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New Jersey's Scott Riccardi appears unbeatable as he keeps rolling on "Jeopardy!" − extending his winning streak to a dozen games.

Riccardi, an engineer from Somerville and 2021 Rutgers graduate, earned $30,400 on the July 18 show to bring his lifetime earnings up to $312,501 − by far the most by any player this season.

On the Friday, July 18 show, he again easily beat his opposition: Julia Broussard, a university administrator from New Orleans, and Ameen Ismail, a particle physicist originally from Ottawa.

Once again, Riccardi had the game wrapped up before Final Jeopardy.

The Final Jeopary was: "Expanding on a word created by a Czech playwright, Asimov coined this term in 1941 for a branch of science that didn’t exist yet."

All three contestants had the correct answer: "What is Robotics?"

The final money totals were: Riccardi with $30,400, Broussard $6,200 and Ismail $2,705.

Riccardi is by far the winningest contestant on this season of the long-running game show.

According to the show's Tournament of Champions tracker, Riccardi's streak has him ahead of eight-time champ Laura Faddah on this season's leaderboard. The season began Sept. 9, 2024 and three other contestants have reached the six-game threshold.

He also has already qualified for the Season 41 Tournament of Champions. The annual competition is generally reserved for contestants who earn at least five "Jeopardy!" wins, although the show may invite champions with fewer victories if there are not enough five-game winners.

Staff writer Kyle Morel contributed to this article.

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Already tired of the heat? You may have to wait a while for relief, as the Old Farmer's Almanac predicts that most of New Jersey will experience above-average temperatures this fall.

The almanac released its fall forecast for 2025, and while most of the Northeast is expected to have a cool fall, the season in New Jersey should be warmer than usual, which also is expected in most of the country.

Neighboring states New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut look to experience mostly below-average temperatures this fall, but most of the Garden State will see warmer conditions. On the fall forecast map, red, symbolizing above-average temperature, covers most of the state except portions of the northeast and northwest, where temperatures are expected to be below average.

New Jersey may be split in temperatures, but the state, along with the rest of the country, is predicted to have a dry fall. Most of the country should experience below-average rainfall, the Old Farmer's Almanac says.

Dry conditions could be worrisome for the state. In fall 2024, New Jersey experienced the driest autumn on record, leading to a drought warning that lasted until June 2025.

This past October was the driest month in the state's history, said a report from State Climatologist David Robinson. The total precipitation was 4 inches below the monthly average.

Not only was it dry last year, but temperatures were also warmer than usual. It was the state's fourth-warmest fall of the past 130 years, Robinson's report said. Warm falls have been constant in New Jersey over the past two decades, with nine of the 10 warmest falls in the state's history occurring since 2005.

It wasn't just the fall. It was a hot year in New Jersey in 2024, possibly ranking as the warmest or second-warmest in the state's history, Robinson said.

Although the expectation is a warm fall, the weather is unpredictable. The Old Farmer's Almanac, which has been predicting climates since George Washington was president, says it has an 80% accuracy rate.

The almanac was not accurate in predicting New Jersey's climate for fall 2024. It predicted below-average temperatures and precipitation, which proved to be wrong.

2-minute read

Local, county and state officials gathered in Newark on July 15 to kick off work on the first phase of The Greenway — the state's newest park.

The Greenway is a 9-mile, 100-foot-wide former rail line that stretches through Essex and Hudson counties. The rail line will be fully restored, offering residents alternative ways of transportation, various green spaces, outdoor gathering spots and other amenities.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is leading the project while the New Jersey Economic Development Authority is overseeing construction. NJ Transit is also collaborating in the project and will potentially expand the Secaucus-Meadowlands Transitway into the park.

Once complete, The Greenway will connect eight municipalities: Jersey City, Secaucus, Kearny, Newark, Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge and Montclair.

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The Newark portion of The Greenway will span a mile from Branch Brook Park to Broadway Avenue, with the path being ADA compliant and lined with native plants.

The linear path will feature downward-facing lighting and designated lanes for cyclists and walkers, encouraging safe speeds and practices for all. There will be three major gathering spaces along the path:

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This segment of The Greenway represents the largest single investment in state history for the development of a new state park at $69.2 million. This phase is to be completed by the end of 2026.

Want to discover more walkways across Jersey? Check these out:

Spanning from Fort Lee to Bayonne, this scenic waterfront features parks, seating and skyline views. The path connects several riverfront towns and offers uninterrupted stretches for pedestrians and cyclists along the Hudson River.

Opened in June 2025, this recreational path was built on a former railway. The trail goes from Pequannock Township to Wayne and connects neighborhoods and the Mountain View Train Station.

This Essex County trail spans the former 10468026002. Featuring remnants of the original railroad, the trail is a historic and quaint place for walking, hiking and biking.

Mosquito spraying will continue throughout the week in the Paramus area to help Bergen County bite back against the spread of diseases like West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis.

Lodi, Bergenfield, Dumont, Bogota and Teaneck have already had sprayings completed, which began at the end of June.

