Tuesday April 22 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 81° and partly cloudy.

12:30 am 

The NJ Forest service said the next update won't be before 11am tomorrow morning.

Gov Murphy has yet to issue any public comment 

Lacey Mayor Peter Curatola said three structures in the township’s industrial park caught on fire, and one of the buildings was lost.

-11:00pm New Jersey  forest Fire Service Update:

🔥 8,500 acres

🔥 10% contained

⚠️ Approximately 1,320 structures threatened

⚠️ Approximately 3,000 residents evacuated

 Multiple evacuation shelters have been established. Southern Regional High School is open to evacuees with pets

10:15 pm Power is out for about 25,000 JCP&L customers in the area of the fire and was expected to remain out throughout the night, according to a statement from the power company. 3000 residents evacuated 

9:30 pm WILDFIRE UPDATE: Jones Road Wildfire - Ocean & Lacey Townships, Ocean County New Jersey Forest Fire Service remains on scene of a wildfire burning in Ocean & Lacey Townships, Ocean County.

SIZE & CONTAINMENT

🔥 3,200 acres

🔥 5% contained

Closed Oyster creek nuclear power plant in N.J. on ‘round-the-clock watch’ as nearby wildfire rages

The southbound Parkway has been reopened between interchanges 69 and 63,  and the northbound Parkway has reopened between interchanges 74 and 80

8:15 pm Update: Wildfire, is 5 percent contained as of 8 p.m., is currently threatening 1,320 structures and has forced the evacuation of 3,000 residents in numerous towns in the vicinity of the fire, officials said. It consumed 3,200 acres. The north and southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway were closed between Exit 63 in Stafford Township and Exit 80 in South Toms River shortly after 5 p.m.

7:45pm Wildfire update: 

EVACUATION NOTICE: Jones Road Wildfire

Mandatory evacuations are underway in the area of Route 9 in Lacey Twp., Ocean County

Firebrand burned 1200 acres with 0 containment 

- President Trump is considering issuing a $5000 baby bonus for mothers to increase birth rates, according to the New York Times. The White House is reportedly coming up with strategies to tackle declining birth and marriage rates.

- FDA is taking action to remove petroleum-based food dyes from the U.S. food supply and medications.

- Ocean Township fire: Wildfire in Barnegat NJ forces evacuations; Parkway closed from exit 80 to 63

An uncontained wildfire on the border of Barnegat and Waretown has forced the closure of the Garden State Parkway, the Barnegat Police Department said in an alert.

The northbound entrance to the Parkway has been closed in Barnegat as well as the entire stretch of the parkway between the township and Lacey, according to the alert.

Mandatory evacuation have been taking place on Route 532 between from Bryant Road to the Garden State Parkway, the forest fire service said.

- Trump weighs banning nonprofits from sending grant money overseas which could have a effect on tzedakos that send money abroad to Eretz Yisrael NY Post reports the  order would be  — hitting groups founded by Zuckerberg, Gates and Soros   President Trump is considering issuing an executive order banning nonprofit organizations from issuing grants beyond US borders, a source familiar with discussions told The Post Tuesday. The order would target so-called “501(c)(3)s” — referring to the section of the Internal Revenue Code dealing with tax-exempt organizations. The action, if carried out, would also restrict religious organizations that send grants abroad and smaller relief organizations that deal with war and natural disasters.  

Trump: I’ve just spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding numerous topics, including trade, Iran, and more. The call went very well—we are aligned on every issue.

Former Senior Mossad Official Zohar Palti: The U.S. and Iran are making progress in negotiations and have reached the stage of exchanging drafts.

Tax Increase Alert: The New Jersey Department of Education has informed 281 of the state's 590 operating school districts that they are not taxing their residents enough to fund schools. These districts may be eligible to exceed the state-mandated 2% cap on local property tax levy increases for the upcoming school year. In Ocean and Monmouth counties, some districts notified of potential eligibility include Howell, Jackson, Lakewood, Manchester, Toms River, and more.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: At a closed-door investor summit on Tuesday, Bessent stated that the tariff standoff with China is "unsustainable" and that he expects the situation to "de-escalate," according to Bloomberg.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon: President Trump’s education secretary defended the administration’s decision to resume student loan debt collections, arguing that greedy colleges have “profited massively” from Biden-era forgiveness measures by increasing tuitions and forcing students into debt.

