Batsto
The historic iron-works village of Batsto – in a remote part of the pinelands – is trying to draw more visitors. Visitor numbers have been stagnant in the last few years, but a group of volunteers knows that there is wider interest in the site. Wes Hughes, who heads the
We found the Atlantic City Ballet’s swan out and about at the 48 Blocks festival on Saturday. #savetheswan
state-appointed volunteer Batsto Citizens Committee, wants to get state approval to stream real-time videos from Batsto’s mansion tower. A previous video from the tower, one of just a handful of high points in the flat pine barrens, went viral in a couple of hours and volunteers hope this could draw more visitors. Read more via Jacqueline Urgo for Philly.com.
Immigration
What happens when someone without a valid visa, residency or citizenship status is arrested? In New Jersey, it varies by county. In South Jersey, Atlantic County has no specific agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while Cape May and Salem Counties’ corrections officers have agreed to work as ICE agents. For more on the great patchwork of immigration policy, read NJSpotlight. Also, separate but related, Bridgeton is going ahead with a plan to allow local residents to get a municipal ID card.
Sports Betting
The U.S. Supreme Court could decide as early as today whether to hear New Jersey’s challenge to a federal law banning states from permitting organized sports betting, Politico reports. One legal expert quoted in the piece thinks the case could appeal to the justices because it gets at the question of state vs federal authorities.
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In the rest of the South Jersey news from the weekend and this morning, resurfacing work is starting on Old Harding Highway in Mays Landing, lawmakers may propose a ballot question over issuing $125 million in bonds to fund state libraries, suicide rates among New Jerseyans aged 10-24 are rising, and Lynda Cohen of BreakingAC.Com reports on two Democrats who initially supported the state’s takeover of Atlantic City but are now speaking out against it in court filings supporting the city’s firefighters. All that and more below:
NJ Transit Service Suspended on AC Line After Fatal Train Strike–Service was suspended on a portion of the Atlantic City line after a train struck and killed a person in Galloway. No trains were running between Atlantic City and Egg Harbor City after the person went on the tracks two miles north of the Absecon station around 7 am, spokesman Jim Smith said. NJ.com
Five Arrested for Dealing Drugs out of Stanley Holmes Apartment–Five Atlantic City men were arrested for allegedly dealing drugs out of a home in Stanley Holmes Village. A two-month investigation by Detective Brian Hambrecht resulted in a search of the home on the 300 block of New York Avenue on Friday. BreakingAC
SNAP Vital to Prevent Hunger, but Locations Can Fall Short on Healthy Foods–In some parts of South Jersey, shopping with food stamps is a little like entering a complex scavenger hunt. Unless you visit a supermarket or neighborhood grocery store, your choices of nutritious food can be slim and expensive — even in places that are an approved Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, location. Press of Atlantic City
Millville’s Buddy Kennedy Signs for Six-Figure Bonus with Arizona Diamondbacks–Buddy Kennedy is ready to start his professional baseball career. The recent Millville High School graduate signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday for $550,000 — $193,100 over the slot value for a fifth-rounder. Press of Atlantic City
South Jersey College Recalls Being Host to Cold War Summit–As relations between the U.S. and Russia make daily headlines over election meddling and Moscow's growing global influence, a New Jersey town is marking the 50th anniversary of when leaders of the world's two superpowers gathered at a small liberal arts college to talk through similarly turbulent times. Newsworks.org
National Xball League Comes to Atlantic City– The National Xball League brought the sport of paintball to Bader Field from Friday through Sunday. The players dressed like commandos and fired tiny paintball machine guns. Press of Atlantic City
Hammonton’s Red, White and Blueberry Festival Celebrates Patriotism and Pies–The Red, White and Blueberry Festival was especially sweet Sunday afternoon at Hammonton High School. “It was a tremendous crop of blueberries this year, so we hope everyone enjoys,” said John Runfolo, executive director of the Greater Hammonton Chamber of Commerce. Press of Atlantic City