Good morning, Morristown.

Morris County was named the best place in New Jersey to raise a family after a SmartAsset study measured a 42.66% increase in home values, a near-perfect school rating and childcare costs averaging $179 per week.

The study looked at housing equity, school quality, recreation access and childcare to rank Morris first among New Jersey counties.

West Milford police are asking the public for help finding missing Francesca Carrozza—a 34-year-old last seen leaving Frank’s Pizza on Berkshire Valley Road in Jefferson Township on Aug.

7 at 3:30 p.m., described as 5ft 3in with curly blonde hair, a belly button piercing, and a history of mental illness with no working cellphone.

North Jersey school districts have set their first day of classes mostly after Labor Day—some, including those in Morris County, have early start dates listed for towns across Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex.

The New Jersey comptroller’s office reported that 109 school bus companies in 14 counties failed to submit paperwork by August 31 to show that their drivers had criminal background checks—raising concerns over their compliance with new safety laws.

The report urged lawmakers and the Education Department to review oversight policies—planning tougher measures for future school years.

New Jersey law bans tint on windshields and front side windows (except with a medical exemption) while allowing tint on rear windows.

Dealers must inform customers of these rules (per NJMVC guidelines).

A Bankrate study shows that New Jersey home equity rose by 122% from 2020 to 2025 (increasing from $121,575 to $270,366) and ranked 19th among states as more than two dozen recorded triple-digit gains.

This study indicates that rising home values helped drive faster equity growth in the state.