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SOUTH ORANGE and MAPLEWOOD, NJ - The National Weather Service has issued alerts of heavy rain that may cause flooding and that gusty winds are expected to hit SOMA Saturday afternoon, March 23rd. The Weather service further stated that heavy winds are expected from 2:00 PM this afternoon until ...

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Fisher-Price is recalling about 204,000 Little People Mickey and Friends Figures due to a choking hazard, announced the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The heads of the Donald Duck and Daisy Duck figures can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children, said the ...

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NEW JERSEY – When Elisa D’Amelio went to the emergency room back in March 2022, the New Jersey resident weighed just 129 pounds. While the numbers on the scale were not that alarming despite her 5'7" frame, it was D’Amelio’s overall health that set off alarms. Based on her blood work, she was ...

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SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – Acting Superintendent Dr. Kevin Gilbert began the March 21 BOE meeting with comments about restorative justice. He shared, “Many of you may not know that I have many hours of training in restorative justice. Being restorative is a key part of my fabric and a huge part of how I ...

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MAPLEWOOD, NJ __ Malia Herman has filed to run for a seat on the Maplewood Township Committee. The Democrat announced her candidacy for the party primary via press release after filing on Tuesday. She is a community volunteer, advocate for special needs, wife, and mother of two middle schoolers ...

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SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — TAPinto SOMA is in search of qualified and talented freelance news and sports reporters to cover news and sports in the community. Interested candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible for this position: Previous internship, news or ...

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Essex County, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura announced Essex County’s Code Blue procedures are being enacted because the temperature is forecasted to drop below 32 degrees. Code Blue protocols will be in effect from Thursday, March ...

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TRENTON – Dr. Kevin F. Gilbert, Acting Superintendent of the South Orange and Maplewood School District, testified before the New Jersey State Assembly’s Budget Committee today and advocated for an increase in state aid to the district to help meet the budget deficit and avoid a reduction in the ...

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Armando B. Fontoura, the longest-serving sheriff in Essex County's history, will not seek reelection, a spokesperson for his office confirmed on Tuesday, March 19. Before he was elected sheriff, Fontoura, 80, rose through the ranks of the Newark Police Department in a career that began in 1967.

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ESSEX COUNTY, NJ - In response to the ongoing challenges of food insecurity and the financial strain caused by inflation, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced the organization of a Spring Emergency Food Distribution Event. Aimed at supporting families in need, the event ...

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TRENTON, NJ — The New Jersey State Assembly passed a resolution Monday to “reaffirm freedom of access and protection of reproductive health care services,” including in vitro fertilization (IVF), in New Jersey. The resolution was a direct response to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling earlier this ...

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SOMSD Bond Resolution Approved Without Ritzer Field   MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – The Board of School Estimate (BOSE) meeting began with Board of Education (BOE) Business Administrator Eric Burnside presenting a slideshow of the repairs that have be completed on district schools. See ...

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TRENTON, NJ — The New Jersey Senate unanimously passed a resolution Monday calling on Congress and President Biden to raise the threshold for the federal poverty level in states like New Jersey. The resolution, SCR-93, is an official expression of state support for a proposal introduced by Rep.

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