Oct. 14 (ZFJ) — The deadline to register to vote for the general election in New Jersey is Tuesday, Oct. 15 (21 days before election day on Tuesday, Nov. 5). As of press time, that’s tomorrow, so don’t delay any longer if you haven’t registered yet! Anyone who is a U.S. citizen, at least 17 years old, a resident of their county for 30 days before the election, and not convicted of a crime is eligible to register to vote.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Oct. 13 (ZFJ) — A vigil held by UMD Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on McKeldin Mall on Monday, Oct. 7, took place without incident. On Sept. 1, the University of Maryland, College Park, attempted to limit all demonstrations on campus on Oct. 7 after thousands of people wrote objecting to SJP’s permit to protest on that day. The significance of Oct. 7, 2023, is that it was the day when Hamas militants stormed into nearby Israeli towns from the blockaded Gaza Strip to kill and take hostage hundreds of civilians.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Oct. 5 (ZFJ) — A federal judge ordered the University of Maryland, College Park, to allow UMD Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to proceed with their demonstration on Monday, Oct. 7. On Sept. 1, after significant outcry over UMD granting a permit to SJP to use McKeldin Mall for an “interfaith vigil,” the university announced that demonstrations would be prohibited on campus on Oct. 7, and that a “university-sponsored Day of Dialogue” would be held instead.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Oct. 5 (ZFJ) — Dr. Dominique Mwepu, 53, was fatally struck by a car on Monday, Sept. 30, according to the Montgomery County Police Department. At about 7:55 p.m., county police officers from the 5th district and fire rescue personnel responded to reports of a collision involving a blue Honda Prelude and a pedestrian at the intersection of Frederick Road and High Point Drive. Mwepu sustained life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene.

EDISON, N.J., Sept. 21 (ZFJ) — Call it a miracle, or maybe even divine intervention. On Friday, Sept. 6, the John P. Stevens High School (Edison, NJ) varsity football team defeated cross-county rival Bound Brook by a score of 22-21, putting an end to an infamous losing streak that had extended back to November of the 2018-2019 season. “I’m feeling great, man,” said JPS senior quarterback Marquise Webb to Central Jersey Sports Radio after the game.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 6 (ZFJ) — The University of Maryland, College Park, will not allow any student group protests on Oct. 7, 2024, following controversy over a pro-Palestinian protest planned for that date. The University System of Maryland said in a press release on Sunday, Sept. 1, that special campus events—those requiring approval or permitting—will be suspended only on Oct. 7 in favor of a “university-sponsored Day of Dialogue” to promote reflection instead.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 1 (ZFJ) — The Maryland Terrapins cruised to a dominant 50-7 victory over the UConn Huskies at SECU Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31, coming together in a full offensive and defensive effort to begin the 2024 campaign on a high note. “Great team win, and great start to the 2024 season,” began Head Coach Michael Locksley during the team’s postgame press conference. “We were able to do it today with all three phases contributing to the win.

EDISON, N.J., Aug. 29 (ZFJ) — The Edison Board of Education retired the use of jersey number 24 for all Edison High School athletic teams in honor of late baseball coach and athletic director James “Diamond Jim” Muldowney at the Aug. 20 combined caucus and public meeting. Muldowney graduated from Edison High in 1973 and became a teacher from 1981-2000. He then served as the school’s athletic director from 2000-2008 and the district’s supervisor of physical education and health from 2008-2018.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Aug. 28 (ZFJ) — A heat wave has been descending on America on Wednesday, Aug. 28, placing over 77 million people under excessive heat warnings and heat advisories. High temperatures are forecast to be 10-15 degrees above average for much of the Central to Southern Plains, east into the Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic, wrote the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in a short range public discussion.

Aug. 25 (ZFJ) — The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has revised its use-of-force policy to “increase the likelihood of peaceful resolutions to encounters between police and barricaded individuals,” Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement. The change in policy, which had last been changed in December 2020, comes weeks after the July 28 shooting of Victoria Lee, who was killed while threatening cops during a “mental breakdown.