MORRIS COUNTY —  Morris County’s unique Navigating Hope mobile outreach program will be joined by an outreach specialist from the New Jersey State Department of Human Services to advance a state initiative to reach all uninsured children in New Jersey.

The outreach specialist will try to connect with disadvantaged children under the age of 19 and their families to help educate them on NJ FamilyCare, a federal and state-funded health insurance program created to provide qualified New Jersey residents of any age access to affordable health insurance. The outreach will include two upcoming community visits scheduled for:

March 21, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Dover Board of Education

March 22, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Netcong School District

Since Morris County has an established outreach program through Navigating Hope, the state Human Service’s Office of New Americans asked to join their two regularly scheduled trips in their mission to travel and educate the public about the state’s “Cover All Kids” campaign.

Morris County is the first to partner with the state in the outreach effort.

Navigating Hope, a mobile outreach initiative designed to provide social services by going into communities where the services are most needed is a partnership between the Morris County Department of Human Services and Family Promise of Morris County. It is a complementary service to the Morris County Sheriff’s Hope One van, a novel program that provides mobile mental health and addiction services across our county.

Navigating Hope offers on-site benefits eligibility screenings, application assistance, and linkage to other community services.With NJ FamilyCare, income-eligible children under 19 can receive the following:

• Primary and specialty care, including check-ups and other visits
• Eyeglasses
• Hospitalization (both inpatient and outpatient)
• Lab tests/x-rays
• Prescriptions
• Dental Services
• Preventive Screenings
• Vaccinations
• Mental Health Care
• Substance Use Testing and Treatment
• Vision Services
• Hearing Services
• Lead Screening
• Family Planning
• Other medically necessary services

For more information on the “Cover All Kids” initiative being sponsored by NJ FamilyCare, please visit nj.gov/CoverAllKids to learn more and apply. Or call 1-800-701-0710 (TTY: 711) with questions or to apply by phone. Language translators are available.

MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio’s legislation to help homeowners remedy dangerous lead and asbestos in their homes has been approved by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee.

“This bill will make it easier for homeowners to do the right thing and have trained professionals remediate toxins and carcinogens from their property, ensuring a healthy environment for current and future residents of the property,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “For the health of residents, it is crucial to mitigate the risks of lead and asbestos in the home, but hazard abatement is costly.”

Pennacchio’s bill (S-2200) would allow taxpayers to deduct up to $45,000 from gross income for lead paint and asbestos abatement expenses, the cost of replacing water lines that contain lead. Click here to review the bill.

“Asbestos exposure has been linked to lung cancer and other serious conditions. This bill will help eradicate these silent threats from our communities,” added Pennacchio. “These unhealthy issues can still be found in homes across the state. Lead can contribute to behavioral and learning issues, slowed growth in children, problems for pregnant women, and cardiac and blood pressure issues in adults.”

MORRIS COUNTY — It has been reported that Anthony Somma, a Republican County committeeman from Randolph dropped out of the race for Morris County Commissioner after losing the county line last weekend.

Somma launched his campaign to unseat Commissioner Tayfun Selen (R-Chatham) in January, arguing that the incumbent was insufficiently conservative.

Somma said, “To all who voted for me: THANK YOU. The convention results prove that many in our party recognize what our Republican primary voters already know to be true: that we need a genuine conservative voice to lead our party to victory come November.”

Somma finished third place with 95 votes, DeGroot with 113 and the incumbent Tayfun Selen won the county line with 341 votes.

Former congressional candidate Paul DeGroot has not decided on his plans. DeGroot and Selen faced off in the 2022 Republican primary for the 11th congressional district, a contest which DeGroot won (though he lost the Morris County portion of the district).

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri and Sergeant Patrick LaGuerre recently visited the middle schoolers at Memorial Junior High School in the Hanover Township district on March 2 and at the Jefferson Township Middle and High Schools on March 7. Together, they led a presentation on bias incidents, cyber harassment, and making smart choices about social media.

The presenters stressed exercising good judgment regarding how you interact with others or what you post on social media, adding this applies to videos or images utilizing song lyrics or meme-ified language. How you conduct yourself online could potentially impact your future.

Social media and technology today document everything. SAP DeNegri explained that taking or sharing explicit photos can lead to legal ramifications and may be viewed/shared by people other than you intended to receive it. She cautioned students often regret taking such pictures as they don’t remain private, adding the MCPO would not hesitate to prosecute those who maliciously share such material.

Sgt. LaGuerre explained the difference between bias crimes and bias incidents, cautioning students that their school administrators can choose to take disciplinary action even if an incident isn’t considered criminal. Having your name associated with a bias incident and the documentation that goes with it can unfortunately follow you into life beyond school.

SAP DeNegri said Morris County takes a zero-tolerance approach to threats of violence, even when students claim their comments were intended as a joke.

The MCPO routinely conducts presentations at public and private schools throughout Morris County to present on these important topics and to talk directly with students. Over the past year, they’ve conducted over a dozen such assemblies in Morris, Warren, and Sussex counties.

Salem County Prosecutor’s Office members attended the Memorial Junior High assembly to learn about and bring the program back to Salem County students.

During the presentations in Jefferson Township, members of the Morris County NAACP attended to learn about the MCPO’s outreach program.

Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “I hope our colleagues from the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office and community partners at the Morris County NAACP found the presentations informative and useful. In an age of oversaturated digital communication, the MCPO uses face-to-face visits to make a genuine connection with our students. We want our young people to make smart choices about interacting online and in person.”