Author: Julie Zeglen

Good morning, South Jersey. I’m sorry to report that the region is under yet another flood watch.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey has urged Bellmawr police to investigate its officers after they allegedly targeted protesters engaging in “free-speech activities.”

And a destination for Czech delicacies is moving from Mount Laurel to Haddonfield.

Plus, the state will get more than $500 million from a Meta settlement over child protections, and more news of the day.

— Julie Zeglen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Protesters allege unlawful targeting

ACLU-NJ is defending protesters who received traffic and criminal citations from the Bellmawr Police Department during summertime protests against President Donald Trump and his administration.

The infractions include honking and jaywalking, according to the roadside rallies’ organizing group, Cooper River Indivisible.

ACLU-NJ sent a letter to the Camden County borough’s police department asking it to investigate officers’ conduct regarding the protesters’ “free-speech activities.”

“No one’s freedom of speech should be chilled because they’re afraid of getting a citation,” ACLU-NJ’s criminal law reform advocacy director told The Inquirer.

Reporter Sarah Nicell has more details.

‘It’s culture that no one gets here unless you fly home’

Bohemian doughnuts, traditional kolaches, apple strudel, babka — Four Green Cats Cafe is known for these Czech treats and more, with customers traveling from both nearby in South Jersey and across the country to sample its authentic European flavors.

The Mount Laurel café will soon be taking over a larger space in Haddonfield to meet demand.

The new location will allow Four Green Cats to offer more menu items and host more live events for those of the Czech diaspora and beyond, owners Mila and Nadia Vasa say.

The Inquirer’s Lacey Latch visited the cozy Rancocas Woods spot to learn more about the coming move.

What to know today

• New Jersey will get more than $500 million from a landmark Meta settlement over child protections, part of a larger payout of up to $17.1 billion. A multistate coalition sued the tech giant for failing to keep kids from becoming addicted.
• A Franklin Township man has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling his 40-year-old daughter in June, prosecutors said.
• A dean of research at Rutgers University has been charged with invasion of privacy for allegedly taking “upskirt” photos while working at the Jersey institution.
• A Philadelphia man was arrested for allegedly trying to meet and have sex with underage girls in a Mount Laurel hotel.
• Camden County officials are warning residents to follow federal guidance on rabies prevention and safety after a rabid raccoon was discovered in Barrington.
• Marlton-based Virtua Health and other health systems in the region have filed lawsuits against healthcare provider network MultiPlan and several major insurers, Philadelphia Business Journal reports.
• RIP, Dolly Parton, who is remembered as both a singer and philanthropist whose Imagination Library worked to get books into children’s hands. Mount Laurel-based nonprofit Foundations Inc. ran the first Imagination Library program in Philadelphia and awarded Parton as its “Champion of Children” in 2020.

🗓️ The best things to do this week

🌿 Life that Glows: Take a guided walk and use UV flashlights to see fluorescence on various plants, invertebrates, and mushrooms that glow in various colors at night. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 28, 7:30-9:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Long Bridge Park, Hainesport.

🎤 Music on the Porch Day: Enjoy live music on porches, storefronts, lawns, and other gathering spaces. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 29, noon-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Downtown Mount Holly.

🍷 Wine Down Summer: Sample award-winning wines, listen to live music, and peruse food and artisan vendors at this annual fest. BYO chairs, blankets, and pop-up tents. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30 12-5 p.m. 💵 $20-25 plus fees, $5 for spectators 📍Veterans Island at Cooper River Park, Pennsauken.

See more event listings here.

🧠 Trivia time

What rating did Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy give Lillo’s Tomato Pies when he visited the Hainesport location for his “One Bite Pizza Reviews”?

A) 6

B) 7.5

C) 8.4

D) 10

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🎶 Remembering: When Willie Nelson performed at the Outlaw Music Festival in Camden last year.

🍃 Visiting: Swede Run Fields in Moorestown.

🍂 Ready for: Cooler weather and pumpkin spice truffles.

Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Ellen Dunkel has you covered tomorrow.

Clarification: Yesterday’s newsletter featured a story on the opening of Del Buono’s Pastry Shop. Its cream doughnuts are reminiscent of the ones McMillan’s Bakery once sold.

