Check Out August's Most Popular Stories

• Like us on Facebook 
• Follow us on Twitter 
• Sign up for our daily newsletter

New Jersey State Assemblyman Robert Schroeder was charged Friday with writing almost $400,000 worth of bogus checks, according to a press release from the state attorney general's office.

Schroeder allegedly wrote the checks to people who invested in his Hillsdale-based company, All Points International Distributors. The company manufactures pre-fabricated structures. Most of the company's business has been with the federal government, according to the press release.

The Washington Township-based filed seven lawsuits against State Assemblyman Robert Schroeder Monday, alleging Schroeder owes more than $3.5 million on defaulted loans.

A sudden but intense storm Wednesday afternoon led to numerous road closures and dangerous situations, including downed power lines and flooding around Hillsdale and Westwood and also caused some traffic delays in Washington Township.

State Assemblyman Robert Schroeder said he would not give up his seat after being charged with writing almost $400,000 in bad checks, according to a report on NJ.com.

Schroeder said Monday he would not step down from his seat in the New Jersey State Assembly, according to the report. He had previously admitted to writing about $100,000 in bad checks and said the debt had already been paid.

Occupy Bergen County, a local group inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protests, is planning a protest in Westwood Saturday.

A message posted online indicated the group would be focusing their action against  and  on Broadway, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Washington Township Council Vice President Joseph D'Urso filed a lawsuit against State Assemblyman Robert Schroeder this week, alleging Schroeder never paid back more than $330,000 in loans and that he gave D'Urso several checks which bounced.

D'Urso's complaint describes the relationship between the D'Ursos and Schroeder, which goes back more than 20 years. In 2008, the D'Ursos made three loans to Schroeder totalling $500,000. Schroeder returned the money, but never paid the interest, according to the suit.

 was named the 58th best public high school in New Jersey by a list published by New Jersey Monthly this week. 

The magazine had ranked Westwood as the 92 best school in the state in their previous list, which ran in 2010. 

Pascack Valley High School dropped from 23rd to 73rd and Pascack Hills dropped from 7th to 18th.

Officials from the Bergen County Democratic Committee called for Assemblyman Robert Schroeder to resign from his seat and for county Republicans to return money contributed by Schroeder Monday.

"He has abused the integrity of the office we entrusted in him inorder to borrow millions of dollars from unsuspecting friends, neighbors and associates," District 39 Democratic Chairman Todd Sherer said in a press release. "I do not see how he can fulfill the duties for which he was elected and he should resign immediately."

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate at Jim.Leggate@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.