NJ’s Top News For 10/16: Anchor Checks Being Mailed

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Monday:

⬛ BOOM — Live fire drills at JBMDL will rattle parts of NJ

Things are going to be very noisy around Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst this week.

Live fire drills are being conducted all week.

Base officials caution residents could hear cannon and rocket fire, mortar explosions and the detonation of cratering charges all week.

⬛ On single day, NJ charges 4 teachers & politician with sex crimes

It was a week of shocking headlines involving teachers and community leaders.

In Bergen, Burlington and Hudson counties on Thursday, police arrested four men — who all work with children in schools — on charges of either sexually abusing children or downloading photos or videos of that kind of abuse.

In the most shocking arrest, officials in Bergen busted the City Council president in Tenafly along with his son on child porn charges.

⬛ How familiar are you with NJ's sick leave/family leave programs?

Roughly half of New Jersey’s workers are aware of the state’s Earned Sick Leave and Family Leave Insurance programs, at least by name.

A report out of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers has been two years in the making, taking periodic looks at residents’ knowledge and opinions of these key benefit programs.

In the latest round of worker surveys, conducted in summer 2022, 50% of New Jersey workers said they were aware of the state law that gives most employees up to 40 hours of earned sick leave per year so they can care for themselves or a loved one.

⬛ Beware! These home improvements will raise your taxes in NJ

Should I sell my home and move, or renovate my existing home?

A review of building codes, tax assessments, realtor websites and conversations with experienced home remodelers say any plans should come with a warning: Home improvements can also wind up costing you with a significant increase in property taxes.

⬛ NJ has the second oldest active hawk watch in North America

MONTCLAIR — It’s that time of year when hawks are in the air and you can see them circling high in the sky in New Jersey.

But what you may not know is that New Jersey is home to the second oldest active hawk watch in North America, just behind Hawk Mountain in Kempton, Pennsylvania.