Bergen County, New Jersey

A decades-old dispute over a 31,000-square-foot strip of protected parkland in Leonia, New Jersey, has stalled a land sale that Kulite Industries, the borough's largest employer, needs to build an employee parking lot. The state Department of Environmental Protection won't grant permanent access through Overpeck County Park until Leonia resolves a separate issue: its public works buildings, built in 1974, encroach on land classified under the state's Green Acres program.

Fixing the encroachment would require either demolishing the DPW facility or providing five acres of replacement land per acre affected, both costly for taxpayers. Mayor Bill Ziegler has pressed the county, DEP, and Governor Mikie Sherrill's office for relief, while Kulite, which employs nearly 900 people and is being courted by other states, says the parking shortage threatens its ability to stay in New Jersey.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer marked the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel by unveiling a package of bipartisan measures honoring victims, hostages and survivors. The event was held in Tenafly, New Jersey, alongside the family of Edan Alexander, a local native who was held captive in Gaza for 584 days before his release in May 2025.

The October 7 Remembrance Resolution, backed by 50 co-sponsors, commemorates the attack, reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense, supports a Gaza free of Hamas rule and condemns rising antisemitism. Gottheimer also renewed support for the Oct. 7 Congressional Gold Medal Act, the Oct. 7 Remembrance Education Act, and new legislation pressuring the United Nations to designate Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations. He cited a surge in antisemitic incidents since 2023, noting New Jersey ranked third nationally and Bergen County recorded the state's highest total.

Other New Jersey and New York officials, including Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Gov. Kathy Hochul, also issued statements marking the anniversary and condemning antisemitism.

Bergen County commissioners have approved a $111,907 engineering contract with HNTB Corp. to assess and modernize the county's adaptive traffic signal system, which coordinates light timing at 33 intersections across Fort Lee and Hackensack. The system, designed to adjust signal timing in real time based on traffic conditions, currently serves nine intersections in Fort Lee and 24 in Hackensack but is not functioning as intended.

Under the agreement, HNTB will evaluate existing equipment and technology, identify needed repairs or replacements, and develop engineering plans to restore and modernize the network. The review will also examine whether the county's existing fiber-optic infrastructure can be used to strengthen communication between intersections, along with potential upgrades to the hardware and software managing the system. County officials say the resulting assessment will provide a road map for longer-term improvements to reliability, maintenance, and future capacity, with HNTB continuing to provide engineering support as upgrades move forward.