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The money was supposed to save lives and protect kids.

Washington Township claimed it was doing just that, reporting to the state that it spent $170,446.70 in opioid settlement funds on “drug education” in 2024 and 2025, according to documents.

But its own records tell a different story.

The Gloucester County town instead spent the funds on two 2024 Chevrolet TahoeSUVs and 15 Flock surveillance cameras for its police department, according to a municipal ledger, receipts and bill lists. The amount matches — to the penny — what town officials told the state they spent on youth education programs.

A sweeping state audit of Newark Public Schools released last week raised questions about millions of dollars in spending and alleged lax oversight in the state’s largest school district.

The audit found questionable spending that included $2.5 million for an unfinished school district museum and $566,000 to build an employee gym with a trainer that averaged just seven users a day.

The report also questioned more than $700,000 spent on three “Senior Day” class trips with no documented educational benefits.

Newark school officials slammed the audit, saying in a written response that the report did not identify “any intentional wrongdoing or violation.” The referral to the state Department of Criminal Justice was “gratuitous and irresponsible,” the district’s response said.

At 69, the one-time Wall Street millionaire Jeff Vanderbeek is back on the sidelines, this time at Immaculata High in New Jersey where he has returned as program director.

His mission is familiar. From 2015 to 2021, Vanderbeek used his money, connections and influence to help transform rival Somerville High’s struggling football program into a juggernaut.

Now he’s trying to do it again. And Vanderbeek envisions turning the private school into a program capable of competing with New Jersey’s established football powers.

“I always was enthralled with this location,” Vanderbeek said recently. “Really nobody has ever stood up in the last 40 or 50 years and said, ‘You know, we’re going to try to be a Bergen Catholic or a Don Bosco Prep or try to be on ESPN.’”

But Vanderbeek’s latest project — like his tenure at Somerville — has been marred by controversy. His hiring in February followed the abrupt firing of longtime Immaculata coach Mike Columbo, who led the Spartans to a 9-3 record in 2025. Columbo has accused school officials of plotting to replace him with Vanderbeek and his handpicked coach, alleging that the decision was driven in part by Vanderbeek’s financial influence and willingness to spend on high school football.(School officials denied any wrongdoing related to the coaching change.)

Ms. Rachel gave a shout out to Blended Joe Coffee Bar in Sewell, and now the small business has seen a huge boost in customers. 👏☕️

“Honestly at first, I didn’t really know the impact of who Ms. Rachel was. All my sons are older in high school and college, so I didn’t realize she was like the Oprah of little kids,” co-owner Eric Powell told NJ.com.

“I called my partner and said we may need to beef up the staff this weekend.”

125. Pepperoni pie, DeLucia’s Brick Oven Pizza, Raritan

112. Vodka pie, Krispy Pizza, Freehold, Old Bridge, Jersey City and New Brunswick

111. Capricciosa, AMA, Hillsborough

101. Classic pie, Pizza Den, Princeton

100. Prosciutto parma pie, Prima Pizza Kitchen, Somerville

97. Pepperoni pie, Fratelli’s Pizzeria & Cafe, Piscataway

92. Provonella pie, Pizza 206, Tabernacle

89. Shiitake mushroom pie, Nomad Pizza, Hopewell and Princeton

83. Brooklyn-style Sicilian pie, L&L Pizza & Pasta, Metuchen

82. Corleone Style, Marcello’s Pizza Grill, Hamilton

60. Margherita, Palermo’s Ristorante Italiano & Pizzeria, Bordentown

57. Tomato pie, Kate & Al’s Pizza, Columbus Farmers Market, Columbus

54. Calabrese pie, Nicoletta Pizzeria, Bernardsville

53. Pepperoni pie, Conte’s, Princeton

49. Pepperoni hot honey pie, Third Proof Pizza, Pine Brook*

46. Brooklyn’s upside down pie, Mancini Brooklyn Pizza, East Brunswick

41. Tomato pie, Pete’s Pizza, Columbus Farmers Market, Columbus

39. Sausage pie, Federici’s, Freehold

37. Nihari pizza, Jaan’s Pizza, Old Bridge*

36. Trenton tomato pie, Lillo’s Tomato Pies, Hainesport, Gloucester City*

32. The Sauce Awakens, Alternate Ending Beer Co., Aberdeen*

28. Half tray with sausage, Sciortino’s Harbor Lights, South Amboy

26. Clam pie, De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies, Robbinsville

10. Upside Down Square, Brooklyn Square Pizza, Jackson

6. Mustard pie, Papa’s Tomato Pies, Robbinsville

* = pizzas that made the ranking for the first time.

I did my best to pick Central Jersey towns. I apologize in advance if I strayed from Central Jersey. Namaste.

In the Norway sports system, no game scores are recorded and no standings are published until kids turn 11. Everyone knows which team is winning. That’s not the point. The emphasis is on something else entirely.

Over the past three decades, as American youth sports have evolved into a $40 billion industry with parents pushing themselves to the brink of bankruptcy to pay for club fees and private trainers, Norway has gone in an opposite direction, radical in its back-to-the-basics simplicity.

Children here are encouraged to play multiple sports. Scores and standings are withheld when they are young. Participation is heavily subsidized by government and local communities, keeping costs low for families. At tournaments, parents can camp beside the fields instead of paying for hotels, and the emphasis is on giving children a reason to keep playing rather than finding out which of those children might be cut out for the pros.

