A new national ranking reveals the top communities for Americans to spend their retirement years.

U.S. News & World Report released its 2027 Best Places to Retire list on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The website evaluated more than 850 cities based on factors like affordability, quality of life, health care access, and taxes for retirees.

Affordability became the top priority in this year's rankings as Americans continue facing higher living costs and inflation. U.S. News adjusted its scoring system to give more weight to the financial concerns of people approaching retirement.

Midland, Michigan, claimed the No. 1 spot for the second straight year, ranking highly for affordability and taxes.

"Retirees are seeking a place that gives them a sense of security and comfort as they live out their golden years," said Megan Wood, assistant managing editor of home services and real estate. "Whether that comfort prioritizes scenic nature spots, access to multi-cultural experiences, or everyday affordability, places like Midland, Michigan, offer financial safety while still providing a good quality of life."

Two communities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic cracked the top 10: Altoona, Pennsylvania, and Lynchburg, Virginia. Altoona climbed one spot to No. 7, while Lynchburg remained at No. 9.

Here are the top 10 Best Places to Retire in 2027, according to U.S. News:

1. Midland, MI
2. Homosassa Springs, FL
3. Weirton, WV
4. The Woodlands, TX
5. Spring, TX
6. Rancho Rio, NM
7. Altoona, PA
8. Paducah, KY
9. Lynchburg, VA
10. Palm Coast, FL

The skyline of Altoona, PA.

Wikimedia Commons - Csoldner187

Twelve other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic communities earned spots among the nation's top 250 places to retire:

• 97. Roanoke, VA
• 112. Harrisonburg, VA
• 126. Newton, MA
• 148. Ellicott City, MD
• 151. Suffolk, VA
• 160. Johnstown, PA
• 170. Norfolk, VA
• 179. Williamsport, PA
• 206. Staunton, VA
• 232. Lebanon, PA
• 237. Greece, NY
• 249. Chesapeake, VA

The rankings were based on six factors: affordability, job market, health care, quality of life, retiree taxes, and population trends among people 55 and older. U.S. News also surveyed Americans ages 45 and older to determine which factors matter most when choosing where to retire. 

You can click here to see the full U.S. News list.

The owner of a French bakery and chocolate shop in North Jersey says he was forced out of his longtime downtown location following a fire and a dispute with his landlords, and now a popular area pizza maker is taking over the space.

Cedric Hosy, owner of Chocolatine on East Main Street, said the bakery's departure was not voluntary and that he had fought to reopen following the June fire.

The fire broke out at neighboring Cafe Crevier just before 1 a.m. in early June, spreading flames and smoke into Chocolatine, as previously reported by Daily Voice. The Morris County Prosecutor's Office was investigating the cause.

Both businesses announced they would remain closed until further notice. Hosy now says the fire was only the beginning of Chocolatine's troubles.

"The fire displaced our business. What followed was a deeply troubling dispute with our landlords... over our lease and our right to return. We disputed the lease termination and wanted to reopen there," Hosy said.

The former Chocolatine space is now being taken over by Nick Conforti, a former partner at Cafe Crevier and owner of Angeloni's Pizzeria, Hosy said. 

Conforti owns Angeloni's Pizzeria at 6 Brookside Ave. in Caldwell, a family-owned restaurant known for its signature "Thinny Thin" pizza. The pizzeria has built a sizable social media following, with more than 35,000 Instagram followers, and also lists a Sparta location. The restaurant has also earned an 8.8 rating from Dave Portnoy's One Bite pizza review platform.

The claims concerning the lease dispute and the circumstances of Chocolatine's departure have not been independently verified. The landlords' and Conforti's responses were not included in the statement.

Hosy, a native of France with more than 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, trained in baking and pastry arts in Lyon, France, according to his bio on the shop's website. He also worked in France, Australia, and Switzerland before settling in the United States. Chocolatine has operated in both Denville and Morris Plains. The Morris Plains location appears to remain open and is located at 690 Speedwell Ave.

