NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT announced a new partnership this week to help get more New Jersey residents vaccinated. The partnership, called VAXRide, is expected to give about 11,000 residents free bus and train rides to and from both public and private vaccination destinations. 

Novartis, a New Jersey-based healthcare company, is the program’s lead sponsor with ...

TRENTON, NJ — With COVID-19 numbers trending decisively in the right direction and New Jersey progressing toward its adult-age vaccination goals, Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday announced an additional easing of restrictions, including a removal of all percentage capacity limits for indoor and outdoor businesses, a lifting of the prohibition on indoor bar seating, and an end to the ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — Eleven Westfield High School students earned perfect scores of 36 on ACT subject areas in the 2020-21 academic year, the school district announced Friday.

“I would like to commend you for this outstanding achievement,” said WHS principal Mary Asfendis to the students.  “It speaks volumes about your abilities and commitment to your ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — The fall 2020 production of “26 Pebbles” at Westfield High School has been nominated for six Foxy Awards by Montclair State University’s Theatre Night Awards.

The play, which was presented virtually in December, garnered nominations in the following categories:

Outstanding Production of a Virtual Play
Evan Leone, Outstanding Performance by an ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — A restaurant at the South Avenue Circle has been ordered shut for four days after health inspectors discovered the latest in a series of health code violations.

Principal Health Inspector Helen Mendez told the board of health Monday that an inspector found insect-covered ribs at Sichuan Dynasty along with improper handwashing and other violations April 29.

“She ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — The owner of a Central Avenue restaurant known for ramen bowls and sushi burritos found himself in front of the Westfield Board of Health earlier this week, where he was called to answer for repeat health code violations including improper handwashing and inadequate sanitization of “food contact surfaces.”

At Monday’s board of health meeting, the owner ...

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

There’s always something growing in New Jersey, be it excitement for warmer weather or the flowers in everyone’s yard. Celebrating springtime in the Garden State requires a garden date. We have so many options at our fingertips — possibilities guaranteed to inspire romance and ...

NEW JERSEY — They don’t call this The Garden State for nothing.

Want to bring out your inner green thumb this season? There’s no better time than now to get started on a kitchen garden.

“There is no mastery of gardening, you just get better at guessing,” said Bloomfield’s L. Be. Sholar, who offers gardening tips on her blog, Farm-Based ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — From locally grown vegetables to prepared soups to vegan cobblers and even wine and spirits, the Westfield Farmer’s Market kicked off its 25th season Saturday with a variety of unique offerings.

Operated by the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce with the support of OceanFirst Bank, the market will be at the train station each Saturday from 8:30 ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — The waiting was the hardest part.

Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream of Westfield opened this weekend, more than a year later than originally anticipated due to the pandemic.

A crowd of fans big and small lined up on the corner of Central Avenue and Park Street opening day, May 1, for a long-awaited taste of Ralph’s ices, ice cream, smoothies ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — Members of the Westfield Police Department successfully revived two people suffering from apparent opioid drug overdoses within a few hours of each other last month by administering naloxone nasal spray, which is also known by the brand name Narcan, police said Tuesday.

At about 3:45 p.m. Friday, April 9, officers Matthew O’Holla, Joseph Saunders and Ryan Weiss ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — What does Westfield’s paid fire department do when it's not putting out fires?

A whole lot, Chief Anthony Tiller explained Monday during a Q&A with Mayor Shelley Brindle.

“It’s not just the guys are sitting here waiting for a fire to happen. There’s so much more that happens in this town that the fire department is involved in ...

Quimby Street's one-way setup restarts Friday.

WESTFIELD, NJ — You’re going to like the way it looks.

Such is the message from Downtown Westfield Corporation on the return of ‘Open Quimby,’ a pedestrian plaza the special improvement district announced will feature enhanced aesthetics, expanded outdoor dining and retail space, and entertainment.

The season is ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — A new ranking out from the website WalletHub puts Westfield last in a nationwide list of 1,337 “Best & Worst Small Cities to Start a Business,” but not everyone agrees with the website’s analysis.

Local business owners on Monday offered varied views on the findings, while Mayor Shelley Brindle decried the list as unfair, and Republicans seeking to ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — If the majority public sentiment voiced by residents at Thursday’s listening session of the Westfield Cannabis Commission is any indicator of what the town council will decide, the possibility of Westfield-based marijuana businesses could be snuffed out or severely limited.

The cannabis commission heard from a bevy of residents opposed to allowing legal marijuana ...

Updated at 2:06 p.m.

UNION COUNTY, NJ — The Pfizer vaccine opened to children 12 – 15 in New Jersey Wednesday night, state health officials said.

The state Health Department in a statement said that following federal authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for children in that age range, it is allowing the vaccine to be administered to those children.

“With ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — The fall 2020 production of “26 Pebbles” at Westfield High School has been nominated for six Foxy Awards by Montclair State University’s Theatre Night Awards.

The play, which was presented virtually in December, garnered nominations in the following categories:

Outstanding Production of a Virtual Play
Evan Leone, Outstanding Performance by an ...

Quimby Street's one-way setup restarts Friday.

WESTFIELD, NJ — You’re going to like the way it looks.

Such is the message from Downtown Westfield Corporation on the return of ‘Open Quimby,’ a pedestrian plaza the special improvement district announced will feature enhanced aesthetics, expanded outdoor dining and retail space, and entertainment.

The season is ...

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ — The 8th annual run held in memory of Westfield High School freshman Greta Schoenemann, who died when a tree branch fell on her in 2002, is virtual this spring for a second year, organizers said.

Last year the run began fundraising for Imagine, a Center for Coping With Loss, which provides free, year-round grief support for children.

ARCHIVE: Mom Reflects ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — With food insecurity rising because of the pandemic’s economic fallout, Westfield police, schools and community groups will again partner for an annual food drive.

Officer Tiffany Kenny, who serves as a school resource officer, said last year’s food drive was a “great success,” and organizers are hoping for similar success this year.

When will ...

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — In a battle of the No. 4 and 5 seeds in the Union County Tournament, Scotch Plains-Fanwood defeated Westfield, 4-3, in Wednesday's game at the Raiders' home field. 

Just a day after a 12-1 beating at the hands of Cranford, the state's No. 1 ranked team, the Raiders bounced back against their arch rivals.

Seniors Dallas Lorenzetti went ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — Fresh off the boys golf team’s first place win at the North II Group IV Sectional Championship at High Bridge Hills Tuesday, junior Nicholas Conti had praise for his fellow Blue Devils.

“I was proud of how we all played,” said Conti, whose score was 78.

This week’s Ron Bansky and Associates Allstate Westfield Athlete of the Week has been ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — Seeking to limit noise and pollution from two-stroke gas leaf blowers, the local Green Team is looking to the Westfield Board of Health to issue a statement on the harmful impacts of the landscaping equipment.

Last week, Westfield Green Team co-chair Lois Kraus told the board of health that the team hopes to have the board acknowledge the harmful impacts of ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — Residents with food scraps once again have a way to recycle them.

Through a partnership with the food scrap collection company Green Bucket Compost Westfield on Thursday restarted its food waste recycling program, a program that started in 2019 but had been suspended during the pandemic.

“There was such a real desire to get it up and running, especially with so ...

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Voters will have a choice to vote by mail or in-person in the June 8 primary election, but drop boxes are here to stay, county officials said. Whichever way voters decide to cast their votes, the registration deadline is May 18.

Since Gov. Phil Murphy announced the primary election will be mostly in-person, Union County Board of Elections Administrator Nicole DiRado ...