Community

Latest reporting from the Community desk.

Community

Latest reporting from the Community desk.

Community

Latest reporting from the Community desk.

Glass display case containing historical handcuffs, shackles, and handwritten documents.

Community

Morris County opens free exhibit on courthouse's 270-year legal history

The Morris/Sussex Vicinage of New Jersey Courts has opened a free, self-guided exhibit inside the historic Morris County Courthouse in Morristown that traces more than 270 years of local legal and civic history, including Benedict Arnold's court-martial and a landmark 1887 blasphemy trial.

July 14, 2026 · 2 min read

A group of high school students standing in a council chamber with council members seated at the dais behind them.

Community

Summit Council honors Teens Tackle Homelessness for packing 9,823 lunches

The Summit Common Council recognized Teens Tackle Homelessness at its Tuesday, July 7 meeting after the youth group raised more than $30,000 and packed 9,823 lunches during the 2024–2025 school year through their partnership with Bridges Outreach.

July 13, 2026 · 1 min read

A teenage girl in a gray sweatshirt sits on the grass next to a black metal bench with signs attached.

Community

Chatham 13-year-old sets up street bench to give stressed teens permission to rest

Hana Daya, a 13-year-old Chatham student, placed a "Place to Rest" bench on North Hillside Avenue to encourage overscheduled teens to take mental health breaks, connecting with Chatham Township Health Educator Krissantonia Kerr after a stress-relief session at the Library of the Chathams.

July 13, 2026 · 2 min read

Group of officials in green hard hats holding golden shovels at a park groundbreaking ceremony.

Community

New Providence breaks ground on inclusive playground at Oakwood Park

New Providence broke ground on an $874,000 fully inclusive playground at Oakwood Park, funded entirely by state and county grants, with construction expected to finish by mid-August 2026.

July 13, 2026 · 1 min read

A white goat with a black head walking alone on a paved road near green vegetation.

Community

Loose goat spotted trotting through Berkeley Heights neighborhoods

A white goat was spotted trotting through Berkeley Heights neighborhoods on Thursday, July 9, prompting a search by Councilman Bill Machado. The animal has not been located and no owner has come forward.

July 13, 2026 · 1 min read

Group of about 15 people posing on a golf course fairway with a bagpiper in traditional attire on the far right.

Community

Highlander golf outing nearly doubles in year two, raises $7,800 for GL athletics

The second annual Highlander Athletics Golf Outing at Ashbrook Country Club drew 130 golfers on June 19, 2026, up from 70 in its first year, and raised approximately $7,800 that Athletic Director CJ Hendricks says will fund special projects for Governor Livingston student-athletes in Berkeley Heights.

July 13, 2026 · 1 min read

Red brick church with white steeple topped by a cross, arched entrance, and round window.

Community

He's led one Summit church since 1989 — and along the way, became known as "the conscience of our community"

Rev. Dr. Denison Harrield, who has led Wallace Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Summit since 1989, is approaching a half-century of ministry, recognized for decades of civic leadership spanning the Summit Housing Authority, Interfaith Council, and NAACP.

July 13, 2026 · 2 min read

A man in a fire chief's dress uniform being sworn in by a woman reading from a document, surrounded by family members.

Community

Summit Fire Department ushers in a new era with four promotions

The Summit Fire Department elevated three members in rank at the July 7 Common Council meeting alongside the swearing-in of new Chief Brian Harnois, filling the chain of command after former Chief Eric Evers' retirement.

July 13, 2026 · 1 min read

Large ensemble cast in bright costumes with arms raised on a colorfully lit theater stage.

Community

CAU Community Players mark 15 years of inclusive theater with Seussical Jr.

Community Access Unlimited's CAU Community Players celebrate their 15th production with Seussical Jr., a 60-plus-cast musical running July 17-19, 2026, at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, with $20 tickets available now.

July 13, 2026 · 2 min read

Brick school building with a columned entrance on a sunny day.

Community

Summit's PEP Program celebrates 12 milestones for Class of 2026, alumni

The PEP Program celebrated 12 Summit High School students and alumni on June 10, honoring six who earned post-secondary degrees or credentials and six Class of 2026 graduates heading to college this fall.

July 13, 2026 · 2 min read

A large brick theatre building with peaked roof, glass windows, and exterior staircases surrounded by bare trees.

Community

Three professors, more than 120 years of teaching between them, gone within five days of each other

Drew University lost three professors emeriti in one week in late June: psychologist Edward Domber, Shakespeare scholar Frank Occhiogrosso, and English professor Nadine "Nicky" Ollman, who together spent more than 120 years on the Madison campus.

July 13, 2026 · 2 min read

Red brick school building with arched entrance, white-trimmed windows, and surrounding evergreen trees.

Community

Berkeley Heights students' artwork selected for Union County touring exhibit

Three Berkeley Heights students — one from Columbia Middle School and two from Governor Livingston High School — had artwork selected for the 2026 Union County Teen Arts Touring Exhibit, on display at the Linden Public Library through August 14 before continuing to other county locations through early 2027.

July 10, 2026 · 2 min read

Community

Local Sunday choir director just got a national spotlight — and his most famous song was born from tragedy

Drew University music professor and Christ Church Summit minister of music Mark Miller sat for a nationally published interview on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, highlighting his justice-focused compositions and local roots in the Summit area.

July 10, 2026 · 2 min read

An informational sign for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline posted on a wall with a QR code.

Community

Westfield crisis hotline serving Summit area receives largest gift in 50-year history

Caring Contact, the Westfield-based volunteer crisis hotline that answers 988 Lifeline calls across seven New Jersey counties including Union County, received a $500,000 grant from the Elizabethtown Healthcare Foundation — the largest gift in the nonprofit's 50-year history.

July 10, 2026 · 2 min read

Red brick museum building with cannons displayed at the entrance and banners on the facade.

Community

Summit's own fourth-graders are bringing the Revolutionary War to life — right in the neighborhood where it happened

Students at five Summit elementary schools spent two years creating Revolutionary War projects for the city's America 250th celebration, connecting local Watchung Mountains history to a yearlong series of community events.

July 9, 2026 · 2 min read