Morris NewsBee

Morris NewsBee The Morris NewsBee is a daily digital news provider covering greater Morristown. Read it in print or online at http://www.morrisnewsbee.com.

Our goal is to deliver fact-based and high quality news, engaging features, and opinions — to support civic participation and help strengthen your communities. The Morris NewsBee newspaper delivers residents of Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown local news, local sports, entertainment.

MORRIS PLAINS - Sal Cortese has resigned from the Borough Council effective Monday, March 30, Mayor Jason Karr announced...
04/06/2026

MORRIS PLAINS - Sal Cortese has resigned from the Borough Council effective Monday, March 30, Mayor Jason Karr announced at the council's Thursday, April 2 meeting.

In a letter addressed to Karr and Borough Clerk RoseMarie Leyhan, Cortese reflected on his near-three decades of public service.

"I've been serving in this community for the past 28 years," Cortese said in the letter. "It's been one of the greatest honors and achievements in my life. However, as my family has grown, so have the demands on my time. At this time, it is important that I dedicate my full focus to my family and myself."

Cortese was on the Borough Council for 11 years, first being elected in 2014 and officially taking office in 2015. He was re-elected three times: in 2017, 2020 and 2023.

Read more here:

MORRIS PLAINS - Sal Cortese has resigned from the Borough Council effective Monday, March 30, Mayor Jason Karr announced at the council's Thursday, April 2 meeting.

MORRISTOWN - Community members have come together to help get the body of a fatal hit-and-run victim back to his family ...
03/27/2026

MORRISTOWN - Community members have come together to help get the body of a fatal hit-and-run victim back to his family in Ecuador.

As of 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, a GoFundMe page shows $10,945 raised to send the body of Justo Pilco-Tenesaca, 68, of Morristown, to Ecuador to his family.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office confirmed Pilco as the victim of the Friday, March 20 hit-and-run accident at the intersection of Sussex Avenue and Mills Street.

Maria Dominguez, who called Pilco a "dear friend," organized the GoFundMe.

"Our family has known Justo for many years, and he truly became like one of our own," Dominguez said. "He was one of the most kindhearted and hardworking people we had the privilege of knowing. During this difficult time, we want to do everything we can to help reunite him with his family and loved ones in Ecuador."

Read more here:

MORRISTOWN - Community members have come together to help get the body of a fatal hit-and-run victim back to his family in Ecuador.

Multiple petitions have been filed in Morristown, Morris Plains and Morris Township to run in this year’s primary electi...
03/25/2026

Multiple petitions have been filed in Morristown, Morris Plains and Morris Township to run in this year’s primary election on Tuesday, June 2, for a chance to be elected to the various Township Committees and Borough Councils this November.

The filing deadline was Monday, March 23.

The biggest primary race to watch is in Morris Township. where three Democratic candidates are running for two, three-year seats on the Township Committee.

Also, current Morris Plains Mayor Jason Karr will seek re-election as an Independent, forgoing the Democratic primary against Councilwoman Nancy V***a.

All this and more here:

Multiple petitions have been filed in Morristown, Morris Plains and Morris Township to run in this year’s primary election on Tuesday, June 2, for a chance to be elected to

RAVITZ RUNS AS INDEPENDENT - Morris Township Committeeman William "Bud" Ravitz dropped a bombshell at the tail end of th...
03/19/2026

RAVITZ RUNS AS INDEPENDENT - Morris Township Committeeman William "Bud" Ravitz dropped a bombshell at the tail end of the Township Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 18: he's running for re-election, but not as a member of the Democratic Party.

"I will be running for reelection as an Independent under a banner I am calling USA 2.0, because there is no returning to the nation that Boomers and many Gen Xers grew up in," Ravitz said. "We need a grassroots party to reimagine and rebuild our government and institutions and who will be in it for the long haul. I appeal to those who feel disenfranchised, whether you are aligned with a party or you're not, and to independent thinkers across our community."

Ravitz said that the Morris Township Democratic Committee did not nominate him or other incumbent Democratic Committeeman Siva Jonnada for re-election to the two, three-year seats up for election this year.

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MORRIS TWP. – Committeeman William "Bud" Ravitz dropped a bombshell at the tail end of the Township Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 18: he's running for re-election, but not as

3.5% TAX INCREASE - Despite a decrease in enrollment, residents of Morristown and Morris Township will still see a tax i...
03/19/2026

3.5% TAX INCREASE - Despite a decrease in enrollment, residents of Morristown and Morris Township will still see a tax increase of 3.5% from the Morris School District.

That news broke at the K-12 district's Monday, March 16 Board of Education meeting at Morristown High School. Superintendent Anne Mucci, Business Administrator and Board Secretary Anthony Lo Franco, Morristown High School principal Mark Manning and Director of Elementary Education Matthew Kriley gave a preliminary budget presentation that broke down the district's finances for this year.

Typically, school districts are only allowed to raise the tax levy they place on residents by 2% from year to year. However, due to Horizon raising the district's health care costs by 17%, the state allowed the district to make an adjustment to their tax increase, according to Lo Franco. The remaining amount not used from the tax raise can be used within the next two years.

