Good morning, Morristown.

NorthJersey.com highlights three adoptable pets from Clifton Animal Shelter for Jan.

16: sisters Bambi and Faline, both 5 months old and best adopted together, and Hana, a calm 2-year-old who cared for her kittens, seeks a new home (applications are available via the shelter’s website).

Doherty-owned Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants launched the 2026 Above & BEEyond Teacher Essay Contest to award eight teachers with a $500 classroom sponsorship and class party.

Essays must be submitted in-person from Jan. 12 to March 15 at participating locations & winners will be announced on April 24.

NJ colleges signed an agreement with Nvidia on Jan.

16 in Newark to boost AI teaching, research and investment. The state is funding $25 million through the Economic Development Authority to develop shared AI infrastructure.

Gov-elect Mikie Sherrill named Lily Laux, a former Texas public schools administrator, to head the state’s education department; she will work to improve literacy outcomes, expand pre-K access and boost mental health services in schools.

On Thursday, the New Jersey Department of Education issued updated guidance to help local school boards enforce bell-to-bell policies that ban nonacademic cellphone use during school hours + districts will choose from options like locked pouches, lockers or classroom storage while additional tools are promised soon.

The legislature approved a bill that would require cursive handwriting lessons for third- through fifth-grade students, and it now sits on Gov. Phil Murphy's desk awaiting his signature.

If signed, the measure will reintroduce a skill dropped from the curriculum in 2010.

A new guide reveals 15 hidden gem restaurants across NJ, including Morristown’s Pierogies House where owner Evelina Berc serves family recipes passed down for decades.

Readers are encouraged to visit these local spots for a taste of authentic flavor and modern culinary twists.