Still Empty After All These Years
Route 40 dug into the story of a vegetable patch, a South Jersey power broker, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and the Atlantic City property tax crisis, and this was the result – a long read that will tell you all you need to know about why the South Inlet is so resolutely empty.
So long, Pleasantville Kmart
The Pleasantville Kmart is among the victims of a nationwide Kmart Kull, according to The Press of Atlantic City. “They’re going to be sadly missed,” said the Pleasantville mayor. The closure will leave a large hole in a strip mall along the Black Horse Pike, where the John Brooks Recovery Center recently opened an outpatient clinic. Meanwhile, just up the road, Mercedes Benz and Porsche dealerships are moving in. There is another story to be written, some time, about the madness of piecemeal development in South Jersey suburbs…
Sonic Boom Shakes
It happened again, The Press of Atlantic City reports. We missed it, but apparently it felt like another small earthquake. Weather man Dan Skeldon said the cause was most likely a nearby F-35 joint strike fighter plane.
For the rest of today’s headlines, including the latest on who’s running for District 2 Senator, whether or not there will be snow, a nationwide spike in Fentanyl deaths and a look into school lockdowns in South Jersey, see below:
Mazzeo Announces Candidacy For State Senate–Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo is running for state senate. Press of Atlantic City
Opportunities For Light Snow Over The Next Few Days–For the next six days it will feel more like January should. It won’t be a bone-chilling or record-breaking cold, but winter jackets, hats and gloves will all be necessities through early next week. Press of Atlantic City
Police Urge Restraint as School Lockdowns Test Parents’ Resolve–After a tense, four-hour lockdown, students, parents, and staff at Henry C. Beck Middle School in Cherry Hill were relieved to learn that a threat made against the building was resolved peacefully on Wednesday. But because the problem of “swatting“—calling in hoax threats to authorities—is a growing trend, after the dust settles, authorities must “retool and get ready for the next one,” Cherry Hill Police Chief Bud Monaghan said. NJ PEN
Atlantic City Mayor Urges Icahn to Sell Ex-Taj Mahal Casino–Atlantic City's mayor is calling on billionaire investor Carl Icahn to sell the shuttered Trump Taj Mahal casino, saying his struggling city can't afford to let such a big piece of its Boardwalk lie vacant indefinitely. Republican Don Guardian said Wednesday that allowing the casino to stay vacant is "the worst of the worst" in terms of outcomes for the property, which Icahn closed October 10 after a bruising strike by the city's main casino workers' union. ABC News
Longtime Atlantic County Judge Higbee dies–Michael Donio almost had his former judicial roommate talked into retirement. But Judge Carol Higbee wouldn’t get the chance. The Atlantic County judge whose ruling during one trial once sent stock for pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. plummeting died Tuesday. BreakingAC
Man Charged in ‘Stoning’ Death Makes First Court Appearance–An Atlantic City man who allegedly used stones to fatally beat another man and then left his body in a trash can appeared to be confused at times during his initial court appearance on Wednesday. Thomas Green didn't enter a plea during the hearing in Mays Landing. He faces murder and weapons charges in the death of 52-year-old city resident Ricky Ward, whose body was found Saturday morning. Philly.com
Fentanyl Deaths Have Spiked Across the US, With No Sign of Slowing Down–Fentanyl -- the deadly synthetic opioid that is quickly catching up to heroin as one of the most abused drugs -- has been killing people at extraordinary rates. The Drug Enforcement Administration recently sent a video warning, featuring two investigators from Atlantic County, NJ that accidentally ingested the drug after a seizure, to police around the country warning of its dangers. ABC News
$2.6 Mln in CDBG Grants Awarded to South Jersey Towns–Eight local governments in Cape May and Cumberland counties will receive nearly $2.6 million in Small Cities Block Community Development Block Grants. The state announced the awards Wednesday as part of a larger award grant to 18 places in eight counties. Press of Atlantic City