General News

The scheduled closing of Route 518 between Canal Road and Carroll Place has been delayed, according to a statement from Somerset County. The three-quarter mile stretch was originally scheduled to be closed to all traffic between Nov. 10 and 24, and then during work hours from Nov. 24 through Dec. 23. Unspecified delays led to the postponement of that schedule, …

Township property owners who carry flood insurance will see their premiums decrease 5 percent this year, thanks to an improved rating in a voluntary program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Called the Community Rating System, the program provides incentives to towns to take actions to minimize flood risk that are greater than the floodplain management practices mandated by the National …

A problem with the boiler at Consolata Missionaries, Route 27, has forced a change in the polling place for some districts for the Nov. 4 election. Those voters living in Districts 30 to 34 will now vote at Franklin Park School, 30 Eden St. In a memo to the Township Council, township clerk Anne Marie McCarthy wrote that she was …

The first word township resident Joe Danielsen said as a state Assemblyman was, “Wow.” He didn’t really say it as much as mouth it as he walked up to a microphone in the Assembly chamber Oct. 16 after having been sworn in to the post by Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto. Danielsen, a lifelong township resident, was selected to fill the …

With The Center for Great Expectations as a backdrop, Gov. Chris Christie Oct. 15 announced a $12 million increase for state drug rehabilitation programs similar to the center’s. The Dellwood Lane center, near the Margaret McLaughlin McCarick Care Center, offers counseling and a home to pregnant homeless women with drug addictions, and offers them a chance to end their addiction while …

The annual clothing drive to benefit the Franklin High School Project Graduation program is set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 18 at Sampson G. Smith School. Items that are acceptable include gently used clothing, shoes, handbags, stuffed animals, blankets and curtains. Donors are asked to place all items in plastic bags. Project Graduation is an event presented for …

The 4th Annual CanalFest will feature arts and crafts, food and music when it kicks off at 11 a.m. Oct. 18 at East Millstone Park. The annual festival is a fundraiser for the Franklin Township Food Bank as well as being an opportunity for township residents to learn about township businesses and organizations and mingle with fellow residents, according to a …

The world should not stigmatize Sierra Leone because of the outbreak of the ebola virus, one of the country’s diplomats said in a Sept. 26 press conference at the municipal building. Leeroy Wilfred Kabs-Kanu, minister plenipotentiary to the United Nations, was one of a number of West African immigrants and residents who spoke during the press conference, held by Concerned …

Evidence from the infamous Hall-Mills murder case will be displayed from 2-5 p.m. Oct. 10 in the jury assembly room of the Somerset County Courthouse, 20 North Bridge St., Somerville. The exhibit items will include photographs, clothing, a love letter and journal entries, as well as fingerprints, bullets and shell casings recovered from the murder scene. The display is sponsored by …

The Township Council on Sept. 23 honored resident Bill Grippo for his fundraising efforts for the annual July 4 celebration. Grippo, a former township councilman and current MacAfee School principal, has been raising money for the annual event steadily since 1020. “If you’ve enjoyed the 4th of July since 2010, that’s Bill Grippo,” Councilman Carl R.A. Wright (D-Ward 4) said …