Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, has announced that the state has allocated $550,000 to the Caroline Huber Holistic Wellness Center which will open on campus this year.
According to a press release from Brookdale, state Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth) championed this effort on behalf of the college, acknowledging that the Wellness Center will enhance the quality and accessibility of essential services to its community.
In line with Caroline Huber’s wishes for the Wellness Center, the focus will be on mental health, wellness and social justice. In addition, it serves as a staple on the campus, connecting students, employees and community members to critical resources and local partners to support basic needs and enhance individual and community wellness, according to the press release.
Construction is underway for the two-story space that will include a reflection room for meditation, a food pantry, a dedicated office space for a Monmouth County social worker and offices for community partners. Additionally, a courtyard will provide a relaxing, peaceful Zen area, according to the press release.
The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners has congratulated Brookdale Community College for being ranked as the No. 1 community college in New Jersey, according to Best-Community-Colleges.com.
Brookdale is the county college of Monmouth County. The college was founded in 1967 and is comprised of six locations. Brookdale serves more than 20,000 students per year, according to a press release from the county.
According to Best-Community-Colleges.com, community colleges are ranked by compiling public and unbiased data issued from the schools and by the U.S. Department of Education.
The data formula is based on a 66-point evaluation criteria including financial, organizational factors, metrics, faculty profiles, student retention rates and alumni job prospects.
Best-Community-Colleges.com reports that Brookdale has received four stars for campus security, five stars for cost and has earned an overall rating of four stars. Students can earn associate degrees and certificates, and take non-credit courses from Brookdale Community College, according to the press release.
Colonel Patrick J. Callahan has announced the opening of the New Jersey State Police application process for the position of state trooper. Applications are now being accepted online through Aug. 2. All eligible men and women are encouraged to apply. Those interested should visit www.NJTrooper.com to complete the online application.
According to a press release, troopers can pursue one of the more than 120 diverse career paths the state police offers based on personal interests and specialized skills, while also working to ensure the public’s safety.
“The New Jersey State Police is committed to finding the finest candidates to serve as troopers who not only reflect the great diversity of our state, but our core values of honor, duty and fidelity. We want the best men and women out there who will advance our public safety mission for the next 100 years,” said Callahan, the superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.
Applicants must be at least 21 years old as of the date of the application and must not reach their 35th birthday prior to the graduation of their state police class. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen and must have a current driver’s license at the time of application.
As of July 1, New Jersey residents enrolled in the state’s medicinal cannabis program will not pay state sales tax on cannabis and cannabis products that are purchased at a permitted medicinal dispensary.
The three-phase elimination of the sales tax was delineated in the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy in 2019, according to a press release from Murphy’s office.
“Removing the state sales tax on medicinal cannabis is consistent with Gov. Murphy and the Legislature’s intent to prioritize patients and improve affordability,” said Jeff Brown, executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
“As the sales tax has been phased out from 4% to 2% and now to 0% patients have been able to spend less on their medicine, further ensuring patients are prioritized over recreational consumers,” Brown said.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission establishes and enforces the rules and regulations governing the licensing, cultivation, testing, selling and purchasing of cannabis in the state, according to the press release.