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Truth in Accounting Report : New Jersey in the Worst Fiscal Shape in the Nation

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Is Your State a Financial Sinkhole? New Jersey and California Top 2025 “Debt” List

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, A sobering new report from Truth in Accounting (TIA) reveals a deepening divide in the fiscal health of America. While some states are basking in “sunshine” surpluses, 25 U.S. states are currently “sinkholes,” lacking the necessary funds to pay their bills.

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Ridgewood Storm Alert: Flooding and Downed Trees Shut Down Key Roads

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The “one-two punch” of heavy rain and powerful wind gusts has left its mark on Ridgewood this Saturday morning. Following the severe storm that battered the region on Friday, December 19, 2025, Village crews are working overtime to clear debris and reopen local thoroughfares.

photo courtesy of the Village Manager Keith Kazmark

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Village Manager Keith Kazmark confirmed that the storm’s intensity felled numerous trees and triggered significant flooding, particularly in low-lying areas along the Saddle River.

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“Like a Car Crash”: 17 Injured as NJ Transit Trains Collide and Derail in Montclair

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NJ Transit officials, two trains “made contact” just west of the Bay Street station in Montclair.

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Montclair-Boonton Line faced a terrifying evening on Friday, December 19, 2025, when two NJ Transit trains collided near the Bay Street Station, leading to a derailment and a massive emergency response.

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Leadership Excellence: Ridgewood Police Chief and Lieutenant Earn Prestigious FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award

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photos courtesy of the Ridgewood Police Department

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — The Ridgewood Police Department is reaching new heights in law enforcement leadership. Department officials proudly announced today that Chief Forest Lyons and Lt. Jay Chuck have officially been honored with the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award. This distinguished recognition is reserved for law enforcement leaders who successfully complete the most rigorous executive training series in the country.

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Protecting Ridgewood: Three New Officers Join the Force After Bergen County Police Academy Graduation

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Ridgewood Gets Three New Officers

photos courtesy of Ridgewood Police Department

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — The thin blue line in Ridgewood just got a little stronger. On Friday, December 19, 2025, the Bergen County Police Academy held its milestone graduation ceremony for Police Class #135. Among the sea of new recruits were three familiar faces who will now call the Ridgewood Police Department home: Officers John Riker, Brian Skettini, and David DeNicola.

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Streaming Wars Shake-up: Jared Kushner Exits Paramount’s Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

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Affinity PartnersDrops Out of Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Wall Street NY, the battle for Hollywood’s most storied assets has taken another dramatic turn. Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by Jared Kushner , has officially withdrawn its financial backing from Paramount’s massive $108.4 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

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TikTok Rescue Deal: ByteDance Sells U.S. Business to Oracle and Silver Lake to Avert Ban

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The years-long battle over the future of TikTok in America has finally reached a definitive resolution

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC, in a landmark announcement on December 18, 2025, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew confirmed that parent company ByteDance has signed a binding agreement to restructure its U.S. operations. The deal creates a new American-based entity—TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC—effectively ending the threat of a nationwide ban that was set to take effect in early 2026.

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Wall Street Legend Ray Dalio Pledges $75M to 300,000 “Trump Accounts” for Children

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In a major move for the nation’s newest financial initiative, billionaire hedge fund founder Ray Dalio and his wife, Barbara, have officially joined the push to build generational wealth for American youth.

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, , Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Wednesday that the Dalios are pledging to fund 300,000 “Trump Accounts” for children in their home state of Connecticut.2 The commitment follows a similar multibillion-dollar pledge by Michael and Susan Dell, signaling a massive wave of private-sector support for the program.

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Paramount’s New “East Coast Hollywood”: 1888 Studios Breaks Ground in Bayonne

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Is New Jersey becoming the new Hollywood?

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Bayone NJ, On a historic, snow-covered afternoon, officials gathered at the foot of the Bayonne Bridge to break ground on 1888 Studios—set to become the largest television and film production campus in New Jersey and one of the biggest in the United States.

Backbacked by industry giant Paramount, this $1.2 billion redevelopment of the former Texaco oil refinery site is more than just a construction project; it is a signal that the Garden State is reclaiming its title as the global birthplace of film.

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A Living Legacy: Ridgewood Unveils New 9/11 Memorial Trees for 25th Anniversary

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Ridgewood honors its 12 lost residents with a major landscape renewal between Village Hall and the Library, setting the stage for a historic 2026 ceremony

photos courtesy of Village Manager Keith Kazmark

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

RIDGEWOOD, NJ – As the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks approaches, the Village of Ridgewood is ensuring that the memory of its fallen neighbors continues to grow.

Village Manager Keith Kazmark announced this week that a significant project has been completed: the planting of new September 11th Memorial Trees in the iconic allée located between Village Hall and the Ridgewood Public Library.

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“Don’t Be a Grinch!”: NJ’s Viral Holiday Highway Signs Return for 2025

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If you’re driving through the Garden State this December, the highway signs might make you chuckle—and then check your speedometer

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has officially brought back its famous holiday-themed safety messages. From the NJ Turnpike to I-295, overhead digital boards are lighting up with puns, rhymes, and pop-culture references designed to keep drivers focused during the busiest travel season of the year.

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Leading North Jersey into 2026: Jim Arakelian Installed as Greater Bergen Realtors President at Star-Studded Gala

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Real Estate Leaders Gather at The Venetian to Celebrate a New Era of Advocacy, Education, and Professional Excellence

photos courtesy of Celeste Homaychak

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

GARFIELD, NJ – The North Jersey real estate community converged on The Venetian on the evening of Wednesday, December 17, 2025, for a night of glamour, celebration, and pivotal leadership. The Greater Bergen REALTORS® (GBR) hosted their highly anticipated 2025 Holiday Gala, marking the official installation of Jim Arakelian as the association’s new President.

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“He Can Lie With Such Confidence!” Ridgewood Residents Confront Ridgewood Mayor Over Secret Rezoning Emails and Village-Wide Changes

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Tensions reached a breaking point during the December 17th Ridgewood Village Council special meeting as residents exposed alleged inaccuracies, secret summer promises, and a rezoning plan that reaches far beyond a single neighborhood

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

RIDGEWOOD, NJ – What was billed as a “Special Public Meeting” to address state-mandated “affordable housing obligations” turned into an explosive confrontation last night. As the Village Council moved to introduce a slate of new zoning ordinances, residents took to the podium to call out what they described as a lack of transparency and outright “lies” coming from the dais.

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Legal Battle Over the Iconic Sears Building: Owners Sue Hackensack to Block Redevelopment

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The 93-year-old Art Deco landmark is at the center of a high-stakes lawsuit involving property rights, broken deals, and canceled tax breaks

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

HACKENSACK, NJ – The future of Main Street’s most recognizable landmark is once again in limbo. The owners of the historic Sears building have filed a lawsuit against the City of Hackensack and its Planning Board, alleging that the site was “improperly designated” as an area in need of redevelopment.

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Prehistoric Payment Drama: Field Station Dinosaurs Sale Finalized After Atlantic City Standoff

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The beloved Bergen County animatronics are officially headed to the AC Boardwalk—but the deal almost went extinct

file photo courtesy of Field Station: Dinosaurs

the staff of the Ridgewood  blog

LEONIA, NJ – It was a transaction millions of years (and a few bounced checks) in the making. Guy Gsell, executive producer of Field Station: Dinosaurs, confirmed today that the sale of the park’s iconic collection to the Showboat Resort in Atlantic City has finally been settled after a high-stakes financial drama.

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