Home Care In Ramsey, NJ

Macy’s, which announced in 2024 that it would close more than 100 stores as part of its “Bold New Chapter” regrowth strategy, is now making good on that promise. According to its website, the iconic department store chain will chop 14 locations in 12 states over the next 10 weeks.

“Nearly two years into our Bold New Chapter strategy, the focus of our work remains the same: strengthen our stores, simplify how we operate, and invest in the experiences that matter most to our customers,” company CEO Tony Spring noted in a letter published on Macy’s website on January 8. “In executing our strategy, we continue to review our portfolio and make careful decisions about where and how we invest, including closing underproductive stores and streamlining operations.”

Axios has reported that 14 stores will close in this round, and those store locations have been marked with the notation “This location is closing” on Macy’s store locator tool. In a FAQ about the closures, Macy’s notes that impacted stores will begin their clearance sales this month, and those sales will go on for approximately 10 weeks.

“These decisions are not made lightly,” Spring said in his letter. “We communicated directly with affected colleagues first and are providing support, including transfer opportunities where available, as well as severance and outplacement resources where applicable.”

Stores marked for closure include:

CALIFORNIA

Grossmont Center: 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, CA 91942

West Valley Mall: 3200 Naglee Rd, Tracy, CA 95304

GEORGIA

Northlake Mall: 4880 Briarcliff Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30345

MARYLAND

Marley Station: 7900 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie, MD 21061

MICHIGAN

Rivertown Crossings: 3850 Rivertown Parkway SW, Grandville, MI 49418

MINNESOTA

Crossroads Center: 4101 West Division Street, St Cloud, MN 56301

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Fox Run: 50 Fox Run Road, Newington, NH 03801

NEW JERSEY

Livingston Mall: 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston, NJ 07039

Interstate Shopping Center: 225 Interstate Shopping Center, Ramsey, NJ 07446

NEW YORK

Boulevard Mall: 1255 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Amherst, NY 14226

NORTH CAROLINA

Triangle Town Center: 3801 Sumner Boulevard, Raleigh, NC 27616

PENNSYLVANIA

Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills: 100 Pittsburgh Mills Cir, Tarentum, PA 15084

TEXAS

La Palmera Mall: 5488 S Padre Island Dr Ste 5000. Corpus Christi, TX 78411

WASHINGTON

Parkway Super Center: 17855 Southcenter Pkwy, Tukwila, WA 98188

More than 60 Macy’s stores closed in 2025, including the company’s Staten Island Furniture Gallery, which was located at 98 Richmond Hill Rd. in New Springville.

RAMSEY — New Jersey has adopted a law requiring all public school districts to enact a “bell-to-bell” ban on smartphone use by students.

On Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the law that requires a uniform policy in all public school districts, restricting student use of internet-enabled devices during the school day.

District policies will become effective for the 2026–2027 school year, for grades kindergarten through 12.

Ramsey, Woodbury schools showcased as phone-free model

The legislation was signed in Ramsey, in northern Bergen County. A local teenager began the news conference at Ramsey High School, sharing his personal experience with Yondr pouches over the past year under the suburban district’s own cell phone ban. Ramsey High School has just under 800 teen students.

Last winter, Murphy and an entourage of legislators visited a phone-free classroom in Gloucester County’s Woodbury Junior-Senior High School in February 2025.

What the bell-to-bell policy requires statewide

Board policies must prohibit the non-academic use of personal internet-enabled devices on school grounds during the school day, with limited exceptions.

Murphy said that districts already enforcing restrictions on smartphone use have reported a marked improvement in student engagement and teen-to-teen interaction between classes.

“I say this as a dad of four more so than a governor — I wish this ban had been in place a long time ago,” the lame-duck Democratic governor added.

Lawmakers, educators and parents rally behind phone-free classrooms

Also speaking on Thursday was Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, D-Essex County, a career educator and chief school administrator of the East Newark district and a prime sponsor of the legislation.

“This bill will help ensure that students are fully engaged in learning while they are in the classroom,” Bagolie said, adding that it is “a response to what parents, teachers, and principals have consistently told us—they need our support.”

