News-pourri

Submitted by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office. Somerset County Sheriff Darrin J. Russo announced a contest to name the agency’s newest K-9 officer, a male yellow Labrador retriever whose job will be to sniff out illegal drugs with his partner, Sheriff’s Officer David Daneker. The contest winner will take home some cool Somerset County Sheriff swag and be invited to …

Sewerage Authority Executive Director Joe Danielsen said a number of factors went into his recommendation that sewer service charges be increased over the next two years. The costs of planned capital projects will force a 13 percent hike in the annual fees for customers of the Franklin Township Sewerage Authority over the next two years, with the bulk of that …

McDonald’s has its eye on the former Burger King site in Rutgers Plaza. The former Burger King in Rutgers Plaza may soon become a McDonald’s. McDonald’s USA has made an application with the Planning Board to build a 4,456 square foot restaurant on the site of the former Burger King. The current building would be demolished to make way for …

Township Councilman James Vassanella makes a point September 28 during a discussion about a private meeting among Council members, the owner of Rutgers Plaza and their attorneys. The idea of a private meeting involving some Township Council members and the owner of the Rutgers Plaza to discuss the latter’s plans for the former K-Mart building were nixed by the Council …

The 2023-24 budgeting process began for the Board of Education on September 22, with the approval of a set of eight budget goals and tentative budget calendar. The goal is to have a budget ready for submission for state approval by April 2023.

Original Project Graduation volunteers were joined by more recent program volunteers at the September 22 Board of Education meeting. Seven long-time Project Graduation volunteers were honored by the Board of Education at its September 22 meeting. Project Graduation is the program run for graduated seniors on the night of graduation in and around the high school. New;y minted seniors arrive …

The Board of Education at its September 22 meeting approved $622,238.11 worth of contracts for goods and services for the new school year. The contracts are:

Miguel Rivera addresses the Board of Education September 22 after being appointed as new principal at Claremont Elementary School. The Board of Education on September 22 once again elevated one of the district’s own, naming Miguel Rivera as the new principal at Claremont Elementary School. Rivera has spent the last nine years as principal at Pine Grove Manor School.

Project engineer Josh Sewald testifies before the Planning Board at its September 21 hearing. A warehouse measuring 74,800 square feet and targeted for a 5.2-acre Schoolhouse Road parcel was approved September 21 by the Planning Board. The developer, BH 31 Schoolhouse Road, will install a sidewalk along the 300-foot Schoolhouse Road frontage.

Joe Paulin, from the Rutgers University Cooperative Extension, talks to the Committee about the township and region’s deer problem. Damage done by deer is costing farmers in New Jersey millions of dollars in lost crops, the township Open Space Advisory Committee was told on September 20. And although non-lethal forms of deer management – such as sterilization – have limited …