Lauren Kidd Ferguson

Community Reporter

lkferguson@dailyvoice.com

Lauren Kidd Ferguson began her journalism career in 2004 as a statehouse reporter for Gannett New Jersey. She was a member of a team that covered state government and politics for seven daily newspapers throughout New Jersey. Her coverage of the McGreevey administration and young voters earned her the New Jersey Press Association’s award for best rookie reporter in the state. Lauren also served as a reporter for Gannett’s flagship New Jersey paper, the Asbury Park Press. She covered communities along the Jersey Shore, and won investigative reporting awards for writing about police brutality in Seaside Park. She has also worked as a speechwriter and spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, as well as a communications manager for Children’s Rights, a national advocacy organization that uses the law to reform foster care systems. Lauren graduated from the College of New Jersey. She grew up in Ringwood, and now calls Waldwick home. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and she’d love to hear yours.

Lauren was formerly a reporter at Daily Voice.

Lauren Kidd Ferguson's Contributions

Oakland Shelter Pets Make Holiday Debut On PEOPLE Website Oakland Shelter Pets Make Holiday Debut On PEOPLE Website
Oakland Shelter Pets Make Holiday Debut On People Website OAKLAND, N.J. – Pet lovers at the Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge in Oakland are hoping some recent publicity will lead more people to open up their hearts and homes to dogs and cats this holiday season. “May the wishes of all of these precious pups and kitties soon come true … and they find the loving homes they have been waiting for,” folks from the shelter wrote in a Facebook post. They were announcing that three dogs and one cat from the shelter were highlighted in a People.com feature, “22 Dogs and Cats Looking for a Ho-Ho-Home for the Holidays." Oakland shelter workers dressed up do…
Vandalized Wyckoff Headstones Prepped For Expert Repair Vandalized Wyckoff Headstones Prepped For Expert Repair
Vandalized Wyckoff Headstones Prepped For Expert Repair WYCKOFF, N.J. – People may notice something unusual at the Wyckoff Reformed Church cemetery. The black garbage bags dotting the landscape may seem out of place, but they are serving a purpose – and a very important one, according to Nancy Mattera, president of the church’s cemetery association. The church recently hired historic-stone restorer Robert Neal Carpenter to fix about 55 century-old headstones that were knocked to the ground back in October. But Carpenter needs warmer weather before he begins. In the meantime, he is wrapping the damaged stones – some of which were broken into thr…
VIDEO: Elmwood Park Teachers Make Mannequin Challenge For A Cause VIDEO: Elmwood Park Teachers Make Mannequin Challenge For A Cause
Video: Elmwood Park Teachers Make Mannequin Challenge For A Cause ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. – The 16th Avenue School in Elmwood Park froze on Tuesday — and not because of the weather. The staff jumped on a viral internet sensation to make its own mannequin challenge video for a cause. The initative was to help the Ingui Family raise awareness toward its foundation, Rare is Beautiful, aimed at collecting funds to cure Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome. The charity was launched after 15-year-old Denise Ingui, also known as Dee Dee, was diagnosed with the syndrome in 2015.  The rare disease affects the gene that suppresses tumor growth, greatly increasing the risk of cancer…
For Clifton Boy Who Lost Trumpet, Holiday Show Goes On For Clifton Boy Who Lost Trumpet, Holiday Show Goes On
For Clifton Boy Who Lost Trumpet, Holiday Show Goes On CLIFTON, N.J. – A 12-year-old Clifton boy just learned a lesson about the power of the holiday spirit. And the reach of social media. Jakub lost his trumpet when a classmate, playing a prank, hid it in a bush at their bus stop in the morning. By the afternoon, it was gone. Jakub worried he wouldn’t be able to play in his upcoming Christmas concert at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, and posted fliers at the bus stop looking for his instrument. “I put so much hard work to have a chance to participate, and now I can’t. Please help me,” he wrote. And help him people did. The mother of one of …
Oakland Gym Buddies Rally For Their ‘Cheat Spot' Oakland Gym Buddies Rally For Their ‘Cheat Spot'
