Follow local news and events in South Orange with The Jersey Bee. Here is The Daily Buzz for Jan. 13, 2026 from The Jersey Bee.
LOCAL NEWS
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
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
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
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
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
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
West Orange’s South Mountain Reservation will be closed on Jan. 20 for the Essex County Deer Management Program. It will be closed again on Jan. 27, Feb. 3, and Feb. 10.
Essex County Parks
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
