Last fall we did a story on the problem of discarded hypodermic needles across the Tourism District, and now one City Councilman says he has considered a proposal to pull the rules allowing the needle exchange on Tennessee Avenue.
For the record, it’s the editorial position of Route 40 that well-run needle exchanges are humane, save lives and save money. But we also think if the state uses “unsafe” and “unclean” conditions as an occasion to take over local government functions, it should
acknowledge the needle exchange is in the Tourism District that it administers.
Flashover
An Atlantic City firefighter’s out of the hospital after the vacant house he was in experienced a “flashover.” Read Erin Serpico’s evocative story on it. Frankie Walsh, the injured member of the ACFD, has a ten-month-old baby.
Less Class
An “increasing number” of New Jersey school districts (including Vineland) are eliminating class rank in an effort to reduce the toxic competition that comes from excessive bean-counting at the high-school level. In other news, the meritocracy is a myth.
Trees
Did you know you can get five free trees from the Forest Service? Elinor knew. She’ll also tell you to pick them up here. Where you stick them’s up to you.
Exchelon Eschcaton
The End Times could be coming for the famous mall with the name I never understood but liked anyway.
‘Guided By Science’
Payton Guion and Susan Livio at NJ.com have the list of new medical conditions for which you can be prescribed medical marijuana under the expansion of the program announced yesterday by Phil Murphy.
“We will be guided by science,” Murphy reportedly said. Super. When has that ever not worked out well.
Judge Russo in Ocean County sounds delightful. If you don’t think justice is administered in our society by some real charmers, ask Elinor to show you highlights from her immigration-court database sometime.
Mayor Gilliam–who seems to have shaved his beard–said new CRDA head Matt Doherty understands Millennials and has had success attracting them to Belmar, where he’s soon stepping down as mayor. In an appearance at the Public Relations Council of Greater Atlantic City, Doherty said, “We will push out nothing but positive news.”
For the record, we at Route 40 are all for good news, but we’re also old enough to remember the $30 million per year they used to get to “push out” a positive spin. If they spent some of that fixing the city, they’d need less PR.
It’s the Circle of Life!
Elsewhere in news literacy, here are two stories (one and two) about the Atlantic City Mayor and the legal problems he seems to be facing, stemming from accusations made against him by the city Democratic Committee that just got him elected a few months ago. See if you can wade through the morass of laundered information to note the actual new facts.
For more feats of journalism from across your region, see below:
JERSEY SHORE RUGBY WITH DR. J.: Q&A WITH RICK AZEGLIO–fter a recent Jersey Shore Rugby Club match in Galloway, Sully caught up with second-year Sharks player Rick Azeglio, a 25-year-old from Vineland and a former Delsea Regional High School wrestler, and former 140-pound district champion, to talk about what got him into the sport of rugby, why he likes it so much, and what he feels like the day after a Saturday match. glorydaysonline.com
Top educators make a switch–SOMERS POINT — The local Board of Education unanimously approved Michele CarneyRay Yoder on March 22 as the district's new superintendent. www.shorenewstoday.com
Camden County man pleads guilty to drug-induced death–Leonard Hicks, 37, of Sicklerville, entered a guilty plea to strict liability drug-induced death Monday in connection with the 2015 overdose death of a 26-year-old man and is set to get 10 years in prison per a plea deal. www.burlingtoncountytimes.com
AMAZON EXPANDS CHAIN OF WAREHOUSES ALONG NJ TURNPIKE–While Newark and dozens of other cities across the country are still waiting to hear where mega-retailer Amazon will locate its coveted second corporate headquarters, the company is moving ahead with an expansion of its New Jersey fulfillment-center operations as online sales continue to flourish. www.njspotlight.com
EXPUNGING MARIJUANA RECORDS THE WAY TO GO — OR A BIG HEADACHE FOR NJ COURTS?–Supporters and opponents of marijuana legalization can agree on one point: minority communities have been discriminated against by laws that prohibit marijuana. www.njspotlight.com
PUTTING AN END TO SICK-PAY ACCRUAL BY LONGTIME PUBLIC WORKERS–“Banking” unused sick pay perpetually and then taking it as a fat retirement bonus may not be an option for longtime county, municipal, and school employees much longer. The current practice has racked up $1.9 billion in debt, and cutting that liability would provide some relief to property taxpayers. www.njspotlight.com
Parents, staff angry at Buena school board–BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP — In an emotional meeting Tuesday night, district paraprofessionals and parents chastised the Buena Regional Board of Education over its consideration to outsource the aides to balance the budget. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
Mainland takes second in state mock trial competition–Mainland Regional High School in Linwood finished second in the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s annual Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition, which concluded Monday in New Brunswick. www.pressofatlanticcity.com