Total budget costs for 2026 are $139 million, Lo Franco told the Morris NewsBee.

Read more here:

MORRISTOWN – Despite a decrease in enrollment, residents of Morristown and Morris Township will still see a tax increase of 3.5% from the Morris School District.

MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT – Residents received their first glimpse at a potential $158 million referendum they will vote on...
03/17/2026

MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT – Residents received their first glimpse at a potential $158 million referendum they will vote on in September during a special Morris School District Board of Education presentation on Monday, March 9.

According to Superintendent Anne Mucci, officials of the K-12 district, after performing extensive calculations, believe it will need up to $158 million for the referendum, which voters will pass or deny on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The state is expected to contribute between 18 and 38 percent of individual project costs, but the district doesn’t have precise numbers yet. As such, the exact tax impact upon residents is unknown.

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MORRIS TWP. – Residents received their first glimpse at a potential $158 million referendum they will vote on in September during a special Morris School District Board of Education presentation

NANCY V***A ENDORSED FOR MAYOR - Councilwoman Nancy V***a has been endorsed by the Morris Plains Democratic Committee fo...
03/16/2026

NANCY V***A ENDORSED FOR MAYOR - Councilwoman Nancy V***a has been endorsed by the Morris Plains Democratic Committee for mayor in the 2026 election cycle.

The current mayor is Democrat Jason Karr. According to the committee, both V***a and Karr interviewed for the committee's nomination.

After the interviews, the five-person development committee voted anonymously for V***a to be recommended to the seven person executive committee for endorsement. She will run with the slogan "Morris County Democratic Committee, Inc."

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MORRIS PLAINS - Councilwoman Nancy V***a has been endorsed by the Morris Plains Democratic Committee for mayor in the 2026 election cycle.

MORRIS TWP. – Township officials and residents alike sat through a marathon of a special Township Committee meeting on M...
03/16/2026

MORRIS TWP. – Township officials and residents alike sat through a marathon of a special Township Committee meeting on Monday, March 9 that incensed residents as the committee explained how the township is set to meet its affordable housing obligations for the next 10 years.

The Township Committee approved seven ordinances related to affordable housing zoning, despite the shouts and grumbles of residents.

The meeting lasted almost six hours. The meeting room in the township’s municipal building was filled to the brim, with some residents sitting in an adjacent room watching the meeting on television screens. 64 additional residents watched the meeting via Zoom.

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MORRIS TWP. – Township officials and residents alike sat through a marathon of a special Township Committee meeting on Monday, March 9 that incensed residents as the committee explained how

MORRISTOWN ONSTAGE – The night of Tuesday, Feb. 24 was a huge success for not only the performers of Morristown ONSTAGE,...
02/27/2026

MORRISTOWN ONSTAGE – The night of Tuesday, Feb. 24 was a huge success for not only the performers of Morristown ONSTAGE, but for the entire Morris School District, as the Morristown Performing Arts Center (MPAC) hosted 14 singing and dancing acts, all to raise money for the Morris Educational Fund (MEF).

The theater held a packed house, including attendance by Morristown Mayor Dougherty, Morris Plains Mayor Jason Karr, and Morris Township Mayor Donna Guariglia. Of the fourteen acts, there were four winners that night that got to take home a cash prize.

Elegantly dressed former Access Hollywood TV correspondent Tara Bernie, who had been the emcee for the past 11 years, was also sitting in the audience. This year, the event had rotating emcees, with MEF trustee Hallie Beyer leading the way.

The MEF announced that the event had raised nearly $200,000 to support the Morris School District.

Read more here:

MORRISTOWN – The night of Tuesday, Feb. 24 was a huge success for not only the performers of Morristown ONSTAGE, but for the entire Morris School District, as the Morristown

MORRISTOWN - Morristown High School alumna Heidy Carranza Alvarado has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundat...
02/20/2026

MORRISTOWN - Morristown High School alumna Heidy Carranza Alvarado has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 45th College Television Awards.

The annual awards show recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges nationwide. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at the red carpet awards ceremony on March 28, 2026, at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.

Alvarado, along with classmates at Montclair State University, received a nomination in the News category for her work as a writer on a project titled "FOCUS: Our Mental Health."

Read more here:

MORRISTOWN - Morristown High School alumna Heidy Carranza Alvarado has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 45th College Television Awards.

COLUMN: On Thursday, Feb. 5, I attended a Mental Health Symposium hosted by Hanover Township, which featured elected off...
02/19/2026

COLUMN: On Thursday, Feb. 5, I attended a Mental Health Symposium hosted by Hanover Township, which featured elected officials and community leaders from around the Morris County area.

The specific focus of the symposium was directed at how to support students in the local school districts when dealing with mental health. I was very pleased to see an event like this; I learned a lot, and it was comforting to learn how the community I report on is taking this issue seriously.

Mental health is a topic that many people have a hard time talking about, but the more support that we offer to those we care about, the easier it becomes to open up. I have had my own journey with mental health, and I wrote a column based on my experience.

You can read that column here:

Mental health is a topic that many people have a hard time talking about, but the more support that we offer to those we care about, the easier it becomes

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