Follow local news and events in Belleville with The Jersey Bee. Here is The Daily Buzz for Dec. 23, 2025 from The Jersey Bee.
LOCAL NEWS
Belleville residents ages 10-12 can attend a softball clinic starting Jan. 8. The six-week program meets Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m. at School 5 until Mar. 5. Enrollment is $25. Registration is required.
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Belleville Recreation Department
Belleville library cardholders can access digital comics, manga, and graphic novels through Comics Plus. It is available online.
Belleville Public Library
Belleville received the 2025 Sustainable Jersey bronze-level certification. Bronze level requires municipalities to show that its green team completed sustainable actions to improve pedestrian safety, education, and walkability. A complete list of Belleville’s sustainable actions is available online.
Belleville Township
Manifestation board session planned at Lackawanna Station on Jan. 8 in Montclair. It is from 6-8 p.m. and should focus on goals for 2026. Registration is required.
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Lackawanna Station
“Trans Variety Show” planned with Out Montclair on Jan. 8 in Montclair. It begins at 7:30 p.m. at Porta, 499 Bloomfield Ave. Tickets are $25. Registration is required.
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Out Montclair
Stage production of “Tired Souls: King and the Montgomery School Bus Boycott” planned at SOPAC on Jan. 15 in South Orange. It begins at 7 p.m. A panel conversation with playwright Mike Wiley will follow. Tickets are available online for purchase.
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South Orange Performing Arts Center
Eligible Essex County residents can apply for scholarships provided by NAACP-Oranges and Maplewood. Scholarship applications are available online until May 1. Applicants must be a resident of Belleville, Bloomfield, East Orange, Maplewood, Nutley, Orange, South Orange, or West Orange.
Oranges & Maplewood: NAACP
Healthcare enrollment assistance planned with New Jersey Citizen Action on Jan. 6 and Jan. 9 in Orange. It is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Orange library. Free admission.
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New Jersey Citizen Action
Winter dance party fundraiser benefitting the Newark LGBTQ Community Center planned on Jan. 9 in Maplewood. It is from 7-11 p.m. at 1844 Springfield Ave. Admission is $25. Tickets are available online.
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Newark LGBTQ Community Center
Early bird tickets to the Turtle Back Zoo’s “Spirits Safari” is available through Jan. 6. The event is for ages 21+ on Mar. 22 at McLoone’s Boathouse, 9 Cherry Ln. Attendees will sample alcoholic beverages and receive a free admission ticket to the zoo. Tickets are available online for purchase.
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Turtle Back Zoo
Sensory hike for ages 1-5 and caregivers planned with Essex County Environmental Center on Jan. 10 in Roseland. It is from 10-11 a.m. Registration is required. Tickets are available online for purchase.
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Essex County Environmental Center
REGIONAL NEWS
More than 330 people died in N.J. prisons between 2018 and 2024, according to a recent report from the state’s corrections ombudsman. A medical examiner mentioned in the report attributed 6 out of 7 deaths to “natural causes,” which includes COVID, cancer, cardiac issues, and respiratory or pulmonary diseases. Investigators did not examine preventative or emergency responses by the state Department of Corrections or medical providers. Deaths that were considered “unnatural” include 20 fatal overdoses, 13 suicides, six murders, and eight accidents. The most “unnatural” deaths happened at Northern State Prison in Newark and New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. The report was released to provide the public, policymakers, and prison administrators to flag concerns, identify trends, and discuss ways to prevent future deaths, according to Terry Schuster, the state corrections ombudsperson.
New Jersey Monitor
St. Joseph’s Health system hospitals in Paterson and Wayne will no longer be a part of the Horizon Hospital Network starting Mar. 1, according to a press release. The hospital system and healthcare provider were not able to reach an agreement to stay within network because of a reimbursement dispute, the release said. St. Joseph’s health is advising its nearly 100,000 patients to explore other insurance options to continue to receive care: United Healthcare, Aetna, AmeriHealth, Fidelis Care, Clover Health, and WellPoint.
NJ Advance Media
