AREA — New Jersey Democrats gained some contested ground last week when the state’s Congressional Redistricting Commission chose to adopt the party’s map over one submitted by Republicans. Still, elected officials and state residents alike worry that the decision could make it more difficult for the...

AREA — Union County officials and local residents alike were disheartened to learn of the passing of Surrogate James S. LaCorte, who served the county for four full terms. Mr. LaCorte was 74 at the time of his death. As Surrogate, Mr. LaCorte, who was elected to his fifth term in 2019, was responsib...

WESTFIELD – What could be more fulfilling than being in person at a concert with music by the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, three august tenors, a special guest soprano, topped off with angelic voices of elementary school children? The 1728 Presbyterian Church in Westfield, dressed up royally with ...

SCOTCH PLAINS — An increase in Covid cases has brought “a number of challenges” to the Scotch Plains-Fanwood school district, Superintendent Joan Mast, Ed.D., said at last Thursday’s board of education meeting. In addition to more student quarantines, staffing has been impacted by the higher rates, ...

CLARK — During the Clark Township Council’s final meeting of 2021, Mayor Sal Bonaccorso offered updates on leaf cleanup, dredging and Covid-19 counts. Mayor Bonaccorso said that the leaf cleanup was very successful. He said that the cleanup went out nine times, which was less than last year due to h...

WESTFIELD — With words like “redevelopment” and “rehabilitation” being continuously used in Westfield, The Westfield Leader took the opportunity to discuss the process and the status of various projects with Town Planner Donald Sammet. “Redevelopment is a complex process that involves a lot of legal...

UNION COUNTY — After months of steady decline, Covid-19 seems to be regaining ground in Union County, just in time for the holiday season. The first case of the Omicron strain of the virus was detected in the county in mid-December, Union County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Alexander Mirab...

SCOTCH PLAINS — The planning board on Monday gave its unanimous approval to an application to construct a multi-family residential building on Front Street, the first significant private development in the downtown since the township’s redevelopment efforts got underway. The 41-unit, three-story bui...

AREA — For kids in the New Jersey foster-care system, life can feel like a never-ending series of unanswered questions — where is home? Am I safe? Who can I trust? Will anyone be there to listen? Thanks to the efforts of one dedicated volunteer group, however, Union County’s most vulnerable resident...

WESTFIELD — Students and parents spoke during Tuesday’s board of education meeting about their frustration with the school district’s response to the recent anti-Semitic and racial graffiti found in Westfield High School (WHS) bathrooms. There were two separate incidents reported this month. The fir...