AREA — Earlier this year, the Supreme Court voted to overturn a decades-old law that required New York residents to show probable cause in order to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon in public, declaring such restrictions to be unconstitutional. Now, states like New Jersey (historically ho...

By KATIE MOEN & LAUREN S. BARR WESTFIELD — Earlier this year, Westfield resident Kyle George raised several issues at board of education meetings, referencing information he found through an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request. The Westfield Leader filed a request seeking a copy of the board’s re...

SCOTCH PLAINS — Testing scores and finances were the main areas of focus at the November 17 meeting of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education. Robert McGarry, assistant superintendent, presented the 2021-2022 State Assessment Report that included results from New Jersey Student Learning Assess...

CRANFORD — After more than a year of discussion and debate, the Cranford Committee voted Tuesday to approve the first reading of two ordinances that would seek to grant tax abatements to two major redevelopment projects (one at 750 Walnut Street and the other at South and Chestnut) slated to be cons...

SCOTCH PLAINS — On Monday, Township Manager Al Mirabella announced that Captain Jeff Briel, a 25-year veteran of the Scotch Plains Police Department, will replace Chief Ted Conley as the department’s highest-ranking officer at the start of the new year. “Jeff Briel brings enormous policing education...

GARWOOD — Councilman Louis Petruzzelli, appointed just last month to fill the seat vacated by Heather Loffredo in September, has announced his resignation. Mr. Petruzzelli, who was not in attendance at Monday’s regular meeting of the governing body, revealed his decision to relinquish his position v...

WESTFIELD — Tuesday night’s Westfield Board of Education meeting brought the approval of the Edison Field joint project with the town in a 5-to-2 vote, with two abstentions, and the immediate resignation of board member Amy Root. The board’s vote comes on the heels of the council’s approval of the s...

WESTFIELD — After nearly a year and a half of heated discussion and debate by local residents and elected officials alike, the Westfield mayor and council voted Wednesday to move into the next phase of the Edison Field’s turf project by agreeing to enter into a shared-services agreement with the tow...

GARWOOD —Democrat Jennifer Blumenstock was elected mayor of Garwood Tuesday night by a margin of about 164 votes. Ms. Blumenstock will begin her four-year term after her tenure as council president ends on December 31. Democratic incumbent Marc Lazarow and challenger Clarissa Nolde were elected to f...

SCOTCH PLAINS—Democrats retained their unanimous control of the township council in Tuesday’s elections, with the three incumbents winning re-election to fresh four-year terms and ensuring the longest continuous stretch of the party’s control on the governing body in township history. Unofficial vot...