Mapping AC Overdoses
The opioid overdose antidote naloxone was administered at least 47 times in Atlantic City between March and the end of August this year. Most of the overdoses were in the city’s Tourism District. The district was established in 2011 in part to help the cash-strapped city improve safety and security. Check out our story and interactive map here.
A throwback to @themoonbeast’s work for ChalkAboutAC in 2015. This year’s edition is tomorrow (Saturday Oct. 14) from 9 am to 1 pm. Click through for details.
Casino Numbers
Atlantic City’s casinos had a good September and the seven remaining properties recorded 4.1 percent higher monthly revenue than the eight properties (including the soon-to-shutter Taj Mahal) in September last year. For the year through September, however, revenue for all the casinos was up just 2.3 percent. Internet gaming is still increasing and helping plump revenue numbers for the companies that offer it. It is also clear that some properties (Resorts and Tropicana, to be specific) have been able to nab some of the Taj’s former customers. On the other hand, revenue at Bally’s and Caesar’s is down or flat for the year through September. Full details here via the Division of Gaming Enforcement.
In the rest of the day’s news, two more blocks of Boardwalk were officially unveiled yesterday in Atlantic City (the extension to Gardner’s Basin will be ready in the spring), mold inspections have been completed in Monroe Township but it is not clear when the school district’s 6,000 students will return to school, state employees’ healthcare premiums aren’t going up but it’s not all good news, and read about the “lost in plain sight” New Jersey Rodin sculpture. All that and more below:
Galloway Condo Club Manager Accused of Stealing $350K Over Seven Years–An Egg Harbor Township man is accused of stealing more than $350,000 from The Club at Galloway Condominium Association. Detective Kerry Baerman arrested Ira Binder, 60, Oct. 5 on charges of stealing $352,620 between January 2010 and February 2017, Sgt. Eric Hendrickson said. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
AC-Owned Properties Auctioned For Nearly $1.2 Million– In less than an hour, 29 city-owned properties were sold at auction Thursday. The city held a government surplus real estate sale in Hall A of the Atlantic City Convention Center. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
The Candidate’s Coffers: Murphy’s In The Money, Guadagno’s Struggling–Democrat Phil Murphy has raised three times the funds toward next month’s gubernatorial election as his Republican opponent Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and has nearly six times more money in the bank, according to their most recent campaign finance reports. www.njspotlight.com
Nothing To Celebrate: No Hike In State-Employee Healthcare–A push to reduce the cost of health benefits to the state and its employees has actually worked, so much so that the state is expected to see $1.6 billion in savings over the next three years, and employees will not see a healthcare premium price hike in 2018. The cost-trimming effort, which is also delivering slight savings on premiums for local-government employees next year, has been met with praise from the Communications Workers of America, the union that represents both state and local government workers. www.njspotlight.com
Margate School Board Considers Health Plan Switch–With a 13 percent increase in the cost of the State Health Benefits Plan administered by Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Board of Education is considering switching to a lower-cost plan. “This is the first time in many years we have seen an option to save money on health benefits,” board President Jim Olivo said. www.shorenewstoday.com
Atlantic County Clerk’s Office Disputes GOP Election Claims–The Atlantic County Clerk's Office said there is no merit to Atlantic County Republican Committee concerns over the integrity of the upcoming election and operations of the office. In a letter to Deputy Attorney General George Cohen, Michael Sommers, deputy county clerk, claims the county has followed the protocols when it comes to election process. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
Second Cumberland County Horse Dies Of EEE, Third Reported Case This Year–The state Department of Agriculture is urging owners to vaccinate horses after a 15-year-old Cumberland County mare had to be euthanized following the state’s third reported case of a mosquito-borne illness this year. The mare, whose illness appeared September 30, was not vaccinated against eastern equine encephalitis. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
In NJ Court, Philly Man Apologizes For Harassment Of Minister–The Reverand Ryan Paetzold says he’s been praying for Joseph Baird, aka “Chetd Joe” (for “machete”), the Philadelphia man who pleaded guilty Thursday to harassing the Audubon, Camden County, pastor on social media. If the defendant, who had no prior criminal record, stays out of trouble for two years, the matter will be dismissed. www.philly.com