As for those who might argue this kinder-and-gentler approach somehow produces a lesser caliber of athlete, well, tell that to the country that earned more medals than any other in the 2026 Winter Olympics, and whose elite soccer team just finished in the top eight at the World Cup.

The state Department of Environmental Protection announced Tuesday that DataOne must pay a $1.07 million penalty for installing and operating 62 generators at its Vineland campus in violation of the state Air Pollution Control Act.

The agency also ordered DataOne to immediately apply for the required permits or stop operating the generators.

The fine is the largest ever against a data center in New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration said.

“I said from the beginning that we are going to hold data centers accountable, period,” Sherrill said. “That is exactly why I announced the most comprehensive data center plan in the nation and moved quickly to put those guardrails in place. We are putting power in the hands of the people and ensuring this industry works for us, on our terms – not theirs.”

In a statement to NJ.com on Tuesday, DataOne officials said they disagree with the state’s determination that the data center’s temporary generators are operating in violation of the law. But the company said it will apply for the permits.

“As announced in the spring, we are transitioning to low-emission, quiet fuel cells as part of the site’s permanent power solution and have the necessary approvals in place for this solution,” a DataOne spokesperson said.

“While we disagree with the temporary generator determination, we will apply for the air permits for the temporary generators and are in communication with the Department of Environmental Protection regarding its findings and the fuel cell transition timeline,” the company added.

New Jersey’s governing body for high school sports deemed an official’s use of a racial slur during a pregame address before the Sept. 4 football game between Metuchen and New Brunswick “unnecessary and inappropriate” after concluding an investigation into the incident.

The white male official used the N-word twice in a pregame address to players in the locker room, many of them Black, according to Shanise Green, the mother of a Black Metuchen player who reported the incident. Green said the official was going over the rules regarding the use of hate speech during the game when he said the slur.

The organizer of Sunday’s race has been banned from county parks for the next year.

Officials in Bergen County are investigating whether runners avoided a safer route and waded through rising flood waters during a half marathon over the weekend.

Some runners in the Racefaster Half Marathon— including a former “Bachelorette” winner — posted video on social media as they trudged through waist-high water in Paramus on Sunday.

The organizer of the race has been banned from holding events in the county’s parks for at least one year, county spokesperson Derek Sands said Tuesday.

But runners are also facing scrutiny for allegedly passing up an alternate route set up by the organizer that would have diverted them from the flooded Route 4 underpass in Saddle River County Park, Sands said.

“The county is investigating the organizer’s compliance with the conditions of its permit. The Sheriff’s Office is also reviewing the conduct of race participants, including individuals who entered county park ponds and other restricted areas,” Sands said.

Racefaster did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company has been organizing the annual race since 2017.

The Readington Township Board of Education in New Jersey will station a police officer at meetings for the remainder of the year to help ensure board members feel safe during heated conversations.

Board President David Rizza announced the change at the end of the Sept. 8 meeting, after a heated debate over whether the book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” should be removed from the library.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a 1999 coming-of-age novel by Stephen Chbosky about a high school freshman navigating his childhood trauma.

Superintendent Jonathan Hart said police officers will be present at meetings through the end of the year to maintain a “safe, respectful and orderly environment.”

Board member Paul Lopes challenged the book in late June, requesting a board reviewbecause it contains sensitive material.

The challenge cites concerns about sexually explicit content and depictions of drug use in the young adult novel. The book has been restricted to eighth-graders in the district’s middle-school library for nearly 15 years.

One resident, Guy Citron, argued that banning the book imposes one family’s preferences on the entire community.

“The library is not your home,” said Citron. “The library is not your house of worship. The library belongs to the public, the entire school community.”

The parade and festival were scheduled for later this month. It’s billed as the largest Mexican cultural celebration here in New Jersey, but leadership in Passaic say they’re seeking an increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. With a 73% Hispanic population, the town figured it would be wise to postpone this years event.

On the evening of September 10, 2001, 13-year-old Matt Vilardo went for a run with his dad around their local high school track. It was the last thing they did together. The next day, his father Joseph lost his life at the World Trade Center.

Matt struggled with severe depression after high school. About a year after graduating, he went for a run. "I was numb to everything. That first run was the first time I could feel something."

In 2021, Matt opened Root Runners, a specialty running store in Sparta, NJ. Root stands for "Running Over Our Troubles."

Every September 11th, the store closes. Matt puts a note on the door: "Go home and hug your kids a little longer and not take things for granted."

Now 38 with three kids of his own, his goal is simple: "I just want to see my kids get married and have good lives."

A New Jersey town spent nearly $60,000 in opioid settlement money on automated license plate readers, an apparent misuse of funds intended to help those shattered by addiction, according to experts.

From April 2025 to April 2026, Washington Township purchased 17 license plate readersand renewed or extended its contracts with Flock Safety, according to the Gloucester County township’s meeting minutes and bill lists.

Finn McGinn, founder of WhoAreThesePeople.org, first reported the town’s use of the funds on social media. Washington officials did not respond to multiple requests seeking comment.

“To spend this money on that, that’s shameful,” said Sandy Gibson, an addiction researcher and counselor at The College of New Jersey. “There’s nothing about a Flock camera that’s going to prevent overdose or prevent people from becoming addicted.”

Readington Township police are asking the public to help identify a man who repeatedly rides an electric bicycle naked.

The man has been spotted multiple times riding an electric bicycle on local trails, wearing “considerably less safety equipment than we would recommend,” police wrote in a Facebook post.

Officers say they have received reports about the man over the past several years. He was spotted again recently, and this time police were able to obtain a photograph.

The police department obscured portions of the image.