Newark got close to $90,000 from the USDA to promote farmer’s markets through “culturally appropriate marketing." And for the first time starting this June, the city’s 77,000 residents on food stamps will be able to use them at each of the cities community-run farmer's markets.

Just a few days after New York starts up its bike share, Hoboken, N.J. will offer its own, more high-tech program.

Hoboken’s bikes have a built-in lock that replaces the need for bike docking stations, like the ones popping up in New York City. The integrated GPS and smart locks allow customers to lock their bikes at a bike rack.

Membership will cost $25 per month or $75 for the season, which runs through November.

Social Bicycles come with a built-in repair button for when customers get a flat tire, for example, and customers can see statistics of their bike ride, including a map of the course they biked and the amount of calories burned.

Starting this Saturday, the city will also offer bike rentals, through Bike and Roll, aimed at attracting tourists who want to bike the New York City skyline along Hoboken’s waterfront.

Bike and Roll will have $10 per hour rates and $34 daily rates.  

The automatic spending cuts are starting to be felt in a variety of areas that receive government funding. Sarah Gonzalez, New Jersey Public Radio reporter, discusses her reporting on how the sequester is leading to a cut in funding and the closing of labs in the local biotech industry.

It means hundreds of labs will have to shut down – years of medical research sitting on shelves until funding comes back.

The cover of Boston magazine's May issue is a photo of running shoes worn by people who ran the marathon. In New Jersey, shoes are drawing an emotional reaction from young people who are walking a trail of shoes that represent lives lost to gun violence.

Under eminent domain city governments have the power to take private property for the benefit of the public. Activists in New Jersey argue that preventing foreclosures is a public benefit, and they want city officials to tap into their eminent domain power to buy homes from banks that are on the brink of foreclosure. The twist: the city would allow the current homeowners to stay in their home.

Newark City Council members are intrigued by the idea.

Foreclosures in Newark cost taxpayers $56 million over the last four years, according to a report by the activist group New Jersey Communities United.

Only 41 New Jersey districts will hold school board elections Tuesday now that most -- 501 districts -- have chosen to move their elections to November

The New Jersey Department of Education now tracks college enrollment numbers in its new School Performance Reports, as part of its effort to grade schools on how well they prepare students for college.

The New Jersey Department of Education today released its 2011-12 School Performance Report. It replaces the old School Report Card format and offers more data, including a score based on how well schools prepare students for college and careers.

A string of water main breaks in Hoboken last week is causing the city to take a closer look at its aging drinking water system.

The city has had to repair anywhere from 12 to 37 water mains each year. In 2012, the city had to repair 21 water mains.

Constrained by the lack of public loitering laws in the Garden State, New Jersey Transit is taking a different approach with homeless people who have taken up residence in train stations. The transit agency can't ask homeless people to leave the waiting areas, so they’re trying a kinder approach to help the homeless out of train stations.

Starting next year teachers in New Jersey are going to be held accountable for how much their students learn, as part of Governor Chris Christie’s teacher tenure reform plan. At least a third of their evaluation will be based on how much they raise test scores on the NJ ASK – New Jersey’s standardized test. But some question whether the use of standardized tests fairly reflects how well teachers are doing their job.

The tracking of charities is spotty and there's no way to know exactly how much has been donated. But at least half of the donations surveyed has yet to reach storm victims.

To a crowd of about 500 people, Newark Mayor Cory Booker announced that after years of difficult but necessary budget cuts, Newark can start investing again.