Pinelands Mining
The Pinelands Commission’s Comprehensive Management Plan trumps local land-use laws and mining is not permitted in Pinelands “forest areas”, a state appellate court found yesterday. NJSpotlight reports that the court rejected a mining project that had been approved by a local planning board in Jackson Township. You can read the full unpublished opinion here.
Photo of a blue heron at the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge taken by Sue Tavarez (@suetavarezphotography on Instagram.)
AC Firefighters
A Superior Court judge who previously stopped a state plan to dramatically cut Atlantic City’s fire department on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for some job cuts but not before February, The Inquirer’s Amy Rosenberg reports. That means there will be a new governor in position when the cuts are permitted. Both gubernatorial candidates Rep. Kim Guadagno and Dem. Phil Murphy have indicated they would end the state’s takeover of Atlantic City, which has given the state the power to cut the city’s payroll. The judge on Wednesday agreed the state had that power, but added that reducing the fire department to below 180 firefighters would compromise safety.
McMansions
New Jersey has a glut of McMansions in out-of-vogue suburbs, NJSpotlight reports, based on a new report into the state’s housing problems. Among other housing issues, New Jersey also has a lack of affordable housing in walkable communities. The report was written by the Fund for New Jersey, read it here.
In the rest of the day’s news, there was another debate for Atlantic County candidates last night and this time everyone showed up, former Phillie star Jimmy Rollins has put his Gloucester County mansion up for sale, meanwhile home ownership rates in Atlantic County are falling, and Camden is planning on moving 911 calls to the county system. All that and more below:
Bridgeton Man Pleads Guilty To Human Trafficking–A Bridgeton man pleaded guilty to human trafficking for sex with an adult victim Wednesday. Marcus Tukes, 47, admitted he gave lodging to one of the victims with the purpose of promoting the victim’s prostitution. breakingac.com
Local Economic Alliance: ‘Get People Back Working’–On Wednesday, October 11th, the Atlantic County Economic Alliance held a luncheon to focus on business growth in the county. Its goal is to not only retain the industry and businesses the county already has, but to grow and create new jobs along the way. www.snjtoday.com
Downbeach Towns Team Up Vs. Opioid Addiction–A Ventnor woman who has been directly exposed to addiction and recovery is sick of hearing about the opioid and heroin epidemic. “It’s time to act,” Paula Maccagnano said. www.shorenewstoday.com
Officials: 14 Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Overdoses In South Camden In Four Hours–Officials say there were 14 fentanyl-laced heroin overdoses in South Camden in four hours. The overdoes happened between 10 am and 2 pm Wednesday. www.fox29.com
Vineland Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore Burglarized–A major charity organization has suffered thousands of dollars in losses after a burglary at one of its locations. On the morning of Tuesday, October 10th, someone broke into the Cumberland County Habitat for Humanity's ReStore on Delsea Drive in Vineland. www.snjtoday.com
Christie Criticizes Trump On Lack Of Response To Opioid Crisis–New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says that by not officially declaring the opioid crisis as a National Emergency, President Donald Trump is lessening the impact the National Opioid Commission can have on it. Christie, who chairs the President's Opioid Commission, said that "it's not good" that Trump has yet to declare the opioid crisis a National Emergency. www.snjtoday.com
‘Amazing Ventnor’ To Host Benefit For Puerto Rico Relief–One Atlantic County community is coming together to help hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. “There’s a lot of rebuilding that needs to happen," said Jose Ruiz, a volunteer with Amazing Ventnor who has family in Puerto Rico. www.snjtoday.com