Some Of 2025's Oddest, Strangest, And Most Shocking Stories From North Jersey

NORTH JERSEY — North Jersey is no stranger to weird happenings. In 2025, however, we saw some real odd ones. Between bears in dollar stores and underpants world records, let's take a look at some of Patch's strangest and sometimes shocking stories across Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties this year.

1. Sinkhole(s)

While I-80's initial sinkhole occurred almost exactly one year ago, it was in 2025 when drivers really felt its effects. After months of construction delays (partially due to additional sinkholes opening up), I-80 was finally fully reopened during the summer.

Officials say the cause of the sinkholes was due to abandoned mine shafts collapsing beneath the roadways. Some state leaders, including Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, are working to address those mines and keep this from happening again.

Coverage:

• New Video Shows Response To Massive Sinkhole in New Jersey
• I-80 Sinkhole Repairs Delayed: Here's When Lanes May Reopen
• State Officials Call For 'Swift Action' Following I-80 Sinkhole Crisis

2. Bear Visits Dollar Store, Bites Woman

It was in Sussex County where a bear stumbled into a Dollar Tree moments after attacking a dog. After perusing the aisles for a bit, it bit a 90-year-old woman on the leg.

Video captured on a cell phone shows a brave soul escorting the black bear out of the store. Luckily, the woman survived her minor injuries. The same couldn't be said for the bear, which was euthanized by police behind the establishment.

Coverage:

• Bear Killed After Biting Woman In NJ Dollar Store (See Video)
• Rabies Test Results In On Bear That Bit Woman At NJ Dollar Store

3. Six Earthquakes Shake Up Morris County

New Jersey has never been known for its earthquakes. That's why residents were particularly shaken up when not one, not two, but six tremors hit North Jersey within 24 hours.

What makes this already uncommon phenomenon even stranger is that five of the six earthquakes originated in one town: Randolph. The quakes had varying magnitudes, and no injuries or damage were reported.

Coverage: 6 Earthquakes In 24 Hours Confirmed In NJ—5 In One Town

4. M&M Truck Spills Candy All Over NJ Highway

If you were driving on I-80 West in Knowlton around 10:15 p.m. on Sept. 15, you may have hit some real 'sweet' traffic, as thousands of bags of M&M candy were sprawled across the highway.

A truck carrying the chocolate treats struck a tractor-trailer parked on the highway's shoulder, resulting in tons of candy pouring onto the road. Traffic was delayed, and a pretty hefty clean-up was required, but no injuries were reported.

Coverage: Piles Of M&Ms Pour Onto NJ Highway Following Tractor-Trailer Crash

5. Most Underpants World-Record Attempt

People-watching on Morristown's Morristown Green is nothing new, but watching a grown man attempt to put on hundreds of pairs of underpants is not what anyone expects to see.

Jaii Xander, an up-and-coming streamer and homelessness awareness advocate, attempted to put on 300 pairs of underwear in the middle of the park, all for charity. He was trying to beat the Guinness World Record for most pairs of underpants worn at a time.

Formerly homeless himself, Xander collected donations to give to the Market Street Mission nonprofit. While he was unable to complete his underpants feat the first time around, he intends to try again.

Coverage: Morristown Man To Wear A Record-Breaking Amount Of Underpants For Charity

6. When A Horror Icon Stopped By An NJ Diner For Coffee

Any New Jerseyan can imagine a diner in their head. The stools, the muffins display, and the waitress who works every Sunday morning and knows your order to a tee. One might not picture the masked face of a camp counselor-killing horror movie icon sitting in the booth across from you.

At the Blairstown Diner, patrons were joined by Jason Voorhees, the big bad from the "Friday the 13th" movie franchise. Decades ago, the first film was shot in the Blairstown Diner. Now, its owners have fully embraced its spooky and iconic history.

Aside from Jason meet-and-greets, the diner also offers "Friday the 13th"-themed merchandise, hot sauce, coffee, and more.

Coverage: This NJ Diner Leans Into Its Horror Movie History

7. Explanation Of Drone Phenomena?

While mysterious drone sightings in North Jersey may have peaked in the final weeks of 2024, it was this past October that we got a possible explanation for the flying lights.

The New York Post reported two months ago that an unnamed contractor claimed responsibility for the drone sightings last year in the state. It goes on to describe that the "drones" were incredibly advanced and moved in an unnatural way, consistent with the way witnesses described the odd lights in 2024.

However, a separate report from NJ.com says that the ‘unnamed contractor’ mentioned in the Post article claims to have never flown over New Jersey. So it's hard to say exactly what the drones were at this point.

Coverage:

• NJ’s Drone Sighting Mystery Might Be Solved: What We Know
• White House Gives Explanation For NJ Drone Mystery

8. Live Grenade Found In NJ Backyard

A more recent odd story comes out of Passaic County, where a resident found a grenade buried in their backyard.

Sure enough, the explosive was live, according to police.

Officials believed it to be a WWII-era grenade that was owned by a veteran who lived there previously.

Coverage: Live Grenade Discovered In NJ Backyard, Residents Evacuated

9. First Locally Acquired Malaria Case In Nearly 30 Years

One case of malaria reported back in August was believed by health officials to be the first locally acquired case in 27 years.

While there are typically 100 cases of malaria in New Jersey every year, most often they are travel-related. August's case, out of Morris County, was the first locally acquired one since 1998, officials said.

Coverage: Malaria Confirmed In This NJ County, Believed To Be 1st Locally Acquired Case In 27 Years