Good morning, Morristown.

McDonald's has launched its largest hiring push in five years by planning to add over 4,200 jobs in New Jersey and hire 375,000 workers nationwide ahead of the summer season.

The chain (which operates 13,000 restaurants) also plans to open 900 new locations over the next two years (after a second quarter of falling sales).

Yesterday, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Board approved an extra $500,000 to expand the Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program.

Small businesses within 5 miles of Exit 34 + even if outside Morris County can now apply for grants from $1,000 to $15,000 to help with costs related to the I-80 sinkhole.

The Whippany Railway Museum will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Sunday, May 18 by offering discounted 10-mile train rides from 1 to 4 p.m.—all riders will receive a commemorative Morris County Central RR keepsake and fares range from $5 to $19.65 to support museum projects.

Morris County Prosecutor’s Office expanded its Anti-Bias/Bullying program by presenting assemblies in schools such as Assumption School in Morristown, Kinnelon High School, Pearl R.

Miller Middle School and Rockaway Valley School. Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri and Sergeant Patrick LaGuerre led the effort—explaining how poor online and in-person behavior can affect a student’s future while reinforcing a zero-tolerance policy for school violence.

Attorney General Matthew J.

Platkin and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety began the annual ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign yesterday to remind drivers to wear seat belts. The campaign will run until June 2 and gives $600,740 to 105 agencies — a push to reduce road deaths during busy summer travel.

NJ Transit held constructive meetings in Newark and Washington, D.C. this week as CEO Kris Kolluri and union leaders worked to prevent a locomotive engineers strike that may start after 12:01 a.m. tomorrow—if talks fail, the agency will run supplemental bus and light rail service covering about 20% of rail capacity and impact scheduled events like the Shakira concert.

Since the federal Real ID deadline on May 7, New Jersey residents have continued to face difficulties securing appointments at major licensing centers in Wayne, Lodi, Trenton and Bayonne, with no slots available until after August.

The MVC said it is issuing 25,000 REAL IDs per week plus adding new appointment slots daily while the TSA warned travelers without a REAL ID will face extra screening.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill wrote to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asking for deadlines on adding air traffic controllers and updating Newark Airport's technology after several blackouts disrupted flight safety.

Duffy said ongoing improvements include switching to fiber-optic cables—training new controllers will take time.