MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of County Commissioners has approved $400,000 — funds from legal settlements with drug firms linked to the nation’s opioid crisis — to support five programs in 2024 that focus on treatment, prevention, and other strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.

The programs operated by three non-profits and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office were recommended to share the $400,000 allotment for 2024 by a newly formed Morris County Opioid Advisory Council. The council was created this year as a task force of the Morris County Mental Health & Addiction Services Advisory Board to specifically gather input and suggest the programs best suited to receive the opioid settlement dollars.

“The opioid crisis has devastated the lives of people in Morris County and throughout our nation. We are distributing these settlement dollars to programs that can help people recover their lives and hopefully prevent others from becoming involved with the highly addictive drugs fueling the opioid epidemic,” said Christine Myers, Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director and liaison to the Morris County Department of Human Services.

In New Jersey, all 21 counties and at least 241 municipalities in the state have signed onto nationwide settlement agreements with more than a dozen prescription pain-killer manufacturers, distributors, and retail companies who were sued on claims they caused or contributed to the opioid epidemic. While some litigation continues, more than $50 billion resulting from settlements is expected to be shared with states over the next 20 years.

An estimated $1.1 billion of those funds is expected to come into New Jersey, with the state receiving 50 percent for statewide programs and the remainder being disbursed to counties and municipalities, including Morris County and 19 of the county’s 39 municipalities.

The Morris County Department of Human Services put out a request for applications in the fall, inviting submissions for programs that would address “harm reduction, prevention and early intervention, recovery housing, outreach, case management and support for ongoing outreach efforts.”

The programs recommended by the Council and approved for 2024 funding by the Commissioners on Dec. 6 will augment a well-established network of programs in Morris County that has already been combatting drug abuse and working toward preventing overdoses.

The settlement-funded programs include:

• Prevention is Key – Morris County Harm Reduction Program. The program aims to increase access to harm reduction services using Narcan and education/training. Harm reduction training will be provided to both community partners and members to increase knowledge on harm reduction, reducing stigma, and providing support for individuals struggling with substance use disorder.  
• Prevention is Key– Combatting Opioids. Prevention and early intervention will offer evidence-based programs to address the stigma associated with mental health and substance use, increase awareness, and foster recovery.
• The Milestone House – Recovery Housing. This program will provide a stable and supportive living environment for individuals in recovery with a focus on building a sense of community, providing access to resources needed to support long-term recovery, and medication-assisted treatment. This funding also will support a software system to track recovery outcomes for future reporting.
• NewBridge Services – Outreach and Case Management. This program will provide individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorder with case management to help navigate treatment and recovery services.
• The Morris County Sheriff’s Office – Hope One. The Hope One Program is an outreach program that provides access to community-based substance use and behavioral health services. The program provides Narcan training and education throughout Morris County to prevent deaths due to an overdose. This funding will support Mental Health Association staff on Hope One for three days per week. Two days is already supported through existing funds.

Morris County’s Process for Disbursing Opioid Settlement Funds

The Morris County Department of Human Services oversaw the administration and creation of the system by which the settlement funds would be disbursed. Appointees from the Morris County Mental Health Addictions Services Advisory Board were selected to serve on the Morris County Opioid Advisory Council.

Membership included:

• An individual(s) possessing expertise in substance use disorder treatment or prevention.
• An individual representing a provider of behavioral health or substance use disorder treatment in the community.
• A member with personal experience with substance use 
• The Morris County Prosecutor or designee
• An individual authorized to appropriate funds on behalf of the County or designee

The Department of Human Services also hosted four listening sessions, two virtual and two in public, with stakeholders and community members to discuss gaps and service needs within the county’s human services and nonprofit system to assist in the development of funding priorities.

Ultimately, the Department of Human Services distributed a request for applications based on the funding priorities.  Those submissions were reviewed by the Opioid Advisory Council and the resulting recommendations were presented for a full vote by the Morris County Mental Health Addictions Services Advisory Board before being submitted to the County Commissioners for action.

Morris County anticipates using the same process as opioid settlement funds are made available in coming years.

MORRIS COUNTY — With the close of Hanukkah observances tonight, Morris County leaders are reaffirming their solidarity with the Jewish community in opposition to rising antisemitism at home and abroad since the brutal October 7 Hamas terroristic attacks in Israel.

