New Jersey will mandate the wearing of face masks in outdoor public spaces where social distancing is not practicable. “Requiring masks outdoors is a step I had hoped we would not have to take. By and large, New Jerseyans have been outstanding in their compliance,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “But, unfortunately, we’ve been seeing a backslide in compliance in New Jersey and across our nation.” North-JerseyNews.com
Gov. Phil Murphy will exempt Motor Vehicle Commission workers from any work furloughs and will reopen agencies on Mondays during July after saying he was as frustrated as drivers were with two days of long lines at agencies. “I know (reopening) was a challenge…we want much better,” Murphy said. “What many experienced…was not up to our expectations. If you’re upset about this, so am I.” NJ.com
Bergen Community College will be almost entirely remote this fall. The school will have only paramedic science program practicals and a few practice-based classes take place in person for the fall 2020 semester. Additionally, there will be a tuition freeze for the semester. The Record
Bars and restaurants that can open up two of their four walls will now be allowed to serve patrons inside. Gov. Phil Murphy said loosening of restrictions was possible because having half of a building’s wall space open allows for ample air flow, but acknowledged not every restaurant will benefit from the new policy. NJ.com
A New Jersey appeals court temporarily blocked the public disclosure of the names of state police officers sanctioned for disciplinary violations and scheduled oral arguments for October. In response, the Attorney General’s office asked the New Jersey Supreme Court to dissolve the appellate division’s order, stating in a court filing it would cause “unreasonably delays” and prevent the state from taking steps it believes necessary to improve accountability and transparency in law enforcement until 2021. The Daily Record
New Jersey State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s office took back the internal investigation of three Dover police officers involved in a violent arrest of a Morristown teen in 2019, according to town officials. After a review by the town’s Deputy Administrator, two of the officers returned to their normal duties in the patrol division in March while the third was reassigned to an administrative role in April. New Jersey Herald
North Jersey politicians were able to earmark billions of dollars for the Garden State to improve transportation under a recently passed federal infrastructure bill. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act, a $1.5 trillion package aiming to invest funding to a range of infrastructure projects across the country, including roads, highways, rail lines, bridges, water and broadband internet. North-JerseyNews.com
A slate of progressive candidates were soundly defeated on election day in Hudson County’s primary races. Preliminary election results showed left-wing candidates for Senate, House, and county Freeholder seats trailing far behind incumbent Democrats, raising questions about the viability of a progressive movement in the county. The Jersey Journal
Rep. Josh Gottheimer will be the Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s Fifth District after his progressive challenger, Arati Kreibich, conceded. While ballots were still being tallied, Gottheimer had roughly 69% of votes, with 11% of precincts reporting. New Jersey Herald
A Newark woman survived being sucked into a brook and carried by the rushing water for about a mile underneath the city of Passaic before ending up in the Passaic River during flash flooding July 6. With her car being pulled toward a viaduct, she jumped out only to be sucked away in the fast-moving water “shot out” into the Passaic River and swam to shore in Rutherford, where a resident called emergency services. NJ.com
And finally…Ivy League suspended fall sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. News12 New Jersey
