FMERA executive director steps down to take Netflix post. June 27, 2026 Kara Kopach of Eatontown Named Director of Studio Operations for Entertainment Company By Laura D.C. Kolnoski FORT MONMOUTH - Kara Kopach, who has served as executive director/secretary of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) since 2022, will vacate that post effective July 1 for one of the first positions offered by Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth - manager of studio operations. She will join the entertainment firm in mid-July. Following Kopach's resignation announcement during her last official authority meeting June 17, the board voted unanimously to appoint Laura Drahushak, FMERA managing director, as interim executive director/secretary. Board members have until September's annual reorganization meeting to name a permanent replacement. Netflix purchased 292 acres of the former U.S. Army base for $55 million, successfully completed a lengthy approval process, broke ground in May 2025, demolished some 90 obsolete structures, and is on track to open Phase 1 of its studios next year, with Phase 2 slated for 2028. A "topping off" ceremony marking construction of the first four of 12 soundstages was held on the property Tuesday. (See article starting on page 1.) Kopach, an Eatontown native and lifelong resident, joined FMERA in 2015, serving as real estate development manager, deputy executive director and director of real estate development. She was appointed executive director/secretary after the retirement of Bruce Steadman, who served in that position from 2010 until 2022. A graduate of the University of Scranton, she began working on the fort for the U.S. Defense Department, attending Seton Hall Law School at night. While many civilian staff relocated to Maryland after the fort's closure, Kopach chose to remain in the area to be near family and friends, she said. Several of her family members are military veterans. "Redevelopment has been FMERA's passion project," she said during her final executive director's report, thanking "the county and boroughs for consistently showing up when we needed help and for supporting us well before anyone even understood what we were trying to accomplish here." She also thanked past officials, including Steadman; late chairman Robert Lucky of Fair Haven, who died in 2022; former Oceanport mayor and longtime FMERA member Jay Coffey; and former Monmouth County Commissioner Lillian Burry, who represented the county on the board for over a decade until her death in 2025, "for always trusting us to do the right thing for the community." The authority is a public-private agency overseen by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the attorney general's office. Members include the mayors of the three towns the fort spans - Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls; county commissioner Director Thomas Arnone; and representatives from state departments, including environmental protection, housing and more. The executive director leads the agency's professional staff, whom Kopach called "a team of rock stars (who are) ridiculously smart, driven, and feel a call to help this community in the same way I do." "We are community stewards partnering with the three towns and county as much as the developers," she said during a recent podcast. "We take the historic aspects very seriously as they are part of the character of the fort. The developers have done a good job complying with the rules and guidelines." During last week's meeting, Eatontown Mayor Anthony Talerico Jr., recalling the fort's "volatile early redevelopment," said, "When I was an irritable person, Kara talked me off the ledge a number of times." He read a proclamation from the borough council declaring June 17 "Kara Kopach Day" in Eatontown and citing her for "accomplishing the impossible" through problem-solving, addressing environmental concerns, and overseeing the replacement of aging infrastructure, including electrical and water systems, throughout the fort. The proclamation further commended Kopach's "integrity and impartiality" in guiding "some of the most complex real estate transactions in the history of New Jersey." Oceanport Mayor Tom Tvrdik said the next executive director will have "tremendous shoes to fill," adding to Kopach, "I'm proud to call you my friend." "I will greatly miss working with you and have ultimate confidence in Laura and her ability to show grace under pressure," said McKenzie Wilson, FMERA chair. Wilson, an attorney, was named FMERA chair following Lucky's death. (Lucky's late wife, Joan, founded The Two River Times People Pages, which she oversaw for 15 years.) Drahushak formerly worked for the state attorney general's office as a deputy attorney general, focusing on FMERA legal matters. She was named the authority's director of legal affairs in 2022 and was promoted to managing director the following year. A graduate of St. Bonaventure University in New York, she holds a master's degree from Drew University and a Doctor of Law from Rutgers. "Kara's integrity, passion and work ethic have been integral to the incredible progress the authority has made in the last four years, and she will be deeply missed," Drahushak said. "Although this is a new chapter for FMERA, our team remains deeply committed to the Fort Monmouth community and completing FMERA's mission." "Leaving FMERA is bittersweet," Kopach said. "While there is still work to be done, nearly 90% of the fort is sold or under contract. The team has achieved a lot since 2011 and it seemed like the right time, as FMERA is in its final chapters. I'm excited for the opportunity to work at the fort in a different capacity as it enters a new era. I want to climb the next mountain. To date, 39 parcels have been sold throughout the 1,126-acre site. The article originally appeared in the June 25 - July 1, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.

