Essex County Daily Buzz: Jan. 13, 2026

LOCAL NEWS

Cristina Garro, Yadira Muñoz, and Kenia Santana were sworn into Belleville’s school board. Esteban Leon was elected as president and Lissa Missaggia as vice president.
Belleville-Nutley Patch

Belleville’s Christmas tree collection began Jan. 65 Lights, ornaments, and plastic wrap must be removed before placing trees at the curb. Collection ends Jan. 30.
Belleville Mayor Michael Melham

Bloomfield youth ages 13-17 can register for Bloomfield Baseball Association’s spring program. Early bird discount ends Mar. 6.
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Bloomfield Baseball Association

Bloomfield residents can register for the recreation department’s wellness programs held throughout the 2026 winter season. It includes boxing, yoga, and more. Registration is required online.
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Bloomfield Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department

Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration planned with East Orange on Jan. 16. The event begins at 6 p.m. at Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts. There will be poetry and music performances. Free admission. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
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East Orange Recreation and Cultural Affairs

East Orange YMCA seeks high school volunteers to join its “Buddy Ball” program. Volunteers will play basketball with children with disabilities to build motor skills. It is from 12-1 p.m. on Saturdays from Feb. 7 to Mar. 28. Mandatory orientation is Jan. 28. Applications are available online.
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East Orange YMCA

High school students can attend a free, virtual SAT preparation class through Glen Ridge library on Jan. 21. It will discuss resources for building vocabulary from 6-7 p.m. A new topic is discussed each week through Mar. 11. Registration is required.
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Glen Ridge Public Library

Glen Ridge’s Christmas tree collection began Jan. 5 Lights, ornaments, and plastic wrap must be removed before placing trees at the curb. Collection ends Feb. 11.
Glen Ridge Borough

Public meeting planned with Newark police on Jan. 20 in Newark and online. Fourth precinct substation officers will discuss quality of life issues and concerns at 6 p.m. at Society Hill, 1 Cornerstone Ln.
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Newark Public Safety

Public meeting planned with Newark police on Jan. 20 in Newark. Fifth precinct substation officers will discuss quality of life issues, community events, and trends at 7 p.m. at 695 Bergen St.
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Newark Public Safety

Karissa Handler, a counselor at Columbia High School, was named the 2026 N.J. Counselor of the Year by the state’s School Counselor Association. Handler has worked at CHS since 2019.
The Village Green

Free social gathering for adults with dementia planned at Maplewood library on Jan. 17 in the Main Branch. The event is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be music, art, and interactive activities. Lunch will be served. Registration is not required.
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Maplewood Public Library

Maplewood’s Christmas tree collection began Jan. 5. Lights, ornaments, and plastic wrap must be removed before placing trees at the curb. Collection ends Jan. 29.
Maplewood Township

South Orange-Maplewood school board recently elected Will Meyer as president, Elizabeth Callahan as first vice president, and Malini Nayar as second vice president. Nayar, Meredith Higgins, and Paul Stephan were sworn in prior to the vote.
The Village Green

Village Marketplace ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 20 in South Orange. It is from 2-2:30 p.m. at 1 South Orange Ave. It includes ready-made meal options, seafood, a meat market, carving station, juice bar, and bakery along with grocery items.
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South Orange Downtown

South Orange’s Christmas tree collection continues through Jan. 31. Lights, ornaments, and plastic wrap must be removed before placing trees at the curb.
South Orange Village

Montclair board of education approved two new public questions for a referendum to raise taxes during a special election scheduled for Mar. 10. The new questions come after Montclair was ordered to cancel its referendum by Superior Court Judge Robert H. Gardner, who ruled the two ballot questions invalid and unlawful. If voters elect to raise taxes, the funds will be used to address the school district’s $19.6 million budget gap. Public questions are available online for viewing.
Montclair Local

Montclair residents can share feedback on the development of future municipal buildings on Jan. 14 at a public meeting. It begins at 7 p.m. at 205 Claremont Ave. It will also be live-streamed. People can also submit comments by email.
Montclair Township

Montclair-area students in grades 6-12 can participate in Montclair library’s “Teen Book Bingo.” Bingo sheets are available online and must be delivered to the library by Jun. 1. Bingo prize is a $40 gift card to Watchung Booksellers or Hometown Arcade.
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Montclair Public Library

Winter concert fundraiser with Rock Voices Montclair planned on Jan. 17 in Nutley. It begins at 7 p.m. at John H. Walker Middle School. Raffle proceeds will be donated to Toni’s Kitchen. Tickets are available online.
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Toni’s Kitchen

Nutley Little Theatre is accepting director submissions for its 2026-27 season. Interested directors can submit up to three plays and a letter of interest by email.
Nutley Little Theater

West Orange residents in grades 3-8 can register to join the West Orange Police Athletic League’s 2026 spring girls’ flag football by Feb. 15. Registration is available online.
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West Orange Police Athletic League

Exhibit of “Revolutionary Lives: Living the American Experiment” is on display at West Orange library through Jan. 22. It is RevolutionNJ’s traveling exhibit.
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West Orange Public Library

REGIONAL NEWS

New Jersey partnered with nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to purchase $86 million in medical debt held by more than 53,000 residents, bringing the total number of forgiven debt to $1.4 billion for 828,000 residents since August 2024. For this round of purchasing, N.J. used $600,000 in American Rescue Plan funds. To qualify, individuals must have medical debt equal to 5% of their annual income, or earn four times the federal poverty level or less, which is $62,600 for a single adult and $128,600 for a family of four in 2025, the most recently available figures. There is no application or request process for medical debt relief because it is purchased directly from creditors.
Governor Phil Murphy

New Jersey residents can enroll in the state’s health insurance marketplace, Get Covered NJ, through Jan. 31. Get Covered NJ provides health insurance to people who are not insured through an employer or through Medicaid and Medicare. Federal tax credits that lower the cost of health insurance payments expired at the end of 2025 and are not be available in 2026. According to a state press release, N.J. will provide $215 million in state subsidies, called New Jersey Health Plan Savings, for eligible enrollees. Healthcare plans under Get Covered NJ cover preventive services, emergency services, prescription drugs, prenatal and pediatric care, and more. Enrollment is available online.
State of New Jersey

New Jersey Historical Commission is accepting marker nominations to be featured in the state’s Black Heritage Trail, with pre-application worksheets due Jan. 16. Applications and guidelines available online. Regular applications are due May 15.Add to 📅.
New Jersey Historical Commission