Payouts
The state paid out $119 million last year in lawsuits and judgement, up 68% from the year prior, S.P. Sullivan reports. You can read some of the big payouts here.
“This is the first public records request I file every year and the only one that concludes “Happy New Year!!!” Sullivan said on Twitter.
CRDA
Richard Tolson has been promoted to vice chairman at the CRDA, where he’s been on the board since 2012. Tolson is from Ocean City, but he attended jazz shows at Club Harlem before it closed in 1986, per this story in the Press. He’s also head of the bricklayers union, so I don’t know if we should expect more bricks or brick-related projects around town or what. Some arches might look cool beneath the 220 or so LED TV screens they put up a few years ago.
It would be awesome to get somebody from the librarians’ union on the CRDA board, or somebody from the open-the-gate-to-the-school-playground-so-kids-can-play-there-after-hours union, but that might make Atlantic City more a more appealing city for residents and a less appealing appealing venue for crony capitalists.
Latino Police
In other news, we write about how the Atlantic City Police Department is gearing up for a round of promotions and the Hispanic Alliance of Atlantic County is looking to organize support for senior Latino officers.
Ventnor’s Presidential Polar Plunge provides ample opportunity to warm up–The weather forecast for Saturday’s Presidential Polar Plunge calls for clouds and temperatures at a balmy 51 degrees. Although the water will be very cold – in the mid 30s – there will be ample opportunity to warm up before and after the plunge at St. James Church Memorial Hall. www.downbeach.com
Meet the couple that’s selling a house with a ‘sexual oasis’ in it–After a real estate listing for their home went viral last week, the couple that owns the house dubbed “50 Shades of Maple Glen,” has explained how they ended up with a ‘private sexual oasis’ in their suburban basement. www.nj.com
WILL TRUMP POLICY CHANGE PUT A CRIMP IN NEW JERSEY’S ONLINE GAMBLING INDUSTRY?–After getting off to a slow start, online gambling has become an important part of Atlantic City’s ongoing revitalization and a reliable source of revenue for the state. But recent action by President Donald Trump’s administration has created uncertainty in the gambling industry that threatens to sink the state’s success. www.njspotlight.com