Somerset County News

Duck legs confit. Waygu burgers. Anduille sausage. These items from meat supplier D’Artagnan typically would be headed to restaurants, but due to COVID-19 much of it is on its way to homes, instead.

“We got into this because the restaurants disappeared,” said D’Artagnan President Andy Wertheim. “This is a question of finding another way to get the product into ...

New Jersey Date Night is a series on NJ Flavor by relationship writer Craig Rogers.

Before you know it, our date nights can actually happen at a table in a restaurant! As New Jersey begins to slowly emerge from stay-at-home rules, couples are itching to get our and experience something hot. How about something sizzling found in a basket, on a plate or inside a bucket?

When it comes to ...

As people avoid going into grocery stores during the coronavirus pandemic, many in New Jersey are turning to CSAs as an alternate source for fresh food.

CSAs, or community supported agriculture programs, connect local farmers with consumers. They typically provide locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs. Some also offer other kinds of locally produced foods, such as eggs, cheese, ...

RUTHERFORD, NJ -- Stephanie Willoughby spoke with Renee Faris, Chef & Owner of Erie Coffee Shop & Bakery, about her small business in town and how life and work has changed for her during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the coronavirus outbreak began to take hold in New Jersey, at first Faris set limits as to how many people could be in the bakery, but eventually wound up closing altogether ...

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ -- Host Stephanie Willoughby caught up with Ralph Acquaviva, Owner of Delicious Heights, a restaurant/bar/takeout establishment, to see how he has managed his business during the COVID-19 pandemic and learn about the initiatives he has established to continue meeting his customers’ needs.

“My dream was always to open up a restaurant,” said Acquaviva.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA -- Today, SpaceX launched a manned flight into space from Kennedy Space Center. To commemorate the event, we take a look back at our post from last year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing, which originated, like today's flight, from Kennedy Space Center. The center just reopened its doors to the public on May 28, 2020.  

In ...

LITTLE FALLS, NJ -- Personal Chef Nicolle Walker recently appeared on TAPintoTV’s Sunday morning TV program on News 12 Plus, to update host Stephanie Willoughby on her evolving business operations, which had to be adapted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Walker’s prior business model included working in people’s homes, as she and her staff cooked meals for busy families or ...

HOBOKEN, NJ -- As part of our small business spotlight series, HomeGrown Host Stephanie Willoughby spoke with Meghan Lavelle, Owner of Washington General, to see how the store is faring during the pandemic. Washington General was featured in Part One of our HomeGrown: Hoboken episode, which aired on TAPintoTV last June. 

“It’s been a whirlwind for sure,” said Lavelle.

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ -- TAPintoTV spoke with Rocco Petriello, General Manager of the Grain & Cane Restaurant, to learn how they have adapted to serve their customers during the pandemic and their developing plans for returning to business once New Jersey enters into a new phase of reopening. 

Grain & Cane focuses on homestyle cuisine with American influences. Now that the ...

SHIP BOTTOM, N.J. — With restrictions from COVID19 beginning to lift, the need for safe travel planning can be easily met online with Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce members newly launched, high performance, tourism related website. In time for summer, this dynamic site brings local knowledge directly to travelers coming from near or far. The Southern Ocean County ...

SHIP BOTTOM, N.J. — With restrictions from COVID19 beginning to lift, the need for safe travel planning can be easily met online with Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce members newly launched, high performance, tourism related website. In time for summer, this dynamic site brings local knowledge directly to travelers coming from near or far. The Southern Ocean County ...

BELMAR, NJ — A swell of people, stretching blocks along Belmar's boardwalk, turned out to buy seasonal beach badges on the first day of sales at Taylor Pavilion.

Advance badge sales will continue daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days of week, as beaches will officially open on Memorial Day weekend — under capacity and social distancing restrictions that will be ...

NEW JERSEY — While referencing “Jersey Girl” — in which Bruce Springsteen ruminates over everything being alright at the shore — Gov. Phil Murphy announced Thursday that all public and private beaches in the state will re-open in time for Memorial Day weekend.

