Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia School of Circus Arts is ending 2025 on a high-flying note with Kid’s Day Off Circus Camps for Winter Break Week and a New Year’s Eve Day Circus Workshop and Noon Countdown. Head to the Philadelphia region’s big top for circus fun between Christmas and New Year for two new programs. First, for Winter Break, children are invited to turn those long winter days into high-flying, energy-burning, joy-filled adventures with new Kid’s Day Off Circus Camps – the perfect break-week solution for children in Kindergarten through 7th grade. Camps run from 9:00am to 3:00pm on December 24, 26, 29, 30, 31 and January 2. Kids will spend the day learning circus skills such as aerial sling, static trapeze, wire walking, juggling, plate spinning, rolling globe, tumbling, clowning and more. No prior experience is needed.
It’s natural to mumble nasty things about the cold weather. We all do it from time to time. But even the cold has its merits.
One big plus is that it makes fireplaces a reasonable addition to our lives. In cold weather, we can build a fire in our home with a clear conscience. This is something that doesn’t translate well to summer heat, but when it’s cold, here comes the fire. Strange, isn’t it, our love affair with a fireplace? Makes absolutely no sense. Today, we can make houses so impervious to cold that every time we light a candle, the temperature goes up ten degrees. So what do we do? We cut a hole in this sealed anti-cold unit so we can sit and look at the flames, the way our ancestors have done since they learned to walk upright and invented kindling.
The holidays will be brighter for hundreds of South Jersey children this year, thanks to the Joseph Lacroce Foundation. The Haddonfield, N.J.-based charitable organization recently delivered a box truck filled with toys, games, and craft sets to Virtua Voorhees Hospital.
About 150 volunteers unloaded and sorted the holiday gifts, which will be distributed over the coming weeks to children in pediatric units at Virtua hospitals and those served by other Virtua programs across Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties (details below).
A festive parade of about 75 classic and exotic cars accompanied Virtua’s two Pediatric Mobile Services Units to help deliver the toys.
CAROLINE COUNTY (Dec. 21. 2025) – The Office of the State Fire Marshal has arrested a 26-year-old man following a grand jury indictment for an attempted arson targeting a business in Caroline County.
Deputy State Fire Marshals assigned to the Upper Eastern Region Office served an arrest warrant Friday on Marshall Allan Murphy, of Sudlersville, Maryland. Murphy was indicted on 16 charges, including second-degree arson and three counts of attempted second-degree arson, each punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The General Assembly passed legislation today to strengthen New Jersey’s aquaculture industry by expanding the promotion of locally grown seafood through the Jersey Fresh program. Bill A3034, sponsored by Assemblymen Clinton Calabrese, Roy Freiman, and William Spearman, would direct the Department of Agriculture to advertise and promote New Jersey aquaculture products under the State’s widely recognized Jersey Fresh branding initiative. The legislation cleared the New Jersey Senate last week and now heads to the Governor’s desk for consideration.
“Aquaculture is an increasingly important part of New Jersey’s agricultural economy, and the farmers behind it deserve the same visibility and marketing support as other Jersey Fresh producers,” said Assemblyman Calabrese (D-Bergen, Passaic). “This bill helps connect consumers with high-quality, locally grown seafood while also supporting businesses and job creation along our coast and inland waterways.”
By incorporating aquaculture into Jersey Fresh promotions, the legislation aims to boost consumer awareness, increase demand for New Jersey seafood, and support sustainable food production across the state.
“New Jersey has a strong agricultural identity, and that includes our aquaculture producers,” said Assemblyman Freiman (D-Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset). “Expanding Jersey Fresh to include aquaculture ensures our marketing efforts reflect the full range of products grown and raised right here in our state.”
The bill recognizes aquaculture as a key component of New Jersey’s food system, helping producers compete in regional markets while giving consumers more opportunities to buy local.
“Our Jersey Fresh program is trusted by consumers, and this legislation puts that trusted label to work for aquaculture businesses,” said Assemblyman Spearman (D-Camden, Gloucester). “Promoting local seafood supports economic growth, sustainability, and food security for communities across New Jersey.”
