School Funding
President Trump’s planned cuts to education funding would mean tough choices to be made at South Jersey schools, which tend to receive more federal funding as a percentage of their total budget than schools in the north of the state. NJ Spotlight has published an interactive map that shows New Jersey schools by the percentage of their budget that comes from federal funding. Several school districts in South Jersey – including Atlantic City, Bridgeton City and Carney’s Point Regional – receive more than 5 percent of their budget from federal funding. The plans, first announced in May, would cut funding for programs including after-school services, teacher training and literacy.
A Pine Barrens tree frog which is a species of New World tree frog. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss. Photo by @chasinglife180
Bridgeton ID Card
Bridgeton City Council last night passed the first reading of an ordinance that would give local identification cards to anyone, including immigrants, NJ.com reports. The cards – backed by the Bridgeton Police Chief – would help with public safety and would also provide cardholders with another recognized proof-of-address for administrative procedures such as opening a bank account. Several North Jersey cities and Trenton already offer residents similar cards. The Bridgeton residents’ card would cost $15 for adults ($8 for minors) and be distributed based on an ID-points system (residents would need four points to receive the card). The second reading of the ordinance is Sept. 19.
Weather Events
Experts at the Cape-Atlantic Severe Weather Conference in Ocean City last night agreed that if a storm like Irma were to hit the Jersey Shore, it would be devastating. Such a storm would bring a massive storm surge and major flooding, according to meteorologist Dan Skeldon, who co-hosted the event. The other issue facing the region in the event of major storms is the difficulty of evacuation, particularly from places like Cape May, where there is just one road out. Read more via OCNJDaily.
In the rest of the day’s news, Atlantic City’s Boneyard Bar & Grill calls it a day, New Jersey is spending more than $1 billion a year on corrections programs but recidivism rates are still high and costing millions, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from New York and New Jersey pitched President Trump on the Gateway Tunnel project, here’s a look-behind-the-scenes at $260 million in Camden tax breaks, and if you weren’t already rooting for Egg Harbor Township’s Miss New Jersey in the Miss America pageant you have another reason now. All that and more below:
Former Ocean City Housing Authority Head Gets Probation For Embezzling Money–The Ocean City Housing Authority’s former executive director was sentenced to three years’ probation for turning federal funds into gift cards for herself. Alesia Watson, 54, of Galloway Township, previously pleaded guilty in Camden Federal Court to one count of embezzling federal funds. breakingac.com
Big Rig Hauling Citrus Fruit Bursts Into Flames Along South Jersey Road–A tractor-trailer carrying citrus fruit was involved in a three-vehicle crash that closed a section of Route 40 in New Jersey. Resident Bob Thomson lives next to where the crash occurred Thursday in Upper Pittsgrove Township, and says he was able to get the driver of the truck out while a fire was burning underneath the vehicle. Read more: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Fruit-Truck-Crash-Pittsgrove-443199063.html#ixzz4s5QRo7Uz Follow us: @nbcphiladelphia on Twitter | NBCPhiladelphia on Facebook www.nbcphiladelphia.com
$500,000 Grant Awarded to Bridgeton’s Gateway CAP–Two state officials have announced new funding for a South Jersey organization working to change the lives of residents in Cumberland County. On Thursday, September 7th, N.J. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced that the Gateway Community Action Partnership (Gateway CAP), based in Bridgeton, has been awarded a grant of more than $500,000 from the Corporation of National and Community Service. www.snjtoday.com
Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day set in October–Opioid abuse is on the rise in New Jersey, an alarming trend that has driven an increase in drug-related deaths throughout the state, officials said, and in October, community members and lawmakers will come together during Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day to raise awareness of the potential that opioid abuse and misuse has to destroy lives. In Cape May County, 32 people were killed in 2015 by drug overdoses. www.shorenewstoday.com
Bipartisan Delegation from NJ, NY Pitch President Trump On Gateway Tunnel Project–A bipartisan delegation of elected officials from New Jersey and New York that included governors, senators, and members of Congress made an in-person pitch at the White House yesterday for support for a new trans-Hudson tunnel and other elements of the long-planned Gateway infrastructure project. Whether they made a strong enough impression on President Donald Trump, whose first federal budget proposal sought to cut money for a key federal transportation-grant program, remains to be seen. www.njspotlight.com
Atlantic City Council Will Meet Once a Month for Remainder of 2017–City Council will hold its meetings once a month for the rest of the year. On Wednesday, Council voted on a resolution that would amend its meeting schedule for the rest of 2017. The amendment would allow council to meet once each month instead of the previous twice per month for the next three months. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
ACIT asks NJ Education Commissioner to Restore Old Bus Routes for GEHR Students–Officials from two local school districts agreed Thursday to try to work out a dispute over recent consolidation of bus routes without court intervention. Last week, Atlantic County Institute of Technology filed for relief from the state commissioner of education after Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District made changes to bus routes that ACIT officials claim moved some students’ bus stops four miles from their home as a way to discourage enrollment. www.pressofatlanticcity.com