PLAINFIELD, NJ — Plainfield council members took steps towards reigning in the use of dirt bikes and ATVs on both public streets and in city parks at its meeting on Monday. The quality of life issue has generated numerous complaints about the prevalence of the vehicles in the city, the excessive noise they generate, and the potential danger they pose to the community.

On resolution ...

TRENTON, NJ -- Gov. Phil Murphy reported progress in getting shots into arms as he presented a vaccine update during his press briefing Wednesday. He said that the state has administered 4,892,598 total doses and that 1,896,442 New Jersey residents are now fully vaccinated.

"We are now 40% to our initial goal of 4.7 million individuals fully vaccinated by June 30th," ...

Now looking at a $6 billion surplus, state treasurer tells lawmakers it was right to borrow $4 billion amid fears of COVID-19 collapse.

This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.

During testimony before lawmakers Tuesday, Gov.

TRENTON, NJ — The state Department of Health has directed all New Jersey vaccination sites to cancel or put on hold appointments for the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine following recommendations by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

The health agencies Tuesday issued a pause in the vaccine’s ...

Special to TAPinto. This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.

NJ SPOTLIGHT -- With one in four cases linked to variants, NJ’s top medical official says ‘Keep doing what you’re doing and get ...

With one in four cases linked to variants, NJ’s top medical official says ‘Keep doing what you’re doing and get vaccinated’

Special to TAPinto.net. This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.

At least ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Plainfield council members took steps towards reigning in the use of dirt bikes and ATVs on both public streets and in city parks at its meeting on Monday. The quality of life issue has generated numerous complaints about the prevalence of the vehicles in the city, the excessive noise they generate, and the potential danger they pose to the community.

On resolution ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Police and fire divisions were on hand responding to a two-vehicle crash on Wednesday morning at the intersection of East 7th Street and Leland Avenue in Plainfield.

A Nissan 4Runner sat in the middle of the intersection, while a white SUV was on the lawn across from the HOPES CAP early childhood center.

It was unclear if there were injuries, but EMS services were not ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — A statement from the Plainfield Police Division on Monday indicates units responded to the 500 block of West 3rd Street on Sunday, April 4 at 9:55 p.m. based on an alert by ShotSpotter, the technology that detects gunshots.

Upon arrival, police located an individual with a non-life threatening gunshot wound. The victim was transported to an area hospital for ...

Event at UC Vo-Tech in Scotch Plains; COVID-19 safety rules apply

The Union County Board of County Commissioners has announced there will be a free Drive-Up screening of “The Croods — A New Age” at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Campus, 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains, on Friday, April 23. Parking begins at 7 p.m. and the movie will begin at dusk. The rain ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Residents recently received a mailing with the Department of Public Works leaf pickup schedule for Plainfield. An insert in that mailing includes information on parks and pool openings, fireworks and fishing events, and more.

Playgrounds

According to the mailing insert, all city playgrounds, closed for the past year, will open on Saturday, May 1. Unlike county parks, ...

Legislation is Part of a $100 Million Relief Package for New Jersey Small Businesses

LONG BRANCH, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy today signed into law S-3521, which provides $15 million in federal COVID-19 relief aid for arts and cultural venues throughout New Jersey. The bill — sponsored by Senators Joseph Lagana, Dawn Marie Addiego, and Vin Gopal and Assembly Members Linda Carter, ...

Students will still face a version of the mandatory exam in the fall. But questions on the details linger.

Special to TAPinto.net. This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.

In a bit of a surprise, the Murphy administration ...

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Plainfield's Blessing Babayemi, a Doctor of Pharmacy student, has been named to the Fall 2020 Dean's List at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, PA.

Selection for this award is based on completing and passing all assigned courses with no grade below a "C" and attaining an academic average of at least 3.4 for courses taken in the Fall of ...

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Joseph Postiglione, who teaches non-verbal autistic students in third to fifth grade at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, wants to help his pupils build an outdoor courtyard that will be “their own comfortable place” and he will teach them “valuable life and social skills along the way.”

Postiglione ...

SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD, NJ -- The annual Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS Food Truck Festival will roll into town on Sunday, May 2, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will take place at the high school's Westfield Road entrance with a social distancing layout. Face masks will be mandatory.

The Food Truck Festival is a fundraiser for the Class of 2021. The event is scheduled ...

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Rutgers University and head women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer have agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension that will keep the Hall of Fame coach courtside through the 2025-26 season.

Stringer, who ranks fifth in career victories (1,055) among women’s basketball coaches, will be 78 when the new contract expires.

Stringer, who just ...

NEW JERSEY — Opening day of Trout Season is Saturday, April 10 and to celebrate, state waters have been stocked with a half million rainbow trout. For a full list of locations, click HERE

"Thanks to DEP’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, which has been hard at work with advanced trout stocking, New Jersey residents and visitors can enjoy trout fishing while avoiding crowds and ...

Anthony Ashnault’s chance at taking the next step for making Team USA for the Summer Tokyo Olympic Games came to a halt at the Team Trials on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.

The South Plainfield native and eighth-seeded grappler advanced into the quarterfinals of the 65-kilogram freestyle bracket where he fell, 5-1, to top-seeded Zain Retherford.

Despite obviously being bummed that ...

NEWARK, NJ — When Judy Rodriguez was a sophomore at Elizabeth High School, her history teacher gave her a key piece of information that would empower her, then one day power New Jersey.

