Ashtyn Asay From celeb sightings and major education and election updates to new restaurants and spooky-season happenings, there’s plenty of New Jersey news to catch up on this week. State officials are making moves ahead of the November election, Newark has approved a major school lease, and several new spots are popping up across the Garden State. Keep reading for the biggest New Jersey news stories from the week of October 15th.
PS: Every week, we round up the top news stories of the week from both our site and aggregate across the web from various sources because there’s SO much happening. You can read more at the links below, and always feel free to submit any news tips to [email protected] or via DM @thenewjerseygirl on IG. Our email newsletter also shares more of our top stories on a twice-weekly basis, which you can sign up for here.
Have a news tip or story? Email us at [email protected].
– NYC restaurant Serafina has officially opened its first New Jersey location in Tenafly, serving pasta, pizza, and other Italian favorites (The Bergen County Girl).
– Fred Astaire Dance Studios Hoboken will host “Dancing With Our Hoboken Stars” next month, pairing local business owners and community leaders with professional instructors for a charity dance competition (Hoboken Girl)
– The Manzo family is transforming The Brownstone in Paterson into Once Upon a Christmas, a festive pop-up running November 27th through December 6th with Santa, themed spaces, food, drinks, and family activities (The New Jersey Girl).
– If spooky season has you craving something a little creepy, check out these New Jersey zombie-themed attractions, events, and sightings. (The Hoboken Girl).
– Seven Cafe and Matcha Bar is coming to Newark next month with Vietnamese coffee, specialty matcha, and Vietnamese food (The Montclair Girl).
– The Hoboken City Council repealed its recently adopted outdoor amplified sound permit ordinance and plans to revisit its approach to managing noise (The Hoboken Girl).
– Shinjuku Station Revolving Sushi Bar has opened in Clifton with a conveyor belt serving system and tableside robot service (The Montclair Girl).
– Sydney Sweeney was seen in Hoboken filming The Housemaid’s Secret alongside castmates Michele Morrone, Brittany Snow, and Paul Anthony Kelly (The Hoboken Girl).
– New Jersey-based NoorHaus is building a following through pop-ups and markets with its matcha and coffee (The Montclair Girl).
– Mastro’s Steakhouse is set to replace the longtime Chart House at Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. The upscale steakhouse is expected to open in 2027 following renovations (The Hoboken Girl).
– A group of New Jersey fishermen spotted a massive whale shark off the coast of Monmouth County, capturing an unexpected encounter on video (CBS Philadelphia).
– Former state Assemblyman Reginald Atkins (D-Roselle) has been arrested in connection with an alleged assault (New Jersey Globe).
– New Jersey recorded a historic decline in homicides, with community programs and post-pandemic recovery credited as contributing factors (New Jersey Monitor).
– Chef Conor Browne of Lula in Ridgewood is among eight finalists for the NJRHA’s 2026 Chef of the Year award (Patch).
– The New Jersey Local Finance Board approved a $498 million lease for a new elementary school building expected to open in fall 2028 (New Jersey Monitor).
– New Jersey is covered by a federal power-grid emergency order through October 16th that allows additional electricity generation to help prevent potential outages (New Jersey 101.5).
– The Jersey City Planning Board approved the addition of 43 Black historical sites to the city’s Master Plan (Hudson County View).
– ICE agents recently arrested a man in Harrison, with witness video showing children clinging to him as officers took him into custody (CBS New York).
– Six Flags Great Adventure temporarily closed its Nitro roller coaster following a fatal incident involving a similar ride at Six Flags Over Georgia (ABC7 New York).
– Washington Township is facing scrutiny over its reported use of more than $170,000 for police SUVs and surveillance cameras rather than addiction prevention and treatment initiatives (New York Post).
– An NJ Transit bus struck a home in Englewood on the morning of October 8th, damaging property and injuring the driver (ABC7 New York).
– New Jersey county clerks are encouraging voters to use ballot drop boxes amid concerns about potential federal changes to mail voting (New Jersey Monitor).
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