Photo courtesy of Bayonne Public Library / Facebook.
From performance and vendor opportunities to rapid response training and more, here’s your Hudson County news roundup.
Attention All Local Artists And Performers! Make The PATH Your Stage This Summer
Applications are now open through May 1 for PATH Performs. The PATH and Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development present this opportunity for local performing artists and performers to share their talents and make select Hudson County PATH stations their stage.
Founded in 2019, the program is designed to promote transit use and the arts in Hudson County. It also celebrates the cultural interests of the region.
PATH Performs will run from June to September, treating PATH riders and the public to weekday performances during the afternoon peak hours at either PATH locations in Harrison, Journal Square, Exchange Place or Hoboken Station.
To share your talents and make select PATH stations your stage this summer, click here to apply for an audition.
Bayonne Free Public Library Will Collect Your Old Technology And Donate It
Bayonne Free Public Library has partnered with Computers 4 People to collect and recycle your old electronics that you no longer need or use.
You can bring your items to the Bayonne Public Library during their operating hours and drop them in the Computers 4 People Donation Bin, which is located to the left of the lobby.
They are accepting:
- Laptops
- Desktops
- Tablets
- Monitors
- Flat-screen TVs
- Smart phones
- Keyboards
- Mouse
- Printers
- Computer accessories
- Chargers, and power & display cables
They do not accept robot vacuums, kitchen appliances and other small appliances.
Once you donate your items, they will be inspected and categorized into donatable and non-donatable items. Donatable items are data wiped, refurbished and given to people in need. Non-donatable items are dismantled and their components—whether metal, plastic or glass—are properly recycled.
To receive a tax receipt for your donation, you need to complete a donation form online before you drop off your items. For more information, you can reach out to the library.
Jersey City Mayor Is Looking For LGBTQ+ Members To Join His Task Force
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon is inviting you to apply to join his LGBTQ+ Task Force. Task Force members will help drive policy change on topics like:
- LGBTQ+ youth homelessness
- Supporting queer-owned businesses
- Improving access to LGBTQ+ affirming health and wellness services
The application deadline is on May 4. You can apply here.
Rapid Response Training Is Being Offered To West Hudson County Residents
The West Hudson County Rapid Response Network is looking to train residents on how to respond to ICE activity in the Kearny, Harrison and Newark area.
You will learn how to:
- Spot and verify ICE
- Properly observe and record ICE activities
- Protect the rights of your at-risk neighbors
Those interested in the Rapid Response Training can reach out to @cardinalxcollective on Instagram.
The Brunch Market Is Back! Vendors Wanted!
Saturday Brunch Markets are back at Little Food Cafe.
Each week, they will host local vendors outside during their brunch service to give customers an opportunity to browse and support local. The market is intended to bridge the gap between small businesses and the community by providing a space to support small businesses and create a vibrant community.
Interested in being a vendor? Sign up here!
Look Out For This New Hudson County Commissioner Candidate
Larry M. Bennett has officially announced his candidacy for County Commissioner, seeking to represent the communities of Secaucus, Jersey City, Harrison, East Newark and Kearny. Bennett is a lifelong public servant and community leader.
Bennett has been a resident of Harrison for more than 60 years. He spent over three decades with the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission.
Bennett was endorsed by East Newark Mayor Dina Grilo, Harrison Mayor James Fife and former Assemblywoman and newly retired North Hudson Community Action Corporation CEO Joan Quigley.
Quigley noted that Bennett was the “most trusted and efficient, and handled a level of commitment rarely seen of anyone of any age.”
“As County Commissioner, I will bring the same commitment, accessibility, and work ethic that I have demonstrated throughout my life,” said Bennett. “Our communities deserve strong representation and a voice that understands their needs and values.”
A Pet Memorial Is Coming To Hoboken
The Rainbow Bridge Memorial Project will be coming to Elysian Park in Hoboken.
The memorial will include a small pedestrian bridge structure designed with vibrant rainbow elements and artistic details inspired by the pets of the community. Visitors will be able to leave their pets’ collars at the rainbow bridge in remembrance of their beloved pet.
It was created as a community-led effort in partnership with the City of Hoboken, WISE Animal Rescue and The Local Girl Media Group. It’s also inspired by Jennifer Tripucka’s, the creator and publisher of The Local Girl and The Hoboken Girl, love of animals.
“This project is incredibly personal to me,” Tripucka said. “Our pets are family and walk with us through every season of life, so when we lose them, the grief is real and lasting. This is something that brings people from all walks of life together, and I wanted to create something meaningful for our community, a place that acknowledges that love and gives everyone a gathering place to reflect, remember and heal.”
A GoFundMe has been created for project supplies and any surplus will be donated directly toWISE Animal Rescue.
Missing College Student’s Body Pulled From River
The body of a missing Hudson County college student, Emilio Acosta, was pulled from the Hackensack River last week, as identified by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Acosta, a Weehawken resident, had disappeared from his family home back on Dec. 18, 2025 after being released from a hospital, where he was treated for mental health reasons.
He was last seen walking near MetLife Stadium with last cellphone pings detected near the American Dream Mall. Police searched the area surrounding the mall, but no updates had been made until the body was found on Friday, April 17 in Secaucus. Acosta’s mother noted that he was a good student growing up in Weehawken. He had graduated from Weehawken High School and took classes at Hudson County Community College before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh.
However, Acosta returned home after he began to suffer severe mental health issues, his mom said.
His parents previously stated that Acosta had a manic episode and was experiencing paranoid thoughts at home. He was treated in Englewood and released.
Around midnight the family heard a door slam and Acosta was gone only taking a jacket and a few items in a backpack.
“He’s a really good kid,” his mom said. “He wasn’t planning on leaving. He knows he’s supported here. I know he knows that.”
West New York Man Charged With Fatal Hit-And-Run In Union City
The Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit arrested Tomas Amelcolima on April 21 in connection to the Dec. 27, 2025 fatal hit-and-run in Union City.
Amelcolima, 42, has been charged with Death by Auto in the second degree and Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Collision Resulting in Death in the second degree.
On Dec. 27, 2025 at approximately 5:40 p.m., Amelcolima struck Fabiola Bedoya, 83, of Union City, on 30th Street and Palisade Avenue and fled the scene, according to authorities. Bedoya was pronounced dead by responding officers after 6:15 p.m.
Amelcolima has been transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility and is pending his first court appearance.
Know any local news we should include? Email Stella Accettola at [email protected]!