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.

Good morning, South Jersey. I’m editor Julie Zeglen, filling in for Taylor today and Monday.

First, a look upward: Canadian wildfire smoke has prompted air quality alerts across the state, with local governments advising residents to avoid polluted air and canceling outdoor events. See the latest air quality measures in chart and map form.

In Monroe Township, a $300 million lawsuit against its data center ban has moved to federal court. The developer behind it is alleging free speech and equal protections violations.

And an Inquirer journalist’s notes appeared in the state attorney general’s office files in a case against South Jersey power broker George E. Norcross III.

Plus, more than 500 acres of Burlington County farmland could be protected, and more news of the day.

— Julie Zeglen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

P.S. We’ve been sending this newsletter for just over a month now. How are we doing? Tell us by taking our survey.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

A data center fight in Monroe Township

Data centers have drawn controversy across the region as residents protest their potential impact on the environment, noise levels, and quality of life. That debate is raging now in Monroe Township, where officials recently banned their development.

Now, a company that has been planning to build a data center in the Gloucester County municipality is pushing back.

Princeton-based Hexa Builders has for years sought to develop a property at 3043 Black Horse Pike. It’s now suing Monroe officials for $300 million after they denied its application to build a 1 million-square-foot data center and a warehouse.

Among Hexa’s allegations, according to its complaint: “Data centers are a medium of expression and banning data centers would impose a significant burden on the free speech rights of all citizens in the United States.”

The Inquirer’s Sarah Nicell has more on the fight.

AG files include journalist’s notes

An Inquirer staffer’s typed interview notes from 2019 came into the possession of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office during an investigation that led to the high-profile, and recently abandoned, racketeering indictment against South Jersey power broker George E. Norcross III.

News organizations typically treat unpublished reporting material as confidential and often fight government demands for it in court.

The Inquirer’s top editor said the notes were not passed on by the journalist, nor was the company subpoenaed by authorities for them.

Reporter Sean Collins Walsh has the story.

What to know today

• More than 500 acres of Burlington County farmland could be protected from development after officials voted to bring seven farms into the county’s Farmland Preservation Program.
• The parasitic infection cyclosporiasis has been found in dozens of states, though cases in New Jersey were at typical levels as of this week.
• Burlington County received $500,000 to improve its trails. The bulk of the funding will go toward engineering design costs for a trail segment that goes through Mount Laurel.
• State energy regulators are investigating after July Fourth storms left around 850,000 New Jerseyans without power, mostly in areas serviced by PSE&G and Jersey Central Power & Light, New Jersey Monitor reports.
• The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office has charged four men from Camden and Gloucester Counties with trying to lure an underage girl online. The office also charged a Camden man in connection to a May home invasion robbery in Collingswood.
• Somerdale Cold Cuts in Somerdale has temporarily closed after a thief stole copper piping connected to its refrigerator and deli case, according to 6abc.

🧠 Trivia time

Which former New Jersey governor signed a bill into law to formally recognize Central Jersey?

A) Phil Murphy

B) Jon Corzine

C) Chris Christie

D) Jim McGreevey

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re …

🐕 Protecting: Our cats and dogs from the heat.

🍕 Craving: Pizza from Tacconelli’s.

🚢 Viewing: Photos of Battleship New Jersey through the years.

🏖️ Down the Shore

This “Ask Down the Shore” feature appears as part of our weekly summertime series from Shore reporter Amy S. Rosenberg. Subscribe to her free Down the Shore newsletter here.

A reader asks: I have been doing the Shore my entire life. I still pack an outfit for every day and an outfit for every night. Am I weird? Do other people do this or do they just throw stuff in a suitcase and wear the same things over and over because they are “on vacation down the shore”?

Amy answered: I appreciate [this reader’s] effort to keep things elevated. But I think the majority is falling into the “throw stuff in a suitcase” camp. Plus, they need room for the sheets the rentals don’t provide down the Shore.

Where do you fall on this topic? Is there such a thing as too casual at the Shore? Email Rosenberg at downtheshore@inquirer.com.

📸 Photo of the week

Stay safe out there as you enjoy your weekend. I’ll be back with you Monday morning with more South Jersey news of the day.

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.