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Sal DiMaggio

Multimedia journalist focusing on local news and features

Writer, photographer, storyteller.

My Work

NJ.com •

Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria is becoming real — and it's opening at a N.J. mall in 2027

The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford will transform the fictional pizzeria from the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game franchise into a real-world immersive restaurant experience next year. The entertainment and retail complex announced plans to open Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, which it calls the world’s first permanent immersive restaurant based on the popular horror game series. Visitors in 2027 will be able to dine, play arcade games and watch animatronic performances while navigating a...
NJ.com •

Halal drive-thru opens in Piscataway after mural dispute delays debut

A local halal-food and fried-chicken chain opened its newest location on July 29, but not without some controversy involving local zoning regulations.Royal Chicken & Biscuit opened its newest location in Piscataway, marking the company’s first drive-through establishment. Owner Waris Ahmadi said the Piscataway location is the first drive-through restaurant serving halal food in Central Jersey.The opening came after a month-long delay caused by a dispute with township officials over a mural paint...
NJ.com •

NBA champion Mikal Bridges and a small-town zoning board are arguing over gym equipment

An NBA champion is appealing a violation notice from the Avalon Planning and Zoning Board over gym equipment stored in his garage.Mikal Bridges, a guard for the New York Knicks, submitted an application on Oct. 23, 2025, to the board seeking to overturn a violation notice and a determination by the floodplain manager. The notice says that Bridges needs a floodplain development permit to store the equipment at his property on 7th Street and that his use of the garage violates a deed restriction a...
NJ.com •

This former East Hanover missile site will soon be home to 288 new apartments

The East Hanover Land Use and Planning Board unanimously approved a major residential development on a former Cold War–era missile site, bringing 288 apartments to the township and helping it meet its affordable housing obligations.There will be six four-story residential buildings and an 11,315-square-foot clubhouse on approximately 18.9 acres off River Road and Nike Drive. The apartment complex will include 84 one-bedroom units, 120 two-bedroom units and 84 two-bedroom units with dens, accordi...
NJ.com •

Beloved local bakery to celebrate grand opening at new Sewell location

A South Jersey bakery is celebrating its official grand opening at its new location this weekend with coffee, giveaways and a visit from a local animal welfare organization.Two Sweet Boutique, now located at 201 Egg Harbor Road in Sewell, announced on social media that it will hold its grand opening celebration on Sunday, Aug. 2. The event will feature coffee from Strong Brew Coffee Co., giveaways from neighboring businesses, and information from Homeward Bound Pet Adoption, which will be collec...
NJ.com •

These Montclair restaurant owners are planning a local music festival

A Montclair husband and wife who own local restaurants have decided to start a tradition for their part of town.The Uptown Sound Music Festival is coming to Upper Montclair, designed to connect the community through music, culture and inclusivity. The festival will take place on Sept. 26, 2026 in Anderson Park.Dan Campeas and Day Ordonez, local residents and owners of Dan & Day’s Burgers and Shakes and Farmhouse Fried Chicken, came up with the idea for the festival after feeling that Upper Montc...
NJ.com •

Beloved N.J. library to abruptly shutter over health concerns. Mayor says they're ‘unfounded.’

A Somerset County library is abruptly closing its doors next week over poor air quality and mold issues, library officials announced.But one public official criticized the decision, pointing to “unfounded accusations” of health concerns in a pointed letter to a library administrator.The Somerville branch — part of the Somerset County Library System of New Jersey — will officially close July 31 at its current location at 35 West End Ave.Library officials pointed to the building’s aging infrastruc...
NJ.com •

A N.J. town shut down a princess cafe — now the owners are speaking out

The owners of Bella Princess and La Bella Cafe say they are being forced to close their Verona location after the township rescinded a permit which it had issued in 2023, despite what they describe as two-and-a-half years of operation without incident.Martha Peralta and Karissa Teixeira, a mother-daughter team who own a women- and Latina-owned business, said the Verona Board of Adjustment denied their appeal and ordered them to close their doors. The company offered packages for people to hold p...
New Jersey Hills •

The tale of two fire districts: How Hanover Township may be one step closer to consolidating its fire districts

HANOVER TWP. – Residents packed the apparatus bay inside Cedar Knolls Fire Department’s firehouse on Monday, Oct. 27, for a joint meeting between the township’s two fire districts.

For more than 90 minutes, fire commissioners and residents went back and forth over a decades-old problem: how to merge the fire districts into one.

The meeting began with some progress: the commissioners voted to formally adopt a plan to merge the districts.
New Jersey Hills •

Denville judge recuses himself from Morristown Councilwoman Foster's DUI case

MORRISTOWN - Denville Township Municipal Court Judge Gerard Smith recused himself from Councilwoman Toshiba Foster’s driving while under the influence case on Thursday, Nov. 6, after Terry Webb, Foster’s attorney, argued there is an “appearance of impropriety.”

Webb requested that the Denville Township Municipal Court recuse itself from this case, and that the case be moved to another county.

The basis for this request was pretrial publicity of the case, and that Webb had filed a motion to protect information surrounding the case from being subject to state Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests before information was released to the press.
New Jersey Hills •

BREAKING: Hanover Township Committee introduces ordinance to acquire Red Carpet Inn and Scottish Inn

HANOVER TWP. – The Township Committee introduced an ordinance on Thursday, Oct. 23 to acquire the property that the Red Carpet Inn and Scottish Inn are located at on Route 10.

