Good morning, Morristown.

Veterans Valor, the Morris County Board of County Commissioners and the Morris County Park Commission held a tree-planting ceremony Thursday at Frelinghuysen Arboretum to create The Healing Garden of Morris, a public space that honors veterans.

U.S. Marine veteran Tom Miller placed soil in memory of his fallen partner amid remarks from local officials and community representatives—symbolizing a shared commitment to help veterans heal.

On Thursday, Caring Senior Service opened its new Morristown office at 55 Madison Avenue, Suite 400 to provide in-home care services—including personal care, meal preparation, and safety assessments—and support older adults living at home.

The office is run by owners Judy Stein and Steve Loewenthal—including experts in social work and legal practice—who aim to offer trusted care for local seniors.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that first the regional gas prices rose last week — reaching an average of $3.10 per gallon on Monday, up from $3.06 per gallon last week.

Prices remain near monthly averages and are about 1.3% higher than the national average.

Three New Jersey lottery tickets matched five of six balls to win $20,000 and $30,000 in prizes, narrowly missing the $980 million Mega Millions jackpot; the winning tickets were sold at Freshmart on Woodbridge Avenue — 7-Eleven on Rivervale Road and To Go Mini Market on Cedar Lane, while a Mega Millions ticket in Georgia won the jackpot on Friday.

A new state law requires most New Jersey gift card retailers to post a warning notice that tells shoppers no real business or government office will ever ask for payment with gift cards; the sign has been required since Oct 1.

Retailers must also follow new rules for safer gift card packaging that will be enforced starting Feb 1, 2026—which gives makers extra time to comply.

Four Atlantic Health hospitals earned top patient safety marks in The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2025 safety report.

Morristown Medical, Overlook Medical, Chilton Medical and Newton Medical Centers received A grades while CentraState earned a B (noted for significant strides).

In 2024, a 47-year-old New Jersey man died after eating red meat and experiencing severe abdominal pain and collapse, and researchers at UVA Health later linked his death to an alpha-gal allergy—likely triggered by tick bites initially mistaken for chigger bites.

They found his blood showed an extreme reaction to sugars in mammalian meat and urged that severe pain after eating beef, pork or lamb be promptly checked for anaphylaxis.