Fairfield, CT
Schools
COVID-19: Lamont Sticking To Call For Schools To Stay Open For In-Person Learning -- For Now COVID-19: Lamont Sticking To Call For Schools To Stay Open For In-Person Learning -- For Now
Covid-19: Lamont Sticking To Call For Schools To Stay Open For In-Person Learning -- For Now Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is doubling down on his stance that schools should stay open as long as possible, calling them a safe space, despite the new spike in COVID-19 cases statewide. On the same day that Connecticut saw 2,042 new COVID-19 cases and a spike in positive infection rate near 6 percent, Lamont reiterated his stance that school buildings are among the safest places to be during the pandemic, vowing to continue in-person learning until it is unsafe to do so. The governor said that other COVID-19 restrictions put in place have been in part to help keep students and teachers in…

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by Zak Failla
Mt. Kisco, NY
News
COVID-19: Westchester Cluster Focus Area Upgraded To Orange Warning Zone COVID-19: Westchester Cluster Focus Area Upgraded To Orange Warning Zone
Covid-19: Westchester Cluster Focus Area Upgraded To Orange Warning Zone A COVID-19 micro-cluster focus area in the Hudson Valley has just been upgraded to an Orange Warning Zone. The zone is located in Westchester County. Based on data metrics, Port Chester's yellow zone will make the transition, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The seven-day average positivity rate in Port Chester has been above 3 percent for 10 days, meeting the metrics for an orange warning zone declaration. The Hudson Valley's two other micro-cluster focus areas are an orange zone in Rockland County and a yellow zone in Orange County. Orange zones move schools…

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by Joe Lombardi
Torrington, CT
News
COVID-19: New Guidelines On 'Close Contact,' Time It Takes To Get Infected, Issued By CDC COVID-19: New Guidelines On 'Close Contact,' Time It Takes To Get Infected, Issued By CDC
Covid-19: New Guidelines On 'Close Contact,' Time It Takes To Get Infected, Issued By CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new info on just how little time it takes for a person to get infected by COVID-19. A study has found that even brief exposures within 6 feet in a 24-hour period may increase the risk of COVID transmission, which could change the way businesses and schools are operating amid the pandemic. The new guidance, released by the CDC on Wednesday, Oct. 21, is expected to have the biggest impact on workplaces, schools, and other group settings, including family gatherings, where people are in contact with others. Under previous CDC adv…

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by Joe Lombardi
White Plains, NY
News
COVID-19: Westchester Adds School Mask Mandate, Evaluates Youth Sports Amid Case Increase COVID-19: Westchester Adds School Mask Mandate, Evaluates Youth Sports Amid Case Increase
Covid-19: Westchester Adds School Mask Mandate, Evaluates Youth Sports Amid Case Increase With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Westchester, County Executive George Latimer is making some changes in schools to help curtail the spread of the virus. During a COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Oct. 19, Latimer said that there is now a mandatory mask mandate in all schools for students and staffers, and the county will be reevaluating the safety of continuing certain youth sports. Earlier story - COVID-19: Westchester Infection Increase Causes Concern; Here Are New Cases By Municipality Westchester has seen hundreds of new active COVID-19 cases reported in recent weeks, as the death toll co…

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by Zak Failla
Newark, NJ
Schools
Website Lists Every NJ School That Reported Positive COVID-19 Case Website Lists Every NJ School That Reported Positive COVID-19 Case
Website Lists Every NJ School That Reported Positive Covid-19 Case A website where teachers across the U.S. can report a confirmed COVID-19 case in their school shows dozens in New Jersey. The website was launched by the National Education Association, specifically a Kansas high school teachers, and serves as a hub for educators to report virus cases and health concerns. All submissions are reviewed by NEA staff and verified by checking school websites, press releases, media reports and other public sources.  The cases listed are by no means a "comprehensive accounting of all cases at schools and campuses," the website says. Each case is dated a…

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by Cecilia Levine
Mount Pleasant, NY
News
COVID-19: NY Starts Direct Enforcement In 20 Hotspots; Cuomo Threatens To Close Some Schools COVID-19: NY Starts Direct Enforcement In 20 Hotspots; Cuomo Threatens To Close Some Schools
Covid-19: NY Starts Direct Enforcement In 20 Hotspots; Cuomo Threatens To Close Some Schools New York State will launch direct enforcement of businesses in "hotspot" cluster areas and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said some schools may be ordered to close in-person learning due to insufficient COVID-19 testing. Within the top 20 ZIP codes in counties with recent outbreaks - Brooklyn (Kings), Queens and Rockland and Orange counties - the average rate of positive tests is 4.8 percent.  The rate of positive tests for the remainder of New York State, not counting these 20 ZIP codes, is 0.91 percent. These 20 ZIP codes contained 21 percent of all positive cases in New York State on Saturday, O…