Netflix greenlights new chapter of The Monster of Florence. News Posted by By Paul M June 27, 2026 Netflix has begun production on a new three-episode instalment of The Monster of Florence, returning to Italy's most notorious unsolved serial killer case just eight months after the first four-part series premiered in October 2025. Director Stefano Sollima is back, along with co-creator Leonardo Fasoli, the pair who previously worked together on Gomorrah and ZeroZeroZero. Where the first chapter examined the so-called Sardinian lead, following four separate suspects across four episodes, this new instalment shifts focus to perhaps the most infamous phase of the investigation: the case against Pietro Pacciani, a Tuscan farm worker convicted in 1994 of seven of the eight murders, whose conviction was overturned on appeal in 1996 before he died in 1998. Pacciani's alleged associates, nicknamed the "Snack Buddies" by the Italian press, come under scrutiny too. Sollima has described the structure as a true anthology, with each chapter dedicated to a different thread of an investigation that ran for more than 30 years. "Perhaps this is also why Pacciani's case remains the most disturbing," he said in a statement. "Guilt has never been proven, but also never completely ruled out." The first series had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and shot to the top of Netflix's global non-English-language chart shortly after release. TV Shows & Programs The new instalment is produced by Wildside, a Fremantle company, and Sollima's AlterEgo production shingle, with Sonia Rovai, Gina Gardini and Lorenzo Mieli among the producers. Netflix has confirmed the series is "coming soon" globally but has not set a specific premiere window. Discover more TV Talk Shows DVD & Video Rentals TV & Video

Stranger Things Final Season at Halloween Horror Nights. June 18, 2026 - 0 comments Stranger Things Final Season at Halloween Horror Nights: event overview. Stranger Things Final Season at Halloween Horror Nights is an immersive live-event attraction produced by Universal Creative in partnership with Netflix. It adapts the narrative of the final season of the television series Stranger Things into a walk-through haunted maze at Universal Studios theme parks. The experience solves the problem of translating a streaming series' climax into a visceral, in-person horror attraction for fans. Key facts. | Attribute | Value | | Event Name | Stranger Things (Final Season) at Halloween Horror Nights 2026 | | Locations | Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort | | Operating Period | September 2 - October 31, 2026 | | Ticket Price Range | $79 - $129 per person (single-night admission) | | Average Walkthrough Time | 15-20 minutes | | Maze Size | Approximately 30,000 square feet | | Licensed Property | Netflix's Stranger Things (final season) | | Source Article Date | June 2026 (The Movie Blog) | How does the Stranger Things Final Season maze work? The maze operates as a linear walkthrough in which guests navigate recreations of key sets from the final season, including the Upside Down, Hawkins Lab, and the Creel House. Scare actors portraying Vecna, Demogorgons, and other creatures emerge from hidden alcoves. The attraction uses projection mapping, tactile fog, and audio cues synchronized to the show's soundtrack to create a 360-degree horror experience. "This marks the first time a series' final season has been adapted into a Halloween Horror Nights attraction while the season is still airing," stated a Universal Creative spokesperson in the source article. - The Movie Blog, June 2026 The maze covers 30,000 square feet and features 12 distinct scene rooms, each replicating a specific plot point from the season's first four episodes. Who is This event for? This attraction is designed for adult fans (ages 13 and up) of Stranger Things who seek a high-intensity, theatrical horror experience. It is not recommended for children under 10 or individuals with extreme sensitivity to loud noises, strobe lights, or sudden scares. The event targets dedicated Netflix viewers who want to "live through" the season's scariest moments before the series finale airs. Compared to other Halloween Horror Nights mazes, the Stranger Things final-season maze uses more advanced animatronics and licensed props. In 2025, the average guest satisfaction rating for IP-based mazes at the event was 4.7 out of 5 stars, according to internal Universal surveys cited in the article. Approximately 65% of Halloween Horror Nights attendees in 2025 cited a licensed TV or film property as their primary reason for purchasing a ticket. Common questions. Is the Stranger Things final season maze too scary for a casual fan? The maze includes intense jump scares, confined spaces, and dark environments. Casual fans who prefer the show's nostalgic elements may find the experience overwhelming. Universal recommends it for guests with a "high tolerance for horror." Can I buy a separate ticket just for the Stranger Things maze? No. Admission to the maze is included with a standard Halloween Horror Nights ticket. No separate upcharge is required. However, an Express Pass (starting at $40 extra) allows reduced wait times. Will there be exclusive merchandise tied to the final season attraction? Yes. Universal will sell limited-edition t-shirts, glow-in-the-dark cups, and replica props at the event's dedicated gift shop. The article notes that "collector's pins commemorating the final season maze will be available only during the event." Sources and methodology. This article is based on the primary source "Stranger Things Final Season at Halloween Horror Nights" published by The Movie Blog in June 2026 (https://www.themovieblog.com/2026/06/stranger-things-final-season-halloween-horror-nights/). Additional operational details (ticket prices, maze size) were derived from Universal Studios' official event announcements referenced in the original article. No currency or unit conversions were required. This article was last updated on September 2025.