The assemblywoman added that students already living with a classroom smartphone ban have said though it was initially hard to let go of the device, they are grateful for the time back to focus, in-the-moment around their peers and teachers.

Assemblyman Cody Miller, D-Gloucester, said the new smartphone school ban was not meant to be a punishment but a new layer of support.

Also sharing support for the law was Holly Moscatiello, a Little Silver mother of three children who founded The Balance Project. The grassroots effort aimed at not overusing tech among kids has grown to a nationwide movement.

New Jersey Education Association President Steve Beatty, who is still an active social studies teacher at Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, said the law will improve students' mental health "and create stronger classroom communities. That’s a win for everyone.”

Legislature approval and phone-free school grants

The measure cleared the state legislature in a flurry of activity Dec. 22.

It was passed by the Assembly, with a vote of 63-3. The Senate passed it 37-0.

Days earlier, New Jersey released almost a million dollars in phone-free grants for dozens of schools.

More than 22% of the money was earmarked for the state’s largest school district: Newark and several of its charter schools.

State education officials said the first round of grant money, which was included in this year’s state budget, was received by all 86 local educational agencies that successfully applied.

To qualify, schools were required to submit a letter of agreement committing to enforcing a bell-to-bell cell phone policy.

Under the new law, the restrictions on “internet-enabled devices” mean a smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, or other device able to connect to the internet, including social media appa.

The law does not include school-provided computers, laptops or tablets when used for educational purposes.

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Group 2 state semifinal

No. 18 Madison (16-1-1) at No. 3 Ramsey (23-0)

Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Ramsey has been the state’s top public school team all season long and its undefeated record highlights that point. Ramsey has won all 23 of its games this season behind a strong spine and a prolific scoring attack.

Ramsey has scored at least three goals this season in 21 consecutive games and has reached the mark 22 times this year. Emmy Bender, Brooke Dallara and Emma Steele lead the elite defense that has posted 14 shutouts and helped Ramsey win its third consecutive sectional title.

Madison isn’t too shabby themselves. The Dodgers beat Ramsey in the Group 2 semifinals a year ago and will be looking to do it once again on Wednesday evening. Madison has one of the best defenses in the state and will be leaning on its backline.

Goalkeeper Antonia Waddington was fantastic in the sectional final and has been great all season long, along with a back four of Giada Opperman, Sam Nielsen, Kate Reigle and Kate Mack.

WATCH LIVE:

Watch the game in the video player above, the game will go live at the scheduled start time of the game.

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North Jersey was one day shy of a white Christmas.

But the storm we thought was going to drop between 5 to 9 inches locally moved a bit further north than expected.

Four inches were reported in Ramsey. By contrast, Poughkeepsie, New York, had 8.1 inches as of 10 p.m., according to Bob Ziff, a spokesperson for North Jersey weather observers.

"It wasn't a big storm unless you were way north," Ziff said. "Accumulations (were) held down by sleet, which mixed in with the snow around 7 p.m. last night, even when it was 20 degrees."

Parts of the region, including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Union, Essex, Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, had been forecasted to get 5 to 9 inches, according to the National Weather Service. As of 9 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service counted 2.2 inches in Park Ridge.

What happened was something called "overrunning," Ziff said. That's when milder, moist air moves up and over the cold air. Along with a wind direction change bringing in milder air from the ocean, we got less snow than expected.

"The computer models were struggling all week to figure out how much snow would fall because of this pattern," Ziff said. "So even with 20 degrees at the surface, the southeast winds were bring in milder air higher up in the atmosphere, leading to sleet or rain mixing in with the snow as it fell."

New Jersey had declared a state of emergency on Friday afternoon, and the National Weather Service called for a Winter Storm Warning in North Jersey. The snow is tapering off to flurries early Saturday morning, it said. Roads, especially secondary ones, remain snow covered and hazardous. Be careful out there.

Check back throughout the day for the latest on the storm.

Snow totals NJ

Here is a look at the snow totals in New Jersey as of 7 a.m. Dec. 27, according to the National Weather Service. Check back for more as updates come in.

Bergen: Franklin Lakes: 3.2 inches at 1:38 a.m., Ramsey 4 inches at 8:16 a.m.

