Top Local News

Plainfield Students Learn About Voting Process, Cast Votes with Sample Ballots

March 26, 2023

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Students 17-years-old and up at Plainfield High School were given a crash course on how to maneuver through the process to cast their vote in this year's primary and general elections. The two-part event taught those eligible to vote how to register to do so, and provided sample ballots that allowed them to choose their candidates in actual voting ...

Stepping Into Greatness, a Women's History Event at Plainfield High School

PLAINFIELD, NJ — The Plainfield Public Schools district will celebrate Women's History Month with "Stepping Into Greatness," its culminating event featuring New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver. Highlights will include women who followed their dreams, strived to reach their full potential, stood up and stepped into the spotlight instead of standing on the ...

Acting Superintendent Announces Plainfield School District to be Closed in Observance of Eid al-Fitr

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Acting Superintendent of Schools Rashon K. Hasan issued a statement Thursday to state the district will be closed for students and ten- and twelve-month employees in observance of Eid al-Fitr on April 21.

Dear Plainfield Public Schools Community,

In accordance with our motto, "Moving Plainfield Public Schools Forward", as a district it is imperative ...

Friday, March 31: Road Closures in Plainfield

March 30, 2023

PLAINFIELD, NJ — The Plainfield Police Department advises residents on the following road closures around town for Friday, March 31. It is suggested residents plan alternate routes, and expect delays in these areas.

Hillcrest Ave. from East 2nd St. to East 3rd St. 7 AM — 3 PM
Edwin Pl. to Wiley Ave. 7 AM — 3 PM
East Front St. / Netherwood Ave. 7 AM — 3 ...

Thursday, March 30: Road Closures in Plainfield

PLAINFIELD, NJ — The Plainfield Police Department advises residents on the following road closures around town for Thursday, March 30. It is suggested residents plan alternate routes, and expect delays in these areas.

Hillcrest Ave from East 2nd St. to East 3rd St. 7 AM — 3 PM
Edwin Pl. to Wiley Ave. 7 AM — 3 PM
East Front St. / Netherwood Ave. 7 AM — 3 ...

Tuesday, March 28: Road Closures in Plainfield

PLAINFIELD, NJ — The Plainfield Police Department advises residents on the following road closures around town for Tuesday, March 28. It is suggested residents plan alternate routes, and expect delays in these areas.

 

600 block of East 7th St. 7 AM — 3 PM
1200 block of Salem Rd. 7 AM — 3 PM
Grant Ave. / West 4th St. 7 AM — 3 PM
North Ave. / ...

Check your Bank Account: NJ ANCHOR Property Tax Relief Rebate Payments are Arriving

March 28, 2023

NEW JERSEY — Governor Phil Murphy and Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio have announced that the first batch of ANCHOR Property Tax Relief rebate payments are on their way to New Jerseyans who elected their rebate via direct deposit. The statement says paper checks will follow direct deposits during the first week of April.

“At a time when families are facing increasing pressure ...

Public Meeting: Residents Can Learn, Comment on Safe Routes to School in Plainfield

PLAINFIELD, NJ — The Plainfield community is invited to a public meeting this month to learn about Safe Routes to School.

The City of Plainfield was awarded a Safe Routes to School grant for $304,000 in 2017. The Safe Routes to School program was devised to encourage children to walk and bike to school.  And these grants help local governments make pedestrian safety improvements ...

Eligibility Guidelines Expanded for Free Veterans Funerals, Burials

TRENTON, NJ — More New Jersey veterans will have the cost of their funerals covered by the government and expanded ability to be buried in a federal cemetery under new guidelines.

Under a new law recently signed by Governor Phil Murphy, eligibility will be expanded to include veterans with limited incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level to have their funerals paid for. In ...

Plainfield Baseball: Spring Preview 2023

March 30, 2023

PLAINFIELD, NJ — The first home game of the season for the Cardinals baseball team is on Monday, April 3 at 4 p.m. at Hub Stine Field. Coach Sean Radu (61-72), now in his eighth year at Plainfield, offered a sneak peek at who his players are, and defined some goals to which the Cardinals will strive in order to be competitive this year.

The coach said big opponents the Cardinals will ...

Plainfield's Mykala Brown Signs Letter of Intent to Play College Volleyball

PLAINFIELD, NJ — She has been a member of the volleyball program since the seventh grade at Maxson Middle School. On Wednesday, March 22, Plainfield High School Senior Mykala Brown signed a Letter of Intent to play volleyball at the University of Bridgeport this fall.

Her coach, Chanice Sears, said, “Mykala has worked hard and has put in the effort that has brought us this far. We ...

Plainfield Lady Cardinals Experience Flag Football Jamboree at NY Jets Training Center (Video)

FLORHAM PARK, NJ — There's a new team in town ready to compete — in flag football. In advance of the inaugural season, Plainfield's Lady Cardinals were invited Sunday to participate in the NY Jets Girls Flag Football Jamboree at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park. The day included a number of drills and concluded with scrimmages.

