A civil jury found former Atlantic City police Officer John Devlin used excessive force in the 2013 arrest of Steven Stadler and found the Atlantic City Police Department had policies in place that allowed violence by its officers to go unchecked. Two other officers in the case, Glenn Anthony Abrams Jr. and William Moore, were cleared. Lynda Cohen has the details at BreakingAC.com.
You should read this Erin Serpico piece on immigrants in South Jersey, told in part through the eyes of an Atlantic City activist. South Jersey is off of many people’s radars for a whole bunch of reasons, and sometimes that’s a good thing (like, we’re not among all of these Yankee supporters up north) but often our lower population numbers mean we get less public money, which disproportionately hurts minorities, and it is harder for activists to work with smaller, more dispersed, minority communities. This all matters because here in South Jersey, as Route 40 reported last year, the only communities that are growing are immigrant ones. (And see here for general South Jersey population shrinkage).
There’s still a lot of budget talk in the air, even though your governor has just gone on vacation. So what is the latest on the school funding formula? And, more importantly, what does it mean for your local school?
Here’s one to get the history buffs’ blood boiling: an 1880 landmark inn was demolished, swank shore homes could replace it (in Avon-by-the-Sea).
And here’s all the rest of the news you need to know about today:
A South Jersey Man Says He Only Buried The Body In His Backyard. So A Jury Acquits Him Of Murder–Christopher Costello said it was his younger brother who killed a West Windsor, NJ, man whose body they buried in the backyard of their Lumberton home. His brother Bryan was the killer, Costello said, while he merely helped dispose of the corpse. www.philly.com
The Twisters Of South Jersey, A Special Needs Cheerleading Team, Heads To Florida For National Championship–When the Twisters get into formation, they are ready to show off the cheerleading, dance, and tumbling moves that have landed them into an elite group. They are members of a South Jersey special needs cheerleading team where abilities count more than disabilities. www.philly.com
Hard Rock Plans Continue As Signage Presented To CRDA–Plans are moving forward on the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino as representatives laid out plans for 80 signs at the property. Representatives for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, which has an anticipated opening date early this summer, appeared before the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority’s Land Use Division Thursday to present a site plan and requests for variances on signage at the property. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
Public Gets Say On Budget, But What Matters Most Is Murphy-Sweeney Dialogue–While Democrats now control both the executive and legislative branches after Gov. Phil Murphy’s election last fall, it remains to be seen exactly how this year’s budget process will play out. www.njspotlight.com
Behind an Atlantic City Native’s Fight For Immigrants In South Jersey–Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez was just 12 years old when his mother told him about his parents’ challenges coming to this city undocumented from Mexico. It was her dream to come to this country from an impoverished village with little work, he said. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
Rutgers Professor, 75, Accused Of Sexually Harassing 29-Year-Old Student–Rutgers University is investigating a sexual harassment complaint filed by a graduate student against a renowned professor who was her mentor, New Jersey Advance Media has learned. www.nj.com
60 Percent–Sixty percent of New Jerseyans believe the state is going down the wrong road. Another 30 percent live on the sunny side of the street — and think the Garden State is bobbing along nicely in the right direction. These are among the findings of the latest poll in the Rutgers-Eagleton 2018 State of the Garden State series. www.njspotlight.com
Former Lenape Teacher Pleads Guilty To Making Upskirt Videos Of Female Students–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced on Thursday that a former Lenape High School teacher admitted Wednesday in Burlington County Superior Court to recording upskirt videos and taking photos of female students last year in his classroom and the school’s hallways. Eric T Howell, 44, of the first block of Dogwood Court in Maple Shade, pled guilty to one count of second degree endangering the welfare of a child. pinebarrenstribune.com
Yankees Rule Jersey, And It’s A Landslide–Sorry, Gov Phil Murphy. When it comes to America's pastime, the team you probably like the least is the most popular by far in New Jersey. www.nj.com
Joe Biden Endorses New Jersey Congressional Candidate Andy Kim–New Jersey Democratic congressional candidate Andy Kim picked up a high-profile endorsement on Thursday in his bid to unseat Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3), getting the support of former Vice President Joe Biden. observer.com
Former Police Officer, Atlantic City Found Liable In Excessive Force Case–A civil jury found former Atlantic City police Officer John Devlin used excessive force in the 2013 arrest of Steven Stadler and found the Atlantic City Police Department had policies in place that allowed violence by its officers to go unchecked. Two other officers in the case, Glenn Anthony Abrams Jr. and William Moore, were cleared. www.pressofatlanticcity.com