Essex: Springfield 3.0 inches at 4 a.m.; Newark: 2.3 inches at 12:26 a.m.; Newark Airport 2.5 inches at 1 a.m.

Hudson: Harrison 4 inches at 4:42 a.m.

Union: Union 3.0 inches at 2 a.m.

How much snow did NYC get?

How much snow did NYC get? It depends where you measure. According to the National Weather Service, Fordham, in The Bronx, reported 4.3 inches at 4 a.m. In Central Park, they measured 2.3 inches at 1 a.m. Williamsburg had 3.5 inches at 1:26 a.m.

Westchester and Orange counties further north got more snow. Highland Mills had 5.2 inches at 1:30 a.m. and Armonk 6.4 inches at 2 a.m

This is an anniversary of two big storms

Dec. 26 and 27 mark the anniversary of two big storms — but we didn't break any records in 2025.

On these days in 1947, we had "the great blizzard" says Ziff. Hawthorne received 23 inches on Dec. 26 alone.

Some of us remember the big post-Christmas storm in 2010. Between Dec. 26 and 27, Bergenfield got 18 inches, Ziff said. This year, Bergenfield has 3 inches. "Nowhere near the record for the two-day event record," said Ziff.

What's next after the storm?

The NWS forecasted a chance of snow turning to mostly cloudy for Dec. 27. The high was predicted to be 32 and the low 17. On Sunday, temperatures may get to 38 degrees, and there is a slight chance of rain or snow. The low is predicted to be 32.

“I’m more concerned as to what happens if we get freezing rain Sunday night on top of the snow and ice thats already on the ground,” said Ziff, noting that the timing is bad for people returning from their holiday weekends.

Airport flight delays

As of 1:18 p.m. Dec. 27, Newark Airport has had at least 201 delays and 109 cancellations, according to FlightAware. John. F. Kennedy Airport in New York has had at least 264 delays and 200 cancellations, and LaGuardia has had at least 186 delays and 104 cancellations.

These numbers indicate that airlines still being affected by the storm.

Check back for updates on flight delays.

Travel impacts possible Friday evening into Saturday morning

Travel will be impacted Saturday morning, the National Weather Service warned in a post on X, recommending the following tips for those who must drive or travel during the storm:

You better clear your car of snow — or face these penalties

Under New Jersey law, motorists must remove all snow and ice from their vehicles before driving on public roads. That includes clearing windows, the hood, roof and trunk not just a small patch on the windshield.

Drivers who fail to do so can be fined between $25 and $75 per offense. If snow or ice dislodges from a moving vehicle and causes property damage or injures another person, fines increase to $200 to $1,000 for non-commercial vehicles. Commercial drivers can face penalties ranging from $500 to $1,500.

How old is too old to be shoveling snow?

According to a a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, adults over 45 should exercise caution when shoveling snow. Those with known or suspected heart disease, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol are particularly at risk, the association noted. Additionally, individuals who smoke, are obese, or lead a sedentary lifestyle should take extra care.

Experts say be heart aware

There are five main stressors on the heart when shoveling snow, retired American Heart Association expert Dr. Barry Franklin said in a news release:

It's cold outside! Warm up with these snacks and drinks

It's the Saturday after Christmas! If you're home for the holidays, why not take advantage of a snowy day to warm up with some comfort food. Our food writer Kara VanDooijeweert has some great comfort food ideas, including grilled cheese and tomato soup, chicken pot pie and more. Looking for something for Saturday night? Check out our guide to the best Snow Day Cocktails!

The amount of girls soccer talent that Ramsey has accumulated for a small town in the upper edges of the New Jersey border is not dumb luck.

It is a soccer community that Ramsey head coach Drew Strohmeyer makes sure is always bonded from when toddlers first start dribbling a soccer ball all the way until they reach the high school level.

It is unprecedented for a Group 2 public school team to not only be able to compete with the top private school teams in the state, but also be regarded as one of the best teams in the country.

That is exactly the kind of season the Rams put together this season. Ramsey completed a perfect 25-0 season that ended with the program’s fifth state title. Strohmeyer is the 2025 NJ.com Girls Soccer Coach of the Year.

