Burlington County is located in Southern Jersey and is the largest county in New Jersey. It is very close to Philadelphia and is bordered by the Delaware River to the West. The local animal shelter is called the Burlington County Animal Shelter and they have waived adoption fees for the month of January in an effort to place animals in safe, warm homes. The shelter is located at 35 Academy Drive in Westampton, New Jersey, and is typically open from 12 to 4PM daily.

After winter break many schools in New Jersey decided to go virtual for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks weeks. This is something students all around the globe have been all too familiar with within the past year. Harrison, Belleville, and Kearny are some of the many towns that needed to implement virtual learning, once again, after the holiday break.

As the holiday season of 2021 ended, Covid-19 cases increased in all of New Jersey. Due to the new Covid variant, Omicron, cases have risen on the Northeast side more than any other in the United States. 

Weather is constantly changing either for the better or worse. So far this year, 2022, it has taken a turn for the worse. From tragic snowstorms to unexpected lightning patterns, the weather is playing a major role in our society than ever before. 

Since 2019, the country and world have been dealing and battling with Covid-19. Now in 2022, Americans are still trying to figure out ways to stay safe from Covid-19, but specifically the new variant Omicron. This variant has been going through millions of people. Whether you have the vaccine or not, this variant can affect you. 

Non reusable masks have made the environment worse over the past two year. In addition to illness, the pandemic has given us pollution and this pollution is caused by the many disposable masks being thrown into streets and alleyways or even sidewalks. It is something that has created a new issue - hungry animals can eat the fabric of the  masks and get sick.  The soil and earth can’t biodegrade these masks so they sit there for many days at a time.

When the 19-story Twin Parks North West building in the Bronx turned into a deathtrap on Sunday, January 9, 2022, nearly all of the 17 people who perished, including eight children, were immigrants from Gambia and other West African countries.

On November 21, a Christmas parade in Wisconsin turned deadly. Authorities in Wisconsin have identified the motive force of a red SUV who they say deliberately drove his SUV via barricades and into a crowd celebrating the Waukesha Christmas parade. Darrell E. Brooks Jr., 39, is believed to have acted alone. Brooks faces five counts of first-diploma intentional murder.

The town's annual Tree Lighting took place in the Nutley Park Oval and was held on Sunday, December 5 at 4:30pm. It is always a big celebration and Nutley is known to always be very festive in the winter -- from the school celebrations to the decorations, and, of course, the tree lighting.

This past Thanksgiving, the Salvation Army gave out free meals for people all over America. Covid-19 and numerous circumstances have caused many families to struggle financially. In order to help, The Salvation Army annually collects donations and provides Thanksgiving dinners for those in need. Across the country, over 3,330 pounds of turkey and 700 pumpkin pies were served this year alone.

On November 24, a large build up of migrants coming from Belarus attempted to enter the EU from Poland. They were stopped, however, by Polish border troops and the oncoming winter. This has caused what some are calling a “humanitarian crisis” as thousands of the migrants were left without shelter and with little food and water as winter approaches. 

On Wednesday, December 1 2021, the tragic shooting at Oxford High School killed four students and injured eight. According to investigators, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley is responsible for the deaths of the students who attended Oxford High School in Michigan. 

On December 7, 2021, Salvatore Balsamo spoke to the Maroon & Gray and the new term that is approaching. Mr. Balsamo has lived in Nutley for his whole life; he grew up on Beach St. Mr.Balsamo feels as Nutley has helped him grow into the man he is today, “There are so many people that have helped me in both big and small ways. Most of them were friends, neighbors, and teachers here in Nutley,” 

On November 20, 2021, there was a stabbing in Bellville, NJ at 5:06 pm. While a woman was walking home from her job, she was stabbed multiple times by an unknown person. The Belleville police were notified that there was an injured woman in the area of 22 Howard Place in Belleville, NJ. They responded to the report, and found a woman with multiple stab wounds.

On October 17, seventeen missionaries were kidnapped in Port au Prince, Haiti. The 17 missionaries consisted of 16 Americans and one Canadian citizen. The kidnappers are known as 400 Wawazo Gang. 

On October 29, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11-years old to further mitigate the spread of the virus. The emergency authorization was issued following the FDA’s detailed and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who voted largely in favor of making the vaccine available for younger Americans.

More than 200 female judges remain in Afghanistan, many of them under threat and in hiding, according to the International Association of Women Judges. Taliban officials have recovered their personal information from court records, several former judges said, and some have had their bank accounts frozen.

On October 27, 2021, Sam Pesin, the current president of Liberty State Park (LSP) spoke on behalf of the park and the privatization plans he is trying to fight. Sam’s father founded the popular Liberty State Park, Sam has spent most of his life in the park either helping his father, enjoying the scenery, or fighting for the park. “My father, Morris Pesin spent 18 years leading the movement to create the Liberty State Park, and I will spend my life making sure it stays open for the people just like he intended no matter what,” said Pesin. 

The Canary Islands' volcano eruption was a horrible thing and affected thousands of people.

The Canary Island volcanic eruption affected the whole island and engulfed it in ash.  It went on for hours and and the residents were scared it was never going stop. To this day, it's still going and there seems to be no end.

In September of 2014, the spotted lanternfly (SLF) was discovered in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It has since then spread to other counties and states such as New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, New York, and Connecticut. It is approximately one inch long and looks relatively similar to a moth. Its top wings are a beige color with black spots, and its bottom wings are half red with black spots and half black with white splotches.