Wednesday September 2 News Updates Lakewood

 Weather: 76 F Cloudy. Intermittent drizzle this morning. High 76F.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 68F. Chance of rain 70%.

Heat advisory in effect from 11 AM TO 8 PM Thursday Heat index values up to 100 degrees exp.

- Registration opens today for Nshei Adirei BaTorah annual event to take place during Aseres Yemei Teshuva

- New chasidishe girls elementary school opens in Lakewood Bnos Melochim under the leadership of the Lelover rebbe shlita. The school is located off Chestnut street.

- Trump accounts kids up to 10 years old receiving $250 from Michael Dell.into their bank account.

- Sefardi Chief Rabbi the Rishon Letzion Rav David Yosef shlita is in the US and will spend shabbos in Toms River.

- Admor M'Barniv Monsey will be in Lakewood tonight for Kabolas Kahal ahead of Yomim Noraim.

- Today is the first day of school for elementary girls, but some girls are still home without a school placement. The Ner High School is also closed, leaving students home while a vaad works to find placements for everyone. The hope is that all students will be placed within the next few days.

- Bingo has side of salmon for $6.99 pound Side of Scottish salmon for $8.99 pound. BTW the vienese crunch & Jelly rings on sale were out already sunday. (Submitted)

- New Jersey's auto insurance rates are rising 10.46% in 2026, the largest increase of any state in the country, for the second year running"

- LSTA Update Parents expected better service after paying a premium for courtesy busing. While the start of the school year often brings late buses, no-shows, and skipped stops, this year is especially challenging because about 2,600 children opted out of busing and are carpooling instead. This has required route changes and increased traffic, carpool lines, and safety concerns at schools. Hopefully, as routes are adjusted, service will become more reliable.

- Eagle Ridge Update: At last night’s planning meeting, the board approved the first phase of the Eagle Ridge application, which includes 116 residential dwellings plus basements on the golf course. Attorneys noted that when residential development was first proposed, several meetings were packed with residents opposing the project. Now, the meeting is empty. The Fairways senior community HOA submitted a letter supporting the application after reaching an agreement with the developer that includes a tree buffer and 41 acres dedicated to open space. A resident spoke out taking apart the traffic study that was submitted by the developers.

- Lakewood property TAX Incerease. The Township will adopt the 2026 municipal budget tomorrow at the online township meeting.

 Lakewood’s proposed 2026 municipal budget is about $163.5 million, $693,000 (0.43%) higher than 2025. However, the amount expected to come from local property taxes rises from about $97.2 million to $115 million, an increase of roughly 18.2%. For an average duplex  $475k assessed  property, that could mean approximately $650 more per year, or about $54 more per month, in municipal taxes alone. The final 2026 budget and tax rate could still change. and thats not including School county and fire taxes.

Bottom line: Lakewood is proposing a $163.5M municipal budget, financed in part by $114.95M in property taxes, with enormous expenditures 34 million on police/payroll, $23.4M of employee health insurance, and $13.6M of pensions/payroll taxes. The municipal tax levy itself is up about 19.4% from 2025.  The ordinary portion of the municipal levy is subject to the 2% cap, but certain costs lparticularly emergencies, health insurance, pensions and debt service can be added outside that cap. And in Lakewood's 2026 budget, those exclusions are large enough that the municipal levy goes from $96.3M to $115.  million an increase of nearly $18.7M, or 19.4%.

- Update on Gedolim meeting with President Trump at the White House A delegation of prominent Gedolim and Admorim is expected to meet with President Trump at the White House at approximately 12:30 p.m. Among those attending are Rav Malkiel Kotler, both Satmar Rebbes, the Bobover Rebbe,the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, and the son of the Skverer Rebbe.The meeting is expected to begin with hakoras hatov to President Trump for all he has done for the Orthodox Jewish community. Reports indicate that the Gedolim are also expected to discuss several pressing issues, including the rise in antisemitism, security for Jewish communities and institutions, frum Yidden in prison, and the draft of bnei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel, along with other matters affecting the frum community. In preparation for the trip, Bobov has announced an earlier 7:00 a.m. Shacharis, allowing the Rebbe and delegation to daven before departing for Washington, D.C.

- Report: 30 Jews Missin at China-Nepal Border Floods: Around 30 Jews R"L, including two Israelis, are among 4,400 people missing after floods near the China-Nepal border. The Chabad House in Kathmandu is coordinating searches and has dispatched food and medical supplies to areas accessible only by air.

- Lakewood public school over 300 kids lost courtesy busing. Parents are organizing to speak up at the next BOE meeting in 3 weeks.

- Giyus: MK Goldknopf from UTJ outside prison 10 calls for the release of frum draft Dodgers ahead of the yomim Tovim he says they are hungry malnourished and not treated well.

- Mordy's Shteibel getting trailers for now after the shul caught fire.

- NJGOP: These illegal aliens who killed a 9 month old baby and injured innocent citizens were allowed into our country under Joe Biden  and ended up in New Jersey communities. Rather than holding them accountable and ensuring justice is served, Mikie Sherrill is staying silent - and her silence is deafening. New Jersey MUST honor ICE detainers for individuals accused or convicted of these horrific crimes and ensure they are removed from our country.

- The state of New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court today for the ability to shut down prediction markets in the state, teeing up a potential landmark case where the justices could decide if the highly popular but controversial industry can survive in its current form. Today's request is the first time the nationwide legal battle over the legality of prediction sites such as Kalshi and Polymarket U.S. has reached the U.S. Supreme Court.(Onejersey)

- NYC mayor  Mamdani paid a visit today to Boro Park his first since becoming mayor as he toured the frum Jewish stores along 13th Avenue.