The latest chapter in the sorry tale of the casino formerly known as the Revel involves its current owner, Glenn Straub, suing the Casino Control Commission for holding up his plans to “make Atlantic City great again” (and yes, his lawyer really said that.) Last time we checked, TEN (as it’s hard to remember it’s now called), had the go-ahead to open next year as a hotel, but the current issue is whether or not Straub will be able to let someone else operate a casino in the property.
Maybe Straub is just in the wrong business. Little Water Distillery, which has been joking about racing Revel to open, is pretty much there.
We see your glow-ball response #Revel, and raise you two security lights and building permit on the window…… pic.twitter.com/raPqtLN97e
— Little Water (@littlewaterdist) September 3, 2016
The distillery is Atlantic City’s first-ever lawful producer of spirits and now has the necessary federal, state and city permissions to open its doors – we took a look last week and got to meet the owners. You can read the story here and watch the videos here to see how the place is coming together.
Changing tack completely, local social media is abuzz on all sides of the generational divide over 10-day suspensions handed down to students apparently involved in making a YouTube video with dramatic music and black-and-white footage of Egg Harbor Township high school students fake (?) fighting and other high-school-student kind of behavior. You can watch it for yourself here and make your own mind up about whether to be outraged by the video or the suspensions. Or maybe just skip the outrage and choose to feel good about your day – hey, there’s a new business opening in Atlantic City and it’s going to sell delicious booze!
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Here are the rest of today’s headlines:
Local 7-Year-Old Battling Rare Cancer Receives Generous Gift From Local Police–Christmas came early for a South Jersey seven-year-old with retinoblastoma, a rare childhood cancer of the eye, after he inspired his heroes to be "Joey Strong." Dozens of Cape May County police officers put down their razors for the month to grow out their beards and raise money to help a Dennis Township boy as he finishes up his treatment. www.snjtoday.com
20 New NJ Judges Would Cost $9.3m Annually–According to New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, 20 new judges need to be added to help the state enact bail reform changes that take effect in January. Sweeney, a Democrat, said he hopes to pass legislation to add the judges this year. www.snjtoday.com
Supporting Strong Women In Salem County–In honoring the many women who challenge themselves and pave progressive pathways, the Salem County Commission on Women (SCCW) is seeking worthy recipients for the 2017 Women of Achievement Award. American novelist and social activist, Marge Piercy, once said, “A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done.” www.snjtoday.com
Hamilton Police Probe 6 Heroin Overdoses, 1 Of Them Fatal Since Nov. 1–Police in Hamilton Township are investigating six heroin overdoses, one of them fatal, that have occurred since Nov. 1, according to a Nov. 23 press release. Police said three of the overdoses might be linked because similar blue wax fold bags without a stamp were recovered or seen at the locations. Shore News Today
VA Working To Sign More Private Providers In South Jersey–The Wilmington VA Medical Center is aggressively recruiting private medical providers to offer services closer to home for veterans in South Jersey, officials with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said. The Veterans Choice Program allows veterans to use approved private providers when VA services are unavailable in a timely manner or are more than 40 miles from the veteran’s home. Press of Atlantic City
Atlantic City Residents Face 13 Percent Tax-Rate Hike–The state imposed a nearly 9 percent increase on the tax rate when it adopted the city’s $241 million budget earlier this month. When counting county, school and library taxes, the city’s total tax rate of $3.86 per $100 of assessed value is up nearly 13 percent from last year and up 113 percent since 2010. Press of Atlantic City
Atlantic Cape Trustees Hike Mora’s Salary–Atlantic Cape Community College's Board of Trustees approved a retroactive 2-percent raise for outgoing President Peter Mora and handed him an additional $9,719 for his pension pot. The increase follows the president’s annual compensation review and performance evaluation in which his performance was found to be “excellent.” Cape May County Herald
The ARC Of Atlantic County Thanks Donors For Giving Tuesday–As people around the country are making donations to charities as part Giving Tuesday, members of one local organization aren't asking for people to give this year, but in fact are the ones doing the giving. The Arc of Atlantic County provides services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. www.snjtoday.com
Atlantic City Police Arrest Suspect In August Shooting–Police have arrested one person in an Aug. 30 shooting that wounded a 17-year-old. After a three-month investigation, Tarik Jones, 18, of Atlantic City, was arrested following a search of his home, police said. Press of Atlantic City