"She gave us an aptitude test, and the result for me was that I would be good at the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. Her reaction was 'You should try for ...

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — New Jersey restaurants will receive another $35 million in federal coronavirus relief aid under legislation signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy.

To be administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), the funds are grants that will be made available to restaurants, bars, breweries, brewpubs and wineries, and do not have to be repaid. The state EDA ...

NEWARK, NJ  – Newark Penn Station is on track towards becoming a more reliable and sustainable travel hub as Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday introduced the first fleet of dual-powered locomotives to the city. 

Standing on the Track A platform, Murphy introduced just one of 25 new diesel-electric trains expected to make their way to the Newark station ...

DENVILLE, NJ -- Hostess Snoballs have been recalled due to an undeclared allergen, announced Hostess Brands, LLC. According to the company, certain Hostess SnoBalls were "inadvertently manufactured in the packaging for Hostess Chocolate CupCakes, and the packaging does not list coconut, an ingredient as an allergen.

The recall included SnoBalls manufactured on March 12, 2021 with a UPC of ...

Produce will be distributed on a first come-first served basis at drive-up event in Scotch Plains, and walk-up events in Elizabeth and Plainfield.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners will hold three emergency food distribution events for Union County residents in April to aid those affected by COVID-19. One of the events will be held in Plainfield.

Tuesday, April 13 at 10 a.m.

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Three individuals are recipients of a 2021 Volunteer Spirit Award by the Greater Somerset County YMCA for the role they played as leaders of the Plainfield YMCA Food Security team when COVID-19 brought everything to a halt in March 2020. The group award was presented for their efforts to help distribute over one million meals in the Queen City.

These awards honor Y ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Star Fish Food Pantry racked up another accolade in celebration of its 50th anniversary. In addition to receiving a resolution from the Union County Board of Commissioners to recognize the organization's service to the community, board members and volunteers were presented with a proclamation from the City of Plainfield on Thursday, April 8.

Executive Director ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Star Fish Food Pantry, located in Plainfield, is celebrating 50 years of service to the community. The organization was recognized by the Union County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, with Commissioner Rebecca Williams doing the honors onsite at its East Front Street location.

Commissioner Williams said, "It's an honor to be here, and I am representing the ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Four candidates have submitted petitions for the June 8 Primary Election to seek a four-year term as Plainfield Mayor, election officials announced Monday after the 4 p.m. deadline passed. Incumbent Mayor Adrian O. Mapp is pursuing a third term, and will once again face off with Dr. Henrilynn Ibezim, who lost to Mapp in 2017. Richard Wyatt and Sean McKenna have also filed ...

Add a cool refreshing twist to your meals, beverages, appetizers, and snacks with cucumbers.  These popular vegetables are grown worldwide, adding anti-inflammatory vitamin K, vitamins C, B-5 and more to your meals. Take it a step further by using your own fresh-from-the-garden cucumbers.

Grow cucumbers sprawled on the ground or in a container on your patio, balcony, or deck.  Save ...

Sweeten your meals by growing your own sugar substitute in gardens or containers. Stevia is nature’s own sweetener that can be snacked upon fresh or added to soups, sauces, or beverages.

Wait for warm nights and the danger of frost to pass before planting stevia outdoors.  It is a perennial in USDA zones 8 and warmer, but those gardening in colder areas must grow stevia ...

Bright yellow daffodils, colorful tulips and fragrant hyacinths brighten our spring gardens. Give them the care they need to extend their spring display and keep them coming back for years.

Hybrid tulips and hyacinths are short-lived stars of the spring garden. They bloom profusely the first spring, but the number of flowers decline each year. You may want to treat these like annuals, ...

BRIGANTINE, NJ — The gray seal pup found underweight and injured on the Belmar beach in February has been sprung from rehabilitation.

After spending nearly two months at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center — where its feeding instincts kicked in, and it gained some 30 pounds — the four-month-old seal waddled its way back into the ocean on April 5 along a quiet Jersey ...

NEW JERSEY - While the rest of the state economy slowly returns to pre-pandemic levels, the New Jersey real estate market reportedly experienced “a year we’ve not seen before” with no immediate signs of slowing.

Two state real estate experts with national credentials participated in a TAPinto panel discussion Tuesday about the “Current State of the New Jersey Real ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — A property in the Netherwood Heights section of Plainfield that had included a house damaged by trees in 2011 by Hurricane Irene and a fire in 2013, as reported in a blog post by Dan Damon, will see a new wood-frame home built upon it. The Zoning Board unanimously approved application ZBA-2019-20 on Wednesday.

The applicant was seeking bulk variances to begin ...

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Plainfield's Planning Board will hear from Applicant MBH Urban Renewal, LLC, at its April 15 meeting, according to a legal notice published Monday. The property is located at 1252-1336 Randolph Road, where Muhlenberg Hospital, which closed in 2008, used to operate. The applicant was scheduled to appear before the board in December, but its attorney submitted a ...

MADISON, NJ —  All US flags will be flown at half-staff through Tuesday, April 6, as per the Presidential Proclamation, honoring the victims of the attack at the United States Capitol on Friday.

"Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the U.S. Capitol grounds, which killed Officer William Evans of the U.S. Capitol ...

TRENTON — Gov. Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Health issued new COVID-19 travel guidance on Monday, which follow updated travel recommendations released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) earlier this month.

“While the pandemic is not over, our vaccination program and updated CDC guidance have made it possible for vaccinated individuals to resume travel ...