The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Glen Rock NJ, a 40-year-old Queens resident has been accused of scamming an elderly Bergen County homeowner out of more than $25,000 in a home improvement scheme, according to Glen Rock police.
Continue reading Queens Man Arrested for $25K Home Improvement Scam Targeting Glen Rock Senior
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Ridgewood NJ — Are New Jersey towns focused on public safety, or are they writing tickets to fill budget shortfalls? Newly released data from the New Jersey municipal courts offers insight into how many traffic violations were issued across every municipality from July 2024 to June 2025.
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MIDLAND PARK, NJ — Ridgewood Water has taken another major step forward in its $150 million PFAS mitigation project, with the delivery of four massive Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) vessels to the Wortendyke PFAS Treatment Facility in Midland Park. These vessels, manufactured by Calgon Carbon Corp., are among the largest available in the industry and mark a milestone in Ridgewood Water’s ongoing effort to ensure safe, clean drinking water.
Continue reading Ridgewood Water Expands PFAS Treatment in Midland Park with New Carbon Vessels
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OAKLAND, NJ — A North Jersey karate studio employee has been arrested after authorities say he secretly recorded children in a bathroom and produced child sexual abuse material.
Ryan J. Curtin, 25, of Oakland, was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with multiple crimes, including production of child sexual abuse material, possession of child sexual abuse material, and invasion of privacy, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
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TEANECK, NJ — A terrifying accident unfolded on Thursday morning, August 14, 2025, when a massive tree branch snapped and fell near the intersection of Sussex Road and Churchill Road, trapping pedestrians and injuring multiple people, according to the Teaneck Police Department.
Continue reading Massive Tree Branch Falls in Teaneck, Trapping Pedestrians and Damaging Tesla
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Ridgewood, NJ — A quiet residential street in Ridgewood briefly turned into Hollywood North this month as a Meadowbrook Avenue home was converted into a movie set for an upcoming Netflix production.
Continue reading Ridgewood Home Transformed Into Movie Set for Upcoming Netflix Film
photos courtesy of Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department
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Hasbrouck Heights, NJ — On August 10th, emergency crews responded to a dramatic vehicle fire at the Shell gas station on Route 17 in Hasbrouck Heights. Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department Chief 61, Chief 62, Engine 2, and Squad 2 quickly arrived on scene, stretching a hose line and extinguishing the flames before they could spread to the building. The Wood-Ridge Fire Department provided additional support at the scene.
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BERGEN COUNTY, NJ – New Jersey’s ground has been more restless than usual in 2025, with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reporting 24 earthquakes so far this year. The latest tremor, a magnitude 2.7 quake near Hillsdale on Tuesday, is believed to be an aftershock from the magnitude 3.0 earthquake that rattled Hasbrouck Heights just days earlier.
Continue reading New Jersey Records 24 Earthquakes in 2025 – Experts Warn More Aftershocks Likely
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Hillsdale NJ, for the second time in less than a week, northern New Jersey residents felt the ground rumble — and social media once again lit up with the question: “Was that another earthquake?”
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed a magnitude 2.7 earthquake struck at 12:11 p.m. on Tuesday, with its epicenter located just southwest of Hillsdale in Bergen County. The quake originated approximately 3–6 miles underground, shallow enough to be felt across nearby towns and even parts of New York City.
Continue reading Did You Feel It Again? Second Earthquake Shakes Bergen County in Just Three Days
photo courtesy of Dumont Volunteer Fire Department
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DUMONT, NJ – July 14, 2025 — Dumont Volunteer Fire Department responded to a lightning strike at a home on Davies Avenue while the area was under a Flash Flood Warning. Firefighters urged residents to remain cautious and avoid navigating flooded roadways.
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SADDLE RIVER, NJ — Attention deer of Saddle River: it may be time to dust off your resumes and seek greener pastures.
The borough is once again sharpening its arrows—literally—as it reboots its wildly controversial deer culling program. Why? Because a spring drone survey revealed that Saddle River is hosting a white-tailed deer rager—over four times the recommended ecological guest list.
Continue reading Saddle River Declares War on Deer (Again): The Great Antlered Standoff Returns
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Ridgewood, NJ – Ridgewood Public Schools has been awarded a $72,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP), Sustainable Jersey, and The College of New Jersey as part of the Trees for Schools program.
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Ridgewood NJ, Property taxes in New Jersey remain some of the highest in the nation—and 2024 is no exception. According to the latest state data, the average New Jersey homeowner paid $10,095 in property taxes last year, exceeding the federal government’s former $10,000 SALT deduction cap.
Continue reading NJ Property Taxes 2024: Bergen & Passaic Towns with the Highest Bills
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PARK RIDGE, NJ – A growing group of Park Ridge residents has launched a campaign to recall Board of Education member Robert Fisher Jr., arguing that his move to Tennessee makes him unfit to represent the local community.
photos courtesy of New Milford Volunteer Fire Department
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NEW MILFORD, NJ – In the early hours of Thursday, July 17, 2025, the New Milford Volunteer Fire Department Hazmat Team was dispatched to Closter after reports of an unusual substance spilled across several streets.
Continue reading New Milford Hazmat Team Assists Closter with Early Morning Roadway Spill
