SCOTCH PLAINS – Jeffrey Briel always wanted to be a police officer, and his nearly three-decade career with the township police department culminated early last year with his promotion to chief. “My family would tell you I decided to be a police officer when I was very young,” he told Union County H...

WESTFIELD — Last week, the Westfield Police Department welcomed five new recruits into its ranks during a special swearing-in ceremony at the Town Hall. “These new officers are joining one of the most esteemed departments in the state, one of only five (out of 561 in NJ) that have achieved professio...

GARWOOD — During Thursday night’s meeting of the Garwood mayor and council, resident Colleen Hay emailed questions regarding Resolution 24-138, which recommends that the accountant/payroll clerk receive a salary increase of $5,000. According to information provided by the borough’s agenda, the perso...

SCOTCH PLAINS – Residents living on and near GlensideAvenue gave the planning board an earful on Monday night about a county plan to develop more than 20 acres of abandoned property into a passive park. The Union County Improvement Authority (UCIA) is seeking to raze a former hospice facility locate...

AREA — New Jersey Democrats have been vocalizing their support for Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden announced his decision to no longer run for reelection, endorsing the vice president to succeed him as the Democratic party’s Presidential candidate in the 2024 General Election....

COUNTY — A state-level watchdog office that works to identify political corruption throughout New Jersey isrequestingthatGovernorPhilMurphy indefinitely withhold funding from the Union County Board of County Commissioners for allegedly overcompensating some of its top officials without due process.I...

WESTFIELD —TheWestfield Fire Department (WFD) is celebrating its 150th anniversary in June of 2025.To commemorate this milestone, WFD is planning a parade through downtown Westfield that will begin at 9 a.m. and end at the Armory on RahwayAvenue at 11 a.m. This parade will include fire trucks, commu...

WESTFIELD — Repeated heat waves and unpredictable summer storms have been making life difficult for community event organizers who say this season’s weather pattern has led to last-minute postponements and even cancellations.“We’re doing the best we can. We have a good lineup this year, and all we c...

COUNTY—Agrowing number of residents are appealing to the Union County Board of County Commissioners to reconsider plans for the Clark Reservoir that opponents say will cause environmental challenges and disrupt the quality of life for nearby communities.Last week, approximately 15 speakers, many of ...

SCOTCH PLAINS — A Scotch Plains woman who has been charged with embezzling more than $350,000 from a Scotch Plains synagogue is facing up to 20 years in prison and could be subject to fines of up to $700,000. In 2010, Stacy Margaritondo, now 51, began working as a staff member at Congregation Beth I...