The second annual “Hoops for Troops Basketball Classic” fundraiser is set for Jan. 28 at Franklin High School. Sponsored by the Franklin Athletics Booster Club, proceeds from the event will go to U.S. veterans.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment will hire an independent real estate consultant to vet a developer’s claims that a Cedar Grove Lane tract is only economically viable for a townhouse development. The decision was made at the end of the Jan. 19 hearing, after board members grilled a real estate consultant proffered by the developer, Levin Properties.

Replacement of the Route 518 bridge at Canal Road is expected to be finished by the end of February, but that date, unlike the bridge, is not set in stone. Work is progressing on the project, but winter weather could play havoc with the time frame, said Stephen Schapiro, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

Jan. 12 Someone threw a brick through the front of window of De Island Breez on Franklin Boulevard and stole a cash register containing $100 in cash. The register was valued at $250. Jan. 13

Plans for a 15,000-square-foot restaurant and retail store project on a site once occupied by an historic Franklin Park building were approved Jan. 18 by the Planning Board. The developer, S4 Estates, has yet to secure the retail tenants, the board was told.

The developer of a proposed WaWa convenience store and gas station on Route 27 on Jan. 18 won the last approval needed for the project: a sign. The store, targeted for Rt. 27 and Juliette Avenue, will have a 12 1/2-foot tall monument sign set back about five feet from the property line.

Bridgewater, NJ- Former Somerset Patriots outfielder Tim Raines will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the class of 2017. He enters the Hall of Fame alongside Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez with 86% of the voting.  

South Middlebush Road commuters and residents, brace yourselves: The Six Mile Run bridge replacement is moving forward. Work is expected to begin this summer, and will result in road closures and detours, a county official said.

A township woman was recently reunited with the doctor who saved the lives of her and her unborn son a year ago. The reunion occurred on Jan. 17 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Somerville. Casey Cattell, 37, brought her 15-month-old son, Nathan to meet Dr. Marc Milano, chairman of the hospital’s emergency medicine department.

Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have announced the signing of left-handed pitcher Rick Teasley for the 2017 season.