TOP LOCAL News
By FRED J. AUN
August 15, 2025
ELIZABETH, NJ — Five people are suing Union County, alleging that they endured repeated sexual abuse by staff members while detained as minors at the now-closed Union County Juvenile Detention Center (UCJDC). The state Superior Court complaint asserts a pattern of grooming, coercion, threats and ...
MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ — The Route 22 eastbound and westbound single-lane closures, which were scheduled to take place overnight Thursday, Aug. 14, and Friday, Aug. 15 in Mountainside, have been postponed. The New Jersey Department of Transportation said it will provide advanced notice once the work is ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — The long-contended cell tower proposed to be installed at the Westfield Conservation center can now move forward after a lawsuit from Scotch Plains residents that sought to block it has been dismissed, Mayor Shelly Brindle said at Tuesday’s town council meeting.“I’m also pleased to ...
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — It was a short-lived experience for two hometown golfers out on the West Coast this week.Georgetown junior Barnes Blake, the 2022 NJ.com Boys Golfer of the Year and winner of last month's New Jersey Amateur Championship, along with Fairfield University graduate and the 2021 ...
PATERSON, NJ — A New Jersey-based nonprofit is hitting the road this summer with a unique and compassionate mission: using the power of a haircut to uplift lives.Cuts 4 Unique Minds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting underserved populations, is launching a traveling community event ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — The Quimby Street redesign is officially underway now that the town council awarded the design contract at Tuesday's town meeting after an open requisition for proposal (RFP) process that drew bids from nine different firms. Town Administrator Jim Gildea spoke at the council ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — Another movie is filming in town this week.Actor Stephen Dorff was just spotted on the baseball diamond in Gumbert Park filming a Little League scene for the movie “What the F*ck Is My Password?!,” 4filming.com reports.Director Steve Pink (known for “Hot Tub Time Machine” and ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield Police Officer Michael DiBella, a School Resource Officer, is being honored this week as an NJ07 Law Enforcement Hometown Hero.The Law Enforcement Hometown Heroes initiative, created by Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. last year, recognizes exceptional law enforcement officers ...
ELIZABETH, NJ — Two severe storms in July that caused intense flooding and wind damage have county residents asking who will pay for the damage, and what can be done to reduce weather-related damage in the future.Vehicles were stuck in high floodwater on U.S. Route 22 as well as on local roads when ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — An Air Quality Action Day for Ozone has been declared for Monday, Aug. 11, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The air quality will reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups, it said.Sensitive individuals, including the very young, the ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — Back-to-school shopping? Consider picking up a few extra items and bringing them to the Westfield Police Department, which is collecting new school supplies for Jersey Cares through Aug. 18.Jersey Cares works with dozens of schools, children's shelters and community centers with the ...
UNION, NJ — Route 22 eastbound is scheduled to have lane and ramp closures this week for drainage installation as the Route 22/Route 82/Garden State Parkway Interchange project advances in Union, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).Monday, Aug. 11 and Tuesday, Aug.
WESTFIELD, NJ — A Perth Amboy man was charged with Death by Auto, among other crimes and offenses, following a multi-vehicle crash that killed 71-year-old bicyclist Wajih Abdul-Haqq of Kenilworth on Monday.A former Westfield High School math teacher was charged Wednesday with possession of child ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — 1958 Cuban Cuisine was subject to 6 days of closure in the last month due to multiple issues, including evidence of rodent droppings and roach activity, according to statements made at the Board of Health meeting on Monday. Principal Health Inspector Helen Mendez noted that the ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — The public is invited to attend a day of free, fun family-friendly events when the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route New Jersey (W3R-NJ) holds its sixth-annual March to Yorktown Day Commemoration & Encampment Festival in Westfield on Sunday, Aug. 17, from noon to 4 ...
BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The 26-year-old Somerville man who had all the right answers during a 16-game winning streak on the Jeopardy! TV game show last month threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Somerset Patriots game at TD Bank Ballpark Thursday night.Scott Riccardi, a 2021 graduate, ...
CLARK, NJ — When Barnes & Noble in Clark closed up shop back in 2022, bibliophiles and devoted customers were forced to make the drive over to Menlo Park Mall to satisfy all their B&N cravings. Not a terribly far drive, certainly, but also not the walking-distance commute many local ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — A former math teacher at Westfield High School was charged Wednesday with possession of child pornography, according to authorities.Matthew Ozol, 39, of Jersey City, NJ, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.Ozol ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — A memorial service that included the installation of a “ghost bike” was held Thursday morning to honor Wajih Abdul-Haqq of Kenilworth, the 71-year-old cyclist killed in a crash on North Avenue Monday.Several testaments were paid to directly honor Abdul-Haqq, including the words of ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad is reminding people about e-bike safety after responding to a crash in which a young rider was seriously injured on Friday, Aug. 1.According to Westfield police, a 13-year-old operating an e-bike apparently struck the side of a vehicle that was ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — The now-infamous raccoon that bit three residents two weeks ago in unprovoked attacks and seemingly vanished may now become a fireside tale for future Westfielders, as it has been presumed dead, according to officials who spoke at the Westfield Board of Health’s meeting Monday.“I ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — Smoke from wildfires in Canada is the cause of poor air quality in Westfield again this week, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. An Air Quality Action day for Particulate Matter has been declared for Tuesday, Aug. 5“Sensitive individuals, including ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield teens Madeline Yong and Audrey Lin are collecting skincare products as a part of Project Save Our Skin, kick-starting the New Jersey chapter of the organization. The donations will go to families with limited access to skin protection through Family Promise.Project Save ...
UNION COUNTY, NJ — Union County residents ages 62 and older who have a low to moderate income might be able to get help from the county after two severe storms wreaked havoc on their homes in July.The county is launching a storm-related emergency home repair grant program after severe storms on ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — A Perth Amboy man has been arrested and charged with Death by Auto, among other crimes and offenses, following a multi-vehicle crash involving an overturned van that killed a 71-year-old bicyclist, Police Chief Christopher Battiloro announced Monday evening.Wajih Abdul-Haqq of ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Redeemer Lutheran Church is honoring a century of faith and service by supporting the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad, a 100% volunteer-run organization that relies entirely on donations to provide lifesaving emergency care. With a goal of raising ...
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ — The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has confirmed that a magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, on Saturday night, Aug. 2.The USGS reported a 3.0 magnitude earthquake at 10 kilometers deep hit the borough at 10:18 p.m. It was felt as far away as Trenton.The ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — The annual Westfield-Plainfield High School Thanksgiving Day football game, a tradition that spans back more than 100 years, has come to an end.A bite of Nashville landed on Broad Street this week with the grand opening of Broadway Hot & Honey Chicken.Westfield High School has ...
WESTFIELD, NJ — Stone + Birch Interiors, a boutique full-service interior design and build studio, celebrated the grand opening of its new space recently at 500 Central Avenue.Founder and Principal Designer Sadaf Morbelli began her design business full time about four years ago after 15 years in ...
NEWARK, NJ – Stacy Margaritondo, the former office manager at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) in Scotch Plains who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in March, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton on Tuesday, July 22, ...