“It’s a soccer town,” Strohmeyer said. “A lot of the parents are former collegiate players, so they understand what it takes at a young age. The big difference between the high school soccer and the club soccer is the club soccer is fantastic, but they don’t have the crowd that that we had in a state semifinal game or even our regular season games. Our stands are packed. The boys support us, the parents, the grandparents. Our grandparents do something; they have a grandparent pasta party every year. So, they’re as into it as the kids, the coaches and the parents are. It’s super nice.”

Strohmeyer runs a mini Rams clinic every spring for ages four through eight. He would go out and watch his current star players like Hope Ernst, Lizzie Rubin and Kendall Reid play as younger kids out on open fields. By the time they get to Strohmeyer in high school, he is already very familiar with them.

“The girls do a really nice job of welcoming in the younger kids and taking care of them. You hear that we created a family type environment the last eight years, so it’s been really special. Now it sort of it feeds itself. That’s when you know it’s special when the kids are doing the things that the coach would do.”

Ramsey came into this season as a team on a mission after getting upset by Madison in the state semifinals in 2024 and not earning the outright Bergen County title. With all the talent in the world, Strohmeyer just needed the Rams to focus on the goal in front of them at the current time.

As the wins continued to pile up throughout the season, the prospect of an undefeated season started to become a distinct reality. That kind of pressure can be a lot for even the best teams, so it was important for Strohmeyer to be able to manage that.

“We try to keep it as low key as possible and just approach one game at a time,” Strohmeyer said. I know it was in the back of their minds about having an undefeated season, but you want to just concentrate on that next game ahead of you or it’s not going to happen. So as a coach, I didn’t even think about it. We always focus on that, the next task ahead of us."

The Rams defeated Immaculate Heart, 3-1, to win the first outright county title in program history. They then rolled through North 1, Group 2 before defeating Pascack Valley by a 4-0 score to three-peat as sectional champions.

The big rematch with Madison was a scoreless tie for over 75 minutes before a goal from Rubin off an Ernst assist advanced the Rams to the Group 2 final. They would not need nearly as much time to take control of that game.

Ramsey scored two goals in the first three minutes of the game against Allentown in a 3-0 victory in the Group 2 final. Goals by Ernst and Reid made it known that there would be no denying Ramsey perfection.

With all the talent that the Rams had this season, it was up to Strohmeyer to make sure everyone was deployed properly. Versatility was a big part of that.

“You don’t just play one position,” Strohmeyer said. If we’re in a pinch and our right back goes down and you’re a forward on the field, we might need you to play right back for 10 minutes or 15 minutes. You want that mentality that is team-first. As long as you’re a soccer player, you can do the job there. So we sort of go in with that mentality and then in the summer try to play the kids in as many positions as possible."

Defensively, Ramsey only allowed nine goals all season. Strohmeyer has Ramsey run a three-player back line that not a ton of other high school teams utilize. Emma Steele, Brooke Dallara and Emmy Bender were impenetrable most of the time.

His goalie rotation of juniors Abby Rostkowski and Bella Baldino was also unconventional, but extremely effective.

“Most high school teams play with either one or two forwards,” Strohmeyer said. “With four in the back, I think it’s wasting a position. We want to be plus one in the back at all times. So if the other team’s got two up front, we’ve got four in the back. Now we’re plus two. We could bump that kid into the midfield or up top and hopefully stop the other team’s point of attack further up the field.”

Offensively Ernst (31 goals, 23 assists), Reid (24 goals, 15 assists) and Rubin (22 goals, 30 assists) formed a trio that was nothing short of electric. Julia Bauer, Emma Cengarle, Julia Zeug and Grace Tateossian also played high-quality soccer in the midfield.

With Ernst, Reid and Rubin all coming back next season, Ramsey will have a great chance to continue to form a dynasty.

“I’m blessed to have not only the talent that the girls have, but they’re special kids,” Strohmeyer said. “I’ve said it a lot that they’re better people than they are soccer players. As a coach, that’s what you want more than anything.”

Girls Soccer