West Windsor & Plainsboro News

09/19/2026

There’s something undeniably cheerful about balloons. We buy them for birthday parties, graduations, weddings and other moments we celebrate. They’re colorful, familiar and, for a lot of people, simply part of the fun.

BY ALISON MITCHELL New Jersey Conservation Foundation There’s something undeniably cheerful about balloons. We buy them for birthday parties, graduations, weddings and other moments we celebrate. They’re colorful, familiar and, for a lot of people, simply part of the fun. But what happens when w...

09/13/2026

When people picture New Jersey’s classic natural landscapes, they often think of the Pine Barrens, the Jersey Shore, or the forests of the Highlands. But in the agricultural landscapes of the Delaware River Valley, all the way from Sussex and Warren to Salem and Cumberland counties, open fields of grasses and wildflowers provide some of our state’s most important and beautiful wildlife habitats.

BY ALISON MITCHELL New Jersey Conservation Foundation When people picture New Jersey’s classic natural landscapes, they often think of the Pine Barrens, the Jersey Shore, or the forests of the Highlands. But in the agricultural landscapes of the Delaware River Valley, all the way from Sussex and W...

09/11/2026

Twenty-six years ago, September 11 meant back-to-school spirits; hazy, end-of-summer weather; the beginning of a season with rowdy fans, dressed in green, piling into Veterans Stadium to cheer on their favorite football team. When American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. in 2001, though, everything changed. The crashes that subsequently hit the South Tower at 9:03, the Pentagon at 9:37, and an empty field in Shanksville, PA, alerted the country that this was an attack, unlike anything we had seen on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor.

Twenty-six years ago, September 11 meant back-to-school spirits; hazy, end-of-summer weather; the beginning of a season with rowdy fans, dressed in green, piling into Veterans Stadium to cheer on their favorite football team. When American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. in 2001,...

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸

Today, we celebrate the hardworking people who keep our local communities moving forward every day.

As a local media company, we’re proud to tell the stories of the organizations and neighbors who make our communities such special places to live, work and call home.

Wishing everyone a safe, relaxing and well-deserved Labor Day weekend! ❤️🤍💙

09/06/2026

Wings Over Mercer, hosted by Pennington-based Wild Bird Research Group (WBRG), returns for a second year on Saturday, October 3! This single-day birding competition and fundraiser, open to birders of all levels, is designed to celebrate the spectacle of fall migration while raising awareness for local bird conservation.

Wings Over Mercer, hosted by Pennington-based Wild Bird Research Group (WBRG), returns for a second year on Saturday, October 3! This single-day birding competition and fundraiser, open to birders of all levels, is designed to celebrate the spectacle of fall migration while raising awareness for loc...

09/05/2026

BY ALISON MITCHELL

New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Northern diamondback terrapins are the only turtles in the world that spend their entire lives in brackish coastal environments, where freshwater and saltwater meet. Naturally, they love our state!

Like many wild residents of this state we’re in, terrapins have a long and complicated history with people. In the 1800s and early 1900s, they were heavily harvested for food and nearly hunted to extinction. Today, terrapins are protected as a nongame species and cannot legally be collected. New Jersey now recognizes the Northern diamondback terrapin as a Species of Special Concern, reflecting their need for continued conservation attention. Yet even without hunting, they remain vulnerable.

One of their biggest challenges is that the places they need to live and reproduce overlap with places where people live, work, and travel.

BY ALISON MITCHELL New Jersey Conservation Foundation Northern diamondback terrapins are the only turtles in the world that spend their entire lives in brackish coastal environments, where freshwater and saltwater meet. Naturally, they love our state!  Like many wild residents of this state we’re...

09/04/2026

Trenton-Mercer Airport has a new leadership team, with Michael Caires taking over as airport director and Matt Parker named deputy airport director.

The appointments, which were made by County Executive Dan Benson, took effect Tuesday, Sept. 1, as the Ewing airport moves ahead with long-term expansion plans and prepares for the arrival of new airline service.

Caires was selected following a national search and will oversee airport operations. Parker, who has been serving as acting assistant airport manager, will support day-to-day operations, internal coordination and implementation of the airport director’s priorities.

“Trenton-Mercer Airport is at an important point in its evolution and requires focused, accountable leadership,” Benson said. “Michael brings deep airport-management experience.

Trenton-Mercer Airport has a new leadership team, with Michael Caires taking over as airport director and Matt Parker named deputy airport director. The appointments, which were made by County Executive Dan Benson, took effect Tuesday, Sept. 1, as the Ewing airport moves ahead with long-term expansi...

09/04/2026

Allentown’s Main Street will become a showcase for music, art and local history Saturday, Sept. 12, when the Allentown Village Initiative presents the borough’s first PorchFest.

The free event will run from noon to 4 p.m. and is part of TAVI250, the organization’s yearlong celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday.

Local musicians will perform from front porches along Main Street, while local artists display their work at participating homes. Visitors also will be able to read about the history of the houses being used as PorchFest locations.

TAVI will have a welcome table where visitors can pick up a map and schedule for the afternoon’s performances.

Self-guided walking tours also will be available, giving visitors a chance to explore Allentown’s historic architecture, cemeteries and its role in the Underground Railroad.

Allentown’s Main Street will become a showcase for music, art and local history Saturday, Sept. 12, when the Allentown Village Initiative presents the borough’s first PorchFest. The free event will run from noon to 4 p.m. and is part of TAVI250, the organization’s yearlong celebration of the n...

09/03/2026

With their inaugural season less than two months away, the Trenton Ironhawks are beginning to take shape both on and off the ice.

The ECHL team spent much of the summer preparing for its first season at CURE Insurance Arena, hiring veteran coach Chuck Weber, establishing ties with the community and beginning to build a roster with strong New Jersey connections.

The Ironhawks announced Sept. 3 that they had signed their first five players: Princeton native Luke Antonacci, John Gelatt of Middletown, Anthony Firriolo of Towaco, Mikey Colella of Turnersville and Nick Carabin of Mahwah, a former Princeton University defenseman.

Antonacci, 23, played youth hockey with the Mercer Chiefs before appearing in 127 NCAA games between the University of Maine and Lake Superior State University. He began his professional career last season, appearing in 15 games with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies.

With their inaugural season less than two months away, the Trenton Ironhawks are beginning to take shape both on and off the ice. The ECHL team spent much of the summer preparing for its first season at CURE Insurance Arena, hiring veteran coach Chuck Weber, establishing ties with the community and....

09/01/2026

When it comes to students missing school, there can be a variety of reasons.

The Princeton Area Community Foundation learned this when it set out to increase attendance rates in Mercer County schools through its All Kids Thrive Initiative, created in 2018.

Some kids missed school because of chronic illness. For others, safety concerns at the bus stop kept them away.

When kids did attend class, they were often hungry and distracted. Transportation was a barrier for some, while other families lacked stable housing.

Those experiences demonstrated that improving attendance could require addressing problems that extended well beyond the classroom.

Chronic absenteeism is generally defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. In New Jersey, that amounts to about 18 days during a typical 180-day school year, or roughly two days per month.

Through the $3 million, five-year All Kids Thrive initiative, the Community Foundation worked with 10 grantee partners.

When it comes to students missing school, there can be a variety of reasons. The Princeton Area Community Foundation learned this when it set out to increase attendance rates in Mercer County schools through its All Kids Thrive Initiative, created in 2018. Some kids missed school because of chronic....