Around Verona: School Masks + Lead Pipes + Electric Bills

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Patch reviews last week’s top stories in Essex County (click headline to read article). Want more local news? Sign up for Patch email newsletters.

Coronavirus:

NJ Democrat, GOP Lawmakers Agree: Nursing Home Probe Needed

Feds Launch COVID Wastewater Tracker; NJ Keeps Eyes On Its Sewage

Newark Families Will Be Notified If School Mask Policy Changes

West Orange Schools Still Undecided About Mask Mandate

Masks In Livingston Schools: Superintendent To Give Update Soon

Mask Mandate In Maplewood Schools: District Releases Statement

Excluded NJ Fund Still Open; Undocumented, Ex-Inmates Eligible

Mets Star Gives Surprise 'Thank You' To Hospital Workers In Essex County

NJ Utility Moratorium Nears End; Bloomfield Issues Advisory

NJ Bill Would Protect Pay, Benefits During Health Care Mergers

Politics:

Lead Pipes And Newark: Kamala Harris Returns To NJ To Praise City

NJ Republicans Say 'Energy Tax' Bill Would Give Homeowners Relief

Belleville Planning Board Adjourns After Vice Chair's Allegations

West Orange Students To Rally, Demand Action On Climate Change

Workers At Montclair Medical Marijuana Dispensary Form Union

Weequahic High School In Newark Raises Black Liberation Flag

Finances Still Being Hammered Out For $65M Essex-Hudson Greenway

Newark Mayor, Top Cop 'Grateful' To Biden For Gun Violence Plan

NJ Taxpayers Save $500M As Treasury Retires $3B In State Debt

Other news in Essex County and New Jersey:

Electric Bills Skyrocket In New Jersey; Food Prices Also Spike

NJ Has 1.5 Million People Living In 'Food Deserts,' Officials Say

Essex County Nursing Home On List Of 15 'Lowest-Rated' In NJ

NJ Hasn't Licensed A Black Owner Since It Legalized Weed: Updated

Livingston Is One Of 30 Safest Towns In America, Study Finds

Cardinal To Bless Newly Renovated Chapel In North Caldwell

Hilton Short Hills To Reopen After 2-Year Closure; Offers Deals

Cannabis Business Applications Now Being Accepted In Maplewood

Lunchbox Deli In Bloomfield Closing: 'We Have Been Truly Blessed'

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