Plainfield is a ...

Union County Fresh Start Mobile Trailer Returning to Plainfield

March 29, 2023

UNION COUNTY, NJ — The Fresh Start program coordinated by the Union County Department of Human Services that provides access to clean showers, laundry services and bathroom facilities to individuals in need throughout the county is returning in April, and is slated to visit Plainfield on a regular basis throughout the spring, summer and fall.

The 2023 Fresh Start program will begin on ...

IKEA Mirrors Recalled Due to Laceration Hazard

IKEA is recalling all sizes of Lettan Flat Mirrors due to laceration hazard, announced the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The plastic fittings that attach the mirror to the wall can break, causing the mirror to fall which can pose a laceration hazard to consumers.

According to the company, there has been one report of the mirror falling off the wall in the U.S. and 55 ...

NJ Health Care Quality Institute Announces Plainfield as Mayor’s Wellness Campaign “Healthy Town”

PRINCETON, NJ — The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute announced Monday the Mayors Wellness Campaign “Healthy Town” winners for 2022, which included a designation for the City of Plainfield. These cities and towns improve health and wellness in their communities through innovative programs in areas such as exercise, healthy eating, and mental health education and ...

Stepping Into Greatness, a Women's History Event at Plainfield High School

March 25, 2023

PLAINFIELD, NJ — The Plainfield Public Schools district will celebrate Women's History Month with "Stepping Into Greatness," its culminating event featuring New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver. Highlights will include women who followed their dreams, strived to reach their full potential, stood up and stepped into the spotlight instead of standing on the ...

Watch: Frontiers International Plainfield Area Club Interview with Sharonne Salaam

PLAINFIELD, NJ — The Frontiers International Plainfield Area Club, as part of its Westry Horne Cultural and Heritage Lecture Series, brings you "A Mother's Strength: an Interview with Sharonne Salaam," the mother of Yusef Salaam, one of the Central Park Five who spent between six and 13-plus years in prison for charges including attempted murder, rape and assault.

Stream it ...

Certifiably Yours, a Hilarious Farce Comes to Plainfield’s duCret Center of Art

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Doors slamming, mistaken identities and crazy props? It must be a farce! Get ready to laugh out loud with Certifiably Yours, an award-winning, sidesplitting comedy. Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center, in residence at duCret Center of Art in Plainfield, is presenting the New Jersey premiere, a comedy by Metuchen resident Lawrence Paone.

Certifiably Yours, which won first ...

Activist Asks Union County to Memorialize Black People Burned at Stake in 1741

March 29, 2023

ELIZABETH, NJ — Will the county place a memorial to honor the lives of enslaved people executed in 1741 for their alleged roles in planning a rebellion?

National United Youth Council Inc. Director Salaam Ismial, of Elizabeth, has been asking this question of the Union County commissioners for the past three years.

“Since 2020, I’ve been asking the county to ...

Plainfield Food Pantry to Hold Food Drive, Community Support Needed

March 28, 2023

PLAINFIELD, NJ ­— The Covenant United Methodist Church food pantry has noted what it says is a one hundred percent increase in attendance over the past six weeks. Out of concern about its ability to continue, a food drive will be held, and the community's support is requested.

The church ran a weekly free meals program servicing the Plainfield community for over twenty-three ...

Hillary Clinton Speaks During Women's History Month Celebration; Five NJ Women Celebrated

MONTCLAIR, NJ ­— On the last weekend of Women’s History Month 2023, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez hosted the 12th Annual Evangelina Menendez Women's History Month Celebration at Montclair State University, named for the senator’s late mother. The event featured former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton as the keynote ...

New Jersey Election Workers to Receive Pay Increase

March 29, 2023

TRENTON, NJ — With primary elections fast approaching, Governor Murphy signed legislation increasing the pay for New Jersey's election workers. Elections workers will now be paid $300 per day, up from $200. The bill also appropriates $7,000,000 to the Department of State.

“Election workers play a critical role in ensuring that New Jerseyans may exercise their right to ...

June 2023 Primary Election: Four File for Two Plainfield Council Seats

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Two Plainfield city council seats — the Second Ward and the At-Large First and Fourth Wards — are up for grabs this year. Each seat is being sought by two candidates in the June 6, 2023, Primary Election, Municipal Clerk Abubakar Jalloh confirmed. Petitions were due Monday by 4 p.m.

Julienne R. Cherry, First and Fourth Wards — Regular ...

Spot the Remarkable American Woodcock in Union County

March 17, 2023

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Local bird watchers and nature fans are invited to join Pete Axelrod of Friends of The Great Swamp for the annual Woodcock Talk & Walk workshop on Monday, March 20, in the Watchung Reservation beginning at 6:30 p.m.

“The Talk & Walk event provides our residents with an opportunity to learn about the American Woodcock and test their birdwatching skills in ...