Starting May 22, more than 120 miles of beaches in the state of 9 million, as well as lakefronts, ...

TRENTON, NJ -  Governor Phil Murphy is in the process of his daily COVID-19 press conference. For beach communities along the New Jersey shore, beaches and boardwalks will be open with some restrictions as of Friday, May 22.

Beaches will still be open to the public with limited capacity. This means restrictions on  beach badges and requirements as far as social distancing ...

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ – People north of the Driscoll Bridge look to Memorial Day to begin their trek “go down the shore.”  For Ocean County residents, a visit to the sand and surf is more commonly referred to as hitting the beach. With just two weeks away, it is important to know about beach badges and the like.

In Southern Ocean County, Long Beach Island offers an assortment ...

TRENTON, NJ - Nature calls, but you might want to be careful how you answer it...

In this afternoon's daily COVID-19 briefing, Col. Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police commented about the, "inordinate" amount of human waste generated at parks statewide following the reopening of public spaces across the Garden State.

While parks have been given the greenlight ...

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ - Dr. Lisa M. Antunes, superintendent of schools, and Karen A. Bingert, principal of Hillsborough High School,circulated a letter to members of the school community yesterday in response to complaints about "racist, homophobic and profane" online posts from several Hillsborough High School students.

An investigation is underway.

May 30, 2020

Dear HTPS ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ - The Somerset County Department of Health reported Sunday that 4,030 residents have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus since the pandemic hit locally in March, with the death toll increasing by one overnight to 418.

The US Centers for Disease Control this morning reported 103,153 COVID-19 deaths in the United States, with a total of 1,756,170 cases. Worldwide, ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ - The Somerset County Department of Health reported Saturday that 4,017 residents have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus since the pandemic hit locally in March, with the death toll increasing by 6 overnight to 417.

The US Centers for Disease Control this morning reported 102,323 COVID-19 deaths in the United States, with a total of 1,735,971 cases. Worldwide, ...

NORTH PLAINFIELD, NJ -  A North Plainfield man was arrested and charged with arson in connection with the fire that tore through residences on Maple Avenue on Wednesday, authorities say.

Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W. Fodor and North Plainfield Chief of Police William Parenti on Thursday ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ - The Somerset County Department of Health on Wednesday reported a total 3,960 cases of COVID-19 with a total of 406 deaths.

The SCDOH has confirmed the deaths of 112 Franklin Township residents; 61 in Bridgewater; 51 in Hillsborough; 41 in Bernards Township; 32 in North Plainfield; 30 in Green Brook; 15 in Watchung; 13 in Warren; 12 in Bound Brook; 9 in Raritan; 6 in ...

BRIDGEWATER, NJ - A Bridgewater juvenile has been identified as the man fatally struck by a NJ Transit train Monday at around 4:20 p.m. just west of the Bridgewater station, according to Lisa Torbic, of NJ Transit.

Torbic said the eastbound Raritan Valley Line train 5526, which left from Raritan at 4:16 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Newark Penn Station at 5:15 p.m. struck the juvenile ...

SUMMIT, NJ - More than 1,500 peaceful, concerned citizens from Hilltop City and surrounding towns gathered Tuesday afternoon at Summit's Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School (LCJSMS) to show their support for the 'Black Lives Matter' movement and, in the process, set a high bar for respectful, organized ...

CAMDEN, NJ — A police lieutenant shouted, “No justice!”

And hundreds responded, "No peace!"

Protests against police brutality have unfolded across the nation over the weekend following the death of George Floyd.

Perhaps nowhere as uniquely as in Camden, where officers and the police chief on Saturday stood hand in hand ...

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - Farmers are a demographic that many may not have thought of as being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But New Jersey-centered organization Farmers Against Hunger has been helping local farmers as well as people in need during this difficult time. Since the pandemic started ten weeks ago, Farmers Against Hunger has donated 300,000 pounds of fruit, vegetables, dairy, and ...

NEWARK, NJ — Standing before the unfinished Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal One redevelopment site, Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, detailed the drastic losses the government agency suffered as a result of the coronavirus. 

With a 97% drop in passenger volume at Newark airport alone (the difference between ...