The county is scheduled to do further early-morning applications in:

All spraying takes place from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. Maps of scheduled spray areas are available on the county Mosquito Control website.

For the week of July 10, there were 11 pools of mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile virus statewide, including four in Bergen County and one in Morris County, according to the state Health Department. So far in 2025, there have been 34 pools that have tested positive around New Jersey, including 10 in Bergen and two in Morris.

West Nile Virus and eastern equine encephalitis can cause mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea and sometimes rashes, but in some cases can cause severe symptoms including high fever, stiff neck, mental confusion or disorientation, seizures and paralysis.

Precautions during mosquito spraying

While the sprayings are happening overnight, the Bergen County Mosquito Control Division listed a few precautions for residents on its website, including:

The Bergen County Mosquito Control Division removes blockages from county waterways and maintains drainage systems to remove water that breeds mosquitos. But in areas that can't be managed in this way, it is necessary to spray chemicals to kill larvae, according to the division’s website.

“We choose only low-impact products for this purpose, and these products are distributed by our trained staff,” said an explanation on the website. “Locations receive treatment only when surveys show that large numbers of mosquitoes are a threat to populated regions.”

Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco also discussed some steps people can take this summer in a Youtube video posted on the county’s website:

For more information about the spraying, contact Bergen County Mosquito Control at (201) 634-2880/2881 or the county Department of Health Services at (201) 634-2600.

3-minute read

Summer brings lots of great stuff — sun, warm weather, vacations and beach days — but it also brings some unpleasant and unwanted critters. Namely, mosquitoes.

In a season where people want to be outside, how do they avoid getting bitten? And how do they avoid the diseases that mosquitoes can carry?

The best approach to avoiding mosquitoes and their bites is to reduce their population, by limiting the amount of standing water on your property, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Standing water — as little as what can collect in a plastic bottle cap — is a common breeding ground for mosquitoes, some of which carry diseases, including the West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis and Jamestown Canyon virus.

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“New Jersey’s Mosquito Control Commission works with the county-level commissions to ensure best practices statewide in combatting the nuisances and risks that result from breeding mosquitoes,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette.

“However, it is just as important for the public to do their part by eliminating standing water and doing seasonal home maintenance that can help protect public health,” he said in a recent statement.

While most people infected with the West Nile virus or eastern equine encephalitis do not experience symptoms, mild symptoms may appear including fever, headache, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea and sometimes rashes. Severe symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, mental confusion or disorientation, seizures and paralysis.

Common symptoms of the Jamestown Canyon virus include fever, headache and fatigue, and in more severe cases encephalitis, or brain inflammation.

There are no treatments or vaccines to prevent or treat these diseases, the department said.

Eliminate standing water

To help eliminate standing water, the department said to clear clogged or damaged rain gutters, dispose of or turn over unused outdoor containers, change bird bath water and clean and chlorinate pools.

Stock ponds that have standing water with fish that eat mosquitos — this also helps diminish the population.

Aside from eliminating standing water, the department said taking precautions against bites is the best way to avoid catching these diseases.

As of the week of July 10, the incidence rate in 2025 of West Nile virus has been 4 per 100,000 people in Bergen County, 2.8 per 100,000 in Passaic, 1.8 in Morris and 0.7 in Sussex, according to the state Health Department.

Simple ways to avoid bites

To avoid mosquito bites, stay in air-conditioned rooms with window screens, wear long-sleeved clothing and use Environmental Protection Agency registered insect repellents.

How common is West Nile in 2025?

For the week of July 10, statewide there were 11 pools of mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile virus, including 4 in Bergen County and one in Morris County, according to the state Health Department.

So far in 2025, there have been 34 pools that have tested positive statewide, including 10 in Bergen and 2 in Morris.

Why do mosquitoes bite?

Of the 2,600 mosquito species worldwide, 63 species live in New Jersey, and in any one county there are only about a dozen species that tend to bite humans. Only female mosquitoes of any species bite; they need the blood meal for protein so they can lay their eggs.

How far can they fly?

Flight ranges of mosquitoes vary from species to species. Some species in New Jersey seldom fly more than a few feet from their resting habitat, while others can fly over 50 miles in search of a blood meal, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

What is a mosquito's life cycle?

Adults start flying by April or May. The larvae hatch from eggs in the water and remain there during development, about five to seven days, according to the DEP.

The larvae then go through the pupal, or resting, stage, for about a day. Adult mosquitoes emerge from this stage and take flight.

Adult male and female mosquitoes then mate.

Once the female has mated, she looks for a blood meal, which she uses to develop a batch of eggs, and the entire life cycle is started over again when she lays eggs on the water surface or in areas prone to flooding.

When do they go away?

Mosquitoes' taking of a blood meal, or host-seeking, is very temperature-dependent. Once the air temperature falls below 60 degrees and the light-dark cycle shifts in the fall, this behavior ceases, according to the DEP, and they go into hibernation.

Winter doesn't give us a very long respite from them. Some species are active in this area as early as February.

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