You’ve found your dream home or finally landed a buyer for your property. Congratulations! But before you pop the champagne, there’s a whole legal landscape you need to navigate that most people don’t think about until they’re knee-deep in paperwork and potential problems.
Understanding What You’re Really Signing
When you’re buying or selling real estate, you’re not just exchanging keys for money. You’re entering into one of the most legally complex transactions most people ever make. That innocent-looking purchase agreement? It’s actually a binding contract that can have serious consequences if something goes wrong.
Every document you sign carries legal weight. The purchase agreement outlines contingencies, inspection periods, and what happens if either party backs out. Then there’s the title work, disclosure forms, and closing documents. Miss something important in the fine print, and you could be on the hook for thousands of dollars or even lose the property altogether.
WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is gearing up for a busy end-of-year holiday travel season, one that may reach record passenger levels. TSA is fully staffed and ready to screen a projected 44.3 million travelers at the nation’s airport security checkpoints between Friday, Dec 19, 2025, through Sunday, Jan 4, 2026. The agency expects the heaviest traveler volume will be about 2.86 million on Sunday, Dec 28, followed by Dec 19, 20, 21, 27, and 29. The busiest day last year was Friday, Dec. 27, when TSA screened just under 2.85 million travelers.
Featuring more than 65 sponsors and exhibitors, and 75 presentations between speakers and posters, the 2026 conference put on by the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship will provide a breadth of learning and networking opportunities. This is DNREC’s largest professional conference and is funded solely by sponsorships and nonprofit exhibitor support, as well as ticket sales.
Nowadays, it is rare to see a teenager without a smart phone or tablet, taking selfies with friends and sharing moments online. However, these same devices have increasingly become barriers to education, distracting students from their learning.
Today, a bill that would help school boards develop policies for the use of internet-enabled devices in school received final legislative approval. Bill A4882 sponsors—Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, Assemblyman Cody Miller and Assemblywoman Carmen Morales—are all educators who have firsthand experience with the negative impact these devices can have in the classroom.
“The goal of this bill is to ensure that students are fully engaged in learning while they are in the classroom,” said Assemblywoman Bagolie (D-Essex, Passaic). “While internet-enabled devices such as smart phones and tablets can be useful tools, the rise of social media has unfortunately caused significant harm to our learning environments. Our bill is a response to what parents, teachers, and principals have consistently told us—they need our support. This legislation is intended to ensure that we are doing our part to help educators and our students succeed.”
Under bill A4882, the Commissioner of Education would develop age appropriate and grade differentiated guidelines to help local boards of education develop their own policies governing public school students’ use of internet-enabled devices, including smart phones, during the school day. The policies would provide some flexibility in certain cases where administrators determine the use of the device supports instruction, health or well-being.
“This legislation is designed to create a more focused learning environment and reduce distractions,” said Assemblyman Miller (D-Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester). “These policies are not about punishment, but about helping students build healthier habits and giving them the best possible chance to succeed in the classroom.”
“Children and teenagers depend on us, the adults, to make the decisions on their behalf, even when those decisions may not be popular,” said Assemblywoman Morales (D-Essex). “Educators have recognized the risks of unlimited access to internet-enabled devices, which can allow students to disengage at times when their focus and effort are most needed. By providing school boards with guidance on how to address this issue, we can better support students who truly deserve every opportunity to succeed.”
TRENTON – Building on Governor Murphy’s commitment to fully update New Jersey’s State Plan for the first time since 2001, the State Planning Commission formally adopted a new State Development and Redevelopment Plan at its December 17, 2025 meeting.
The State Development and Redevelopment Plan, developed through collaboration across all levels of government, serves as a guide to inform the public and encourage State agencies, counties, and municipalities to align their land use policies with its vision. It aims to promote a balanced and inclusive strategy for managing and guiding growth across New Jersey, centered on ten key land-use priorities.
“The adoption of a new State Development and Redevelopment Plan provides New Jersey with a clear, modern blueprint that balances economic vitality with environmental stewardship,” said Governor Murphy. “With this historic step, we have set New Jersey on a path for creating healthy, resilient, and affordable communities connected to jobs, recreation, and high-quality transportation.”
