E-ZPass not working? Here's why

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Thursday:

⬛ Iconic children's attraction in NJ set to reopen after 21 years

Cottage at Fairy Tale Forest (Fairy Tale Forest via Facebook)

https://nj1015.com/fairy-tale-park-soft-opening/

Fairy Tale Forest, which closed in 2003, will be back in business with a soft opening on Thursday, Aug. 8 of its Brothers Grimm-themed cottages, according to the park's website. A post on the park's Facebook page for hiring a cook, counter help & park hosts/entertainers drew positive comments about the park's reopening.

⬛ Pilot parachutes to safety before plane crashes near AC Airport

Pilot's parachute, plane crash in Galloway Township 7/31/24 (6 ABC Action News)

GALLOWAY — A pilot parachuted to safety before his plane crashed in a wooded area near Atlantic City International Airport Wednesday afternoon, reports say.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Corey said a single-engine Cirrus SR-22 went down around 3:40 p.m. Video shows a red and white parachute in the trees with the plane's wreckage next to it.

6ABC Action News reported the plane went down along Genoa Ave at the intersection of Liebig Street.

⬛ Whale sightings at 'unusually high numbers' near NJ

Canva/Townsquare Media Illustration

Viking Yacht Company, out of Burlington County, took to Facebook days ago to share about “unusually high numbers” of North Atlantic Right Whales around the region.

Sightings have been identified in the New York Bight from the Block Canyon to the Hudson Canyon, according to the Asbury Park Press.

The presence is making news because the whale species is listed as “one of the world’s most endangered large whale species,” according to the NOAA species directory. They can weigh as much as 140,000 lbs. and can live to be 70.

⬛ Freehold Twp schools investigate cyberattack, cause not disclosed

Laura Donovan School in Freehold (Joseph Hewes), letter from Superintendent about cyber security listener incident (listener submitted)

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — A school district crippled by a "cyber security" incident in January has released a statement about its investigation.

Freehold Township schools were closed on Jan. 29 after "technical issues to a cybersecurity incident in our network environment" affected access to networks "crucial for daily operations."

Superintendent Neal Dickstein did not disclose at the time the extent of the systems affected but told parents that when school reopened the following day there would be no email, the only communication to the district's eight schools would be via telephone with the main office and students should leave their Chromebooks home. He promised transparency in the investigation into the incident.

⬛ E-ZPass failures — This is why its happening in New Jersey

Canva/Townsquare Media illustration

You go through the E-ZPass lane and out of the corner of your eye you see the message “Call E-ZPass” or “Toll Not Paid.”

Day ruined.

That almost certainly means a violation is coming in the mail.

Even if you think your E-ZPass account is in good standing and your transponder is linked to the correct vehicle, there are sometimes glitches.

If you suspect that your E-ZPass tag is not working, there can be several reasons why and most are easy fixes.

Best NJ spots for boba drinks

Years after first showing up in the U.S. by way of Taiwan, Boba tea drinks have surged to popularity across New Jersey.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

FBI's Top 5 Most Wanted violent fugitives in NJ

The FBI currently lists more than two dozen fugitives with ties to New Jersey on their ‘most wanted list.’ These are the five most violent and dangerous suspects.

Gallery Credit: Eric Scott