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by Joe Lombardi
Massapequa, NY
Schools
COVID-19: NY Launches Real-Time COVID-19 Report Card For Schools COVID-19: NY Launches Real-Time COVID-19 Report Card For Schools
Covid-19: NY Launches Real-Time Covid-19 Report Card For Schools A new type of “report card” is coming to New York schools to provide parents and teachers up-to-date information on the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced during a COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 8 that he is signing an Executive Order that will require schools, local health departments, labs, and other testing sites to provide the state with information regarding the virus. The new information being gathered from multiple sources will be posted in an online dashboard and include: Positive cases by date of students and staff in each individua…

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by Zak Failla
West Milford, NJ
Lifestyle
These 10 Towns Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Passaic County These 10 Towns Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Passaic County
These 10 Towns Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Passaic County We've seen the best places to live in New Jersey, but what about Passaic County? The newly-released set of rankings by Niche.com grade each municipality based on quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics and more. Wayne came in at No. 1 and earned an A overall, despite getting a C+ in housing and B- in crime and safety. Here are the other top 10 places to live in Passaic County, according to Niche.com.  10. Wanaque 9. Woodland Park 8. Totowa 7. Singac (Little Falls) 6. Hawthorne 5. Clifton  4. Bloomingdale 3. Ringwood 2. Pompton Lakes 1…

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by Cecilia Levine
Egg Harbor Township, NJ
Lifestyle
These 10 Towns Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Atlantic County These 10 Towns Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Atlantic County
These 10 Towns Were Ranked Best Places To Live In Atlantic County We've seen the best places to live in New Jersey, but what about Atlantic County? According to a newly-released set of rankings by Niche.com, the top three spots in the area are Linwood, Egg Harbor Township and Northfield. Here are the other top places to live in Atlantic County, according to Niche.com. Crime, quality of schools, things to do, and cost of living were among the factors used in determining the rankings. 4. Margate City 5. Somers Point 6. Pomona 7. Port Republic 8. Hammonton 9.Elwood  10. Mays Landing Click here for the full list.

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by Cecilia Levine
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Schools
CDC's New School Guidelines Call For Classroom Lunches, No Extracurricular Activities CDC's New School Guidelines Call For Classroom Lunches, No Extracurricular Activities
CDC's New School Guidelines Call For Classroom Lunches, No Extracurricular Activities No more cafeterias lunches. No more field trips or extracurricular activities. Social distancing and masks are musts. This is how schools could look if they reopen for the 2020-21 academic year, months after closing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests. Students have not stepped into schools since mid-March, and while it's yet to be seen if they will next year, the CDC has put forth a set of guidelines. Among the guidelines: Staff members and students should wear masks or face coverings, though the agency acknowledges face coverings may be chall…

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by Cecilia Levine
Northern Highlands, NJ
Politics
Bergen's Most Lopsided 2019 Primary Win: Incumbent Upper Saddle River Mayor Crushes Upstart Bergen's Most Lopsided 2019 Primary Win: Incumbent Upper Saddle River Mayor Crushes Upstart
Bergen's Most Lopsided 2019 Primary Win: Incumbent Upper Saddle River Mayor Crushes Upstart Incumbent Upper Saddle River Mayor Joanne Minichetti easily defeated an upstart candidate Tuesday in one of only eight municipalities in Bergen County that had contested primaries. In the most convincing defeat of all of Bergen's primary races, Minichetti got 75% of the vote (525) to a meager 171 for Erik Friis in the borough’s Republican runoff, according to unofficial results from the county Board of Elections. Her Republican running mates, Councilmen Jonathan Ditkoff and Douglas Rotella, were unopposed. Minichetti will face Marshall Grupp in the November election. He was unopposed in t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Mount Pleasant, NY
Lifestyle
Love A Parade? Annual Northern Westchester-Putnam St. Patrick's Day Event Set Love A Parade? Annual Northern Westchester-Putnam St. Patrick's Day Event Set
Love A Parade? Annual Northern Westchester-Putnam St. Patrick's Day Event Set Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and with it comes the 43rd Annual Northern Westchester — Putnam Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. This year’s parade is scheduled for Sunday, March 10 at 2 p.m. with Bill Dowling as the Grand Marshal. The route begins by the 9/11 memorial on the corner of Route 6 and Croton Falls Road, and the lineup itself begins on Route 6 between Mt. Hope Road and the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department. This parade is said to be one of the largest in the state with a total of six divisions. It involves numerous marching bands, police and fire departments, civil ser…

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by Valerie Musson