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A debate between candidates for New Jersey’s second legislative district (most of Atlantic County) had been scheduled for a month, but Republican candidate Chris Brown was a no-show. The Republicans had previously asked for the debate format to be changed, then cancelled on Tuesday.
‘Tis the season of elections (again), although based on our conversations with people for the Voting Block project, there’s a whole lot of apathy around the governor’s race in particular. Still, there’s a gubernatorial debate tonight and NJSpotlight has prepared everything you ever needed to know about the candidates, plus an interactive map of local races and a searchable campaign finance database.
There is $100,000 up for grabs for a South Jersey high school to develop a plan for a “recovery high school program” that would team up with a substance abuse treatment center to help high school students with abuse disorders. The money has been set aside specifically for New Jersey’s eight southern counties, as part of Gov. Chris Christie’s $200 million anti-opioid campaign.
“Nothing short of evil,” was how New Jersey’s attorney general on Thursday described the conduct of a drug manufacturer that makes a powerful fentanyl painkiller spray. Finally, drug companies are being scrutinized as the opioid epidemic spreads and overdose deaths from supposedly tightly-controlled opioids such as fentanyl are rising.
Gov. Chris Christie yesterday placed parts of Barnegat Bay on a “pollution diet” that will curb runoff flush into the bay. He also announced a $20 million recovery plan to help restore aquatic habitats and upgrade outfalls, among other things. Critics said the plan doesn’t go far enough and noted that Christie conditionally vetoed a similar bill six years ago.
In case you hadn’t noticed from the latest TV ads, things are getting tense in New Jersey’s second legislative district. Last week’s Stockton University poll showed LD2’s Republican candidate Chris Brown and Democrat candidate Colin Bell tied in the race for state senator and there’s been a ratcheting up of tension on the airwaves and elsewhere since.
Camden’s redevelopment is often touted as a blueprint for Atlantic City, so it’s worth paying attention to. The Inquirer’s Kevin Riordan recently took a tour along Cooper Street in Camden to look at the results of urban renewal projects that have revived and restored older buildings, and connect the street with newer building projects around the town.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has a neat feature about South Jersey viticulture, featuring interviews with Atlantic County vineyard-owner Larry Coia and others about the increased demand for their grapes. Coia, who farms and harvests but does not make wine, and other local vineyard owners say there are a lot of problems to harvesting grapes in the area but there is a good demand for quality grapes for wine.
Dormant casinos can be dangerous as the collapse of a chunk of the entranceway ceiling at the Atlantic Club showed earlier this week. Steve Ruddock of PlayNJ takes a look at Atlantic City’s other closed casinos and ponders on the lack of maintenance at Trump Plaza.
The leak that was spilling sewage into waterways near Bader Field in Atlantic City has been stopped, but repair work to the pipe is continuing, the Atlantic County Utilities Authority reported this morning. Water testing and monitoring in the area, as well as the precautionary suspension of shellfish harvesting, also continues.