Follow local news and events in South Orange with The Jersey Bee. Here is The Daily Buzz for Nov. 19, 2025 from The Jersey Bee.
LOCAL NEWS
Stephen Dolinac was recently appointed to South Orange police chief. Dolinac was acting police chief since Ernesto Morillo’s retirement in April 2025.
The Village Green
South Orange and Maplewood seek nominations for its 2026 “Unsung Sheroes” awards. It recognizes local women in advocacy, arts and culture, education, leadership, and youth leadership. Nomination submissions are accepted online.
South Orange Village
Maplewood was awarded $702,850 through a state preservation grant to restore and upgrade The Woodland. Funds will be used for The Woodland’s Great Hall and include structural roof upgrades, restoration of wood doors and sidelights, removal of aluminum siding and trim, and reveal windows above side doorways. Work is set to begin in 2026.
Maplewood Township
West Orange Chamber of Commerce is hiring an executive director. Applications accepted by email. job description available online.
West Orange Chamber of Commerce
Healthcare enrollment assistance planned with New Jersey Citizen Action on Nov. 25 in Orange. It is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Orange library. Free admission.
Add to 📅.
Orange Public Library
Bloomfield is hiring a full-time tax assessor. Responsibilities include managing tax records, handling appeals, and providing accurate tax information. Apply by Nov. 26.
Bloomfield Township
Virtual volunteer information session planned by CASA Essex County, a social service organization for local youth, on Nov. 26. It begins at 2 p.m. and will discuss ways to volunteer. Registration by email required.
Add to 📅.
CASA Essex County
Essex County to pay more than $8 million in a lawsuit settlement with an individual who was physically assaulted in Newark’s Essex County Correctional Facility, county documents show. Seven people assaulted the individual in September 2021, leading to brain injuries and permanent disabilities, according to the jail’s video surveillance. One correctional officer was on duty and testified to exiting the scene to call for assistance. The civil lawsuit was filed in 2024 and claims that unsafe and unsuitable jail conditions led to the assault. It names several jail administrators and the county’s medical contractor, CFG Health Systems, which contributed $1 million to the settlement.
Patch Newark
REGIONAL NEWS
New Jersey NAACP, Latino Action Network, and Latino Coalition of N.J. filed a lawsuit against N.J. to stop allowing car insurance companies to set rates based on education and occupation. It claims that associating risk with education and occupation gives insurers a loophole to increase rates for low-income and Black or Latino drivers, regardless of actual risk. The lawsuit says regulators violated state anti-discrimination laws, constitutional equal protection guarantees, and state law prohibiting racial and economic discrimination in insurance rates. In 2021, the Senate approved legislation that would have prohibited car insurers from setting rates based on occupation, education, marital status, and credit scores, but the bill did not advance to the Assembly.
New Jersey Monitor
