Follow local news and events in West Orange with The Jersey Bee. Here is the The Daily Buzz for Apr. 22, 2024 from The Jersey Bee.
Local news
West Orange library to host a “Spark Chasers Children’s Book Group” meeting for grades 1-3 on Apr. 24. Participants will discuss solar eclipse and space-themed books from 4-5 p.m. Discussion is followed by a painting session. A recommended reading list available online. Add to 📅.
West Orange Public Library
Registration is open for West Orange’s 2024 summer enrichment program for students entering grades 2-8. The program is held at West Orange High School from Jun. 24 to Jul. 19. It includes music, art, and fitness activities. Registration must be completed by May 15. Add to 📅.
West Orange Public Schools
CannaBoy Treehouse held a ribbon cutting event on Apr. 20 in South Orange. The dispensary, located at 57 West South Orange Ave., is the municipality’s first. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
South Orange Downtown
City Green’s statewide Good Food Bucks program doubles the value of SNAP benefits when buying fruits and vegetables at food retailers. Families First SNAP/EBT users automatically receive Good Food Bucks when shopping at participating locations. A complete list of participating stores available online.
City Green, Inc.
New Jersey residents ages 14+ can obtain naloxone, a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses, for free and anonymously at participating pharmacies, a program announced by Gov. Phil Murphy in January 2023. A complete list of participating N.J. pharmacies available online.
Orange Police Department
Regional news
Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed $56 billion budget plan includes a 12% spending increase for the state’s nine prisons. Despite closing four state prison facilities and a 30% decline in the state’s incarcerated population since 2020, the yearly cost to keep each person incarcerated is expected to hit $74,254 in the upcoming fiscal year — four times the spending on each N.J. school student. Many N.J. prisons have been under scrutiny for its poor conditions, including no air conditioning, excessive solitary confinement, expensive communication charges, and pay raise distribution failures. New budget funds are said to support healthcare, staffing, building repairs, and a $1.3 million mail-scanning system, according to State Department of Corrections Commissioner Victoria Kuhn.
New Jersey Monitor
