Maplewood police increase CHS presence

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Columbia High School community was already on edge by the time news broke of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., in which 17 were murdered and more than a dozen more were injured Feb. 14. Earlier that morning, Maplewood police were called to CHS in response to a threatening message spray-painted […]

Bloomfield High to present the musical ‘Pippin’

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield High School will present “Pippin” as its winter musical next week, in four performances scheduled Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 22 to 25. It will be staged in the high school auditorium. The show has a cast of 32 students including four freshmen, according to Brandon Doemling, the BHS theater instructor directing the […]

EO council members take essay winners to see ‘Black Panther’

Photo Courtesy Denzel Turner East Orange 3rd Ward Councilman Bergson Leneus, fifth from left, sits with the group of 60 school children that he and 3rd Ward Councilwoman Quilla Talmadge took to see the popular new movie ‘Black Panther’ on Sunday, Feb. 18. Leneus is the city’s first-ever Haitian American elected official.EAST ORANGE, NJ — […]

BOE postpones vote on Rutzky’s contract

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Board of Education delayed the vote on whether to renew Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Rutzky’s contract at its Feb. 12 meeting, so board members could take into consideration comments they heard at the meeting. The vote is now scheduled for Feb. 26. Many members of the community spoke […]

State Council on the Arts honors Maplewoodian’s 1st play

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The New Jersey State Council on the Arts recognized 18 New Jersey artists with Individual Artists Fellowships, among them local playwright Rachel Diken. The Maplewood resident won a $10,000 grant for her one-act play “Possible,” which will allow her to spend more time writing for theater and to grow as an artist. […]

Benitez defends his actions during traffic incident

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield Chief Municipal Court Judge Wilfredo Benitez filed a formal response Feb. 9 to three ethics violation charges against him following his DUI arrest after being found asleep in his car, on a westbound shoulder of Route 80, by two NJ State Troopers. This occurred Nov. 12, 2016, in Teaneck. Included in his […]

McDaniel v. Burgess court date moved to Feb. 22

IRVINGTON, NJ — Elouise McDaniel, president of both the Irvington Joint Block Association and Nesbit Terrace Block Association, confirmed that a new court date has been set for Thursday, Feb. 22, in response to a complaint filed against her by Irvington Municipal Council Vice President Renee Burgess. The venue was moved from Irvington Municipal Court […]

Worrall Media pair wins NJPA awards

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Yael Katzwer, the managing editor of the News-Record of Maplewood and South Orange, as well as the West Orange Chronicle, and Rebecca Panico, a Union County LocalSource staff writer, have been honored by the New Jersey Press Association in its 2017 Newspaper Contest. Both publications are owned by Worrall Community Newspapers. […]