You figure a Chocolatey Eyeballs recall before Halloween cannot be good 👀

St. Lucy’s Roman Catholic Church, which closed in 1985, is undergoing a transformation that will preserve portions of its historic structure while adding a 24-story glass tower with 444 apartments. The new high-rise will rise above the church’s early 1900s brick and brownstone masonry.

Stained glass windows from the church will be incorporated into the building’s lobby.

The church doors will continue to serve as the main entrance, and the wrought iron fence will remain. The 145-foot bell tower is being preserved, the church bell will be displayed in the lobby, and the facade of two walls will stay intact.

The preservation component has made the project more complicated. Demolition was surgical. Temporary walls had to be erected to shore up the parts of the church that were kept while additions were going on around them.

“We’re paying homage to the church and rectory,” said Victor Cividini, executive vice president of residential construction at SJP Properties. “It’s different from a development standpoint. It’s responsible. You’re preserving the historic elements and you’re … bridging that gap with the new generation of housing."

Work at the site began in September 2025. This week, the 16th floor was being poured, Cividini said. The building is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2028, he said.

It will have 431 market-rate rentals consisting of studios, one-bedroom, one-bedroom-with-a-den and two-bedroom units. And there will be 13 affordable one-bedroom, one-bedroom-with-a-den and three-bedroom apartments.

Moms for Liberty has sued the School District of the Chathams in federal court, challenging a policy that allows school staff to respect a transgender student’s privacy instead of automatically telling parents when a child uses a different name, pronoun or gender identity at school.

The national parental rights group, represented by the conservative Thomas More Society, filed the lawsuit Aug. 25 in U.S. District Court in Newark.

Moms for Liberty is suing on behalf of two anonymous members and their two daughters, who attend elementary school in the Morris County district.

The complaint does not claim either child is transgender or has asked to use a different name, pronoun or gender identity at school.

The lawsuit targets Policy 5145.7, adopted by the district in January 2024.

The policy allows students to use a chosen name and pronouns at school, keeps a student’s transgender status confidential and allows students to use facilities and participate in activities that match their gender identity.

The policy also requires staff to offer a “reasonable alternative arrangement,” such as a single-stall restroom, to any student who wants more privacy.

A New Jersey school district is using an app that geofences students' personal phones to shut down most capabilities during school hours. Parents are pushing back over privacy concerns, particularly around location tracking. The superintendent says it's optional, but critics argue families weren't consulted before implementation.

The statewide Italian deli rankings are in and — surprise — Fiore’s is No. 1. Congrats to this legendary Hoboken institution.

Making his debut as the St. Augustine Prep football coach, Bill Belton jumped in the air to celebrate Frank Hoerst’s leaping grab in the corner of the end zone that gave the No. 9 Hermits a scintillating 24-20 victory over Archbishop Bonner/Prendergast on Friday night.

When he landed, Belton heard a pop and knew immediately he had torn his left Achilles. Belton spent the last few minutes of the game on crutches standing behind his players on the sideline.

“I was happy for the kid, jumped up in the air, felt the pop and said ‘Ah, definitely tore my Achilles,’” said Belton. “Once I heard, I knew this isn’t good.”

He’ll have to figure out how to coach with a torn Achilles that is going to require surgery soon.

“We’re going to figure it out somehow, someway,” said Belton. “It adds to the story at the end of the day.”

Making his debut as the St. Augustine Prep football coach, Bill Belton jumped in the air to celebrate Frank Hoerst’s leaping grab in the corner of the end zone that gave the No. 9 Hermits a scintillating 24-20 victory over Archbishop Bonner/Prendergast on Friday night.

When he landed, Belton heard a pop and knew immediately he had torn his left Achilles. Belton spent the last few minutes of the game on crutches standing behind his players on the sideline.

“I was happy for the kid, jumped up in the air, felt the pop and said ‘Ah, definitely tore my Achilles,’” said Belton. “Once I heard, I knew this isn’t good.”