Back to School: Elementary boys and girls return to school today. High schools are also back in session, while mesivtos and batei medrashim have not  begun their zman yet. Many bochurim are heading out this week to learn in Eretz Yisroel.

Lakewood Planning Board Meeting: Scheduled for today at 6:00 PM. The agenda includes several items in the correspondence and discussion sections, with no public comment allowed. See agenda here.

Gas Prices Drop: Gas prices in Lakewood have come down, with the current average at $2.96 per gallon.

Education Lawsuit Coverage: The Voice of Lakewood Pesach edition reported on the ongoing lawsuit to fix the state funding formula for Lakewood. Unfortunately, the full-page article failed to mention those behind this decade-long effort—R’ Aaron Lang and Prof. Paul Trachtenberg. While the legal case was named, the article omitted these individuals who have selflessly fought for over 10 years to secure state aid, tax relief, and quality education for Lakewood students. In contrast, the next article praised Assemblyman Avi Schnall’s work on tuition relief.

Giyus Update: Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman spoke on Chol Hamoed about the gezeiras giyus, stating, “We will not give up on even one yeshiva bochur. No individual has the authority to forgo the holy Torah.”
At the shiva for Rav Meir Mazuz zt"l, a sign displayed his last will: even those not currently learning are prohibited from joining the IDF.

Israir Airlines: Israir has received preliminary approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin flights to the U.S. The airline plans to launch nonstop Tel Aviv–New York service by Pesach 2026, using Airbus A330 aircraft with its own flight and maintenance crews.

New trend Hatzolah of Central Jersey reporting numbers: Over Yom Tov, Hatzolah responded to 416 calls, completed 198 transports, and executed 34 paramedic activations. Their efforts reflect the unwavering dedication of HCJ’s devoted members.

A Dream After the Levaya: Israeli media reports a remarkable story circulating in Yeshiva Kisei Rachamim. A young grandson of Rav Meir Mazuz zt"l reportedly dreamed of the Rav telling him to “continue in my way,” the day after his levaya.

WZO Elections Turmoil: Allegations of voter fraud have surfaced in the World Zionist Congress elections, with calls to disqualify several slates. TOI reports that the American Zionist Movement (AZM) is investigating claims of multiple votes cast from the same locations using suspicious credit cards and unverifiable contact info—primarily affecting the Eretz Hakodesh and Am Yisrael Chai slates.
Meanwhile, Kikar Shabbat reports the Conservative movement allegedly launched a fake campaign in Israel using the names of Gedolei Yisrael to discourage Chareidim from voting for Eretz Hakodesh.

Lag Baomer Preparations in Meron: Preparations are underway, but concerns remain. Rav Dov Kook of Teveria has called to cancel hadlakas this year, as Lag Baomer falls on Thursday night. Authorities plan to delay some lighting events to Motzei Shabbos to reduce crowding, but this could lead to significant chilul Shabbos by police and security personnel.

Antisemitism on NJ Campuses: The ADL warns of an “alarming new normal” as antisemitic incidents continue to rise on New Jersey college campuses. A year after reaching an all-time high, incidents of harassment, intimidation, and vandalism are still increasing.

U.S. Fertility Rate Hits Record Low: In 2023, the U.S. fertility rate dropped to a historic low of 54.5 births per 1,000 women—less than half of the 1957 peak. Between 2005 and 2022, all 50 states saw declines, with Utah experiencing the sharpest drop (-33.9%). Women aged 30–34 now have the highest birth rate at 95.1 per 1,000, overtaking the 25–29 age group.
Top 2022 Fertility States: South Dakota (66.5), Alaska (64.9), Nebraska (63.6).
Lowest: Vermont (44.3), Delaware (44.9), Oregon (47.3).

March of the Living: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, First Lady Tammy Murphy, and NJSP Colonel Pat Callahan are traveling to Poland today to participate in the International March of the Living on April 24, in honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). (via OneJersey)