Public Service Electric & Gas filed proposals with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Friday that will lower gas bills for its residential customers by 6.1%, effective Oct. 1. If approved by the BPU, the Basic Gas Supply Service rate will be reduced by almost 7 cents per therm, to approximately 32.8 cents per therm. The BGSS rate reflects the actual cost utilities pay for natural gas, and utilities do not make any money on the supply charge. The proposed reduction to the BGSS rate and small increase to the Balancing Charge rate will result in an overall customer bill reduction. If ..read more

Public schools in North and Central Jersey dominated the U.S. News & World Report list of top high schools in the state. Glen Ridge, in Bergen County, topped the list — ranking No. 11 overall in the state and No. 198 nationally. High Technology in Lincroft was ranked as the state’s top high school. Read more from ROI-NJ: Tech, magnet schools dominate U.S. News list of best high schools in N.J. The list, released this week, reviewed approximately 25,000 schools nationwide, ranking 406 schools from New Jersey. A look at the Top 10 public schools. Glen Ridge (Bergen): No. 11 in New Jersey ..read more

The benefits of vocational, magnet and specialty training at the high school was readily apparent in the U.S. News & World Report list of top high schools in the country, as each of Top 10 schools in the state fits that description. The list, released this week, reviewed approximately 25,000 schools nationwide, ranking 406 schools from New Jersey. Read more from ROI-NJ: Public schools in North/Central Jersey dominate U.S. News best schools list A look at the Top 10, eight of which ranked in the Top 100 nationally: High Technology (Lincroft, Monmouth): No. 24 nationally; Edison Academy ..read more

The American Council on Education announced this week that William Paterson University President Richard Helldobler is the recipient of the 2024 Reginald Wilson Diversity Leadership Award. The award is named in honor of the late Reginald Wilson, who was senior scholar emeritus at ACE and founding director of ACE’s Office of Minority Concerns. It is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions and demonstrated sustained commitment to diversity in higher education. The award is to be presented at the Council of Fellows Weekend in Washington, D.C. Helldobler, a first ..read more

Edison-based Orion Innovation, a leading digital transformation and product development services firm, has named Kelly Ercolino its new senior vice president of marketing. As a technology industry marketing leader and strategist with two decades of experience, including roles at Tata Consultancy Services and Coforge, Ercolino will implement a multichannel marketing strategy to achieve Orion’s revenue and growth goals. She will play a key role in elevating Orion’s brand, marketing strategy and initiatives across the company’s global Product Engineering, Delivery Centers, Centers of Innovation a ..read more

Morristown-based law firm Riker Danzig LLP recently welcomed Ashley Heffernan as an associate in the firm’s Insurance and Reinsurance Group. Heffernan joins Riker with considerable litigation and mediation experience. She advises clients on liability and contractual duties, and regularly participates in settlement negotiations and mediations. Heffernan received her J.D. from the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law in 2020. While there, she was the managing editor of research and writing for the Moorad Sports Law Journal. Heffernan also served as vice president of the Asian-Pacifi ..read more

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center will host an open house to discuss the latest findings from its private drinking water sample program from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the County Lakes Firehouse, Station No. 3, at 103 Firehouse Road in Browns Mills. All community residents are welcome. It is highly recommended that residents who obtain their drinking water from a private well in the area attend this open house. Attendees will hear from, and be able to ask questions of, experts from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the ..read more

Johnson & Johnson on Friday said it completed its acquisition of Shockwave Medical. Shockwave is now part of the New Brunswick-based health care giant and will operate as a business unit within Johnson & Johnson MedTech. Shockwave’s differentiated solutions and robust pipeline represent an opportunity for Johnson & Johnson MedTech to bring more innovations to patients in one of the largest areas of unmet medical need, as it further extends Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s leadership in cardiovascular intervention. Shockwave offers the first and only commercially available intravascu ..read more

Doug O’Malley, the director of Environment New Jersey, gave a shout-out to first lady Tammy Murphy for her efforts to bring climate change curriculum into grade-school classrooms in the state — making New Jersey the first state to do so. “(It) has become a national example and a national leadership example of how you teach climate change in a way that isn’t like how those of us learned about climate change in school in eighth grade science class,” he said. “It’s more expansive — so, that is a good start.” The program may serve the state well in the future. The trouble is, the state needs help ..read more

Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper P.C. recently announced that Rick Bier has joined the firm as a partner in its Banking & Financial Services and Real Estate, Land Use & Zoning practice groups. “With his notable experience in commercial real estate, M&A and working with privately-held businesses, Rick is an ideal fit for our firm,” Eric Levine, Lindabury partner and president, said. “He has a demonstrated history of achieving the best possible business outcome for clients.” Before joining Lindabury, Bier was a partner at several well-known law firms, where he represented ..read more