Anti-Abortion Display, Tough Mudder Tops News

The only thing that fell quicker than the temperatures this week were the leaves from the trees. Mid-October brought plenty of news–some of it contentious–and we were there to report it.

Click on the headline to read the full story.

St. Lawrence the Martyr Church owns property on Main Street in Chester, a high-profile location for passersby. For the third straight year, the church’s Respect for Life Ministries has set up 144 miniature crosses signifying the amount of hourly abortions there are in the U.S. The story struck a chord with surrounding communities, garnering more than 150 comments.

Mudder Toughens Up to Help Teen Fight Cancer

Long Valley’s Larry Borst is a tough dude. Tough enough to have already completed three Tough Mudder competitions, and is currently preparing for a 24-hour Tough Mudder challenge in November. This event, however, is different. Borst is asking for donations and pledges in accordance with the event to benefit Glenn Lightner, the Long Valley teen battling brain cancer. Read the story and learn more.

New Spa Hopes to Give Long Valley ‘Balance’

The “B-Girls”–Diane Booher and Magdalena Bieniecka–have put their passion into practice, and are set to open the Balance Face & Body Spa in the Long Valley Professional Plaza on Nov. 1. The spa, unique to the area, according to the co-owners, will offer a quiet haven for locals to retreat and escape for a time. Read the story to see what else the spa will offer.

M&M Store Makes Sweet Opening in Hackettstown

A plethora of local and state-level dignitaries came to Hackettstown this week to usher in the first-ever M&M’s World pop-up store on Main Street. The store is a pilot for the company and will be open through Halloween, offering customers just about every kind of M&M-branded trinket one could imagine.

Schools Study Draws Resident’s Scrutiny of Mayors

Chester Township Mayor Bill Cogger and Mendham Borough Mayor Neil Henry faced some tough questions at their respective meetings this week, when residents questioned where exactly the progress was headed with the regional schools feasibility study. Naysayers continue to press officials to back out of the months-long conversation if the proper options aren’t agreed upon. The next meeting of the mayors and board of education representatives is Oct. 30 in Washington Township.