“As our community has come together to celebrate the Festival of Lights, it has been heartening to see the warmth and support for our Jewish friends and neighbors at these events. Special thanks to Sheriff Gannon and Prosecutor Carroll for the stellar coordination with local police departments to ensure security for our residents at these joyous celebrations,” said Morris County Board of County Commissioners Director John Krickus.

The County Commissioners, Sheriff James Gannon, Prosecutor Robert Carroll, and other county leaders have attended at least 17 public events, including prayer sessions, educational programs, and menorah lightings since Hamas’ barbarism left 1,400 people dead, more than 200 taken hostage and spurred an ongoing war in Gaza.

The diverse range of activities in the area has strengthened community bonds in Morris County and developed public awareness of rising acts of antisemitism not witnessed since the Holocaust.

The County Commissioners publicly declared their support for Israel during an October 11 Commissioner Public Meeting.

During a subsequent meeting on December 6, Commissioner Deborah Smith also shared the details of the “Stand Against Jewish Hate Blue Light Campaign,” a movement intended to spread understanding and stand against the growing threat of antisemitism around the world.

“As the light of the menorah goes out, our prayers go out to Israel and all our Jewish friends and loved ones,” said Commissioner Deborah Smith.

MORRIS COUNTY — The 200 Club of Morris County is offering scholarships, and currently receiving applications. This is your chance to pursue your educational dreams, so don’t hesitate – apply today! Your path to higher education begins here.

Scholarships will be awarded on a one-time basis for the 2024-2025 academic year. Award criteria include academic performance, community service, extracurricular activities, and financial need. The scholarship committee reviews and approves applications impartially with no knowledge of a student’s identity. Announcements of our recipients will be made by mid-April 2024.

If you know a high school senior who may be eligible for our scholarship, click here and take notice of the eligibility requirements.

The 2024 scholarship application opened on December 1, 2023, and closes on February 29, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. Scholarships are given to assist eligible high school seniors with their first year of higher education. Scholarship eligibility is limited to high school seniors who volunteer as a first aid squad/EMS department member in Morris County, or who volunteer as a firefighter in a fire department in Morris County, or whose parent/guardian is actively serving in or retired from the following agencies in or serving Morris County:

• Morris County police departments
• Morris County fire departments
• Morris County First Aid squads
• An Office of Emergency Management in Morris County
• New Jersey State Police
• Federal Law Enforcement

New Jersey State Police and Federal Law Enforcement eligibility is restricted to those who live or have their primary assignment in Morris County or have retired from the New Jersey State Police or a Federal Law Enforcement agency and live or had their primary assignment in Morris County.

Children of personnel working in clerical or other non-related public safety duties are not eligible. This includes, but is not limited to: CERT Volunteers, Dispatchers, and Crossing Guards.

MORRIS COUNTY — Jose A. Lousa, age 60, of Mount Olive Township, has been arrested in connection with maintaining a peer-to-peer child abuse network, and possession of child sex abuse material, confirmed by Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Mount Olive Township Police Chief Stephen Beecher, and Boonton Township Police Chief Thomas Cacciabeve.

Lousa has been charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Maintaining a Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Program of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM), a first-degree offense; and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of CSAM), a second-degree offense.

According to authorities, the investigation began when the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark – Child Exploitation Group identified possible CSAM on a BitTorrent site in Morris County. BitTorrent is a Peer-to-Peer file sharing network. Further investigation revealed numerous media files, each depicting the alleged sexual exploitation or abuse of a minor, were stored on the BitTorrent site. The investigation further revealed that these files were accessible for download. It is alleged that BitTorrent was associated with the defendant’s residence. Further investigation revealed more than 1,000 items of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) were available for download from the BitTorrent site.

Lousa was arrested on December 7, 2023. Following a detention hearing on December 13, Lousa was released on Pretrial Monitoring Level Three. Conditions of his release include that he is to have no internet access and no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18.

If anyone possesses information pertinent to this investigation, we strongly urge them to contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force within the Sex Crimes / Child Endangerment Unit at (973) 285-6200. Your cooperation is essential in helping us address this matter effectively.

Editors Note: A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite these accusations, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.