News-pourri

Update: The legislation won state Senate approval, and now heads to Gov. Chris Christie’s desk for his signature. Original story: Legislation designed to boost assistance for wounded warriors and their caregivers was recently advanced by a state Senate committee. The bill, A-450, or the “Wounded Warrior Caregiver Relief Act,” was co-sponsored by state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17). The bill would …

The school district’s pre-K program did not meet enrollment estimates this year, a fact the school board president blames on the township’s two charter schools. Board of Education president Ed Potosnak said that the increasing amount of money that the district has to send to the township’s charter schools forced the board to start charging for pre-K this year. The …

An ordinance that would prohibit pet stores from selling animals bred in large-scale commercial breeding facilities is making its way to the Township Council. The ordinance wold be symbolic at this point because the last township pet store that sold dogs and cats – Pets, Pets, Pets, on John F. Kennedy Boulevard – closed its doors several years ago. The …

The township is getting ready to auction off the farming rights for a number of plots. The Township Council at the Jan 24 meeting set at $8 per acre the minimum auction price for 414 total acres, 261 of which are tillable. The price is the same as it was in 2013, the last time the council set the minimum …

A bill guaranteeing financial support for workers who are attacked while supervising inmates or detainees awaits final approval before the state General Assembly. The bill, A-3422, is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17). Under the legislation, a compensation program would be established that would allow state corrections officers, juvenile corrections officers, juvenile detention officers, parole officers and probation officers who …

A $4,000 donation to Second Chance for Animals and commendations for a township man’s good works and the former deputy mayor kicked off the Jan. 24 Township Council meeting. Mayor Phil Kramer in 2016 donated all of the fees he would have collected for performing marriages to Second Chance for Animals the organization that funds the Franklin Township Animal Shelter. …

A bill that would establish a public awareness campaign about opioid addiction has been cleared by a state Assembly committee. The bill, known as the “Heroin and OPIOD Drug Public Education (HOPE) Intiative,” is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17.) The bill would require the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services to establish …

The Board of Education Jan. 26 thanked one of its former members for her service. Julia Presley, who chose not to run for re-election last year after two terms and several tumultuous years at the helm of the board, was presented with the traditional plaque honoring her service by current board president, Ed Potosnak. The plaque was given “in recognition and gratitude for …

Legislation co-sponsored by state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17), designed to preserve the integrity of the state’s historic sites, was approved by the Assembly on Jan. 23. Assemblyman Jamel Holley (D-20) co-sponsored the bill with Danielsen. “Historic sites across this state tell the story not only of New Jersey, but also of the United States of America,” Danielsen said in a …

Township residents joined hundreds of thousands of women and men in “Women’s Marches” in cities across the country and the world on Jan. 21. The main march was held in Washington, D.C., and so-called sister marches were held elsewhere, including Trenton and New York City. According to the event’s web site, marchers “stand together in solidarity with our partners and …