Spoonbill
A strange, beautiful pink bird known to prefer southern climes has been spotted in South Jersey: at the Heislerville Wildlife Management Area in Cumberland County, to be precise. It turns out it is a roseate spoonbill and it may have come north seeking shelter from the storms, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jacqueline Urgo has the details.
Steel Pier’s fabulous new addition to the Atlantic City skyline – photo by Sue Rogo (@suerogo624 on Instagram).
Business Bootcamps
We had two dozen South Jersey business owners in a room last night for the first episode of our Business Bootcamps series and it was a blast. Read more about the event here – and you can buy tickets to Episode 2, with Mark Ganter of Little Water Distillery, here. (Tickets are free to Route 40 Members – become a supporting member here!) Also – why does this matter? Well, studies show that small businesses tend to pay higher wages. And South Jersey is dominated by the low-wage tourism and hospitality industry. In fact, leisure and hospitality created 40 percent of New Jersey’s jobs last year, NJ Biz reports. So we want to do something to help support small business development and boost the local economy.
Need a feel-good read this morning? Check out this story from The Inquirer about how South Jersey animal shelters are taking in dogs displaced by hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
In the rest of the headlines from this morning, Irma fragments are nearing New Jersey, read this op-ed from Clean Water Action on the New Jersey Natural Gas pipeline proposal through the Pinelands, Norcross is defending Steve Sweeney (under fire from the NJEA), here’s how Atlantic City could benefit from sports betting, read this mother’s story of how corporate greed contributed to the death of her daughter from fentanyl, skunks are stinking up Maple Shade, and Atlantic City’s Housing Authority got $250,000 to improve security. All that and more below:
Bacharach Foundation Receives $10,000 Grant from OceanFirst Bank–The Bacharach Foundation received a major grant of $10,000 from the OceanFirst Bank Foundation this summer. The donation will directly benefit patient care. www.bacharach.org
Rummy Pandit: Atlantic City Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism Remain in Flux–In January, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported the first increase in annual gaming revenue since 2007 and industry insiders heralded the end of Atlantic City’s “Lost Decade.” While it is still difficult to chart the full impact of the casino closures, or the increase in competition from new casinos in the region, one thing is clear - Atlantic City’s casino industry is changing. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
Breaking Ground to Give Veterans Affordable Housing in South Jersey–A local organization is celebrating a big day as they get digging on a project seven years in the making. An open plot of land in Gloucester County will soon be home to Camp Salute. www.snjtoday.com
Vineland Pastor Leads Hurricane Relief Effort–A group of Vineland religious leaders have teamed up to help provide relief for hurricane-stricken areas in Texas and Florida. Pastor Alberto Torres of the Spanish Pentecostal Assembly of God in Hammonton led the charge in rallying South Jersey communities to donate supplies in the wake of damage left behind by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. www.thedailyjournal.com
Rutgers Marine Veteran Recipient of Pat Tillman Scholarship–A local military veteran, who is also a student at Rutgers University-Camden, received a top honor in the academic community on Tuesday, September 12th, to help support continuing her education. Nursing student and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Laura Tolver has been named the 2017 Tillman Scholar by the Pat Tillman Foundation. www.snjtoday.com
Stockton, Rutgers Camden Recognized in US News 2018 Best Colleges Rankings–South Jersey schools are being recognized for their achievements in the northern region of the country in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings from U.S. News and World Report. Rutgers University Camden tied for 25th place and Stockton University in Galloway Township was tied for 41st among the best 187 public and private regional universities in the North, according to the rankings released Tuesday. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
Flying Ants Spotted In Swarms Across Philadelphia–Flying insects spotted in swarms around Philadelphia is the kind of stuff nightmares are made of. Residents from South Philadelphia, Center City, Fishtown, South Jersey and even parts of Bucks and Montgomery counties spotted dozens of what experts are now saying were flying ants, NBC10 first reported late Monday. www.phillyvoice.com