Somerset County

Breaking news, local news, events, real estate & more

PEAPACK-GLADSTONE -- The Matheny Medical and Educational Center's Art Access Program began 15 years ago with a question: "Can people with disabilities create fine art?"

Anyone who attended Full Circle 2008, the 15th anniversary celebration of Arts Access, held Saturday, Nov. 15 in Matheny's Robert Schonhorn Arts Center, knows the answer to that question.

In the auditorium, following an art reception in the gallery, Lyn Sanders, director of Arts Access, introduced a presentation that included dramatic interpretations of poetry, wheelchair dance performances, a multimedia collaboration between an Arts Access artist and an able-bodied dance company and a preview of a documentary being produced by P3 Entertainment that very clearly demonstrated the art facilitation process.

Continue reading "Matheny's Arts Access program celebrates 15 years" »

The road where a massive water main ruptured in Franklin Township this week will remain closed until Friday evening or longer, police said.

The 60-inch break occurred at about 11 a.m. Tuesday on Weston Canal Road, and police shut down the roadway between School House Road and Apgar Drive, Sgt. Philip Rizzo said today. The flow of the gushing water has reduced substantially, Rizzo said, but repairs are ongoing.

Officials from New Jersey American Water have urged residents in 18 Somerset, Middlesex and Union County towns to keep following the advisory to boil water before consuming, spokesman Richard Barnes said. But water pressure has been restored to the municipalities.

Continue reading "Boil water advisory still in effect in 18 towns after Franklin twp. water main break" »

NEW JERSEY - According to AAA Mid-Atlantic Garden State motorists are paying the cheapest per-gallon price for regular serve gasoline since March 29, 2005.

The state average dropped below $2 per gallon overnight, and stands today at $1.97, which is more than $2 cheaper than the $4 peak New Jersey reached on July 8.

"Prices could fall farther after Thanksgiving," David Weinstein spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic said.

Here are various prices over the last year:

Continue reading "Garden State sees lowest gas prices since March 29, 2005" »

Residents of certain towns in Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties were urged today to continue boiling their drinking water, as repairs continue on a 60-inch main that ruptured Tuesday in Franklin Township.

Workers were able to isolate the break last night and water pressure started to rise at about 8 p.m., said Richard Barnes, a spokesman for New Jersey American Water.

Continue reading "Boil-water advisory continues in Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties" »

A 60-inch water main break today in Franklin Township has had a ripple effect on 100,000 customers in Somerset, Middlesex and Union counties as well as Rutgers University, prompting officials to close schools and telling residents to boil water.

Complaints ranged from low water pressure to no water at all 18 towns, said Richard Barnes, a spokesman for New Jersey American Water. As a precaution, the utility issued a boil water advisory for the following towns:

Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Green Brook, Hillsborough, Millstone, Montgomery, Raritan, Somerville and South Bound Brook in Somerset County; Dunellen, Edison, Middlesex, Piscataway and South Plainfield in Middlesex County and Clark, Linden, Plainfield and Roselle in Union County.

The advisory also applies to Franklin residents, who are not directly serviced by New Jersey American water, but receive their service through the Franklin Township Water Authority, Lt. Robert Vornlocker said.

Continue reading "Residents in three counties under boil water advisory after main breaks in Franklin Twp." »

The $650 million, 45-mile power line proposed for North Jersey will cut through some of the state's most environmentally sensitive lands and will need careful state scrutiny, environmental groups said today.

The organizations called on the state Department of Environmental Protection to ensure that the project meets the requirements of the 2004 Highlands Act, which aims to protect the vast, environmentally-sensitive region.

Continue reading "Environmental groups call for state scrutiny of proposed power line" »

A 60-inch water main break in Franklin Township had a ripple effect on residents in Somerset, Middlesex and Union counties today, prompting school closings and a boil water advisory.

As a precaution, New Jersey American Water is advising residents in those communities to boil their water until further notice, said Maureen Duffy, spokeswoman for the utility's parent company American Water.

Schools in the Somerset County towns of Franklin, Hillsborough, Montgomery and Somerville closed, along with schools in Middlesex County's Piscataway and Dunellen.

Continue reading "Franklin Twp. water main break closes roads, schools; boil water advisory in effect" »

Route 206 was closed in both directions in Hillsborough for nine hours today while rescue personnel cleared the scene of a multi-vehicle accident that critically injured a 28-year-old Somerset man, authorities said.

James Bright was airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was listed in critical condition, Lt. Victor Kubisch said.

Continue reading "Route 206 reopens in Hillsborough after crash and nine-hour shutdown" »

The belated addition of provisional ballots this morning provided good news for Warren Township Republicans, strengthening the leads of two veteran incumbents in their re-election bids.

The tallies by Somerset County elections workers appeared to confirm the re-election of Township Commiteeman Frank Salvato, who was first elected to local office in 1938. Salvato led Democrat Michael Percario by 100 votes on Nov. 4, extended his margin by 14 votes today.

Continue reading "Provisional ballots counted in Warren Township contest" »

Bound Brook - The New Jersey Department of Transportation announced a traffic shift on Route 28 over Green Brook bridge in Bound Brook.

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the department of transportation will open an additional travel lane on Route 28 eastbound, while shifting traffic to the southern portion of the roadway.

Currently, Route 28 consists of one lane in each direction. This scheduled shift will open two lanes of traffic on Route 28 eastbound, while maintaining one lane of westbound traffic.

Continue reading "New Jersey Department of Transportation shifts lanes on Route 28 in Bound Brook" »

Matt Rainey/The Star-LedgerWorkers from The American Water Company work to turn off and divert water from the broken main on Weston Canal Rd. to other lines to provide water to affected areas Tuesday.

There is a boil water advisory in effect for five Somerset County towns, while workers repair a 60-inch water main that ruptured in Franklin Township.

New Jersey American Water issued an alert for Somerville, Raritan, Hillsborough, Montgomery and Franklin Township, said LeRoy Gunzelman III, county emergency management director.

Continue reading "Water main break disrupts service in Somerset County" »

SOMERSET - How to be a "SuperJew in the Secular World"--that's the topic of radio personality Judi Franco's free talk at Temple Beth El 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Franco and her co-host, Dennis Malloy, bring humor and human interest to millions of listeners in the Garden State and beyond on the Dennis and Judi Show on radio station New Jersey 101.5 every weekday, and now she will bring that same humor to a live audience as the speaker in Temple Beth El's annual Dr. Michael D. Fink Memorial Lecture series.

Franco started her career as a child actress in San Francisco, training at the highly regarded Circle Star Theatre and doing extensive theater work in the Bay Area.

Continue reading "Temple Beth El's annual Michael D. Fink Memorial Lecture to feature a "SuperJew in the Secular World" with New Jersey 101.5's Judi Franco " »