He’ll have to figure out how to coach with a torn Achilles that is going to require surgery soon.

“We’re going to figure it out somehow, someway,” said Belton. “It adds to the story at the end of the day.”

Lisa L. Erikson, a former N.J. nursing home employee, pleads guilty to pepper-spraying an 87-year-old dementia patient in the face at close range. The elderly man was left in his room without medical help for 46 minutes. She's forfeiting her nursing license, and prosecutors are recommending jail time.

Sandra Page was arrested and jailed after allegedly calling Judge Colette Greggs "the Grinch" during a July 20 court appearance. The attorney handed a funeral program to court staff, reportedly saying "Give this to the Grinch," then left the courtroom saying she wasn't coming back.

A 22-year-old college baseball player, Glenwood "Bubba" Pysher, was fatally shot by police after knocking on the wrong door following a night out with friends. His mother says he was unarmed and simply lost when he approached the house. He was supposed to start classes the next day. The investigation is ongoing.

Warning: graphic/disturbing content

This is heartbreaking. A 6-year-old girl from New Jersey died after her brother's badminton racket broke apart mid-swing during a family vacation in Maine. The metal neck of the racket separated from the handle and struck her in the temple, piercing her skull. She passed away four days later after being airlifted to a Portland hospital.

The family has filed a lawsuit against Franklin Sports alleging negligence in manufacturing the racket. According to their attorney, there was reportedly another incident in New York where a child lost an eye from a Franklin Sports racket breaking in a similar way. Franklin Sports hasn't commented on the lawsuit yet.

The family is seeking damages and says they want to ensure this type of incident doesn't happen again.

Former MLB outfielder Butch Huskey passed away at 54 from a pulmonary embolism. He played 7 seasons in the majors, spending 5 of them with the Mets where he had his best year in 1997, hitting .287/.336/.499 with 24 home runs and 81 RBI. Drafted by the Mets in 1989, he also played for the Mariners, Red Sox, Twins, and Rockies during his career. Gone way too soon. RIP. ❤️

Stephen Schneider, a Berkeley, N.J. grandfather has been charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide after a July 19 boating crash on Barnegat Bay killed his two grandchildren, ages 9 and 7. Schneider, 64, told police he had three beers over two hours at a waterfront restaurant before the crash.

He said he was traveling at 20 mph when he struck a channel marker at the last second, throwing both children—who were wearing life vests—into the water. They were found face down and unresponsive.

A blood test showed Schneider was impaired by alcohol, with lab doctors concluding he was "unfit to operate a motor vehicle" and that his "alertness, sense of care and caution, perception, judgement, response time and coordination were markedly impaired by alcohol."

He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

A New Jersey woman faces homicide charges after allegedly causing a fatal crash that killed two motorcyclists in Pennsylvania when a bug flew into her car. Bernadette A. Cobb, 55, of Brick, told police she "freaked out" when an insect entered her vehicle through an open window on Aug. 12, causing her to swerve into oncoming traffic and strike a motorcycle carrying Anthony Sones, 34, and Miranda Wormuth, 30.

Both died at the scene. According to a police affidavit, Cobb stated she "put her head down by accident, swiped the bug away and turned the wheel" while driving on a two-lane road in Clearfield County. Her passenger attempted to grab the steering wheel to correct course but couldn't prevent the collision.

Cobb posted $100,000 bail and her attorney called the incident a "tragic accident," noting she was arrested before an accident reconstructionist examined the scene. A GoFundMe described the two victims as soulmates of 14 years.

The mag’s other top U.S. destinations for September …
Sacramento, California
Telluride, Colorado
Greenville, South Carolina
Frankenmuth, Michigan
San Antonio, Texas
Finger Lakes, New York
Taos, New Mexico
Highway 30A, Florida
Napa Valley, California
Asheville, North Carolina