"After years of hard work building Chocolatine and serving this community, this has been deeply painful," Hosy said. Our departure was not voluntary. "Thank you to everyone who continues to stand by us. Your support means so much to us."

An Italian market and catering business is closing after 14 years in Bergen County, its owners announced.

Matera's Italian Market & Catering and The Loft on Park Avenue in Rutherford will close after serving the community since 2012, the business announced in a heartfelt Facebook post Monday, Oct. 26.

The family-owned business became a fixture in Rutherford, serving Italian food and sandwiches while catering family celebrations, holidays and special occasions.

"What started in 2012 as a dream became something far greater than we could have ever imagined," the post reads. "Matera’s was never just about great Italian food, sandwiches, or catering. It was about the people, the friendships, the memories, and the incredible community that welcomed us with open arms."

The owners thanked customers, employees and friends for their support over the years.

"We’ve watched families grow, built lifelong friendships, and shared countless laughs and unforgettable moments."

A reason for the closure and a final day of business were not provided in the announcement.

The man accused of taking a sledgehammer to a Virginia war memorial and knocking the head off a Marine statue has been granted bond, just days after he was arrested and ordered held without bond.

Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, of Stafford, was granted bond on Monday, Oct. 26, in Prince William County Circuit Court, according to FOX.

The ruling comes five days after Maldonado Soriano was arrested for allegedly attacking the Iwo Jima memorial near Marine Corps Base Quantico, causing damage estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to NBC Washington, a judge set bond at $2,500 and ordered Maldonado Soriano to wear a GPS monitor. It was not immediately clear whether he had posted bond or been released from custody.

Maldonado Soriano also faces an immigration detainer issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A Mexican national, Maldonado Soriano previously received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has since expired, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS officials said he was granted DACA protection in October 2014 during the Obama administration. That protection was later renewed under the Biden administration before expiring.

According to Prince William County police, officers responded to the intersection of Richmond Highway and Fuller Road shortly before 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, following reports of property destruction near the memorial.

When officers arrived, they allegedly found Maldonado Soriano striking the limestone statue with a sledgehammer. He was taken into custody without incident.

The attack left one of the soldiers' heads severed from the statue, with photographs showing it lying in the grass near the monument. Other portions of the sculpture also sustained extensive damage.

Maldonado Soriano was charged with:

• Felony destruction of property;
• Trespass with the intent to damage property;
• Felony injury to a monument.

The memorial depicts the raising of the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

A Capital Region car crash revealed cocaine, pills, and a loaded gun, state police said.

Michael M. Wilson, 33, of Enosburg Falls, VT, was driving through Columbia County on Tuesday, Oct. 20 when he crashed into a utility pole around 5 p.m. on Route 9H in Claverack, New York State Police said.

State troopers responded to the scene, located Wilson in the driver’s seat of 2023 Ford and a 54-year-old woman in the passenger’s seat, investigators said.

Police spotted a glass smoking pipe with cocaine residue in plain view while speaking with Wilson, according to state police. Troopers also spotted numerous pills and rounds of ammunition, officials said.

Additional investigation led to the discovery of 34.4 grams of cocaine and a loaded Taurus Brazil Tracker handgun belonging to Wilson, along with a magazine, state police said.

Wilson was charged with felony narcotics possession, second- and third-degree weapons possession, and six misdemeanor counts of seventh-degree drug possession, authorities said.

He was arraigned in Claverack Town Court, then booked in Columbia County jail on $50,000 cash bail, $100,000 bond, or $150,000 partially secured bond, according to state police. Meanwhile, the 54-year-old woman transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

The Baltimore police officer who shot and critically injured an armed man during a foot chase in Maryland has been identified as a seven-year veteran of the department.

Officer Phil Polanco, who is assigned to the Baltimore Police Department's Operations Bureau, was identified on Monday, Oct. 26, by the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID), which is investigating the shooting.

The confrontation unfolded at approximately 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the 3900 block of Erdman Avenue in Baltimore's Belair-Edison neighborhood, where an officer working crime suppression encountered a man near the Erdman Shopping Center.