The ordinance states that the purpose of the acquisition is to address the town’s affordable housing requirements. The property can either be acquired through a “negotiated contract or, if necessary, by eminent domain,” according to a press release from the township.

“The township’s Affordable Housing Plan has been challenged by five objectors, which has forced the committee to look at sites that may be acquired and developed or redeveloped for affordable housing, including senior age restricted affordable housing,” Mayor Thomas “Ace” Gallagher said.
New Jersey Hills •

Police body camera footage shows arrest of Morristown Councilwoman Toshiba Foster

MORRISTOWN – Police body-worn camera footage obtained from the Denville Township Police Department shows Councilwoman Toshiba Foster being pulled over, being administered field sobriety tests and being arrested on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Foster was arrested around 10:30 p.m. on Route 53 for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving and driving an unregistered vehicle.
New Jersey Hills •

'This is not normal:' Thousands protest Trump adminstration in second No Kings rally in Morristown

MORRISTOWN - Thousands of protestors crowded Morristown Town Hall on South Street on Saturday, Oct. 18 for the second “No Kings” protest.

Protestors held signs protesting President Donald Trump’s actions concerning immigration, civil rights, executive overreach and more. Some even wore inflatable dinosaur and unicorn suits.

The protest in Morristown was one of 2,500 across the nation, drawing about seven million protestors. Locally, published reports had the crowd count in Morristown at 8,000.
New Jersey Hills •

Residents bring more concerns about Red Carpet Inn to Hanover Township Committee

HANOVER TWP. – A former Red Carpet Inn resident told the Township Committee on Thursday, Oct. 9 that after she attempted to bring food and supplies to residents of the establishment, its management banned her from the premises.

Lindsay Holleran, who was placed in the Red Carpet Inn by the Morris County Office of Temporary Assistance in October 2023 and stayed there until July 2025, said during the public comments portion of the Oct. 9 Township Council meeting that she had been attempting to assist Hanover resident Terri Baird in bringing food and toiletries to residents of the hotel who needed them.
New Jersey Hills •

Jury awards $5 million to Delbarton graduate in sexual abuse case

MORRISTOWN – A state Superior Court jury on Wednesday, Oct. 8, awarded $5 million in compensatory damages to a former Delbarton School student who said he was sexually abused by a monk at the school.

The plaintiff, who only was identified by the initials T.M., filed the case in February of 2017. He claimed that Richard Lott, a monk at the time at St. Mary’s Abbey, which is connected to Delbarton, sexually abused him in 1976.
New Jersey Hills •

Morris Plains Borough Council argues over boarding ordinance draft

MORRIS PLAINS - Borough Council members went back and forth over a proposed boarding ordinance, specifically over how to properly enforce it, at the council’s Thursday, Oct. 2 meeting.

Councilman Bill Houston shared copies of the draft with the rest of the council during the conference session of the meeting. The ordinance addresses concerns from residents that single-family homes in the borough are being occupied by more than one family.
New Jersey Hills •

Morristown Councilwoman Foster charged with driving while intoxicated in Denville

MORRISTOWN - Councilwoman Toshiba Foster was arrested for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving and driving an unregistered vehicle on Route 53 in Denville at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, according to the Denville police.

Foster, a Democrat who is running for re-election to the council in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election, has “pled not guilty,” according to a statement provided to the Morris NewsBee on Monday, Oct. 6 by Terry Webb, the Morristown attorney representing her in this case.
New Jersey Hills •

Jack Ciattarelli visits Sorrento Bakery in East Hanover

HANOVER TWP. – Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli stopped at Sorrento Bakery on Eagle Rock Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 14 to meet with residents.

Scores of residents from East Hanover and nearby towns showed up to show their support.

In his speech, Ciattarelli railed against his Democrat opponent Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11, the Democratic candidate for governor, and her stances on education, taxes, immigration and more.
New Jersey Hills •

Mikie Sherrill unveils transparency plan for New Jersey in Morristown

MORRISTOWN – New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11, spoke in front of the statue of Thomas Paine at Burnham Park on Friday, Sept. 12, about her plan to make state government spending more transparent if she is elected on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

“Given that we’re here standing in front of the statue of Thomas Paine, I’m going to say something that I think is just common sense, if you will,” Sherrill said. “New Jerseyans need to know where their tax dollars are going. They need accountability.”
New Jersey Hills •

Morris Plains residents share experience of Canadian hospitality during Sept. 11 attacks

MORRIS PLAINS – Sue Riccardelli and Maureen Murray almost didn’t board their flight from Paris, France to Newark on Sept. 11, 2001.

“I think we got to the airport at 6:30-ish, and had a hard time finding our car rental return because of the signage, and it was so early, and nobody was around, so we almost missed our flight,” Murray said.

The two Morris Plains residents, did, however, make their way onboard Air France 004. But a couple of hours before they were scheduled to land, their world changed in an instant.
New Jersey Hills •

'It was chaos:' Morris Plains volunteer firefighter recalls responding to Sept. 11 attacks in New York City 24 years later

MORRIS PLAINS – Greg Manning, like most people, remembers exactly what he was doing when he first heard about the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

He was getting ready to leave work and build a house.

“I was currently building a house, and I was supposed to have family day that day, because I was so busy building my house,” the Morris Plains resident said.

But once he had heard the news, his plans changed in an instant.

Manning, who is currently critical care transport nurse and a volunteer firefighter with the Morris Plains Fire Department, was a firefighter with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) on Sept. 11, 2001.
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