News-pourri

The school district has cut ties with the organization that has been administering weekly COVID-19 tests to students and staff due to issues with the test processing, a school district administrator said. The district has also stopped dealing with the lab processing the tests, the administrator said. That decision comes in the wake of the death from the virus of …

An annual toy drive held at the Ukrainian Center on Davidson Avenue will be contactless this year, in light of coronavirus concerns. The Unity Holiday All Stars event is set for noon to 2 p.m. Organizers of the drive, sponsored by the non-profit Unity SME, hope to duplicate their previous success. “We’ve received between 1,500 and 1,600 gifts in the …

FTPD Lieutenant Jolanda Lacewell is the first female Black police lieutenant in township history. A bit of township history was commemorated at the December 8 Township Council meeting when the FTPD’s first female Black lieutenant was among 11 command-level officers who received their ceremonial swearings-in. Lt. Jolanda Lacewell, a 24-year veteran with the Franklin Township Police Department, and her 10 …

Update: Five more faculty members and a contractor have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the number of positive coronavirus cases in the schools to 33 as of December 9. Original Story: A Franklin park school staff member died from the coronavirus as overall cases in the school district increase. The staffer was a lunch aide in the school, the …

Ten recently promoted Franklin Township Police Department officers will be ceremonially sworn in at the December 8 Township Council meeting. There are three new lieutenants and seven new sergeants who will be sworn in during the meeting. Those being sworn in as lieutenant are Robert Ellis, Jolanda Lacewell, and Lloyd Fredericks. Those being sworn in as sergeants are Daniel Lyons, …

Pillar of Fire International won Zoning Board approval December 3 of a plan to enlarge its church parking lot. The church, located in Zarephath off Weston Canal Road, sought to add 224 new spaces to the rear of the church building. With the approval, the church will now have 475 parking spaces, still far less than the 1,305 spaces called …

The Somerset County Park Foundation is providing an opportunity to create a lasting memory in one of the Somerset County parks through the purchase of a Commemorative Brick, Legacy Tree, or Tribute Bench. Purchases support the valuable programs funded by the Park Foundation and offered by the Somerset County Park Commission. The bricks, benches, and trees provide individuals and organizations …

Michael Smith. Update 3: Final certified results were posted on November 20, with no changes in the preliminary results. With 65,996 votes counted in the Board of Education race, the final results were as follows: Michael Smith: 14,108, 21.4 percent.Bill Grippo: 13,277, 20 percentNishita Desai: 13,134, 19.9 percentParul Patel: 12,052, 18 percentKaren Master: 6,006, 9 percentThomas Palczewski: 4,182, 6 percentDevakumar …

A project touted to help reduce the utility bills for township low- and moderate-income families is expected to receive the Township Council’s support. The project was introduced to the Council’s Public Works Committee by representatives from Manhattan-based Dimension Renewable Energy, who propose installing solar arrays on some of the township’s larger warehouse buildings, Township Councilman Ted Chase (D-Ward 1) told …

Township Manager Robert. Vornlocker told teh Township Council that municipal building employees have been hit hard by the coronavirus. (File photo.) Township employees are working modified shifts in an effort to quell a surge in coronavirus infections in the municipal building. Township Manager Robert Vornlocker told the Township Council at its November 24 virtual meeting that the number of employees …