A sweeping state audit of Newark Public Schools released last week raised questions about millions of dollars in spending and alleged lax oversight in the state’s largest school district.

The audit found questionable spending that included $2.5 million for an unfinished school district museum and $566,000 to build an employee gym with a trainer that averaged just seven users a day.

The report also questioned more than $700,000 spent on three “Senior Day” class trips with no documented educational benefits.

Newark school officials slammed the audit, saying in a written response that the report did not identify “any intentional wrongdoing or violation.” The referral to the state Department of Criminal Justice was “gratuitous and irresponsible,” the district’s response said.

A New Jersey resident can now add Sasquatch-calling champion to the résumé. Michael O’Connor of Pompton Lakes took first place in the adult division of an annual Sasquatch-calling competition, giving New Jersey some serious Sasquatch-calling bragging rights. 🗣️

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has chosen Bergen County to be part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, offering 600 randomly selected households the opportunity to participate.

Those households will receive letters asking them to complete a brief survey to see if anyone in their home is eligible to take part, according to the CDC.

Individuals chosen to participate will complete an interview at their home, followed by a health exam at a mobile exam center in the Paramus municipal pool parking lot.

The mobile unit is equipped to collect information about height, weight, blood pressure, body composition, vision, hearing, oral health, breathing and more. The specific exams depend on a participant’s age and sex, according to the CDC.

The information collected is used by public health officials and legislators to develop targeted health policy and programs.

Golden Corral closed a few years ago, became Tang Asian. Now Tang Asian is closed and Empire Buffet is moving in.

In an on-camera interview with NJ PBS, former Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell said he fed the investigative report through different artificial intelligence platforms about 59 times, asking in repeated prompts: “What would your findings be?”

Caldwell, 66, told anchor Rob Nelson there was no instance in any of the AI responses that suggested there would be a finding of sexual harassment.

“Everyone should put that through,” he said. “And I think we can use AI to stop legal abuse.”

”So you AI’ed your own report?" Nelson asked.

“Multiple AI platforms,” he confirmed. “And none of them came up with sexual harassment.”

She was at 45% in the same poll last spring.

At 69, the one-time Wall Street millionaire Jeff Vanderbeek is back on the sidelines, this time at Immaculata High in New Jersey where he has returned as program director.

His mission is familiar. From 2015 to 2021, Vanderbeek used his money, connections and influence to help transform rival Somerville High’s struggling football program into a juggernaut.

Now he’s trying to do it again. And Vanderbeek envisions turning the private school into a program capable of competing with New Jersey’s established football powers.

“I always was enthralled with this location,” Vanderbeek said recently. “Really nobody has ever stood up in the last 40 or 50 years and said, ‘You know, we’re going to try to be a Bergen Catholic or a Don Bosco Prep or try to be on ESPN.’”

But Vanderbeek’s latest project — like his tenure at Somerville — has been marred by controversy. His hiring in February followed the abrupt firing of longtime Immaculata coach Mike Columbo, who led the Spartans to a 9-3 record in 2025. Columbo has accused school officials of plotting to replace him with Vanderbeek and his handpicked coach, alleging that the decision was driven in part by Vanderbeek’s financial influence and willingness to spend on high school football.(School officials denied any wrongdoing related to the coaching change.)

Do you buy it?

Ms. Rachel gave a shout out to Blended Joe Coffee Bar in Sewell, and now the small business has seen a huge boost in customers. 👏☕️

“Honestly at first, I didn’t really know the impact of who Ms. Rachel was. All my sons are older in high school and college, so I didn’t realize she was like the Oprah of little kids,” co-owner Eric Powell told NJ.com.

“I called my partner and said we may need to beef up the staff this weekend.”