Oakland Gym Buddies Rally For Their ‘Cheat Spot' OAKLAND, N.J. – For about a year, a group of friends who met at Lakeside Fitness Center in Oakland have used group texts to motivate each other to work out and eat healthy. Last week their messages took on a new mission. One of them learned their favorite “cheat spot,” the Oakland Diner, had caught fire, and their beloved waitstaff would be out of work for at least weeks as damage is repaired. “Colleen texted, ‘the Oakland Diner is on fire,’” Amy Pagan, of Ringwood, said Friday as she and her gym buddies gathered at a holiday party. Then someone responded, “'We have to do something.' Nuran…
Mahwah Brothers Open Pools, Wallets For Autism Research Mahwah Brothers Open Pools, Wallets For Autism Research
Mahwah Brothers Open Pools, Wallets For Autism Research MAHWAH, N.J. – Derek and Logan Thoelen do a lot together.  They play sports, share friends and work side by side. Now the Mahwah brothers have something new to add to the list: raise and donate money for autism research. Derek, who owns Mahwah-based Oasis Pool Service, decided his company would donate $10 for every pool it opened during the past season to an autism-related charity. Which charity? That was up to Logan, who has autism. Logan recently chose the Organization for Autism Research. The non-profit has funded more than $3.5 million in new autism research since 2002. “It is reall…
Demolition Starts at Wyckoff ShopRite Site, Store Could Open By November Demolition Starts at Wyckoff ShopRite Site, Store Could Open By November
Demolition Starts at Wyckoff ShopRite Site, Store Could Open By November WYCKOFF, N.J. – Demolition has started at the site of the planned ShopRite at the corner of Greenwood and Wyckoff Avenues, despite unresolved legal challenges from a neighboring competitor. “We are thrilled to finally take these preliminary site preparation steps and be moving toward our goal of opening a modern supermarket in Wyckoff next year,” said Lawrence Inserra, Jr., chairman and CEO of Inserra Supermarkets, which operates ShopRite stores throughout North Jersey. Inserra hopes to open the new 62,000-square-foot store by November of 2017. The project was approved by the Wyckoff Plann…
Oakland Diner Regulars Raise Funds For Workers Sidelined By Blaze Oakland Diner Regulars Raise Funds For Workers Sidelined By Blaze
Oakland Diner Regulars Raise Funds For Workers Sidelined By Blaze OAKLAND, N.J. – Oakland Diner regulars are banding together to raise money for staff of the popular eatery after a fire Wednesday forced the business to close until damage can be fixed. A Go Fund Me to support the workers had already garnered nearly $3,000 by Thursday morning. Following the fire that started in the boiler room, owner Harry Mihas told Daily Voice he was upset because, with the diner closed for at least weeks, it would affect his workers, some of whom are single mothers and rely on tips and their paychecks to support their families. “It is right before Christmas and I have s…
Candy Is A Family Affair For Owners Of New Wyckoff Sweet Shop Candy Is A Family Affair For Owners Of New Wyckoff Sweet Shop
Candy Is A Family Affair For Owners Of New Wyckoff Sweet Shop WYCKOFF, N.J. – Wyckoff’s newest candy shop has a rich history, and there are photos on the wall to prove it. Scott and Cris Meyer held the soft opening for Meyer’s House of Sweets just last week. And one of the first things the couple did to prepare was hang black and white photos near the entrance. The photos are of Meyer’s Luncheonette, a spot that Scott’s grandparents opened in Jersey City in 1904. It sold homemade candy, just like the Meyers' new location in the Wyckoff Shopping Center on Wyckoff Avenue. The art of candy-making was passed down through the generations and has remained …
Blaze Closes Oakland Diner, Owner Worries About Sidelined Workers Blaze Closes Oakland Diner, Owner Worries About Sidelined Workers
Blaze Closes Oakland Diner, Owner Worries About Sidelined Workers OAKLAND, N.J. – The Oakland Diner will be closed for the next several weeks due to a fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon. The fire started in the boiler room and quickly spread to the women's bathroom, owner Harry Mihas said. Both are severely damaged, and responders had to cut a hole in the roof. The restaurant – which won the DVLicious Diner Competition – was filled with guests when the fire broke out, Mihas said. No one was injured. Mihas is concerned for his employees, many of whom are single mothers and rely on tips and their paychecks to support their families. “It is right befo…
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