Newark, NJ - Last Friday, Sept 26, “A Wisdom Keepers Delegation” with a coalition of global and local climate activists held an honorary indigenous water ceremony at Weequahic Park, Newark, NJ. The Weequahic Water Ceremony was one of many ceremonial and educational events run by AWKD to mark Climate Week 2025.

Newark, NJ - The way Newark moves is layered and every movement tells a story of patience, perseverance, and adaptation. Some wait at bus shelters, leaning against glass panels or resting on benches, watching cars stream past. 

Others ride through intersections on scooters or bikes, slipping between traffic and construction as if it’s second nature. Inside the bus, rows of seats frame the rhythm of daily life, people boarding, sitting, exiting, all sharing the same ride. 

Lawrenceville, NJ - On September 21st, New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Mikie Sherrill (D) and Jack Ciattarelli (R) clashed in their first heated debate over the issues important to state residents. Around 1,600 people gathered at Rider University to attend the candidates’ first of two scheduled debates before the election on November 4th.

Newark, NJ - In this latest installment from the 2025 Citizen Journalism class, the Community Journalism team presents a two-part story titled “Essex-Hudson Greenway: Balancing Biodiversity with Public Access for Our Neighborhoods.” In Part 2, the team explores national Greenway trends, the role of vegetation and biodiversity, and how public transit connects to the Greenway.

Newark, NJ - In this latest installment from the 2025 Citizen Journalism class: a two-part story by the Community Journalism team titled “Essex-Hudson Greenway balancing biodiversity with public access for our neighborhoods”. In Part 1, the team introduces the Greenway project and centers community spaces as portals for connectivity.

Hasbrouck Heights, NJ: Earthquakes continue to rock New Jersey at an alarming rate and with shocking severity. As of August 12, the Garden State has reportedly experienced 26 earthquakes. New Jersey’s biggest earthquake of 2025 occurred near Hasbrouck Heights late Saturday, August 2, with a magnitude of 3.0. 

This is the first installment from the 2025 Citizen Journalism class: a photo essay by Shriaditi Kancherla titled “An afternoon at Johnson Park”. In this series, Kancherla captures both the activity and the serenity of the park. 

Piscataway, NJ - Johnson Park lands at the crossroads of urban sprawl, where populated towns Piscataway, Highland Park, and New Brunswick fade into acres of trees and the scent of grass. 

New Brunswick, NJ - On August 20th, the New Brunswick city council held a hearing regarding the fatal shooting of 68-year-old Deborah Terrell. Her death reaffirms the urgent discussion about racialization of police killings, police accountability, and the predominant killing of Black and Brown people experiencing a mental health crisis. 

Police officers shot Terrell on Friday, August 8th, while responding to an emergency call reporting a woman walking around with a knife in her apartment building. Terrell was a beloved mother, grandmother, and member of the New Brunswick community. Many people who knew Terrell shared their memories of her and sent their condolences to her family online.

Trenton, NJ - New Jersey prides itself as the “Garden State.” Yet the paradox is stark: while family farms harvest peaches, tomatoes, kale, and corn, schoolchildren in lower-income districts still miss out on the local gifts of the Garden State at lunchtime. Simultaneously, small and mid-sized growers say they need steadier, closer-to-home buyers to make ends meet.

Food inequity in New Jersey can be highlighted by data estimates that in 2022, almost 262,000 children lived in food-insecure households. Those numbers jumped alongside inflation as pandemic support unwound. In turn, for many school-age children, the lunch line is often the surest path to a fresh and healthy meal.