CALLING FOR SUPPORT – Sami Shaban, the Board of Education vice-president, asks the Township Council for a resolution calling for a cease fire in the Hamas-Israeli war. Members of the township’s Muslim community once again on May 14 asked the Township Council for a resolution calling for a cease-fire in the Hamas-Israeli war, and once again left disappointed. This was …

By Bill Connell. Tonight, I thoughtfully watched the Township Council meeting. A large group of Muslims and Palestinians spoke to the Township Council requesting a resolution for cease fire in Gaza. Compliments to all the kids who got up and spoke. Many adults including me, find speaking intimidating but those kids knocked it out of the park.  Well-done. 

May 13 will be remembered as a sad day for transparency in government in New Jersey, as if there already weren’t enough of those. May 13, 2024 is the day that the state Legislature, in a rare bipartisan fashion, voted to decimate a law that for two decades has aimed a bright light into the dark corners of governmental affairs, …

A PROUD MOM – Eli’Sha Brown gets a peck from his mother during the May 13 Commitment and Signing Day ceremony at Franklin High School. Eleven Franklin High School athletes on May 13 made public their commitments to continue their educations and athletic careers at a variety of colleges and universities. The athletes, their families, coaches, and friends gathered in …

WARMING UP – Senior Warren Bell gets in some pregame throws before the Warriors’ Somerset County Tournament game against crosstown rival Rutgers Prep. An eighth-inning run cemented an upset victory for No. 13 Rutgers Prep over No. 5 Franklin High School in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament on May 13. The two teams played five innings of …

READY TO ROLL – Somerset County Sheriff Darren Russo (pointing) and Mayor Phil Kramer (right) talk before the 2024 Police Unity Tour set off for Washington, D.C. Four Franklin Township police officers were among nearly 400 men and women in blue who assembled in front of the Public Safety Building on DeMott Lane on a very rainy May 10 in …

Update: The person killed in the crash was identified as 31-year-old Franklin Township resident Kristen Drayton. One person was killed and a section of Route 27 was closed on May 9 after a car crashed into a tree near Reler Lane.

PROPOSED BUILDING – An artist’s rendering of the proposed multi-purpose building at the Rutgers Prep campus on Easton Avenue. Representatives from Rutgers Preparatory School on Easton Avenue have begun seeking the round of necessary approvals for a proposed new multi-purpose building. Their first appearance was at the May 7 Historic Preservation Advisory Commission meeting, where they gave commissioners an advanced …

With construction on the McDonald’s replacement location in Rutgers Plaza well underway, engineers for the project received on May 7 a thumbs-up to remove branding elements from the current restaurant in Village Plaza. A representative of the engineering company, Excellence Engineering, appeared before the township Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for its approval of the plan. The Historic Commission’s Certificate of …

Submitted by the Care For Creation Student Ministry Green Army Team St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Forane Church in Somerset, New Jersey, embraced Earth Day with a series of impactful activities, demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.