Good morning, South Jersey.
After spending $40,000 on a private study, Collingswood’s commissioners are split on whether privatization is the answer to help its understaffed fire department.
And Gov. Mikie Sherrill has limited time to find a new lieutenant governor after Dale Caldwell’s resignation on Friday.
Plus, the weekend’s nor’easter caused dozens of evacuations and rescues down the Shore, and more news of the day.
— Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
Deciding how to help Collingswood’s overworked firefighters
With only 19 employees, the Collingswood Fire Department is spread pretty thin.
It’s responsible for emergency medical transport services, as well as fire emergencies across the entire borough and parts of Haddon Township.
The borough’s board of commissioners spent $40,000 on a study that told them to privatize ambulance services, but a previous lawsuit voided a contract when they tried to do just that with a vote last December.
If Collingswood wants to try again, the municipality wouldn’t be the first to outsource ambulance services: Camden uses Cooper Health, Gloucester City uses Virtua Health, and Gloucester Township and Pine Hill both use Inspira Health.
Privatizing could be more cost-effective and give firefighters more breathing room to respond to emergencies, but not everyone is convinced.
The Inquirer’s Sarah Nicell breaks down the factors at play.
Replacing Caldwell
Gov. Mikie Sherrill has about six weeks to find a new lieutenant governor.
Dale Caldwell stepped down from his position after investigators found “credible evidence” of sexual harassment.
With the midterm elections coming up in November, Sherrill has already tapped Acting Comptroller Shirley Emehelu to be the state’s top election official as secretary of state on an acting basis. Before his resignation, Caldwell was also fulfilling that role.
Assemblymember Balivir Singh proposed Burlington County Democrat State. Sen. Troy Singleton as an ideal fit for the governor’s second-in-command.
Road crews have already started taking off Caldwell’s name from state signs on I-95 as the fallout continues.
Reporter Aliya Schneider has the story.
What to know today
- The early nor’easter caused dozens of evacuations and rescues, extensive flooding, and eroded beaches down the Shore over the weekend.
- Two Middle Township police officers fatally shot a man who threatened a woman with a knife Friday, officials said Saturday.
- The top cannabis official in Atlantic City is facing multiple charges for allegedly soliciting cash bribes from a dispensary owner in exchange for fast-tracking their license and avoiding city fees.
- Months after the Kibitz Room in King of Prussia closed, the former owner and current deli manager at the original Cherry Hill location filed for personal bankruptcy.
- Starbucks is closing its Willingboro store, which is among the 250 to shutter across North America.
- A new cannabis dispensary is proposed in Clementon at the site of a former Rite Aid, 42 Freeway reports. Multiple former Rite Aids have been repurposed into new businesses since the last Philly-area locations closed last year.
- The Phillies TV camera operator responsible for slo-mo shots is a Woolwich Township man who just released his debut jazz album, Oh No I’m in Love Again.
🧠 Trivia time
Which band performed at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden last night?
A) Gorillaz
B) AC/DC
C) Twenty One Pilots
D) Low Cut Connie
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re …
📚 Building: Our fall reading list.
🦅 Reviewing: Our roundup of last week’s best sports photos.
🦖 Mourning: The Academy of Natural Sciences’ museum. Sunday was the final day.
📬 Your South Jersey view
Despite the rainy weekend, I spent my Saturday morning walking along Cooper River in Pennsauken. The Camden County Boathouse is beautiful regardless of the weather.
What does your community look like? What South Jersey memory would you like to share? Submit a photo and/or a brief description for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.
🗞️ What other South Jersey residents are reading
- Does Zach Ertz still have the juice to contribute to the Eagles? Here’s what the film — and history — says
- Alec Bohm represents changes that might be coming to the Phillies. Who else could be on the way out?
- Delta is ending a route out of Philadelphia that it launched months ago
Thank you for starting your week with The Inquirer. Let’s make it a great one.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Leave a Reply