According to investigators, the officer was stopped at a stop sign in his marked patrol cruiser near the intersection of Erdman Avenue and Ravenwood Avenue when the man approached his vehicle.

The man then ran from the officer, who initially followed him in his cruiser before getting out and continuing the pursuit on foot.

During the chase, the man allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it toward Polanco, prompting the officer to fire multiple shots, striking him at least once, according to the Baltimore Police Department.

The shooting is now under investigation by the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division.

Officers immediately rendered aid until paramedics arrived and took over. The wounded man was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he remained in critical condition as of Friday, Oct. 23.

Authorities have not provided an updated condition or released the man's identity.

A firearm was recovered at the scene, and Polanco was not injured during the confrontation.

Investigators confirmed that Polanco was equipped with a body-worn camera that recorded the encounter. The footage is expected to be released in accordance with Baltimore Police Department and IID policies.

A Virginia townhouse went up in flames, forcing two residents to flee as a fire ripped through the upper floor of their home.

Flames tore through the roof of the Fairfax County home, sending thick smoke billowing into the sky as a fire that started in a second-floor bedroom caused more than $143,000 in damage, officials say.

Firefighters were called to the area of Hagel Circle and Richmond Highway in Mount Vernon at approximately 8:22 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, after a neighbor spotted flames and smoke coming from the home, authorities confirmed on Monday, Oct. 26.

Arriving crews found flames pouring from the second floor and spreading to the roof as firefighters rushed to contain the blaze.

While crews battled the flames, other firefighters searched the home for anyone who might still be trapped inside.

Both occupants had already escaped before firefighters arrived, and searches confirmed that no one remained inside the burning home.

One person was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. No firefighters were injured.

Investigators later determined that an electrical event in a second-floor bedroom sparked the blaze, which caused an estimated $143,150 in damage.

The two residents were displaced, and the American Red Cross provided assistance.

Despite the extensive damage to the townhouse, firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to neighboring homes.

A man who walked out of a Bergen County Dunkin without paying for donuts and a Gatorade pulled a knife on the store manager who followed him outside, police said.

The incident happened at the Dunkin on Route 17 North in Rutherford around 8:50 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, when Ricardo Salamon ordered doughnuts and a Gatorade before leaving without paying, Rutherford police Chief Sean Farrell said.

When the store manager followed him outside and tried to get him to pay, Salamon pulled a knife and began advancing toward the employee, the chief said.

Customers pulled the manager back inside the store and locked the front door, police said. Salamon then kicked the door before fleeing north on foot along Route 17, according to Farrell.

Responding Officer Van Dyk spotted Salamon running north and used his patrol vehicle to cut off his path, police said.

Salamon was arrested without incident and charged with robbery, terroristic threats, obstruction and possession of a weapon.

A 30-year-old man was stabbed to death inside DC Jail, leaving homicide detectives investigating a deadly attack behind bars.

Malik Williams, of Southeast DC, was found unconscious and not breathing in the infirmary at the DC Central Detention Facility on Sunday, Oct. 25, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Officers were called to the jail in the 1900 block of D Street SE at approximately 11:36 a.m. for a reported stabbing.

Williams had suffered apparent stab wounds, and despite efforts by DC Fire and EMS personnel to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not identified a suspect or disclosed what led to the stabbing. It also remains unclear where inside the facility Williams was attacked or how he ended up in the infirmary.

No arrests have been announced.

Investigators are asking anyone with information to call (202) 727-9099 or text tips to 50411. A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the killing.

Long Island’s newest Cheesecake Factory now has an opening date.

The Cheesecake Factory at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream will open Dec. 15, according to the restaurant’s website.

When the new location opens, it will be the fifth Cheesecake Factory on Long Island. The restaurant already has spots in Westbury, Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington, Westfield South Shore Mall in Bay Shore, and Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove.

Known for its giant menu and even larger portions, The Cheesecake Factory operates more than 200 restaurants under its signature brand in the U.S., along with dozens more under other names.

The new location in Green Acres Mall is part of a giant redevelopment of the mall that was announced in May 2025. The Cheesecake Factory will take the place of a former two-story Kohl’s store.