2023 Union County Hazardous Waste Disposal this Saturday, April 1, in Cranford

The Union County Board of County Commissioners presents upcoming 2023 Union County Hazardous Waste Disposal events, including this Saturday, April 1, 2023, at Union College, Parking Lots 5A/5B, 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford.  For this and other hazardous waste disposal events, including details about the events, please click here or view the schedule in the photo ...

Wardlaw+Hartridge Students Honor March Celebrations

Middle School students at The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison covered a wide range of topics highlighting important March celebrations at their divisional meeting during the week prior to Spring Break. With school closed for about half of the month, the students packed much information into the meeting in the Berry Performing Arts Center.

The meeting included an observance of ...

Wardlaw+Hartridge Seventh Graders Win Odyssey of the Mind Competition

The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison entered two Middle School teams into the Odyssey of the Mind regional competition, held on Saturday, February 25.

The seventh grade team of Rehan Ali of Carteret, Japjeev Singh of Edison, Joshua Simeonidis of Scotch Plains, Joy Patel of Iselin and Arshi Goel of Edison captured first place and will move on to the state competition in Princeton on ...

Wardlaw+Hartridge Middle School Makes Blankets for Children's Hospital

The Student Government Association at The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison sponsored two Days of Service in the Middle School during the week of Presidents’ Day. A dedicated group of 26 middle schoolers gave their time to make fleece tie blankets in support of the Children's Hospital at St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick. They worked hard to make 14 blankets ...

Upcoming Events

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Thu, March 30
06:00 PM — 08:00 PM

Plainfield High School Auditorium, Plainfield

All City Music Festival

Best_crop_bc7d88ee6ce2f43daf7d_screenshot_2023-03-25_at_5.01.35_pm

Fri, March 31
05:00 PM — 08:00 PM

Plainfield High School cafeteria, Plainfield

Women's History Month Event

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Sat, April 01
10:15 AM — 10:45 AM

Cedar Brook Park near Shakespeare Garden, Plainfield

Easter Egg Hunt

Queen City Academy Charter School Hosts Women’s History Month Celebration Honoring Community Leaders

March 29, 2023

PLAINFIELD, NJ — Queen City Academy Charter School (QCACS) celebrated Women's History Month yesterday by recognizing local women leaders Natasha L. Hemmings, Chief Executive Officer for the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, and Terri Briggs-Jones, Plainfield 4th Ward Councilwoman, and Vice President. QCACS elementary and high school scholars joined for a day of appreciation for the ...

Former Governor James McGreevey Honored as Paterson's Hibernian of the Year

March 19, 2023

PATERSON, NJ — Former Governor James McGreevey was honored as Paterson’s Hibernian of the Year during the Irish Flag Raising Ceremony held on St. Patrick’s Day. The event was hosted by Mayor Andre Sayegh, who recognized McGreevey’s contribution to the community as the chairman of the New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC).

The NJRC is a non-profit agency with a social ...

TAPinto Journalists Recognized for Excellence by The Center for Cooperative Media

ISELIN, NJ — TAPinto journalists were recently honored by The Center for Cooperative Media with NJ News Commons Excellence in NJ Local News Awards.

"Thank you to the Center For Cooperative Media for recognizing the outstanding local journalism being produced here in New Jersey," TAPinto Founder and CEO Michael Shapiro said. "Congratulations to all the winners including our ...

An Ocean of Collected Souls by Stephen Grand

An Ocean of Collected Souls by Stephen Grand. CHB Media, 2023.

 

The year is 1966. Picture a girl, 15 years of age with black hair, parted in the middle, tumbling to her waist. Today she is to meet a young man who is in college already, studying mathematics. She does not realize that this brilliant and very funny fellow will have a profound and enduring impact on her life. She is too ...

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Doubleday, 2023)

 

In reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, which has just hit the top of the New York Times Best Seller List in the Fiction Category, I was reminded of “Fractured Fairy Tales,” which was a segment on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Cartoon Show which aired from 1959-1965. Fractured fairy tales are parodies ...

Doctor Assassin by Mark R. Belsky

Dr. Assassin by Mark R. Belsky  (BabyBook, 2021).

 

More thrilling than the series Homeland. . .   More frightening than The Stand . . . Faster paced than a James Patterson novel . . .As beautifully crafted as a Nelson DeMille . . . 

The book to which I am referring is a “medical thriller,” that is so much more than a Michael Crichton or Robin Cook .

Hidden Demons: Evil Visits a Small New England Town by Margery B. Metzger

Hidden Demons: Evil Visits a Small New England Town  by Margery B.  Metzger. (Wild Blue Press, 2023).

They are everywhere. A hidden demon can be a kindly neighbor who helps friends in need; he can lurk anonymously near school crossings, watching young teens on their way to and from school, he can be the janitor who scours cinemuck in the local movie theater after the crowd has ...

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Verity by Colleen Hoover. (Grand Central Publishing, 2018.

 

By her own admission, Verity is a departure from the romance novels for which Colleen Hoover had earned her standing as a New York Times best selling author. She was skeptical while writing the novel that her loyal readers would reject the psychological thriller that she was penning. However, the novel has been a huge ...