Positive Trend on Murder Rate and Rice not Seeking Another Term from West Ward

West Ward Councilman Ron Rice announced during his State of the Ward address he would not seek another term as the area’s council representative next year. He plans on running for an at-large seat instead.

An East Orange man was convicted of killing a city resident on Christmas Eve in 2011. He will be sentenced in May.

The 37th annual Cherry Blossom Festival began this week in Branch Brook Park, which is home to one of the world’s largest stands of the flowering trees.

The city of Newark received a federal grant to hire an additional 21 firefighters.

The number of murders during the first three months of the year declined 25 percent versus the same period in 2012, Newark officials announced.