By Aaron Greene and Ed Potosnak Juneteenth commemorates the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas first learned they were free — two months after the Civil War ended and two and a half years after the Emancipatio…
Beloved N.J. sandwich shop burned in fire just a week after reopening
The smell of smoke lingered in the air Monday morning — perhaps wafting from the Wharton Forest wildfire still raging 50 miles away — or from the charred rubble left along Ventnor Avenue. A three-alarm fire Saturday evening damaged the longstanding san…
Wildfire breaks out Sunday in remote part of Wharton State Forest
A wildfire broke out Sunday at Wharton State Forrest along the Mullica River, state officials said. “WILDFIRE ALERT: Wharton State Forest – Washington Township,” the New Jersey Forest Fire Service tweeted at 12:24 p.m. Sunday. The fire service was, “re…
Newark launches search engine to help renters find housing they can afford
Newark is trying to make it easier for residents to find affordable places to live amid the city’s building boom. The city launched a free online search engine last week that allows apartment seekers to enter the range of rent they can pay, how many be…
The antidote to feel-good history is not feel-bad history but honest and inclusive history | Opinion
By Forrest M. Pritchett Many people wonder why the African American doesn’t settle into their positions in society and work hard to achieve success, just like all the other immigrant groups, who came here to America. This paradigm is called the “immigr…
Mexican band Grupo Firme takes tequila shots, serenades N.J. at historic show: review
What happens when you put a block party on a stage? Mexican band Grupo Firme answered that question Saturday night — and the 25,000 fans in attendance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford knew it from the first notes. The catchy single “Ya Supérame” (…
Do not look at this day in isolation but as one point in many landmark days in our nation’s history | Opinion
By Phil Wilson My family’s history is rich and deep. I have documents showing when my enslaved ancestors were bought, sold, and emancipated, marriage certificates even, and a sepia-toned photograph of a great grandfather, the Rev. Reuben Wilson Sr., wh…
N.J. veterans medical clinic would close, new center would open under proposed overhaul by feds
A proposed restructuring of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ medical facilities would create a new medical center near Camden and a new clinic in Toms River. The Paterson clinic would close, however, with patients instead treated in Hackensack. And …
Sinkhole closes ramp at intersection of 2 N.J. highways
A sinkhole at the intersection of two of New Jersey’s largest highways forced the closure of an exit ramp Sunday, officials said. The sinkhole opened up in the local lanes of the northbound ramp from Interstate 287 to eastbound Interstate 78 in Bedmins…
Pride flags represent an idea too important for schools to ban | Opinion
By Diana Tiburcio It’s critical to call out injustice when we see it. As a resident of Passaic City and a former student in the Passaic Public School system, I am disheartened at the Passaic City Board of Education policy that denies LGBTQIA+ youth the…